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Re: Pls share benzo knowledge. (No bashing pls.) » Fivefires

Posted by Phoenix1 on February 5, 2008, at 12:44:09

In reply to Pls share benzo knowledge. (No bashing pls.), posted by Fivefires on February 5, 2008, at 10:46:39

> After a horrid 'nervous system breakdown' in 2005, was put on diazepam 10mg 3x a day.
>
> I felt great relief, but think I also felt a little too much fatigue/'no care' attitude. I was on it for about a year; 3 yrs ago.
>
> I wanted to get out and live my life and just didn't have the 'umpf'!
>
> So, I switched to Xanax.(?)
>
> Recently (Began in Nov.) my body began to eat up Xanax like crazy! (Or, at least the generic I was on, which I brought to the attn of my pharmacy, but wasn't taken seriously.)
>
> My anxiety was killing me. I got to 2mg qid!
>
> I just dc'd Xanax last Thursday as it had either become ineffective, as stated above, or was paradoxing.
>
> I went back to Valium.
>
> I wasn't titrated from one to another. Pharms disagreed on the need for this. Didn't even occur to pdoc.
>
> I was put on Val 10mg 3x a day. It's been a really bad 4days. I was detoxing! This wasn't the plan. The plan was to decrease my anxiety.
>
> I called him Friday eve and he said I could take one more in the evening.
>
> Still detoxing. No doc to reach!
>
> It has now come to my attn that their is a generic alprazolam out there that is very much like Xanax.
>
> I plan call pdoc today and suggest go back to this brand alprazolam. (I found a place that carries it.)
>
> U n l e s s, I learn something new here today.
>
> Can any1 explain how these two differ? Or, might there be another one I shouldn't be discounting? Pls understand my anxiety is crippling me.
>
> Is there a website w/ a chart about the strengths and half-lives and sorts of relief or the benzodiazepines?
>
> Am I wrong in thinking alprazolam is less sedating than diazepam?
>
> Orrrrr, should I be looking at lorazepam? (I've always thought of it as a young person's first choice .. one which isn't strong enough for 'a serious case' like mine.)
>
> And, as for Klonopin, it was like a snake in the grass for me. I'm not bashing it. I just wasn't given the proper info about it when I was given it. (BTW, my pdoc will not allow me to be on two benzos.) It was dc'd just b4 breakdown in 2005 so guess I have bad feelings about it. It's cold turkeying was probably the main reason for the breakdown.
>
> Or, is there another I should be looking to?
>
> If any1 w/ benzodiazepine knowledge could respond w/ their views or point me to a good website, I would appreciate it very much.
>
> tks, 5f
>
> and: This morning I'm thinking, well I got through it, and it was prob' good to have an alprazolam vacation.

Hi fivefires,

Sounds like maybe the generic alprazolam wasn't as good as brand name Xanax for you? And you can't go with brand name because your insurance doesn't cover it? I was going to suggest trying the extended release Xanax maybe.

Valium and Xanax are quite different. Valium tends to be more sedating than Xanax, and although it has a LONG half life, the sedating effects don't last as long as the half life indicates.

I think the biggest problem is that your dose of Valium is totally not bioequivalent to your old dose of Xanax. 8mg of xanax/day is equivalent to 160mg. (See http://www.benzo.org.uk/bzequiv.htm)

Here is the proper way to taper from Alprazolam to Diazepam: http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm#s7 Note this is only for alprazolam (xanax) 4mg, (you were on 8 mg if you were on 2mg qid) and the diazepam (Valium) dose is WAY WAY higher than what you are on now. No wonder you are in withdrawal!!!

Valium (diazepam) is the right drug to taper off of Alprazolam. You just need a much higher dose if you were actually using 8mg of alprazolam (Xanax) for an extended period.

PLEASE read the Aston Manual (http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/index.htm) and share it with your doctor. Ashton is a psychiatrist, psychopharmacologist, and has extensive experience discontinuing benzos humanely in her patients with much success. If you follow this procedure, you won't experience withdrawal symptoms such as you are right now.

I really hope this helps. I think it's pretty bad that you were switched from high dose alprazolam to low dose diazepam with no transition. This is bound to cause bad bad withdrawal, anxiety, sleeplessness, and could put you at risk of seizures. Please talk to your pdoc again, and show him the Ashton Manual.

I really hope this helps!

Phoenix


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poster:Phoenix1 thread:810837
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080124/msgs/810857.html