Jump to content

was switched from ativan to xanax


[ha...]

Recommended Posts

My namae is hazyworl,I have been on benzos along time im not doing to well.I have most recently been on ativan 1 mg 3 times a day.I went to dr because i was feeling so bad,the ativan seemed to be making me dizzy..so years ago for along time i was on xanax so the dr stopped my ativan this past thursday nnight and put me on xanax.When i took it that night i felt ok,but as i take it i feel nausated kinda like the flu and still dizzy not as dizzy as i was and seems like my heartrate went way down the first day as well as my blood pressure..my goal is to get off  meds but my anxiety is out of hand and i will need some kind of help..I hope you all can tell me a bit about how to taper..Thanks Hazyworld
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 653
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • [sw...]

    193

  • [ha...]

    132

  • [Th...]

    57

  • [Be...]

    51

Top Posters In This Topic

Hi,this past Thursaday i was switched from ativan to xanax..should i have been told to taper off the ativan while going on the xanax..my goal is to get off all drugs,I was on the ativan since aug 08,,,,I feel so nausated and the ativan was making me dizzy though it ddint at first,,,,im wondering if my body has to get used to xaanx and thats why im feeling so awful....i just need a little push to feel bettter,,abd so i can taper off the xanax in time with help..Im scared i should have tapered the ativan any advice
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, hazyworld. Welcome to BenzoBuddies.

 

When you say you were switched to xanax last Thursday, do you mean 2 days ago?  You were taking 3mg/day, right?  How much xanax did the doctor put you on and when are you taking it?  Xanax is a very short-acting benzo so it's usually best to take it at least every 8 hours.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes two days ago i was put on xanax 1 mg 3 times a day,i felt it was a bit strong so i m takinfg 1/2 pill.Im having crawly wierd feelings in my head and dizzy,wonder if i should have been tapered off the ativan the pharmacy said since they are similar there is no need to taper,i wonder,,,i take the xanax 3 times aday as needed..any advice will be great
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, first of all, the two benzos are different in strength and in half-llife.  While different sources have different opinions on this, Prof Ashton gives an equivalency of 1mg ativan = .5mg xanax.  If you were to take 3mg of xanax to replace 3mg of ativan, you'd be doubling your dose!  Also, you are moving to a shorter acting benzo when you switch to xanax.  This can lead to more interdose withdrawal symptoms.  However, the pharmacist was right that you didn't need to taper off the ativan and then start xanax.  In fact, if you'd tapered off the ativan there'd be no need to take the xanax, would there?

 

I suggest you read a bit of the Ashton Manual. It is available online here:

 

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/index.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My namae is hazyworl,I have been on benzos along time im not doing to well.I have most recently been on ativan 1 mg 3 times a day.I went to dr because i was feeling so bad,the ativan seemed to be making me dizzy..so years ago for along time i was on xanax so the dr stopped my ativan this past thursday nnight and put me on xanax.When i took it that night i felt ok,but as i take it i feel nausated kinda like the flu and still dizzy not as dizzy as i was and seems like my heartrate went way down the first day as well as my blood pressure..my goal is to get off  meds but my anxiety is out of hand and i will need some kind of help..I hope you all can tell me a bit about how to taper..Thanks Hazyworld

 

Hi hazyworld,

 

How much Xanax did your doctor switch you to? Was it the equivalent to the Ativan at 3mg.? It will take a few days until you get used to the change in meds as well as if the equivalency is not the same. As far as tapering, you will need to stabilize before starting. We recommend cutting 10% off your total daily dose every 7-14 days depending on how you are feeling. If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.

 

T2 :smitten:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Hazy-

 

Beeper is correct- Ativan and Xanax are not 1:1 equivalents.  You may want to discuss this with your Doctor before you continue on this regimen.  Once you are comfortable with your dosing, please check back in and let us know how you would like to proceed.

 

You have found a great place and I'm sure we can help answer any questions you may have.

 

Take care,

 

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks for the answers but im not sure i understand are u all saying i dont need to be tapering off the ativan as im on xanax now,I stopped the ativan thursday(this past) and right away started teh xanax..was on 1 mg ativan 3 times a day and now on 1 mg xanax 3 times a day,will xanax make you feel more depressed than ativan? ANd does anyone know about effexoer,,,is it common for the mixture of the 2 xanax and effexor to lower blood presure and heartrate?Thanks
Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks for the answers but im not sure i understand are u all saying i dont need to be tapering off the ativan as im on xanax now,I stopped the ativan thursday(this past) and right away started teh xanax..was on 1 mg ativan 3 times a day and now on 1 mg xanax 3 times a day,will xanax make you feel more depressed than ativan? ANd does anyone know about effexoer,,,is it common for the mixture of the 2 xanax and effexor to lower blood presure and heartrate?Thanks

 

Hi hazyworld,

 

There is no need to taper the Ativan since you replaced it with the Xanax. As Beeper stated, the Xanax dosing your doctor put you on is a lot stronger than the Ativan equivalency. You will still need to stabilize on the Xanax before starting your taper off the Xanax. Xanax and Ativan are not known to cause depression as much as Valium, but some do experience depression during their taper off any of the benzos but usually not enough to have to take an anti-depressant. Hope this helps.

