Question:
Anne Diffily schreef: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – From what I know about the shorter-acting benzos (Xanax, Valium, Ativan), you get a buzz which wears off after a few hours. (Correct me if I’m wrong on this.) I think this is one of those "your mileage may vary" things. I can’t speak to Valium or Ativan, but I have taken Xanax off and on for 12 years, and even when I first started it, I never ever got a "buzz," and I still don’t. Just as you’ve described with the Klonopin, I just feel calmer with the Xanax. Not at all sleepy, doped, "high," buzzed, etc. The effect is more of an *absence* of qualities (absence of racing thoughts, anxiety, heart pounding), not the *addition* of any particular feeling. Isn’t it true (Philip?) that Xanax goes to work faster than Klonopin if you’re in a severely anxiety-provoking situation? (Which is why some people occasionally add Xanax for fast relief even if they’re already taking Klonopin.) But yes, Xanax does wear off faster. I carry a vial of my pills in my purse and keep another at home, so I’m never in a situation where I don’t have it with me when I need to take my regularly scheduled dose. – Anne —
Xanax works a lot faster (and shorter) than Klonopin which makes it more suitable for use *as needed*. Ativan works more or less like Xanax. Valium OTOH is *not* a short-acting benzo. Philip
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Xanax works a lot faster (and shorter) than Klonopin which makes it more suitable for use *as needed*. Ativan works more or less like Xanax. Valium
OTOH is *not* a short-acting benzo. Actually because of differences in the way the drugs are distributed in your body (I think that Valium is widely distributed, for example), Valium doesn’t last all that long. You still end up needing to take it 3 times a day. Same with Librium. Dalmane has the longest half-life of the benzos (if you count active metabolites – although this is sort of hard to quantify because of differences in how extensively formed the metabolites of various drugs are), but Klonopin is probably the one that works for the longest. -elizabeth
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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Xanax works a lot faster (and shorter) than Klonopin which makes it more suitable for use *as needed*. Ativan works more or less like Xanax. Valium OTOH is *not* a short-acting benzo. Actually because of differences in the way the drugs are distributed in your body (I think that Valium is widely distributed, for example), Valium doesn’t last all that long. You still end up needing to take it 3 times a day. Same with Librium. Dalmane has the longest half-life of the benzos (if you count active metabolites – although this is sort of hard to quantify because of differences in how extensively formed the metabolites of various drugs are), but Klonopin is probably the one that works for the longest.
You know, elizabeth, I just wish I had known you back when the *specialists* were harassing me about asking all the *tricky* questions I was asking them…:::sigh:::: Oh, well! Another cause for another day… 
Best… — Blue – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –elizabeth
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Why do I want to get off xanax? I’m not even going to waste my time answering that dumb question. Trapper
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Takmeup schreef: Fine Philip, If you want to stay on xanax thats fine however,xanax was intended for short term use.
Xanax is very often used for long-term treatment with excellent results. You seemed to ignor what I put in my preveious post. This Country was warned about the severe addication from xanax. I received this info from upjohn labs the Company that makes the drug.
I refer to ASAP’s back pages on this subject. Elliott posted a few abstracts recently if I remember correctly. Everybody and his brother can come in and go on and on about Xanax being addictive, I don’t always feel like going through the motions again.A few good sites that deal with prejudices surrounding Xanax addiction: http://www.cme-reviews.com/PP698_Silberman.html and http://lexington-on-line.com/naf.xanax_html Why do I take such a high dose? After 2 years in Nam with the SF ops,some people,like me develop this great desire to survive.It gets so severe that your mine tells your body not to let itself weaken to anything and that is why some combat vets have the need for a much higher dose. Just one of those things.
I understand. Have you been treated for PTSD only by medication? It seems other kinds of psychotherapy might be useful. So your meds are paid for,so are mine but that doesen’t make it ok I have many skills under my belt,Dialysis tech being one of them. When you take a drug and receive a positive affect from it,another part of your body is paying the price for it. When it comes to drugs,there’s no free rides and i’m getting off this crap. Blood/lab work supports my statements.
I’d rather take Xanax than be addicted to my house. There is no scientific statistic evidence that Xanax isn’t a safe med. The horror and screams from Nam that wake me often at night,I guess I can learn to cope with that.
