# What is the difference between Xanax and Klonopin?



## mike8803

Can someone explain to me the difference between these two medications, I'm currently taking Xanax 1-2 MG a day and it just makes me lethargic.

*What is the difference between Xanax(Alprazolam) vs. Klonopin(Clonazepam)?*


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## UltraShy

mike8803 said:


> I'm currently taking Xanax 1-2 MG a day and it just makes me lethargic.


Unfortunately, drowsiness is by far the most common side effect of all benzos, so it goes with the territory. That effect wears off for most users after a couple weeks of regular use. In fact, benzos are even used short-term sleeping pills. Taking a sleeping pill pretty well explains why you feel lethargic.

Benzos are all much the same, though some people do have their own personal preference. Benzos differ mainly in how fast they take effect and how long they last.

Xanax: fast acting, but doesn't last very long. Thus, it's best suited for as needed (PRN) use, such as taking a pill 45 minutes prior to having to give a presentation.

Klonopin: takes longer to act (though all benzos are relatively fast), but lasts longer. This makes it better suited to situation where a patient needs a benzo for chronic daily use.

Some complain that Xanax, being short acting, produces a "roller coaster" effect where it wears off before the next dose, so Klonopin may be smoother. This is a generalization, of course. About the only thing one can say with confidence about meds is that your results may vary greatly, so you're forced to try them all if you really want to know.

Despite Xanax being most commonly used for PRN use, there are those who take it on a regular daily basis. I'm one of them. I've been termed the "Xanax muncher" by some on this forum. My script is for 10 mg daily. I simply take them when I feel the need with no strict schedule. My doc is fine with me taking 4 mg at once if I feel the need for that.


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## Mr. SandMan

Yea, they're pretty much the same.

I've taken valium, klonopin and xanax. The most xanax I probably took in a day was 4 or 6mgs, and I've taken at most 16mgs of klonopin in one day. When I took xanax, I felt alot more tired and just out of it, where klonopin kept me more awake, but I still felt tired, or lethargic if you will. Valium was just valium, you take higher doses so I think the most I took in a day was 40mgs, which was 4 pills, them were pretty much just like klonopin for me. But then again, it pretty much does depend on how your body reacts to the drugs...


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## mike8803

I've noticed with Xanax it wears off pretty fast, lasts no more than 1.5 hours. I was hoping Klonopin would last a bit longer, so I wouldn't have to be taken more mg's a day.


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## Arisa1536

mike8803 said:


> I've noticed with Xanax it wears off pretty fast, lasts no more than 1.5 hours. I was hoping Klonopin would last a bit longer, so I wouldn't have to be taken more mg's a day.


You are quite right, Xanax is a fast acting benzodiazipine but in the same class as lorazepam and Clonazepam (klonopin)
i am on klonopin and they take a good three to four hours to work but one thing i will say for them is they last longer, they have a lifespan of up to 36 hours i believe, ask *Jimmorrison* on here, he is a moderator he knows heaps about both since he has been on xanax and klonopin

but i would say xanax would wear off sooner due to their faster acting ability but beware, klonopin do make u drowsy too

Again without sounding like a long playing record, i would say to go with Lorazepam as i find its non drowsy, it sort of picks you up, gets you on your feet and works fast, it lasts a good few hours, not as long as klonopin though but it does work faster like within half an hour to an hour

2MG of klonopin is the same as 3MG of lorazepam and .25 of Xanax is the same as 0.5 of klonopin so yeah Xanax is supposedly stronger but some people say klonopin is and i say lorazepam is stronger for me than klonopin 
its a case of trial and error really, but do try the Klonopin because they do last a lot longer, thats a 100% fact


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## UltraShy

Arisa1536 said:


> 2MG of klonopin is the same as 3MG of lorazepam and .25 of Xanax is the same as 0.5 of klonopin so yeah Xanax is supposedly stronger but some people say klonopin is and i say lorazepam is stronger for me than klonopin


Any benzo equivalency chart I've ever seen would disagree with the above, but then different charts can't even manage to agree.

The most common equivalencies you'll find go like this:

10 mg Valium (diazepam) =
2 mg Ativan (lorazepam) =
1 mg Xanax (alprazolam) =
0.5 mg Klonopin (clonazepam)

You'll easily find charts that vary from that, but that's the most common and I'd say that such charts overstate the potency of Klonopin. Based on personal experience, I'd say Klonopin & Xanax are 1 to 1 in equivalency regardless of what any chart tells me.


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## meyaj

yeah, I agree that Xanax and Klonopin are about equal (the only "stronger" commonly-available oral benzo being triazolam I believe, though it's a strong hypnotic), the main difference being that Klonopin lasts a LOT longer, with noticeable effects upwards of 10 hours for me a lot of the time. They do feel a bit subjectively different but all benzos are sedating and, as Ultrashy said, they are all pretty much used for insomnia as well, so it's not something you can really get around.

As for Klonopin taking 3-4 hours to start working, that is BIZARRELY abnormal, and it would be awfully useless if that was typical. 30-45 minutes is about how long it usually takes to kick in, and if you need something long-acting, it's great. Xanax is often more suitable for panic attacks where you need relief on short notice and need it to kick in quickly. 

