November 19, 2008 - 2:56pm
I had an emergency appt with my Dr. today and he switched me from klonopin to clorazepate and i've never heard of the medication. I even went to my pharmacy (Rite Aid) which is a large chain pharmacy and they didnt have any in stock at all! and said not one patient going to that pharmacy was Rx'd this medicine! so, then i asked because i use 2 different rite aid locations if they could call the other one and see if its in stock and sure enough it wasn't. so im pretty curious as to what clorazepate is. I was switched from klonopin 1mg 3x a day to clorazepate 7.5mg 3x a day is this a fairly equal dose? I took a peak at the benzo comparison chart and what i got out of it is that clorazepate has a longer half life than kpin but is weaker than the klonopin. any help would be much appriciated. Thanks, JpD.
November 19, 2008 - 5:12pm
#2
Thanks
For the response. Can anyone tell me how Clorazepate/Tranxene would compare to Klonopin? also is clorazepate weaker than klonopin?
November 19, 2008 - 6:11pm
#3
According to the chart I
According to the chart I have .5mg klonopin is equal to 15mg chlorazepate(tranxene) so according to that your dose is a lot weaker and only equal to .25mg klonopin. Your right though it does have a longer half life so it might appear a little stronger because you will have more built up in your system I guess. I personally have never taken chlorazepate so its hard to say.
November 19, 2008 - 6:19pm
#4
Thanks frk
Thats pretty much what i got from the chart. I hope I didnt make a bad choice here my Dr. said the dosage was fairly equal and that it would work just as well as the klonopins but now im starting to think I should have taken the xanax. I never tried clorazepate let alone even heard of it i hope this go's well.
November 19, 2008 - 6:36pm
#5
I have definitiely heard of
I have definitiely heard of it but its just very old and rarely used now a days. It supposively has a very long half life (33-200hours for its main metabolites) so even though it is technically weaker it might be just as effect if not better than your klonopin because it will be building up in your system if a day later you still have half the medicine in your system from the day before. You wont know till you try it....I have always wanted to try it because the longer half life will give you more consistant anxiety relief than xanax which is more like a roller coaster. The longest half life benzo i have tried was diazepam and it didnt do anything for me at 10mg so tranxene was always appealing to me but the doctor never suggested it and I wasnt about to bring it up. Usually the longer half life benzos are used as hypnotics but I guess those must be more sedating than tranxene or something.
November 19, 2008 - 7:30pm
#6
Yea ill see
How it goes at 4:00pm tommorow evening thats when the pharmacy said come back to pick up my RX. You make a very good point It wont be like a xanax rollercoaster but a constant source of anxiety relief...I like the sound of that. Also i'm rx'd a longer acting benzo for sleep (Valium) which I find very effective at 10mg combined with 2 .02mg clonidine tho. But anyways if the tranxene dosn't work out I still have a bottle of #60 klonopins so I think ill be ok
Regards, JpD.
November 20, 2008 - 1:10pm
#7
I love my klonopin. I get
I love my klonopin. I get 60 .5 mg a month and they work great. I think I used about 30 in the month and when I take them I take 2 at a time only about twice are three times a week. I usually take them at night like after a hard day or if I feel malnutricious, they help me eat and relax. Also if I take them mid day then they really make me sleepy. does anyone else have that effect.
November 20, 2008 - 1:13pm
#8
Also I went to a wedding
Also I went to a wedding this paast weekend which was amazing. My freiends cousin was prescribed to xanax and I was curious on how xanax and klonopin compare in strength. So i tried one .25 mg one and nothing happened. I got up to .75 mg when I noticed a very calm feeling. I like xanax and think it is relatively similar in strenght to clonezapam, although it seems to work better in the panic aspect of anxiety. But I am fine with my klonopin and am glad that I dont take ativan anymore becasue in my opinion that stuff was garbage.
November 20, 2008 - 1:21pm
#9
Hey spence
I also love my klonopins but my tolerence is just to high. I have not one bad word to say about klonopin its a great medication and has worked for me for about two years now but lately it just isnt cutting it ive been having attacks like crazy and have been depressed of late. My Dr. also put me on Cymbalta so ill see how it goes with that. So ill probably take the clorazepate for a month or two then switch back to klonopin. Just switching it up to take care of tolerence issues. Im somewhat worried about the dosing because i was on 1mg klonopin 3x a day an a extra half if needed. The dosing for the clorazepate is 3x a day at 7.5mg so the dosing is significantly lower than the klonopin. I dont know how its going to work out yet because i pick up the Rx of clorazepate at 4:00 so who knows maybe it will be great. Thanks for the input, JpD.
