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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ellanicole on October 27, 2007, at 19:36:27
I have recently moved to a new town and my new doctor is making a change in my medicine.
I have been taking xanax 1 milligram 3 times per day. The new doctor is changing me to Klonopin 1 milligram 3 times per day. I have been on the xanax for 5 years now. I did take Klonopin a long time ago and it worked fine for me but it was several years before having to use the xanax for acute anxiety. Will I have any problems stopping xanax one night and beginning the Klonopin the very next day after taking xanax for 5 years? I am scared that I will experience withdrawl. Should I have a smooth transition? I would appreciate any and all help. I start this is 5 days and my anxiety over changing is causing so much panic that I cannot even calm down enough for my xanax to work. The new doctor is changing me because he feels Klonopin works longer.Thank you so much
Posted by Mathia on October 27, 2007, at 19:47:17
In reply to Need help - ASAP, posted by ellanicole on October 27, 2007, at 19:36:27
I believe the Klnoapin is about 1/4 the dose of xanax so I think your gonna have to take more of it to get same result. But check into it for sure cause Im not a doctor.
Other than that I believe they are basically the same.
Just a thought, maybe the klonapin will end up helping you better so perhaps stay positive til atleast you find out. Sometimes I get myself all upset over nothing and it turns out ok.
GOODLUCK
M
Posted by Phillipa on October 27, 2007, at 20:14:32
In reply to Re: Need help - ASAP, posted by Mathia on October 27, 2007, at 19:47:17
If the xanax is still working at the same dose and you haven't upped it why change the benzo as klonopin does work longer but seriously depressed me. Phillipa ps my experience only
Posted by rvanson on October 28, 2007, at 3:11:52
In reply to Need help - ASAP, posted by ellanicole on October 27, 2007, at 19:36:27
> I have recently moved to a new town and my new doctor is making a change in my medicine.
> I have been taking xanax 1 milligram 3 times per day. The new doctor is changing me to Klonopin 1 milligram 3 times per day. I have been on the xanax for 5 years now. I did take Klonopin a long time ago and it worked fine for me but it was several years before having to use the xanax for acute anxiety. Will I have any problems stopping xanax one night and beginning the Klonopin the very next day after taking xanax for 5 years? I am scared that I will experience withdrawl. Should I have a smooth transition? I would appreciate any and all help. I start this is 5 days and my anxiety over changing is causing so much panic that I cannot even calm down enough for my xanax to work. The new doctor is changing me because he feels Klonopin works longer.
>
> Thank you so much
Its true that Klonopin is "longer lasting" then Xanax (its' half-life in the body is longer), but my hunch is that your new doctor is using the Klonopin switch to wean you off of Xanax and any of the benzodiazepines completely, without coming out and telling you that to your face.Those of us on benzo's for many years call such P-docs, "Benzo-Phobics", and if you are doing well with the Xanax, you might try another finding another doctor, IMO.
Too, Klonopin has a higher rate of causing or increasing Depression then Xanax, which has anti-depressant properties, unlike Klonopin which does not.
Posted by FA!TH on October 31, 2007, at 12:28:47
In reply to Re: Need help - ASAP » ellanicole, posted by rvanson on October 28, 2007, at 3:11:52
I agree with all of the responses so far, why fix something if it's not broken? I have been off and on benzos most of my life. I think Xanax is a favorite of most because it does work so fast. But when I was on klonopin I had no anxiety at all, not even when it was time for my next dose. I'm taking Xanax now 1mg 1 to 5 a day, and have considerable anxiety between doses. I'm also taking 75mg Zoloft 1X a day for depression, and 300 mg at bedtime of Gabapentin. I'm thinking about switching back to klonopin. I don't see any depression SA from it, probably because I'm on an AD as well. Something I always try and remember as a "professional worrier" myself, is this: The outcome (end result) is rarely as bad as the anticipation (worry). You will most likely do fine if you want to switch, just take a little extra klonopin to adjust.
Posted by Astounder on October 31, 2007, at 15:26:20
In reply to Need help - ASAP, posted by ellanicole on October 27, 2007, at 19:36:27
> I have recently moved to a new town and my new doctor is making a change in my medicine.
