Posted by yxibow on August 19, 2006, at 16:47:38
In reply to Re: Switch directly from klonopin to Valium? » Phillipa, posted by fuchsia on August 19, 2006, at 7:57:15
> > Can you switch directly from klonopin to valium without side effects? After two weeks on klonopin I find myself not liking it and feeling worse. Could this be the valium I've taken for 2years wearing off as it has a longer half-life too? Love Phillipa
>
> Phillipa I don't think valium and klonopin can always be used interchangeably even if you use an equivalence table. They are similar but they don't completely overlap in the receptors they cover. If you have been on the valium for a very long time (was it two years only? I thought it was more) then I think you could still feel a bit odd two weeks after you came off the valium, even if you replaced it with klonopin. I think if you went back on the valium though you would get back to where you were before without much trouble.
>
> Sorry you're not feeling too good.
All benzodiazepines overlap in their receptor coverage, its a question of how much. They all hit GABA, muscle relaxation, sedation, anticonvulsion, and anesthesia. Its just a question of minute but sometimes perceptable differences. As for any other receptors, serotonin, etc, its only in theory, in practice that is far more minute than their effects on GABA.Restoril, for example would not replace Klonopin, because it is more heavy on sedation; Versed is more heavy on anesthesia, Klonopin is I think more heavy on muscle relaxation and definately on anticonvulsion, etc.
But both Klonopin and Valium do have large effects on anxiety, its just a question of minute differences that make some people (who may be depressed already) more depressed. They also cause CNS and respiratory depression, which is separate but can feel like tiredness and depression as well
-- Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:676900
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060818/msgs/678141.html