# How to get a doc to switch from Klonopin to Xanax?



## Bob Slydell (Oct 23, 2008)

I take Klonopin 4mg/day and have been taking it daily for almost 2 years. I feel like 4mg is as high of a dose that I wish to take because I know im dependent on it. 

Now I want to switch to Xanax because my friend takes it and he recently gave me a .25mg pill when I was having a limited symptom panic attack and it completely stopped it within minutes. Klonopin now barely works for me and it takes over an hour to kick in. 

My main disorder is SA but I feel that the Klonopin just doesnt help like it used to. I figure if a mere .25mg Xanax can significantly help my anxiety then maybe I should try it. 

My final question is how I can convince my psychiatrist to switch meds. I understand that Xanax is taboo in much of the medical community because alot of drug addicts abuse it. This may create problem because he knows that I smoke the reefer for both anxiety and recreation. He only knows because I put it in the paperwork I had to fill out when I first saw him. I just wanted to be honest. 

I dont want my doc to think that I am trying to get "drugs" so any tips on how I could start the conversation without specifically asking for it by name would be helpful. Also, my doc has switched me to Ativan in the past for this reason of tolerance but it didnt work because the dose was too low.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Bob Slydell said:


> My final question is how I can convince my psychiatrist to switch meds.


Point out how a dinky little 0.25 mg Xanax helps you more than 4 mg of Klonopin. Point out how this switch would actually be reducing your benzo dose significantly. If you were a benzo-seeking junkie, would you be asking "Hey, doc, can I have less benzos?"



Bob Slydell said:


> ...he knows that I smoke the reefer for both anxiety and recreation. He only knows because I put it in the paperwork I had to fill out when I first saw him. I just wanted to be honest.


Anything you say can & will be used against you, so it's wise to exercise your right to remain silent.


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## dss (Oct 28, 2008)

Yeah , I would just try and explain to him that you really feel that you are starting to build up a strong tolerance to Klonopin. 

If you feel there is some way you can mention taking .25 of Xanax and it helping you without him freaking out where you got it then go for it.


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## crossfadex (May 17, 2008)

i have a question and i don't want to start a new topic for this because it might be dumb hah.

anyways, my psychiatrist won't prescribe me a benzo (he gave me a whole bunch of Cymbalta today to try). I've pretty much only used this psychiatrist for getting scripts and thats pretty much it. I never went to a family doctor to try to get anything, such as benzos or ssris. My dad called up several psychiatrists and randomly picked one basically. I'm thinking I should dumb my benzophobe psychie and use a family doctor. maybe then I could get some klonopin..?


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## bezoomny (Feb 10, 2007)

crossfadex said:


> i have a question and i don't want to start a new topic for this because it might be dumb hah.
> 
> anyways, my psychiatrist won't prescribe me a benzo (he gave me a whole bunch of Cymbalta today to try). I've pretty much only used this psychiatrist for getting scripts and thats pretty much it. I never went to a family doctor to try to get anything, such as benzos or ssris. My dad called up several psychiatrists and randomly picked one basically. I'm thinking I should dumb my benzophobe psychie and use a family doctor. maybe then I could get some klonopin..?


In my experience, family doctors won't prescribe benzos either, unless it's an emergency, having-a-panic-attack-every-day scenario. They'll refer you to a psychiatrist.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

bezoomny said:


> In my experience, family doctors won't prescribe benzos...


My GP would, though he sent me to a psychiatrist because my needs exceeded what he had the balls to prescribe. My GP was willing to give me 2 mg a day of Klonopin or the equivalent -- 40 mg of Valium (allegedly) is equal to that and that's what I was on when I left him.

I went to a psychiatrist for a short FREE "get to know your doc" visit and after briefly explaining my SEVERE problems and laundry list of failed meds asked if he'd be willing to prescribe 10 mg of Xanax. He said yes, so he got hired. I started out at 8 mg of Xanax daily from him (double how much benzos I had before as that equals 80 mg Valium). A year later it was raised to 10 mg Xanax daily and has stayed there for the last 4 years.


