I went into my doc today and told him how bad Ativan is and how the withdrawal sucks, he knew I used to be on Xanax and decided to write me a script for that. He said take this instead of the Ativan right away. He said it won't be a problem because the drugs are in the same class. By the way I also take concerta. I've only been on ativan for a month, will there be any withdrawal symptoms?

i dont think you should have any real bad withdrawl. in my personal opinion, since ativan doesnt work for crap for me, that xanax is stronger. but the are both benzos so he was right, thery are both anti-anxiety meds. i take klonopin, another benzo, and it is similar to xanax, except for the half life is double. works great for me...you should be ok
-heather
ps
anymore ???s PM me

Thanks for the response, I think we are on the same page as far as Ativan went, I'd have to take like 3-4 .5 mgs for it to do anything, I am glad I'll be taking xanax from now on, because I know it's effective. Now I just have to get set on an add med, i'm still starting out on concerta. Anyone ever feel stress from having to take all these damn medications?

if youre the type who HAS to get generics, avoid GENERIC clonazepam (klonopin) i know generic xanax is quite effective. nothin beats a real roche klonopin or valium, with the letter punchout, and the GABA punchout that begins very quickly. the perfect adjunct to my 30mg dexedrine, i take 0.25mg brand name klonopin 4 times a day. motivation remains, anxiety melts away. very chill, but alert. perfect combo. i think theres a lot of folks with ADD and comorbid anxiety, partially inherent, partially stimulant induced edginess.

it also helps me sleep. BUT

clonazepam avg. 1/2 life is from 10 to FIFTY FOUR hours. xanax is usually gone in 4-5, but is a touch "stronger"

low dose benzos (either by schedule or p.r.n.) are a great way to manage anxiety, both preexisting, and medication induced.

do not mix them with alcohol. you've been warned. (requiscat in pace, anthony john grohowski (1954-1999) heart failure likely caused by prolonged, heavy xanax abuse combined with alcohol and hypertension.

They are both bad.

Fast-onset and short acting: good prescription for Addiction or Habituation.

Why are you getting either one? The gold standard for anxiety treatment now (for several years now), has been Paxil.

My own GP has not Rx'd Xanax since 1998.

Benzos cause REBOUND and make Anxiety worse.

benzos are not bad for everyone. some of us who have panic disorder need something to get us out of the panic attack ASAP. i tried paxil and it is junk, for me, at least. i take a SSRI to combat anxiety/depression, but i have to take xanax on a regular basis to combat anxiety/panic that is not otherwise controled by an SSRI. as long as people dont abuse the drugs, they are safe for the most part.
-heather

They are both bad.

Fast-onset and short acting: good prescription for Addiction or Habituation.

Why are you getting either one? The gold standard for anxiety treatment now (for several years now), has been Paxil.

My own GP has not Rx'd Xanax since 1998.

Benzos cause REBOUND and make Anxiety worse.

I see that this post is several years old but there is no way I can let that go untouched. Who gave Paxil the "Gold Standard" crown for treating anxiety? When I was 22 I started getting horrific panic attacks. After trial and error on several SSRIs (along w/ Ativan in the early stages, which was really the only thing that worked), I wound up on Paxil for nearly 10 years. The results? Yes, it stopped my anxiety and daily debilitating panic attacks...as the dosage climbed higher throughout the years. It also removed every other feeling & emotion known to humans except for fatigue, apathy, and an insatiable appetite. SSRIs are known to cause this quite often now that they have been around for awhile. A benzodiazepine has this "addiction" stigma attached to it, when it's really just like any other psychiatric medication. When used properly & for preventive purposes, they can stop panic & anxiety, and the "knockout" side effect fades away while still remaining a potent anxiolytic. I am currently on a similar regimen to the poster before you that you criticized, and I was put on it by the same psychiatrist who put me on Paxil a decade ago. I find his experience & theories exactly the same as mine, as it works very well for me.

If you'd like to talk about addiction, take Paxil daily for 10 years and then stop it, or just try to slowly come off of it. Tell me what you feel is not the result of "addiction". There are websites dedicated to helping people get off Paxil and other SSRIs because of the "discontinuation syndrome" they cause. Clonazepam is one of, if not THE longest acting benzo and if it's taken properly & on a structured dosing schedule, presents zero rebound anxiety. Your GP probably hasn't prescribed xanax or other benzos for so long because he/she doesn't know how to properly direct a patient who really needs it to take it.