9 replies to this topic

[NeuroBashing]

Sorry if this has been covered, I checked around a little bit and couldn't seem to find exactly what I was looking for.

I was on klonopin not too long back for about two months, found it worked really well at first with my anxiety and paranoia when I'm in public, lessened my claustrophobia in my classrooms and such.
Then started to act wrecklessly, craved illicit drugs (in spesific one that I had been clean off for nearly a year), had disturbingly weird dreams, "blacked out" for short periods.  Needless to say, I don't think I'll be going back to it.
I've also tried Xanax for my anxiety, but for a shorter period of time (won't be doing that anymore either), and these two drugs feel very similiar to me.

I've been on a lot of different meds (mostly for depression, which is NOT my main issue), and am sort of starting over from scratch with a new pdoc who seems somewhat more caring then most I've dealt with.  At the beginning she suggest that I try Klonopin, Xanax, or Valium.  Since I have tried both K and Xan and those felt pretty wrong, I am considering valium.

My point and question is this:

For those of you that have tried Valium and Klonopin and/or Xanax, does Valium feel the same as the others?  I know they're similiar, and I can read for days facts about them, but I would like to hear from people that have experience with these meds what did and didn't work for them and their anxieties with these three.

Hopefully that makes sense, sorry for the lack of brevity and elequence this evening.

Edited by NeuroBashing, 04 July 2009 - 10:50 PM.

[Maceo]

Hi there

I take Valium but have taken Xanax in the past and I found it very different. It didn't help much at a lower dosage and at a higher dosage it was too disinhibiting and I did have blackouts.

Valium has a different effect on me entirely. I'd recommend you try it. Ativan is another one you haven't tried, I believe it kicks in and wears off faster than Valium.

[Raquin]

To be honest, while K and X have worked for me to some degree, Valium has NEVER helped me. I always feel like I'm popping pez when I take it. I don't know why.

[Jane-Doe]

I used to take Xanax and it worked until I developed a tolerance for it. Now I take Valuim as needed, and honestly, I prefer Xanax. But Valuim is okay because something is better than nothing.

I take Seroquel (25 mg) everyday, though.

[Alpam]

I found that when I switched from Valium 20mg to Clonazepam 3mg I didn't notice any change at all. However I found that taking Xanax made my anxiety worse :/ figure that one out.

I am trying to taper off Clonazepam due to tolerance at the moment, but I can't get lower than 5mg t.i.d, even staying steady at that dose I constantly feel like I am close to a panic attack.

[NeuroBashing]

Thanks for the replies, I guess it all just depends on the person.

As soon as I pay off the missed appointment bill, I think I'm going to go ahead and switch to Valium, at least to try it.  If I get the same feelings I'll be able to spot the bad things quicker, hopefully.

Haven't had anything for a while, something WILL be better than nothing. =/

[Jane-Doe]

My doctor just doubled my dosage of Valium. I told him it seemed to weak.

[MarkP]

The high-binding affinity benzos seem to be the most difficult for people to discontinue. For instance, alprazolam, triazolam, lorazepam, clonazepam, etc.

The low-binding-affinity benzos seem to be somewhat safer, ie: diazepam, temazepam, oxazepam, etc. This is why equipotent doses of these benzos are typically used on a cross-taper program before equipotent dose reductions are carried out.  Rarely do you hear of instances of temazepam withdrawal being particularly nasty, but tales of nasty clonazepam, alprazolam, or even triazolam withdrawals are a dime a dozen.

Clonazepam ("Klonopin") is very likely vastly over-prescribed when a long-acting benzo is indicated, simply because of the negative connotation that Valium (diazepam) has. In many parts of the world, clonazepam isn't even licensed for anxiety or insomnia, but is rather only licensed as an anti-seizure medicine, so GP's, most of whom are quite phobic of doing anything psychiatry-related, seem to be more comfortable prescribing it, as opposed to diazepam, which is well known as being a psychiatric medication (although an excellent anti-convulsant as well).

temazepam and oxazepam are metabolites of diazepam, so you benefit from the efficacy of 3 or 4 different benzos in your bloodstream (diazepam, desmethyldiazepam, temazepam, oxazepam), as opposed to a benzo with less in terms of active metabolites.

Edited by MarkP, 16 July 2009 - 06:00 PM.

[Billyboyboo]

Valium works, but it's sedating... to me... Valium and Klonpin are kinda the same...
Valium after a while you have to adjust to it, it will make you feel lethargic unless you find something to do...
I'm using it to get off Klonopin.