Switching From Xanax To Valium (Page 7)
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PLEASE HELP! For the past 7yrs I've been on 1mg Xanax (3x) per day for anxiety and panic attacks. I take my dosage of Xanax as prescribed by my Dr unless I have a severe panic attack, then I may take an additional (1-2) 1mg xanax when I'm actually having a severe full blown panic attack to stop it. I've been on other Benzos before but Xanax seems to be the only thing that stops the panic attacks when I'm having them.
Recently my Dr decided to switch me from 1mg Xanax (3x) per day to 10mg of Valium (2x) per day because he says Valium is "stronger" and has a longer half life than Xanax. He says the Xanax isn't working for my anxiety anymore. From what I've read on the Internet about Xanax vs Valium is that Xanax works better than Valium for panic attacks. I like to mention I have a phobia of taking new medications. I stressed my concerns to my Dr that my anxiety isn't as much of issue for me as my Panic Attacks. He said not to worry cause the Valium is stronger. Then I asked him what if while I'm taking the Valium I suffer a sever panic attack? What do I do to stop the panic attack? His responce was that I could take a 1/2 of a 10mg Valium tablet to stop the panic attack. I wanted to tell him that from what I knew, Valium is slower acting and that I didn't agree 1/2 of a 10mg is going to stop my panic attacks but I didn't want to question his professional expertise over my Internet findings. I know he's the Dr and the Dr knows best right? So I guess to finally get to my point is I'm terrified to start the Valium because im afraid that when I have a panic attack and I say WHEN and not IF cause it's only a matter of when I will have a full blown sever panic attack what would I do to stop it? From reading up on Valium I know it wont help stop my panic attack like the Xanax will. I asked my Dr before I left his office that while I'm on the Valium and I have an attack could I take a Xanax to stop the attack? He said absolutely not! He said if I have a panic attack while on valium I can take a 1/2 of my 10mg Valium. I didnt say this to my Dr but I know from what I read about Valium is that it won't stop an attack as fast as Xanax will. I dont know what to do? Im so scared and I feel helpless cause I feel like my Dr isn't getting what im saying. My panic attacks can last as long as 2 hours or more. I know because my longest panic attack was while I was driving through the desert and realized I forgot to pack my Xanax. 2 hours in to my attack after trying breathing techniques and what not I had to taken to a hospital by ambulance cause my heart rate went up way to high and so did my blood pressure. My panic attacks can lead to an ambulance ride to the hospital. I feel like my Dr is focusing on treating my anxiety more than my panic attacks which are of greater concern to me at this time. I read on line that other people have been prescribed both Xanax and Valium to be taken as needed. Valium for anxiety and Xanax for panic attacked. I spoken to 3 pharmacists who tell me that I can take the Valium and if I should have a major panic attack I could take a Xanax no problem because they're both Benzos but only on the occassions when I'm having a bad panic attack. Why couldn't my Dr just say that? I know some of you may read this and say that I just have an addiction to Xanax. Honestly that would be further from the truth. If I knew that Valium would stop my sever panic attacks I would switch in a heart beat but from what I'm reading I know Valium won't help with an attack as fast as Xanax will. I'm not looking for the Xanax "kick" some people love to feel or to have a feeling of Ephoria. I just want a reliable medication to treat my disorder. I want to trust that my Dr knows what's best for me but only I know what my body and mind is going through and I somehow can't get him to understand! If anyone has had the same problem as me or can offer any support or advise I'd love to hear what you have to say. Has anyone ever taken both medications in the same manner im suggesting or together at the Sametime? How did it make you feel? We're you able to cope and how? Please anything will help. I know there has to be other people out there experiencing or have experienced the same thing. Thanks.

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Hi my name is Tiffany and I just started xanax about 2 weeks ago. I was having panic attacks for 2 years and didnt say anything to annyone because I thought I was crazy and that no one would understand, untill one day last month they started to get bad and it got to the point where I was just so afriad that I didnt wanna live anymore. My boyfriend told me I really had to tell the dr what was going on, so i did. My dr said what i was going through was completly normal and he perscribed me .5 mg of xanax 3 times a do or as needed, I take half a pill in the morning and half at night. I just resently started to feel wierd when i was trying to fall asleep. I dont know what it is, I take the xanax around 8pm than go to bed around 10 pm. I am very scared at taking new medications and Im not sure if I should start taking half a pill 3 times a day. Ive read several occations when people get addicted and I dont want that to happen I just want to live a wonderful life with my new daughter and family without worrys of a panic attack. Should I switch to .25 mg 3 times a day or will that become too addicting too quick? Its just that it seems to ware off and I start to feel all wierd again between morning and night. I just want to be okay. The xanax has been helping good just till when I feel wierd trying to fall asleep.

