Brief Answer:
Information.

Detailed Answer:

Hello,

Clonazepam is a good substitution for the Xanax because it is in the same family (benzodiazepines) but lasts longer in your system.

Benzodiazepines such as clonazepam and Xanax are good for temporary treatment of short term anxiety, but it is generally recommended to eventually discontinue them because they do have the potential for addiction/dependency if used regularly. So when a patient needs help with long term anxiety, usually in addition to the benzodiazepine (Xanax, clonazepam, lorazepam, etc) we often start them on an antidepressant medication which also works for anxiety. But we overlap the medications because it takes an antidepressant a few weeks to really kick in. After it does, then we can start to decrease and eliminate the dose of the benzodiazepine.

An antidepressant with fairly early onset of action (a couple of weeks) and a lower rate of side effects is escitalopram (Lexapro) which is an SSRI. But there are others to choose from as well.

So if you had a short episode (not ongoing) anxiety and are now wanting to wean off of Xanax, clonazepam is a reasonable choice.

If you have ongoing anxiety, then also start an antidepressant that covers anxiety such as an SSRI, and then after a few weeks on it, slowly wean off of the clonazepam or Xanax.

The longer you have been on Xanax and the higher the dose, the slower/longer your weaning period should be.

I hope this information helps.

Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, General & Family Physician

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