Posted by yxibow on May 16, 2006, at 16:51:30
In reply to Benzo with lowest side effect profile?, posted by jealibeanz on May 14, 2006, at 13:41:25
> I'm looking for a benzo to take daily. I'll probably need between 8-12 hours of general and social anxiety relief. I'm going to graduate school, so I don't want anything that will cloud my thinking or sedate me too much. I realize that they may all do this, but are any that are better than others? I've used generic Klonopin before, 1-2 mg daily, which was sedating, and slightly depressing. I now have .25 mg generic xanax, which is not too bad in terms of clouded thinknig, the dosage is pretty weak. Are Klonopin wafers better than others? Should I ask for brand name? What about Xanax XR, Ativan, or Valium?
They all are potential clouders of mental thinking and they all also increase response time (e.g. driving), but I wouldn't go down the Xanax road except as an emergency pill when you get really anxious as withdrawing from a 4x a day pill is daunting. PRN, as I mentioned in the previous sentence is a better use of Xanax.The whole brand name thing has been an argument at least two or three times recently here, and is unnecessary and expensive for no particular reason in my opinion especially if you are starting out on a regimen. What is important is a consistent generic, that is, from the same supplier, if one is to notice any difference, which some notice none even if they change suppliers.
A number of people here seem to have been depressed by Klonopin (clonazepam), I haven't by clonazepam, but some do. I would just used once (or twice) a day generic Valium (diazepam). Clonazepam has been consistently used for social anxiety disorder, so you can try that out too.. its half life unlike Valium which exceeds 24 hours in a typical dose, is about 16 hours in real life, so twice daily is usually necessary.
If you don't habituate, and most don't habituate (but you have to be prepared for that -- it is different from addiction, which is use of prescription medications for no purpose, rather habituation is escalation of dose over time), the "ahh" feeling and the sedation may decrease in time while the anxiolytic relief will persist -- you just wont notice a "kick". That is a typical reaction to a long term benzodiazepine, say 20-30mg of Valium.
just my 2c
-- Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:643911
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060515/msgs/644847.html