malachite Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I was talking to my new pdoc last week, and I told him my anxiety has been . I asked him if he thought a change in benzos might be helpful. He told me no, and that all benzos were pretty much the same and that if ativan wasn't working for me, it was unlikely a change in benzo would have a desired result. I had always been under the impression that we have different benzos because each one is at least somewhat unique. I've heard Klonopin has a longer duration than Ativan, for instance. I'm no psychopharmacologist, however, and I was wondering what those who know about these matters thought. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netsavy006 Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I could be wrong, but I thought that some benzos are stronger than others. From what I've read on this board alone, I thought the census was that Xanax is the strongest of the benzodiazapines... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I don't think you can say xanax is stronger. And a lot of people on the boards insist that klonopin is stronger. Then there is ativan, which is great for seizures, because it is fast acting. That seems pretty strong when it stops a seizure. Malachite, I agree with you. I have tried valium, klonopin, ativan and xanax. Klonopin, which is the most standard for anxiety prophylaxis, cause a paradoxical reaction, and I would go into rages. Valium I couldn't really feel. Because I can't take Klonopin, the next longest acting "new" benzo is xanax, so that is what I take, and I love it. When a med has a shorter half life, it takes longer to get to a therapeutic blood level, but it does happen. Ativan my husband uses for seizures, and I use occasionally when I am very freaked. Ativan usually is considered the best for prn use, because it is fast. But I wouldn't say they are all the same. Unfortunately, I don't know how you are going to convince the pdoc to think differently than he already does. By the way, the yarn with which I am currently knitting is malachite, so it keeps reminding me of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 I agree, they aren't all the same. Although similar, IMO they all work in their own way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancesintherain Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Ditto the general consensus that there are differences. My experiences are limited (xanax and ativan), but I had a noticeable difference. Ativan hit me more quickly, but slightly less hard. Xanax hit me harder, but it took a bit longer to feel the effect. So for me at least, xanax was the stronger one, but ativan was more useful because it didn't knock me out. That said, either could have worked most likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmo Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 Benzos are like all other psych meds- they are in the same class, but are all formulated differently. So while one may not work good for you, another might be the perfect one for you. Xanax was a bit "too" good for me, so I switched to other options. Klonopin, which works well for many, didn't work at all for me. It just depends on the person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eden Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 As I have come to understand it they definitely act in different ways, acting as both a depressant and a sedative each with varying characteristics on both fronts. The sedation from klonopin for instance is more akin to that of a standard sedative, compare that to xanax which feels more like an anesthetic. They all have depressant qualities, and though I've never taken a big enough dose (without passing out) to say that they vary in feeling, it's really not the qualitative that is relevant, but the quantitative, some benzos are more sedating while others more euphoric (the depressant side of it), xanax has a stronger depressant characteristic than.. say klonopin. I prefer klonopin because it fits my needs, mostly sedating but more of a body relaxation, and a light calming effect to settle the nerves and slow down the crazies. The point is, YES... they are different, and if ativan isn't working for you I would suggest that you try xanax. I pity your situation, I'm no doctor but I will arrogantly say that yours is plain wrong in his assumption. It puts you in a tough spot to have to either bite your lip or tell your doctor he is wrong, but in my opinion he is very wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Navel Cord Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 They are different. Klonopin worked really well for me for about 6 years then just stopped working. So I went to a new pdoc who prescribed me Ativan since klonopin was no longer working for me. And it works for me. If I were you I would have a more serious conversation about this with your pdoc, and just let them know your anxiety isn't going anywhere, what could it hurt to try a different benzo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Xanax is used as an anesthetic? I have quite a bit of experience with Xanax, and have never heard of it used as anesthesia. Maybe to calm down someone before a dental appt., or a surgical procedure, but not actually as an anesthetic. Or are you saying it just feels like one? And if so, in what way does it feel like one? My experience with anesthesia is that it makes me either numb or unconscious, neither of which happens with Xanax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirazh Posted September 13, 2012 Share Posted September 13, 2012 Yeah, we can all respond differently. Valium made me SUPER anxious & hyperactive, too anxious for the dentist's appointment I was prescribed it for in the first place. I have .5mg clonazepams to take PRN, up to two. I know it's slow-acting (swallowed whole takes an hour or more.) So I dissolve it/them under my tongue, hits me in maybe 15/20 minutes then. Works good for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveyoursanity Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 See, and it's interesting, because I take 2mg prn of Klonopin. Apparently it just takes me a lot more drug to calm down than Miron! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I'd say they act differently. They have different lengths of time to peak effect, and different half-lives. I've found that Klonopin does not really help me when I'm having acute anxiety, but Xanax does, even when the equivalent dose is a little lower. Maybe it kicks in faster and just works better with my body chemistry and needs. (I also take Buspar to control background anxiety and it does help me, so something with a very long half-life like Klonopin is unnecessary. I just need a little something to help me shut down the anxiety attacks that break through the Buspar from time to time.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblegirl Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Xanax is used as an anesthetic? I have quite a bit of experience with Xanax, and have never heard of it used as anesthesia. Maybe to calm down someone before a dental appt., or a surgical procedure, but not actually as an anesthetic. Or are you saying it just feels like one? And if so, in what way does it feel like one? My experience with anesthesia is that it makes me either numb or unconscious, neither of which happens with Xanax. ditto. Xanax has a mild calming effect on me - depending of course of the amount of it I take. It is my understanding that any of the benzos can be prescribed for calming and that they affect us all differently. I also understand that ativan tends to be more sedating than xanax. Klonopin was ineffective for me, but xanax does the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unicornsarereal Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Personally, xanax took a crap on me a couple of weeks ago. My pdoc switched me to klonopin, and I think it works better than the xanax ever did. For me, the calming effect is completely different. I wish I had taken klonopin since the beginning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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