 

T2 :smitten:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to be a bother but this morning i took 1/2 mg of xanax at 430 am and another 1/2 mg at 7 am instead of just taking the whole pill,Its !pm and im feeling so drowsy and week in the kness....i wonder if i should continue on with the xanax or go back to ativan,,,im scared im overdosed or something,,,maybe the xanax is too strong,,,and which ever one i stay on when should i take my next dose on both im suppose to take 1 pill 3 times a day Thanks
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Hazy,

 

I am by far no expert but since you are switching back and forth between these 2 benxos, it really doesnt seem to help your situation, I am recovering from ativan and it has been a ride but i am managing. Xanax si stronger than ativan so it might be bothering you, what you should do is do a slow taper off the xanax and this can be done, going back and forth between these 2 drugs will not help you out. CAL one of our mods is tapering off xanax I think, and she is doing very well, read her blog and you can learn a lot.

 

Take care  :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to be a bother but this morning i took 1/2 mg of xanax at 430 am and another 1/2 mg at 7 am instead of just taking the whole pill,Its !pm and im feeling so drowsy and week in the kness....i wonder if i should continue on with the xanax or go back to ativan,,,im scared im overdosed or something,,,maybe the xanax is too strong,,,and which ever one i stay on when should i take my next dose on both im suppose to take 1 pill 3 times a day Thanks

 

Hi hazy,

 

You really should discuss this with your doctor tomorrow. Although Xanax has shorter acting properties than Ativan, it is a stronger benzo. It is up to you and your doctor whether you remain on the Ativan or cross to the Xanax. If you remain on the Xanax, it may not take as much to keep you comfortable but you should keep your dosing on a 3-4X/day at the same amount and at the same time every day. Why did you need one at 7:00am, were you experiencing w/d symptoms even after taking it at 4:30am? Xanax should be taken at 6-8 hour intervals.

 

T2 :smitten:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, hazy,

 

OK.  You are taking .5 mg Xanax 3 times a day, right?  You opted not to take the 1mg  3 times a day, right?  If this is the case you will want to stay on the .5 mg three times a day and take it at the same time each day (ie: 6am, 2pm and 10pm).  Do not up the dose because you want to stabilize on this dose for 7 to 14 days before making another taper.  Do talk to your doctor and tell him/her what you are doing.  I hope this makes more sense.  Keep asking questions and reading this site.  We'll support you.

 

Patty  xo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok this mornign i took 1/2 mg at 430 am and anoterh 1/2 mg at 7am just because i thought i should take a whloe one since thats what teh dr ordered but as i said its now 1 30 and i feel o drugged shouldnt it be wearing off instead of making me worse feeling,,,i was just thinkinf i shouls go abck to ativan becauae i sdidnt feel so drugged

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As Theresa2 and I have said before, xanax is approximately twice as strong as an equivalent dose of ativan.  If you took 1mg xanax, that is about equal to 2 mg ativan.  Also, you likely still have ativan in your system.  No wonder you are feeling drugged!  It's up to you whether you continue to take the xanax as your doctor prescribed or take half as much to see if you feel better.  As Theresa2 said, you should take xanax in about equal amounts 3-4x/day or as directed by your doctor.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the answer well i havnet had ativan since Thursday so u think its still in my system Im having anxiety but feel drugged how long will 1 mg of xnax make me feel this way i feel more drugged than when i first took it this morning and i did not feel this drugged yesterday im freaking out that im overdosed,yet i feel i need something to deal with my anxiety now but afraid to take xanax or ..any thoughts
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the answer well i havnet had ativan since Thursday so u think its still in my system Im having anxiety but feel drugged how long will 1 mg of xnax make me feel this way i feel more drugged than when i first took it this morning and i did not feel this drugged yesterday im freaking out that im overdosed,yet i feel i need something to deal with my anxiety now but afraid to take xanax or ..any thoughts

 

Hi hazy,

 

I do not think you would have overdosed if you took it like the doctor prescribed. You may want to keep it at 1/2 tablet of Xanax every 8 hours to see how you do since you are feeling so sedated and talk to your doctor first thing tomorrow. Your freaking out is keeping your anxiety high, please try to relax to minimize your anxiousness.

