Cross-Over to Valium Support Thread

[Guest [Sa...]]

Hi All -

 

Long story short I was on Ativan for 2 months on a as needed basis - I took 15.5mgs in total. Stopped cold turkey was seriously thought I had lost my mind. I couldn’t sleep for 5 nights so ended up in the ER where I was put on Zopiclone. I have been taking 7.5 mgs of that every night for 3.5 weeks. I feel wrecked, I’m not feeling like myself and basically just holding on and getting through the days. I don’t sleep without medication (never an issue pre Ativan). My doctor wants me to taper with Valium - crossover with 3.75 mgs Zopiclone and 2.5 mgs Valium for the first week then switch over to 5mgs of Valium in the second week, and taper from there. Does this seem advisable ? I just don’t want to introduce a third drug, I’m a bit scared. I haven’t had any Ativan since Oct 31. Thanks 

[[mi...]]

Hi All -

 

Long story short I was on Ativan for 2 months on a as needed basis - I took 15.5mgs in total. Stopped cold turkey was seriously thought I had lost my mind. I couldn’t sleep for 5 nights so ended up in the ER where I was put on Zopiclone. I have been taking 7.5 mgs of that every night for 3.5 weeks. I feel wrecked, I’m not feeling like myself and basically just holding on and getting through the days. I don’t sleep without medication (never an issue pre Ativan). My doctor wants me to taper with Valium - crossover with 3.75 mgs Zopiclone and 2.5 mgs Valium for the first week then switch over to 5mgs of Valium in the second week, and taper from there. Does this seem advisable ? I just don’t want to introduce a third drug, I’m a bit scared. I haven’t had any Ativan since Oct 31. Thanks 

Hi Salalberry. Sorry you are going through this. I am similar in the fact that I've only used benzos for months at a time on an as-needed basis in the past, although I have cold turkey'd multiple times. Withdrawal has only gotten harder every time.

 

I don't know much about Zopiclone and I am not able to give out medical advice. That being said, I am reading that it can cause similar symptoms to benzo withdrawal if stopped abruptly, so I would approve of the plan for a slow cross-over from it to Valium, if that is what your doctor thinks is best. Once on Valium fully, be sure to stabilize for a few weeks, then read about various tapering methods (cut and hold, daily micro cuts, etc).

 

On an anecdotal note, I am on day 5 of my Valium "crossover" (cut off Ativan cold turkey so not a true crossover) and I am feeling a bit better every day. Wishing you the best.

[Guest [Sa...]]

Thanks so much ! I’m sorry you suffered from short term use as well! I have a few months off work so I am going to use this time to switch over to the Valium. I hope things ease up for you !

[[Fr...]]

I would get on valium and stabilize on it for atleast a month and then do a quicker taper off the sleeping pill. Then slower taper off valium

 

Head over to chewing the fat. There is a thread can anyone explain this in layman terms? It’s a lengthy thread but talks about your very same issue.

[Guest [Sa...]]

I wish I could do a slow crossover but I am out of the Zopiclone, and they will only prescribe it for less than a month. I just have to take the Valium and hope for the best! Thanks for your response!

[[Go...]]

Hi Mom,

 

My original plan was to do 3 days of half and half and then switch, and on the same day I switch start another dose of half and half. Looking it over the past day and a half and thinking I might just hold for a day or two before I start my next day of half and half, just to see where my body is at with it. Might add 10 days on to my original plan, But that is ok.

                          Lynnie

Hi

Could you explain how you microtaper? Thanks

[[Pi...]]

Urgent! Please help!

So I was slowly tapering off klonopin for over 2 years and I guess hit really bad tolerance 3 weeks ago with the most unbearable symptoms. I started taper from 2mg and got down to 0.2mg ( a little less than 0.25mg) SO desperate for relief cuz HORRENDOUS só switched directly to 5mg v. No slow cross over cuz tiny dose. Nót sure if that mattered. Been on V for 17 days now and it has helped a little with a couple physical symptoms and a few hours of sleep. (Stopped sleeping on K when got severe) Other than that this has been BEYOOOND HELL.