> I have been taking xanax 1 milligram 3 times per day. The new doctor is changing me to Klonopin 1 milligram 3 times per day. I have been on the xanax for 5 years now. I did take Klonopin a long time ago and it worked fine for me but it was several years before having to use the xanax for acute anxiety. Will I have any problems stopping xanax one night and beginning the Klonopin the very next day after taking xanax for 5 years? I am scared that I will experience withdrawl. Should I have a smooth transition? I would appreciate any and all help. I start this is 5 days and my anxiety over changing is causing so much panic that I cannot even calm down enough for my xanax to work. The new doctor is changing me because he feels Klonopin works longer.
>
> Thank you so muchYou will not go into withdrawal. Klonopin is TWICE as potent as Xanax and it's effects last much, much longer: The half-life of Xanax is 6-12 hrs; the half-life of Klonopin is 18-50 hrs. Normally with a half-life like that, you wouldn't take it more than once a day. I have used both of them, and they felt the same to me, both supposed to cause relatively little sedation compared to other benzos, Xanax just kicks in faster, especially if you dissolve it under the tongue. Benzo naive, the first time I took Klonopin, unable to sleep in college even with megadoses of trazodone. I took 2 mg and lost 2 days of memory, during which I was apparently shambling around in a drunken stupor. So yeah, it's powerful stuff.
When they wean people off benzos, they never pick something more potent to do it; it's usually something weak and very long acting like Valium.
Posted by Phillipa on October 31, 2007, at 20:14:13
In reply to Re: Need help - ASAP, posted by Astounder on October 31, 2007, at 15:26:20
That's what I've been on for over 30 years and the same dose. So you say it is weak? Phillipa
Posted by rvanson on November 1, 2007, at 2:37:21
In reply to Re: Need help - ASAP, posted by Astounder on October 31, 2007, at 15:26:20
> When they wean people off benzos, they never pick something more potent to do it; it's usually something weak and very long acting like Valium.
I agree and disagree with you here.I agree that Valium, for me at least, is a much much weaker benzo then Klonopin or Xanax, but the current trend with Pdocs is to wean people on Ativan, Xanax, ect, with decreasing doses of Klonopin, not Valium.
On a side note, its so unfortunate that many Pdocs dont understand that most current A/D's including the SSRI's, simply *dont* take the place of a benzo when dealing with severe cases of GAD, PD or SP issues.
Posted by Astounder on November 1, 2007, at 11:38:00
In reply to Re: Need help - ASAP » Astounder, posted by Phillipa on October 31, 2007, at 20:14:13
> That's what I've been on for over 30 years and the same dose. So you say it is weak? Phillipa
Which? The Xanax or Valium? Neither of them are "weak", it's just a difference in anxiolytic potency, how many milligrams you need for the same effect.
Posted by Phillipa on November 1, 2007, at 20:19:26
In reply to Re: Need help - ASAP, posted by Astounder on November 1, 2007, at 11:38:00
Astounder the valium on 20mg and was once on 2mg of klonopin stronger to me. And xanax no more than 2mg a day. Phillipa
Posted by Astounder on November 1, 2007, at 21:11:40
In reply to Re: Need help - ASAP » Astounder, posted by Phillipa on November 1, 2007, at 20:19:26
> Astounder the valium on 20mg and was once on 2mg of klonopin stronger to me. And xanax no more than 2mg a day. Phillipa
There's interpersonal variation of course, but I'd rather rely on the benzo conversion charts than other's personal anecdotes.
Posted by Phillipa on November 1, 2007, at 22:43:28
In reply to Re: Need help - ASAP » Phillipa, posted by Astounder on November 1, 2007, at 21:11:40
Astonder know the charts l0mg of valium = lmg of xanax or .5 of klonopin. Phillipa
Posted by Astounder on November 2, 2007, at 12:51:24
In reply to Re: Need help - ASAP » Astounder, posted by Phillipa on November 1, 2007, at 22:43:28
> Astonder know the charts l0mg of valium = lmg of xanax or .5 of klonopin. Phillipa
This is the chart crazymeds.org linked to when it was still up:
http://meds.queensu.ca/~clpsych/orientation/Benzodiazepine%20comparison%20chart.pdf
Posted by Phillipa on November 2, 2007, at 20:36:14
In reply to Benzo conversion chart » Phillipa, posted by Astounder on November 2, 2007, at 12:51:24
Astounder hard to read there is one on babble too. Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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