 

T2 :smitten:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Hazy,

 

I am by far no expert but since you are switching back and forth between these 2 benxos, it really doesnt seem to help your situation, I am recovering from ativan and it has been a ride but i am managing. Xanax si stronger than ativan so it might be bothering you, what you should do is do a slow taper off the xanax and this can be done, going back and forth between these 2 drugs will not help you out. CAL one of our mods is tapering off xanax I think, and she is doing very well, read her blog and you can learn a lot.

 

Take care  :thumbsup:

Recover08 - Hazyworld isn't switching back and forth between ativan and xanax.  Go back and read his first post and it will be clear. 

 

Hazyworld - No chance of seizures since another benzo was substituted for the ativan.  You will be fine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another question i took 0.5 mg at 2 30 of xanax i took 1/2 of a 0.5 mg and 1/4 of a 1 mg i think thats 0.5 and about an hour later my heart rate had gone up and i feel strange in my chest could it be from mixing the way  took th pills instead of just taking a half of my 1 mg pills,,,,im scaared
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure that what you are experiencing isn't due to the fear and anxiety you have expressed here.  Take a look at these symptoms of anxiety and see if I might be right:

 

Emotional symptoms of anxiety

In addition to the primary symptoms of irrational and excessive fear and worry, other common emotional symptoms of anxiety include:

 

Feelings of apprehension or dread

Trouble concentrating

Feeling tense and jumpy

Anticipating the worst

Irritability

Restlessness

Watching for signs of danger

Feeling like your mind’s gone blank

 

 

Physical symptoms of anxiety

Anxiety is more than just a feeling. As a product of the body’s fight-or-flight response, anxiety involves a wide range of physical symptoms. Because of the numerous physical symptoms, anxiety sufferers often mistake their disorder for a medical illness. They may visit many doctors and make numerous trips to the hospital before their anxiety disorder is discovered.

 

Common physical symptoms of anxiety include:

 

Pounding heart

Sweating

Stomach upset or dizziness

Frequent urination or diarrhea

Shortness of breath

Tremors and twitches

Muscle tension

Headaches

Fatigue

Insomnia 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Hazy,

 

I am by far no expert but since you are switching back and forth between these 2 benxos, it really doesnt seem to help your situation, I am recovering from ativan and it has been a ride but i am managing. Xanax si stronger than ativan so it might be bothering you, what you should do is do a slow taper off the xanax and this can be done, going back and forth between these 2 drugs will not help you out. CAL one of our mods is tapering off xanax I think, and she is doing very well, read her blog and you can learn a lot.

 

Take care  :thumbsup:

Recover08 - Hazyworld isn't switching back and forth between ativan and xanax.  Go back and read his first post and it will be clear. 

 

Hazyworld - No chance of seizures since another benzo was substituted for the ativan.  You will be fine.

 

Hi beeper,

 

after chatting with hazy she mentioned that she was on xanax for quite a few years and then in aug got on ativan for 2-3 months and then again back on xanax, so that's why i said it is not good to go bacn and forth on these benzos, i just mentioned that she should taper off the xanax and be benzo free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Hazy,

 

I am by far no expert but since you are switching back and forth between these 2 benxos, it really doesnt seem to help your situation, I am recovering from ativan and it has been a ride but i am managing. Xanax si stronger than ativan so it might be bothering you, what you should do is do a slow taper off the xanax and this can be done, going back and forth between these 2 drugs will not help you out. CAL one of our mods is tapering off xanax I think, and she is doing very well, read her blog and you can learn a lot.

 

Take care  :thumbsup:

Recover08 - Hazyworld isn't switching back and forth between ativan and xanax.  Go back and read his first post and it will be clear. 

 

Hazyworld - No chance of seizures since another benzo was substituted for the ativan.  You will be fine.

 

Hi beeper,

 

after chatting with hazy she mentioned that she was on xanax for quite a few years and then in aug got on ativan for 2-3 months and then again back on xanax, so that's why i said it is not good to go bacn and forth on these benzos, i just mentioned that she should taper off the xanax and be benzo free.

My bad.  :-[ I thought you thought she was going back and forth with them now. Sorry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

what a night i sweated all night still sweating this mornign and im having burning in my chest,been checked out by cardiolgist,,,maybe i am withdrawing from the ativan dont know what to do take more xanax or go back to ativan
Link to comment
Share on other sites


×
×
  • Create New...