Cross-Over to Valium Support Thread

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

 

Hi WPWP

 

I started using X a few months before you. See my signature (I am new member) By month 3 noticed like you wicked interdose symptoms. Caught me by surprise--like I keep saying in my comments---X is a jealous mistress. Yes--like you--my use of X was for sleep (after having tried many different  sleeping pills). I use 50 mg trazadone and it is far better and safer than benzo based sleep agents. Good comb for now--4 mg V late evening and 50 mg trazadone at bedtime.

 

Began cross over by mistake using C. Had read another more aggressive tapering program before came across Ashton Valium cross over. I used her schedule as a rough guide. Took less than two weeks of dose substitution.

 

Indeed--once clear of X the odd and disconcerting withdrawal symptoms abated. Still have an off and on eye twitch.

 

As you can see on my signature I was fairly fast in recent reductions of V. Restarting it with my new 2 mg prescription from initial 10 mg when needed V prescription which lasted nearly 60 days. 2 mg easier to reduce from plus can take extra if needed without cutting etc.

 

For me V switch out was good. V is far more gentle and longer 1/2 life. Want to chat PM me anytime. Must admit I am still experimenting with tapering. In my experience you will feel better once clear of X.

 

Cheers

 

 

Well I’m done to .77 xanax now, I cut .25 in 25 days but the last 3 nights have not been great, cutting .01 per day is a lot but I’ve held and had crappy nights as well so it’s hard to decide if I continue on or hold, I could always taper slower but I feel like the drug itself is what’s interfering with the sleep. Just a tough journey, hoping I’ll feel better once fully over to the Valium...

Hi!

How could you do it? 0,25 mg/25 days and just have symptoms on the last3 nights? How do you feel now? Do you want to finish your crossover?

 

Thank you:

Enikő

 

Well I’m done to .77 xanax now, I cut .25 in 25 days but the last 3 nights have not been great, cutting .01 per day is a lot but I’ve held and had crappy nights as well so it’s hard to decide if I continue on or hold, I could always taper slower but I feel like the drug itself is what’s interfering with the sleep. Just a tough journey, hoping I’ll feel better once fully over to the Valium...

Hello Buddies,

 

Have not posted much in the past year since joining BB, however, thought I would jump into this support group to see if anybody else is in the process of doing a K to V cross over?  My taper from .525mg K down to .275k over the past year was for the most part hell but stuck with it in hopes of making it off using a super slow taper combined with guts and determination.  Well last week I hit a total and complete wall with the K, went back up to .3mg k (.1mg every 8 hours) and decided my best hope at this point is to try and transition over to Valium using the Ashton method.. although going a bit faster with the crossover to V.

 

Over all things are going OK and have completely crossed over my night time dose to V...although after 4 days (last night) decided to take the evening dose to 3mg V as insomnia was creeping back in.  Pretty sure I am feeling the effects of the K leaving my system so decided to blunt that with a little extra V up front and seems to be helping.

Positives thus far at day 5 is a greatly reduced feeling of terror and getting some sleep. Negatives are upset stomach, generally feel like crap and Tinnitus / head pressure is up and down (up is bad / down is good)...but I will take that over the constant feeling of terror and zero sleep from the K. Hopefully the stomach discomfort and sluggish feeling eases up with time?  I am planning to switch out 1/2 of my morning dose of V tomorrow and see how it goes for a few days before crossing the remaining morning dose.  Plan is to make the transition to V over the next few weeks...stabilize for a month and then hit the taper trail again.  Truly hopefull the V works better with my system than the K for the remaining of my taper.

 

I have read all the threads and know that my symptoms are normal and that each of us are so very different so there are no magic answers...just curious if anybody out there is doing a cross to V right now and how its going for you?

 

The entire buddie community is in my prayers and hope we all have the best day possible.

Take Care,

MW   

I’ll be finishing my crossover next month, I just need to get the Xanax out of my system at this point, goal is to swap .125 Xanax for 2.5 Mg Valium, Hoping I handle that well, going to do that 3 times and I’ll be on 19.5 mg Valium and taper down from there

Hi!

I've made a partial crossover from Klonopin to Valium in last oktober, because I couldn't stabilize and decrease the Klonopin after an accidental fast taper and a big updose. If I can continue, I 'll be on 5 mg Valium in the morning, 0,25mg Klonopin in the afternoon and 0,25mg at night at the end of oktober. I've never stabilized. Then I have to change  something. I want to keep 3 doses, but the Valium makes me dizzy in the morning. I have three choices i think. Take the half of the Valium at night and continue to cut the Klonopin. CO the Klonopin to Valium or CO to Valium back to Klonopin. My worse issues are dizziness, depression and anxiety with chest pain. I don't now what should I do. I'm afraid of beeing on Valium, because of these side effects, but I don't know what does the Klonopin do alone.

