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Is the Valium Dose high enough?


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I have been taking 1 mg Xanax at night for sleep. I get panic attacks at 2:00 pm everyday. I think I'm going through a mini withdrawal.

 

Today my doctor prescribed 5 mg Valium morning and night.

Is that high enough dose?

 

I tried to look it up in the Ashton manual but I can't find the answer. I'm sleep deprived so it's hard to concentrate.

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Per Ashton Manual, 1mg Xanax is equivalent to 20mg Valium.

 

So if you were taking 1mg Xanax per day, you'd need 20mg Valium to replace the Xanax. 

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Thank you for the response. My doctor prescribed 5 mgs twice a day. He wants me to take my Xanax still for 2 weeks and then start tapering off the xanax.

 

But it sounds like I would benefit by a higher dose of valium. Do you think I should ask my doctor for a higher dose of valium?

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Well, what exactly is your doctor wanting you to do?  Crossover to Valium?  Substitute directly to Valium?  Was the 5mg Valium morning and night in addition to the 1mg Xanax at night? 
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I don't think my doctor has experience with getting off of benzos. He told me to take 1 mg Xanax at night and 5 mg Valium morning and night for 2 weeks then cut my Xanax dose in half. That sounds too harsh.
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That sounds almost haphazard.  If you read the Ashton Manual, there are taper schedules for all types of benzos, with Valium substitution, that gradually decrease in the benzos dosages down to zero, and it isn't just add 5mg Valium AM and PM for 2 weeks then cut the Xanax.  Can you read a little of the Ashton Manual, maybe just the withdrawal schedules part even?  It'd help you decide how you want to go about this, if you're wanting to taper from 1mg Xanax. 
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This is not the correct way to taper what I experienced. I got rid of this Dr after he did this 1 mg 4 times a day of Xanax, then in only a month down to 2mg a day. (this is when the insomnia started) after another month he cut it down to 2mg of Xanax a day. That is 80 Valium at 10 Valium for .5 Xanax. Quite a jump and then withdrawals.Then 3 mg of Konopin for a month, then I left him. I got the Ashton Manual and went from 3 Klonopin to 10mg Valium three times a day. I had gone cold turkey for 6 weeks and had all the withdrawal muscles jerking, insomnia, RLS, vision issues, sound issues, light too bright issues. So I figure I am under tapered as you do. Mostly because the 30mg of Valium do nothing and I take them at night to sleep. They do nothing. I promised I would not up dose and would advise against that because although it may be tough, you will get through. You really have the choice here, the doctor will surely increase the dose, but just remember it is about you taking over your heath. Dr. are clueless to the correct methods but try to stay the course than go backward. I know it is hard but your body will adjust. I would rephrase and not say high enough, although side effects are causing you despair. Hold on and make your mind up to taper from that point. I often wanted to add more Valium when I felt no relief but all I was doing was prolonging the success of my progress. You have to want to be free of them more than they want you to be afraid of them, sounds corny but your body knows better. take care
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I was able to read the taper schedules in the Ashton Manual. I'm struggling to figure out a schedule for me because I was only taking Xanax at night.

 

So I'm taking 5mg valium in the morning, 5 at night and .75 mg Xanax at night.

 

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

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CeCe, you said you get panic attacks daily at 2 PM.  I think you might find that within a week or so, the Valium you're taking will start to cover the mini-withdrawals you've been having with once a day Xanax.  To help more with that, what do you think about doing this -- take 5mg Valium in morning, the other 5mg Valium in afternoon, and the .75mg Xanax at night? 

 

That might cover you better, stave off dips in blood levels of your benzos.  Then once you feel a bit settled down from this regimen, you can reassess how you want to proceed.  Whatever your doctor might think, you'll be better off with tapering slower than what he's suggested, and you need to be in control of the process, not him.  So again, after you start to feel a bit better, think about what you think would be best for you and go from there.  Hope that makes sense. 

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I want off benzos but stability needs to be my first goal. I haven't been functioning at the most basic levels. Not eating and not sleeping.

 

I like your idea of trying to get stable first. The once a day Xanax has got me very messed up!

