Switched to Klonopin from Xanax

[Mandapanda17]

So my doctor had me stop Xanax tonight after I'd been tapered down from 2mgs to .75 mgs a day. they changed it to 1mg of klonopin daily. does this seem ok? Am I in for a rough couple of weeks? My total time on Xanax was 10 months, working up to the 2mgs around August and since then I've been tapered down to .75mgs. The doctor didn't seem to be worried about this switch? Any input would be great! thanks! :)

[Ryan7591]

A few rough days, perhaps, but not weeks. Given the low dosage, I tend to doubt that you'd have any issues at all.

It would also depend on how the Xanax is currently spaced out. I would imagine that you're currently taking 0.25 mg, three times daily.

The half-life variation between Xanax and Klonopin is rather significant - 6-11 hours (6 hours mean) for Xanax, and 36-50 hours (36 hours mean) for Klonopin. Xanax works immediately, and it does not accumulate. For Klonopin to replace Xanax entirely, it must accumulate to steady-state. In order for Klonopin to accumulate, it must be dosed at least twice daily. The accumulation to steady-state phase for Klonopin varies from 10-14 days - after which point the plasma level will plateau and replace the Xanax entirely.

Thus, there is the possibility of increased anxiety during the accumulation phase, a "window of vulnerability" for 3-7 days when making the transition from Xanax to Klonopin. It is generally advisable to use a "stepped" transition schedule, where the Xanax is gradually withdrawn while the Klonopin is introduced simultaneouslty. However, given that your dosage is below 1 milligram daily, this is not warranted.

However, given the amount of hysteria that is propagated over the Internet regarding these drugs, I can understand your apprehension about making a direct transition. If you are concerned (and you shouldn't be), run the following transition schedule past the prescribing doctor...

Week 1 - Take 0.25 mg of Klonopin and 0.125 mg of Xanax in the morning, 0.25 mg of Xanax in the afternoon, and 0.5 mg of Klonopin nightly.

Week 2 - Take 0.5 mg of Klonopin in the morning, 0.25 mg mg of Xanax in the afternoon, and 0.5 mg of Klonopin nightly

Week 3 - Take 0.5 mg of Klonopin in the morning, 0.125 mg of Xanax in the afternoon, and 0.5 mg of Klonopin nightly.

Week 4 - Take 0.5 mg of Klonopin morning and nightly (12 hours apart). The Klonopin has reached steady-state. The Xanax is discontinued.

The most critical aspect is that the Klonopin is dosed twice daily. When it is, a steady-state plasma level of the drug is maintained 24/7.

Ryan

[Mandapanda17]

thank you!! To tell you the honest to god truth, I feel better this morning than I have in weeks!! My last Xanax .25 was yesterday at about 3pm and now, its been 20 hours, taken 1 .5 klonopin last night and 1 .5 klonopin this morning! I don't feel panicked or anxious in any way.. I've been panicked the whole time during the xanax taper, so feeling ok is a relief in itself!! i'll let you know how this works out for me over the next week, but so far so good! thanks again! :)