Clonazepam vs diazepam (taper help)

Hi I was on clonazepam for 12 years then decided to switch to diazepam last January due to it's longer half life I was at 4.5mg of clonazepam then ripped down to 60mg diazepam took a while to get stable. Dropped 5mg trying to get better. I decided to come off because I went through an extremely traumatic event and thought diazepam was stronger. Was panicking like crazy I guess I hit tolerance? Didn't know what I was doing. Was dropping 1mg a month now I can barely drop 0.5mg a month at 42mg and holding. Went back and fort between clonazepam and diazepam over the years to get off booze. Also dropped 1mg of ckonazepam in a day without consequence. Went down then back up. Didn't know I was making it harder. Now I can barely leave my house I'm afraid of my own heart rate increasing it makes me panic. I need to stabilize I just don't know if I can do that on diazepam been REALLY considering going back to clonazepam but I'm afraid my heart rate will change or something else and I will freak out. I can't seem to stabilize I dunno if I should up my dose but I'm weak and forcing food I can't even walk around without panicking. My panic surrounds my heart and the issues that aren't there. I'm out of shape and terrified. What should I do? Thank you.

Hi KyleK87,

 

I've been reviewing your posts and the main theme I see throughout is your feeling that the Valium is not working for you.  Now this may or may not be the actual case, but what is important is how you feel about it.  If you're not confident in the Valium, this introduces stress into your life and who needs more of that?  So you lack confidence in the Valium but you're indecisive about making the switch back to Clonazepam, well, indecision can be very stressful, so I feel the sooner you make a decision, the better you'll feel. 

 

If you go back to the Clonazepam, it may not be what you were hoping for but at least you'll be more comfortable with your path forward because you listened to your gut and made a decision.

 

Pamster

If I continue taking diazepam I will just be this nervous wreck? Have I hit tolerance? Will I ever level out? Are either of them dangerous to the heart? I'm just so unsure about either 🙈😥

It all depends on how your body reacts to these pills only you can know that no doctor or bb member can tell you that listen to your body that's all the advice i can give you i to was on clonazepam switch ed to diazepam after cold turkey and i have no major issues with it but it seems that my body metabolasies Diazepam faster then clonazepam mybr try to switch generics it can make all the difference in the world i wish you well

How would I know if my body doesnt metabolize diazepam properly?

And thank everyone for help

So did you cross over from K to V in 2019 or the beginning of this year (2020)? My take is that crossing over from 4.5 mg K to 60 mg V is a sizable drop even if it happened last year. 4.5 mg K is equivalent to 90 mg V according to the Ashton manual, although many people (including myself) find Ashton's equivalencies to be on the high side. If you've been on V for a year already, it seems to me that switching back to K might be an ordeal in and of itself. Going up and down in dose supposedly can cause you to reach tolerance faster from what I've read, but I don't know if that is supported by evidence. Just my two cents. I hope whatever you decide you find a route that minimizes your symptoms.

 

 

I crossed over in 2019. I've done some research into diazepam how it speeds up your heart rate while you sleep and it blocks your DOA enzymes which break down histamine causing issues and is more so for anxiety than panic. If I am to cross over I would just cross over to the equivalent dose. I'm just not able to eat or sleep properly or leave my home or be in a vehicle or be around anything at all. That's why I'm considering going back on k. What di you think the ordeal would be?

Any time you switch from one benzo to another you can experience withdrawal symptoms. V and it’s active metabolites work as anxiolytics, muscle relaxants, and sedatives. I would just be concerned that you’re already feeling bad and crossing back over to K isn’t a guarantee that those symptoms will go away. If you had just crossed over then I would say go for it, but at this point your body has had ample time to “acclimate” to the V (even though you haven’t been feeling well for a while).

So should I just stay on the valium and ride it out? I mean it just seems to be causing a lot more problems...I'm scared to switch but I'm also scared to feel like this everyday...I wake up everyday panicking about my racing heart and EVERYTHING scares me. I can't even walk around I just don't know what to do. Does clonazepam not have all that?

Klonopin has anxiolytic properties as well as anti-seizure properties. It’s just not as sedating Valium (and obviously there’s the half-life to consider). I am only advising based on what I would personally do. Klonopin was really hard for me to taper and maintaining sleep is a big priority for me (my sleep was worse on K).

Kylek,

Clonazepam has its own problems.  Tolerance wd can feel like taper wd.  Switching over can have its own concerns, too.  It’s awful to feel like you do.  There’s no guarantee that switching back will resolve it.  I’d stay put and focus on stabilizing.  It’s not easy, but can you do anything comforting to distract yourself?  Really, watch Netflix comedy, soak in a warm bath, listen to spa music, deep breathe.  It’s so important to do all these little things all the time.  Altogether, they help.  You will heal.  If you feel desperate, call the crisis line and just talk.  Remember, your day will come and you will heal. 

I read clonazepam has all of those things too. I'm honestly just worried. CONSTANTLY about my heart 😥

Ok thank you for everyone's input. I think I'll stay on. I'm just worried all this stress and panic will hurt me 😥 I'm terrified

Hi Kyle,

 

I've been listing to hypnosis and meditations while walking and doing exercise. Headphones are a lifesaver for me!  I find I can shut

the world out which enables me to go on walks and exercise. But I need to do both, I can't just sit still and listen. I need to be doing

something. If I'm having a really bad day I'll sometimes listen and walk, exercise for a couple of hours, but I usually feel much relief. 

 

Apps and Youtube are a great source for exercise, meditations, and hypnosis. 

 

Hope this helps! 

I really dont k ow what to do I'm just stressing out and every day I'm waking up heart racing and in panicky about everything. I seey doctor in 2 hours

KyleK

How did the dr visit go?  Keep in mind that what you’re feeling is anxiety.  Panic can feel like a heart attack.  I once raced to ER for a heart attack.  It was panic.  Wow, scary.  But I realized that anxiety causes that, and was reassured quickly it wasn’t death.  Anxiety is a lot of self talk downward spiral.  It’s important to do things in the other direction.  Walk.  Listen to soothing sounds.  Warm baths.  Eat healthy.  Repeat positive words to yourself out loud.  ‘This will pass.  I am healing’.  Time is your friend because every day is one more towards freedom from meds. 

Oh I'm sorry yeah super scary I'm sorry that happened I've been there like a few hundred times I went back to k didnt help too much