substitution to valium please

[[mi...]]

Dear BB...I have been tapering from 3mg from Dec.2010..  I have been tapering at the rate of .0625 every 6 days or .1250 every 12 days.  I started titrating at 1.5mg of Klonopin. i have been doing this for about 10 days.  I am also feeling very sick with horrendous withdrawals.  I wish to swtich to valium at this point. 

 

Shall I follow the Soft cover Ashton Manual which at the beginning does a mixture of klonopin and valium for 5 weeks.

  and then tapering from valium only. Or shall I go straight to valium...I do not know what to do...What would be the best thing to do for me. I do not know the equivalency for 1.375mg of klonopin to valium.  Please I need your help..  Will this taper take me much longer to finish, and will the valium give me less side effects.. I am seeing the doctor tomorrow morning... Please let me know what to do.. I really appreciate all of your help and support here....I wish to stop the suffering for a little while at least... Again THANK YOU SO MUCH. Mishi

[Guest [Si...]]

Mishi,

 

I wish to swtich to valium at this point. 

I understand your situation, as I once was tapering Klonopin and found I could no longer cut any longer.

 

1.375mg of klonopin to valium

 

It would be 27.5mg of Valium. The ratio is 1:20

 

You will have to cross your doses over in stages.

 

Will this taper take me much longer to finish, and will the valium give me less side effects..

 

It will take a bit longer to taper off the Valium. As far as the side effects, we cannot answer that, as everyone differs.

There is no one shoe fits all.

 

My experience crossing over from Klonopin to Valium. This is my experience.. not suggesting you will have the same experience!

I crossed over and it relieved me, but it does have side effects such as sedation, depression, and so on..

A Benzo is a Benzo, no matter how you spin it! Valium just has a longer 1/2 life, and it's slowly eliminated from your body.

 

S#

 

 

[[mi...]]

Mishi,

 

I wish to swtich to valium at this point. 

I understand your situation, as I once was tapering Klonopin and found I could no longer cut any longer.

 

1.375mg of klonopin to valium

 

It would be 27.5mg of Valium. The ratio is 1:20

 

You will have to cross your doses over in stages.

 

Will this taper take me much longer to finish, and will the valium give me less side effects..

 

It will take a bit longer to taper off the Valium. As far as the side effects, we cannot answer that, as everyone differs.

There is no one shoe fits all.

 

My experience crossing over from Klonopin to Valium. This is my experience.. not suggesting you will have the same experience!

I crossed over and it relieved me, but it does have side effects such as sedation, depression, and so on..

A Benzo is a Benzo, no matter how you spin it! Valium just has a longer 1/2 life, and it's slowly eliminated from your body.

 

S#

 

 

 

Thank you sigma...I know the equivalency of 1.375 of K is 27.5 of valium but I don't know how to do the crossover from K to Valium. In the beginning there is a mixture of Klonopin and Valium but I would like to know the schedule for the crossover. Oh sigma do you think I will tolerate the valium and if I do not tolerate the valium can i go back to Kloniopon.  Sigma I am so scared and want to do the right thing by me and my family... They had enough and yet I suffer...  When you do the crossover know one knows what happens to you as far as getting thru it.... Will I ever heal...Thank you my friend  Mishi

[[mi...]]

Mishi,

 

I wish to swtich to valium at this point. 

I understand your situation, as I once was tapering Klonopin and found I could no longer cut any longer.

 

1.375mg of klonopin to valium

 

It would be 27.5mg of Valium. The ratio is 1:20

 

You will have to cross your doses over in stages.

 

Will this taper take me much longer to finish, and will the valium give me less side effects..

 

It will take a bit longer to taper off the Valium. As far as the side effects, we cannot answer that, as everyone differs.

There is no one shoe fits all.

 

My experience crossing over from Klonopin to Valium. This is my experience.. not suggesting you will have the same experience!

I crossed over and it relieved me, but it does have side effects such as sedation, depression, and so on..

A Benzo is a Benzo, no matter how you spin it! Valium just has a longer 1/2 life, and it's slowly eliminated from your body.

 

S#

 

 

 

Sigma are the protracted symptoms longer with valium... Sorry for all of the questions I need to know for myself to make the right decision for me and my family.. if they are still here...  i was suppose to end in Oct.  if i did not hold on the K... How much longer on the crossover... Thank you Mishi

[[Pa...]]

Mishi,

 

Please look at Schedule 5 in this link, it is an example of a slow crossover from Klonopin to Valium, and the taper from Valium.  http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm

 

As for withdrawal symptoms, a benzo is a benzo is a benzo, and Valium is a benzo.  We're not able to predict how you'll feel when you make the cross, or how long you'll suffer once off of the drug. 

