Posted by Cece on February 17, 2001, at 22:49:34
In reply to xanax v, klonopin-equal? One stronger?, posted by Daveman on February 17, 2001, at 18:35:55
> Okay, here's another question:
>
> Now that I have switched from Xanax to Klonopin (so far so good), I'm trying to define their relative strengths. There are two equivalency charts on this site. One says .5 Xanax equals .25 Klonopin, or Klonopin is twice as strong. The other has it reversed- 1 xanax makes 2 Klonopin. What gives? Any opinions out there?
>
> DavemanI find them to be quite different in effect, so would have a very hard time trying to make any kind of relative strength definition.
I take a TINY bit of klonopin (actually the generic, clonazepam), .125mg. I have to chop up small .5mg tablets into quarters to get this dose. But this amount asks as a mood stabilizer with some anti-anxiety properties for me. I take it at night. If I take any more than this, I get very sedated in an unpleasant kind of way and it takes a couple of days to let up. I should mention that I am generally very sensitive to med effects. I have taken it this way for about 7 years, and it seems to continue to work. It also effects me the same way no matter what mood I start off in.
I also take xanax: usually .25mg in the morning, another .25mg in the afternoon, and .75mg at night. I take more, PRN, if I am especially anxious or depressed, and it helps me to calm down and even out.
The really interesting thing that I find about xanax is that if I need it, it helps. If I'm feeling okay and take more, it doesn't affect me much- I don't feel sedated or sloggy like I do with clonazepam, and like I remember feeling from valium in the long ago past. I find it to be a very useful tool.
I'm bipolar II, have a lot of anxiety and depression, and these benzos are part of a mix of meds I take. Others are Lamictal, Neurontin, Depakote, Adderall, Vicodin, Cytomel, and just recently, Synthroid. I also take hormone replacement, including testosterone.
Yes, I am running my own little pharmacy here, and sometimes it drives me crazy. I pack my meds up into little ziplocs about 3-4 weeks worth at a time so that I don't have to deal with all those bottles every day.
Finding this bulletin board and reading about other people's complicated med mixtures has helped me feel a lot less isolated in dealing with all this. There are very few people, very few, who I can share this with. I don't even tell new doctors (not pdocs of course) about all my meds unless they really need to know. I have had too many experiences of docs telling me that I'm taking too many meds when they don't have any idea what they are talking about.
I've rambled off your question here with my venting. Hope you don't mind, and hope that my info is of some use.
Cece
poster:Cece
thread:54278
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010212/msgs/54287.html