Medications covered on this page include brand name
benzodiazepine medications.
The "benzos" are frequently prescribed for anxiety, but may also be used
to treat insomnia, panic attacks,
unusual and abnormal stress, as an adjunct to other mental health medications,
as muscle relaxants, and to treat other problems.
This page is useful for comparing Xanax vs Ativan or Klonopin vs Valium. All four of these medications come in generic form. Most people end up with generic benzodiazepine medications whether they want them or not. Many pharmacies will only sell brand name benzos if the doctor indicates the brand name is "required". If you have a generic "equivalent", the names would be Alprazolam vs Lorazepam or Clonazepam vs Diazepam.
Common Brands |
Generic Names |
lorazepam |
|
clonazepam |
|
diazepam |
|
alprazolam |
Benzodiazepine and Other Medication Links and Resources:
ATIVAN Factual Information Obtained and Confirmed:
Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceuticals manufactures brand name Ativan. There are several generic Ativan ( lorazepam ) manufacturers.
Ativan is a medium duration benzodiazepine (minor tranquilizer) medication used primarily to treat anxiety disorders.
Although Ativan starts working within the first hour after ingestion, according to the manufacturer, it takes about 2 hours for peak concentration in the blood to be reached. And it takes about 12 hours for the system to break down 50% (half-life) of the active ingredient (lorazepam)
Ativan is initially more potent than Valium (diazepam) and lasts about one third to one half the time of Valium.
Many claim the shorter duration and greater potency cause the individual to take more pills more often, which can increase the rate of dependence.
Ativan can cause dependency and/or addition.
Ativan is a regulated Class IV controlled substance by the United States Food and Drug Administration
Usually it comes in .5mg, 1mg, and 2mg tablets
A realistic daily dose is .5mg to 2mg taken 1 to 3 times per day. (The manufacturer says up to 10mg per day may be used in certain cases.)
Sometimes a single dose before bedtime is preferred.
KLONOPIN Factual Information Obtained and Confirmed:
Roche Labs manufactures brand name Klonopin. There are several generic Klonopin ( clonazepam ) manufacturers.
Klonopin is a long duration benzodiazepine (minor tranquilizer) medication used primarily to treat seizures and panic attacks, but is also sometimes prescribed for anxiety disorders or as a supplemental treatment for schizophrenia.
Although Klonopin starts working within the first hour after ingestion, according to the manufacturer, it takes about 1 to 4 hours for peak concentration in the blood to be reached. And it takes about 30 to 40 hours for the system to break down 50% (half-life) of the active ingredient (clonazepam)
Klonopin is initially more potent than Valium (diazepam) but may last a shorter amount of time.
Many claim the shorter duration and greater potency cause the individual to take more pills more often, which can increase the rate of dependence.
Klonopin can cause dependency and/or addition.
Klonopin is a regulated Class IV controlled substance by the United States Food and Drug Administration
Usually it comes in .5 mg, 1 mg, and 2 mg tablets
A realistic initial dose for panic disorder is 0.25 mg (½ of a 0.5 mg tablet) two times per day.
This dose is typically increased to 0.5 mg twice per day or 1 mg once per day. Studies indicate doses higher than 1 mg per day usually do not increase the therapeutic advantage for panic disorder, but do increase the side effects. However, the manufacturer says up to 4 mg per day may be used (in some cases).
When discontinuning this medication, the dose should be reduced by 0.125 mg (¼ of a 0.5 mg tablet) every three days -minimum- until the drug is entirely withdrawn.
VALIUM Factual Information Obtained and Confirmed:
Roche Labs manufactures brand name Valium. There are several generic Valium ( diazepam ) manufacturers.
Valium is a long duration benzodiazepine (minor tranquilizer) medication used primarily to treat anxiety disorders, seizures, alcohol withdrawal, muscle spasms, and other things such as a pre-anesthetic tranquilizer.
Although Valium starts working within the first hour after ingestion, it may take a couple of hours for peak concentration in the blood to be reached.
Many different sources have different answers when asked about how long Valium acts in the body and in the brain. Estimates range from 8 to 200 hours. The information is not clear in the Physician's Desk Reference 2001 edition, yet Valium (diazepam) is a typical standard when comparing the durations and potency of other benzodiazepine medications. What is the real potency and duration (half-life) of Valium?
Valium can cause dependency and/or addition.
Valium is a regulated Class IV controlled substance by the United States Food and Drug Administration
Usually it comes in 2 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg tablets
A realistic initial dose for anxiety disorders is 2 mg to 5 mg administered one to three times per day.
When discontinuning this medication, the dose should be reduced by 0.5 mg (¼ of a 2 mg tablet) every four days until the drug is entirely gone to avoid uncomfortable withdrawal effects.
XANAX Factual Information Obtained and Confirmed:
Pharmacia & Upjohn Pharmaceuticals manufactures brand name Xanax. There are several generic Xanax (alprazolam) manufacturers.
Xanax is a medium duration benzodiazepine (minor tranquilizer) medication used primarily to treat anxiety and panic disorders.
Although Xanax starts working within the first hour after ingestion.
It takes about 11.2 hours for the system to break down 50% (half-life) of the active ingredient (alprazolam)
Xanax is initially more potent than Valium (diazepam) and lasts about one third to one half the time of Valium.
Many claim the shorter duration and greater potency cause the individual to take more pills more often, which can increase the rate of dependence.
Xanax can cause dependency and/or addition.
Xanax is a regulated Class IV controlled substance by the United States Food and Drug Administration
Usually it comes in 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg and sometimes 2 mg tablets.
A realistic daily dose is 0.25 mg to 1 mg taken 1 to 3 times per day. (The manufacturer says more than 4 mg per day may be used in certain cases.)
Outside resources for benzo medications:
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