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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Switch from Xanax to Klonopin
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
Switch from Xanax to Klonopin
by dave09, Jul 01, 2009 12:32PM
Hello. I've been taking .5mg of xanax 3 times a day for the last 4 years. I was just switched to klonopin .5mg 3 times a day by my psychiatrist after a recent mental breakdown (I'm back on Lexapro 15mg a day now as well). My question is, do I have to wean off the xanax to avoid withdrawal symptoms? I asked my psychiatrist about this, and she said that I did not have to have a weaning period because of my relatively small dose of xanax, and because the klonopin would "take it's place." I've read on many websites that you should do a slow transition from xanax to klonopin, so I was hoping you could offer your opinion on this. I have some xanax left over from my last refill, so should I maybe do .25mg xanax + .25mg klonopin 3 times a day for a few days to avoid xanax withdrawals. Thanks a lot for your help.
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Jul 01, 2009 06:49PM
, Jul 01, 2009 06:49PMTo: dave09
I agree with your psychiatrist. The two medications are almost identical so there should be no problem substituting one for the other. You are quite correct though about weaning from Xanax if there was not going to be a substitution.
Member Comments (2)
by mjbrown, Jul 01, 2009 07:08PM
To: Roger Gould, M.D.
Thank you very much for your quick and helpful response!
