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KLONOPIN to VALIUM


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I'm curious if anyone found it helpful to switch from K to V, because research seems mixed about whether that's the correct move. I'm very much stuck at 1mg K and at this point would do anything to make progress working down -- I only fear switching to Valium could set me back further. I want to be off this drug as quick as possible, as I'm sure everyone else does too! Thank you in advance for any advice, it means the world.  :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:
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Hi there - Some people tolerate Valium well and others don't. I am one who does not and will be tapering off K directly (c/o from Ativan right now). I have tapered off K before and literally bought a mortar and pestle and gram scale to do my taper. I was able to make larger cuts at first (1/8mg per week) but as the dosage got lower, I had to reduce the cuts to 10% and just hold until I felt I could cut again which was generally 1-2 weeks. It took me 8 months to get off 2 mgs. My advice would be to be patient and slow down your taper. Hold at 1 mg until you feel ready to cut and then make a 10% cut and see how you feel. I was crushing up pills and weighing with the scale. My husband actually made an excel spreadsheet to determine my cuts. You really just have to take it slow, even making a 5% cut is better than nothing. Slow and steady wins the benzo race. Here to help in any way I can  :)
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Klonipin is stronger than Valium but does also have a long half life.  Valium , in my opinion is a crap shoot.  For some it works great, for others, they really wish they had never crossed.  Most people that crossover do it because the benzo they are are has a short half life.  I would read through the threads and get as much information as you can, so you can make an educated decision.  Wish you lots of luck, mo matter what you decide  :). Mary
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Everyone responds differently so I can only offer my experience and personal choices.

I specifically chose not to during my taper for two major reasons: Valium does have a longer half life in the body- however the initial absorption/ onset is quicker than K. In other words, when I took Klonopin I felt better more gradually and the duration of feeling better lasted longer. With Valium ( the very few doses I've taken in the past),the drug hit me quickly and left more abruptly. ( keep in mind I am referring to how I felt subjectively)This made it a poor choice as a substitute. I had fantastic medical advice from my psychiatrist when he specifically told me he would not prescribe Valium because " it hits too hard, too quickly" to be a good substitute. At the time I hated him but it turns out he was correct.

In addition I read many many posts on here regarding horrible fatigue and depression as the Valium taper progressed. I figured it wasn't worth the trouble and I might as well just get off of K. It didn't make sense to trade one for the other.

I did accept prescriptions for other adjunct medications that helped immensely. Oxcarbazapine and later Lexapro. I had to be talked into both by my loving spouse because I was VERY VERY anti med.

But here I am with only Lexapro left and I feel really good. So far away from where I was.

Be patient, go slowly and try to accept the fact that this process is brutal and plodding. Don't fight time.

I am proof it can be done.

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Ashton recommended the K to V crossover for 2 reasons,  1) V has a (slightly) longer half-life, and 2)  is available in lower "dose-density" tablets, which means you can make smaller relative reductions.

 

1)  Both K and V are long half=life benzos, so that's only a marginal benefit.

 

2) the real advantage is the lower dose density.  A 2mg V tablet is approx equivalent to .1mg K.  So if you tapered 1/4 of a 2mg V tablet at a time that would be like .025mg of K.  But...if you do liquid, then that doesn't matter.  If you do liquid, you can easily make .01mg cuts of either drug.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm curious if anyone found it helpful to switch from K to V, because research seems mixed about whether that's the correct move. I'm very much stuck at 1mg K and at this point would do anything to make progress working down -- I only fear switching to Valium could set me back further. I want to be off this drug as quick as possible, as I'm sure everyone else does too! Thank you in advance for any advice, it means the world.  :smitten: :smitten: :smitten:

 

I'm not where you are but I plan to get off klonopin. Not doing a crossover. Like you, I have read mixed experiences going to Valium. Once I get to 1mg I plan to drop as low as I can. Maybe doing the DMLT method.

I watched a video last night, because I need .5mg pills at the moment (my 1mg pills are not cutting properly) but it's the weekend and I can't reach my pdoc so I am drinking my klonoipn 4 times a day. (2mg of K daily).

 

Here is what I'm doing.

