Clonazepam vs Diazepam For Anxiety: Which Benzodiazepine Works Best?

Benzodiazepines are undoubtedly the best options for treating any mental disorders. It has been in the market for a very long time, but its popularity is still the same. There are wide range of drugs available in this family and all of them are equally effective. Discussing each of them won’t be possible, so we have chosen two drugs, Clonazepam and Diazepam, to give you a brief idea regarding how they help individuals dealing with anxiety issues. So, come with us to explore Clonazepam vs Diazepam to understand how both these drugs differ, even after belonging to the same family of drugs.

Differentiating Clonazepam and Diazepam: Formulation, Dosage, & Strength

Clonazepam

Clonazepam is well-known for its effectiveness against seizures and panic disorders. The working mechanism of the drug suggests that it calms down our body, which becomes really helpful in dealing with the situation. This drug is mostly taken orally and with or without food and water. Since it ranks in the lower category of drugs, i.e., Schedule IV, it is an indication that its addiction and dependency rate is lower.

Before taking this drug, make sure that you are not having issues like:

• Porphyria
• Pregnancy
• Glaucoma
• Asthma
• Liver disease
• Allergy

Diazepam

Diazepam belongs to the class of benzodiazepines and is sold under the brand name Valium. This drug is highly effective in treating anxiety and various panic disorders. They help in lowering the anxiety level by calming the body of an individual. You take the doses of Diazepam orally with or without food and water. This drug belongs to the category of Schedule IV substances because it has a lower chance of addiction and dependency.

What Is The Difference Between Clonazepam and Diazepam?

Are Clonazepam and Diazepam the same? This query is often raised in the mind of people after seeing various similarities between like drug classes, schedule category, mechanism of action, as well as uses. But despite all these, several other factors make them apart from each other.

The table below will provide you with information about the difference between Clonazepam and Diazepam.

Factors	Clonazepam	Diazepam
Brand name	Klonopin, Rivotril	Valium
Formulations	Tablets, Solutions, Injections	Tablet, Solution, Injection, Rectal gel, Nasal spray
Onset	30 to 60 minutes	Depends on the formulations
Half-life	30 to 40 hours	48 hours
Addiction risks	Lower than Diazepam	Higher
Cost	Costly	Cheaper than Clonazepam
Duration of use	Longer period	Short-term use
Use	seizure, panic disorder	Seizure, muscle spasm, panic disorder

Clonazepam vs Diazepam Dosage

The dose is given based on the condition of the patient, in which the initial dose is always less. The doses are also adjusted according to the tolerance level of the patients.

Clonazepam Doses

• The initial dose for adults and children above 10 years is 0.5 mg three times a day.
• For children up to 10 years, 0.01 to 0.03 mg per kg of body weight is given.
• The initial adult dose for seizures is 0.25 mg two times per day.

Diazepam Doses

• The initial dose for anxiety is 2 mg, which is taken 3 times per day.
• For any sleep-related problem, the initial dose is 5 mg once a day.

Clonazepam vs Diazepam For Anxiety

Clonazepam and Diazepam are highly effective against anxiety, which might create confusion when choosing one over the two. To solve this issue, we can simply look into the condition of the patient and compare it with various properties of the drugs to end up getting the best fit. Clonazepam is known to have high potency, as well as a higher half-life, which makes it suitable for protecting for a long period of time. Diazepam can be an effective option for people who have a lower tolerance level for the drug due to its low potency.

Clonazepam vs Diazepam For Sleep

Clonazepam and Diazepam are not used against any form of sleeping disorder. But in certain cases, there is a chance that the doctor might use them as an off-label treatment since they help in relaxation. In such a situation, Clonazepam is given to a patient with severe Insomnia because they are effective for the entire night, even though it might take some time to show its effect. This generally helps people to sleep peacefully throughout the night. But Diazepam starts to work fast, but its effect won’t last for the entire night. There is a high possibility that you might end up awake in the middle of the night.

Which Is Stronger, Clonazepam or Diazepam?

Among Clonazepam and Diazepam, Clonazepam is considered to be stronger. This is due to the reason that its potency is higher than Diazepam. It is seen that a small quantity of Clonazepam is much more effective compared to a higher dose of Diazepam. This is also the reason why you should be most careful while using Clonazepam to avoid getting dependent on it, which will result in addiction.

Street Names Of Clonazepam vs Diazepam

Street names refer to the way the drugs are addressed when they are sold or bought illegally. Their actual names are altered to avoid being caught in the act of selling these controlled substances. Clonazepam and Diazepam also have their own street names, which are used by dealers and their buyers.

Street names of Clonazepam include:

• Benzos
• Super Valium
• Tranks
• Pin
• Downers

Street names of Diazepam include:

• Moggies
• Yellows
• Eggs
• Blues
• Jellies
• Vallies

Can You Take Clonazepam And Diazepam Together?

Mixing Clonazepam and Diazepam can be harmful to our health because this can cause overdosing on Benzodiazepines, which is not healthy. Some individuals might combine both of these products for a certain entertainment process, which proves to be harmful in the near future. Various health risks are involved in this process, such as:

• Slowed processing of the central nervous system
• Various respiratory issues
• Growing dependency and addiction rate
• Affecting the ability to think, judge, and remember.

Side Effects

Users might experience side effects while taking Clonazepam or Diazepam. The effects can either be very mild or very severe, depending on the individual. Let’s look into some of the common side effects noticed in both drugs.

• Drowsiness
• Diziness
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Hallucination
• Delirium

Conclusion

Hence, at last, after comparing both the drugs, it has become much easier to decide which drug works best for us. The ultimate choice of the drugs should be of the doctor after observing all the possibilities. You should act according to their suggestion and lead a happy and pain-free life.