Jump to content

RE: Crossing from clonazepam to Valium Help!


[an...]

Recommended Posts

Hi Guys,

 

My Doc is willing to cross me over to Valium to do a slow taper since my first taper seemed to be a failure but he does not know how to do it.  I was wondering if someone could help me come up with cross plan from .75mg Clonazepam to Valium.  I understand that that equals about 15 mg of Valium but thats all I understand. I am only dosing at night right now so would I need to split that and dose at least 2 times a day?  I have never used Valium before and I find the dosing since its so much higher confusing.  Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks for reading......

 

 

angel  :angel:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi angelcat

 

I understand you've only been back on Clonazepam for a week or so right? I'm wondering if you're stable enough on the Clonazepam to start a crossover now. I would hate to see you suffer because the Clonazepam has not yet fully kicked in. I'm not saying don't do the crossover,  I'm just saying you might need to give it a bit more time? What do you think?

 

Please can you update your signature so we can accurately assist you?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi jelly baby thanks for replying,

 

Thanks for your concern.  I understand, but I am afraid that if I wait too long I might reach tolerance and then tapering will be more difficult. I feel right now that my symptoms (burning) might be getting a little worse is this normal?  So devastating, I just don't know what to do.  I also could just stop but then I feel that all of this would have been a wasted effort...your advice is appreciated.... :angel:

 

angel

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you reach tolerance previously? And how did your previous taper from Clonazepam go? Is there a specific reason you want to cross over?

 

Apologies for all the questions. It's not that I don't think you shouldn't do a crossover, I just have so much compassion for you and want to make sure you have thought it through so when you do it you are absolutely confident in your decision and your taper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi jelly baby,

 

Thanks so much, you are so sweet and kind.  No I never reached tolerance or ever had any symptoms on any benzo until this last taper and its b/c I screwed up my taper and just took to long get off it, it just didn't go well.  If you read my previous threads, I was only on the benzo 8 days. I wish I had just CT'd like everyone told me to but I was afraid and thought tapering would be the best choice (I was wrong).  I only ended up getting symptoms at the very end of my aprox 15 day taper but by that time it was too late and I started getting the burning symptom to my horror. 

 

I should have realized then that something was wrong and reinstated right away but everyone told me including my doc and family that it would go away but it did not and after making a huge mistake to take a b1 supplement my symptoms within hours got much worse.  I waited almost 2 weeks with no improvement so decided at 8 weeks out to try the Clonazepam again.  But as i mentioned, it did not improve the burning and now I fear its getting worse.  I told my doctor that if I stop now that its, and at least I have the chance now to do a slower taper, maybe it will help?  I have heard that some peoples symptoms improve during tapering when they cross over to Valium although I understand it can make you more depressed.  I can handle the mental stuff but the burning makes me feel inhuman. 

 

At this point I am scared off tapering of Clonazepam again for fear of worse withdrawals and kindling and I have never taken Valium which may go in my favour.  I most likely should have just gone on the Valium.  So what does one do?  So screwed either way, Sorry for the long post...

 

 

angel  :angel:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No need to apologise for explaining your situation.

 

I don't think your previous taper was too fast for being on it for only 8 days. So please don't think of it as a failed taper. I'm wondering if the burning sensation was a side effect of being on the drug rather than being off it? Sometimes benzo's can cause some very unpleasant symptoms. Before I started tapering it was causing some really nasty side effects. And since you're saying it's getting worse now I'm wondering if the benzo's are causing it.

 

Do you think it might be possible or did you feel any type of improvement since reinstating?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Angelcat

 

I'm trying to understand your situation but I'm realising we may never be able to come to a conclusion whether it was the benzo's or the vitamin setback or maybe something we're not even aware of.

 

I think you should just trust your gut and go with what you feel comfortable with. It's good to know you haven't had tolerance before so it shouldn't be a problem now. If you want help with a crossover to Valium I personally think a 3 stage would be best. I think this would be the easiest and smoothest with your current dose.

 

If it were me I would split my dose in 0.25mg x3 per day and then do the equivalent Ashton crossover as per the stages in the manual. So you can replace 5mg for each dose.

