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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sm100378 on March 9, 2006, at 21:47:24
Hi,
I just have been switched from klonopin to lorazepam (ativan). I am noticing that I am not getting the full effect, or any for that matter. I was on 0.5 on klonopin and am on 0.5mg on lorazepam.
Any insight would be great.
Posted by rjlockhart on March 9, 2006, at 22:54:07
In reply to Klonopin to Lorazepam (ativan) switch, posted by sm100378 on March 9, 2006, at 21:47:24
lorazepam is much less sedating, psychically wise than clonazepam. I have been on Ativan 6mg daily (2mg X 3) daily. Much more less tension ease but Clonazepam is more mentally potent.
Hope this helps.
Posted by sm100378 on March 10, 2006, at 7:37:30
In reply to Re: Klonopin to Lorazepam (ativan) switch, posted by rjlockhart on March 9, 2006, at 22:54:07
Rjlockhart,
It sounds like you have been on both. I was wondering if you possibly had any sexual side effects on klonazepam while taking it? I noticed you say it is more mentally potent, would this have any affect on impotence or one of the receptors dealing with that?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
> lorazepam is much less sedating, psychically wise than clonazepam. I have been on Ativan 6mg daily (2mg X 3) daily. Much more less tension ease but Clonazepam is more mentally potent.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
Posted by ed_uk on March 10, 2006, at 15:53:52
In reply to Klonopin to Lorazepam (ativan) switch, posted by sm100378 on March 9, 2006, at 21:47:24
Hi
Lorazepam is less potent than clonazepam. You will need more than 0.5mg lorazepam to substitute for 0.5mg clonazepam.
Regards
Ed
Posted by bassman on March 10, 2006, at 16:00:41
In reply to Klonopin to Lorazepam (ativan) switch, posted by sm100378 on March 9, 2006, at 21:47:24
> Hi,
>
> I just have been switched from klonopin to lorazepam (ativan). I am noticing that I am not getting the full effect, or any for that matter. I was on 0.5 on klonopin and am on 0.5mg on lorazepam.
>
>
> Any insight would be great.If you look up on the benzo equivalency tables (look up benzos on the net and you'll get Heather (Ashley?, among others) and 0.5 mg klonopin is "equivalent" to 1-2 mg lorazepam. So you're getting less benzo; maybe a lot less-so that could be the difference. Some people swear by Ativan, but I find I don't even know I've taken it in terms of reduction of anxiety-pretty much the same with klonopin, unless I take more than 1 mg, and then I get depressed and sleepy. Xanax works very well for me, but it has a short half-life in the body and an undeserved rep for being very hard to withdraw from.
Posted by sm100378 on March 10, 2006, at 16:03:05
In reply to Re: Klonopin to Lorazepam (ativan) switch, posted by bassman on March 10, 2006, at 16:00:41
Have any of you experienced better sexual performance (male) when you reduced the potentcy of a benzo, like klonazepam to lorazepam and happen to stay on the same mg/pill ?
Thanks!> > Hi,
> >
> > I just have been switched from klonopin to lorazepam (ativan). I am noticing that I am not getting the full effect, or any for that matter. I was on 0.5 on klonopin and am on 0.5mg on lorazepam.
> >
> >
> > Any insight would be great.
>
> If you look up on the benzo equivalency tables (look up benzos on the net and you'll get Heather (Ashley?, among others) and 0.5 mg klonopin is "equivalent" to 1-2 mg lorazepam. So you're getting less benzo; maybe a lot less-so that could be the difference. Some people swear by Ativan, but I find I don't even know I've taken it in terms of reduction of anxiety-pretty much the same with klonopin, unless I take more than 1 mg, and then I get depressed and sleepy. Xanax works very well for me, but it has a short half-life in the body and an undeserved rep for being very hard to withdraw from.
>
Posted by rjlockhart on March 10, 2006, at 19:45:27
In reply to Re: Klonopin to Lorazepam (ativan) switch, posted by sm100378 on March 10, 2006, at 16:03:05
Lorazepam is less reducing at .5mg is less reducing sexual stuff. It wasnt hardly noticable to me.
