Lorazepam to Ethyl loflazepate

It's my 5th day w/o alcohol as I checked myself into rehab until May 22.

Previously I've been taking Victan (Ethyl loflazepate) 1mg at night for generalized anxiety disorder for 6 years. This stopped when I went into alcohol detox in May 13 and the doctor managed it starting with Lorazepam 4mg daily in 4 doses and then taper off. Today I took my last dose to complete 2mg and felt anxious. Tomorrow it will be 1,5mg.

According to the table in Wikipedia, Lorazepam 1mg is equivalent to Victan 2mg.

When is the best time to retake Victan?

I will also discuss this with my doctor. I ask here only to contrast different opinions. The doctor has done a good job with the dosage so far as I don't feel zombie and at the same time I don't feel alcohol cravings and managed to avoid the nastiest withdrawal symptoms.

Thank you for any kind advice.  When I'm sober for at least 6 months I plan to ditch Victan.

Hello Verdi, welcome to BenzoBuddies,

Congratulations on making the decision to rid yourself of alcohol, I checked myself into alcohol rehab May 22 1991, you’re brining back memories.

Will your doctor be tapering you off of the Ativan before you leave rehab or do they plan to leave you on it? 

Will your doctor be tapering you off of the Ativan before you leave rehab or do they plan to leave you on it?

I will know for sure in May 19.

The most likely scenario is a complete taper-off because of the 0,5mg daily reduction and because alcoholics that just leave a 10-days detox can't just be trusted with a prescription for benzos, I think. Perhaps a limited prescription with just enough for a week?  I don't know, but I want to be prepared and that's why I brought Victan, Mirtazapine and vitamin B and Magnesium supplements with me.

This is a relaxed clinic where my belongings aren't searched but they are nonetheless very strict wrt taking additional medication and even supplements, which I take anyway because they don't cause any harm. I take Mirtazapine 7,5mg just to fall asleep because their Pimpamperine (anti-psychotic) doesn't work at all for me.

A nurse just confirmed the 0,5mg reduction regime so I think the best time to switch to 2mg Victan in 2 doses is the day when I take 0,5mg Lorazepam to ensure a safe landing. Afterwards I will try to reduce to 1mg like before.

I was prescribed Victan 2mg twice a day and eventually managed to get it to just 1mg at night in the course of 1 year but couldn't reduce it further.

Victan didn't add any recreational value to my alcohol intake, though I never intended it to. I was drinking beer even though I began to dislike the taste, with the occasional Schnapps. Kinda forcing myself to drink it. But in the week of my birthday I began drinking only gin tonic, feeling the euphoric effect from alcohol that I missed for months. I ended up downing a full bottle a day for like 10 days. Suddenly I wasn't a functional alcoholic anymore and that's why I checked myself in. My commitment to sobriety is enforced by the fact that I have a fatty liver and high blood pressure (diastolic).

Lorazepam isn't metabolized by the liver and I guess that's why the doctor chose it. It's a useful benzo when used in the right way (dose and time limited).

I don’t have any knowledge of Victan but I hope you’ll get off of it as soon as you but and please go slow.  We suggest reducing any about 5-10% every couple of weeks or whatever your symptoms dictate, this would hopefully keep you functional.

Benzo’s are a different animal than alcohol, I quit both cold turkey and the benzo was by far the worst withdrawal of the two.

Why did you start the Victan, was it for sleep or anxiety?  Are you worried you’ll take more than you have in the past since you won’t have the alcohol?  I probably would have if they’d have sent any home with me. Benzo’s hit the same receptors in the brain as alcohol so I was hardwired for for addiction when I started taking them in 2002.

Why did you start the Victan, was it for sleep or anxiety? 

GAD.

Are you worried you’ll take more than you have in the past since you won’t have the alcohol?

Yes. That worries me too.  Somehow I have to deal with 2 beasts at once.

And I'm wondering too about the real extent of my benzo addiction, since Victan is metabolized by the liver.  My current understanding is that the liver stops metabolizing anything when it's busy with alcohol.

I’m sorry to hear about your anxiety diagnosis, you’re going to be facing a whole new reality without your crutches but I get the feeling you’re going to be okay.

The problem with benzo’s is they change the way your brain works and getting the brain back in balance can take awhile.  Typical recovery time for those who have used the drug long term is between 1 and 2 years after cessation of the drug, we sometimes see short term users (less than 6 months) recover in weeks and months. 

I’m sorry to hear about your anxiety diagnosis, you’re going to be facing a whole new reality without your crutches but I get the feeling you’re going to be okay.

 

The problem with benzo’s is they change the way your brain works and getting the brain back in balance can take awhile.  Typical recovery time for those who have used the drug long term is between 1 and 2 years after cessation of the drug, we sometimes see short term users (less than 6 months) recover in weeks and months.

You're right. I leave the clinic tomorrow and yesterday I had 2 anxiety/panic attacks like I never had since I started drinking. It's like nothing has changed and I have to face what I wanted to avoid 10 years ago. I took my last lorazepam 0.5mg yesterday. I started taking 1mg Victan in the morning and 2mg at night by myself. After a while I will try to reach 1mg like before but w/o the alcohol.

I hope you can do it, the alcohol could have been augmenting the Victan so it may not feel as effective at that dose.

I’m sorry to hear about the panic attacks, benzo’s are famous for causing what we went on them to fix such as anxiety, insomnia, restless legs, tinnitus and more but it’s way more intense than the normal stuff so understand that if you can make it through withdrawal and recovery, you could feel much better.