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Well, as I said, give the Valium a little time to work and see how your body responds.  If it were me, I'd dose 3X per day as I mentioned before.  And as a short-acting benzo, Xanax only once a day would cause all kinds of upheavals!  Hope you feel better soon. 
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I can not believe what a difference it made taking 5 mgs of valium this morning- no afternoon panic attacks. Taking Xanax only at night was not a good idea at all.

 

I've been able to read more of the Ashton manual and I think this is all much more workable. Thank you delta 1.

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It helped a lot taking 5 mg of valium yesterday morning. I took another 5 mg in the evening along with .75 mg Xanax at bedtime.

 

This morning I have a massive drug hangover and i don't want to take the Valium. Can you skip doses if you don't feel anxious?

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What about 2.5 valium in the morning and 2.5 in the afternoon? I'm so clueless about how to proceed. I don't want to screw this up but I don't want to over drug myself if I don't have to.

 

If anyone has advice please share thank you.

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CeCe  the ashton manual is a rough guide for success on how to proceed. You said your Dr. has the manual are is aware of it but I do not think it is being followed for your benefit.i used to think the Dr. knew everything and could be trusted. you are using the guide but still unfortunately seem to be panicing because you cannot follow it to the letter. Well we are all different. The most important thing to remember if you find a willing Dr. is to be on the same page. Also Drs can be intimidating but it is your health not theirs. Know how you feel, know that following the guide is good but it is not exact, none of us know the exact way taper and none of us are the same. First make sure you Dr. knows equivilents, i do not think that is the case, if you ask he/she should know them by the book. otherwise they are just guessing and hoping. Something you do not need. Go in the office educated from the manual and not intimidated to say perhaps in a nice way "that does not sound correct". You need himor her for the prescriptions, taper sensibiliy but do it with your comfort in mind. We pay a lot for that short visit and should becaome active participants in our health. Believe it or not some drs are just guessing what to do,and your diagnosis is also a guess based on what you tell them or told them. It should not be a label. Maybe all you need is a smooth taper, done properly and you will get what you wanted for your sake. Take charge, because as the taper goes on you will find yourself needing to be more confident and in charge of your health overall. I do not mean to be cruel I just noticed you are hearing a lot of opinions but go buy how you feel not opinions. Take control of that taper and that life.Itis yours. So is your health. Drs are people and unless he or she went through withdrawals they are guessing or not doing the best for the patient. There a many doctors around do not think you will hurt anyone's feelings finding the right one. That is in your hands. STL :thumbsup:
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CeCe and others. I too after I thought about the post believe the Valium is too low and ineffective. I feel practically nothing on Valium on top off constant insomnia. I am on 30mg Valium and Ashton equates to 45mg. I believe the Dr. is hurrying the taper and hoping I can deal with it. Well if 30 does not work and I have never been on Valium in my life (i was put on X, then K) only with Ashton was it Valium. I feel I was better off with no Klonopin because Valium does nothing but perhaps prolong insomnia. I feel like not taking the V at all and dealing with insomnia. I do not want to waste my time tapering from something that seems to be ineffective. Anyone else have this issue?. I would rather be finished with the taper from K and go CT than keep tapering on something that does nothing and may be adding time to my results. If the sleep would come I would not need the Valium but I see no difference anyway.quite a dillemma.
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Hi, my doc switched me over from .5mg of xanax 4 times a day to 10mg of valium three times of day. I asked him for 40 mg of valium which is the equivalent dose to the 2mg total xanax dose. He would only give me 30mg valium. I was struggling more the first week, but since the valium has such a long half life I'm getting somewhat stable on the 30mg of valium. I should add that I also take 2mg. of estazolam at bedtime for sleep. This is a benzo med. My doc told me to taper off of the daytime benzo first. I don't know why these docs won't give people an accurate equivalent dose of valium. Anyway, now I have to figure out a taper schedule for getting off of the valium. If your doc won't give you a higher dose of valium and you can't stabilize on what he gave you, I would just ask him to put you back on the original dose of benzo that you were on. I'm going to try to make this taper work with the valium, but I don't know. The valium makes me really sleepy during the day and somewhat depressed. Wish Ashton gave more info about the effects of valium. Hang in there. Somehow you'll find a way to make this work. It's scary and frustrating though, I know. Best of luck to you.  :thumbsup::smitten:
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