November 20, 2008 - 1:23pm
#10
Xanax
Lasts nowhere near as long as klonopin as the half life of xanax is 6-12 hrs so you feel a very quick onset but it wears off for me in about an hour. I asked my Dr. about xanax but he said it wouldent get me through the whole day and then brought up the clorazepate.
November 20, 2008 - 1:27pm
#11
jpd are you also on
jpd are you also on painkillers as well? Have you been on the 1mg klonopin for two years straight everyday 3 times a day or was it as needed. What exactly makes you anxious, because sometimes it helps to meditate or pray if you are religious which can help with anxiety.
November 20, 2008 - 1:27pm
#12
I used 1 mg K-pin's at
I used 1 mg K-pin's at night, and they worked awesome for restless legs and anxiety. Could have never taken them during the day. I used 1mg of (Valium) at night for about six months, and I was not impressed with it very much. I use (Xanax) 1-3mg at bed time, and as you know, that is just a quick one-two hour fix, but they do work the best for me for anxiety. Sometimes use .50 mg during the day when things are rough, and it works wonders.
Give your new med a few weeks to work, and see how it goes. I think you will be fine.
November 24, 2008 - 3:28pm
#13
benzos, we all react differently
I am enjoying this discussion very much, as I have recently begun using clorazepate for generalized anxiety and insomnia. I sought this medication online when I could not find diazepam 10 mg or alprazolam 2 mg (which unless flying, I would of course split), but was able to locate this medication through a foreign site (now down).
Caveat:Before you judge me, please understand I have been without a doctor, health insurance, a job (laid off for funding, not fired), or any regular income for quite some time now (unemployment out and I live in a very economically depressed area). I have been forced to go looking online for help. I know my body, and what it needs, and do a *lot* of research before taking *anything*. In a perfect world, I would never advocate self-diagnosis or self-medication, but since I cannot obtain a doctor appointment without insurance, and I cannot get a prescription without a visit, I am a bit stuck, *temporarily*. I am speaking to you from personal experience that includes a 14 year career in social work and 5 years in information technology. I am a good person who is frustrated by a medical system that assumes I am a criminal for asking for help I know works, because unscrupulous people have put everyone on edge.
But back to experiences with clorazepate. This is a very interesting benzo. And I am personally familiar with alpraz, diazepam, Klonopin, and the atypical benzo zolpidem for sleep.
Unlike Xanax, which is quick acting and its effects therefore quickly over, this medication takes longer to take effect. Therefore I have noticed it is not ideal for a sudden onset panic attack. To piggy back on what another member has mentioned, if this happens and all you have is the cloraz, do your meditation and deep breathing and get yourself into an safe place while you await its effects. My personal experience and research show that onset time varies. I'm referring to folks taking it prn (as needed), as I am. Even tho it's indicated for taking on a schedule, I simply do not have that option. What I wouldn't do for some Valium or Xanax but alas, I don't have that option at this time. If you are a person who, like me, has a generalized anxiety disorder peppered with panic attacks, maybe you'd like to save your Xanax for panic attacks. As always, be careful mixing benzos, and know your triggers.
My experience with Klonopin has not been positive. Perhaps I had poor quality or expired generics, all I recall is the pill was yellow. They made me very logey but not sleepy. I couldn't really function. The anxiety was still present, but I was just a tired anxious person. Unlike with Valium or Xanax, where I can function and even succeed in social situations or other panic-inducing situations, like flying or interviewing.
I have noticed the effects of clorazepate are subtle. No euphoria, but also no sluggishness. If I know I will be in an anxiety situation I need to take it 1 to 2 hours in advance. If I am having trouble sleeping it helps gently, unlike the others that may kick in quickly,so again, planning.
And others are correct about the half life. Look at the strong variation! I feel this med should be weaned off slowly. Other reliable sources have backed that up.
As many fora discussions here have mentioned, and some in this thread as well, comparison charts are approximations. Everyone reacts to benzos very personally, and factors such as history, concommittant diagnoses, weight, age, and others all play into trying to find that perfect med and dose. As a secondary option, I have been pleased with clorazepate 10-20 mg prn. I hope my (too long?) input can maybe help someone out there. I know what anxiety and panic feel like and I hope all who need it can find and receive good treatment. Good luck to all.
Peace,
nell
"It's a beautiful day
Sky falls, you feel like
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away" -U2
I took tranxene for awhile...it was decent acting and not alot of side effects.
I am not a Dr. I just play one on tv.