Xanax vs klonopin taper please help!

[[AT...]]

Ok so as many may know I’ve made many changes to my meds in the past several months try to get off these benzos once and for all. I have made it down from 2.5 mg Xanax to 0.875 mg Xanax daily. I attempted to add Valium but it didn’t go well for me. Valium isn’t an option. I am currently on .5 mg klonopin daily along with the Xanax. My issue is the intradose withdrawals are SO intense and severe I can’t take it anymore. It’s horrific. Even dosing 4x daily. My doses are every 6 hours and by 2-3 hours before the next dose I’m horrible again as the Xanax has mostly warn off and each dose is small now anyway. But it’s so so bad and I’m not stabilizing on it and I’m completely non functional and most times not even able to walk.

 

My question is. My combined dose now between Xanax and klonopin is 1.375 mg. My psychiatrist will support a full transition to klonopin then slow taper from there. Would that help with the intradose withdrawals?  I know klonopin has a longer duration of action and longer half life so in theory it should. But I don’t know what to do. I’m just non functional and need some relief. I can cut and taper but I need at least a bit of stability between doses. Should I just go fully over to klonopin??  Would it help?  Xanax just doesn’t last any time at all.

[Guest [...]]

It’s an option, Patrick.

 

Just make sure your doctor crosses you over ‘slowly’ to an equivalent dose using the Ashton Manual crossover schedule as a guide. I’ll provide a link below.

 

Your 0.875mg Xanax dose is the equivalent of 0.875mg klonopin, which would mean you would cross over to a total daily dose of 1.375mg klonopin.

 

Then you would just decide whether you can get away with dosing once per day… or split the total and dose twice per day.

 

The Ashton Manual

 

Edited: equivalency mistakes

[[AT...]]

It’s an option, Patrick.

 

Just make sure your doctor crosses you over ‘slowly’ to an equivalent dose using the Ashton Manual crossover schedule as a guide. I’ll provide a link below.

 

Your 0.875 Xanax dose is the equivalent of 1mg klonopin, which would mean you would cross over to a total daily dose of 1.5mg klonopin.

 

Then you would just decide whether you can get away with dosing once per day… or dose 0.750mg twice per day.

 

The Ashton Manual

 

I’m think I don’t have much choice. The Xanax ups and down are so so so intense it’s unreal. 3-4 hours after taking it I feel like I’m in full CT withdrawal. And it’s so bad that by the 6 hour point when I take my next dose it doesn’t even do enough to calm me. So I’m just in a downward spiral. I feel horrible constantly. Feel sick constantly. I’m in pain. I don’t hardly eat enough. I can barely walk. It’s just intense horror at all times. I feel like if the klonopin would help that stability between doses it would all be more manageable. I mean on paper I know klonopin is the better choice. But would it really help all of that?  Would it really help the intense ups and downs?

[Guest [...]]

You’re clearly experiencing inter-dose withdrawals with the Xanax, so I think crossing over is the sensible option for you. You simply can’t taper the Xanax whilst dealing with such intense inter-dose withdrawals. The longer half life of the klonopin should resolve that issue..

 

Patrick, just note that the above equivalencies were wrong and I’ve now made the necessary corrections.

 

 

[[AT...]]

You’re clearly experiencing inter-dose withdrawals with the Xanax, so I think crossing over is the sensible option for you. You simply can’t taper the Xanax whilst dealing with such intense inter-dose withdrawals. The longer half life of the klonopin should resolve that issue..

 

Patrick, just note that the above equivalencies were wrong and I’ve now made the necessary corrections.

 

Thank you!  Thank God my doctor is fully willing to support whichever way works for me. We definitely would slowly cross over. Such as maybe .125 or .25 mg cross every 2 weeks or so. That seems to be about what the Ashton Manual recommends.  Then likely just stay on the 1.375 mg klonopin for a month or 2 before even attempting to taper again. Allow my brain to adjust and allow me to somewhat stabilize. I just needed to know it really should help. I can’t keep making changes just to have no relief. If I do this I needed to know it’s going to really make a difference. I mean, I know it still won’t be easy. But at least a little bit better would make a world of difference for me right now.

[Guest [...]]

It’s clearly inter-dose withdrawals, Patrick, and the only options you had available to you were to either dose the Xanax more than 4 times per day (5 or 6), or to cross to the longer half life… but, I can only imagine how it would be to maintain those exact dosing times 6 times per day. The longer half life benzo makes sense, and although we cannot guarantee you’ll be symptom free (extremely unlikely), it should resolve the horrid inter-dose withdrawals.

 

I like your plan… slow crossover with plenty of time to adjust and stabilise. 

[[AT...]]

It’s clearly inter-dose withdrawals, Patrick, and the only options you had available to you were to either dose the Xanax more than 4 times per day (5 or 6), or to cross to the longer half life… but, I can only imagine how it would be to maintain those exact dosing times 6 times per day. The longer half life benzo makes sense, and although we cannot guarantee you’ll be symptom free (extremely unlikely), it should resolve the horrid inter-dose withdrawals.

 

I like your plan… slow crossover with plenty of time to adjust and stabilise. 

 

Yeah I think 4x daily dosing is my limit. I hadn’t even thought about going to 5-6 times per day until I was just reading on benzo information coalition and they mention 5-6 times daily for short acting ones. But that’s just too much for me. I think I can mostly handle the normal symptoms, just not that type of intensity. I guess I’m learning why people do cross over to long acting benzos to taper. I have an appt with my psychiatrist again next Monday and will talk to her again then about fully crossing over! Thanks again for your help!!

[Guest [...]]

You’re very welcome, Patrick.

 

Let us know how the appointment with the psychiatrist goes…

[Guest [...]]

Patrick.

 

Good luck to you!

 

I read a little of your story and notice that you had COVID.

 

Please don’t discount that on your CNS and your health issues.

 

It can and does cause even people not on benzos tons of issues that you are describing.

 

Keep up the electrolytes and healthy eating!

 

You got this.

 

Hugs

Winnie