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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by WhatToDoNext on July 26, 2008, at 13:54:19
Hi, I'm new here, but see lots of valuable information on this site. Hope someone can help me out here.
I've been on FA Xanax for years and only took it as needed, thus I wasn't addicted at all and didn't have any tolerance issues. I can't SSRI's or the like as I can't tolerate the side effects.
Had a bad year last year, including Separation, Loss of a Sibling, Loss of a close Uncle, and some other stuff.
MD put me on Klonopin 1mg twice / day and it worked well for a while, but I found myself using more of the fast acting Xanax. MD said this was o.k.
After a while, the FA Xanax wasn't working well and had to take more to get the same effect, so MD put me on Xanax XR 1mg twice / day along with the Klonopin 1mg twice / day and the FA Xanax as needed. Three months have passed and something just isn't right. I'm worse off now than I was to begin with. I had to stop working for a while as my anxiety has gotten so bad.
I stopped the Xanax XR cold turkey per my psychiatrist and increased the Klonopin from 1mg twice / day to 2mg twice / day. I'm trying not to use the FA Xanax, but still taking 0.5mg as needed.
My goal is to get comfortable and than wean off. My Doc. doesn't seem to be too smart putting me on all these benzos from what I now read.
Any suggestions on how to get off this stuff would be great. How do I get myself calm and relaxed ? I figured if I go up on the Klonopin enough, I should chill out with the anxiety symptoms and from there I can gradually wean down. I honestly believe the Benzos are causing my anxiety now either due to tolerance or dosage adjustments.
Thanks in advavance,
Steve.......
Posted by dbc on July 26, 2008, at 15:44:24
In reply to Xanax XR to Klonopin....Desperate for some help !!, posted by WhatToDoNext on July 26, 2008, at 13:54:19
Switching to an equal dose of valium and then cutting down slowly is what people usually do.
Posted by bleauberry on July 26, 2008, at 18:13:16
In reply to Xanax XR to Klonopin....Desperate for some help !!, posted by WhatToDoNext on July 26, 2008, at 13:54:19
The cross taper with valium seems like a popular strategy.
You might be experiencing tolerance which would mean you are in a constant state of withdrawals, even though the dose is steady? As for xanax, in my personal use of it, post-xanax anxiety was a problem for a few weeks, so that could be part of it too. The different benzos hit different receptors with different emphasis.
You might have to consider something else to add to a benzo and maybe eventually replace it. If ssris have intolerable side effects, maybe pick the least offensive in your experience and take just small amounts of it. Zoloft = 12.5mg, prozac = 5mg, paxil = 5mg, lexapro - 5mg, etc. Not enough to do the job alone, but enough to pitch in as part of a concert.
Some anxieties are mistaken as something else. Some might call it bipolar, some might call it cortisol imbalance, daily clock out of whack, whatever. Doesn't matter. In any of those cases, the mood stabilizers can work. Depakote, lamictal. Sometimes lithium. And of course, there is always low dose seroquel, abilify, or zyprexa.
I hear you on side effects, that's why I am suggesting combining a couple or several things, all at very low doses, so they work in concert but don't burden you with side effects too much.
In the natural approach, Kira brand St Johns Wort or low dose (10mg-50mg daily) 5htp are worth a look. In my own trials, when ssris take several weeks to begin to work on anxiety, 5htp can do it within hours or several days. Here in medication land we tend to not think about the natural stuff out there, but there are some powerful ones. At natural forums there are people who found SJW fantastic after suffering years on ssris, as an example. Passionflower was shown to have the same efficacy as a benzo in an anxietys study. Lemon balm, skullcap, and valerian are also good in combos. I myself found the adrenal herbs such as siberian ginseng, ashwagandha, and astragalus very calming after a few days. They really tone down the whole cortisol/adrenaline stuff.
Posted by Phillipa on July 27, 2008, at 0:05:15
In reply to Re: Xanax XR to Klonopin....Desperate for some help !!, posted by bleauberry on July 26, 2008, at 18:13:16
Could also be a paradoxical reaction to the benzos. I can take short acting xanax but not long acting. I find luvox a very sedating SSRI with valium. Xanax is a great med if you do not abuse it. Klonopin caused suicidal feeling in me. So we're all different. Long acting benzos to me do not release properly hence the adding of regular xanax. Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on July 27, 2008, at 0:50:28
In reply to Xanax XR to Klonopin....Desperate for some help !!, posted by WhatToDoNext on July 26, 2008, at 13:54:19
Steve so sorry forgot to welcome you to babble hope the posts so far have helped a bit and hope others respond. Again welcome to babble. Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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