MiaB Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 (edited) The last topics I can find about this date back to 2006. I've just been put on an SR version of alprazolam (Xanax), and it's taking me a while to adjust to it. I'm interested in hearing experiences from anyone else with this or other SR/ER benzos, but I'm not even sure if there ARE any others out there apart from the Xanax. Thanks! edited to correct weirdness - recent lithium increase is apparently already screwing with my word-finding abilities Edited March 7, 2014 by miab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wj74 Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I take Klonopin, I hear it's supposed to be longer acting, like 6-8 hours or something, but don't quote me on that. I always end up taking it every 4 hours if I am really losing my marbles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongeybob Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 currently on clonazepam only .5 mg take it before sleep and helps keep me stable for a while the following day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderful.Cheese Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I take clonazepam twice a day. 0.5 mg in the morning and 1 mg at bedtime. It covers the whole day for me. But I also take seroquel 4'times a day now. If I weren't on that I'd need more clonazepam for sure. I hope the Xanax sr helps you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiaB Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 (edited) Thanks very much for the responses. What I'm really struggling with is figuring out how to take this. The problem that generated this prescription is that in recent weeks I've been experiencing extreme anxiety throughout the day, particularly at work. Pdoc said to me that the Xanax SR (that's not actually the brandname, but it's the same thing and I'll use it for the sake of simplicity) would last 6-9 hours. I first tried taking it on Wed afternoon immediately after being prescribed it, because I had the day off work and am leery of trying new things on a working day. A few hours later I felt incredibly dopey and spacy, which (to my mind) didn't bode well for something that's supposed to help me get through a regular weekday without completely losing it. I took one along to work on Thurs anyway (thinking maybe I didn't need it), but within 30 minutes of walking in there, the panic hit, so I took the pill. By lunchtime I was so zonked out that I fell asleep at my desk. When it wore off, it wore off really suddenly - sort of a "there one minute, gone the next" thing, leaving me with a crashing headache. I persisted with trying it again on Friday, and had much the same results. My pdoc's theory behind prescribing this rather than adding more diazepam (which has been my prn for so long that I'm not even sure it does anything anymore) was that I could take it first thing in the morning, have a smooth anxiety-free day, then go home and take my early evening meds. What I don't know is, how long do I give this? It might well be that my body needs to get used to it. In which case I should routinely take it on Sat and Sun to build towards that point. But also, this particular sustained release pill seems to do nothing for a few hours, then peak, then wear off, then stop suddenly. Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of benzos? What I really need is something I can take that cuts the panic and anxiety off at the knees immediately, then keeps me level for the next 8 hours. My apologies for the ramble - I'm finding this all very confusing. Edited March 8, 2014 by miab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
december_brigette Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I am the opposite in that when I was first rx'd xanax it was the extended release version. I didn't really question why.Then along the way a pdoc rx'd me the regular version of xanax. The pharmacy alerted me to the change and said I might notice a difference. I was no longer working so I went ahead took it and called my pdoc the next day.Pdoc said I shouldn't feel any change. And I didn't.I have always taken xanax the same way...either .5 or 1mg in the afternoon and 2 mgs at bedtime. There is a 50/50 chance I'll take a nap in the afternoon regardless if I take the .5 or 1. (Note that I know nothing about statistics....so the nap will happen only if I've had somewhat decent sleep the night before and these days that's not happening). I know that seems backwards but what part of me is normal?db Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiet storm Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Why don't you just go ahead and try kolonopin? You are taking Valium. You've taken Ativan in the past. Klonopin is in between. Has about a 30 hour half life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Klonopin MIGHT stay in your system like xanax SR does. Klonopin is long-acting as well as your xanax SR is, so maybe it could be another option? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I take 1mg Xanax AM/PM, with another milligram for PRN. I was very drowsy for about the first week of using it. It doesn't have the half life that Klonopin has, but I freak out when I take Klonopin. I am not taking sustained release, but after I built up a blood level, it seems to be covering me for the entire day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiaB Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 (edited) I've started taking the Xanax at bedtime, and it seems to be carrying me into the start of the day. Still not wild about the way it wears off (and the headache it leaves me with). I have a LOT I need to discuss with pdoc. I had to hunt to find out what klonopin/clonazepam is called in this country, because I've never heard of it here. Turns out it's Rivotril, which I don't know much about other than that my ex husband was on it. Edited March 17, 2014 by miab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I remember those headaches, those should go away, too. I'm not trying to say it is *Definitely* for you, just that was my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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