[Mountaindewed]

I’ve switched to Valium but I’m still just so anxious. I can’t eat or sleep much.

Any suggestions?

[Skeezyks]

I take Clonazepam primarily for my tinnitus. (But it also helps with my anxiety.) However I've read where some ENT physicians prescribe Xanax for tinnitus. So I was curious about this. From what I read (which admittedly wasn't a lot) Xanax is more difficult to get off of than is Klonopin (clonazepam.) And what I read was that one should be weaned off Xanax very gradually over a period of weeks or even months, under a doctor's supervision of course. So perhaps, if you're feeling uncomfortably anxious, this is a sign you are coming off of your Xanax too quickly? Perhaps the article I've provided a link for below may be of some help?:

benzo.org.uk : Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw, Prof C H Ashton DM, FRCP, 2002

[Mountaindewed]

Thanks for the reply. My doctor just said to take one Xanax and then take a Valium and I should be fine. That doesn’t seem to be the case for me though. I did end up with one Xanax today and it didn’t do anything. I’m thinking of taking another but I have about 7 left. So maybe I should try a cut one. I had been taking 5 a day before the switch.

I feel like my doctor is being incredibly irresponsible though. Although my overall anxiety has been about the same since the switch. So maybe it’s partially me.

[unaluna]

Skeezyx, thanks for a great reference guide. I got off xanax very slowly, like it took months, and i think i had maxed out at 2mg daily. Boy every half mg decrease just kills ya. I mighta been doing a quarter a week. I admit it, im a wimp. Slow and steady wins the race.

Dewd, not that you have to explain it to me, but saying you have like 7 pills left is hardly a week. Does your pdoc know you took 5 in one day for x period of time? I dont know if they are irresponsible as much as uninformed?

[Mountaindewed]

Yeah I told him everything. I completely spilled my guts. I told him I was out of control, often taking 5 a day, and running out early. His only answer was “how about I switch you to Ativan?” Which turned out to be Valium. And I asked him how to go off it slowly and safely and he said “take a Xanax and then a Valium. Just make sure you take the Xanax” he made it sound so easy and maybe it is easier to switch from one benzo to a more powerful higher dose one then go off all benzos completely. I don’t know. But today was complete hell regarding my anxiety and I almost had to go to the ER tonight.

[unaluna]

Sheesh he is being an airhead!

Skeezyx' chart is about how i did it, only without the valium. Maybe show the dr that chart? Like starting from the 5 mg line on the 6 mg chart.

I am wondering if the feelings from decreasing the xanax are the cause of the anxiety now? Because just that is a horrible feeling. When i was decreasing my xanax, my life was more stable, but still awful.

Kinda like Frasier when he was returning empties to the grocery store and he just happened to be dressed in filthy clothes, and then ran into someone from high school.

I think it will be important to get on a schedule.

[Mountaindewed]

2 nurses, and a doctor said I shouldn’t be having withdrawals that they are in the same group so switching from one to another is not an issue. He said Valium can cause dizziness though. The doctor at the ER said I’m having muscle pain and fluid build up from my surgery that I should get checked out.

[Guiness187055]

Check out a benzo equivalence chart like this one by Doctor Ashton. benzo.org.uk : Benzodiazepine Equivalence Table This might help you see how much valium(diazepam) is equal to xanax(alprazolam). You may not be taking enough valium compared to what you took with xanax hence the withdrawls. Best of luck.

[Mountaindewed]

Now I’m ok and I don’t feel like I’m having withdrawals. I took one Valium at 4:30 this morning with my Geodon and it’s still working. It’s working pretty good actually and I got out of the house for the first time since Wednesday and I got a lot of shopping done without any anxiety. So I guess it was just my physical issues from the surgery that was getting to me. Plus my therapist is traumatizing as hell I’m glad I’m not seeing her anymore.

[Mountaindewed]

I still only took one Valium early this morning. I took a muscle relaxer though which made me feel pretty trippy and relaxed all afternoon and this evening.

But I’m not having any issues today. I guess switching from one benzo to one in the same family really doesn’t cause issues.

[Mountaindewed]

I am for sure not having any Xanax withdrawals. Which is good. People had me freaking. I’m glad I checked it out with health care professionals. I’ve now switched over to the Valium with no issue. What happened last weekend was not Xanax related even though I felt like it was.

[unaluna]

You are one lucky duck. I wonder why my dr didnt give me valium? Butt!

[Mountaindewed]

Looking back at it now almost 2 months later vs how I felt then and how I feel now, I actually think I was going through withdrawals. The Valium wasn’t working for awhile and now it works fine. My whole overall anxiety has calmed down. It was a mess for several weeks after quitting the Xanax. The doctors said I wasn’t having one, but now I kinda think I did.

Whatever it was though it’s gone now.