Xanax Or Valium?

[William05]

I have cirhossis due to Alpha-1 Antitripsin Defincieny. I am currently taking .5 mgs of Xanax once or twice daily for anxiety. Would Valium be a safer choice considering the condition of my liver?

[Tony-z]

I also take a dose of Xanax daily. I have asked my Dr. and Pharmacist which Benzodiazepines was best for the liver, both responded that they are all about the same on the liver.

Xanax is prescribe alot for helping during TX so I would think the Hepatologist would give the safest one.


       God Bless!

       TonyZ

[whoaisme]

My husband was told by a doctor that Valium was not liver friendly. That's all I can say about it.

[bluepeng]

Looking at the half-life of every benzo, Valium has a long one (20+ hours) Where Xanax is 6-12.  There is also the concept of first-pass meatabolism, etc.   I think Valium is a multi-pass.  This table may give you an idea.  I'd imagine you'd want something that cleared your body quickly.  

http://web4health.info/en/answers/bio-benzo-overview.htm

[DRAGON SLAYER]

I was on Tx for 26 weeks; had HCV 2B. My shrink prescribed the following meds with the approval of my Hepatologist:
1.Xanax 0.5mg x 2/day.
2.Ambien 10mg at bedtime.
3.Lexapro 20/day.

I cleared the virus & my LFT's were normal first time in 30+ years.
My conclusion is that my med profile was not that strenuous on my liver.
Good luck all,
Ben

[Forseegood]

Hi, new to this board. I have heard that zanax is a little better benz than valium, but let's face it, neither are very good for the liver, and I only use them if it's an emergency, otherwise I try to use other natural forms of relaxation. I'm not on tx though. Also, what concerned me more was the diet I've seen on this thread, pizza and pasta? maybe a lot of tomatoes and mult grain pasta, something a little more liver friendly, diet is so important for the liver.

[Atomic]

Totally agree with Forseegood.
Here is you can get xanax though generic one
http://www.ez-medicals.com/prices.php?aff_id=6562&sub=347

[Xenigma]

XANAX!!
I've used both over the years and Xanax is superior to Valium for anxiety and irritability.
I find Valium is a wonderful muscle relaxer,  NEVER take both together or in the same day.
You will get sick.

[kate400]

Best Xanax Pharmacies

http://www.cleopsa.com/pharmacies/xanax.html

Best Valium Pharmacies

http://www.cleopsa.com/pharmacies/valium.html

[toughluck]

I take Klonopin for anxiety and will use it during TX, I do not get the Valium hangover and moves through my system quickly, also if you want to stop sx is not as bad.

[B-bunch]

How did you get yourself off all those drugs without checking into detox? Are you still on them? All those drugs are trouble to get off you know. You will have to have a doctor help you taper-off, probably in a hospital.
Good Luck everybody.
p.s. My doc offered me Neurontin, he said it does the same things that Xanax does without the addictive danger. He also recommended Klonopin. He said it has a longer half life so detox and tapering won't be so difficult. Effexor is another really dangerous drug. You'll have to check in to detox for that one too. At least they help when we are on the TX but are a real bear to get off without MAJOR detox episodes.

[B-bunch]

Sorry, I forgot to tell you that Neurontin is processed through your kidneys not your liver. Give it a try.

[midnightrider]

neurontin almost killed me. my feet swelled like footballs.i was sick and toxic.this is a dangerous drug.
i have been on xanax for a long time i have horrible panic attacks.
when i got bursitius in my shoulder, i was prescribed valium for the muscle spasms. i was amazed at how much the pain was resolved but also the calming effects lasted longer than xanax.i was instructed by my pharmacy NOT to take the 2 together so i know it was the valium working better.
im going to talk to my dr about switching from xanax to valium.

i have been on all the other"monkey dope"(i.e klinopin, atarax,atavan,buspar,lexapro,all the anti depressant/anxiety "joke"pills)i call them" monkey dope" because they just dont work and some of them make your heart race and i already have A FIB .

if you have true  severe panic attacks you would find that they dont work at all they make u sleepy and thats all. youre sleepy and just scared to fall asleep.theese drugs such as valium and xanax get bad names because ppl take them for party purposes, not for the real issues, and for us with the REAL  problems "monkey dope" doesnt work.
i have had panic attacks so bad before that i would of drank yak **** if a dr said it would ease it.
i have been on xanax on and off for 10 years and never been addicted or had withdrawls. this is because i take it for the right reasons and i dont take more than im supposed to,actually i take it PRN not on a scheduled daily basis.

anyone wanting to try another route other than xanax or"monkey dope"ask your dr to  try you on  valium, works wonders.

[PRINCESS5121]

general comment.im taking 1 mg xanax for the anxiety i suffered prior to TX,and still on same dose,with no side affects.valium never did a thing for me.good luck all.....