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1mg of Xanax equals 20mg of Valium. You took 3mg of Xanax per day which would be 60mg of Valium. Since you had been on 3mg of Xanax for so long you needed a better taper program. You were experiencing withdrawals you basically went from 3mg of Xanax to the equivalent of 1mg of Xanax(20mg Valium). You should have been started on a much higher dose and lowered to his desired dosage. Valium is a great medication because of the half-life it builds up in your system and when you adjust to it its good s***. The charts for benzo equivalency charts are online. Show your Dr and maybe try again.

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Hi

10mgs of valium is only equal to .05 of xanax so your doctor so undermedicated you with the drug...that is why you had such a major attack. It was a huge xanax withdrawal attack and your lucky you did nto have a heart attack from it! I take 2mg per day of xanax and my doc said you cannot take 40mgs of valium that would be equal to xanax. You have to wean .25 of xanax about two weeks at a time (longer if needed) until your down to only 1mg of xanax a day..then switch to using box xanax and valium until they make the total switch over. Like klonopin, valium is longer acting which helps you make the withdrawal just a tad easier..but switching formone to the other is a killer!! I take xanax for a damaged vestibular system so I can walk without spinning all day long. I am so afraid after reading all this stuff about the drug that I have considered just killing myself and i only take .05 4x a day fo r15 years now. My doctors all told me to stop worrying that it is medically necessary to have a normal life..but still all this reading has me panicked. I ready the rules to wean off so many times and was startign to do it when my husband was killed in an accident a few months ago. I am still on the same dose since I had to sell my home and move without him in my life. I pray all who really need the med, stay on it so they can have a normal life and do not fear what they need..like a diabetic needs insulin..some people need this chemical to live..just do not abuse the drug.

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Hey Everyone it's Syrus again with an update! Originaly I posted about my concern and stress about switching from Xanax 1mg 3x per day to Valium 10mg 2x per day.

A lot has changed since my original post! So after originally posting I did follow my Dr instructions and took the 10mg of Valium 2x per day and no Xanax. I was hoping that it would be the solution to my problem because of its longer half life. Well let me tell you switching to Valium 10mg was the worst experience with any medication I ever had! It made me feel buzzed like I had been drinking but NOT in a food way. It was the kind of buzz that makes you feel restless anxiety and your brain is clouded so much you cant speak or think strait. I started to become delirious and started to see things that weren't there. I thought I was going crazy!!! I also felt like you want to vomit and I couldn't walk around with out stumbling. It also gave me severe insomnia so there was nothing I could do to escape my anxiety or panic attacks. It was terrible. I did nothing to combat my anxiety. If anything it gave me more anxiety wich lead to more panic attacks and I had no back up to help me stop it like a fast acting Xanax would. To best describe my life at that point was I was on a 24/7 panic roller coaster!

I thought maybe I just need to give my body sometime to adjust to the Valium and let it build up in my system. As the days went by things only got worse if you can believe that! I ended up in the ER because my anxiety was so bad I had a severe panic attack that gave me a resting heart rate of over 200 beats per minute! The ER dr quickly put me on oxygen and gave me an EKG. Then the Dr said that the EKG results weren't good. They asked me if i had been doing any heavy activity that day or if I had just finished exercising. I said no I was just laying down and my palpitations just went up. I explained my history of panic disorder and told him this was just probably a really bad panic attack. The Dr then proceeded to ask me how long I waited before coming to the ER with my symptoms that day. I said about an hour cause i thought i could wait out the panic attack at home. I took a 1mg Xanax to try and stop the panic after an hour when there was no change and my symptoms were getting worse i decided to go to the ER. The Dr explained that my EKG result say I might be in the early stages of a heart attack. Well that made my anxiety even worse and my heart rate spiked even higher cause i thought I'm really going to die or go into cardiac arrest. So they treated me with a blood thinner through my IV first and monitored my heart rate and waited. After a few hours of waiting it out my heart rate was slowly and I mean slowly going down it was still high enough to put me in the "danger zone" for a resting heart rate. I was there so long that a new Dr was taking over the next shift. He came in and talked with me and said I'm going to give you some Xanax in liquid form and see if that doesn't help you a little bit. So they did and within an hour my palpitations were down from 180 to about 140. After an additional 2 EKG's the Dr told me that my EKG results were coming back normal now and I was no longer in any danger of a heart attack. My Diagnosis was ruled at a really bad panick attack. The ER Dr told me I should stop the Valium and talk to my Psych right away. He also told me that i should scheduele a visit with a cardiologist just to make sure everything was ok with my heart. I said i would but first I called my psych on his emergency line and explained to him what had occurred in the ER. He concurred with the ER Dr and said just take the Xanax as I prescribed it to you before and see me in the morning.

