Anyone with agoraphobia, PTSD, anxiety, MDD, etc.

What's the difference between Klonopin compared to Xanax in treating PTSD, agoraphobia, anxiety and depression?

I read that Klonopin is longer acting, which makes it take longer to work.

I had to fight for years to get meds for thes problems, and be put back on on Xanax, around three years ago.

My new doctor want to change me to the Klonopin, and DC the Xanax...I don't want to since it works.

Any input is appreciated,

BoonDoc

Boon,
I don't feel any of the drugs actually "treat" our MH problems unless it's like bi-polar
and lithium something like that.
To me - all my drugs do is help me be more able to deal with all of my symptoms and problems.
I personally like my clonazepam and call it my little do not kill - pill.
Now, of course this is in addition to Remeron, Seroquel and Prozasin (?).
If your doc isn't a jerk - let them know what works best for you.

carlie

Carlie,

My regular doc. left, and this was a new doc filling in.

I wasn't impressed. I'm sure all of the docs are taking my old doc's appts., and are over worked.

I don't want to change, but if I don't have a choice I'll take the clonazepam, and see how it affects me.

It doesn't have to be Xanax, but Xanax has 'served' me well, with Me giving proper respect to it, and allowed Me to live a better life. I don't want to go backwards.

I want to be able to go and watch my kids ballgames, with my wife and kids and chillax, as my daughter tells me to do.

I appreciate your comments.

BoonDoc

Hey BoonDoc!! Carlie is right on with the "little do not kill" pill called lorazepam. Doc has me on 1mg three times a day as needed, plus fluoxetine and gabapentin and they do help. The alternative is going postal or slamming down alcohol until I pass out. This PTSD is nothing to fool around with as those that really suffer from it know, it has ruined a lot of lives, it almost did mine!! Hang in there, take the meds, go to therapy, talk to other vets with similar problems, PTSD will never go away but hopefully the meds and therapy will help all of us deal with it better than we have.

I have been on xanax since 1991 and found for me it was only thing that could stop a panic attack. 9 months ago my Doc asked me to give klonopin a try and staged it with xanax and it did not work for me. May be psychological for me but that is long and short of it and now I am back on 4 x 1mg a day prn. I still have a high degree of anxiety but am convinced that if I was taken off xanax I would probably drink or something bad for me.

I really don't like to discuss meds with others unless its something very important cause I know that all of us react differently to meds.

Good Luck

PS My deal was I would take klonopin at bed time and in morning and still have 30 xanax for whenever I needed. Finally after a couple of months I asked Doc to put me back on Xanax and he did.

I used to be on lorazepam, and it really helped me to calm down and sleep. However, when my bipolar condition started to decompensate, because for some reason my others meds didn't work anymore, it started a med merry-go-round for the past four years, and they still haven't stabilized me.

Moving to a different AO didn't help matters any, not did switching psychiatrists, but I am finally at a point where I feel I once again have a psychiatrist who will at least listen to me. I have only seen him once, but when he said that I knew more about how my condition was affecting me than he did, it gave me some hope. I do know that if I was taking something that worked, I would fight attempts to have me taken off it. jmo...

I agree with all of you.

Meds are very serious, and I don't want to influence anyone either Pete53, as we all react differently, and need to let the docs do their job, but I have found that I too seem to only get relif from Xanax.

I'm willing to try klonopin, but I've been on the same roller coaster over the years too Bonzai, and Xanax has been the only thing that has helped my symptoms. I would like to have the xanax prn for acute panic attacks, and try the klonopin at sleep if it makes you sleepy...I could use something for a good night sleep for sure!

My private DO wanted to put me back on the old antidepressants, but they cause ED problems, and I blow up like a baloon.

I finally got on wellbutrin b/c the depression was just to much, after 6 months sleeping all day in bed, or maybe the couch, I finally agreed with my wife to ask for some meds for it so I talked to the VA, and was put on Wellbutrin, and it doesn't seem to give me any problems, and seems to give me a more energy, and I started getting back on hadit, so I can't complain about how it works for me, so far.

I requested psychotherapy again, I believe that a psychotherapist will help out more than just medication, and I agree that it's not a cure, just helps with symptoms.

Thanks for the imput all,

BoonDoc