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## crossfadex (May 17, 2008)

hm alright. There is this doctor that my aunt recommended to me and says he'll prescribe whatever you want pretty much. lol. but she said her insurance wouldn't cover it, so it was very expensive each visit.

urgg! I've been weaning off paxil and i'm sooo ****ing itchy!!


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

Use a gun.

:b Just kidding. Mostly.


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## Syrus (Jul 24, 2013)

I have been diagnosed with sever anixiety with panic disorder since 1999. My panic attacks can be so severe that I sometimes end up in the hospital because my heart rate gets dangerously high to the point I could have a heart attack.

Over the years since then (it is now 2013) I started with .25 Xanax 2x per day as needed in late 1999-early 2000. Then to .05 Xanax to 1mg 3x to 4x per day as needed in 2006. 

In 2010 due to a pregnancy I had to switch from 1mg Xanax to 1mg Ativan 2x per day. I dont know if it was a hormonal change in my body or my strong will to cope with my anxiety so i wouuldnt but my unborn baby's life at risk for disabilities because of the benzos but i made it though. 

After pregnancy late 2010 went back on 1mg Xanax because I had increased anxiety postpardum. 2012 switched to 10mg of Valium. I had a very bad side effect with Valium so i switch back to 1mg Xanax 6x per day within 2 week from switching. 

2013 I felt I was taking too much Xanax and asked my Psyc to switch me to something with a longer half life because I was feeling withdrawls symptoms during the day with Xanax due to its short half life. I had built up a high tolerance to Xanax that at 6mg a day. My Psyc then prescribed me 1mg Klonopin 3x per day. 

At first I was very reluctant to take the Klonopin because I had such a bad experience when switching from Xanax to Valium but I decided to give it a try. Being that I've had a very long relationship with my Psyc he also prescribed me a small prescription of 1mg Xanax as needed if I experienced a SEVERE panic attack wile taking the Klonopin. (Not very many Dr will do that however he knows I'm not one to abuse the medication.) 

After the switch from 1mg Xanax to 1mg Klonopin I still had anxiety for the first few weeks but less panic attacks. I would take a 1mg Xanax when I had an SEVERE attack while on Klonopin. Over time I noticed that the Klonopin's longer half life reduced my anxiety and panic attacks because of its longer half life I didn't have rebound anxiety or panic attacks like I had with Xanax. 

Eventually I stopped needing both and just took Klonopin. I recently added Lexapro to treat some depression and I've noticed it has increased my anxiety even with the Klonopin. I spoke with my Dr and he advised me that can happen when first starting Lexapro. He then advised me it was ok to take a 1mg Xanax only for SEVERE panic attacks. So I started taking both again. 

After a few weeks of taking the Lexpro my anxiety and panic attacks went subsided. The Lexapro decreased my resting heart rate from average mid 90's to low 60's and I stopped taking the 1mg Xanax with 1mg Klonopin. 

I just recently had my purse stolen and my bottle of Klonopin was in there. My insurance wouldn't refill my prescription of Klonopin until my next refill was due. So I decided to just use to existing Xanax I had to get me through it. Now I'm experiencing more anxiety and panic attacks! I'm having withdrawl issue because the Xanax's short half life. I can't wait to refill my Klonopin. I know my situation is reverse from the original post but I wanted to share my personal experience with you so you know what you may experience once you switch from Klonopin to Xanax. 

Yes, Xanax is a quick fix because it acts faster in your system than Klonopin does. So that could be why you felt that Xanax was/is a better alternative from Klonopin. I offer my advise to you as someone who went from Xanax to Klonopin. If you feel that taking Xanax is a better alternative to you because you just need it for a quick fix for your anxiety you may very well find yourself either becoming very dependent on it and needing more of it as time goes by because you build up a tolerance to it. You may also experience rebound anxiety because you're on Klonopin now and are wanting to switch to something that has a shorter half life than what you are currently taking. Depending on the relationship you have with your Psyc perhaps you can ask them about your option to take a .25mg of Xanax to take if you're having a really SEVERE episode while on Klonopin. That may help you. 