(Sorry for my English)

If you have any idea or experience or any advice, please share it with me!

Thank you

Enikő

Hi BB

Im currently on 1.47mg lorazepam nightly (1mg sublinual +-.47mg oral tab which I dry cut and weigh from a 0.5mg tab.

Ive been having really bad day time withdrawals since my last taper (Aug 20) since I only take it to help me sleep at night. I did increase my dose a tiny bit Sept 30 from 1.40 to 1.46 to see if that would stabilize me but only helped a little, still feeling horrible progressivly through the day.

Have psychiatrist appt today, I know he will suggest switching to Valium as one of my options to help me get off this.

 

Can someone please advise what a safe cross-over to V would look like for me so I know if I need to raise concerns and discuss with my psychiatrist if something seems off. Also, is there a difference between Valium and Diazepam? Diazepam is generic, correct? Do I ask specifically for Valium or it makes no difference?

 

Many thanks!

Cho, it sounds like you may be having interdose withdrawals if you’re only dosing once a day. You could break up your dose and take the drug multiple times a day to help even things out. If you decide to cross over, you would cross over to approximately 15 mg Valium. I would do it stepwise per the Ashton manual.

Spoke with my psychiatrist and he prescribed me 15mg valium and to do a direct switch, stop my 1.47mg ativan at bedtime and start 15mg valium before bed. He said since im only taking the ativan once a day its fine to directly switch over.

 

Definitely suffering from interdose withdrawals big time from the single ativan dose. So looking forward to getting stablized and continuing my taper.

 

Planning to start tonight. He said if tomorrow im too sedated to back off 2mg and go to 13mg,  but if I still have withdrawals than add 1-2 mg. Does this sound about right?

 

Ive heard that diazepam can be initially very sedating but that it gets better after a week or so. Im a bit confused now, if im oversedated tomorrow and go down to 13mg and stay at that dose, once my body adjusts (after a week) will I go into withdrawal?  He told me that theres no going up once tappered.

 

 

 

 

Cho, I’m glad you have a doctor that’s willing to work with you. Valium is very sedating. It will probably knock you out. When I crossed over I took half my dose in the morning and half at night. You may be able to take a little less than the 15 mg and adjust fine. Many who cross over find Ashton’s equivalent doses to be on the high side.

I’ve been on diazepam 7.5 mgs since 9-11-20. I didn’t crossover. Doctor just stopped the lorazepam. I’ve had bad withdrawals since then. But I had reached tolerance with the lorazepam. I don’t know what’s going on. Today doctor raised diazepam to 10mgs. I don’t know what’s happening. Should I just wait it out? Will my body adjust? Why so much more anxiety?

I’ve been on diazepam 7.5 mgs since 9-11-20. I didn’t crossover. Doctor just stopped the lorazepam. I’ve had bad withdrawals since then. But I had reached tolerance with the lorazepam. I don’t know what’s going on. Today doctor raised diazepam to 10mgs. I don’t know what’s happening. Should I just wait it out? Will my body adjust? Why so much more anxiety?

 

I hope someone responds who has experience with COs. This thread is a little slow at times. The only CO I did was from Ambien to Valium and just like you I did it overnight. It can be difficult switching from one benzo to another but your body will adjust to the Valium over time. Since Valium is more sedating I think you'll find it'll help with the anxiety.

Hey S71.  You have certainly been on a merry go round of meds.  Its so hard to really know what to do at this point.  I read your drug history twice, are you taking anything now besides the 7.5 diazepam?  10 mgs of Diazapam, according to the Ashton Manual is equal to 1 mg lorazepam.

IMO, all the on and offs of all the meds are probably playing a roll here.  While I wait on an answer from you, I am going to read your history again.  I just want to make sure I understand.   

Mary. We will help you figure out a plan. 

Hey S71.  You have certainly been on a merry go round of meds.  Its so hard to really know what to do at this point.  I read your drug history twice, are you taking anything now besides the 7.5 diazepam?  10 mgs of Diazapam, according to the Ashton Manual is equal to 1 mg lorazepam.

IMO, all the on and offs of all the meds are probably playing a roll here.  While I wait on an answer from you, I am going to read your history again.  I just want to make sure I understand.   

Mary. We will help you figure out a plan.

