Dr wants me to try this: diazepam to ativan

Please can you give me correct dose of Ativan, equivalence of 2.86 valium?

 

Doing o poorly dr. thinks time to try different benzo.  Think that my mood and sleep more important right now than tapering off.

 

He is open to other benzos (mentioned dalmane for one;  temazepam he not so sure about--  issue primarily is sleep for ome and always as been), but for now has called in ativan. 

 

Can I just switch?

 

How much ativan is equivalent?

 

For that matter, for future reference, what is equiv of dalmane, clonazepam, temazepam, just so I know?  Even librium?

 

 

Final question....  even if I were to try to keep tapering valium... from where I am... how long til I would be off timewise?

 

thanks.

 

 

Rough equivalency is 1mg Ativan = 10mg Valium. So your current dose transferred over directly would be 0.286. However, this does not take into account that the half life and active window for Ativan is much shorter than Valium, so I am not sure how well that would work, you would most likely end up going up in dose to cover all the hours of the day. Also, the smallest dose available for Ativan is 0.50 and they are tiny pills that weigh about 50-61 mg on the scale, which makes it very difficult to taper with unless you make a liquid.

 

As far as other equivalencies, there are a variety of charts online, which vary slightly. The important thing to remember is that the reason they vary is that it is not an exact science switching from one to the other. Here is an example of an equivalency chart (based partly on Heather Ashton'so work).

 

https://www.benzo.org.uk/bzequiv.htm

thank you, waves!

 

I wonder if going to librium makes more sense...  that is way long actiing.  but it doesn't do much for sleep I hear.  That is my primary issue.  And to not be on valium as think it may be one of my probs (tho maybe all would have this bad of withdraw).

At what rate are you going down on the valium?  I wonder if it would just be less time to go forward on the valium at this point. 

 

Barbara,

 

That's a difficult issue.

 

I can imagine sleep and stress being more important right now.

 

However, I must caution you. While nothing is guaranteed, switching to lorazepam/Ativan will make tapering much more difficult on the long run (most likely) . IMO, the two hardest and difficult benzo's are lorazepam and clonazepam.

 

I recognize you've been on 'benzos' for decades. That's quite different than a few years.

Yes but he is saying ativan at night only?

 

I in very bad shap have to do something.  lying trembling in bed and have been housebound so long.  Kind of thinking was a fool to start going off these drugs on my own--  wrong decision.  When drs told me to take more maybe I should have.  By then i did not trust them.

But doing this taper on my own perhaps was not smart at all.  Being my own dr. has not worked, either.

?

Sorry not been on boards a few days-- too sick. 

 

thx

Barbara, may I ask why you switched from klonopin to valium? Was it just to make tapering simpler? Or were you having issues with the klonopin?

Yes but he is saying ativan at night only?

 

I in very bad shap have to do something.  lying trembling in bed and have been housebound so long.  Kind of thinking was a fool to start going off these drugs on my own--  wrong decision.  When drs told me to take more maybe I should have.  By then i did not trust them.

But doing this taper on my own perhaps was not smart at all.  Being my own dr. has not worked, either.

?

Sorry not been on boards a few days-- too sick. 

 

thx

 

Ativan only at night - you risk interdose withdrawal.

It's not exactly a hypnotic, and certainly not long acting.

Unfortunately, doctors often know less about these things than their victims.

 

I don't have any easy solutions. Ativan seems risky. Plenty of people, ask for opinions.

waves,  I fell in with an Ashton group saing that is how i needed to gt off as was having probs getting off tiny bit clonapin.  but it was stupid.  First should have upped the clon a little to see if stabilized, nd if not, continued tapering that.

 

Didn't know that then.

But nobody is saying switching diaz to ativan i good idea...  hmmm.

Yeah, you'd be better off switching back to the klonopin than switching to Ativan, I think. Not that I would suggest that, exactly. It does seem like you've really been struggling with the Valium. I sure hope you find a livable solution to get you the rest of the way there. You're so close. In klonopin equivalency you are at a lower dose than me. Love and hope to you.