With my long history with Xanax I can tell you from experience over time if you switch you will build up such a high tolerance to Xanax that you'll feel you'll need to go up in dosage. I'm only saying that because you've been permanently diagnosed with anxiety versus someone who is just going through a rough patch in their life and only needs a benzo to cope with what they are dealing with at that moment temporarily. 

Eventually I foresee your Psyc putting you back on something with a longer half life because Xanax is the most addictive of all other Benzos. I'm not implying that you are abusing medications so please don't take it that way. You're obviously are taking Klonopin to treat a permanent condition. Try and talk to your Psyc and ask if you can be prescribed .25mg of Xanax for SEVERE episodes. Not daily but as needed for SEVERE episodes of anxiety and or panic attacks. It's worth a try. They may not prescribe both not very many Psycs will unless they really trust you won't abuse it. Think carefully! 

If you are trying to use Xanax to ween your self completely off of Benzos it may have the exact opposite effect of what you want. However it could also be what you're looking for but the odds are against you only because you'd be switching to Xanax with a shorter half life versus the longer lasting Klonopin you've been on.

I hope you find a resolution to your situation. Anxiety and panic attacks suck! I wish I could live a normal life without having any anxiety or panic attacks but the likely hood of my condition is null because every female in my family has been diagnosed with it. Sadly it is hereditary. My daughter is almost 15 and is showing early signs of the condition. I hope that she takes after her father and its just temp anxiety from just being a teenager. Good Luck to you!


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## Inshallah (May 11, 2011)

Has Columbus' ship filled with Xanax XR not yet reached the big island?


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## Silent Screams (Jul 24, 2013)

Syrus said:


> I have been diagnosed with sever anixiety with panic disorder since 1999. My panic attacks can be so severe that I sometimes end up in the hospital because my heart rate gets dangerously high to the point I could have a heart attack.


I've been diagnosed with a panic disorder sinds '99 too. And I was able to get rid of it everytime without medication (except for depression). But sinds '05 I've been taking Xanax, at first when I had to do things that would give me anxiety, like going from my mom to my dad's which was like an hour drive. As of 2013 I take; Xanax, Xanax Retard & Temesta.

My problem however is that I started to take those pills before I had the anxiety. Like i'm going to the movies, so that's a big place with a lot of people so i'll just take it before the fear happens. Because I also thought it was going to happen, so I wanted to be quicker than my fear.

Now i'm off those med's since about 2 months, and it's really difficult, I'm only taking Temesta to sleep. But i'm going to have to quit that too. But I feel kind of down, because my life got more restricted again without those pills. I used to do almost everything, with it, and now without it it's like everything I did is going away, and I become more scared again. Not that I didn't have anxiety when I took those pills. It was just like a safety to me.

But I hate it when my psych. says or whoever for that matter "it's just panic/fear". To me that's like someone who hasn't experienced that would say that. And really that doesn't help at all by just saying that!


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## RiversEdge (Aug 21, 2011)

Doctors are so quick to prescribe this and that instead of offering other techniques or counseling.
For me, I never had such severe anxiety and/or panic attacks until I took the medicine to try and prevent it!!!! 
Once I stopped taking it and worked hard at getting through anxiety without medicine, I have been the person I haven't been in about a year and I'm happy now.

I didn't realize how bad the medicine had me depressed and out of control and that anxiety was my constant focus.
Now anxiety is something that may happen but that I have control over and it's not running my life.

When I went to the doctor for help because the one medicine was giving me bad reactions, he -- LOL --- prescribed different medicines!!
....I never took it. I'm fine. 

Maybe I'm one of those odd cases ...but imo medicine sucks and it's not the answer for me.


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