Taper benzos help

[[Jo...]]

Good morning, this is my first post here on the forum, I will be brief about my story. At the age of 18 I started having panic attacks and severe anxiety and was referred to a psychiatrist. Since that day I have been on medication until today. I have been taking antidepressants and benzodiazepines for at least 15 years but I want to discontinue the benzos and then discontinue the rest. My biggest problem that at a certain point i was not being able to sleep, without sleep I cannot function and at the moment I am taking 3.75 mg of Lorazepam + 0.5 mg of Xanax LM, the doctor says that one is to induce sleep and the other to keep your sleep peaceful... Now let's get to the point, I already have the table set up to exchange these benzos for valium so that the discontinuation can be made more easily later. Do you think this is the best way to proceed? are there other ways? I still have to talk to the doctor about this idea, I don't know how she will react. thanks!

[[pi...]]

Hello @[Jo...] and welcome to Benzo Buddies!

You have come to the right place for information and support for your withdrawal journey.

Many people can taper directly from the original benzo, normally the shorter acting benzo would be tapered first. Others do find success with a crossover to Valium. I did, it worked for me.

Whatever plan you choose, after long term use a slow and sensible taper is the best idea. We generally recommend reducing no more than 5-10% every 10-14 days.

Insomnia is actually a common withdrawal symptom so you might want spect to experience it. Benzos affect REM sleep so it can take time for the system to regulate. Practicing good sleep hygiene can help.

I hope your doctor will support you, no matter what plan you choose. Let us know how we can help.

pianogirl

[[Jo...]]

Hello @[pi...], thank you very much for the answer.

There is a question I would like you to clarify for me, is the switch from the benzos I take now to valium safe? Are there usually no symptoms? The person who made the plan for me was David Jones from the Beating Benzos group on Facebook, and he has everything outlined how the change should be made. Here in the group, can you also make this table with the days/weeks/quantities?

Another question, if my doctor doesn't want to take responsibility for this change due to lack of knowledge, or because she may even think that I'm 'stable', is it worth changing doctors just to switch to valium or do I risk weaning off the benzo itself?

thanks!

Edited November 15, 2023 by [Jo...]

[[pi...]]

Hello again @[Jo...],

Yes, it is safe to crossover to Valium. However, there is no guarantee there will be no withdrawal issues. A smooth transition/ crossover is the best plan. The Ashton Manual is the gold standard for this. It does outline how to switch smoothly from one benzo to another. We also have a lot of helpful members here that can give you solid information. 

I hope your doctor will be on board with you tapering off the benzos. Should you doctor search? I did because I knew the drug was making me sick and I did find a doctor who agreed. We used the Ashton method.

https://www.benzoinfo.com/ashtonmanual/

I’m sure others will be along to offer their shared experience.

[[ou...]]

3 hours ago, [[J...] said:

Here in the group, can you also make this table with the days/weeks/quantities?

 

In case you decide on diazepam substitution and you want another table to compare, here's how I'd make the switch:

Stage 0: lorazepam 3.75mg + alprazolam 0.5mg
Stage 1: lorazepam 3.75mg + diazepam   10mg
Stage 2: lorazepam 3mg    + diazepam   17.5mg
Stage 3: lorazepam 2.25mg + diazepam   25mg
Stage 4: lorazepam 1.5mg  + diazepam   30mg
Stage 5: lorazepam 0.75mg + diazepam   35mg
Stage 6:                    diazepam   40mg

According to Ashton's recommendations:
There is no dosage reduction in Stages 1-3, so these could be undertaken at weekly intervals.
Some dosage reduction occurs in later stages, so these could be undertaken at 2 week intervals.
The reason for this is because the usually recommended daily limit is 40mg.

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by [ou...]