Xanax v. Ativan?

[rpewing]

I've had a severe anxiety spell going on for a month now, and my initial visit to my GP led to her putting me on Lexapro (10mg) and Xanax (0.25 mg, halved). I've taken at max 2 of those per day (Xanax); after the first week or so, I stopped taking them altogether.

My psychiatrist suggested I go back on them, so I've been taking 0.125 mg twice a day. I don't anticipate any withdrawl considering the small dosage and the relatively short time I've been on them, but does anyone know how this compares to Ativan? He wanted me to get starting on Ativan starting today at 0.5 mg twice daily.

Thanks for any advice!

[lorelei13]

I did some looking into the matter but could not find very much on the subject. One site that is fairly decent but somewhat new had an article on the subject specifically comparing xanax vs ativan for anxiety (http://healthlifeandstuff.com/2010/02/xanax-vs-ativan-for-anxiety/); hope it helps! =)

[njmom]

If you are still having anxiety then I would ask to increase your lexapro instead of taking a benzo (ativan and xanax are both benzo"s). In fact, most doctors would rather you not take them because of the dependency factor. The therapeutic dose for lexapro is 20 mg, so you are only at half. I am at 10mg as well and now that I am fully adjusted, I noticed some symptoms coming back so my psychiatrist told me to up it to 15mg instead.

[trperkins]

I've had a severe anxiety spell going on for a month now, and my initial visit to my GP led to her putting me on Lexapro (10mg) and Xanax (0.25 mg, halved). I've taken at max 2 of those per day (Xanax); after the first week or so, I stopped taking them altogether.

My psychiatrist suggested I go back on them, so I've been taking 0.125 mg twice a day. I don't anticipate any withdrawl considering the small dosage and the relatively short time I've been on them, but does anyone know how this compares to Ativan? He wanted me to get starting on Ativan starting today at 0.5 mg twice daily.

Thanks for any advice!



I have tried both of them before and my experience is that medications alone is not a conclusive solution for anxiety disorders.


In terms of Xanax, my overdosage of this medication over the long- term eventually causes me to suffer from akathisia.


Whilst as for Ativan, it just triggers off severe headaches and dizziness in me in the end without giving me any calming effects at all once I over-rely upon it.


All in all, these medications, though are very effective in bringing the anxiey disorders temporarily under control, they would nevertheless tend to be addictive by nature especially during the long-term and one should take certain precautions when using them. In the meantime, other non-medicational efforts such as pyschotherapy, seeking emotional comforts from other meaningful activities such as one's hobbies, trying one's best to exercise self-controls to calm one's down naturally, trying to be happy-go-lucky etc would also be essential in dealing with anxiety disorders.

[Exiled]

This is easy.... The half-life for Xanax is 5-12 hrs vs. 12-40 hrs for Ativan. I've taken both and Ativan(Lorazepam) is far more effective than Xanax(or Vallium or Klonapin for that matter). Every Doctor or Pharmacist I've spoken to concurred. Also, when I was having a major attack, it took Xanax about 35-45 min. to work..... compared to 15-20 min. for Ativan.

So by all means, if you have a choice....take the Ativan.

[trperkins]

This is easy.... The half-life for Xanax is 5-12 hrs vs. 12-40 hrs for Ativan. I've taken both and Ativan(Lorazepam) is far more effective than Xanax(or Vallium or Klonapin for that matter). Every Doctor or Pharmacist I've spoken to concurred. Also, when I was having a major attack, it took Xanax about 35-45 min. to work..... compared to 15-20 min. for Ativan.

So by all means, if you have a choice....take the Ativan.


Basically, I quite agree with your points to a certain extent. And I have something more to add.


Every Doctor or Pharmacist I've spoken to concurred. Also, when I was having a major attack, it took Xanax about 35-45 min. to work..... compared to 15-20 min. for Ativan.


So by all means, if you have a choice....take the Ativan.


Well, since the mental conditions of different people troubled by anxieties, depressions and other various mental disorders may very possibly be quite different from one another along with their respective original causes of such disorders, it would thus be advisable and strongly recommended for them to seek at least a second opinion from the related medical professionals, personnel and other relevant objective genuine medical sources, such as the one like www.drugs.com (http://www.drugs.com) (for cross-matchings and further cross-verifications purposes in order to obtain whatever correct, proper and effective treatments for their different individual mental conditions in regard to their respective mental disorders (anxieties, depresssions, etc) and their different causes of such disorders.


Next, since human bodies would eventually get immune to whatever medications fed to them constantly and repeatedly over the long-term, coupled with the very fact that such medications of anti-anxieties and anti-depressants like Ativan, Xanax, Valium are very addictive by nature, well, they may just lose all their intended curative effects in the end, and instead of getting their intended therapeutical / mentally-comforting effects, one might just end up getting all their unavoidable and undesirable side effects in the end whenever one come to such a point / scenario whereby such medications are being over-relied upon to the point of sheer abuses.


Hence, whilst taking such medications to bring down all the undesirable symptoms of anxieties, depressions and other mental disorders, one at the same time should also put in the other non-medicational efforts to complement the inadequacies of such medications for the sake and purpose of holistic approach to anxieties, depressions and other mental disorders.


Hence I'm suggesting the following as a solution to anxieties, depressions and other mental disorders :


1/3 of medicational helps + 1/3 of psychotherapies, interactive, interpersonal, emotional, communication, conselling supports from the others + 1/3 of self-determinations, self-initiatives, self-controls, self-wills and self-disciplines to think positively, rationally, realistically and practically as well as to lead a normal and healthy life