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From xanax to valium. Not by choice. Scared!!

Posted , 5 users are following.

bellal2
bellal2

Ok so i need some advise/encouragement.

I have been on alprazolam 2mgs a day for severe panic disorder where all other treatments have failed for approx a year, have never abused my dosage however the PBS now wont approve my authority to prescribed anymore. My poor GP couldnt do anything and watched me crumble in the room. She prescribed me valium 5mg tablets to keep my disorder at bay. I did some research last night and ofcourse Dr google scared the s#*t out of me.. im so terrified i will suffer from withdrawal from alprazolam as i have had to come off cold turkey and am petrified of seizures etc.. i am hoping the valium will help me combat some withdrawal symptoms.. i took my first valium this morning and 5mg is a small dose as 40mg is equivelant to the amount of alpraz i was on and i feel calm yet super drowsy... will my body have to get used to this like it did with alpraz? Has anyone experienced anything similar to.mine?

Thanks

0 likes, 21 replies

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  • magmag1116
    magmag1116 bellal2

    Posted

    Your doctor is following the Aston Manual. Valium is the benzodiazepines that have the longest half life , which means it can stay in your blood longer. Your dr is using it to taper off your Xanax.  

    I am on Valium 15 mg. I had tried Xanax but it too short acting for me . I need to wean off my Valium very soon . 

    • bellal2
      bellal2 magmag1116

      Posted

      Im hoping the valium will help combat the withdrawals for xanax. Thats all im concerned about now and whats causing me anxiety
  • lee12629
    lee12629 bellal2

    Posted

    Are you in the states? Ive ben on alpraezolam for over five years same Dr,he emphasised I must taper off if i ever quit,very strongly emphasized it,im basically on it just to stay normal and from having withdrawals,if what you named and i have no idea what those intials stand for is ins,in the states even if my ins didnt pay for it my monthly script only costs 5 dollars a month. Ive heard of valium being used but thought it was used along with smaller doses of alpraezolam. Ive read a slow taper is best and can take up to a year. Like I said,Im in the states. My doctor is the head of the drug addiction department of our hospital so I assume he knows what hes doing. Good luck.
    • Jen12345678
      Jen12345678 lee12629

      Posted

      You are so lucky. Benzos are the ONLY drug that's ever worked for me and the doctors here in Ohio are totally freaked out about prescribing it! I don't abuse it either, yet they are so skittish about prescribing it. I don't see how it's any worse than alcohol! If I could stay on it life long I would! Maybe I should come visit your dr?

    • bellal2
      bellal2 lee12629

      Posted

      No im in Australia and Xanax is prescribed with an authority from the Pharmaceutical branches.. without an authority it cannot be prescribed. So there was no way i could even get a script to taper down. I am on i guess a small dose compared to others.. 2mgs a day. Im hoping i can get through this. I am very scared .. rhe valium got me through the day at work atleast so thats a plus
    • lee12629
      lee12629 Jen12345678

      Posted

      Some people from what ive read are on it for life as withdrawal would be too hard on them or they just need it for horrible anxiety.. Ive ben on it a long time,my doctor probably feels it would be too hard on me to do a withdrawal. Being older im sure i will be tapered down,im on 2mg a day also,but as i get older i probably will need to be on a smaller dose,who knows. With all Ive read on the net,I definitely think it should be tapered down slowly.
    • Jen12345678
      Jen12345678 bellal2

      Posted

      It actually angers me that benzodiazepines are so restricted. Why not alcohol? It does the same thing. Ppl needlessly suffering from severe anxiety is a disgrace.
    • magmag1116
      magmag1116 lee12629

      Posted

      I think at least the patients themselves including us have to feel comfortable and are ready to taper . It is hard to taper when you are not ready . I had a very unpleasant experience with my tapering with lorazepam back in 2014. 😭😭😭😭could still recall the pain . 

    • lee12629
      lee12629 magmag1116

      Posted

      Exactly plus it affects work,family life etc if a person has to go through withdrawals. I realise it isnt as effective as a person gets used to it,but it still allows a person to hopefully keep on with a normal lfe. Im hopeing Im never forced off of it,at my age it would be horrible.
    • Jen12345678
      Jen12345678 lee12629

      Posted

      I seriously need to see your Dr, he or she sounds like they are compassionate.
    • samuels
      samuels bellal2

      Posted

      It can be prescribed but you would have to pay full price for the medication, if you wanted it on the PBS, that's when an authority number is required.

  • lee12629
    lee12629 bellal2

    Posted

    States a way and unfortunately his practice is full,not accepting new patients ,he has quite a practice built up,ive had him 30 years,keep looking you will find a more compassionate doctor. Good luck
  • magmag1116
    magmag1116 bellal2

    Posted

    In Hong Kong, the prescribing of benzos are not very strict . If the dr sees that there is a need to give it to the patients they will . The alprazolam 2 mg that you are taking is 20 mg of Valium. Are you on that everyday ? 
    • bellal2
      bellal2 magmag1116

      Posted

      I havent taken that much no because what i have taken which is 10mg has made me so extremely groggy and tired that i feel out of sorts im not sure if my body needs to get used to it. Its strange how i could tolerate xanax which is so potent but i feel zonked on this. I feel kind of calm and have not had a major panic attack but the anxiety is sitting in the pit of my stomach ready to start. Im scared to go to work because 1. I dont wanna be loopy and 2. Im scared it wont work for an anxiety attack if it explodes!
    • magmag1116
      magmag1116 bellal2

      Posted

      I think you react better to Xanax than to Valium . For me, Xanax kicks in like in a minute or two hen I have a panic attack but is very short acting . But I am definitely addicted to Valium and I am scared to taper which I know I needed to . 
    • samuels
      samuels bellal2

      Posted

      If you are being weaned off alprazolam this is how you should feel, it's to help in the alprazolam withdrawals, although you shouldn't be extremely groggy, only  to the extent where you feel calm and relaxed, with a bit of grogginess, much like when you first started the alprazolam.

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