Posted by chemist on April 9, 2004, at 0:07:58
In reply to Re: Xanax?, posted by vjw on April 8, 2004, at 21:06:28
chemist here. you are dealing with 2 different entities. xanax (alprazolam) is not a true benzodiazepine: it is a triazolobenzodiazepene, and klonopin is one of the 1,4-benzodiazepines. thus, you cannot substitute one for the other. klonopin is known for its long half-life, 30-40 hours after dosing. xanax has documented anti-depressant activity, which can alter your course of treatment if you tend towards the hypomanic or manic side of the spectrum. xanax has a half-life of about 12 hours, which is a blessing and a curse, as if you are predisposed to addictive tendancies, you will be dosing more frequently. the good news is that it is very effective for panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder, and the like. if you are on xanax, and you want to taper, do so slowly and disregard ANY advice from your doctor that you can substitute another ``benzo'' instead: you can't. if you want to take the slow road, swith to the extended release form (Xanax XR) and go from there....best, chemist
poster:chemist
thread:328899
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040407/msgs/334375.html