Well i'm starting to get so many NEW scary UNBEARABLE symptoms every night now.  Most new symptoms all at night and the V doesn't help with them. Just feel a slight bit sedated.

Do y'all think the V is making me worse!? I need to switch back if so 😭 ALL of my new symptoms in the past 3 weeks are acute SEVERE symptoms. Like everything excluding seizures.

I don't know why i'm getting like 5 new symptoms every night now for the past few nights. Get a few new during day - really bad but less severe than at night.

I feel like I need to updose to try to save my life. Idk what's going on! 😭

Thoughts?

[[Pi...]]

Yes I could not do V. It made me cray-cray. I am fast metabolizer of V and it was just coming in and out to fast. I am crossing to Librium now. Librium is so much better for me. I was never well on K but was manageable until Teva discontinued. I held almost three months and did updosed and just like you the longer it went on the worst I felt. I was in tolerance on K for over a year and a half. I started feeling better only after slowly tapering down to .4mg. Holding and updosing in the past has never helped. Sometimes  the only thing to do is start slowly tapering off. There is no way around it. I thought I would try one last time to cross and updose a little if needed and stabilize then every so slowly come down. This is what Aston suggests so I am keeping faith that i will stabilize and be in my way. If not Inguess Ibsm no worse off then when I started.

why couldn't you handle V

[[Pi...]]

Has anyone else direct taper to V from small dose and felt like they CT!?!

[[jo...]]

Does taking valium with meals during a crossover help with symptoms? I am in the 3rd week of a lorazepam to diazepam c/o per the Ashton Manual.  The first two weeks went well with the morning and night split doses, but symptoms tarting to creep up now that I am on the afternoon split doses.  Mostly sedation, heightened anxiety and agitation.  As of this 3rd week I am currently at 7.5mg of diazepam and 1mg of lorazepam, started at 1.75mg of lorazepam.  Just wondering if taking doses on an empty stomach may be leading to symptoms?

 

Thanks and hope all is going as well as can be.

[[Ma...]]

Does taking valium with meals during a crossover help with symptoms? I am in the 3rd week of a lorazepam to diazepam c/o per the Ashton Manual.  The first two weeks went well with the morning and night split doses, but symptoms tarting to creep up now that I am on the afternoon split doses.  Mostly sedation, heightened anxiety and agitation.  As of this 3rd week I am currently at 7.5mg of diazepam and 1mg of lorazepam, started at 1.75mg of lorazepam.  Just wondering if taking doses on an empty stomach may be leading to symptoms?

 

Thanks and hope all is going as well as can be.

 

It could probably make them a little worse.  Quite a few people find the doses of Valium a little stronger than their original benzo, I was one.  Valium has a heavy sedation effect and is also a muscle relaxant, I took xanax which was mainly anti anxiety med, Valium is completely different .  You may need to just hold where you are for awhile to see if your body adapts to the Valium.  Mine didn't and I have had a hard time tapering  but so many told me I would adapt, I finished the c/o and was sick as a dog.  Hold now to see if yours will.  If not , you haven't added so much Valium you can't go in another direction.  A lot of people have trouble with Valium, but you aren't given that impression in the Ashton manual.  So find out first if it will work for you, take a few weeks now to keep from being really sick later on.  Good luck,  Mary.  I'm not a Dr, just telling you my experience and that of others 🍀

 

[[jo...]]

Thanks Mary. 

 

Trying to figure out this valium c/o is crazy. One day everything is good with no sx and the next day, BANG, sx again. Then it starts all over the following day with feeling normal and you think "Great it's starting to work", then the next day BANG again.  It is possible the valium has not had time to build up in my system yet being only 2 1/2 weeks, but the longer I wait I know it will be harder to go back to only taking ativan.

 

My next substitution date is Friday, which would be the total c/o of the nightly dose. I think I will try to stay with it until then and see what happens.  If there are any other folks out there having these issues, please respond with you experiences and opinions.

 

Thanks to all,

JoJo

[[Pl...]]

Following

[[Pi...]]

What is the correct way to cross over to Valium from 0.25mg K? I dont understand the Ashton manual. Someone please help.

[[or...]]

