Posted by Louise on December 2, 1999, at 21:09:44
In reply to Re: social anxiety - benzos. - ADDENDUM, posted by Rick on December 2, 1999, at 12:49:57
Rick,
I disagree with your analysis of Klonopin v. Xanax and Ativan. I took Xanax for a couple of years and then wanted to try a longer-lasting benzo, so my pdoc prescribed Klonopin. Did you know that Klonopin is roughly twice as strong as Xanax mg. for mg.?
I had strange side effects while on Klonopin that I had never had before, such as depression, aggression, unrealistic anger, memory loss, depersonalization, etc. The person taking that drug was not me, so after almost 6 months I was asked by my family to go back on Xanax. End of story, right? Wrong!
While I was on Xanax I was taking approximately 3 mg. per day. For most of the 6 months I was on Klonopin I was taking 2.5 mg. per day, so when I went back to Xanax I assumed 2.5 mg. would be sufficient. I soon started having severe withdrawal ... had there been any Klonopin in the house I would have taken it. I had to increase the Xanax to 4 mg. until the withdrawal from the decreased benzo level went away (took about a week for the withdrawal symptoms to completely go away). In time I was able to wean back down to my usual 3 mg. of Xanax per day.
I'm not exactly knocking Klonopin ... it just didn't work for me. Everybody's different and someone else might have a completely different reaction while taking it, but to say that Klonopin is less addicting than Xanax or Ativan is just plain nonsense. I've been there and done that.
Louise
poster:Louise
thread:15816
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991123/msgs/16112.html