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Benzos switching FROM valium TO xanax§

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old-skools

Greenlighter
Joined
Sep 16, 2014
Messages
6
so this is probably a pretty weird thing ask for help with, considering it's usually the other way about, but basically I'm on between 5mg and 10mg of diazepam daily for social/general anxiety and originally as a sleep aid. I'm about to come into a large amount of xanax and would really like to switch from valium. I know that .5 alprazolam = about 10mg of valium, however given the massive difference in the half-life, how often should i be expecting to dose to stay steady with my 5mg of valium? I know this isn't a massive amount, but valium isn't working as well as it used to for me. a year ago it would totally sort out my anxiety problems and/or put me to sleep. last weekend i took 80mg on a comedown and didn't feel much more than a bit wavey (obviously a shit ton more relaxed) and still couldn't sleep. i find a bar or even half a 2mg bar of xanax works far better for sleeping, and unlike 10mg of valiums occasional adverse effects, .5 alprazolam feels incredible and gets rid of my anxiety entirely, if for a much shorter time.

essentially what I'm asking is, how will the half-life effect how often I need to dose? has anyone made this switch? any and all help would be greatly appreciated cheers! :)
 
I have been scripted and taken both, and honestly I like valium better at a higher dose, ~40mg or so.. any less its not as powerful, like 10mg I cant even feel.. I like klonopin the best out of the 3, Xanax, kpin, and valium.. and heres why.. Its like a mixture IME between valium and Xanax, its equipotent to Xanax, 0.5mg of klonopin= 0.5 of Xanax... and they both equal 10mg of valium, apparently.. IME the half life of valium, has nothing to do with the duration of action, being fickle at best.. Meaning, valium has a stupid long half life, longer than klonopin I believe, but the duration of action it will actually last, varys greatly from one person to another.. some only claim to feel valium for 1-4 hrs, at best in 10mg doses.. I however, have a very fast metabolism, and for whatever reason, valium lasts me a good half a day at 10-20mg doses... it lasts a good bit for me, but like I said its different with everyone, and how they metabolize it.. Xanax, lasts like 2 hours TOPS, at 1-2mg doses for me, during those 2 hours, I am feeling pretty great.. sometimes a bit too great.. and then its gone.. just like that, it wears off and I need more, to keep my severe both social/general anxiety at bay..

Now klonopin I find to be like both of them together... like if I were to take 10mg of valium and 1mg of Xanax, that is how 1.5 mg of kpin feels to me.. it is much stronger in taking away anxiety than valium, mg for mg comparatively speaking.. And while its more subtle feeling than Xanax, and more potent feeling than valium, I find it to be a perfect medium between the 2.. almost like a Xanax ER... or something, klonopin lasts a very long time for most people, some claim it lasts a full 20-24 hrs with 1-2mg doses...

That is my experience, and I have been taking all 3 at different periods of time during the last 5 years, started with kpins, then tried Xanax for one month, and found it to be way too short acting, thus having me switch back to kpin.. then I went on valium, for a year or year and a half or so.. then back to kpin, and haven't left... kpin to me, is the perfect benzo! If you haven't tried it, I would consider trying it before jumping on Xanax, which is super short acting, more geared toward those who suffer from panic disorder, rather than general/social anxiety disorder or insomnia.. I have insomnia too.. and on both valium and klonopin can sleep all through the night perfect, but with Xanax I fall asleep faster, and end up waking up needing more, in 3 hours after I fall asleep... klonopin for the win!
 
thanks for the reply man! okay cool, i think i might give kpin a try :)) like i say valiums hypnotic effects are now completely lost on me, at any dose... somehow xanax (for whatever reason) just seems to work better for everything nowadays? could just be a total placebo, or that it's slightly more powerful for lack of a better word. will report back in a couple of weeks and let ya know how i get on.
 
"old-skools" ...I wouldn't listen to "Ilove2nod" if I were you. No offense to him but I believe he was giving you some false information.

First of all: 0.5mg of xanax DOES NOT equal 0.5mg of klonopin.
According to most reputable sources... the ratio of equivalency for xanax and klonopin is 0.5mg to 1mg respectively. Although, given that everyone is different and there can be outside influences that affect the potency of certain medications, I would say that it's possible for an individual to have a different "response" to these two meds than most people.

Secondly: The half life of a medication most definitely DOES have an effect on the duration of action. The longer the half life, the longer the medication will actively affect you, as well as stay your system.
One thing people mix up is the fact that just because a drug has a, let's say... ~40 hr half life.... that doesn't mean that if you take the drug you will feel it's effects for ~40 hrs. All that means is that you will most likely feel the effects of this drug for longer than a drug with a shorter half life.

And also...."Ilove2nod"...the fact you have a fast metabolism would cause the benzo you are taking to be metabolized quicker, leave your system faster, thus causing you to feel the effects of the drug for a shorter period of time(if anything) than if you had a slower metabolism. So you kind of got that one backwards.

Anyways...OP...even though I felt the need to point out the issues I saw in Ilove2nod's post to you....I still think he was right on one thing. Klonopin(clonazepam) is the best overall benzo. In my opinion it gives great medicinal and recreational effects, as well as having the added benefit of a long half life( ~30 - 40 hrs )....which usually gives me effects I can feel for at least a good 8 to 14 hours. And that doesn't include the several hours where I don't necessarily feel any effects but the clonazepam is still helping me out with my anxiety/panic/heart problems.

