Posted by Viridis on June 22, 2003, at 21:32:31
In reply to how do you gain tolerance to a benzo?, posted by cybercafe on June 22, 2003, at 4:49:52
I don't know the answer to your question; I'd think that using Ativan only occasionally would prevent tolerance from occurring, but maybe not. I take Xanax occasionally (sometimes a few days in a row, then not for a week or two) and always at low doses. I have noticed that the tiny 0.25 mg doses that once were effective do essentially nothing now; 0.5 mg helps and sometimes I take a little more (although much more makes me sleepy).
I take Klonopin daily, and am at the same 1 mg dose I started with two years ago. My pdoc says that he has many patients on K who have stayed at the same dose for years with no need to increase; tolerance quickly develops to the side effects, but not the anxiolytic effects. He considers it an extremely safe benzo with little tolerance or abuse risk.
I asked him about my need for more Xanax (not more often, just more when I do need it). He said fine, take as much as you need. I also asked him if it was cross-tolerance from the daily use of Klonopin, and he thought this was unlikely since these benzos are structurally quite different. He didn't seem surprised, and said this just happens sometimes, and not to worry unless I find myself needing larger amounts at increasing frequent intervals.
poster:Viridis
thread:235985
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030619/msgs/236141.html