Are some benzos harder to taper off of than others?

[[Md...]]

Just wondering if there was a benzo that actually caused more abundant or more severe side effects than another, especially when tapering.

I’ve read Valium is the easiest to get off of, but maybe it’s more about how an individual gets off benzos than the actual benzo itself?

It does seem that Interdose withdrawals tend to happen more with shorter acting benzos (which is what happened to me when i was taking xanax 4 times a day), and I was able to stabilize by switching to Valium, but the sedation and zombie brain from Valium is not a fun thing to deal with. I was even thinking about switching to Klonopin, but have read that it’s one of the harder benzos to taper off of.

I’ve been tapering off Valium for a month now. No withdrawal side effects yet, but the drug itself is sometimes debilitating due to the sedation. At least the depression has cleared from when i first started taking it last summer.

Anyway, just wondering what your thoughts are on this.

 

Edited January 3 by [Md...]

[[Kh...]]

On 04/01/2024 at 02:28, [[M...] said:

Just wondering if there was a benzo that actually caused more abundant or more severe side effects than another, especially when tapering.

I’ve read Valium is the easiest to get off of, but maybe it’s more about how an individual gets off benzos than the actual benzo itself?

It does seem that Interdose withdrawals tend to happen more with shorter acting benzos (which is what happened to me when i was taking xanax 4 times a day), and I was able to stabilize by switching to Valium, but the sedation and zombie brain from Valium is not a fun thing to deal with. I was even thinking about switching to Klonopin, but have read that it’s one of the harder benzos to taper off of.

I’ve been tapering off Valium for a month now. No withdrawal side effects yet, but the drug itself is sometimes debilitating due to the sedation. At least the depression has cleared from when i first started taking it last summer.

Anyway, just wondering what your thoughts are on this.

Can’t answer your question but I hear you on the sedation of Valium…it’s also depressing me and making other physical ailments seem more pronounced.  Can’t wait to kick it 

[[ve...]]

The obvious answer is yes.

First, because they're all different even if they share some basic chemical structure.  Some act faster, linger more, need a lower dose, etc.

The fast-acting benzos must be the most difficult to taper.

[[Gy...]]

I started this journey on a fast acting benzo but trying to reduce a dosage when you take it 3 times a day was a nightmare, so I’d agree the sx’s were more often so felt worse because of the lag time between doses. I switched over to valium and yes it is sedating, took morning and night then slowly adjusted the dose so only taking at night which helped the sleep and at least I woke up feeling not so sedated, especially when the body adjusted. Made tapering so much easier like going down a ramp rather than bumping down the stairs.

 

gypsy

[[Hu...]]

Dr Ashton in her manual gives a reason for prefering Diazepam. 

Quote

 

(2) Switching to a long-acting benzodiazepine. With relatively short-acting benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax) and lorazepam (Ativan) (Table 1, Chapter I), it is not possible to achieve a smooth decline in blood and tissue concentrations. These drugs are eliminated fairly rapidly with the result that concentrations fluctuate with peaks and troughs between each dose. It is necessary to take the tablets several times a day and many people experience a "mini-withdrawal", sometimes a craving, between each dose.

 

https://www.benzoinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Ashton-Manual.pdf

page 32

[[Md...]]

13 hours ago, [[G...] said:

I started this journey on a fast acting benzo but trying to reduce a dosage when you take it 3 times a day was a nightmare, so I’d agree the sx’s were more often so felt worse because of the lag time between doses. I switched over to valium and yes it is sedating, took morning and night then slowly adjusted the dose so only taking at night which helped the sleep and at least I woke up feeling not so sedated, especially when the body adjusted. Made tapering so much easier like going down a ramp rather than bumping down the stairs.

gypsy

How did you go from a short acting benzo 3 X per day to Valium only twice a day, and then taper from there?

[[Md...]]

4 hours ago, [[H...] said:

Dr Ashton in her manual gives a reason for prefering Diazepam. 

https://www.benzoinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Ashton-Manual.pdf

page 32

Yeah, I would agree. I originally started on Xanax (3 times a day), but developed interdose withdrawals, so i was switched over to Valium, which worked, but in a way taking Valium 3 times a day has been just as debilitating for me due to the sedation, lack of motivation and depression, which i really didn’t experience with the Xanax.

[[Hu...]]

2 hours ago, [[M...] said:

Yeah, I would agree. I originally started on Xanax (3 times a day), but developed interdose withdrawals, so i was switched over to Valium, which worked, but in a way taking Valium 3 times a day has been just as debilitating for me due to the sedation, lack of motivation and depression, which i really didn’t experience with the Xanax.

I don't know you diazepam dose, but there are people here taking 40mg diazepam and functional.

Lorazepam IW causes very strong depression for me. I rather be sedated than having to ride the rollercoaster that is called Lorazepam. Maybe you can share how emotionally stable you are. I mean, can you work? I can't work if I have to cry three times a day.

[[Md...]]

17 minutes ago, [[H...] said:

I don't know you diazepam dose, but there are people here taking 40mg diazepam and functional.

Lorazepam IW causes very strong depression for me. I rather be sedated than having to ride the rollercoaster that is called Lorazepam. Maybe you can share how emotionally stable you are. I mean, can you work? I can't work if I have to cry three times a day.

I was on 30mg of Valium, and started tapering from that about a month ago.  

Everything seemed smooth until i got sick, then symptoms i didnt have before just seemed to flare up. 

[[Hu...]]

3 minutes ago, [[M...] said:

I was on 30mg of Valium, and started tapering from that about a month ago.  

Everything seemed smooth until i got sick, then symptoms i didnt have before just seemed to flare up. 

