Direct cross over to Valium

Hello everyone, trying to make more friends here. I had recently found a benzo wise doctor 3 hours away from me after searching for a month I couldn’t find anyone in my local area that specialized in benzo withdrawal. I was on .5mg Xanax 3 times a day. The interdose withdrawals were rough. Met with the new doctor last Friday and he recommended I follow the Ashton manual but decided to do a direct cross over to 30mg Valium since he said my dose wasn’t too high. Today is the 4th day since I’ve taken the Xanax and I was a bit antsy the first two days. Now I just feel sedated a bit. Hopefully I stabilize within the next week so I can begin tapering the week after. He wants me to go down 2.5mg every two weeks as suggested in the Ashton manual. Trying to stay positive and accept the withdrawals. I do have fatigue, insomnia, achy legs, brain fog, low appetite, and ringing in my ears. Taking cbd to sleep when possible. I hope this transition goes smoothly. I take one 5mg in the morning, 5mg midday, 5mg afternoon, and 15mg before bedtime.

 

-Jimmy

Hi Jimmy,

 

I moved your post to Withdrawal Support since you're not really looking for a substitution plan, you're looking more for support, hope I'm right. 

 

Your new Dr sounds great, but I hope he'll let you slow it down if things get too uncomfortable, be sure to write down what you're feeling so you can communicate with him.  If you're anything like me, you probably freeze up in the office. 

 

I'm glad the sedation is kicking in, that means it's working, your symptoms don't sound fun at all. 

 

Pamster

Thank you Pam. You’re right I did freeze up during my first appointment. I have bought a calendar and I plan on writing down everything I feel. The last two days including today Ive felt heavily sedated. My body feels like jello and I’m always sleepy or tired. Opposite from how I felt during tolerance with the Xanax. I do still get irritable at times and have to stay away from stressful events. Today will be day 5. Another question, when tapering by the Ashton manual does it help prevent paws? I know everyone is different but from what I’ve read it seems to be more prevalent in those that have withdrew multiple times or CT that got it.

-Jimmy

Good, I'm glad you're going to document your symptoms, your Dr should be your partner in this so that the two of you together can make the best decisions for your taper. 

 

One thing I wish I would have done was to write down my healing journey, I've seen members use our progress log to do this, but really any medium would be good.  The reason I say this is because I couldn't tell I was getting better because my mind told me it was ALL bad, and that wasn't true.  I was healing in small increments not realized by my conscious mind, I think it may have improved my outlook a little if I'd kept track.

 

I wish I had an answer for you, but we just never know who will suffer long term, so much depends on length of use, amount, genetics, age, medical history and who knows what else.  I predict you won't be one of those people based on nothing but hope for you. 

Thanks Pam. You’ve been super supportive. I have says where I’m frustrated and want to get off ASAP but I know it’s better to ween slowly. The direct cross over to Valium from Xanax has been ok. The first few days I didn’t feel anything and was wide awake mostly. Just heavily sedated the last few days now. One more week until I start cutting. Went from Xanax interdose withdrawals with no sleep to sleeping like a bear during hibernation.

 

-Jimmy

Yes interdose is HORRIBLE.  Are you able to function and work?    How do you feel first thing in the am when you wake up?

 

I feel miserable in the AM.  Then in the PM it gets better.  I am not working.  Retired    I need to find some distraction.

Hey Friend,

I’m fairly new on here but I’ll do my best to explain. I completely stopped taking the Xanax last Tuesday and switched directly to Valium. The first two days on Valium I didn’t feel much. The last few days I’ve felt so sleepy in bed all day especially during the nightly doses. I’ve been able to sleep a bit with cbd oil. To answer your main question about the interdose and Xanax. I went from 1.5mg tried to cut to 1mg before I found BB. Only lasted 2 days I had panic attacks randomly that would last an hour or two along with the rebound anxiety, slow reflexes, cog fog, bad insomnia, restless legs, high blood pressure, and a bad migraine, ringing in the ears, and stuffy head. I didn’t understand tolerance withdrawals at the time. When I updosed back to 1.5mg I broke the doses into 4 to manage the interdose. I updosed when I broke into 4 doses a day and some symptoms subsided. I’m able to function a bit but then again I haven’t started tapering yet. On the Xanax I felt terrible in the mornings waking up in a panic at 3am every day on the day’s I could get 2 hours of sleep at the time.

 

-Jimmy

 

Are you able to work?  Are you bedridden because of the Valium?  How do you feel now in the AM?  Able to function?

I’m able to function. Just a little slow but I can walk around just a little dazed. But nothing like the Xanax I felt really jittery and fatigued. I’m not bedridden from my symptoms. I’m just trying to stay stable on this Valium cross over before I start cutting.

 

-Jimmy

You working?  have kids to take care of?  I can totally relate to where you are at!!

I’m 30 with a wife and baby. Currently taking time off to stabilize working from home for now. I’m sorry I don’t have any experience with the Klonopin. Sounds uncomfortable

Hi Jimmy,

 

I'm glad to see the Valium has calmed things down a bit, that bear in hibernation sounds like a nice way to go, wouldn't it be wonderful if you could hibernate until this was over?  I used to wish I could go to the hospital and be put into a medically induced coma until I healed but hibernation sounds much better.

Hey Pam, oh yes I agree with you on that one. I wish I could be induced and it all be over with lol but as of now I have to take it slow. Thank you for your guidance so far. I’ve seen a few posts where no one has even replied. Glad to have you here. Can you send me the link to the diazepam withdrawal support again. I’m still looking to make positive friends.

 

-Jimmy

Be happy to Jimmy, the best way to make friends is to be one, so you're going about this the right way. 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=96753.0

Thank you Pam,

God bless. Sorry had been out of it a few weeks.

-Jimmy