But in the end you need to pick what benzodiazepine works best for YOU. There is more than enough info out there on this subject as well as plenty of threads, just do some homework and make the best decision.

Jb
 
Check the benzo equivalency chart James Brown, its most definitely 0.5 mg of Xanax = 0.5mg of klonopin = 10mg of valium = 1mg of Ativan.. Personally, I don't find it to be true myself, but last I checked that was the rate of equivalency of those 4 benzos.. And yes, valium, as I clearly stated, DOES effect everyone very differently regardless of the half-life, and no that was not a typo, I have been on benzos for a long time, and know quite a bit.. I'm not some rookie drug user who just thought id pass off bad info to someone! I said I have a fast metabolism, and for whatever reason, even though I do, valium still lasts every bit as long a klonopin for me... regardless of my fast metabolism..

So, I'm not entirely offended, but I don't know where you saw klonopin 1mg is equal to 0.5mg of Xanax.. Every chart I have seen, states otherwise, that they are indeed equipotent! And I do know what I am talking about, I wouldn't have taken the time, to write such an elaborate post, on a bunch of info I just made up!!

Go check the charts if you dont believe me.. OP, I am 100% sure they are equal in potency, klonopin and Xanax, just have different effects, I dont know why james brown thought otherwise, but I am positive... been taking benzos for a very long time, and have tried a lot of them, the 4 most common, klonopin, valium, Xanax, and Ativan.. Now maybe he though 0.5mg of Xanax = 1mg of Ativan? that is true.. Ativan, ime is very weak... Not trying to stir up any bullshit, and don't have any idea where the poster above me got his info... but its on google, check it. And, if you like valium, and Xanax doesn't work for you as long as you want, and valium just isn't cutting it anymore, klonopin COULD be a good choice for another benzo to try.. I am the same, I love Xanax and valium, but valium isn't as powerful to me as it once was, and Xanax is over with in like 2 hours...

Also, let me clear this up.. The valium half life is indeed very long, but the duration of action, varies from person to person... Its a fickle drug, as most benzos are, and for me, despite having a FAST metabolism, not slow, it still lasted quite a long time... most benzos dont, except klonopin... And the one time I tried phenazepam, on accident in a fake Xanax bar that had no alprazolam in it and instead a shit load of phenaz... I was fucked up for a week from that shit lol. no joke, I dont like phenazepam and never would have willingly ingested it had I known..
 
thanks for all the info guys! it's really appreciated. definitely going to do some more digging and try out kpin!
 
Ok.. so I went into further research on the whole, Xanax to klonopin equivalency and found multiple answers! From actual doctors, and from scientists... I saw three different charts.. one saying, 1mg of klonopin was equal in strength to 1mg of Xanax. Another stating, that 1mg of klonopin, was equal to 0.5mg of Xanax, and another stating 1mg of Xanax, was equal to 0.5mg klonopin... so I don't know what to believe anymore..

I do know this.. 3 different doctors I have seen over the years whom I actually get/have got prescriptions for klonopin(currently), Xanax(one month only, i liked the klonopin way better!), and valium(loved it too, just felt like it was time to get back on klonopin, as i felt it was a different more effective drug for my anxiety and my current newest doc hates valium, so she basically forced me to get back on kpins..) all have showed me a chart, and thoroughly explained, the strength of each benzo, and how it compared to another... They have all told me Xanax is = to klonopin exactly in strength.. i have also read numerous posts on here, that they are equal... and they all also said, 0.5mg of either kpin/Xanax is = to 10mg of valium, which tbh, i have to question!? 10mg of valium, definitely feels on par with like 1mg of klonopin or Xanax IMO.. but i don't make these decisions.


I just felt a bit, like you were treating me as if i was some dumbass who didn't know that these drugs were even benzos, especially when you said... the thing about my metabolism! That irked me a bit, i wont lie.. i am blunt, and straight to the point. You obviously didn't understand what i was saying.. I was basically saying, that although i have a fast metabolism, valium is like the one drug along with klonopin, that last much longer for me, than normal. Most drugs, all depending on the half-life and duration of action, which again, i also know the difference between, but valium is another one of the very few drugs, that has a much shorter duration of action than the half-life is.. Valium has a crazy long half life, i believe its something wild like 60 or 80 hrs! (could be wrong, but i think it is..), it definitely does not last that long! I mean, don't get me wrong it does last quite a while, for me 20-40mg would usually last the entire day, into the night, and then the next morning, i would still sometimes feel it... klonopin, is about the same too, but has a shorter half life than valium, something along the lines of 24-36 hrs i believe, again i am not 100%, but i think it is around there though..


James Brown, again, please don't treat me like some rookie drug user.. You misunderstood my post, and apparently we were shown/told different things about benzo equivalency charts... so please, next time if you have a problem with something i wrote, don't be so condescending toward me... i didn't like how you just kind of treated me, like well... i don't know shit! I do.. end of story.. and yes, you can say no offense, but still, it tends to piss people off when you treat them like idiots... that's all.
 
OP: yeah, sorry the thread got a bit derailed.. Good luck on finding the right benzo for you.. it can be a bit annoying trying to find the right dose of the right benzo, if you have really bad anxiety issue, like myself... Personally, klonopin has always been my fav... give it a go, see what you think! Let us know how if it works out... good luck!
 
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