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SandyWeb said:
Hi all,

Does anyone have experience with Valium for PTSD or anxiety that they could share with me?

I'm on clonazepam right now, but the doc that I've been with for 2 years (and I trust him) said that just one of my events would be enough to cause problems with a person....and I've got a lot of high-stress events that I went through. Plus there are 2 new ones happening right now that are really messing with my head, and that in turn is making ALL these memories flood me.

He lowered my dose of clonazepam for one month (I usually only see him every 6 months), and then he wants to put me on the longer-acting Valium (half-life is 30-200 hours).

I know that doctors don't like to prescribe Valium, but I guess after I showed him a list of events in point form, he thought that I needed a little more help in the meds department.

What doses have you found to be helpful, does it make you tired or only in the beginning, and did it cause any problems for you? Also, did it help you to sleep at night? I know that we all have different chemistries and I'll get varying responses, but it'll give me some idea.

Right now, besides the clonazepam (which I'm weaning off of) I'm also on Effexor XR and Lopressor SR.

Thanks, guys.

God bless,
Sandy

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Sandy,
I have been on xanax for about 20 years and never increased the dose; in fact I have decreased it over 1mg. and it still works fine for me. No tolerance withdrawal, etc. I actually used valium, the longer acting benzo, to decrease the xanax, ala Heather Ashton's method.

I saw a renowned psychopharmacologist here in Boston who said tha t benzos are one of the safest psych. drugs out there as far as side effects, etc. and I believe it!

Also,I have never had a pdoc refuse to prescribe me benzos here in the US. Xanax has been a lifesaver for me and I feel that it has not adversely affected me cognitively or any other way, I did successfully quit it some years ago by reducing very gradually. Valium is easier to taper off, as it has the long half-life and active metabolites.

I am so sorry for all the trouble you have been/are going through.


Olivia

P.S. I take 1.5mg. xanax, equal to about 20mg. valium or less.
It does help me to sleep some. Benzos can make some people feel tired in the beginning until your body is used to them.