Yes, that sucks. I got the flu before christmas and immediately felt more anxiety. I am currently in the crossover phase and what you describe about the zombie brain is correct. From which dose did it get better for you? I hate Lorazepam, but some things Diazepam does are worse (breathing problems) 

[[Md...]]

14 minutes ago, [[H...] said:

Yes, that sucks. I got the flu before christmas and immediately felt more anxiety. I am currently in the crossover phase and what you describe about the zombie brain is correct. From which dose did it get better for you? I hate Lorazepam, but some things Diazepam does are worse (breathing problems) 

Yeah, from what I've been reading, symptoms seem to flare up whenever someone tapering gets sick, so maybe that’s all im experiencing. 
 

As far as the interdose withdrawals/crossing over goes, i didnt start feeling totally stable until after i transitioned my last dose of Xanax. And even then i got hit with heavy depression and lethargy, but it was way better than the painful interdose withdrawals.

Edited January 18 by [Md...]

[[al...]]

Hi guys, I have a question- was Xanax SR on the market when dr Ashton made her manual? Can one choose to switch to Xanax SR instead of Valium? I got Valium to help me through Ambien tapering but yes, I feel like a zombie on Valium. I guess I will write to one of dr Ashton's clinic to ask this question.

[[Hu...]]

13 hours ago, [[a...] said:

Hi guys, I have a question- was Xanax SR on the market when dr Ashton made her manual? Can one choose to switch to Xanax SR instead of Valium? I got Valium to help me through Ambien tapering but yes, I feel like a zombie on Valium. I guess I will write to one of dr Ashton's clinic to ask this question.

I can only speculate because I haven't used Xanax. But I think that the advantage of Diazepam is that there is accumulation in tissue. That is also why it takes quite long for diazepam full action. When a tablet is XR it is the coating that makes it XR right. Those tablets are probably not intended to be fractured/cut.

But I could be mistaken. I'm also curious if it is possible. 

Edited January 18 by [Hu...]

[[An...]]

Personally, for me, it was Klonopin. Xanax comes in second place.

 

***Shoutout to all my benzobuddies. Have a great Thursday my friends.

[[Gy...]]

On 18/01/2024 at 06:16, [[M...] said:

How did you go from a short acting benzo 3 X per day to Valium only twice a day, and then taper from there?

I did a really stupid thing not knowing the equivalency of the Ativan to the valium, I stopped taking the Ativan and replaced with 5mg of v….it was the worst 4 years of my life, I would do like a full on ct every day sometimes multiple times on the bathroom floor, couldn’t stand light, noise or people became extremely agoraphobic. I definitely don’t recommend that approach. 
Then they threw in Amitriptyline which caused a whole lot more issues I spent the best part of the past 11 years weaning off.

gypsy

 

 

 

[[Ka...]]

Can really relate.
Only by creating a spreadsheet did I discover (albeit retrospectively) what effect changing meds had. I can see that I had inter dose problems due I think to short life and tolerance with ativan. Stopped ativan & was told to substitute valium - but not equivalent dose or per Ashton manual (that I had not heard of). Stepwise crossover seems sensible & kinder to our system that has to adapt. 
Add in any other meds (for me that was venlafaxine at that time which did not suit me) then the body/mind has further adjustment. 
 

[[Bi...]]

On 03/01/2024 at 11:28, [[M...] said:

Just wondering if there was a benzo that actually caused more abundant or more severe side effects than another, especially when tapering.

I’ve read Valium is the easiest to get off of, but maybe it’s more about how an individual gets off benzos than the actual benzo itself?

It does seem that Interdose withdrawals tend to happen more with shorter acting benzos (which is what happened to me when i was taking xanax 4 times a day), and I was able to stabilize by switching to Valium, but the sedation and zombie brain from Valium is not a fun thing to deal with. I was even thinking about switching to Klonopin, but have read that it’s one of the harder benzos to taper off of.

I’ve been tapering off Valium for a month now. No withdrawal side effects yet, but the drug itself is sometimes debilitating due to the sedation. At least the depression has cleared from when i first started taking it last summer.

Anyway, just wondering what your thoughts are on this.

Most of the people I have talked too say Xanax is the hardest one. However, few people here have the experience to really know for sure and I have never met a person that is tapering more happily due to their "Benzo type"

[[Nu...]]

Dr. Lader always said that lorazepam was the most difficult. I believe that was just anecdotal from his experience and there's not hard data on that, but he said it a few times. In a TV episode from long ago they also talked about how hard lorazepam is, specifically, to withdraw from although I don't recall how to find that episode on YouTube.

[[Ta...]]

Anecdotally or not, lorazepam is a BITCH!!!!

[[Gy...]]

Tall Girl

i think they are all bitches, but those short acting ones are the worst.

[[ns...]]

1 hour ago, [[G...] said:

Tall Girl

i think they are all bitches, but those short acting ones are the worst.

Lorazapam is horrible! 

[[Gy...]]

8 hours ago, [[n...] said:

Lorazapam is horrible! 

That’s what they started me on way back in 2006. Only 2 mg to go.

[[kn...]]

I took Klonopin and Ativan for 30 years (Clonazepam and Lorazepam).  Quite the cocktail. Dr. made me crossover to Diazepam to taper.  It's been 2.5 years now and still mucking my way through.  Who know what's worse?  I think @[Gy...] hit the bullseye.  

[[el...]]

All of them are really hard. Last time I was on one, I couldn't even study. All my assignments were written by https://domypaper.com/, and I can't thank them enough. Their reliable service has been a lifeline during these challenging times, allowing me to focus on my studies without the added stress of looming deadlines. With their expert assistance, I've been able to navigate through difficult courses and emerge with confidence in my academic performance

Edited March 21 by [el...]

[[Na...]]

I'm inclined to say that the short acting drugs are harder, but they may be my own bias as I was on short acting z-drugs and temazepam which can be relatively short acting.