I did switch to clon for 9 day.  Not a trnition, just a swap.  Felt good 2 days then...  not.  Laored breathing and all so I switched back.

But that probably wa not the wy to do it.

 

Flurazepam??

 

I just don't sleep that is my prob and alway will be, likely.

 

I have ome ancient, ancient dalmane....  hould be fine of course.

 

Now how to tell dr. i reconsidered what he said and didn't pick it up.  He alread is frustrated because i can't seem to make up my mind.  when i feel like crap i have looping thoughts and see all sides of everything.

 

But of the possibilities of liquid valium rx (maybe he'd do that), fluraz. or klon they all seem better than ativan.

 

Oh, temazepam.... wht about tht?  Sleep IS my isue....  along with bad keyboard on cmputer....

 

Barbara, I know that you're getting desperate, but imo switching from a long-action benzo to a short-acting one is not a good idea. I was so bothered by Ativan's interdose w/d that I switched from it TO valium. And only at night? So not a good idea.

 

I know valium does not feel good for you . . . but what's the alternative? Flurazepam? Wow. I haven't heard of anyone on here using it. And how would you cross over?

 

So your doc wants to get you off valium and use it to treat your insomnia? Hmm. Then you will have a flurazepam dependency. And you'll develop a tolerance to it.

 

Keep us posted.

 

Katz

Well it is long acting and for sleep.

 

I don't know maybe i will never be off but thi n't continue.  i am nonfunctional mostly and housebound and terribly depreed/diabled.

 

A fw are put on librium... but I hear that does little for leep.

 

Lying here vibrating, not eating, sweating, just horrible.

 

What is my equivalency of clonopin to shade under 3 valium and  also there is 10 ambien which does not work any more.

 

I an't taper off anything in thi condition and if can't take care of self better won't be able to manage a thing.

 

can anyone chat?? ;(  My body just breaking down from this... been sick as ell.

 

 

If you are at 2.8mg valium, that is about 0.14mg klonopin. You could see what your doc thinks about switching back. At least it's the "devil you know", you know? And if you weren't having as many issues before switching, maybe it's worth considering. I know valium is supposed to be easier to get off of, but we all have different biologies, so maybe not for everyone? So sorry you are struggling. Find something that comforts you, a worry stone you can rub, a teddy bear to hug, pictures of beaches, whatever it is, do something, if you can think of anything, to make yourself feel better. Sorry I can't be of more help. :/

waves,

 

I was on clon and tapering not with a problem but was depressed and sleep issues so that mirtazpine was added in which thew me off a cliff.

 

Since I did not know to updose clon and hold and see where i was (I was totally bedridden, stomach a mess, not eating from mirtaz for 6 weeks at low dose)...  will never know.  Also my Mom had died and sister was adversarial with an atty so can't say I was wonderful on it.  But pre-mirtaz never had vibrating/sweats/all that stuff.    It was at that point fell in with fb group saying everything was benzos had to get off and go to valium.  I did, but now here I am 2 years later.  Little progress and sicker, other than stomach recovered.

 

?

 

thx for replying.

 

how would i even dose a .14 mg clon?

 

I have old flurazepam if that would be helpful... 15 mg pills but how to dose that alo an issue.

 

I apologize for looping thoughts, see ohw indecisive I am?  thx for patience with me...

I understand. I can be indecisive, too. Literally every time I go out to a restaurant, when the waitress comes to ask if we are ready to order, everyone looks at me, and I say, you guys go ahead, I'll decide while you're ordering. Last minute every time.

 

To taper from 0.14 klon, you would need the 0.125 tabs like me. Don't get me wrong, I can't exactly say I suggest that, just thought it was worth mentioning, since at least it's something you have taken before, has a long enough half life, etc.

srioiusly, they make a tab that small?

 

Uh I don't go out at all and it is o nont good for m. Even if I get off this tuff what life is left?  Friends not there.

 

Maybe could dissolve a tab but always confused about that and no 10 ml container.

 

Is there a chance I could half what i am taking for a while then get off valium???  Cannot imagine doing this for another year.....