After I had been off the Valium and back on the Xanax I felt 80% better. I was able to sleep. I no longer felt buzzed and my head didn't feel clouded.

Next day I'm in my Psych's office and he said well he hoped the Valium would help because its the strongest Benzo he's comfortable prescribing but he explained that some people dont tolerate it well and I was one of those people. The Valium was strong but too strong for me that I wasn't getting any benefit from it. It just aggravated my symptoms. He said that he need to get me off the Valium immediately. He also explained that he couldn't just go back and put me on the Xanax 1mg 3x per day cause it would only band side the problem. I still needed a longer lasting medication. So prescribed me Klonopin 1mg and said this is not as strong as the Valium I prescribed but it is one of the longer lasting half life Benzos out there. He said with the Klonopin the dose was small enough to where if I needed to take a Xanax in the event of a panick attack I could. I was fine with that. So he put me on Klonopin 1mg 3x daily and Xanax as needed. Not many Dr.s will prescribe two different Benzos at the same time. But I've had a long history with my Psych and he knows that I don't abuse my prescriptions.

Since then I've been on Klonopin and I'm doing much better. I'm down from 3 Klonopin per day to 2 per day. Ocassionally I'll take a 3rd if I'm having a stressful day and on rare occasion I have my back up Xanax if needed for panick attack.

My quality of life has improved since my first posting on here. I hope that one day I will to live my life pill/ benzo free. Until then I'm just riding the wave. It has its ups and downs but everything in life does anyway.

I'm glad that many of you shared you experiences with me.

@Kyrie: I went through the exact same thing you did! Abusive parents. Anti depressants at a ver young age. Have tried every ant depressant under the sun and nothing worked. Well Lexapro did for about a year then I realized I felt better but it made me emotionless. I couldn't even cry if I wanted to. I know that's what the medication is designed to do but I still wanted to feel some emotion. I was like a high functioning robot instead of a person.

I also had the insomia problems too. I still do sometimes to this day. Again I have tried many sleeping medications and they all have an adverse affect on me. I get wired and can't sleep. So for now when I can't sleep I take a Xanax before bed and that helps me somewhat. I mean it's better than nothing. My husband was the same way with me. He was supportive and did his best to keep me company at night but he had to get some sleep sometime and I understood that. I'd have the same thing too where I'd wake up at 4am! Sweating heart racing in full panic mode. Since I've switched to th Klonopin I rarely once in a blue moon get them.

In regards to tappering off of Xanax (for any of you who have never done it before,it should never be done with out the medical advise of a Dr cause it could be deadly)
My tappering wasn't difficult. Because Klonopin is in the same benzo family as Xanax I didn't experience the Hirt story problems you read about on some of the forums. The problem occurs when you just stop the Benzos completely cold turkey or tapper to quickly. 1mg of Klonopin is equivalent to 2mg of Xanax but with a longer half life. So my body was still getting the same amount of benzo and I didn't have a problem. Some of you may be asking what's the point of switching to another benzo if they're equivalent to each other? Well the reason is because Klonopin is in the same family of Benzos as Xanax but it's not as fast acting and there is no "Kick" to it. Since the Klonopin has a longer half life than Xanax you need less of it after a while and when the time comes for you to tapper of Klonopin it's a much easier tappering on your body and mind.

Kyrie I hope that you have settled things with your Dr and are doing better with or with out medication.