Although... I believe in the States, Klonopin also comes in a "wafer" form that dissolves under your tongue and starts working in a matter of minutes. Ativan (lorazepam), a shorter-acting benzo, comes in a sublingual (under the tongue) form as well which is also great for panic attacks. Even 20 minutes or whatever it takes for Xanax to take effect can seem like forever when you're having a bad panic attack. The difference though is that Xanax is generic, whereas the sublingual forms of Klonopin and Ativan (though not the regular pills) are still under patent, and thus are considerably more expensive and most insurance won't cover them.


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## mike8803

Why do some people say Xanax or Klonopin works good for Social Anxiety? It really does nothing for social phobia for me, just makes me drowsy, so I don't get panic attacks, but as for as socially, doesnt do anything? Am I wrong on this assumption..


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## meyaj

mike8803 said:


> Why do some people say Xanax or Klonopin works good for Social Anxiety? It really does nothing for social phobia for me, just makes me drowsy, so I don't get panic attacks, but as for as socially, doesnt do anything? Am I wrong on this assumption..


I don't think so. Social anxiety (previously called social PHOBIA) in its purest form has very little to do with normal, generalized anxiety, which is generally what benzos are useful for. Some psychiatrists suggest that part of it has to do with a deficit in the ability to handle and comprehend all aspects of a social situation simultaneously, which benzos would clearly hinder.

It also does nothing to address issues like avoidance behavior and rationalized fears, which are practically inevitable in anything but the mildest social anxiety. There are hugely conscious and perspective aspects to SAD, which are often so habitualized that it's pretty much on auto-pilot... so that even being heavily tranquilized doesn't do a whole lot to disrupt it. Benzos, in my opinion, are better for anxiety of a lower, more instinctual level, where it's basically just an exaggerated version of a normal biological fear response.

They should help with the body's normal anxiety reactions which are often also heightened, as well as panic attacks, and this may be the main component of someone's "social anxiety", but I'd go as far as suggesting that this is actually closer to Generalized Anxiety Disorder, rather than the disorder we just happen to call "Social Anxiety Disorder."


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## kirribilli

So what do you suggest if not the benzos for avoidance and rationalized fears?


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## Arisa1536

> As for Klonopin taking 3-4 hours to start working, that is BIZARRELY abnormal, and it would be awfully useless if that was typical. 30-45 minutes is about how long it usually takes to kick in, and if you need something long-acting, it's great. Xanax is often more suitable for panic attacks where you need relief on short notice and need it to kick in quickly.


i happen to know other people on this medication who say the same thing
and i am not lying either, the medication DOES take a long time to work, and in my friend it took her four hours to its not a lie

as for my equivalence's being wrong *UltraShy*, well il post the site then shall i?

Alprazolam	Xanax, 0.25 mg 
Bretazenil anxiolytic, anticonvulsant 0.5 mg
Bromazepam 5-6 mg
Chlordiazepoxide anxiolytic	25 mg
Cinolazepam hypnotic	40 mg
Clonazepam	Klonopin, Rivotril, Iktorivil	1-4 hours to take effect	18-50 hours	anxiolytic, anticonvulsant	0.5 mg
Cloxazolam	Olcadil (Brazil)	2-5 (?)hours to take effect	18-50 hours 1 mg 
anxiolytic, anticonvulsant	
Clorazepate	Tranxene	Variable times dependin	anxiolytic, anticonvulsant 15 mg
Diazepam	Valium, Pax (South Africa), Apzepam, Stesolid, Vival, Apozepam, Hexalid, , Stedon, Valaxona	1-2 hours to take effect anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant	10 mg
Estazolam	ProSom	0.5-5 hours to work	hypnotic	1-2 mg
Flunitrazepam 0.5-3hours to take effect hypnotic	1 mg
_Flurazepam	Dalmadorm,_ Dalmane	1-1.5	to take effect hypnotic	15-30 mg
Flutoprazepam	Restas	0.5-9hrs to take effect	hypnotic, anticonvulsant 2-3 mg
Halazepam	Paxipam	1-3 hours to take effect anxiolytic	20-40 mg
Ketazolam	Anxon	2.5-3 hours to take effect	anxiolytic	15-30 mg
Loprazolam	Dormonoct	0.5-4 hrs to take effect	1-2 mg
_Lorazepam	Ativan,_ 0.5-2 hrs to take effect anxiolytic,anticonvulsant	1 mg
_Lormetazepam_ 0.5-2 hours	to take effect hypnotic	1-2 mg
Medazepam	Nobrium	Unknown anxiolytic	10 mg
Midazolam	0.5-1-3 hours to take effect	hypnotic, anticonvulsant5 -8mg[10]
Nimetazepam	Erimin	0.5-3 hours to take effect hypnotic, anticonvulsant	5 mg
Nitrazepam	Mogadon, 0.5-7 hypnotic, anticonvulsant	10 mg
Nordazepam	Madar, Stilny	?	50-120 hours	anxiolytic	10 mg
Oxazepam, Serepax, Oxapax	3-4 hours to take effect 20 mg (my friend is on 30MG of these in australia combined with 120MG of valium) 
Phenazepam 1.5-4	60 hours	anxiolytic, anticonvulsant	1 mg
Pinazepam	Domar	Unknown anxiolytic 20 mg
Prazepam	2-6 hours to take effect anxiolytic 10-20 mg
Premazepam	2-6 hours to take effect anxiolytic 3.75 mg
Quazepam	Doral	1-5 hours to take effect hypnotic 20 mg
Temazepam 0.5-3hrs to take effect hypnotic, anticonvulsant 20 mg
Tetrazepam	Mylostan	1-3 hours to take effect Skeletal muscle relaxant	100mg
*Triazolam Halcion, Rilamir* 0.5-2 hours to take effect	hypnotic	0.25 mg​
i bolded the last one and put in italic font the faster acting ones
yeah clonazepam (klonopin) is strong but the results of how fast they take to act, vary in different people you cant say its unlikely to take so long to work Meyaj, you are not me


