is klonopin better than Xanax for anxiety?

Hey Gem,

I actually use Valium as it is the longest acting but not the fastest so it depends on how you use it.  I have 2 mg Valium tabs and can take up to 4 tabs a day so if I am having a bad day I can spread out the doses.

I know others use Xanax and Klonopin on here.

Take care and good to see you here.

Hugs,

Kitt

I was put on klonopin and it didn't seem to help me that much. However, I think it is supposed to sort of build up in your system somewhat before it reaches its full capacity...don't quote me on that! But everyone's different. Some like it. Doctors seem to be less afraid of klonopin for some reason. Xanax is faster acting. Here's some good places to look for patients' reviews of klonopin, as well as xanax and other drugs. It may help you decide.

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=17533&name=KLONOPIN

http://www.drugs.com/comments/clonazepam/klonopin.html

Hope it helps! :)
jl

I do also think klonopin has to build up in your system to fully help control anxiety, while xanax offers (almost) instant help. Just my own opinion, I felt I needed a higher dose of klonopin in order to help with my panic attacks at all as compared to xanax. When I am panicking, it affects my muscles as well as blood pressure and breathing. I can take xanax and within 10-15 minutes feel some relief, and relaxation. I never had much success with klonopin, which is why I switched. But, as I said, this is just my opinion and I am by no means an expert. I can just offer my experience as advice. Maybe you should talk to your doctor about adding a mild muscle relaxer, like a low-dose of soma. That would definitely help with muscle tension. I get that prescribed for muscle spasms I get from a broken neck I suffered from a car accident last July. It's not recommended to take both, since they will knock you out, but maybe just taking muscle relaxers at night, in low doses, will offer some relief. Good luck, and let us know what you find that works!

i have taken both in past n i agree with debaser on this
i am not on either now but take ativan n diazepam for anxiety/ panic n to help with noise in ears from nerve endings that are still live but am deaf..
hope that makes sense
lyn

So how do these medicines work exactly?

I had another horrible attack last night. My problem is that I try to relax so I can sleep. But I have all these thoughts in my head. Not really bad thoughts. Just clips from tv shows I have watched that day, book passages, conversations I have had, songs I heard, etc.... I just can't clear my mind at all. It's constant noise in my head. And then there are the physical symptoms that go along with it. I got about two and a half hours of slepp last night. And two hours the night before. And I am EXHAUSTED and frustrated.

So are these medicines for the mind or just for the physical symptoms? Or both? Because my problem is defintely both at this point.

Xanax has been the benzo of choice for me, as it is definitely very fast acting (within 10-15 minutes) and helps me greatly with the physical and mental affects of bad anxiety/panic. You may have started building a tolerance and aren't getting the same reliefs as before or your anxiety has gone up. I rarely take Xanax, just as needed, which lately has been almost every day because of severe panic/anxiety. I've been consistently prescribed .25mg for the past 2 years. I did try Klonopin before, which it seemed to work fine, but I did feel it was almost stronger? Or maybe my dosage was higher than my Xanax at the time (sorry can't remember!), but I did immediately fall asleep pretty much after within 30 minutes of taking it. I didn't feel a lot of relief from anxiety, just mostly that I wanted to sleep. If you don't get relief from that, maybe try Ativan. I started taking Ativan a couple of years ago when I first was diagnosed with panic/anxiety and I loved it. It completely relaxed basically every part of me and I slept wonderfully.

I hope you start feeling better.

There are those that are on klonopin more than once a day and basically it does or suppose to work same way

for severe panic n anxiety
you can see if your doc can or will let you try sublingual ativan...
jmho

Also there is TRAZADONE
which i tk at night to stop all the 'stinking thinking' n my mind going round n round
others here are on that as well
for me it has been good

i wish you all the best
lyn