Posted by Elizabeth on February 2, 2002, at 11:36:22
In reply to Re: Ambien vs. Sonata vs. Ativan for insomnia?, posted by therese desqueroux on January 30, 2002, at 19:04:24
> I've tried all three and some others. Sonata was the weakest. Ambien, a little more potent, did not work either.
Ambien isn't really more potent than Sonata; they're about equipotent. Ambien worked better for you, but different things work for different people. (I'm guessing you only tried the recommended doses -- 10 mg in both cases.) Ambien *is* longer-acting, and that makes it more suitable for people who awaken frequently in the middle of the night.
> Next I was switched from Ativan to Klonopin, which is a more powerful benzo.
Klonopin isn't really more "powerful" than Ativan (some people say that Ativan works better for them), but it *is* more potent -- 1 mg of Klonopin has more effect than 1 mg of Ativan. That just means that the effective dose will probably be different. Similarly, Prozac is much more potent than Zoloft (the recommended doses of Prozac range from 20-80 mg, while for Zoloft the recommended range is 50-200 mg), but that doesn't mean that Prozac is a stronger antidepressant than Zoloft.
Klonopin is also longer-acting than Ativan, so it's odd that you were given Klonopin when Ativan had been making you groggy in the morning.
> I take one at night when I'm not resisting taking my medications, which I still do, and perhaps always will.
If you take Klonopin too often/for too long, you're liable to become tolerant to the sedative effect, although this happens at different rates for different people. The anxiolytic effect does seem to persist, though, so if anxiety is keeping you up at night then it might continue to help.
> I also take Klonopin in the day, and it is a more effective benzo for me than Ativan. If you're worried about the danger of dependence or addiction (as I always am), that's probably at least one good sign that you won't fall into that trap.
If you're taking Klonopin on a daily basis, you're probably dependent. That doesn't mean you're "addicted;" it does mean that it would be unpleasant and possibly even dangerous to stop taking it abruptly (benzo withdrawal can cause seizures). If you're going to stop taking it you should do so under a doctor's supervision.
> I still can't get over the idea that these are considered recreational drugs and are controlled substances.
They're all controlled (all benzos are C-IV except for flunitrazepam, which is C-I), but some, like Xanax and Valium, tend to be abused more than Klonopin. I can't recall ever encountering anyone who found Klonopin to have recreational value.
> When I read the story today about Jeb Bush's daughter Noelle trying fraudulently to obtain Xanax, another benzo, more powerful than the others already described,
Again, Xanax is more potent than any of the other benzos prescribed for anxiety (Halcion is still more potent but is used strictly as a sleep aid), not necessarily more "powerful."
> I thought, What was she thinking? Is she that stressed out? Could she actually be taking this for fun? Unbelievable.
Not unbelievable -- some people enjoy Xanax. But kind of pathetic. I'd think that the governor's daughter (and the president's niece) would be able to get a prescription for Xanax without having to forge it, especially if she really was just stressed.
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:92140
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020131/msgs/92601.html