switching back to Xanax completely?

Hi Buddies,

I've been tapering at a pretty good clip with the help of Valium and the buddies here.  I've slowed things down as that made the most sense given sxs.

But I'm having depression rear it's head again -- it was bad a few weeks ago too.

Has anyone here switched back to Xanax from Valium?  i think it could be complicated, as I've been taking the valium for four months now... but I'm considering it.  the physical sxs with Xanax were rough but the mental sxs with valium are becoming quite problematic...

I'm going to talk to my GP tomorrow but I'm not sure what she actually knows about all of this.  I've always gone in with a plan.

Anyone with experience around this?

SS

Hi SufferingSixity,

I had almost the exact same thing happen to me.  I had crossed to valium from xanax and was tapering with it, but I was just too depressed and lethargic on the valium. At 2mg of valium I finally decided to switch back. I went back to .25mg of xanax, and I just recently started the taper again. For me switching back to xanax was absolutely the right thing. The lethargy and depression definitely lessened. I ended holding at .25mg for a long time, and it did help me.  I hope, if you decide to switch back, that it works out well for you too.

Hi SufferingSixity,

I had almost the exact same thing happen to me.  I had crossed to valium from xanax and was tapering with it, but I was just too depressed and lethargic on the valium. At 2mg of valium I finally decided to switch back. I went back to .25mg of xanax, and I just recently started the taper again. For me switching back to xanax was absolutely the right thing. The lethargy and depression definitely lessened. I ended holding at .25mg for a long time, and it did help me.  I hope, if you decide to switch back, that it works out well for you too.

Hi Ella,

Thanks so much for your post!  It looks like you were a long term user of Xanax as well.  May I ask, did you do a gradual crossover to the Xanax or did you simply switch back quickly.  I'm seeing my doc tomorrow and want to go in there with some information.  Also did you get interdose w/d with the .25 Xanax?  I'm taking the Valium 4X a day for interdose w/d which may point to my being a fast metabolizer...

I never really had interdose w/d until about the last year of using Xanax. 

Anu information on how you did the cross back, that you're willing to share,  would be helpful at this time!

SS

 

Hi Ella,

Thanks so much for your post!  It looks like you were a long term user of Xanax as well.  May I ask, did you do a gradual crossover to the Xanax or did you simply switch back quickly.  I'm seeing my doc tomorrow and want to go in there with some information.  Also did you get interdose w/d with the .25 Xanax?  I'm taking the Valium 4X a day for interdose w/d which may point to my being a fast metabolizer...

 

I never really had interdose w/d until about the last year of using Xanax. 

Anu information on how you did the cross back, that you're willing to share,  would be helpful at this time!

SS

Hi SS.  Yes, I have been on xanax for a very long time too. I didn't do a gradual crossover to xanax, and I think the reasoning is that with the long half life of valium it wasn't necessary. The crossover was really without any real issue, and it actually was a move in the right direction for me.  I don't think I did have interdose withdrawal when I went to .25mg. If i did it wasn't a major issue.  I think a lot of it may have been that I just felt better being off the valium so maybe it wasn't as obvious.  In retrospect I probably wouldn't have crossed to the valium at all, and I would have tapered directly off the xanax. Right now since dropping to .1875mg I am having a tough time, but that has nothing to do with crossing back.  Good luck at the doctor's appointment today 

 

Hi Ella,

Thanks so much for your post!  It looks like you were a long term user of Xanax as well.  May I ask, did you do a gradual crossover to the Xanax or did you simply switch back quickly.  I'm seeing my doc tomorrow and want to go in there with some information.  Also did you get interdose w/d with the .25 Xanax?  I'm taking the Valium 4X a day for interdose w/d which may point to my being a fast metabolizer...

 

I never really had interdose w/d until about the last year of using Xanax. 

Anu information on how you did the cross back, that you're willing to share,  would be helpful at this time!

SS

Hi SS.  Yes, I have been on xanax for a very long time too. I didn't do a gradual crossover to xanax, and I think the reasoning is that with the long half life of valium it wasn't necessary. The crossover was really without any real issue, and it actually was a move in the right direction for me.  I don't think I did have interdose withdrawal when I went to .25mg. If i did it wasn't a major issue.  I think a lot of it may have been that I just felt better being off the valium so maybe it wasn't as obvious.  In retrospect I probably wouldn't have crossed to the valium at all, and I would have tapered directly off the xanax. Right now since dropping to .1875mg I am having a tough time, but that has nothing to do with crossing back.  Good luck at the doctor's appointment today 

Thanks Ella,

I'll try to figure out a way to do this in the next while with this information and knowing my body, sort of --it's kinda become a bit foreign since this taper began.  It is said so often here that the last bits are tough -- but then there are those who do quite well!  So I hope for smoother tapering for you....

One more question though : Do you dose more than once a day with Xanax?  And what was your dosing schedule before you began to taper?

All the best to you and many thanks

SS

 

Thanks Ella,

I'll try to figure out a way to do this in the next while with this information and knowing my body, sort of --it's kinda become a bit foreign since this taper began.  It is said so often here that the last bits are tough -- but then there are those who do quite well!  So I hope for smoother tapering for you....

 

One more question though : Do you dose more than once a day with Xanax?  And what was your dosing schedule before you began to taper?

 

All the best to you and many thanks

SS

Thanks SS  .For the majority of the years that I took xanax it was once a day. Towards the end of it, before I crossed to valium, I took it two and then three times a day.  When I crossed back to .25mg it was once a day, and I am still dosing once a day. I hope you can find a taper that is more tolerable for you.

 

Thanks Ella,

I'll try to figure out a way to do this in the next while with this information and knowing my body, sort of --it's kinda become a bit foreign since this taper began.  It is said so often here that the last bits are tough -- but then there are those who do quite well!  So I hope for smoother tapering for you....

 

One more question though : Do you dose more than once a day with Xanax?  And what was your dosing schedule before you began to taper?

 

All the best to you and many thanks

SS

Thanks SS  .For the majority of the years that I took xanax it was once a day. Towards the end of it, before I crossed to valium, I took it two and then three times a day.  When I crossed back to .25mg it was once a day, and I am still dosing once a day. I hope you can find a taper that is more tolerable for you.

Thanks Ella!