For any of you reading this that are feeling afraid, lost, alone, like you're about to loose it and suffering from panic attacks you are not alone. Despite what many people think about Anxiety and Panic Disorder it's not just an excuse to take habit forming medications nor is it just something you can "snap out of". I've been told Syrus you just over react about everything and you just need to relax. This disorder is a real problem that millions of people people suffer from. So if you feel like your so stressed you're going to loose it or you have periods where you heart pounds so fast, you cant breather or feel like your going to die just know its called anxiety or panic disorder. You're not crazy even though you may feel that way sometimes. There is help you just have to be strong enough to seek it. Don't be embarrassed what people will think of you of they find out you have a problem. Don't think it's makes you a weak person cause it doesn't. You just need to seek some help from a Dr. What have you got to loose. If anything you'd have more to gain like taking back control over your life. So talk to someone about it. That's what these forums are for. If you talk we will listen and offer you support.

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I have been on 1 milligram of xanax 4 * a day for 7 years and I'm beginning to not feel anything from xanax I do not think that it is working anymore and my doctor wants to wean me off completely and so tomorrow I am going to him and he is going to put me on valium he said that will help me when im off of the benhe said that will help me when im off of the benzos

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I've been lurking on these type of forums for years...especially for the past year...I'm ready to post.

Hi Syrus :) I have a somewhat similar situation as you...*somewhat. See, I guess background information is important. I've had insomnia since I was about 3 years old. My father was physically abusive towards myself and siblings from the time I was 3-10..he stopped drinking as he was an alcoholic and the physical abuse stopped. To this day I have strange feelings about him as he has never apologized, done anything to try to make things right I am 30 now. I had rec drug use at a very young 10 years old which started off as smoking pot, then lsd, I RARELY too pills...wasn't my thing I smoked pot for over a decade and did coke for 5 years until I was 21 See, I come from a middle class family and everyone in my family has college degrees. I did not grow up in a bad neighborhood, I grew up about 1 hour to the closest city....I'm a small town gal! As an adult I do not drink, smoke or do anything and I am married to a wonderful man who did nothing of such things that I did as a kid, teen and young adult but he's just wonderful.I was put on anti depressants off and on since I was 14-23. I always thought I JUST had depression but looking back on it the symptoms I told my dr's must have screamed anxiety. I was on Paxil at first which did nothing and was crap, Zolof which made me sleep straight for 15 hours, could get out of bed, barely sip water...with help I made it to the bathroom, didn't eat so after the 1 dose that was it, Effexor, Celexa, and Lexapro which I took for years. I always told my mom I felt like a cloud on it, which now that I look back on things...hey...that's not such a bad thing. I went to college, did very well and I tool the Lexapro off and on and eventually slowly stopped taking it myself. Fast forward, graduation, got a job, went to grad school for a bit, moved in with my bf, got engaged, planned an elopement and reception ourselves and my parents whom had a bad marriage from the start neither helped...my mom was vacant and just a mess and that is hard because I love her very much, she worked 2-3 jobs to help me through community college before I transferred to a 4 year school and I lived with her until I was 24...I started college a bit late. She just...left me hangin...my husbands family lives close enough to visit for holidays via car but too far to just come up whenever as my parents live 15 mins and 45 mins away. I had always had problems and pain with girl issues. After getting s*** treatment and whatever...after 12 years of having endometriosis, I finally got it removed last year. I got married during early summer and had the procedure in early fall. That caused it's own issues as earlier that year I had a bad attack from the endometriosis and was bed ridden. Couldn't work, and I took the semester off to plan the wedding/elopement as I had to do it myself with some help from my fiance who was working and supporting us so I did a lot myself.

