Cross tapering to Diazepam troubles

[[ns...]]

2 minutes ago, [[n...] said:

Hi nlav, glad to hear you got some rest. You sound stronger today!

Maybe your getting a little window and starting to stabilize. I know you still don't feel like yourself and the symptoms are uncomfortable but you still sound much stronger!

Glad to hear you stuck to.your guns with your doctor. 

You know best what you need and how you feel. Again, you sound stronger!

Remember that when you're ready to reduce the A to take it slowly. Not too fast ok. Idk if you have a taper plan for this but we can help you with that ok, and then you can slowly transition over to the V.

You talked about stopping the V. Are you still considering this?

Let me or someone else know what you have decided to do ok, were here to help you with that. 

Take care 

Ns

Nlav, I guess I misunderstood your comments here. 

Sounds like your having panic attacks and anxiety. This is normal in withdrawal. 

I agree with you about the antidepressants, your already over sedated and more medications will only add to this. Maybe later you could add an antidepressants if you feel you might need it after you've adjusted to the V. Again, still.not sure what you've decided on this.

Take a step back nlav, write down what your symptoms are and how your feeling emotionally in a notebook 

This will give you some prospective and help you make decisions with regards to your taper and crossover as well as helping you to deal with the anxiety. 

[[...]]

Is it safe to go back to ativan 3mg since diazepam 5mg is still sedating me after 17 days? 

[[...]]

@[ns...] @[Ka...] @[Hu...] @[Pa...] @[Co...] @[da...] @[Li...] @[wi...]

Pls pls help

[[Co...]]

Hello @[...]

What was the reason for your psychiatrist wishing to switch you over from Ativan to diazepam?

[[...]]

Because of the long half life, reduced interdose withdrawals @[Co...]

[[Co...]]

[[...]]

It was always once at bedtime.  Since 15 years

Asking here on what would be right to do since I developed tolerance 

[[...]]

I asked the doctor about dosing ativan more than once.

But he was insisting on diazepam 30mg twice a day but im having severe sedation with 5mg D.

[[Co...]]

[[...]]

Intention is to taper off. But the crossover to diazepam is not being tolerated by my body. 

He insists on diazepam. (30mg D equivalent to my dose of 3mg Ativan as per ashton manual)  I have a call with Mark Horowitz on the 30th this  month.

But given the sedation side effect, I would like to go back to Ativan. All im able to do is lay in bed day feeling groggy and night. No taper has gegun yet. Is it safe to move back after 17 days on diazepam. 

[[...]]

I can get the required medication. That's not a problem

[[Co...]]

@[...] Why did your doctor decide to switch you to diazepam?

[[...]]

For ease of tapering since it has a long half life

[[...]]

The doctor does not know much Colin. Im very very uncomfortable with the diazepam. Should I go back to my usual ativan at its usual dosage of 3mg?

I'm unable to type much. Groggy

[[Co...]]

[[...]]

I'm on 2.5mg ativan and 5mg diazepam at present @[Co...] (equivalent to my usual 3mg ativan as per ashton)

Just called my doctor about the sedative aspect and he asked to cut down  0.25mg ativan starting today. I am not willing to do that. It feels like a high number to remove. And I don't think it will solve the sedation. He disconnected the phone before i could ask him what the plan is. I speak to Mark Horowitz on 30th. 

I would want to go off the D

[[...]]

I have enough ativan with me, that isn't a problem.

I feel I can't tolerate Diazepam and maybe one of those people who has to taper Ativan directly. My gene test had a Caution against Diazepam 

[[Co...]]

@[...] Is it possible for you to see another psychiatrist?

[[Co...]]

[[...]]

I tried. They wanted me on a bunch of anti depressants and anti psychotics even before approaching a taper plan.

This guy was a bit simpler in his approach. He suggested an anti depressant but I refused since I'm wary of too many drugs. But I confess I'm waking up with morning anxiety a few days after starting the diazepam.

Edited April 7 by [...]

[[...]]

@[Co...], I will share the extract regarding diazepam.

But when I'm so sedated, what should I do?

[[...]]

And is it practically safe to take two benzos (Ativan and Dia ) and taper one of them? 

I haven't started taper yet and it's all so confusing to me.

[[Co...]]

@[...] If tapering is too difficult to directly from Ativan (or whatever benzodiazepine the patient takes), switching to diazepam is a valid option. Usually, it works well. But a small proportion of patients do not react well to diazepam. For this reason, I generally recommend that members taper directly from the present benzodiazepine, and only if they encounter significant difficulties should they consider switching. Even then, there are options other than substitution with diazepam (methods to allow for smaller reductions to dose of their present benzodiazepine).

I can only recommend that you continue to talk with your doctor. And you might ask if you can instead use liquid Ativan, as this would allow you to make smaller reductions to you dose. You might also discuss if spreading your daily dose into several smaller doses over the day is an option (liquid would make this easier to accomplish).

[[Co...]]

[[Hu...]]

If you can't use Diazepam and the short duration of Lorazepam is a problem, maybe you can ask for Clonazepam? Don't know if that is an option. Interdose withdrawal would be helped with that, probably. I've seen a Youtube video about a guy using liquid taper 4 times a day and that looked comfortabel. You can't do that with Lorazepam.

Maybe @[Co...] could say something about that.

Edited April 7 by [Hu...]