 

 

[[Pe...]]

During my c/o from Ativan to Valium I began to take on severe w/d symptoms.  I believe that this is because My GP intimidated me to do each c/o increment too fast.  If I could go back in time I would have stayed at each c/o increment longer.    -Then I would have tapered from Valium using the same philosophy, stay at each taper increment level until I was ready to go to the next decrease.

[Guest [Si...]]

Sigma are the protracted symptoms longer with valium... Sorry for all of the questions I need to know for myself to make the right decision for me and my family.. if they are still here...  i was suppose to end in Oct.  if i did not hold on the K... How much longer on the crossover... Thank you Mishi

 

Mishi read the link Pam gave you.

 

I have crossed from Klonopin to Valium 2 times, but read the link Pam gave you.

 

I know this is hard for you, but you will make it.

 

[[mi...]]

During my c/o from Ativan to Valium I began to take on severe w/d symptoms.  I believe that this is because My GP intimidated me to do each c/o increment too fast.  If I could go back in time I would have stayed at each c/o increment longer.    -Then I would have tapered from Valium using the same philosophy, stay at each taper increment level until I was ready to go to the next decrease.

 

Perseverance hi. and thank you what do yu mean by GP and c/o  Did the valium make a difference for you.. Are you still sick or have severe withdrawals... Please let me know. I do not knot the slang for c/o  or GP is... Are you okay... Is the valium agreeing with you.... i am so scrared..Thank you for your reply... Please be well... I am going crazy on K and want to finish faster but it is to hard that is why I want to switch... Hope to hear from you soon.. All the best Mishi 

[[Pe...]]

GP= General Practitioner (or Family Doctor)

c/o= Cross Over

 

I had a lot of daytime drowsiness after I started to switch some of my Ativan over to Valium.  I also became easily brought to tears.  I think your body reacts to each type of benzo a little differently.  After we sped things up with the rate of switching over things went completely haywire symptom wise.  I think if we would have continued the slower/longer switchover route it would have went smoother.  Ahhh hindsight!

[[ro...]]

Hi Mishi:

 

I crossed over to Valium too from ativan.  I went to see a chemical dependency doc who wanted me to do the crossover in 3 days.  I was not going for that sudden of a cross over.  It took me about 21 days to complete the crossover.  I then held a steady dose of valium for 28 days or so before I started to taper.  I did not feel any discomfort doing the crossover, but I took it slow to give the valium metabolites time to accumulate in the system. 

 

I have read some of your postings and I know you are trying to be a real trooper through this.  Valium might be a smoother taper for you, but no one can guarantee this.  This was Dr. Ashton's preferred method, as you know. 

 

I'm now 48 days post benzo and have weathered a few storms here and there, but I'm glad I did the crossover. 

 

I read that valium does not bind as tightly to the GABA receptors as does klonipin and ativan.  Hence, valium can help to dislodge the tight binding of klonipin on the GABAs. 

 

Hope this all makes sense to you.  Will keep you in my prayers and thoughts for a very successful crossover and taper. 

God bless,

Rocko

[[Da...]]

Mishi,

Hang in there!!

I'm in a similar boat.  After 20 years of Xanax I was switched to Librium.  I decreased my Benzo intake by 2/3, but I got stuck at the same Librium doesage for the last 18 months.  I'm now in my 8th day of Valium and it has finally, finally gotten better. 

 

I can't guarantee either of us anything, but I think the ability to take Valium in smaller doses and it's longer half life than Klonopin or Librium give us the best chance to get the pharmaceutical monkey off our back. 

 

I actually had to break up my daily Valium dosage into 4 smaller doses today (my Doc had suggested it last week, but I was gung ho on the doing the doses twice a day).  Today was the best day I've had on Valium!  I'm still taking the same amount as prescribed, just breaking it up into smaller "meals".  For me, this adjustment killed the lethargy, confusion and extreme sadness and hopelessness I was struggling with.  I'm not telling you to do what I did, I'm just saying adjustments can be made and you (we) have to get used to the new med. 

 

Listen to the senior members here, they and my doc have helped me stay with it.  Today was the first day on Valium where I had a daytime "window" of who I used to be before benzo's.  Remember we're doing this to get off this junk.  I look forward to stabilizing and making small cuts.  I hope we both get to the other side, I want it bad and I'm sure you do to.

 

Hang in there, the mood swings are chemical... it's not you.  Try and remember that.

 

All the best and pulling for you.

 

Dan