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## fredericmoreau

meyaj said:


> I don't think so. Social anxiety (previously called social PHOBIA) in its purest form has very little to do with normal, generalized anxiety, which is generally what benzos are useful for. Some psychiatrists suggest that part of it has to do with a deficit in the ability to handle and comprehend all aspects of a social situation simultaneously, which benzos would clearly hinder.
> 
> It also does nothing to address issues like avoidance behavior and rationalized fears, which are practically inevitable in anything but the mildest social anxiety. There are hugely conscious and perspective aspects to SAD, which are often so habitualized that it's pretty much on auto-pilot... so that even being heavily tranquilized doesn't do a whole lot to disrupt it. Benzos, in my opinion, are better for anxiety of a lower, more instinctual level, where it's basically just an exaggerated version of a normal biological fear response.
> 
> They should help with the body's normal anxiety reactions which are often also heightened, as well as panic attacks, and this may be the main component of someone's "social anxiety", but I'd go as far as suggesting that this is actually closer to Generalized Anxiety Disorder, rather than the disorder we just happen to call "Social Anxiety Disorder."


I think benzos are useful for certain types of social anxiety. Just like there are different subtypes of depression and bipolar disorder, I think SA can be neurotic-obsessional based or anhedonic-avoidant, with many individuals showing a good deal of overlap and comorbidity.

Benzos, in much the same way as alcohol, can cause behavioral disinhibition which may be helpful in certain social situations. However, many individuals will likely feel a hypnotic effect long before they feel behavioral disinhibition, as such rendering benzos useless other than for sleep or generalized anxiety.


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## mike8803

Off topic

What inside the medicine of MAOI's helps people more effectively than SSRI's? Is it because it boots many levels of receptors whereas SSRI's only boost one?


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## meyaj

fredericmoreau said:


> I think benzos are useful for certain types of social anxiety. Just like there are different subtypes of depression and bipolar disorder, I think SA can be neurotic-obsessional based or anhedonic-avoidant, with many individuals showing a good deal of overlap and comorbidity.
> 
> Benzos, in much the same way as alcohol, can cause behavioral disinhibition which may be helpful in certain social situations. However, many individuals will likely feel a hypnotic effect long before they feel behavioral disinhibition, as such rendering benzos useless other than for sleep or generalized anxiety.


That's a fair way of putting it, I guess, though I personally suspect that the "neurotic-obsessional" subtype you suggest is probably merely an overlap or in some cases even wholly composed of other, already-described disorders. But at this point there's not enough to be sure of either way.

I would have a strong such comorbidity, though I do also have "severe" GAD and my psychiatrist even put in her notes in her initial assessment (the only notes I've seen) a diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (NOT OCD), though never verbally gave that to me, instead referring to it as traits, and I find it unlikely it strictly fits into that category (personality disorders rarely work out so neatly anyways.) Booze and benzos do cause a slight bit of disinhibition for me, but for the most part I'm just as socially terrified and evaluating up until the point of blacking out... at which point I have no idea if things become different :lol. But in general, the specific things which benzos are usually helpful with can pretty much all be seen in the context of other disorders, but I think it's entirely possible that attributing it to social anxiety in particular may often be the result of the significantly higher level of impairment than you'd expect from an equal level of anxiety and worry in most other areas.


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## Arisa1536

Well i was on yahoo answers the other day and someone told me that Klonopin is the Methadone of Benzodiazepines LOL 
he must have not heard of Triazolam


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## meyaj

Arisa1536 said:


> Well i was on yahoo answers the other day and someone told me that Klonopin is the Methadone of Benzodiazepines LOL
> he must have not heard of Triazolam


Methadone is VERRYYYYY long acting. It's used for opiate dependence because it gets eliminated from the body very slowly, requiring much less frequent dosing, and making the withdrawals less severe but conversely VERY drawn out. I can see where he draws the comparison.

It's a fairly strong opioid but buprenorphine, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and fentanyl + its derivatives are all more potent on an equal-dose basis.


