Switching From Xanax To Clonazepam?

Met an older new Doctor today. He was very aware Xanax is poison, especially on the way out during a withdrawal. In fact he says it is the worst in its class. Refreshing to hear that, true or not! Doctor mentioned Klonopin works almost the same. I have a huge supply of Xanax right now and I told him that. I also mentioned I almost died during an unsuccessful switch to Ativan. Is Klonopin worth trying ?

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They are pretty much interchangeable, the dosing conversion is an even 1:1 when switching from one to the other and they treat they same things, as well as carry the same risks.

It's just trading one benzodiazepine for another.


You can learn more Xanax details here and you can learn more Clonazepam details here.

The can both be habit forming and create the risk of seizures with sudden withdrawal. They also both have the same side effect profile, which can include nausea, dizziness, headache and irritability.

Thus, I'm really not sure what you are looking to gain by just switching from one to another.

Can you post back and clarify?

If you do, I may be able to assist you more accurately.

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I'm not sure what I would gain either, although I am looking for a change. This is the first Doctor visit in the last 25 years that I didn't seek more alprazolam. The doctor mentioned a 3 week transition period, knowing I would still have my Xanax if there was a problem. By no means was he suggesting to take both! I assume Klonpin has a fast onset similar to Xanax. Also treats RLS? I found the exact opposite with Ativan, thus my dislike for the medicine, my discontinuance of the medicine, and my demise almost from that medicine!

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Hit the nail on the head there- "Xanax is straight poison coming out!" Excruciating/Brutal/ Dangerous/Scarcely... that why I switched to Valium. it has the longest half life. if u were to run our u could make it 4-5days before noticing any bothersome wds

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On the other hand, jmd, that is only because of the extremely long half life of one of the major active metabolites of diazepam, nordazepam, which has L/50 of > 200 hrs! Oxazepam, the metabolite which is responsible for the excellent anxiolytic effect of diazepam, has a very short (6 hr) half life.

Yes, it may take a lot longer to notice w/ds with diazepam than with lorazepam - notorious for the severity of the withdrawal syndrome - alprazolam or oxazepam, but the withdrawals from diazepam last a lot longer and are far more likely to result in seizures as long as three or four months after stopping. Clonazepam is classed as a very high potency benzo, and also has a very long half life compared with alprazolam - well over 50 hours as opposed to 6 - 10 hrs with the alp.

It is an excellent anticonvulsive, which is its major indication, and also a very good prophylactic (preventative) for panic disorder. Alprazolam is much more useful in ACUTE panic attacks. This is why clonazepam (Rivotril, Clonotril, and in USA Klonopin) is often prescribed over a much longer period than other BzDs. I use 2mg tds for dual purpose; both as an anti epileptic and a prophyla tic for my terrible panic disorder. Since starting it I haven't suffered any more than one or two seizures and a single panic episode whereas before, I was having at least three episodes every WEEK.

And no, Verwon, they certainly are NOT pretty much interchangeable for the very reasons I have set out here. Alprazolam for acute panic and clonazepam for the prophylaxis of panic over a much longer period. It is not recommended to use alprazolam for any longer than four to eight weeks, but clonazepam may be used for a much longer period. In addition, clonazepam is almost useless as an anxiolytic compared. Medazepam, diazepam, lorazepam and alprazolam are far preferable for the treatment of anxiety than clonazepam. A benzo that I know for a fact is NOT on the US market, mexazolam (Melex), is also a superb choice for anxiety disorder, as is, for a short course not exceeding 4 weeks, flutazolam (Coreminal), made in only 4mg strength, and with a heavier sedation than any of the above, should sedation be required.

Sometimes I think people do not read the Patient Information Leaflets, which leads to these awful mistakes in efficacy and dosage as well as the major indications for different drugs which might be in the same pharmacological class but have wildly differing effects. I always make sure that I understand what exactly I am introducing to my body and what the effect is liable to be at a given dosage before using it. Doctors do not normally bother to explain properly anyway, so the PIL and other RELIABLE sources should be consulted first!

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Benzodiazepine have been linked to dementia. And although some remain in your system, that means your brain is being exposed to it non stop. Therefore I would rather take the Xanax because it gives the brain a break from the long term exposure. For some reason my psy doctor wont even consider Valium for me even though I was able to wean myself off on my own in the 70's.

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They are actively discouraging prescription of acute BZDs at the moment. I forgot to say earlier that withdrawals from lorazepam are far worse than those from alprazolam, and manifest themselves at much lower dosages and shorter length of use... back in the late 80s, the then-Wyeth company defended a case which was brought on behalf of users who suffered, some of whom had been on as little as 1mg bd for two weeks! (The original brand, Temesta/Ativan /Tavor/Trapax is now made by Pfizer or Aspen, dependent on where you live).

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What was the disposition of the legal case? Also when you say lorazepam withdrawals are far worse even with limited usage, can that trigger the onset or increase the effects from someone suffering from an alprazolam withdrawal? Its been 6 years for me and was an interesting week in the hospital. I was reading emails from my ceiling, common sense told me to drop by the E.R. Threw away a bunch of ativan.

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Weened myself off Alprazolam with Ativan. Stopped the Ativan after a week or two because I thought it was the worst, then almost died

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The legal case presented by Wyeth was on a risks/benefits degence - the High Court decided in their favour whilst warning Wyeth that the pIL MUST prominently state yhat use of lorazepam can engender dependence, and that treatment should not be encouraged beyond one month. You will notice that ALL benzodiazepines now carry such a warning. And still, clonazepam and clobazam are the only two which are recommended for any longer period. As for the link with dementia, there are many more meds of different classes which have an even grwater propensity for that - Barbiturates for one, and currently some work is going on with SSRIs in the same area, but the drugs which have the biggest risk are the non-benzodiazepines, the 'z' drugs, zolpidem tartrate being worst of all. Paradoxically, it iz being investigated for PREVENTION of the advance of dementia, both vascular and Alzheimer's, as well as Tourette's, Motor Neurone Disease, and other conditions affecting memory and xognitive dunction as well as speech difficulties and following strokes. See the video 'The Ambien Effect' on YouTube for some startling examples. This is at a dosage of 10mg tds, whereas as an hupnotic, 5-q0mg is the regular dosage. The effect regarding the now-accepted high toxicity of zolpidem compared with BzDs is still in early stages, and most of the patients being treated by this experimental method are elderly or with an incurable condition, (such as MND), the expectation being that the quality of remaining lifespan overrides any of the inevitable downside to the use of this previouly-thought SAFER alternative to BzD hypnotics...

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Was told by a mental health professional that Valium or Klonopin have longer half lives and at some point, easier to withdraw from than Xanax. True or not?

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Doesn't sound quite right to me. Many doctors are acutely aware of the addiction to this class of medicine, withdrawal is another story

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Oh geez, that's encouraging. I've withdrawn from Valium over a period of a year and a half. Started at 10 mg. This was back in the 80's and I was really a MESS. Writing my own Rx's, almost getting caught and risking jail time. I was completely off any of these meds for 6-7 yrs. Began having crippling panic attacks again and went to a different doctor in a new state (husband had transferred for job) and asked for an Rx for Xanax and BAM. Within 2 years I was in the same place but Xanax is different...much more difficult to get out from under.

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