[Rubylizard]

i've been taking xanax XR for over a year now and i feel that my body has grown resistant to it. i don't want to up my dose because i know how terrible it is to withdraw from and also, i think it would just make me too sleepy to function.
my best friend's dad is a psychiatrist and i talked to him about switching back to klonopin (which i used to take) and he said it sounded like a good idea, but MY pdoc seems to just want to up my dose. i asked my pharmacist about it too and he said it shouldnt be a problem if i do it slowly.

my pdoc is on the verge of being fired by me. he just doesn't listen to me and i'm sick of it. my appointments are only 15 minutes long and he just doesn't really know what's going on because we don't have time to talk. spend most of it with me giving reasons why i do not, can not and WILL not take lexapro and it really wastes time. last appointment last week he i think finally got it through his thick head that i'm not going to take the lexapro. ever. and any of you who respond, please don't try to convince me to take it either, because i've got my reasons and you don't know me, even though you mean well.

so has anyone made this drug transition before and if so, was it as hard as my pdoc seems to think it will be? he's only one of three people who seem to think it will be hard, so i'm just looking for someone who's actually done it and not just talking theory.

thanks!

[jenniferever]

Originally Posted by Rubylizard

i've been taking xanax XR for over a year now and i feel that my body has grown resistant to it. i don't want to up my dose because i know how terrible it is to withdraw from and also, i think it would just make me too sleepy to function.
my best friend's dad is a psychiatrist and i talked to him about switching back to klonopin (which i used to take) and he said it sounded like a good idea, but MY pdoc seems to just want to up my dose. i asked my pharmacist about it too and he said it shouldnt be a problem if i do it slowly.

my pdoc is on the verge of being fired by me. he just doesn't listen to me and i'm sick of it. my appointments are only 15 minutes long and he just doesn't really know what's going on because we don't have time to talk. spend most of it with me giving reasons why i do not, can not and WILL not take lexapro and it really wastes time. last appointment last week he i think finally got it through his thick head that i'm not going to take the lexapro. ever. and any of you who respond, please don't try to convince me to take it either, because i've got my reasons and you don't know me, even though you mean well.

so has anyone made this drug transition before and if so, was it as hard as my pdoc seems to think it will be? he's only one of three people who seem to think it will be hard, so i'm just looking for someone who's actually done it and not just talking theory.

thanks!

Hey! That is the biggest crock, 15 minute "medication management" appointments. That is what your insurance company is being billed for each time you go to see your pdoc. I have never had a 15 minute "medication management" appointment with my pdoc. My appointments are 30 -45 minutes. This gives us a chance to talk about more then meds. I would be looking for a new pdoc if I was you. It's hard to find a good who is excepting new patients. Perhaps your Dad's friend might know someone you could see. Definatly part ways with this guy, from what you said, he sounds like a bad doctor. You may even want to check your states medical board website and see if you can look him up. In Minnesota, if you have a MD's license number you can look it up and if there has been any malpractice suites filed agaist them, you can actually read the court documents and everything.

Sorry, now on the the question of switching from Xanax XR to Klonopin. Well, I have gone back and fourth from regular Xanax to Klonopin for a couple years. The main reason in my back pain. When it gets bad, klonopin really helps relax those muscels, however, it does not work as well for my anxiety as Xanax. I have not had any issues switching from one to the other. I was actually thinking of trying the Xanax XR. You might want to think about trying the regular Xanax. You can control your dose that way and increase that way. There is also Ativan, I was on that for a short period of time. It gave me headaches so I went back to Xanax.

I would research Ativan, it might be a better alternative. Also, see about checking up on your current pdoc. I would definatly start looking for a new one.

I hope this was helpful, I know it's a mouth full.....my ADD is showing it's true colors today:P

Good luck.

[madisgram]

i was on xanex at one time. my pdoc put me on klonopin cause it was a safer drug. he explained to me that xanex has a harsher half life and that while klonopin does too (has a half life) it was designed to help peple get off xanex...don't know if ti's true but i don't have mental black outs like i had on xanex. my vote is for klonopin but that's jme. your upping the xanex doseage sounds scary to me. the only thing i would advise is to do this under the supervision of a doctor...that is, make the transition. good luck regardless of what you decide.

[Brian37]

my Psych also put me on Klonopin...he dislikes Xanax.....he explained it to me but it was like he was talking in Greek...

[foreverlost]

I just switched the opposite way! Klonopin has a longer half-life. It lasts longer, but at the expense of having that initial noticeable decrease in anxiety. Sort of a more spread out effect with klonopin.