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

 

Look for Schedule 5, Stage 3. It has the exact amount of k you are on, plus instructions for how long to stay there until your next substitution.

 

It's perfectly clear. What don't you understand about it?

 

I used her Schedule for my c/o to Ativan and it worked like a charm.

 

Katz

[[jo...]]

Hey Katz,

 

How long did it take you to c/o over from 1.5mg ativan to 15mg of valium? I am doing the same c/o and in week 4 of a 6 week c/o, except I started at 1.75mg ativan.  I find that the 1st couple of days after each substitution my s/x seem to increase and then calm back down. Did you have this happen during your c/o, or any other problems?

 

We have spoken before, and I am sorry if I am repeating myself, but these benzos have wrecked my memory. Thanks for the info.

[[or...]]

Hey, jojo.

 

I did my c/o a little slower than Ashton recommends. I stayed at each stage for 3 weeks, as I recall.

 

Yes, after each substitution, I did have significant s/x -- particularly anxiety and just plain feeling squirrely. I think it was the sudden reduction in Ativan which the valium did not cover. Aaargh. It passed in a few days each time, just as you described. I couldn't think of anything to do to help it, so I just kinda "sucked it up" and got on with things.

 

Once I had crossed to all valium, the sedation from valium took over and I did not feel any more of that miserable squirrely anxiety.

 

I'm sorry you are caught up in this. It's miserable, but it passes.

 

Best to you,

 

Katz

 

 

 

Once I was on

[[Pi...]]

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

 

Look for Schedule 5, Stage 3. It has the exact amount of k you are on, plus instructions for how long to stay there until your next substitution.

 

It's perfectly clear. What don't you understand about it?

 

I used her Schedule for my c/o to Ativan and it worked like a charm.

 

Katz

Either i'm not looking at right thing or don't understand it. Can you dummy it down for me or something

[[Pi...]]

 

So do I take 0.25mg K and add 2.5mg V for 2 weeks

Or 0.25mg K and 5mg V for 2 weeks

Or take 3/4mg K and add 2.5mg V

Or take 3/4mg K and add 5mg V

 

I just don't understand

[[Pi...]]

Someone helped. Have y'all heard of ppl switching to Valium at a low dose?

[[Pi...]]

I'm losing it

Starting slow cross over today

Ashton says to dose 2 times a day until fully crossed over until fully crossed over and stabilized right

[[ch...]]

PLEASE HELP DEAR BUDDIES!?

 

PLEASE ADVISE ??  HOW do i cross back quickly to K/C -- after 1 week has passed ?!?

 

 

at 37 V and in utter agony - severe leg tension from hip to toes 

 

upped by 1.5V after 1st day -- should've been ~35.5 but was not enough.

 

i took GP's advice and c/o to all Valium 7 days ago.

 

it was a quick c/o + was bungled all due to GP's advice:

 

1st stage was actually 1.5 c/o equivalent - which failed : 13V + 1.125K

 

back to old dose next day [8V + 1.345K]  - for 4 days.

 

then jumped up to next stage: 20V + .75K -  failed after 2 days.

 

then back down to 1.5 stage, which was in between, ie: 16V + 1K - failed after 2 days.

 

just too much tension... on 2 benzos for too long... tolerance to both, IDK ??

 

this all took about 9 days.

 

plus 7 days now at all V 37mg.

 

expected relief from all V -- but no luck!

 

hate K - but no other option!

 

PLEASE HELP !!!!

 

    so v grateful xxxx

 

will post in Sub support + C/O support too + w/d support

 

 

[Guest [...]]

I'll update my signature in the futute, at 1.625 Xanax per day and brutal interdose withdrawals, waiting to hear from my Doc tomorrow about adding 2mg Valium and beginning to cross over. Really hoping this is the answer for me, been on for about 5 1/2 months for sleep, this thread has been helpful, thanks everyone

[Guest [...]]

My doc is on board, so I'm picking up my 2mg Valium script today and will take it for a few weeks to get adjusted, really hoping this is the right path, Xanax straight cutting seems impossible for me.

[Guest [Lo...]]

Anyone still posting here?