OK!! New plan?? Thoughts?

[[Mi...]]

Ok.. So we know the thyroid levels are not great... Thyroid doc doesn't want to taper and my psych suggested that he hates that I have to take the ativan 5 times a day and that includes the middle of the night.. So, he said why dont we do cross over to the Valium and keep using that until we can actually ween. He said it would be a great start for using something more longer lasting and easier to ween off. Remember I have no thyroid and just went hypo. He thinks I'll be fine.. Thoughts???

[Guest [la...]]

I think this sounds like a solid plan. Just make sure that you do a proper crossover to the Valium. Don't just drop the ativan and go to Valium. Follow Ashton and you should be fine and make sure that you get on the correct equivalent dose of Valium as well when you do cross.

 

I am glad your MD is on the right page w/ you. You should have an easier time tapering from the V than you would've from the ativan.

 

Best of luck.

 

lamberfn

[[Wi...]]

Having transitioned from Ativan to valium, although there were bumps along the way and challenges still, I'm so glad I c/o to valium.  For me trying to stabalize let alone taper on ativan was like trying to catch water with a net.  I think it's a good plan.  My best thought are with you.

[[Mi...]]

Well he wants me to start the Valium 10mg before bed.. Then wants me to do 3 doses of the .5 Ativan then again the Valium at bedtime.. The schedule is down stairs, so I dont have the exact schedule in front of me. So there you go... I'm just afraid the Ativan will sedate me and I'm already tired from being hypo. And afraid of withdrawal crossingover. I'm already having that being hypo. So I'm scared. Pysch said if I run into a orob, we reinstate the Ativan or go a different route. He agrees I need something longer acting until this thyroid is leveled out.

[[Mi...]]

Also- my dose of Ativan is .5 every 5 hours. So 10 mgs of V is equalivant to the A?

[[Wi...]]

1 mg ativan to 10 mg  valium equivilant.  I did experience a form of w/d transitioning from ativan to valium, but I also did it very quickly.  So give it time and a chance.  You can always go back to ativan. but IMO it's easier to stabalize and taper from valium, even with the bumps in the road

 

[[Mi...]]

So if I'm on .5 every 5 hours.. Wouldn't I need .5 for the Valium? Or is my dr just trying to make sure he's covering the Ativan? A little confused and how would I know the schedule he has me on his two fast? Can I post for your viewing?

[[bl...]]

Hi I did this cross over .5mg Ativan = 5mg Valium, Ativan is 10x stronger than Valium.

 

Good Luck

 

B

[[Mi...]]

So why does heve me at 10mg and I only take .5 every 5 hours of Ativan??

[[pr...]]

I think this sounds like a solid plan. Just make sure that you do a proper crossover to the Valium. Don't just drop the ativan and go to Valium. Follow Ashton and you should be fine and make sure that you get on the correct equivalent dose of Valium as well when you do cross.

 

I am glad your MD is on the right page w/ you. You should have an easier time tapering from the V than you would've from the ativan.

 

Best of luck.

 

lamberfn

Ditto every word.

 

Your ending dose of Valium should be ten times your current total dose of Ativan.  I'm not clear what your current total dose of Ativan is, is it 2.5?  In that case you should gradually transition to 25 mg Valium and zero Ativan.  But not overnight.  So if you're going to start taking 10 mg Valium you would cut out 1 mg of Ativan.  Which is kind of a lot at once I think, would be better to cut 0.5 mg of Ativan and add 5 of Valium.

 

In the "Ashton manual" there are suggested schedules for making the transition.  Print that out and show it to your doc.  This is something Dr. Ashton had a LOT of experience doing with her patients and what she says it what works.

[[Mi...]]

Yep, taking .5 every five hours. Which is 2.5. So what your saying is take out one dose of .5 and substituting that with .5 Valium? It's basically taking away that other half of .5, but adding the Valium to cover the ativan that I took away? This is all Greek to me:(

[[Mi...]]

Blower- how was your crossover experience? I am hypo (thyroid)... A little nervous as I am home by myself a lot with my kids army hubby works a lot..

 

MK

[[pr...]]

Yep, taking .5 every five hours. Which is 2.5. So what your saying is take out one dose of .5 and substituting that with .5 Valium? It's basically taking away that other half of .5, but adding the Valium to cover the ativan that I took away? This is all Greek to me:(

 

Yes, that sounds right.  I get a little confused by how you describe your dosing, not sure what you mean by "that other half of 0.5".  But yes, if you are taking five doses of 0.5 each, then to replace one of those doses with 5 mg Valium for your first step sounds sensible to me.  And then after a week replace another of your five doses with another 5 of Valium, and so forth until after five weeks you have replaced all five doses with Valium.  Then you can go to taking the Valium twice a day probably instead of five times.

 

Here's a link to Ashton's sample crossover schedules.  You are pretty close to the Schedule 8, which is 6 mg of lorazepam daily, not exactly the same.  But it can give you sort of an idea of the kind of pace she recommends.

 

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm