Xanax vs Klonopin

[19nineteen19]

Read all the threads here re) these 2 particular meds.
Have my own experience...my husband had a severe head injury & became Epileptic w/severe panic attacks every day...he's also on oxycodone which he takes 5x daily AS PRESCRIBED...
He has many issues which cause him pain & the test results to back it all up...full body MRIs..CTs..ultrasounds, you name it...constant migraines (constantly seizing/hitting his head), left knee & ankle pain (from falling)..he's always injuring himself, then after a year or so, the panic attacks started setting in...
So the only doc he was seeing at the time put him on Xanax, since the attacks came on SUDDENly & the xanax worked quickly...after a few months of them getting worse, he also placed him on Klonopin, because it's a longer acting anxiety med! Husband was told he could take them both together, and to save the xanax for an immediate onset of panic that the Klonopin couldn't handle...which worked out fine.
Now, all this time, we had been waiting on SSI, disability & a Medicare physician... we found one which would take him for both the pain AND the regular medical issues like GERD, cholesterol, etc....
ALL of a sudden, this new doc's ARNP said NO mixing of Xanax/Klonopin...and we explained what HER boss...the doctor said...well, she drug tested hy husband, all drugs came up positively in his urine, but she accused him of SELLING the meds anyway!
WTF! She sat there & ripped up his xanax script right in front of my hubby even after we told him how it keeps him on a stable level of "calm"...she didn't care..that's when we asked he what she thought we were going to do with them, and she said point blank..."SELL THEM"!
Well...first thing this am, we called the docs office, spoke to the MD himself, and he wants to see us first thing Thursday, the next day he'll be in!
It better go well, and he'd better get rid of this woman who's playing GOD with patient's medications!
This woman has NO idea what HELL my husband & I both have been through...or what my hubby will drag her through....
Any comments or suggestions for Thurday morning people? We could really use anything you've got!

[M4Y0U]

The Lyrica could be a good choice to add with the Klonopin to help manage partial seizures as well as pain at the same time. It is not indicated to take as the only anticonvulsant to treat complete seizures.

http://www.lyrica.com/epi_home.aspx

Epilepsy can be complicated to treat, what work don't work for someone can work for someone else. Here's something you should read before visiting the doc.

http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/features/epilepsy-treatments-finding-right-medication

M4

[19nineteen19]

Thank you..is Lyrica usually prescribed for chronic pain syndrome/FM?
I know what you're saying about dosages, etc..but they are extremely small amounts he is given, and they are also small amounts that it takes for him to become stable (say panic resolution)..
Okay-prescribed 1 mg Klonopin tabs TID, but usually takes them twice.
IF he needs the xanax, he is prescribed 2 mg "bars", to take a total of 3 mg a day, can split as needed...on top of the opiates, etc..
I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow when we go back....& one thing..this MD's office is a 90 mile round trip..kind of getting tiring, 3rd time going in 5 weeks!
We discussed this with the doc the first visit, told him he'd tried every combo of meds (different, various meds) out there & this is the combo that keeps him functional as a normal person! Now the doc wants to play around again & my husbands body really can't afford any more trauma from MD's who know it all!
I didn't even add in my first message that after all the messing around already, I found my hubby on the bedroom floor...passed out, in a post-ictal state! OBVIOUSLY having had a seizure Friday night..this was AFTER they cut him off the xanax on Thursday!
So.....don't know who's reading, but will catch you all up tomorrow after the visit!
Can't wait tell the doc all this tomorrow!

[M4Y0U]

I don't see any problem in using Xanax for acute attack and Klonopin for managing the problems but it's all in the dosage relative to your husband tolerance and other various factor. That being said tho I don't think benzodiazepines are the way to go for long term epilepsy managing. One obvious reson is the tolerance to it's effect on epilepsy.

Lyrica (''new Neurontin'') or Neurontin could be really handy in managing both pain and epilepsy while you could keep the Xanax for acute management.

Anyway those are my opinions and should not be perceived as medical advices.

Any change in your medication, dosage or schedule must be addressed with a qualified physician.

M4