I should think therapy can help a lot here. But it is not my dream to spend the rest of my life with xanax in my pocketI looked death in the eyes many times in Nam and now i;m running from a harmless body induced fear. I had much less control of things in combat and just faced reality. Reality created my problem and now I intend to face the harmless fear that has control of me
That’s fine. I hope you’ll succeed. Trapper
Philip
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Takmeup schreef: Why do I want to get off xanax? I’m not even going to waste my time answering that dumb question. Trapper
It’s not a dumb question. If a med works, why do you want to get off it? If it doesn’t work, it seems like a good idea to stop.I appreciate your predicament but I fail to see the need for your aggressive attitude. Philip
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johnny schreef: I currently take xanax 0,5 as needed, for anxiety (GAD). I have found it NOT to work very good. (snip) It’s longer working cousin Klonopin may well give you better results but at a daily dose and not *as needed*. If necessary one might think of adding a low dose of an antidepressant to help change your mood. FWIW.
(snip) I agree totally. I’ve been on clonazepam (Klonopin/Rivotril) 0.5 mg 2-3 times a day since I went to the psych emergency for what I described as constant, absolute terror (a loooong panic attack). I’m on Paxil 20 mg/day and more recently Wellbutrin 100 mg/day (for sexual side effects of Paxil) but the anti-anxiety effects of the Paxil (if there really are any) hadn’t kicked in yet. They started me on the benzos and I haven’t had one bout of anxiety in months. Clonazepam is very unlike Xanax, Valium and Ativan in that it sets in gradually (ie. you don’t get stoned or a buzz 20 minutes after you take it) and it lasts a long time, as in 10-12 hours. I highly recommend it – a daily dose (or two) of 0.5 mg and more as needed. Also, I don’t find it sedating, so I can take it in the morning and not feel zonked out. renton – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
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I take 10 mg of klonopin 1/2 hour before I go to sleep – it lasts about 6 hours and has no lasting effects I can feel. There’s no buzz, just a calm. I have also taken 5 mg 1/2 before getting on a plane (cause I don’t really like flying) and I am marvelously calm for about 3-4 hours. Like the stuff. I also take it once in a while when I get a little over the top. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – johnny schreef: I currently take xanax 0,5 as needed, for anxiety (GAD). I have found it NOT to work very good. (snip) It’s longer working cousin Klonopin may well give you better results but at a daily dose and not *as needed*. If necessary one might think of adding a low dose of an antidepressant to help change your mood. FWIW. (snip) I agree totally. I’ve been on clonazepam (Klonopin/Rivotril) 0.5 mg 2-3 times a day since I went to the psych emergency for what I described as constant, absolute terror (a loooong panic attack). I’m on Paxil 20 mg/day and more recently Wellbutrin 100 mg/day (for sexual side effects of Paxil) but the anti-anxiety effects of the Paxil (if there really are any) hadn’t kicked in yet. They started me on the benzos and I haven’t had one bout of anxiety in months. Clonazepam is very unlike Xanax, Valium and Ativan in that it sets in gradually (ie. you don’t get stoned or a buzz 20 minutes after you take it) and it lasts a long time, as in 10-12 hours. I highly recommend it – a daily dose (or two) of 0.5 mg and more as needed. Also, I don’t find it sedating, so I can take it in the morning and not feel zonked out. renton
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Clonazepam I take daily, and I’ve been in anxiety-provoking situations, and since it’s already working, I feel okay. So it’s working for me, and I doubt my doc would be thrilled if I asked for Xanax on top of everything else I’m taking! As long as it’s working, I’m fine…… renton – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Isn’t it true (Philip?) that Xanax goes to work faster than Klonopin if you’re in a severely anxiety-provoking situation? (Which is why some people occasionally add Xanax for fast relief even if they’re already taking Klonopin.) But yes, Xanax does wear off faster. I carry a vial of my pills in my purse and keep another at home, so I’m never in a situation where I don’t have it with me when I need to take my regularly scheduled dose. – Anne —
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I take 10 mg of klonopin 1/2 hour before I go to sleep
Goodness. Isn’t that rather a lot??? Are you sure it’s not either – 1mg of Klonopin, or – 10mg of something else? -elizabeth
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From what I know about the shorter-acting benzos (Xanax, Valium, Ativan), you get a buzz which wears off after a few hours. (Correct me if I’m wrong on this.)