[TomD575]

I would avoid Benzodiazepines for a long term treatment
About 10 years ago, a Doctor prescribed Xanax for a sleep disorder, the first couple of months were great, but my tolerance built up quickly and had to continue increasing the dosage to get the same effect, after six months I felt like a zombie.
I tired to quit cold turkey, but the withdrawal symptoms were so severe I had to go back on it.
I finally had to take 2 weeks off work to get off that poison.
The first week was unbearable, I literally couldn't leave my apartment for the first 3 days due to anxiety, severe jittery feeling, confusion, etc.
It took me 2 months before I was feeling back to normal.
Just my own experience.

[B-bunch]

Stay far away from XANAX. It stays in your system and affects your nerves for years after you stop. If you have to do anything, try Klonopin or Valium, they are a little easier to detox from. Unless you enjoy hallucinations.

[TomD575]

Klonopin, Valium and Xanax are all Benzodiazepines.

[Forseegood]

Hi, don't have time to read this entire thread so I might be repeating someone, but I was told by my doc that if you need to use a tranq...that Ativan is the kindest to the liver...and it says so on the lit for Ativan (generic) Lorazepam....that it is supposed to be the kindest....it is a benzo too, so maybe take it with a grain of salt, I don't know...so ask your doc....or pharmacist...there is the factor that each one of us reacts differently to different meds...and certain people might be taking more then they should, there are all kinds of variables to this, as with many things that pertain to this disease....

[drlabash]

Valium and Xanax are both benzodiazepines with overall similar effects (though individual effects may vary.)  Both are metabolized (chemically changed) by the liver.  However, Xanax is turned into an INACTIVE substance by the liver; Valium is turned into an ACTIVE substance by the liver.  This is one reason that the effect of Valium is longer than the effect of Xanax.  This also causes Valium to have less severe withdrawal if stopped suddenly.  But the active byproduct of Valium can build up in the system with prolonged use.  Hepatitis can potentially decrease the liver's ability to metabolize benzodiazepines, but this has not been conclusively demonstrated, and may differ from person to person with hepatitis.  All drugs metabolized by the liver (a very long list) interact with each other's liver metabolism in complex ways.  All benzodiazepines have some liver toxicity, but that has to be balanced against the need for treatment -- better to die a little sooner than suffer unnecessarily.  Valium hangs around longer, but so does its sedating effect -- hard to say if it is more toxic than Xanax.  Both these drugs are generic, so there is not much motivation to spend money comparing their safety in Hepatitis patients.

[Forseegood]

sounds like you know youre stuff...what do you think about Ativan? that's the only one I can take, though I take it once in a great while cause I'm afraid of dependence to sleep...I can't take sedatives or sleeping pills...though I guess I'll have Ativan  more on treatment...thanks!

[drlabash]

It would be a gross misstatement to call Neurontin a dangerous drug.  Neurontin rarely has serious side effects, does not interact with other drugs and is not addicting.  Side effects from Neurontin will go away when you stop the drug.  If you had problems with it, that is unfortunate, but that can happen to anyone with any drug.  The problems you describe are actually just as likely to have resulted from your disease, not from the drug. Your bad experience should not be considered a reason for others not to join the millions who have benefited from this medicine.  Benzodiazepines like Valium and Xanax are over all much more dangerous than Neurontin.  

Neurontin does not "do the same thing" as benzodiazepines, though both can be sedating.  Neurontin is a mood stabilizer and treats nerve damage symptoms.  Benzodiazepines are sedatives and muscle relaxers.  Neurontin (even though generic as gabapentin) is way more expensive than benzodiazepines.  Anxiety can be a result of depression, bipolar disorder, or even a result of hepatitis treatment drugs.  Which medicine will work best is highly individual.

[sfbaygirl]

I have taken all stated above.  Neurontin drove me nutz. I was ready to jump outta my skin. I am now on Lyrica, which has sx, but is for nerve pain. It helps me immensely with my Fibromyalgia.  I have tried Zanaz and had NO help whatsoever. I could take 6 and had no help. It doesn't help nerve pain BTW.  The Neurontin and Lyrica do and have no  similar dx compared to Valium or Zanax.  Years ago Valium helped my anxiety, Zanzx helps anxiety as well.....Nothing to do with nerve pain.  They are two different animals in my opinion.  There is no way Zanax could help my nerve pain, nor Valium....Just my take and I have severe nerve pain from Fibromyalgia.  

[alagirl]

it does seem like most of the docs prescribe xanax because hell, half of us seem to have been on it at one time or another.  The more pain I began to have though, I switched to seroquel (note that I don't have liver damage issues) so it would put me to sleep at night.  thats what i had the xanax for anyway and when I hurt so bad it doesnt work, so whats the point.  I decided to just take the thing that would at least let me get some rest for a while.  I can't take ambien, I do unfortunate things on ambien...

[sfbaygirl]

Unfortunate things?  Dare I ask what Ambien does?  I take ambien once in a while. It does help me sleep for 4 hrs at least.  I know the Lyrica didn't work for you, sure wish it did for your sake. Pain is hell and I know you know that!  My Dr. tried to put me on seroquel, I took something similar, forget the name now for sleep and to calm me down. Zanax did nothing!  Yes, I wish I could remember that name of what I took...I've seen it on TV as something lawyers are suing for. It worked to help me get some sleep and help with thought disorder, PTSD and nightmares.