Brief Answer: Explained below. Detailed Answer: Hi, Welcome to Healthcare Magic! Both Ativan and Xanax are drugs of the same class, benzodiazepines. But your doctor has chosen Ativan over Xanax most probably because it has lesser risk of dependence as it is longer acting than Xanax. A lot also depends on the dose you are taking. Around 1 mg of Ativan is equivalent to about 0.5 mg of Xanax. Try to remember how much Xanax you used to take previously and if it was more than your current equivalent dose of Ativan. If you still would like to try Xanax, then you can just ask your doctor directly. I do not think he will have any qualms in prescribing Xanax instead of Ativan as both are similar drugs. You also may be needing a hike in the dose of Celexa as it is not doing enough for you. I am sure your doctor will consider that as well. A possible reason for Ativan not being effective for you now is that you might have developed tolerance to the drug. The hike in the dose advised by your doctor should be able to overcome this. You should also know that benzodiazepines show cross-tolerance. That is, if you are tolerant to Ativan, then you are also likely to show some tolerance to Xanax as well. Therefore, the dose of Xanax that worked for you 10-15 years back is not likely to be enough for you now, even if you might be having the same level of anxiety. One other thing that you should do is to practice relaxation exercises regularly to control your anxiety. There are many types of relaxation exercises and detailed instructions are freely available online, but do take a look at progressive muscular relaxation exercises, which are very popular. I have enclosed one link for you: WWW.WWWW.WW au/docs/ACF3C8D.pdf I hope this clears up things for you. Please feel free to ask in case you need any clarifications. Best wishes. Dr Preeti Parakh MD Psychiatry

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