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ativan crossover to valium crossover help needed


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Hi All:

 

I will begin my crossover from .5 mg. Ativan nitely to 5 mg. Valium approx. 10/1/10.  I wanted to see what you all think of this crossover plan:

 

- I only take Ativan before bedtime.  I would take .25 mg. Ativan nitely with 2.5 mg. Valium for 6 nites.  Drop Ativan and take 5 mg. Valium nitely.  Stabilize on 5 mg. Valium for a few weeks and start to make .5 mg. cuts every few weeks (or maybe .25 mg).  Would 6 nites be enough for the valium to build up in my system before dropping ativan completely? 

 

- Could I plan on taking the 5 mg. Valium only at bedtime as I am currently doing with Ativan?  (1X / day). 

 

Would love to hear from some of you "pros" who have/currently tapering from Valium after a crossover.  Or have tapered from Valium.  I have been reading a lot of the postings from "ibmom", "legos", "optimist",  "mtmimi", and "vertigo".  Vertigo and Optimist have succeeded with their tapers and "ibmom" and "mtmimi" are getting close to being finished.  Way to go. 

 

I so hope to make this my final "no" to anymore benzo-related stuff.  I pray that I can do this and be benzo-free with the encouragement and support from you all.

Rocko 

 

 

 

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Hi All:

 

I will begin my crossover from .5 mg. Ativan nitely to 5 mg. Valium approx. 10/1/10.  I wanted to see what you all think of this crossover plan:

 

- I only take Ativan before bedtime.  I would take .25 mg. Ativan nitely with 2.5 mg. Valium for 6 nites.  Drop Ativan and take 5 mg. Valium nitely.  Stabilize on 5 mg. Valium for a few weeks and start to make .5 mg. cuts every few weeks (or maybe .25 mg).  Would 6 nites be enough for the valium to build up in my system before dropping ativan completely? 

Althought 10 nights would be a bit "safer", you could be okay after 6 nights since ativan is so short-acting.  I used to get hit about Days 3-4 when I was tapering ativan (lorazepam). 

-

Could I plan on taking the 5 mg. Valium only at bedtime as I am currently doing with Ativan?  (1X / day). 

If ativan isn't causing interdose withdrawal taken only at night, you should be fine taking the valium only at night.  In fact, even if the ativan were causing i.d., you could still be okay taking valium all at night because it is so long acting. 

Would love to hear from some of you "pros" who have/currently tapering from Valium after a crossover.  Or have tapered from Valium.  I have been reading a lot of the postings from "ibmom", "legos", "optimist",  "mtmimi", and "vertigo".  Vertigo and Optimist have succeeded with their tapers and "ibmom" and "mtmimi" are getting close to being finished.  Way to go. 

 

I so hope to make this my final "no" to anymore benzo-related stuff.  I pray that I can do this and be benzo-free with the encouragement and support from you all.

Rocko 

 

 

I neither crossed over nor tapered off of valium so what I've posted is just based on what I've read and not what I've experienced.  I think you are going to do great, though.  :thumbsup:

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Thanks for your response Beeper. 

 

I appreciate your suggestion about taking .25 mg. ativan for 10 nites instead of 6. 

 

I'm scared to death to do this.  But there is no other option to getting off ativan and off benzos forever!

Rocko

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I crossed over from K to V, at first the Valium will extremely sedate you, it did me.. and to sedate me over Klonopin is stornger than one gives Valium credit for.

The Valium has helped me taper down moreso, it's half-life is very long..

Good luck, Keryn.

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hi,

 

i crossed over from klonopin to valium.

 

i didn't follow the ashton schedule to cross over; i was pretty sick when i crossed over and my doctor felt that there wasn't going to be any "for comfort of patient" (as ashton says when she recomends waited 1 to 2 weeks per dose cross over).  So doc said "this will suck" and i went ahead and did it fast and yes "it sucked".

 

As for the V being more sedating; i did have a couple days when i felt dazed; but in general i don't have that feeling.  I also don't have the "depression" that so many others post regarding switching to valium and having "unwanted side effects"...(lol, which benzo doesn't have unwanted side effects?).  An no, i don't take an antidepressant and i am fine.

 

Don't be surprised to feel adivan withdrawal as you wait for the valium to build up. IMO, and In My Experience, valium takes quite a while to build up and also i do feel klonopin leaving (like i have heavier k withdrawal sx now).  A benzo savy medical professional told me that adivan and klonopin bind to gaba receptors harder than valium so you may feel the adivan leaving for a couple of months; and my experience has been that i do feel k leaving (w/d sx) and i'm about 40 days into my cross over.

 

Also, be careful with crossing too fast; get good advice or study on your own; i wouldn't want the fast half life adivan to leave you benzo short while waiting for valium half life to build up; i have no idea if this could cause a seizure.  A rapid cross over from A to V....i'm just not sure about and can't give any advice except to study ashton manual and work with a doc if u have one that actually is benzo savy.  Perhaps also listen to a buddy here that actually crossed over from a short acting benzo like adivan to valium; the actual experience verses the general ashton knowledge is much different; i would try to hear from someone with actual experience.

