Xanax addict

[[...]]

Hi glad to be here

 

I am currently taking 5mgs of Xanax a day. Four doses It is just barely enough to keep me this side of tolerance. I am thinking of doing a milk titration with the help of a knowledgeable friend, after doing a switch over to klonopin. My doctor is not favorable towards valium. I have read that klonopin is not easy to titrate but does have a longer half life so interdose withdrawals would likely be less problematic. It it was you and you had to choose between titrating off xanax or klonopin which would you choose? And if yu would care to, what would be your reasonings for choosing one over another. Thanks!

[[Co...]]

Hi John,

 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies.

 

I made a direct taper off 4.5mg of Klonopin. I had really bad time, but we do vary, of course.

 

How we react to benzo substitution is in the lap of the Gods. Many are fine with it, but for a few it can be tough though. In the main, people seem to benefit from switching to Valium, but some have a tough time doing this - particularly from Klonopin for some reason.

 

I wouldn't recommend switching to Klonopin. As you pointed out, it does have a longer half-life than Xanax, but the anecdotal evidence suggests that it might be the toughest benzo to withdraw from. We can help you with a simple milk titration method: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/titration-tapers/titration-instructions!/0/ If you have any questions about the method, please do ask. What might be sensible it to try a direct taper (probably involving a titration method), and see how that goes. You can always reconsider substitution later!

 

The reasons for choosing Valium are that it has a comparatively long half-life; the pills come in relatively large (physical) size, but low doses; it is less potent than most other benzos. It offers a unique profile over other benzodiazepines.

 

Tolerance will only continue to develop. You will become tolerant of your new dose, and you can only increase the dose to stave off the effects of tolerance. This is a road to nowhere, and just means that when you do eventually decide (or are forced) to quit, it will be from a higher dose - that just makes things harder. A slow smooth taper is the best way off benzos.

[[pl...]]

hi john

 

i tapered off benzos twice.  i was up to 4mgs of ativan daily (but probably needed double that) which is similar to xanax.  the first time, i switched to klonopin and did a relatively fast taper (didn't know any better then) which was hell on earth.  i'm talking about lying in a fetal position and moaning all day hell.  the second time, i switched to valium (30mgs) and except for a rough beginning, tapered slowly (almost 5 months) with minimal difficulty. 

 

both xanax and klonopin are very strong and the hardest to taper from.  it is not so bad at the higher doses but is very difficult when you get to the lower doses. as far as i am concerned, valium is the way to go.  titration off your high dose could take years.  save yourself the time and pain.

 

joan

 

ps my husband took xanax for 20 years, never could get off and died addicted. 

[[Th...]]

Hi, John,

 

At first, I was going to say to switch to Klonopin, since as you pointed out, the half-life is longer than Xanax. But Colin also has a point. When I was trying to taper my Klonopin, I called a local detox center--a holistic one--and asked them for info. They told me that from what they see, Klonopin is the toughest benzo to get off of, even tougher than Xanax. So what you gain in half-life, you might lose in increased symptoms. There's just no way to tell. But if you are suffering from interdose withdrawal, even with taking the Xanax four times a day, it might be worth switching over to Klonopin. It's up to you.

 

Have you thought about looking around for another doctor, one who will switch you to Valium? It's much nicer, both in terms of half-life and cutting. You can get liquid Valium ready-made at a pharmacy, so you can cut a little bit each day and wouldn't have to make your own liquid.

 

I direct-tapered from Klonopin until I got to .25 mg, at which point I had to switch to Valium because the cuts were just too hard on me.

 

Therese