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## n1kkuh

Does anyone else think Lorazepam sucks *** compared to Xanax? I've been prescribed Lorazepam manufactured by Watson labs and although I find it sedating, I find it significantly makes me feel more depressed, dulls my sensations, and makes me feel like crap. I had my first Xanax today and the effects were TOTALLY different, I was amazed, I was way less sedated, and I felt really good. I also received some Valiums today so I'll probably give it a try later. I have a doc appointment in a few days so Ima ask him for some klonopin, but damn, I never realized that different benzos can really have a different effect on people, my Pdoc convinced me that all benzos are created equal, guess he was wrong in my case.


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## Arisa1536

n1kkuh said:


> Does anyone else think Lorazepam sucks *** compared to Xanax? I've been prescribed Lorazepam manufactured by Watson labs and although I find it sedating, I find it significantly makes me feel more depressed, dulls my sensations, and makes me feel like crap. I had my first Xanax today and the effects were TOTALLY different, I was amazed, I was way less sedated, and I felt really good. I also received some Valiums today so I'll probably give it a try later. I have a doc appointment in a few days so Ima ask him for some klonopin, but damn, I never realized that different benzos can really have a different effect on people, my Pdoc convinced me that all benzos are created equal, guess he was wrong in my case.


Um in one word NO!!!!
i think lorazepam is the best
okay so you may need 1Mg more but the action is quick and i do not get drowsy on them, in fact i am on the opposite, full of life and happy 

IMO valium is weak as its given in larger doses just to create the same effect of klonopin, xanax or ativan, i mean 10MG of valium is the same as 0.5 of Klonopin

and meyaj, yes i know what methadone is, my mothers pal karen, her son is on it daily to control his ex heroin addiction, he also takes zopiclone and whatever else he can find...so they must not be doing the trick, unless he is just a user and cannot control his addictive personality, i mean if the amount of methadone he is on, which is apparently alot, is not enough to keep him going add to that a whole bottle of 30 X 7.5MG zopiclone then he must be in a bad way, he is also on the codeine


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## GnR

Lorazepam pretty much puts me to sleep. Not a fan. Xanax is great, but it just doesn't last long enough for my uses. I also find it to be mildly euphoric, which is kinda odd. But ya, a little too reinforcing for me. Clonazepam is the other one I've used, and I love it. Wish it started working a bit quicker, but other than that, it works perfectly for me. 2mgs or so and I feel the effects for at least 8 hours. The only problem is tolerance is starting to climb.


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## Arisa1536

GnR said:


> Lorazepam pretty much puts me to sleep. Not a fan. Xanax is great, but it just doesn't last long enough for my uses. I also find it to be mildly euphoric, which is kinda odd. But ya, a little too reinforcing for me. Clonazepam is the other one I've used, and I love it. Wish it started working a bit quicker, but other than that, it works perfectly for me. 2mgs or so and I feel the effects for at least 8 hours. The only problem is tolerance is starting to climb.


I KNOW!!!! ha ha, clonazepam does have this tolerance thing where you need more to feel the way you did when u started, i started on 1.5 a day now i am on 2 then i went up to 4 then 6 without my doc knowing cuz he is strict on these things now i am back down to 2MG and hate it, cuz they do take a long time to work although dissolving them in coca cola helps but yeah i have always found lorazepam works faster and aides the anxiety and generally works better for me than the klonopin does.

I have taken between 2-6MG of lorazepam in the past and its way more potent in my body than 6MG of clonazepam was, i mean the clonazepam sent me to sleep and i was constantly drowsy, but the lorazepam had wonderful euphoric effects, i guess we are all different


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## jim_morrison

Arisa1536 said:


> they do take a long time to work although dissolving them in coca cola helps


haha did you try that trick? I guess we can call it the home made clonazepam wafer .


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## meyaj

Clonazepam dissolves under your tongue pretty easily anyways... and actually has a taste that's not all that bad. Though through my own very unscientific experiments I find it noticeably weaker if I do this or chew it before swallowing, rather than swallowing intact. I'm not sure why this is...


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## Arisa1536

jim_morrison said:


> haha did you try that trick? I guess we can call it the home made clonazepam wafer .


yes it did the trick thanks jim 
um i find it takes awhile to dissolve, but i get the orange 0.5 tablets
so maybe a wafer would be best but they do not have them here
dissolving it in coca cola definitely works wonders for its effect


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## Himi Jendrix

I have been on 4mg Klonopin and im on 1mg Xanax now. I have also been on Ativan too and it wasnt good so I got off after only 2 weeks or so. 

Xanax is the superior IMO. Klonopin just lasts too long for me, its like im constantly messed up on it. Xanax works quick and well and then you come down soon so your not messed up for the whole day. Its mainly for taking right before anxious situations. 

Klonopin seems like it would be a good choice for someone with GAD. It can make people depressed however. Xanax makes people happy when they take it for the most part; it certainly doesnt make you more sad. 

Also I find Xanax to be more potent but this may be due to me being on 20mg Prozac as well which interferes with Xanax metabolism.


