Switching back to Xanax from diazepam for taper?

[[Buddie]]

Hi buddies

I stupidly retook these benzos again after tapering off years ago without major issues, now seems I have built up dependency again after a tumultuous covid wave and semi lock down alone.

I had been taking both Xanax and Diazepam intermitted, not daily, maybe took 1 or the other every 3 days or so, either 5mg Diazepam or 0.5mg Xanax. I stopped and returned to work and had bad withdrawals. Heat in chest, heart palpitations, tension head aches, depression and insomnia. As I only took for a few months I started tapering on 5mg diazepam and dropped to 3.5mg over  a month and its been hell, depression, insomnia, memory loss. Possibly its kindling or just too fast.

Questions and advice please:

I have a digital scale so wondering if i should go back to Xanax and just start on 0.25 and take off 1% a day for 100 days or something similar, as the valium isn't pleasant.

Or, I could updose the Diazepam until I find a floor and the withdrawals stop and then restart a gentler taper. I have been on 3.5mg for 2 weeks. Been on only diazepam for 5 weeks.



Taper below is from 2018

[[Buddie]]

I'd say stick with the Diazepam since it has the longer half life and you successfully tapered it before.  It looks like you need to go slow since you already had problems when you dropped from 5 to 3.5 mgs.

[[Buddie]]

Thanks, Ill try going back to 4mg as its been a few weeks of withdrawal and not easing. I'll try and find a floor. So disappointed in myself for allowing this to happen, I took Xanax last night as just needed a good nights sleep.

[[Buddie]]

I hope you can get some relief with the increase, I wonder if disposing of the Xanax would be a good idea? 

[[Buddie]]

[...] makes a good suggestion - I had to get the benzos out of my house because they called my name on sleepless nights.

[[Buddie]]

I'm seeing an addiction Dr and he switched me from 2mg Xanax nightly to Valium because it has a longer half life and long metabolite lifespan in the body. I had tried on my own to taper the Xanax, but the tiny increments and the short half life was challenging and caused major withdraw symptoms. I've worked my way down from 20mg Valium to 6mg without issue (so far). Everyone's situation is different. I would think switching back and forth would creak peaks and valleys in your system. Good Luck!

[[Buddie]]

How you doing [...]?? I have the exact same problem with ativan and diazepam

[[Buddie]]

[...],

Isn't the calculation 1mg Xanax = to 20mg Valium? 

So, if you were on 2mg Xanax, wouldn't that be 40mg Valium? or something close to that?

If the taper is working for you- they that's great!  Someone please correct me if I am wrong? 

Best wishes [...]!  Amazing progress!!

[[Buddie]]

Hi everyone,

no, 1mg. of Xanax is 10mg. Diazepam (Valium).

https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha01.htm

Potency. A large number of benzodiazepines are available (Table 1). There are major differences in potency between different benzodiazepines, so that equivalent doses vary as much as 20-fold. For example, 0.5 milligrams (mg) of alprazolam (Xanax) is approximately equivalent to 10mg of diazepam (Valium). Thus a person on 6mg of alprazolam daily, a dose not uncommonly prescribed in the US, is taking the equivalent of about 120mg of diazepam, a very high dose. These differences in strength have not always been fully appreciated by doctors, and some would not agree with the equivalents given here. Nevertheless, people on potent benzodiazepines such as alprazolam, lorazepam (Ativan) or clonazepam (Klonopin) tend to be using relatively large doses. This difference in potency is important when switching from one benzodiazepine to another, for example changing to diazepam during the withdrawal, as described in the next chapter.

[...],

Isn't the calculation 1mg Xanax = to 20mg Valium? 

So, if you were on 2mg Xanax, wouldn't that be 40mg Valium? or something close to that?

If the taper is working for you- they that's great!  Someone please correct me if I am wrong? 

Best wishes [...]!  Amazing progress!!

[[Buddie]]

It's the answer in your quote?  .5mg Xanax is = to 10mg Valium?  I have major brain fog, so I may not be reading this correctly, but anyone else? 
I know everyone is different and these benzos effect all of us differently- so you have to do what works for you. 

Hi everyone,

no, 1mg. of Xanax is 10mg. Diazepam (Valium).

https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha01.htm

Potency. A large number of benzodiazepines are available (Table 1). There are major differences in potency between different benzodiazepines, so that equivalent doses vary as much as 20-fold. For example, 0.5 milligrams (mg) of alprazolam (Xanax) is approximately equivalent to 10mg of diazepam (Valium).[/b] Thus a person on 6mg of alprazolam daily, a dose not uncommonly prescribed in the US, is taking the equivalent of about 120mg of diazepam, a very high dose. These differences in strength have not always been fully appreciated by doctors, and some would not agree with the equivalents given here. Nevertheless, people on potent benzodiazepines such as alprazolam, lorazepam (Ativan) or clonazepam (Klonopin) tend to be using relatively large doses. This difference in potency is important when switching from one benzodiazepine to another, for example changing to diazepam during the withdrawal, as described in the next chapter.[/i]

[...],

Isn't the calculation 1mg Xanax = to 20mg Valium? 

So, if you were on 2mg Xanax, wouldn't that be 40mg Valium? or something close to that?

If the taper is working for you- they that's great!  Someone please correct me if I am wrong? 

Best wishes [...]!  Amazing progress!!