from xanax to valium, withdrawl

[[Ji...]]

Hi, My wife was on Xanax for 3 weeks (.5mg two times a night) for sleep. She wanted to taper off after reading more about Xanax and wanting to go a more natural route. She got herself down to 1 pill a night, but couldn’t get past that without horrific side effects (3 nights of insomnia with panic and heart palpatations) . She’s since switched to Valuim (5mg a night) for the last 4 nights with no issues. How hard will it be for her to taper of Valuim now?  Can we start cutting the valuim in half or do we need to go more slowly? thanks

[[de...]]

Welcome to Benzo Buddies!    Since it sounds like she has developed a physical dependency, she will need to taper the Valium slowly.   I don't have experiencing with tapering, but there will be others who respond who will be able to help you with a tapering schedule.   Is she stabilized now that she is on the Valium?   Normally, we would recommend cutting 5-10% every two or so weeks, but it is really important for her to listen to her body.   I know she is probably anxious to get off completely, but slow and steady wins the day usually.

[[Ji...]]

thanks. Yes, she is stabilized on the Valium, no anxiety and able to sleep.  We were hoping since she wasn't on them for a long time that she could taper faster, but maybe that's not the case.  

[[Pa...]]

Hi @[Ji...], we typically recommend faster tapers for those who are only on the medication for a short time to lessen the chance for more dependency but this will depend on what your wife can tolerate.  I actually hope she can taper off of the 5 mgs Valium quickly but maybe cutting it in half will be too much, I take it the tablet is 5 mgs?

If she's feeling stable, she might try cutting the tablet into quarters and waiting a week or so to see how she feels.  Valium can be good because its half life is long which lessens interdose withdrawal but it can also take more time for symptoms to show up after a reduction.  If she does well, then the next reduction might be a little larger or if its too difficult, she could hold that reduction a little longer to allow her to stabilize again. 

What do you think?

[[Ji...]]

thanks @[Pa...], appreciate your response.  Yes the Valium is 5 mg.  We were also considering cutting it into quarters and starting the taper with 3/4 of a tablet, which sounds like you're suggesting.  So generally a week for a faster taper is recommended between each taper?  If the panic returns would you suggest us going back up again? 

Also, anyone have success with adding Valerian root in during tapering?

thanks

Edited March 23 by [Ji...]

[[Pa...]]

I suggested a week because of the very long half life of the Valium, its important for her body to fully realize the reduction to know if its too much or too little.  Some members have reported feeling the effects of a reduction of Valium weeks later, depending on how they metabolize the drug.  Professor Ashton used a 1-2 week schedule so there is a lot of wiggle room.

Tapers are experiments we perform on ourselves so care must be taken to record reductions and symptom severity in order to make an informed decision about when and how much to reduce the next time.  I'm giving you general tips but the real work will be yours and your wife's to determine the best path forward.

If the panic returns, my suggestion would be to hold her current reduction until she stabilizes, we try to discourage going back up in dose unless things are truly awful.

This won't be pleasant, and recovery once off the medication can take awhile even for those who have taken it short term. 

 

[[Ji...]]

this has been helpful and we're thankful we found this site.  Her doctor just wanted her to stay on it and add Prozac to the mix. Thanks again

[[Pa...]]

I hope you'll keep us posted on her progress, what we learn from you can help others navigate short term use and recovery. 

[[Ji...]]

@[Pa...] we will for sure.  Thank you for your help.