I think this is one of those "your mileage may vary" things. I can’t speak to Valium or Ativan, but I have taken Xanax off and on for 12 years, and even when I first started it, I never ever got a "buzz," and I still don’t. Just as you’ve described with the Klonopin, I just feel calmer with the Xanax. Not at all sleepy, doped, "high," buzzed, etc. The effect is more of an *absence* of qualities (absence of racing thoughts, anxiety, heart pounding), not the *addition* of any particular feeling. Isn’t it true (Philip?) that Xanax goes to work faster than Klonopin if you’re in a severely anxiety-provoking situation? (Which is why some people occasionally add Xanax for fast relief even if they’re already taking Klonopin.) But yes, Xanax does wear off faster. I carry a vial of my pills in my purse and keep another at home, so I’m never in a situation where I don’t have it with me when I need to take my regularly scheduled dose. – Anne —
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That’s a LOTTA clonazepam! I get it in 0.5 mg tablets – your 10 mg would be like taking 20 of mine!! : ) Re Xanax vs. Klonopin (aka Rivotril, generic name clonazepam) – I really do think the latter is better if you have GAD, since it’s longer acting. I’ve never gotten a buzz from it, just a "calm", like the previous poster described. From what I know about the shorter-acting benzos (Xanax, Valium, Ativan), you get a buzz which wears off after a few hours. (Correct me if I’m wrong on this.) Wouldn’t you think this would make them more psychologically addictive? To the original poster: please consider switching to clonazepam, especially if the Xanax isn’t working. renton – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I take 10 mg of klonopin 1/2 hour before I go to sleep – it lasts about 6 hours and has no lasting effects I can feel. There’s no buzz, just a calm. I have also taken 5 mg 1/2 before getting on a plane (cause I don’t really like flying) and I am marvelously calm for about 3-4 hours. Like the stuff. I also take it once in a while when I get a little over the top.
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Takmeup schreef: Xanax is now an old drug by todays standards.
And a good and well researched one it is too. It is HELL in the bottel
For many people including myself it’s a life saver. and this country was warned about how addictive of a drug it is.
It can cause *dependence* as can many other meds. Generally speaking, dependence can be handled. I know lots of people who were able to taper off of Xanax rather easily is sometimes slowly. However,F**** U and let the drug companies make a buck at the expense of you life.
I’m not saying it’s cheap. But if it works, it works. My insurance pays for it (I’m not from the US) Your on a small dose compared to me so please!! take my advice. This drug will make you a prisoner.
No way should that happen. My doctor made me a junkie and at 12 mg per day for 10 years,I tried like hell and can’t go below 8mg per day.
12 mgs is *very much*. How did you try to lower your dose? (And why do you want to get off Xanax?) Detox centers are to far away from me and my insurence will not cover the cost. Other doctors told me that I will have to be hospitalized due to what i’ll be going through.
Yours seems a rare case. Will you tell us how you and your doctor handled the taper? It’s very difficult to have an opinion on these sparse data. Also,no other Doctors will take me as a new PT.
You mean that you’re not working with a doctor now? Did you leave the *12 mgs* doctor? Why don’t other doctors want you as a patient? Obviously you need *some* help. Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
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I have .25mg of Xanax, and also had the same type of effect on me. My GAD isn’t really helped by Xanax at all – but taking the Paxil has helped now that it has begun to build up. I’m looking to learn some strategies through the counselling I am getting from my psychologist now, and hope to ween off the Paxil eventually. Remember, different people respond differently to drugs, so if Xanax isn’t helping, have your doc try to get you something else that might. Consider some counselling if you aren’t already doing some too. Good luck!
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I just recently started taking PAXIL for anxiety and panic. It is working great for me . I am on a 10mg dose daily and it took about 2 weeks to kick in. I have never tried xanax and am not really interested as I heard it is addicitive. PAXIL is an SSRI medication (Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitor). I’m not exactly sure what that means but I have read up on it a little bit. Give it a try. — Surf Usenet at home, on the road, and by email — always at Talkway. http://www.talkway.com
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take more and wash it down with a few beers
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johnny schreef: I currently take xanax 0,5 as needed, for anxiety (GAD). I have found it NOT to work very good. The only thing it does, is it numbs my emotions, making me more anxious, and less interested in things. Has anyone else had similar experiences with xanax ? People here seems to talk about xanax all the time, im surprised that it doesnt do the trick for me. When im anxious, feeling bad, i need something that really CHANGES my mood (of course). I
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