switch to klonapin from xanax to withdraw?

[Guest [ga...]]

I have been on xanax off and on short term (a few months) at bedtime for sleep. Also have daytime anxiety but it is manageable. Also take trazodone at bedtime and tired to taper that once but got horrible rebound insomnia.

 

My psych wants me to switch to klonapin and lamotrigine (don't want to take that).

 

I would like to get off meds but am wondering if I go along with the psych nurse and switch to klonapin would that make the withdrawal easier? I posted about this longer in the substitution forum, but haven't  gotten many views. I haven't started a taper yet, so maybe this is better here.

 

So, is it better to switch and then start the taper or just try to taper with what I am on now and switch later if it doesn't work? Thanks.

 

BTW, I bought a milligram scale to do dry cutting.

[[Ju...]]

Please be patient because weekends can be very slow.

 

Personally, I would absolutely not switch benzos if I had not yet tried to taper off of my Xanax.  I would try tapering Xanax first. 

 

If one is dependent upon a medication in the benzodiazepine class of meds, I don't believe any benzo is easy to taper. 

 

I tapered off of a high dose of Xanax after being on the medicine for over 25 years for sleep.  There is a link to my taper schedule in my signature.  When I accomplished tapering to just above 1.5mg, the rest of the way to zero, I quartered the .25mg tablets and dropped .0625mg per taper period.

 

Tapering Xanax is doable for many of us if we set our minds to do so.

[Guest [ga...]]

Thanks for your response. Part of what makes this so hard is being so homebound and alone. Time just drags.

 

Both my primary doc and my psych nurse are encouraging me to switch. They think I may be yo-yoing with the xanax because I only take it at bedtime and it has a shorter half life. But I just want to get off. I have another question, but I guess I'll start a new thread because it is altogether different.