Posted by Kon on May 4, 2004, at 0:33:28
In reply to Re: Klonopin for Social Anxiety -- Dosage ?, posted by Anthony Quest on May 3, 2004, at 21:43:51
>2. Withdrawal is probably worse with Klonopin...The longer half life means the drug stays in one's body longer and the withdrawal is prolonged. The shorter half-life means the withdrawal happens quicker but it's over more quickly too.
From my understanding withdrawal may be longer with klonopin but severity of withdrawal will be greater with xanax. Here's an interesting article on this point from Ashton's site (see below). Interesting though, that according to this author, over 50% of individuals will not experience much in the way of benzo withdrawal symptoms, even after long-term use.
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http://www.benzo.org.uk/tyrer1.htm"Benzodiazepines with shorter duration of action, such as triazolam and lorazepam, may carry a greater risk of dependence than their longer acting relatives: certainly their withdrawal symptoms occur earlier and are more severe than those of long acting compounds.[12,21,22] The explanation may be that withdrawal symptoms are more likely when blood concentrations of benzodiazepines fall rapidly after stopping the drug.[12] Indeed, the paradox may be that the attempt to make the prescription of benzodiazepines more acceptable by shortening their duration of action has led to a greater incidence of pharmacological dependence."
poster:Kon
thread:342908
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040429/msgs/343080.html