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## Arisa1536

Himi Jendrix said:


> I have been on 4mg Klonopin and im on 1mg Xanax now. I have also been on Ativan too and it wasnt good so I got off after only 2 weeks or so.
> 
> Xanax is the superior IMO. Klonopin just lasts too long for me, its like im constantly messed up on it. Xanax works quick and well and then you come down soon so your not messed up for the whole day. Its mainly for taking right before anxious situations.
> 
> Klonopin seems like it would be a good choice for someone with GAD. It can make people depressed however. Xanax makes people happy when they take it for the most part; it certainly doesnt make you more sad.
> 
> Also I find Xanax to be more potent but this may be due to me being on 20mg Prozac as well which interferes with Xanax metabolism.


Yeah i have not heard negative things about Xanax, only that in some cases which might not even be viable sources since i read them online, that Xanax can cause weight gain, if so then its the only benzo out there that can
i know its strong, supposedly klonopin is the same in potency but my doc and shrink disagree and they have studied medicine lol obviously

himi, you are right on the clonazepam for GAD thing, thats why i was given it, yeah it lasts long but it demotivates me from doing anything, and depression can come on with it, and since i am and have always been prone to major depression its not always helpful, personally i found lorazepam brilliant, a quick fix yes, but fast acting, energy boosting and depression killing lol and socially they are great, i mean they are great for getting rid of social phobia, so Xanax obviously would do the same

Xanax is known as alprazolam here in NZ but its only given in extreme cases, like in psychiatric hospitals or incase of emergency, like if i were to have an extreme panic attack on the street and needed the emergency ward, then they would inject me with alprazolam, not a high dose though, just enough to work fast enough to calm me down

personally i would much rather be on Xanax than Clonazepam 
but lorazepam is sort of a mix between the two i guess and the doctor is really anti xanax, more so than all the other benzo's and he hates benzos with a passion but Xanax he especially advises against, even my shrink said 
"Stay away from them"

dunno why though


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## mike8803

I gained 20 lbs on Xanax + zoloft and have perfect BP, go figure

:knocks on wood:


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## UltraShy

Arisa1536 said:


> IMO valium is weak as its given in larger doses just to create the same effect of klonopin, xanax or ativan, i mean 10MG of valium is the same as 0.5 of Klonopin


Having used both in years past, I'd say it's more like 10mg Valium = 1mg Klonopin. The one thing every benzo equivalency chart I've ever seen has in common is that they overstate the potency of Klonopin, typically by a factor of two. This, of course, is only my personal experience and I know very well that med reactions can differ greatly between individuals, so I'm sure there are others who have the same experience as you.

For example, I know a woman who loves Ativan, though she hates Xanax. To me they're the same, except Ativan costs 10 times more which means big money with how much I take.

As for Valium being weak, that depends on what you mean. There are so called "low potency" and "high potency" benzos, which to me seems a distinction of no relevance. It takes a larger amount of Valium in milligrams to get the same job done, but I can't think of any reason why that matters.


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## meyaj

Arisa1536 said:


> dunno why though


It's more habit-forming than your typical benzo. And before anyone predictably voices their opposition here, I DON'T mean dependence-forming, I mean more likely to be compulsively misused, a fact which can even be pretty-well inferred by the fact that people clearly find it more enjoyable. But that also indirectly has the effect of causing a greater level of tolerance/dependence on an *overall* though not necessarily individual scale.

Yeah, everybody SAYS they will use it appropriately, but doctors don't know which actually will, and I think this board is evidence enough of that fact that even patients with GOOD intentions often escalate doses on their own without telling their doctors.

Benzo withdrawals are also dangerous and potentially life-threatening. Xanax is notoriously severe in this regard, for a number of reasons, partially for the above-stated likelihood of increased dependence, and also largely because of the drug's extremely short half-life which means it is cleared from the body a lot more rapidly, giving the body less time to adjust. This actually makes the withdrawal period fairly short in comparison, but also a lot stronger which is an overall bad thing because ultimately THAT is what tips you over your seizure threshold, not the length of the experience. There could also be less obvious reasons contributing to the fact that clinically, Xanax use, even when looking strictly at patients with a prescription, appears to be significantly more dangerous.

Some people might prefer the shorter but stronger withdrawals for, say, opioid dependence (which is actually the route I've chosen to go right now, just to get it over with), but opioid withdrawals are almost always very harmless... lethality from the physical effects is rare enough that suicide is a much more common cause of death during opioid withdrawals. Even the most severe dependence usually results in what feels like a really bad flu, albeit one that's so bad an agonizing you might feel like you got it from Satan himself.

