Crossover From Xanax to Valium - Help

[[be...]]

Hello, I'm hoping someone can help me with a crossover plan.  I've been taking Xanax for about 3.5years.  The usual dosage was about .5mg per day.  I would take it in the morning, and it would get me through the whole day.

 

A few weeks ago, I had sort of a nervous breakdown, and I had to increase the amount to 1.25mg or so a day.  Since then I've gotten myself back to around .5mg a day (i usually need a drink or two at night though).  When I have to work, I probably take around .75mg-1mg a day.  I never had trouble sleeping at night, until a couple weeks ago.  At .5mg a day, I seem to have trouble sleeping, I wake up at like 4am and then I can't fall back asleep, all I do is think about how I'm forever stuck on benzo's and freak myself out.

 

My doctor agreed to allow me to crossover to Valium, however he insisted on Klonopin, I told him that I've read that Valium is the better choice, so he said fine.  My question is how should I start the cross over?  How much Valium and what dosage should I ask for?  5mg? 10mg?... I want to crossover to the Valium and then after I stabilize, attempt to taper. 

 

Recap.  Taking about .5mg-1mg a day... on 1mg per day I feel pretty good.  .5mg a day is a little bit of a struggle. 

 

Any help would be appreciated!

 

Thanks,

 

Benzodad.

[[8n...]]

Hey b dad. Im new here just wanted to let u know im in exactly the same boat. Im currently on .5 mg x daily, and im awaiting crossover advice as well. Were gonna do this thing and get our lives back!

[Guest [Si...]]

Recap.  Taking about .5mg-1mg a day... on 1mg per day I feel pretty good.  .5mg a day is a little bit of a struggle.

 

0.5mg X = 10 mg V

1mg X = 20 mg V

 

You need to stabilize on one dose first before crossing over.

 

 

[[Ni...]]

benzodad, I just wanted to let you know I'm taking Xanax too and at one point before I had enough information, I tried having a drink or two, to relax while tapering Xanax. It wasn't a good idea for me.

 

Benzodiazepines and alcohol are cross tolerant and alcohol can cause problems with your taper, so my advise is to not drink alcohol until you have healed. Good wishes to you. You will get alot of info and help here.

[[ja...]]

Hello Benzodad....

 

I just wanted to come and say You hang in there ok!

Your gonna not only get thru this,But your gonna be  even Stronger

and Healthier  then before! Promise...

 

I did a c/t from 20 mil of Valium 14 months ago and I was a mess !

I mean a true legit mess who was subject to being bedridden for many months!

I'm almost healed now and I never thought I could be me again! So I just wanted to say this is a road for sure but trust me you will not walk it alone! We are all here for you and you will find many friends here who completely understand exactly what Ur going thru!

Hang on your going to be the most happy joyfilled daddy again!

 

Your friend ~ Jenny

[[Be...]]

Hi, benzodad.

 

I'm glad your doctor agreed to support you in a Valium substitution.  Xanax can be difficult to taper off of directly due to it's short half-life. 

 

You'll need to pick the dose you want to start at.  Do you want to stick at .5mg or go up a bit?  After you've settled on a dose for a week or so, you can start your crossover.  Are your Xanax the .25mg or .5mg tablets?  Do you split your dose up during the day or still take it all at once? 

 

BTW, Nicolette is right about the problem with alcohol and benzo withdrawal.  I know it's a big temptation when you are feeling rough or can't sleep, but you will make this process much harder on yourself if you do drink.  Even a single beer can have a negative effect. 

 

 

[[be...]]

Thanks to everyone that responded, and thanks for all the support.

 

Here is my Xanax use for the 8 or so days or so:

 

At home.

June 29th

8:30am .5mg

3:00pm .5mg

10:30pm .25mg

Total 1.25mg  Note: More anxiety that day, because i kept thinking about going back to work.

--------------------------------------------------------

Work day

June 30th

4:30am .5mg

7:45am .25mg

10:00am .5mg

Total 1.25mg  Note: Really anxious this morning cause I was back at work.  Felt much better after my 10am dosage.

--------------------------------------------------------

Work day

July 1st

8:30am .25mg

11:15am .25mg

11:45pm .25mg

Total .75mg 

--------------------------------------------------------

At Home

July 2nd

10:20am .5mg

Total .5mg

--------------------------------------------------------

At Home

July 3th

10:50am .5mg

Total .5mg  Note: Had 2 beers with dinner and friends.

--------------------------------------------------------

At Home

July 4th

8:30am .5mg

Total .5mg  Note: Did pretty good all day, had some beers in the evening (4th of July bbq!)

--------------------------------------------------------

Workday

July 5th

8:30am .5mg

Total .5mg  Note: Went back to work, struggled through the day, had some wine that night.

--------------------------------------------------------

Workday

July 6th

5:30am .25mg

8:30am .5mg

Total .75mg    Note: Had some wine in the evening.

--------------------------------------------------------

Workday

July 7th (today)

8:30am .5mg

 

---------------------------------------------------------

 

 

I understand what you're saying about the alcohol issue, however, I feel like i'd rather have a glass a wine then take another .25mg or .5mg of Xanax.  I don't have the alcohol because I'm anxious really, just more to unwind a bit from the day.  Also, I don't drink everynight, never really have.  And I have a glass, maybe 2. 

 

My guess is the reason I was taking more earlier on is because I gave myself a really big scare about 2 weeks ago when I seemed to have a nervous breakdown (even went to ER).  During those days, I was so hopeless and all I can think about was that I was never going to get better, and I was becoming more tolerant to the Xanax.  I obsessed over this thought.  After doing research, and picking up a book on CBT by Dr. Burns, I started to feel a little bit better and started trying to get my dosage back down.

 

As of know, it seems like I'm beginning to feel a bit more stable at around .5mg to .75mg per day. 

 

Also, during the last 3.5 years of my Xanax use, I've NEVER had trouble sleeping, and I would hardly ever take a pill at night.  The last couple weeks, I've had some trouble with sleep, not so much falling asleep, but more that I wake up at around 4am-5am and I can't fall back asleep.  I believe this has to do with the thoughts that were non stop going in my head when I would wake up; "I'm addicted to Benzos', I'll never get off of them, I'm gonna end up losing everything, etc". 

 

I've always had to take my Xanax in the mornings, and it would get me through the day... I'm starting to feel like that again now.  So for the crossover, I'll wait a few more days I think, and see how stable I am with taking .5mg a day, I might find that .75mg per day is what I need.

 

I was thinking about trying to start the crossover with taking .25mg Xanax along with a 5mg Valium in the morning and see how I feel throughout the day.

 

A question I have is, lets say I  take .25mg of Xanax with 5mg of Valium, and I start getting really anxious or feeling like I need something to get me through the day, would it be wiser to take another .25mg of Xanax or another 5mg of Valium in the middle/later part of the day?

 

Sorry for the huge post, I'm just trying to figure this out the best way I can.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate your guys' support and help!

 

Benzodad -

 

 

 

 

[[Be...]]

"A question I have is, lets say I  take .25mg of Xanax with 5mg of Valium, and I start getting really anxious or feeling like I need something to get me through the day, would it be wiser to take another .25mg of Xanax or another 5mg of Valium in the middle/later part of the day?"

 

Well, the best thing is to develop anxiety management skills that will take the place of the drugs.  I can almost guarantee you that you will from time to time feel more anxious and like you need "something" but it is a mistake in the long run to take extra benzos or drink alcohol.  If you are going to do it anyway, the Xanax will give faster relief.  Of course, for that reason, it is easier to become dependent on it.