Thank you. What is IMO? Right now I’m only on the diazepam. And losartan for BP. I had the Genesight dna test done in 2019. So I was tried on all of the meds that were supposed to agree with me. None did. So right now I’m having a tough time with the diazepam. I was iron deficient for about 17 years. I had an iron infusion back I March of this year. 2 weeks later I was me again. But I started taking gabapentin again, failed and had brutal withdrawals from it. For almost 2 months. Then the lorazepam betrayed me. I just want to be me again. Especially for my son, husband and animals. Right now I’m in my bed. I’ve never been a all day bed person. Even 10 years ago when I was put on bed rest for a geriatric pregnancy. I couldn’t stay in bed. But that’s all I’ve done in the last month. I hate it. I feel this is my deathbed. If I get better, we’re getting rid of this bed!

S71, I am so sorry.  IMO ( in my opinion).  We say that because we aren't Dr's, we are just using the information we have experienced ourselves or learned from other people on here.  There is every kind of story on bb imaginable.  I did notice the Dr changed you from 1.5 mg L to 7.5 mg V.  That's not a good equivalence.  According to Ashton 1.5 mg L should be 15 mg v, so it's no wonder you are having withdrawal.  Not crossing you over slowly, so your brain and body had a chance to adapt to the new benzo, imo again , is also causing the problems.    Have you read the Ashton Manual?  You should, and if possible print a copy for you and your Dr.  I really believe your Dr needs to up your V.  7.5 mgs is not enough to cover the L you were on.  Do you think the Dr would do that?  M.  It's on google or on our Homepage, I believe. 

Nice you caught that Mary. I was wondering if it was an equivalent dose. S, I know you're in despair but believe me it will get better. Don't feel guilty for being bed bound. I think most of us have been there

I spoke with him today. He didn’t want to hear anything about the Ashton manual. So he upped the diazepam dose to 10mgs a day.  Not much help but I’m trying. But I’m still dealing with WD symptoms. I just want my body to calm down for a little. He said it takes a while for the diazepam to build up in my body. Hopefully that’s true. I’ll give it another week maybe. Just trying to hold on because my sanity is no longer.

Idk if my gastric bypass has anything to do with this either. I do suffer from malabsorption, low iron and low b12. Even when I took them orally it didn’t do anything. But the lorazepam worked up until August. 8-6-20 is when I really noticed that every time I took it I would become anxious, dizzy with burning skin. My pdoc told me to just quit the lorazepam and start taking lexipro. So I quit and ended up in the hospital 4 days later. Then pdoc told me to just take half of a lorazepam every night with 1 Benadryl, tough it out and do jumping jacks. So I switched psychiatrists.

Scorpio, that is awful that your doctor told you that. I am so sorry you went through that. I agree with Mary that the quick switch from lorazepam to diazepam and the much lower dose of diazepam is likely the culprit. I did a crossover from clonazepam to diazepam over 6 weeks and experienced some withdrawals from the clonazepam still. At least your doctor was willing to up the dose some. It will take time for the diazepam to build up in your system so for now, hang in there and stay at the 10 and stabilize. It will probably take some time, but you will hopefully start to feel better soon.

Than you all. Is lorazepam that strong?

S71, this may be rough.  Hold on, I am so sorry your Dr won't at least read the Manual.  It isn't perfect by any means but at least there is a thought process there that can help like slow crossovers and the reason for them.  We are here, even if you just need to vent.  Remember a "hold" means don't change anything.  Diazapam is a different type of benzo, there are 3 metabolites, each with a different purpose and half life, so it can take time to adjust.  One is for muscle relaxation, one for sleep, and one for anxiety.  Read lots around bb and learn all you can.  The search engine on the Homepage has all kinds of interesting things to read.  Good luck, Mary 🍀🍀🍀

Than you all. Is lorazepam that strong?

 

Lorazepam isn’t as strong as Klonopin or Xanax, but it’s much more potent than diazepam.

Thank you. I will.

Many people, including me, think she may be too high, but not by half.  If I were prescribing though, because of all the other meds you have been on, I may have stuck to the 15.  I do believe you can still be having wd issues from other things too, and the 15 would hopefully help cover that.  But again, just my opinion 

Scorpio, that is awful that your doctor told you that. I am so sorry you went through that. I agree with Mary that the quick switch from lorazepam to diazepam and the much lower dose of diazepam is likely the culprit. I did a crossover from clonazepam to diazepam over 6 weeks and experienced some withdrawals from the clonazepam still. At least your doctor was willing to up the dose some. It will take time for the diazepam to build up in your system so for now, hang in there and stay at the 10 and stabilize. It will probably take some time, but you will hopefully start to feel better soon.

What kind of withdrawals did you have? Mary, how was diazepam hard for you?