Benzos, on the other hand, are not something where both choices are valid. This is why it's often recommended to switch to Valium when tapering from a shorter benzo, to reduce the drug in your body at as slow and steady a pace as possible, even once you've stopped taking it altogether. Many people will (again, predictably) argue that they can use Xanax with a similar strategy of switching to a longer-acting drug to taper. Which is fine, in theory, but the reality is that it's always possible that you'll run out of drugs early, or that your doctor can't be reached when you need a refill, or even worse, that you're stranded somewhere without access to your meds (imagine, for instance, getting lost in the woods or your car breaking down on a desert highway), or that you get into an accident or maybe even mugged and beaten (where your wallet is taken or you otherwise don't have ID on you) and so your consciousness may be impaired and you're either stuck there for a long time or you even get taken to a hospital where they can't determine your identity in time (or you were just about to take your next dose or whatever) and so they aren't even aware of the fact that you HAVE a benzo dependence UNTIL you start seizing, at which point it could be too late. Or basically any number of scenarios that you simply don't have complete control over... reality is funny that way.


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## meyaj

UltraShy said:


> Having used both in years past, I'd say it's more like 10mg Valium = 1mg Klonopin. The one thing every benzo equivalency chart I've ever seen has in common is that they overstate the potency of Klonopin, typically by a factor of two. This, of course, is only my personal experience and I know very well that med reactions can differ greatly between individuals, so I'm sure there are others who have the same experience as you.


These equivalencies aren't entirely perfect. In my experience. Klonopin = Xanax in terms of potency and 2mg of each is easily 40mg of Valium. It depends a lot on metabolism too. She, for instance, seems to find lorazepam stronger than kpin, which isn't a popular opinion. It could be that some if not all of her CYP450 system is very active, as lorazepam is pretty unique in that it's metabolized through glucuronidation.



UltraShy said:


> For example, I know a woman who loves Ativan, though she hates Xanax. To me they're the same, except Ativan costs 10 times more which means big money with how much I take.


Is she taking the patented sublingual version or something? THAT costs about 10 times more here, but normal, highest-dose 2mg generic lorazepam tabs cost LESS here than the lowest-dose generic alprazolam (7 cents vs 8 cents, not a big difference, but by any measure it's a lot weaker too.)



UltraShy said:


> As for Valium being weak, that depends on what you mean. There are so called "low potency" and "high potency" benzos, which to me seems a distinction of no relevance. It takes a larger amount of Valium in milligrams to get the same job done, but I can't think of any reason why that matters.


Absolutely correct. The only things that really matter in terms of potency are the costs of equipotent doses, as well as any unwanted side effects. Otherwise, 50 micrograms or 50 milligrams, there's really no difference.


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## Arisa1536

meyaj said:


> These equivalencies aren't entirely perfect. In my experience. Klonopin = Xanax in terms of potency and 2mg of each is easily 40mg of Valium. It depends a lot on metabolism too. She, for instance, seems to find lorazepam stronger than kpin, which isn't a popular opinion. It could be that some if not all of her CYP450 system is very active, as lorazepam is pretty unique in that it's metabolized through glucuronidation.


Are you referring to me when u say she? 
yes for some odd reason i find lorazepam much more potent than clonazepam and i find clonazepam takes much longer to work for me, and i agree with *ultrashy*, yes the reason i found valium weak was because the dose i was given was low, i mean the doc tried to fob me off by giving me 2MG of Valium a day, i mean thats nothing

i also find that you need more valium to do the same amount that Lorazepam or even Zopiclone would do, i do however find clonazepam strong though, once it kicks in, it has me feeling drowsy and a bit off balance, its also weird cuz i do not always know if my dreams are real and really happened or if they are fake, i also do not always feel real on them, since i have started them i have felt this way Al;though on any benzo, the ones i have been on my driving has improved dramatically, since there is little to no road anxiety

to be honest, i do not care if my lorazepam theory is popular or not, it works better for me thats all, and if Xanax can cause weight gain like mike8803 said then il steer clear and as meyaj said the side effects are more severe when it comes to withdrawing and the doctor told me the only drug that can cure withdrawal from Xanax is Xanax, by weaning it down a dose each week


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## meyaj

Arisa1536 said:


> Are you referring to me when u say she?


Yep, sorry, I apologize. Sometimes I type like an absolute retard and it's more stream-of-consciousness than something that I could reasonably expect somebody else to be clear about...



Arisa1536 said:


> to be honest, i do not care if my lorazepam theory is popular or not, it works better for me thats all


That's really all that matters. I didn't mean to imply you were wrong, just trying to demonstrate that these drugs can work differently for different people, and that the relative strengths are not going to be the same for everybody. I have no doubt lorazepam is stronger for you, and it's actually very explainable.


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## mike8803

the op who created this thread knew what was up.


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## jim_morrison

Arisa1536 said:


> i do however find clonazepam strong though, once it kicks in, it has me feeling drowsy and a bit off balance, its also weird cuz i do not always know if my dreams are real and really happened or if they are fake.


I get that too, I often remember something that recently happened then I think.."oh wait did I dream that or did that actually happen" lol.