Lorazepam is more good at reducing tension, in psychical and some mental, its more for reducing stress, clonazepam is more mentally potent, and is more calming. When i took lorazepam i would feel sedated at 2mg but still i would feel somewhat mentally more active than 2mg of clonazepam, i was on 6mg of clonazepam after lorazepam (2mg X 3) it was defintly more mentally potent, i just felt like sleeping, i got depressed, lorazepam wasnt as strong, it has diffrent effects on you, its more releasing tension. Clonazepam is more for panic attacks and sleep, it is good for stress but is more mentally potent. For me
Hope that helped
Matt
Posted by sm100378 on March 10, 2006, at 22:55:48
In reply to Re: Klonopin to Lorazepam (ativan) switch, posted by rjlockhart on March 10, 2006, at 19:45:27
Thank you. You just solved my issue with telling me it was the Clonazepam. :)
> Lorazepam is less reducing at .5mg is less reducing sexual stuff. It wasnt hardly noticable to me.
>
> Lorazepam is more good at reducing tension, in psychical and some mental, its more for reducing stress, clonazepam is more mentally potent, and is more calming. When i took lorazepam i would feel sedated at 2mg but still i would feel somewhat mentally more active than 2mg of clonazepam, i was on 6mg of clonazepam after lorazepam (2mg X 3) it was defintly more mentally potent, i just felt like sleeping, i got depressed, lorazepam wasnt as strong, it has diffrent effects on you, its more releasing tension. Clonazepam is more for panic attacks and sleep, it is good for stress but is more mentally potent. For me
>
> Hope that helped
>
> Matt
Posted by tizza on March 11, 2006, at 4:30:02
In reply to Re: Klonopin to Lorazepam (ativan) switch, posted by sm100378 on March 10, 2006, at 22:55:48
Ativan has a much shorter half life than Klonopin so if you have been switched to Ativan you will need more of it at regular intivals. This makes no sense to me, klonopin is a much stronger drug in my opinion and I found Ativan completely useless where as I found klonopin much more effective, maybe too strong for me personally. I can't understand why any doc would do this to you. I would ask for valium which has a very long half life, longer than klonopin does and it is much more effective for switching benzo's unless you are being treated for some kind of seizure disorder. I just have no idea why any doctor would switch you from a long acting benzo to a short acting one, most people would suffer from withdrawals from this kind of practice. Most doctors would switch you to a longer acting benzo like Valium, that's just strange to me, good luck and speedy recovery. Paul.
Posted by sm100378 on March 11, 2006, at 8:23:01
In reply to Re: Klonopin to Lorazepam (ativan) switch, posted by tizza on March 11, 2006, at 4:30:02
Tizza,
You make perfect sense as to why my doc did this. I actually told the doc that I used to be on Ativan and had no sexual side effects. Since being on clonazepam, I have had sexual side effects. I used to be on lexapro and still did not have any problems. I am now on Wellbutrin and effexor xr 37.5 (put on effexor after known sexual problems) and want to rule out that clonazepam is the culprit.
He wanted to put me on Xanax but I asked if I could do this short term for my own well being.
Do you agree that klonazepam would cause sexual problems compared to ativan, since it is more potent?
What do you think of this link?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9160580&dopt=Abstract
Thanks.
> Ativan has a much shorter half life than Klonopin so if you have been switched to Ativan you will need more of it at regular intivals. This makes no sense to me, klonopin is a much stronger drug in my opinion and I found Ativan completely useless where as I found klonopin much more effective, maybe too strong for me personally. I can't understand why any doc would do this to you. I would ask for valium which has a very long half life, longer than klonopin does and it is much more effective for switching benzo's unless you are being treated for some kind of seizure disorder. I just have no idea why any doctor would switch you from a long acting benzo to a short acting one, most people would suffer from withdrawals from this kind of practice. Most doctors would switch you to a longer acting benzo like Valium, that's just strange to me, good luck and speedy recovery. Paul.
Posted by tizza on March 11, 2006, at 8:51:30
In reply to Re: Klonopin to Lorazepam (ativan) TIZZA, posted by sm100378 on March 11, 2006, at 8:23:01
clonazepam didn't have that effect on me but effexor (SNRI) sure did and so did all the other SSRI's. I have tried quite alot of benzo's over the years and they have never had any kind of sexual dysfunction for me. Everyone reacts differently to different drugs, for me I know it would have been the effexor but to be honest, out of all the meds I have taken, Ativan and Valium raise my libido greatly. Paul
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