[roham_06]

Hi
Can xanax withdrawal symptoms be treated by a long actng benzo like chlordiazepoxide?

[where_to_begin]

Originally Posted by roham_06

Hi
Can xanax withdrawal symptoms be treated by a long actng benzo like chlordiazepoxide?

That is what my doctor did with me. I was having panic attacks once or twice a day and taking 1-3 .5mg Xanax to deal with it. Sometimes I would take one Xanax and 30 minutes later I would feel no relief and would have to take another one.

My doctor put me on .5mg Klonopin taken regularly twice a day, and the panic attacks went away. Klonopin is a longer acting benzo that wears off slower. I don't get the rebound effect that I sometimes would with the Xanex when it would wear off. I still have anxiety but no more attacks. Maybe once every week or two I have to take an extra Klonopin due to anxiety, but it is much better than when I was on the Xanax.

As always, your mileage will vary. The dose you need will depend on how much Xanax you are taking. Above all, work this out with your doctor.

[still_crazy]

hi. yes, valium and librium and I think Traxene are popular options for tapering off xanax and other high potency benzodiazepines. valium and librium have been around forever and come in a variety of pill sizes. I don't know that much about tranxene.

[where_to_begin]

An update, after being on the Klonopin for over two years , I started having anxiety and panic attacks again. Rather than upping the dose of Klonopin, I went with the Dr. Heather Ashton program of substituting a larger amount of a longer acting benzo--in my case valium--and gradually tapering it. Dr Ashton was a professor Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychopharmacology at the University of Newcastle.

I must stress above all I did not do this before discussing it with my PsyDoc and getting his approval.

Dr. Ashton developed the reduction chart for people trying to come off Benzos including Xanax, Klonopin and Valium. She has people gradually switch from the faster acting shorter lasting Benzo that they are taking while gradually substituting an equivalent dose of valium, which is typically 20 times the dose of Klonopin and Xanax due to differences in strength and its ability to sedate enough to minimize withdrawl. Valium is much longer acting than the other two and takes longer to wear off. But since it doesn’t kick in as fast, it is not a first line drug to treat panic attacks.

Once you have completely substituted the Valium for the faster acting benzo that you were taking, you gradually reduce the valium. Since the valium is longer acting, it is easier to gradually reduce the dose of Valium than it is to reduce the doses of shorter acting Benzos.

Here is a link to her manual and schedule: https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm