Aa
Ativan and Xanax Substitute?
Hi! I have been on Ativan 3mg daily for about 2 years. I picked up my perscription and later noticed the drugstore had shorted me 20 pills! :( Anyway,I have some xanax .25mg.....could i switch for a few days until my perscription is due? And if I can, how much xanax,and will there be any effects? Thx friends!!! :D
Why has your "friend" run out? Is she taking more than prescribed? If so, she's going down a slippery slope.
It would be much easier if your friend could post directly...having the "middle man" issue can get difficult.
The only responsible thing we can recommend is for her to contact her doctor (again) and explain the situation. You say her doctor won't refill the med, I'm assuming you mean give her a new script, as doctors aren't the ones who actually fill the script? The medications aren't always "interchangable" and if a person has built up a tolerance to the benzo they are Rx'd, there could be cross tolerance issues.
It's just not always as easy as substituting one med for another, not to mention, obviously the Xanax aren't prescribed to her. We cannot encouarge sharing of meds, especially scheduled meds...never a good idea, and illegal, btw,
Good luck to your friend.
It would be much easier if your friend could post directly...having the "middle man" issue can get difficult.
The only responsible thing we can recommend is for her to contact her doctor (again) and explain the situation. You say her doctor won't refill the med, I'm assuming you mean give her a new script, as doctors aren't the ones who actually fill the script? The medications aren't always "interchangable" and if a person has built up a tolerance to the benzo they are Rx'd, there could be cross tolerance issues.
It's just not always as easy as substituting one med for another, not to mention, obviously the Xanax aren't prescribed to her. We cannot encouarge sharing of meds, especially scheduled meds...never a good idea, and illegal, btw,
Good luck to your friend.
a friend of mine only has 3 Ativan 1mg left and wont refil it till the 3rd of dec. she needs to know if she can take 0.5xanax to replace it till she can get her refill. she has been on the ativan for about 4months.
Hope your drugstore is open today. The only option is to try to get them to give you what you need (unless they are out of med) until you can contact or see your doctor.
As has been mentioned, Ativan and Xanax at strength you mentioned are not interchangeable. And there is the difficulty involved with 'controlled substances'.
Sorry this mishap is creating anxiety for you. Hope you can resolve things with a pharmacist.
As has been mentioned, Ativan and Xanax at strength you mentioned are not interchangeable. And there is the difficulty involved with 'controlled substances'.
Sorry this mishap is creating anxiety for you. Hope you can resolve things with a pharmacist.
Hello and welcome to the forum! First of all, not to say that Pharmacies do not make mistakes, but I'm pretty surprised in this case that they did, because of the medication being a controlled substance. Those kinds of meds require multiple staff members to verify both the count of the script, and the count of their supply. Did you look on the bottle to see if perhaps the prescription qty was changed? Was it a refill, or a new script? The most important thing to do is compare the # of pills in the bottle to what the number dispensed on the label is.
Sometimes, Pharmacies run out of a med and only fill a script partially, HOWEVER, that would have ben noted somewhere on your paperwork...receipt, label...something...that you were due some tablets. Unfortunately, if you noticed the error after you left the Pharmacy, they may not correct it, due to the fact, again, that it is a controlled substance and every pill must be accounted for. Did you call or return to the Pharmacy and ask to speak with the Pharm manager for starters? If so, what were you told?
If they sincerely screwed up, then they really need to try to come up with a solution for you. Trying to switch over to Xanax temporarily isn't really the answer. The two meds CAN be used interchangably in some cases, but you are on a fairly high dose of the Ativan, which could be troublesome. IF the pharmacy doesn't try to help you with this...you need to get a hold of your doctor promptly and ask how to SAFELY proceed to be covered and minimize the risk of w/d's.
From now on, it may be a good idea to count your pills at the counter before leaving with your script. Also, if this Pharm sincerely messed up and won't help you in any way...I'd be finding a new Pharmacy ASAP, as well as registering a formal complaint with both the Pharm manager and store district manager. If there were that many pills missing, they very well may have an employee misappropriating medications, which they need to address right away.
Good luck, let us know!!!
Sometimes, Pharmacies run out of a med and only fill a script partially, HOWEVER, that would have ben noted somewhere on your paperwork...receipt, label...something...that you were due some tablets. Unfortunately, if you noticed the error after you left the Pharmacy, they may not correct it, due to the fact, again, that it is a controlled substance and every pill must be accounted for. Did you call or return to the Pharmacy and ask to speak with the Pharm manager for starters? If so, what were you told?
If they sincerely screwed up, then they really need to try to come up with a solution for you. Trying to switch over to Xanax temporarily isn't really the answer. The two meds CAN be used interchangably in some cases, but you are on a fairly high dose of the Ativan, which could be troublesome. IF the pharmacy doesn't try to help you with this...you need to get a hold of your doctor promptly and ask how to SAFELY proceed to be covered and minimize the risk of w/d's.
From now on, it may be a good idea to count your pills at the counter before leaving with your script. Also, if this Pharm sincerely messed up and won't help you in any way...I'd be finding a new Pharmacy ASAP, as well as registering a formal complaint with both the Pharm manager and store district manager. If there were that many pills missing, they very well may have an employee misappropriating medications, which they need to address right away.
Good luck, let us know!!!
Could you not just go back to the drug store and them not hand you the missing pills there and then? Normally they would be able to do that as it was their mistake. Ativan and xanax are about the same in dose. Strength wise. But I doubt one would replace the other and it would be as simple as that. I think it would be more complicated. And withdrawls may be felt. The xanax may ease you anxiety somewhat. But you have been on the ativan for about two years at a good auld dose. That will be missed by your body. If worse comes to worse a trip to your nearest ER. Explain what happened. I am sure they would give you some. Others may have different views. I just have my own view. That it won't replace it in full. May ease the anxiety some. Guess you are going to find out the hard way. Which is sad on your part.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
