What is considered a high dose vs. medium dose vs. low dose?

Subject says it all. 

 

 

Hi,

 

That depends upon the particular benzo. They have their own particular potencies, of course. How many tablets of the smallest regular dose (leaving aside Clonazepam wafers or similar) is a better guide. Still, it is only a guide, as 0.5mg of Clonazepam is certainly more potent than 2mg of Valium. Even allowing for relative potencies, there is the issue of what is considered a high dose for a particular benzo. I would consider 4mg of Clonazepam a high dose; this would equate to between 40mg to 80mg of Valium (I'm inclined to believe the upper end of that range). However, how often do you hear of doctor prescribing 40mg of Valium, let alone 80mg!

 

So, I would consider six tablets of 0.5mg of Clonazepam as pretty high; six tablets of 0.25mg of Xanax as fairly modest; and six tablets of 2mg of Valium as low. Although the number of tablets is a better guide (it is certainly better than using the dose), it is still not great. It is the dose x potency; though potency of the different benzos is far from being universally agreed.

 

 

Edit: lots of typos!

Thanks.  If you read the dosages of xanex recommended for example, panic attacks, they say a dosage of up to 10 mg is O.K.  Of course my doctor never wanted me to exceed 4 mg.  It is amazing to me that xanex can be recommended at 10 mg for panic disorder, yet no one would ever recommend 200 mg of valium for the same disorder and that is basically the equivalent.  Wonder why doctors are more afraid of prescribing a large dose of valium than xanex or clonapin.  Oh well, just glad I'm finally off the xanex and working on getting off the valium.  I can't wait to get my memory back.

I know, Summer, it just doesn't make sense. That's why it's so frustrating. And it's not just high doses of Valium that are the problem...doctors just don't want to prescribe it, period, whether it's 5 mg or 50. For some reason, they think Klonopin is magically OK. Even a doctor I went to who carefully monitored my Xanax intake told me there was no way I could be dependent on Klonopin. Go figure! It's illogical, as Mr. Spock would say.

 

Therese

Yeah, no doctor would mind prescribing large doses of xanex or klonipin, but the equivalent doses of valium, or valium period, is something they are hesitant to do.  I don't even like valium and it does nothing for my anxiety.  Why don't they know that?  Seems like we all know that and they are supposedly educated about anti-anxiety meds and they don't know that.  Or is it the insurance industry that tells them what is O.K. to prescribe and not to prescribe?

Personally, I suspect that it's bad medical school training. I think the pharmaceutical companies have infiltrated the med schools and have managed to get their lies taught as truth. In the end, you'll find it comes down to money.

 

Therese

Summer,

 

From my own personal experience, I learned that 40 mg of Valium is still considered a therapeutic dose, although it is fairly high. Anything above 40 mg is considered above therapeutic. My doctor gave me a 40 mg cap because, at the age of 60, he felt that I could fall and hurt myself if I increased my dose beyond 40 mg, even though I was only semi-stable at that dose. I believe there are differing opinions concerning what constitutes a high dose of Valium. Roche recommends only 20 mg per day, but what do the pharmaceutical companies know? My feeling is that someone who, for example, had to switch from 4 mg of Klonopin or Xanax to 80 mg of Valium is probably taking a high dose. I'm not a medical doctor, certainly, so I don't have any definitive answers, just opinions. I suspect 20 mg of Valium might be a medium dose and 10 mg a fairly low dose. Just my humble opinion.

 

Love,

Genie

Hi Genie,

 

Thanks for your opinion.  I suspect those numbers are correct.  I did look at Roche and it recommended up to a maximum of 40 mg.  Looked up numbers for xanex that recommended a max dosage of 10 mg (equivalent to 200 mg valium).  Doesn't seem to have an rhyme or reason to it.

 

How are you doing on your valium?  When are you making another cut?