Diazepam switch completely failed.

Hi guys

Without going into too much detail, I was originally on 1mg lorazepam 3 x per day (3mg total)

I've followed the Ashton manual to taper from lorazepam to Diazepam (full cross over to diazepam was only 4 days ago) To say its gone badly is an understatement. With each increase in diazepam things have got worse and since the full crossover I've been suicidal and full of rage. I was hospitalised in Feb for a breakdown that no one could quite understand but the feelings I feel now are exactly the same as they were then and I was on diazepam then. It is so clear now that diazepam effects me really badly and I shouldn't be in it.

My question is how quickly can I reinstate the lorazepam?

By no means do I want to put anyone off diazepam. Its obviously worked for so many, the proof is in the Ashton manual taper schedule. It just doesn't suit me.

Thank you

X

The switch over from a short-acting to long-acting benzo has to be done gradually to allow the long-acting benzo to build up...I think in reverse you wouldn’t have to do so.

Someone might come along with a better or more experienced reply, but I think if I were going to switch back it could be done fairly quickly...although you may need to give it two weeks for the diazepam to fully leave your system.

It will help if you add your taper/drug history...go up to Profile, choose Forum Profile and write down your benzo dose, crossover and taper history.

I’ll check back.

Thank you for getting back to me. I really appreciate it 

And I completely understand your logic re the long/short acting benzo. Ive added my history so hopefully that will be clear now.

I've reached out a number of times during my cross over from Lorazepam to Diazepam as I've found it so difficult. With every Lorazepam to Diazepam switch the bigger the increase in depression, low moods, suicidal thoughts and Ive barely left my bed. When I left hospital on the 3mg Lorazepam I was fully functioning. House chores, cooking, time with the family - in fact my partner told me I was doing too much and to chill out but I was feeling good.

Today, completely Lorazepam free and on 28mg Diazepam, I feel almost exactly as I did before I was admitted into hospital and I do wonder if its the Diazepam that has this effect on me. Hence why I feel perhaps a straight taper from Lorazepam may be more suitable.

Any input would be greatly appreciated

x

I can only tell you what I would do...nobody can fully predict how or when any benzodiazepine might affect anyone else or even themselves until you try.

I would switch back, personally. Long acting benzodiazepines are different than short-acting and frankly it sounds like diazepam isn’t doing well for you. 

Will your doc prescribe Lorazepam for you to switch back to?  If so, I’d probably try .5mg four times a day initially and monitor over the next two weeks to see how the gradual reduction of the diazepam affected me at that level, which would be 2mg daily.  If it got uncomfortable I’d bump it to 2.5 daily or 3mg if I had to. I’d hold until I felt stable enough to start making small reductions.

Chiming in...

I had the same exact reaction to Valium several years ago when I was embarking on my taper. I brought all Ashton materials to my PD, we sat down together, devised a plan, scripts were written, and I thought I was doing everything correctly.

Two weeks later I took my first Valium thinking the Ashton method was going to help me get off 18 years of prescribed Xanax use. It was a nightmare!

Day one of only one tablet of Valium without even reducing my dose of Xanax yet and I had crushing depression, 72 hours of zero sleep and suicudal ideation. Keep in mind, I had never experienced this a single day of my life until then! It lasted 3 days! When I started to come out of it I was appalled at the thoughts I had! It really shook me! In my 49 years (age at that time) I had never had a suicudal thought in my life.

I was on here talking about it and several people gave me this theory of Valium having to "build up" in my system which to be honest made very little sense as to why I had such a horrible reaction to it! However, I didn't even think a direct taper from Xanax was possible because everything at that time was touting Ashton and I was afraid that my taper was doomed. I was a newbie so I listened and attempted the Valium again but at 2.5 mgs instead of 5 mg. Again, not dropping any Xanax. Low and behold, it happened AGAIN! This time for about 48 hours.  Needless to say, I've never taken one since and I've never had a single day of suicudal ideation either. Not even in my hardest times or darkest hours of this long taper. To me the writing was on the wall that it was the Valium. No question.

For me, and I've come to find that it has happened to many others, I had a paradoxical reaction to Valium. Translated, it did the exact opposite of what the drug is intended to do. I was so upset over it that my taper was put on hold for a year because all I knew was Ashton and I felt lost and afraid!

Here I am, years later, plugging along doing a direct taper from a very short acting Benzo but hanging in there! 

I simply want you to know that you're not alone as far as having issues/reactions to Valium. There's still hope! Hang in there and best of luck to you!

Best,

Lori

PS: Decades ago, prior to my Xanax prescription, I was given Valium for a medical procedure and had no problem with it. It did its job very well. Odd how body chemistry/intolerance can change when these medications are used for long periods of time! Very similar to all the other medications (antibiotics) that I could take with zero issues pre Benzo use! Ugh!