 

take care,

truck

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adivan and klonopin bind to gaba receptors harder than valium

 

That's very true.. I felt the Klonopin leave too, and as I cut I feel the w/d from the Klonopin underneath I think..

I have asked this question, but I do..has to be.

Also the sedation seems to leave after a while and is replaced with depression or Apathy.. Valium sedated me for a good 4 months, then I noticed the sedation started lifting.. I mean it still makes me drowsy but not like on 45mg where I started.

 

Good luck,

Keryn.

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adivan and klonopin bind to gaba receptors harder than valium

 

That's very true.. I felt the Klonopin leave too, and as I cut I feel the w/d from the Klonopin underneath I think..

I have asked this question, but I do..has to be.

Also the sedation seems to leave after a while and is replaced with depression or Apathy.. Valium sedated me for a good 4 months, then I noticed the sedation started lifting.. I mean it still makes me drowsy but not like on 45mg where I started.

 

Good luck,

Keryn.

 

keryn,

 

Sounds like we both experienced the same k w/d while on V (well, IMO, i'm still feeling it but my crossover was more recent....and i am not fond of the k w/d...feels kinda c/t like...but not scary c/t just lots of neuro sx for me); this w/d is one of the reasons why my benzo/ashton doc wants me to rest for about 6 weeks or a bit more before tapering. Also, since my k nightmare has been hell due to numerous medical mishaps; my doc just thinks i need to give my body a break.  Rocko, please don't let the possibility of feeling A w/d keep u from crossing over; my experience has been excellent in that i can now function where when i was on k i was pretty much bed ridden and k was like horrible poison to me.  V is a much smoother ride off benzos.  IMO crossing over is a good thing to do...even though some say it isn't worth the time that cross over takes, IMO, this isn't a race, it's about tapering slowly and to the extent possible as comfortably as possible.  This is your journey but i highly recommend not making it a race. I was once told that a 50% cut in my k dose was OK, well, no it wasn't and i learned a big bad lesson.....stupid doc and other stupid advice.  Read up and make your own decisions and your own benzo w/d journey.

 

Interesting that you experience(d) depression, apathy and sedation.  I don't feel any depression.  I guess i could call some of my feeling apathy in that i have an "i don't give a $hit" attitude.  The huge difference i experienced was that on k i couldn't laugh, i couldn't cry; i felt emotionally flat.  On V i feel like i could laugh a lot, and often joke; it's kinda drunk like...and it's not bad to finally be able to laugh. However, i should clarify that even though i have a kinda drunken feeling (uninhibitted, silly, joking, staggering, off balance) i don't find joy in being on a benzo and i have every intention to taper slowly and safely off.  However, i figure that since i am in the middle of this mess i might as well make the best of it and joke and laugh as my body lets me.  I don't know if this feeling is unique to me but i'm sure it's from the valium which acts a lot like alcohol which is also a CNS depressant as opposed to k which is a CNS hypnotic (and probably depressant too). Well, my attitude is accept the symptoms and LEARN TO LOVE THE RIDE. SO I SIT HERE ON MY MAGIC FLYING SOFA  :D  (caps used just for emphasis; not yelling) telling you that i just try to accept and find the humor in a very dire situation; it's my way of getting through this mess.

 

ok, so i guess i should stop my rant about feeling like a drunk and embracing it instead of fighting the sx.

 

take care keryn (and rocko)

 

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Truck,

 

lol I totally understand, Klonopin took my emotions away too..was like I was in a fog, Valium gives me more emotions, yet a certain depression comes and goes..more of a haze..

sounds like we've been through some of the same "beep".

 

Keryn.

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Truck,

 

lol I totally understand, Klonopin took my emotions away too..was like I was in a fog, Valium gives me more emotions, yet a certain depression comes and goes..more of a haze..

sounds like we've been through some of the same "beep".

 

Keryn.

 

hi keryn,

 

lol, i guess we are hijacking rocko's post but i think the info we are sharing will help him.

yeah, i know the haze...lol, yesterday i waa fine and this morning in in the haze/daze...i know it will pass so i just ACCEPT ACCEPT ACCEPT.

Sure wish the k w/d sx would leave....arrrgh; but honestly i still think crossing over to valium was the best decision for me.  No, i don't want to be on this CRAP for life; but crossing over has given me functionality back; i swear k was poisoning me..i was a mess.  I have no regrets about the amount of time cross over took, even though i did most of it in a radical 1 day swap (except for dose 1 which i did via ashton 1 week.

 

Rocko, i hope we are helping you and if u have more questions, please post them here and we will reply; also i wish you well,

love, truck

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Thanks to you both (Keryn and Truck) for your candidness and information regarding your crossovers.

 

With help and support here, I think we can make it through.  Tapering off Ambien has not made things easier.  It's like my body doesn't want to fall asleep at nite without it.  I'm almost a month off and still have trouble getting to sleep and sleeping more than a few hours at a time.  I can nap in the afternoon which might be my saving grace right now. 

 

Will continue to think of you both and look for your posts.  I'll keep track of the crossover in my progress log. 

 

Thanks again,

Rocko

 

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