Xanax v Ativan v Zolpidem

[DeadCat (OP)]

A question for all you who get scripts like this:

Today I went to the doc (in Colombia) with empty but recent bottles for 1 mg Lorazapam and 1 mg Alprazolam. I have a pile of Zolpiderm and it isn't realy in the same drug class anyway, but canhelp for sleep after a coke night. So, of these drugs , which give a better high and at what dose?

The reason I ask is the doctor had no problem writing #90 1mg Xanax and #90 1 mg Ativan after I explained the Xanax works faster and makes me less sleepy.  I left the office all set to score 180mg ofbenzos. Then after visiting 3 pharmacies who couldn't fill them both (they are on the same official Colombian government form prescription). It turns out the largest Xanax/Alprazolam they sell down here is .5 mg, no Xanax bars down here. And because he wrote down 1mg X 90 tablets the pharmacist couldn just give me twice as many .5 mg tablets because of constant government inventories.

Add to that, you can only us a prescription once and if you don't get everything you want when using it you won't get any more without a new prescription.

So I took the #90 Ativan although I wish it was the Xanax and will have to return to the clinic tomorrow to explain the 'script had to be re-written.  The clinic/hospital was all very nice and modern and had a young woman there to help intrepret my mediocre Spanish to the staff. She was a very pretty girl and sweet, like every other girl/womam in this city.. It is all I can do to keep my hands to myself.

The question I have is: does anyone have an idea of equivilancy between the 2 drugs? S far I have had 10 Ativan and feel OK but not loaded. However, I took 5 at about 5 PM and 5 more after 6 PM so I won't judge them just yet.

Anyone care to enlighten me on Ativan and it's realtive strength in the world of benzodiazepines?

Thanks,

-DC

[Griffin]

I hate giving dosage but I usually take 4 mg of the xanax or 5mg of ativan but I have a stupid high tolerance even though I only take benzos 2 days a month. I think xanax is a bit stronger than ativan. I get my .25 xanax and 1 mg ativan tomorrow so I will report back on which I think is a better high as it's been a month.

I usually take the xanax first cause I like them more, but I think last month I thought the ativan was better hah sorry I have little memory with the stuff, I think the xanax comes on a bit harder since its faster acting but the ativan lasts a bit longer. You know this but its always best to start slow then work your way up, hopefully the doc writes you 180 .5 tomorrow.

[Zoops]

Xanax is slightly stronger than Lorazepam. Lorazepam is eliminated from the body by glucuronide conjugation, as opposed to alprazolam, which is oxidized and then conjugated with a molecule of glucuronic acid. Hence, lorazepam is more "cleanly" metabolized and has a shorter half-life, although alprazolam is pretty short to begin with.