 

Happy to help if you need more input on this or anything else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi jelly baby,

 

Sorry I think I missed one of your responses.  Since I started again, actually my tinnitus has been better lol and I don't have any other symptoms but my burning does seem to be worse, so maybe it could be the drug?  But I had no symptoms taking be benzo before only at the very tail end of my taper so what does that mean?  I never ever had burning until this taper.  Did you have symptoms before you started tapering?  Did you have any physical symptoms like burning and did tapering eliminate your symptoms?  I didn't think my taper was that bad either but I think if I had just gone a little faster I could have avoided getting symptoms b/c by that time I would have been off the benzo...  :(

 

 

angel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I developed light headedness and memory problems which are common side effects of benzo's. The burning symptom though is very common in withdrawal so it's probably withdrawal related and now just amplified by the vitamin setback. Hopefully the reinstatement will work for you and give you some relief.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi jelly baby,

 

Thanks so much.  I was wondering since I have been on the clonazepam again less than 10 days now, can I just stop the K and start taking the Valium?  Maybe crossing over is not necessary?  Or will that mess up my NS? And did you multi dose during the day?  I noticed from your timeline you direct tapered from K like I did? Just trying to figure out best way to go....

 

If you do think crossing over is a good idea could I just dose twice a day and divide the .75mg into two doses so according to the A manual, you start with the night dose and do half Clonazepam and half Valium correct?  Maybe I could get some more help in figuring out the equivalent Valium dosage  Sorry for all the questions...thanks so much for all your help.....

 

 

 

 

angel :angel:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi angelcat

 

I only dose once a day since I'm not experiencing interdose withdrawal, so no need for more doses. I preferred not to switch to Valium because I didn't know how I would react to it. The Klonopin taper is working for me.

 

I would not recommend a straight switch to Valium at this stage. You've already had time for the K to build up in your system and you're not stable. I think it's too much of a gamble to just do a straight cross over and you might experience an increase in symptoms. But this is your taper, so you decide.

 

If you do want a gradual crossover with only two doses this could be a possibility:

 

Dose 1: 0.25 K  Dose 2: 0.5 K

 

Cross over:

 

Week 1: Dose 1: 0.25 K  Dose 2: 0.25 K plus 5mg Valium

 

Week 2: Dose1: 5mg Valium  Dose 2: 0.25 K plus 5mg Valium

 

Week 3: Dose 1: 5mg Valium  Dose 2: 10mg Valium

 

What do you think?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi jelly baby,

 

Thanks so much for your advice.  That looks good, so I would hold each week making the cross over about 3 weeks if all goes well. You recommend that most people interdose during the day or do some people on Valium just dose at night?  I have only ever taken the benzo at night for sleep. Since I seem to be having more burning now does that mean that I am building up a tolerance or interdose withdrawal, its the only symptom I have?  I really appreciate your advice....

 

 

angel  :angel::smitten:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The way I understand it is crossing over is done in multiple doses to help you cover the build up of Valium and loss of K in your system. I might be wrong and am happy to be corrected, but that's how I think it works. While you're cutting out one dose of K and the Valium is still building up, the other dose is semi-covering it. You could take the smaller dose in the morning and the bigger one at night? Yes, you're right, the cross over will take 3 weeks allowing one week each to substitute a bit of each dose.

 

I don't think you're building tolerance at all. I think your burning is from the setback from the vitamin B you took. It can take quite a while to settle down. One of our other members had a setback from a steriod inhaler and he is suffering immensely with a lot of symptoms. It's now about 7 months since the setback and although he is improving it is taking a long time. I'm not saying it will take this long for you, I'm just saying sometimes setbacks can take a while to recover from.

 

I really hope this works for you. I can give advice but can't guarantee it will work.  :smitten:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi jelly baby,

 

Thanks so much for your help. My doc had decided he will not prescribe 2 benzos at the same time. But I think I have enough pills to do cross over except some of the pills are split in half and I don't have a scale.  Should I be holding for 5 or 7 days?  I have about 17 pills (some halves) do you think that is enough?  Years ago was came off Lorazepam and the doc just put me on Clonazepam and I had no trouble. Maybe i would be fine with direct switch or does Valium work different?

So confusing,  thanks for all your super advice.... :angel:

 

 

angel  :smitten:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi angel

 

Sorry I'm confused by what you're asking. What pills do you have? I also don't understand why you need to weigh your pills to determine how many you have?

 

If you have a pill of 1mg and it's broken in half then it will be 0.5mg etc. You just divide it by two. I hope this makes sense.

 

A crossover is usually done in 7 days. I can't tell you that you'll be okay if you do a direct switch. If you want to try it, you can but there's no guarantees you'll not experience withdrawal symptoms. If your doctor is not supportive, might it be better to taper Clonazepam directly?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Angelcat, how is your switch to valium going?

 

I think I might do it.

 

I'm dying for about 4 hours twice a day on .5 clonazepam twice a day, and I've only been on it for 7 weeks.

 

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...