After I had "physically" healed, the dr said I coudld resume normal activities. I tried a part time job...well after the first 3 days of training and not sleeping at all...it got me. I had my first real anxiety attack, which turned to a panic attack. OMG, I thought I was having a heart attack, I would die and I just prayed for it to stop. I was crying and scared and it was bad. My husband tried to calm me down, but he knew he couldnt' do anything and he did his best and after about him being in the room for 1 hour with me I told him he has to go back to the bedroom and sleep as he has work...and I know I wont' die I'm just scared like all mighty and I need time. He had an important meeting he could not miss or he would have taken the day offIt lasted for a few hours...started at 3am...I had to be up by 7am and I was soo tired. I slept in our guest room for most of 2011 because my insomnia was sooo bad I could not jeopardize my husbands sleep on a nightly basis, it was for the best but did not tear us apart at all....he understood. I'd ask him to come in and lay with me and watch tv at night and he would anytime...we do not have a tv in our bedroom. We moved, I more soo moved around about every year for the past 7 years so I haven't even been able to get a place I feel I can all home until last nov. I was put on tramadol for possible fibromyalgia pain Tramadol which works GREAT but if I take it...I can't number 2 :( I was on that for a weeks, brought it back to my dr telling him I rather be in pain then go 4 days without going number 2 and my fiber intake was intense. I also let him know I was starting a new job and wanted to get on a sleep aid temp until I can get into a steady sleeping pattern, so I started Ambien, WORKED AWESOME...for the first week....then it stopped...but I still took it :(WEll, early Oct, after the attacks, called my dr, came in that day, was put on .25 of xanax 3 times a day....took that...it helped ever sooo slightly but not enough to be relived...funny I have an educational background in mental health so I know a thing or 2. I was then put on .50 mr, 3 times a day, nothing, then I got put on 1mg 3 times a day and I was a new person!!! I slept...for 6-8 hours every night! Slept in the same room with my husband, could talk to my parents and not end the conversation with my crying...things were better. I was seeing a psychiatrist who wasn't helpful. She put me on a new drug a week and I had bad side effects or I didnt' want to take it. She started me off on Remeron, I gained 15 lbs in 1 week and told her it's not "sedating me" not helping me with sleep and making me get fat, not gonna work. We tried something else, I forget, puked and was beddridden the entire week, took it back, then she tried. She tried a low dose of lithium and I said, I know what that is for, I am not bi- bolar nor do I need a mood stabilizer, she then changed her tone as I had now gained control of what drugs I would and wouldn't take= not good! She had over 40 years under her belt and since I already knew and asked specific questions that only someone who knows the field of mental health would ask, she changed her tone. The last medication she put me on was Cymbalta and that gave me bed ridden flu symptoms. She gave me samples and a Rx. I returned EVERY SINGLE bottle of medication to my psychiatrists and PCP and told them to make sure it's noted...I'm not a "pill head" or a junkie and I wanted to let them know I just want help...and I Won't keep drugs..even though I paid for them. I have been on a solid 1 mg Xanax 3 times a day...since Nov, it HAS been working great..it's fast and I think too fast acting but OMG it's half life..not cool man. I started seeing a therapist..she isn't there to throw pills at me but to help me work on skills and help me see things more clear and what to do. Had my first meeting last week, have one the end of the week. I'll be getting another psychiatrist in about 4-8 weeks and that's okay...for now.

Well, went to my dr last week to get scripts for my refills. It's been 2 weeks and now...I am waking up at like 4am...the Xanax is like outa my system. I take my last dose at 10pm to help me sleep...drink valarian tea and I can go to sleep.

I'm scared...of course I've read the horror stories about this but it's time I tapered off Xanax. I also read how Valium is longer lasting...and doesn't give you that super quick relief Xanax does but I need to maintain a nice, smooth and stable level all day...and not wake up, WIDE awake with my heart racing at 4am!!!!. I had a minor anxiety attack yesterday morning...not cool, had to talk myself down and my husband was going on a one day business trip. I have a script that was post dated for this week of my Xanax and I'm going to take it my next dr visit, I'm going to address my questions and concerns. I haven't been taking Xanax for years but I can already feel and tell...and have noticed the not so nice part of it coming out. I'm even sure how to go about this to my dr. But I too will ask about this and ask about my options. I'm not a fan of anti depressants, not a fan of benzos either...they do work, it's just..they work too good and I'm ready to get healthy and work on things and life with out them....especially Xanax.

Syrus, please share your process with this, I'll do the same :) I haven't made the switch but hope to next month.

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Well, to be honest, you can't know how it will work for you, without at least giving it a try.

Valium has been successfully used to panic attacks for many people, because when it comes right down to the actual therapy, you don't want to let the attacks continue to happen and then try to stop them, you actually want to try to prevent them and that is where these types of medications are effective.

That is probably why your doctor wants you to switch, because just using Xanax to stop them when they happen isn't really a good solution.


https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Valium/­

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