Posted by jealibeanz on December 28, 2006, at 13:18:09
In reply to Re: REAL benefit from Xanax XR vs. Xanax IR » jealibeanz, posted by yxibow on December 28, 2006, at 12:26:43
> I mentioned the only benefit above if Xanax is the only thing that happens to work for you, it eliminates some of the interdosal issues by taking it once a day. At the same time I still don't believe a drug that has such an immediate release as Xanax should be, for lack of a better way of saying it, wasted on a 24 hour cycle when it has better use as a PRN medication for breakthrough serious anxiety situations rather than a less subtle agent like clonazepam. But as I said, if it is the only agent that "works", then thats about the use of it.
>Right, I found Xanax to be the best benzodiazepine for ME. Many people like Klonopin, or generic clonazepam, but I found it depressing, sedating, clouded my thinking, and made me clumsy, even at tiny doses (1/8 to 1/4 mg). I like Xanax (especially brand-name, the generics vary quite a bit in my opinion. My copay is only $2 more, I just have to be using a pharmacy that carries, or is willing to order, which all are.
My comment about the benefit of XR, SR, and ER drugs was mostly coming from my knowledge of antidepressants. It's must better to have your patient take it once a day... then they less likely to miss a dose! But still they are many many other drugs. They keep serum levels even and are easier to remember to take daily. I'm just not one who completely dismissed all of the new formulation as a money-makers for big pharma. Sure, they are, but they also help patients.I also think that it's easier to get the IR versions FDA approved, so they start with that, then when the company's patent is coming out, they submit an extended-release version to the FDA. I may be wrong, but I think this is true at least in some situations.
> > Back Xanax XR... did you find that you were disappointed because it didn't last as long as the company claims? This happens frequently with any extended-release type drug.
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I'm not sure of the approval date, but Xanax XR hasn't been around that long, which is why the patent just ran out in January 2006.
Of course there are other long-acting benzodiazepines available, but they all have different chemical structures and therefore work on different receptors. That's why we all have our invididual preferences. I personally think Xanax XR is a good idea, since many people like it for short-duration use, why not see if that group of people can have a version of an effective drug that only requires once or twice a day dosing?
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> I think there should be more original research on agents other than the (mostly) 1,4 benzodiazepines that exist, further understanding their attachments to GABA-BZ and creating less habituating compounds.
>There is research being done into different forms of benzodiazepines, especially those that are being modified to not cause sedation (there may be one available in Europe?). I can't recall specific nomenclature off the top of my head, but I know there are some in the "pipeline."
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> Still, there are those who are purists or who think that the "original" is best, and some for example spend extra money for the "original" Klonopin, first approved nearly 32 years ago, still manufactured in some smaller runs I guess, even though it is available generic from about a dozen companies.
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By this I assume you mean brand name vs. generic. I've have widely varying responses to generic and brand name versions of many types of medications. So, I believe if you find a particular brand, or generic company, that works best, stick with it. The FDA allows a +/- 10% "error" for all generics, in regard to the active ingredient. The inactive ingredients aren't required to be exactly the same. Some companies use different "fillers and dyes". This could cause a variation in response. Also, if you speak to many doctors or pharmacists, they'll admit that the FDA doesn't always do a great job regulating certain generic company's drugs. They've got patients who can attest to widely differing responses when switching between companies. I know there are standards, but those only hold up in an ideal world!Good discussion!!!
poster:jealibeanz
thread:716854
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061224/msgs/716954.html