Getting off Xanax with help of Klonopin

[ladywolf63]

Has anyone tried weaning off 6mg/day of xanax to 3mg/day of Klonopin without going into any kind of withdrawl? It's my second day, but I'm taking Klonopin Q8Hrs and if I feel the tinglies that I got when the xanax wore off, I'll take .5mg of xanax....just the Klonopin alone makes me "tired" and want to sleep. I know has a longer half life, but how long til I get use to this medication? Any info on dealing with a transition of xanax to Klonopin will help.
Thanks  Ladywolf

[bgaffer]

Hi Ryan, I have been taking 2mg of clonazepam 2x daily for about a year and I was taking 2mg of xanax for traveling on air plains not daily. That has stopped I am now taking around 8mg of xanax a day and 6 mg of clonazepam a day. Plus I take 100mg of zoloft daily. I have been doing this for about the last six months.

I would actually like to stay on the clonazepam it has helped my anxiety disorder tremendously and, because it does not have the half life xanax does.

So any suggestions on how to tapper of the xanax and go back to my normal dosage of clonazepam.  

I would also like to get off the zoloft at some point, but I think this is 1st and foremost.

Thanks for any insight,

Brian

[mr.lucky66]

This is very old and looks more like drug info to amuse rather than real intent to stop taking xanax. A wise shrink once told me valium is valium is valium. All benzos are bad when you take them everyday for long periods but xanax is by far the worst.  Upjohn, who came out with xanax tried to hide some studies from the FDA when it was in trials back in the early 1980's before it came on the market. These sudies showed hat xanax caused more panic attacks from rebound in many people after they started taking it.

[deathbecomeshim]

how many mgs do you need to sleep and not wake? or is there a better cocktail current ct is klonpin, welbutrin, paxil, lamictal, kinnda in a hurry

[elli777]

what can u take to speed up getting alprazolam out of your urine

[ladywolf63]

Hey RCA...just a little note...the klonopin is doing fine, no side affects, no w/d's..on 3mgs TID. Different kinda of feeling, but..it works. I hope everyone else out there that is trying to get off xanax has the same outcome as I have.
Peace
LadyWolf

[ladywolf63]

Thanks MiniMe...I've overcome the drowsiness now, it's been over a week. I'm not looking fwd to my next physc doc appt due to him wanting to wean me down FAST...it's scarey. I have a friend that's had neurosurgery after neurosurgery and due to his nerve damage and muscle spasms,etc..the doc's tell him he'll never get off benzo's...Pray for him too plz. I hope I'm not one of those that they say, "well...you'll have to stay on a low dosage due to your type A personality and hot temper"..lol...
But thanks again, I hope you do well also.
My God be With You.
LadyWolf

[Praying4MiniMe]

I as well was on Xanax back in 2003, i was on it until the beginning of 2005, I hated it, but I was weaned off by adding klonopin. I do not recall how many mg i was on for the xanax, but I am trying to get off the klonopin b/c eventually I would like to have a successful pregnancy. I've had two miscarriages and they think its from the withdrawl from the pills. I am currently taking 1mg a day of klonopin and sometimes .5mg. I am just now starting prozac to eventually get rid of the klonopin, but my doc had finally gave me the bad news...it is very UNlikely that I will ever be off pills but in order to become pregnant, the prozac would be a MUCH safer choice. I dunno though. Anyhow...usually the first few days that you take klonopin you do get really tired but eventually that goes away. Also, I did notice that instead of taking the xanax 3 times a day, i only needed to take the klonopin once a day, but still it is a Benzo and neither one is really safe. But hopefully we will both become benzo free someday.
My prayers are with you.

[ladywolf63]

Ok to your challenge..LOL
7.5grains = .12 mgs, and 15grains = .0034 mgs...rounded off ofcourse...did I pas the math quiz..LOL
Do you know how long it's been since I've had to do med conversions? ROTFLMAO...
LadyWolf

JAVA THE DRINK OF CHAMPIONS!!

