Ryan-switching from Xanax to Valium

Hey Ryan, I spoke to my dr a few weeks ago about switching from Xanax to Valium.  I currently have 1mg tablets of Xanax and usually take no more than 1.5mgs at night and only sometimes 2mgs.  I have read your posts about staying at 2mgs or under in order to make the switch to Valium with minimum discomfort and have tried very hard to not go over this dose for several months now.  Sometimes, I will take .25mgs during the day because of the rebound anxiety.  As I posted a few months ago, the Xanax is predictably not working well anymore as I have been on it for over 12yrs.  

Just to be clear, I don't normally have panic attacks, just anxiety and terrible insomnia so I would mainly be taking this for sleep.

My question is, what is the equivalent of 1mg tab Xanax to Valium?  Does it sound like I'm doing the right thing?  I didn't get an rx for Valium from my dr when I went because I wasn't sure I was ready to make the switch at that time so I have to call the pharmacy and I want to make absolutely sure I have the right equivalent.  

I appreciate any response or suggestion you might have for me.  Your posts have educated me far more than my dr ever has.  

Thanks so very much...

[Jade59]

Thanks for your response Ryan. It's not that my dr didn't give me a script for any kind of reason...she is letting ME decide what I want to do!!  If I wanted to make the change when I saw her, she would have written the rx for Valium; I seem to be in control.  I brought Klonopin up to her, maybe a year ago and she didn't seem receptive to that.  I'm probably going to have to hook up with a psych to get the klonopin.

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure she has approved the Valium.  What would be the repercussions of taking say .5 Xanax and .5 Valium just to get some sleep since I'm already so addicted to a benzo anyway.  With the holidays here, I am not excited to take any kind of benzo all day long.  So if I began seeing a psych in a month let's say, would taking both Xanax and Valium be terrible?  What do you think of that?  

I feel so trapped and frightened!!

Thanks again...

[Orobinson]

why did your doctor switch you from xanax to valium?

[Joker117]

switching off xanax is huge  so I hear but personal experience  valium works better in the end for anxiety   while xanax responds fast/faster  for quick help say if you have a panic attack ..

Valium or klonopin are better for GAD ( general anxiety disorder..just to be clear lol)    valium and klonopin  last longer have better effects with less sever withdrawals  generally ..

I also wonder as to why your dr wants to switch you .. that is a good question ..I hope you know the answer , if not it doesn't hurt to find out ..


My advice if you are afraid of any Withdrawal symptoms  I would do this , start taking less than you normally do slowly
- save the extras  
- take less and less  to the point where you're breaking the pills in halfs and only taking 1 of those per day at most ..

Then any day after you get valium  try not to take any xanax  ,  if you end up feeling severely sick ( wich would be rare after tapering like that )   then take 1 of the extra halfs or w/e of the pills you'd have left ...

B/c xanax is so quick to respond in you body and doesn't stick around to long for a benzo  taking a half will keep you from every truly feeling anything with withdrawal

[Joker117]

1 more big thing

I have insomnia GAD and panic disorder  among many other problems ( add things that go along with anxiety )  

anyway -  Ambien / zolpidem ( spell check that lol sorry , generic form of Ambien)    It's a hypnotic   but man I promise it helps you sleep just  don't stay awake when you take it  it's meant for sleep but it helped me out alot

at the moment I use xanax for sleep as well and must say  ambien helps more ,  I trust purposely switch pills   that I know work for me  so I never deal with addiction to any 1 pill and if I am on any 1 pill for to long I use the technique I mentioned before .. I've messed up in my life and learned from those lessons  we'll just leave it there .


Good Luck .. you shouldn't need it though

[gobucks274]

I am new. I see people asking you questions and thanking you for answers, but I don't see your answers. How do I see them?  Thanks     Anyboby can answer

[nursegirl6572]

Joker....when replying to a thread that already exists, first look at the date.  Youve resurrected a very old thread, and while you may have valuable info to share,it is doubtful that the OP of this thread is still around.

gobucks....ryan left the site,and somehow all of his posts were deleted.  No idea how or why.

[ddr13]

valium didn't help me. It wore off to fast. I have been on Ativan and it has ran it's course so i have to get something else.

[ddr13]

It is hard not to get addicted. When you have the disorder's of anxiety and panic you have to take it, so your body get's used to it. I don't want to either but my anxiety was so bad i had to be put on something.