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## Arisa1536

meyaj said:


> Yep, sorry, I apologize. Sometimes I type like an absolute retard and it's more stream-of-consciousness than something that I could reasonably expect somebody else to be clear about...
> 
> That's really all that matters. I didn't mean to imply you were wrong, just trying to demonstrate that these drugs can work differently for different people, and that the relative strengths are not going to be the same for everybody. I have no doubt lorazepam is stronger for you, and it's actually very explainable.


na thats alright  yeah i think its a case of different meds and different body types and my anatomy for some reason has been made that ativan hits my blood stream fast and works better than Clonazepam, and ultrashy made a good point about the equivalency charts over stating the clonazepam by 1MG or two as i would think its not as strong as Xanax


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## Heatherx

Himi Jendrix said:


> I have been on 4mg Klonopin and im on 1mg Xanax now. I have also been on Ativan too and it wasnt good so I got off after only 2 weeks or so.
> 
> Xanax is the superior IMO. Klonopin just lasts too long for me, its like im constantly messed up on it. Xanax works quick and well and then you come down soon so your not messed up for the whole day. Its mainly for taking right before anxious situations.
> 
> Klonopin seems like it would be a good choice for someone with GAD. It can make people depressed however. Xanax makes people happy when they take it for the most part; it certainly doesnt make you more sad.
> 
> Also I find Xanax to be more potent but this may be due to me being on 20mg Prozac as well which interferes with Xanax metabolism.


Is that true? I take 60 mgs of prozac and currently about 2mgs a day of xanax. Prozac actually increases the potency? Do you think my prozac would do the same if I switched to Klonopin? Actually, what I would like to do is
continue taking my prozac since I have been on it for 5 years and it works really well, add it klonopin, and since klonopin takes so long to kick in, possibly taking 1 mg of xanax or even 1/2 mg of xanax at the same time I take my first Klonopin to get that instant effect until the klonopin kicks in.
Or is that dangerous? Or does that sound like it wold actually work pretty good?:idea


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## jim_morrison

Heatherx said:


> Is that true? I take 60 mgs of prozac and currently about 2mgs a day of xanax. Prozac actually increases the potency? Do you think my prozac would do the same if I switched to Klonopin? Actually, what I would like to do is
> continue taking my prozac since I have been on it for 5 years and it works really well, add it klonopin, and since klonopin takes so long to kick in, possibly taking 1 mg of xanax or even 1/2 mg of xanax at the same time I take my first Klonopin to get that instant effect until the klonopin kicks in.
> Or is that dangerous? Or does that sound like it wold actually work pretty good?:idea


First of all, it's been shown that prozac does interfere with the clearance of xanax, however it does not interfere with the clearance of klonopin. 
Source; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1424422

As for klonopin, the official roche site (that makes them) claims that klonopin takes approx 3 hours to hit peak blood plasma levels, at that point due to it's long half life it will stay active in the body for a long time, this can be either good - ie positive for GAD if you need to take it daily etc, or negative ie - more side effects such as fatigue or whatever side effect you may experience for longer. As for xanax, as you stated yes it does kick in alot quicker, and leave the body quicker (although fluoxetine may keep it in your body for longer) so it may be more suited to actue prn 'as needed' dosing such as before a social event or during a panic attack.
As for taking klonopin + xanax, while this combination is highly unlikely to kill you, it's probly not the best idea as either one of these benzos alone will usually suffice for the average anxiety sufferer, and adding them together would be kind of pointless and may just increase the side effects of each such as additive sedation etc.


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## Heatherx

Is it possible for you to email me? I have a question for you.
[email protected]

Thanks!


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## hensley258

Without getting too technical. Xanax has a much faster onset of action and that fast onset is a bit more powerful. It also (bummer) has a much faster off set of action.

This is one reason Xanax can be more addictive than Klonopin. I found that Klonopin controled my anxiety just as good as Xanax without the fast drop.

What I do miss is my 2 mg of Xanax take at one dosage which gave me the most wonerful high. I got addicted because of that wonderful high.
Once you make the mistake of taking 4mgs or more Xanax a day the withdrawl is murder when you want to stop.

As fo Klonopin. I can't really get a buzz or high from Klonopin. People very new to Benzodiazaphines say they can get a Klonopin high if they take enough.


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## jim_morrison

Heatherx said:


> Is it possible for you to email me? I have a question for you.
> [email protected]
> 
> Thanks!


Who are you referring too?


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## ashton10

*life has it's up's n downs,but god will prevail*



UltraShy said:


> Unfortunately, drowsiness is by far the most common side effect of all benzos, so it goes with the territory. That effect wears off for most users after a couple weeks of regular use. In fact, benzos are even used short-term sleeping pills. Taking a sleeping pill pretty well explains why you feel lethargic.
> 
> Benzos are all much the same, though some people do have their own personal preference. Benzos differ mainly in how fast they take effect and how long they last.
> 
> Xanax: fast acting, but doesn't last very long. Thus, it's best suited for as needed (PRN) use, such as taking a pill 45 minutes prior to having to give a presentation.
> 
> Klonopin: takes longer to act (though all benzos are relatively fast), but lasts longer. This makes it better suited to situation where a patient needs a benzo for chronic daily use.
> 
> Some complain that Xanax, being short acting, produces a "roller coaster" effect where it wears off before the next dose, so Klonopin may be smoother. This is a generalization, of course. About the only thing one can say with confidence about meds is that your results may vary greatly, so you're forced to try them all if you really want to know.
> 
> Despite Xanax being most commonly used for PRN use, there are those who take it on a regular daily basis. I'm one of them. I've been termed the "Xanax muncher" by some on this forum. My script is for 10 mg daily. I simply take them when I feel the need with no strict schedule. My doc is fine with me taking 4 mg at once if I feel the need for that.


life has its up's n down's.But the lord will take care of us all.He has a plan for everyone,even you!!!!!!!please say ur prayers ,talk to god he is always listening to you!!!!!!! P.S keep your head up!!!!!!!!!!!