 

Best of luck to you

 

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I had a lot success switching from Xanax to Valium, but I know that is a little different. In terms of half lives that is just the active form of the drugs if I am correct. But in Valiums case its metabolites stay in the system for much longer than does Klonopin and its metabolites. So if I understand this correctly Valium can give some people a much more steady long window of effectiveness without the interdose symptoms of shorter acting drugs including Klonopin
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I take 1 mg k know. I wonder if i should take half in the morning and half at night. Since u guys said it has a short half life.I am just going to taper from k. I cant do the co again to v. I felt terrible but my psych probably did it wrong anyway. I wake up.most mornings a mess. I take it all.in rhe morning. But i shake so bad and feel really messed  up. Does anyone think its worth try?

ry. I dont know tnis is so confusing to me.  Maybe i should just leave it alone  :sick:

 

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I take 1 mg k know. I wonder if i should take half in the morning and half at night. Since u guys said it has a short half life.I am just going to taper from k. I cant do the co again to v. I felt terrible but my psych probably did it wrong anyway. I wake up.most mornings a mess. I take it all.in rhe morning. But i shake so bad and feel really messed  up. Does anyone think its worth try?

ry. I dont know tnis is so confusing to me.  Maybe i should just leave it alone  :sick:

 

Hey you, k has a pretty long half life, many people do 2 doses.  You can try if you want, just remember you may feel a little wonky a few days.  Just like everything else, you have to give it an opportunity to work.  You don't have to split your dose, you can take a bigger dose in morning when you are so shaky and a smaller one later.  Just a suggestion, you do what you feel you want or your body needs.  Thinking of you, Mary 💚🍀💚🍀💚

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Hi mary, msybe i will just kerp ot the same. Im wonky enough lol. I just dozed off for a nap.  The minute i start to get sleepy i feel the blood rushing through my body and pressure with smd yrembling. Then everything aches.  I feel do abnormal agsin. This cant be real.  I hope it is not s disease. Maybe its the gabapentin? Im so shaky.  Sprry i do this sll the time. This is so weird. Hope you are ok

 

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Hi mary, msybe i will just kerp ot the same. Im wonky enough lol. I just dozed off for a nap.  The minute i start to get sleepy i feel the blood rushing through my body and pressure with smd yrembling. Then everything aches.  I feel do abnormal agsin. This cant be real.  I hope it is not s disease. Maybe its the gabapentin? Im so shaky.  Sprry i do this sll the time. This is so weird. Hope you are ok

 

I'm okay, just wish you were feeling a little better, you are trying so hard.  Its just such a crappy process.  :(

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Does it sound like withdrawal. I an tryung not to ve neutotic :D

 

I have always spread my doses around when I thought I needed them the most.  I take my biggest dose at night to sleep and smallest one in morning.  K has a long enough half life for you to try if you want.  There is a chance that if you weren't taking your dose 24 hours apart, having some left in your body, might help with the shakes in the morning when you first wake up.  As long as you are keeping same amount of k in body over the 24 hour period  ;). You aren't neurotic, you are in nasty withdrawals.  💚

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Omg im withdrawing from 3 benzos at once.  I bet the?xanax and valium are still messing me up. Jeez

 

Your story is like many others, so don't judge yourself.  Dr's often don't understand what happens when you keep putting people on and taking them off different meds.  The poor brain and central nervous system is just getting tortured by all the different things happening and no time to heal.  You are going through a lot, and it will take time, but you are strong, I can hear it and you are determined.  You will do this..... :)  I know, I say the same thing over and over.....I get sick of myself but I can't let you judge yourself.

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No i need to hear it. Thank u m, i feel calmer.  Ill try not to judge myself. I feel like is somekind of weird dream. You are the best :smitten:
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No i need to hear it. Thank u m, i feel calmer.  Ill try not to judge myself. I feel like is somekind of weird dream. You are the best :smitten:

 

💞💘❣️♥️

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I asked my psychiatrist about this, since I, too, am tapering off Klonopin.  She said the 2 meds are so similar that she hasn't seen much 'help' in switching from K to V.  And personally, I am VERY sensitive to changes, so I think that was also part of her reasoning - we don't want to mess up something if we don't have to.  I am not at a very low dose yet.  I'm thinking I'll probably do liquid taper if needed for the smaller amounts.
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