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Re: difference between benzodiazapines » darkling

Posted by kid_A on October 3, 2001, at 13:49:22

In reply to difference between benzodiazapines, posted by darkling on October 3, 2001, at 11:25:50


Benzos are similar molecularly as well as pharmacologically... I believe that they all act on GABA receptors.

They differ in their comparative strengths, activation time (relative time until a peak plasma level is reached), and their half life (the time it takes for the drug to get out of your system)...

For example diazepam (valium) has a fairly long half life, so you wont have the same problems that you might if you took alprazolam (xanax), which has a very short half life, around 9-20 hours, so if taken daily it can cause all manner of addiction woes if you stop taking it suddenly... I dont think anyone even prescribes valium anymore but regardless...

Klonopin, which was used primarily as an anti-epileptic seems now to be being prescribed more as an anti-anxiety drug... I suspect that it is sometimes prefered to xanax due to its slightly longer half life and its relatively weaker strength (despite what the benzo equivalency charts say)...

I've seen it also used as a detox drug for getting off xanax as well... I think you'll find that klonopin and xanax (with ativan comeing in a very remote third) being the most prescribed benzos...

With xanax being so prevelant, drugs like Valium which were much more popular in the eighties are really falling off the radar...


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