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## cbtodacb

Arisa1536 said:


> Are you referring to me when u say she?
> yes for some odd reason i find lorazepam much more potent than clonazepam and i find clonazepam takes much longer to work for me, and i agree with *ultrashy*, yes the reason i found valium weak was because the dose i was given was low, i mean the doc tried to fob me off by giving me 2MG of Valium a day, i mean thats nothing
> 
> Yeh 2mg of Valium a day is a joke. You may as well have taken a TicTac. I have found that I need around 20-30mg, and possibly a little more to get me through my extremely anxious situations. I went to a new pdoc and he was giving me prescriptions for the 5 mg Valium tabs in bottles of 50. Very handy having such an amount on you when you suffer from intense GAD, SAD or panic.


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## cbtodacb

*Clonazepam user with Valium use history*

I find Clonazepam great for my severe GAD, SAD and paranoia.

I've been reading a few posts on this thread and it's interesting that some people find Clonazepam takes several hours to kick in.

For me it is probably 30 minutes before I feel the effects but the effects keep increasing over the next several hours. This is where you have to be careful when taking several doses of Clonazepam throughout the day. I have been taking 6 mg daily i.e. 3 x 2mg tablets. I find that by the end of the day I can't walk straight, my cognitive capacity is down and I essentially feel like I'm drunk. I will bump into things, walk into walls etc.

I am looking at lowering my dosage to 4 mg as 6 mg makes me feel too 'drunk'. Don't get me wrong, it is fantastic for relieving anxiety symptoms. I work, or well did work, in an office with people everywhere at all times so I needed constant dulling of the hellish SAD, GAD and associated paranoia.

I do struggle with the cognitive dulling of Clonazepam though, but it is hard to tell because if take 600 Lyrica as well.

Hope any of this information helps someone. Clonazepam definitely helps relieve GAD, SAD and paranoia when taken in high enough doses.


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## PatienceLaughter

*Short Term temp-fix(xanax) vs Long Term real-fix(clonazepam)*

I have had serious anxiety issues for as long as I can remember back. Though I only started using medication when I has around 18 years old. Xanax seemed as if it were a miracle drug until years later I noticed I had only increased my dosage to 2mg and was taking at least 3 everyday. In other words I had only regressed as the half life is very short in comparison to such alternatives such as Clonazepam. I had become absolutely dependent as the Xanax quick-fix lasted tell the next pill I could take. Finally I saw a psychiatrist who prescribed Clonazepam and started me out taking 2 1mg tablets the same time every day morning and afternoon(consistency is Key!) . Also I had the 1mg Clonazepam Wafers or dissolvable tablets which were prescribed to be just used only as needed for panic like situations. I went back for a checkups every 2-4 weeks and every visit I noticeably felt better. My Dr. had decreased the dosage just slightly(maybe 1/4-1/2 mg) every time there was improvement. Its been about a year since I started this and I have no desire, as it never even crosses my mind anymore, to take medications such as these. And It Feels GREAT! The clonazepam doesn't have as nearly drastic-instant effect as Xanax so try to manage and be consistent with it. You will be much happier in the long run.


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## miminka

GnR said:


> *Lorazepam pretty much puts me to sleep. Not a fan.* Xanax is great, but it just doesn't last long enough for my uses. I also find it to be mildly euphoric, which is kinda odd. But ya, a little too reinforcing for me. *Clonazepam is the other one I've used, and I love it. Wish it started working a bit quicker, but other than that, it works perfectly for me.* 2mgs or so and I feel the effects for at least 8 hours. The only problem is tolerance is starting to climb.


yeah i have to second this. its basically a sedative for me. i was on the verge of a nasty crying/depressive spell last night, took 1mg of ativan and couldn't continute trying to study when it kicked in. how are you expected to function on these things? just sit around and not have a panic attack or feel anxious?

talked to my doc about switching to klonopin instead, as it is longer lasting. hopefully i'll feel more "alert" than i do when i take ativan. wouldn't complain if i also experienced some degree of "mild euphoria" that others say happens with xanax.


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## ellespirit

I experienced some degree of euphoria too..


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## miminka

ellespirit said:


> I experienced some degree of euphoria too.


was that on xanax or klonopin?

also my doc prescribed me .5mg x3 a day, i have 3 repeats on it too. is that typical? i am only planning on taking it when needed. the last thing i want to do is build up another physical/psychological "tolerance"


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## miminka

also for a weird reason i've been bruising really easily since staring on klonopin. is that a common side-effect? i've never experienced it with any other meds


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