Ativan vs. Xanax

Could someone please tell me the difference between these two drugs?

personally i feel that xanax is more likely to become addictive...and the withdrawals are ridiculous!!!! i've taken both of these medications so thats my 2 cents......i remember hearing something about one being fat soluble and one being water soluble but i dont know..

ask a pharmacist how strong her ativan dose is

both meds are very similar, both are valium type

I cant see what the doc is trying to do, ask him for an explanation, I would be inclined to leave her on her ativan, especially if its not a large dose

My mother had a bad experience with Ativan. It is a very strong and adictive drug. The two are both very similar. They often switch the drugs when one has been on the drug for a long time and it has stopped working at the higher dosages. But they slowly decrease the dosage down and start the other up to a stronger dosage until it reaches the appropriate dosage. My mom has had a better result with psychotic drugs such as Giodon or Seraguil for severe anxiety. I now about the warnings on Seraquil but you have to speak to your Dr. about that. That is a contraversal discussion among Dr.'s. I have found Paxil to help me the best, but my anxiety was not as severe as my mothers. Mine was bad enough to get disability for it. I found psychotherepy to help the best along with the drug. I had to start thinking differently about myself and social things which is something a drug can't change. Anxiety begins with our thoughts. I had to slowly change my way of thinking. I also started reading alot of books on the subject. Joyce Meyer has some good ones that are good.

Also, I took some psychology and oral communication classes that really helped me understand other people's thoughts and perceptions.

Drugs can't change our thoughts but can help with the physical symptoms from the disordor.

The psychotic drugs helped my mother with the chest heaviness she feels that bothers her the most.

This is just a few suggestions from an experienced and victorious, anxiety disorder patient with many mental illnesses in my whole family. I have a lot that I can share if anyone needs more advise. I don't call myself a victim, but I call myself a victor. I won over the anxiety. A victim does not win, just survives.

God bless,

Terri,

 I am aware that medications effect different people in different ways. I am 33 and have been in & out of treatment since the age of 10. In regards to Seroquel, I was on it for 2 years and it did not help me with any of my symptoms. The only thing it did was put me to sleep at night and make it almost impossible to wake in the morning. I can't get samples anymore & have no ins. so I tried to get off of it and I am having a very hard time. I went from 250mg to 50mg and still get very sick when I do not take it. I wish I never started.

  As far as Xanex, I was on 4 mg a day, now I am on 3. That too is horribly addictive but so far (and I have come almost full circle with medications) it is the only one to help with my anxiety, my night terrors and paranoia. Please, be careful and do not let the doc put you up that high on either medication unless you are SURE you can't do without it! Be safe...Be well

Ativan is the trade name for Lorazepam, wheras Xanax is the trade name for Alprazolam.

They are both anxiolytic drugs under the family of drugs known as benzodiazepines.

Their half-lives differ (peak serum levels...how long they are in your blood stream before breaking down into metabolites which can also have physiological effects on people), as do their efficiency in treatment for people. I personally have been prescribed sublingual ativan (1mg) for my panic attacks.

My father was prescribed xanax during the later years of his life, and he found it to be the most pleasant of all drugs that he'd ever tried over the decades he'd suffered through anxiety.

Again, people respond differently, that's why there are so many different benzo's being prescribed.

Valium (Diazepam) used to be the most frequently prescribed, but it does a number on your liver (with such a huge half life and number of metabolites that it breaks into, the liver requires enzymes to break it down constantly) and therefore is rarely prescribed as a first choice to newly diagnosed anxiety sufferers.

I hope I haven't sounded too much like a medical journal lol, I worked in a pharmacy as a technician when I was younger, and was interested in learning about the various drugs that were being prescribed and that we were dispensing.

As far as why the doctor would change the drug so late in life, I would say that the xanax may level her out for a longer period of time, and I've also heard people say that when prescribed the 'regular dose of ativan vs. xanax' that xanax feels better overall.

To me that's just heresy, but let us know what success she finds from the change.

Although Ativan and Xanax are in same Benzodiazepine family, Ativan is cleaner, stronger and more effective, has a longer half-life and is far less addictive than Xanax. The best analogy I can come up with is this; Ativan is the Coca-Cola of benzo's and Xanax is the Wal-Mart generic brand stuff you get out of the .25 cent vending machines. There is no debate here....try both @ the same dosage and you will clearly see that Ativan is far superior to Xanax.

Indeed there all benzodiazepines yet I find Xanax (alprazolam) is much more effective than Ativan (Alpralozam) totally useless but good for sleep if you need it.