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Benzodiazepine Equivalence Charts

Date: Sat, 29 Jul 1995 08:29:51 -0500
From: gsdavids@chardonnay.niagara.com (Dr. George S. Davidson MB BS FRCPC)

A while ago people were interested in relative doses of benzodiazepines. This is a table which I find useful. It is difficult to compare them on the same scale since they differ in their anxiolytic, sedative, and antipanic effects, but this table provides a rough comparison useful for managing benzodiazepine taper or withdrawal. Thus, oxazepam 15 mg is roughly similar to diazepam 5 mg.

From: Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs, 4th revised edition, Bezchlibnyk-Butler et al. editors (Clarke Insitute of Psychiatry, Toronto), Hogrefe & Huber. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Benzodiazepine      Comparative    Time         Half-life
                    dose           to peak
                                   plasma
                                   level

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alprazolam            .5           1   - 2       9   -  20
Bromazepam           3.0            .5 - 4       8   -  30
Chlordiazepoxide    25             1   - 4      24   - 100
Clonazepam            .25          1   - 4      19   -  60
Clorazepate         10             variable      1.3 - 120 * (unreliable absorption)
Diazepam             5             1   - 2      30   - 200 *
Estazolam            1              .5 -  .6     8   -  24
Flurazepam          15              .5 - 1      40   - 250 *
Halazepam           40             1   - 3      30   -  96 *
Ketazolam            7.5           3.2          30   - 200
Lorazepam            1             2 4           8   -  24
Nitrazepam           2.5            .5 - 7      15   -  48
Oxazepam            15             2   - 3       3   -  25  
Prazepam            10             2.5 - 6      30   - 100
Quazepam             7.5           1.5          39   - 120 *
Temazepam           10             2.5           3   -  25
Triazolam             .25          1   - 2       1.5 -   5

                                                           * metabolites

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quantam in una hora imputas?

From: Dr Felicity Plunkett
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 1996 20:23:51 +1300

I'm posting this as have had a few requests for it. (NB: I've had this list for ages and can't guarrantee its accuracy.) 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Generic             Trade        Half-life of         Mg equivalent 
Name                names        drug or              to 10 mg
                                 active metabolite    diazepam

                                 S:    <  12 hr
                                 M: 12 -  40
                                 L: 40 - 200

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alprazolam          Xanax        S                    1 

Bromazepam          Lexotan      S - M                6

Chlordiazepoxide    Librium          M - L           25
                    Nova-pam

Clobazam            Frisium          M - L           20

Clonazepam          Rivotril             L            2
                    Klonopin

Clorazepate         Tranxene         M - L           15 

Diazepam            Valium               L           10
                    D-Pam 
                    Pro-pam

Flunitrazepam       Rohypnol         M - L            1

Flurazepam          Dalmane              L           15 - 30

Loprazolam          Dormonoct    S                    1 -  2

Lorazepam           Ativan       S - M                1 -  2
                    Lorapam 
                    Lorzem

Lormetazepam        Noctamid     S                    1 -  2

Medazepam           Nobrium          M - L           10

Prazepam            Centrax          M - L           10 - 20

Nitrazepam          Mogadon          M               10
                    Insoma   
                    Nitrados

Oxazepam            Serenid      S - M               20
                    Serepax 
                    Serax
                    Benzotran 
                    Ox-pam 

Temazepam           Euhypnos     S - M               20
                    Normison  
                    Somapam

Triazolam           Halcion      VS (2-4 hr)          0.5
                    Hypam 
                    Tricam

------------------------------------------------------------------------

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[dr. bob] Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD, dr-bob@uchicago.edu

Revised: February 7, 1999 (formatting)
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/bzd.html