Now a challenge for you: not math, but language: what does Ocyio mean...LOL...dig deep RCA hehehe...  I'll give you a hint; it's a native american lanquage, the first written one.
you remind me alot of my old anestheiologist friend whom past 2yrs ago. He would love this debate.
Keep the excellant info coming, it appears that alot of ppl on the forum respect your medical knowledge.
(If you could see my myspace page..lol, my light reading is the PDR, Merck Manual and the DSM-V book...LOL)
Ciao

[suzi-q]

what is the difference between duration of action and half life??????

[ladywolf63]

Yes, I do have those books..LOL...those are excellant books and couldn't live without them while in hospital working. Even now I find them stimulating to read.
Yea, the Merck Manual I looked at for the benzo chart just the other day for 1/2 lifes and x=k/mg.

LOL....you are a funny one, trying this early in my benzo fogged head to get me to convert grains to mg...OMGS what a challenge. Wait then I'd have to change it from mgs to oz.  I'll take it, but let me get some java in me first..It takes a pot a day..mmmmm maybe that's why I have such a tollerance when it comes to benzo's.

Hey Ryan...are you a chronic pain patient? Have you ever tried Duragesic/Fentanyl???? I believe it's the most dirtiest drug out there on the market today except for MS2.  

Catch ya back in a couple hrs for that challenge..LOL....for now, it's JAVA TIME! ;) it's 900am CST here, and I'm an old night worker..so you can imagine how my head is even without benzo power...lol...
Ocyio
LadyWolf

PS...My old friend that told me about the chocolate used it to get himself off speed in the 60's. Old Hippie. ;) TTYS..Thanks for your input and your enjoyable intelligence.

[ladywolf63]

Yea, now your talk'n my language.  Just where do you find your info??? Not to be a smartars, but you seem somewhat knowlegdeable in pharmokenetics yourself. Are you a chemist or in the med field? or retired medical professional as myself. PDR.net is a good site to be able to go to.
The information above looks like what's in my PDR for benzo's.

Thanks for the answering of the question on grapefruit, The rest was already known...but good for others that don't understand this stuff.

Oh here's another interesting factoid:chocolate speeds up the metabolism and therefore helps metobolize the drug in question you are wanting to "kick". Learned this from an old Anesthesiologist.


Peace
Ladywolf

[ladywolf63]

Ok what's the deal with no grapefruit with benzo's, especially xanax????? Any chemist out there that can tell me why in non layman's terms plz.
Ladywolf

[ladywolf63]

Ah found my PDR. Just FYI for anyone out there on Klonopin....
Pharmacokinetics
Clonazepam is rapidly and completely absorbed after oral administration. The absolute bioavailability of clonazepam is about 90%. Maximum plasma concentrations of clonazepam are reached within 1 to 4 hours after oral administration. Clonazepam is approximately 85% bound to plasma proteins. Clonazepam is highly metabolized, with less than 2% unchanged clonazepam being excreted in the urine.

For what it's worth.
Ladywolf

[ladywolf63]

Hey Ryan, Can you shoot me the url where you got your info..my PDR's packed up. I've been looking all over the www for info tapering & w/d off xanax and life on benzo's. Thanks LadyWolf

[ladywolf63]

Thanks for your input Ryan. I tried to get my pharmacist to tell me the equal amount of xanax vs. Klonopin, he just said they are the same class drug..DUHHHHHHH. So far, I've not had any time of w/d symptoms. <>>. Including any type of siezure activity.
My physc doc tells me when dealing with xanax, mainly it's the fear of w/d that freaks you out plus dealing with siezures. It's all a head game. The half life of Xanax is 12 hrs with the half life of Klonopin being 34 hrs. Maybe he's play'n a head game with me???

Oh if you think 6mg/day is MASSIVE, you should have been there when the neurosurgeon put me on 2mg Q4hrs...that's 16mg/day! I almost went to ICU over that little bit of ****.

Thanks again for your input.
LadyWolf