Anyone have information about tranxene?

[marina909]

Hello..
I am new here .
I have a question for anyone with any knowledge of tranxene.
I was prescribed this 25 years ago.. At 3.75 , twice a day.. Am and Pm.
After about 5 years I dropped to 3.75 , half in the am and half in the pm. It still helped my sleep problems at that lower dose..
The doctor kept prescribing it. Telling me it was a mild medication.I never questioned it , as he knew how fearful of medications I had become.
He retired recently.
And my new doctor informed me Feb 8 of what I had been taking.
I panicked. She wants me to drop the morning first then the night.. Two week intervals..
I wanted off it as soon as I knew what this was. And did a lot of research. Coming up with so many different answers.
I thought since there is reasearch here someone might have a answer.
I cut 1/4 out of the morning dose. And in two days I was having tremors and my chest was not just pounding, but vibrating.
I had the shakes Some intestinal problems.. But that was only at night.
I thought it was my own anxiety.. NOt sure..
During the day, I feel OK. So far.
Does anyone know how this withdrawl compares to other benzos..I want off these and I get different answers ..
Is this a classic benzo? Is it milder than others , is it easier to get off of. has anyone used it for a period of time, Like I did.. and then had to get off?
What were the issues?
Anyone who knows about this drug would you please give me some information?
I am terrified and in a quandry. My doctor seems to think its just something I can drop in a few weeks.
And I am not so sure.. Some of the other benzo's cause such terrible symptoms.. And after effects..
I really don't know how strong this dose or this medication is.
Thank you to anyone that can help..

 

[Mental Man]

Tranxene or clorazepate, isn't a hardcore benzo, but not sure if I could call it mild? It is generally more mild than a lot of other benzos though.

As for the withdrawal symptoms, they are pretty much the same as all the other benzos that have GABA agonist effects. The problem I see is that Tranxene (clorazepate) is metabolized fairly quickly into another benzo called nordiazepam. Nordiazepams half life in the body varies according to a couple sources, but the lower estimates say that its half life is around 40 hours (some go up to 100-200). If you had taken Tranxene every day then it would accumulate and your tolerance may be higher than you think it may be.

3.75mg is a low dose, but you have been taking it for 20 years at 7.5mg/day then for 5 years at 3.75/day. This is a long time of having nordiazepam build up and a long time to be taking a benzo at all. Because of the half life of nordiazepam it would be expected to start to experience withdrawals after 2 days, and this isn't good.

Benzodiazepine withdrawal is SERIOUS and very unpleasant, it can also be fatal if abruptly discontinued. I STRONGLY recommend speaking to your doctor and other doctors as well before attempting to lower your dose. It can take just a few weeks to get off of it but it wouldn't be comfortable, and like I said, talking to your doctor and getting second opinions as well is your best bet.

Any other questions or if you would like for me to elaborate on any points, just feel free to ask and I or somebody else can answer. Take care and best of luck.

Edit: desmethyldiazepam and desoxydemoxepam are the same thing as nordiazepam.

 

[Hodor]

Tranexene ( =clorazepate) is basically a prodrug for desmethyldiazepam. As such it is a fairly weak benzo, with 15mg being approximately equivalent to 10 mg of diazepam, although the extremely long half-life causes it to build up in your system.

Benzodiazepine withdrawal is always fairly unpleasant (especially if you've been taking it for years), but you're lucky that you're taking a very small dose. I don't think you're at risk of getting a seizure, but if you're having trouble reducing the dose too abruptly, you could ask for a taper using a diazepam oral solution. It might also be worth considering to start you on an alternative anxiolytic (pregabalin is far less addictive than benzos) while you're withdrawing, and to maybe add a non-addictive drug to help you sleep at night (trazodone would be a good suggestion, as it is a (non-addictive) SSRI that produces sleep-inducing/anti-anxiety effects similar to a milder version of an atypical antipsychotic).

 

[Steady Scootin]

Only ever been given tranxene in detox for opioid withdrawal, and it's a godsend, especially with the clonidine and phenobarbital.

 

[Lorne???]

Tranxene by mouth and Nordazepam are completely indistinguishable and -more or less- interchangeable

Nordazepam is consider a partial agonist at GABA-A Receptors, and is fairly mild- most sources indicate 15-20mg Tranxene(Clorazepate) is roughly ~10mg valium; it is complicated a bit by different conversions, and Chronic vs Acute dosing, as some sources say 15mg Tranxene/Nordazepam = 5-10mg Valium

Nonetheless it is a small dose-actually 2.5mg Valium/ 3.75 Nordazepam (R 1.25-2.5/2.5-5) is literally like .125mg of clonazepam chronic, except that Nordazepam, at those doses likely won’t last as long, as it has an intermediate to long duration, which is highly variable and dose dependent - 4-12 hours, they give it 3-4x per day in detox; It has a fairly long, although HIGHLY VARIABLE elimination, T1/2 can range literally from like 25-50h(or something ) at lowest, or well over 100 hours; with such low doses though, it doesn’t effect duration

Honestly, why quit? Again the conversions are something like:

.25mg Ativan(Lorazepam Lowest they make is 0.5mg tablets(or wafers) and that is typically taken two or three times per day

2.5-5 temazepam

0.125-25 xanax(Alprazolam) or .75-150 Clonazepam (average 0.125 chronic Clonazepam, or 0.125-25 acute

2.5 Valium

5mg Ambien(?) Range 3.75-7.5

3.75mg Oxazepam range 2.5-5

1-2 Midazolam

.125-25 Triazolam(Halcion) a stronger sedative /hypnotic, and a Tribenzo like Alprazolam

3.75-7.5(?) Librium, and... Well wouldn’t dare compare it to RC’s

Switch to something fast acting like Valium, if 2mg helps you occasionally, so be it; Don’t be nervous though, many people spend a lot of time and eventually suffering to get to that 3.75mg, or that 2.5mg(ish) valium threahold, to drop from 5-7.5mg daily, to 2.5-5mg, then 1-2mg, and then drop

For you, if you insist on quitting(think 15 tablets or so PRN may benefit, though would still consider Valium or a low dose hypnotic taken AS NEEDED, like 1, or at most two tablets no more than a couple times a week, or 5-10x per month, though if you quit entirely (which makes sense on a low dose anyway) then drop to one tablet per day, DO NOT shave tablets, that is silly and pointless ; remember Lorazepam is 15-20x as potent, and Xanax 30-40x as potent, so just cut to one a day, and then, two options

A. Switch to Valium, it is a fast acting benzodiazepine and, at such low doses especially wears off fast ; go to 2mg tablets, a slight dose drop- take 2mg BID the first day or so, then 2mg AM followed by 1mg Pm couple days, then 2mg a day until adjusted, then 1mg once per day, and then, drop off

B. 3.75mg once a day, eventually half it, then skip a day, take half a tablet again, and then skip another day, and take the other half-or just take 3.75mg, eventually take it every other day and drop- really once adjusted to 3.75mg, you could skip a day/night, take your penultimate dose, skip another, then final dose and CT with none of the typical horror wd people experience from 4mg Clono or Xanax( that is roughly 25-50x the amount you are taking)

There are plenty of other options for sleep/insomnia and comfort medications , just don’t worry so much, it will only make things worse- BTW, 7mg Clono = Over 200mg Nordazepam, assuming it doesn’t reach a ceiling (first) Luck to ya

 

[marina909]

Thank you all so much for the information.. I have been taking this a long time, and didn't know it was a benzo, until my new doctor told me, and said I should taper off. She said to break it in half, and I was worried that was too much. So I took 1/4 off and went through a couple weeks of tremors, sweats, intestinal issues, heart racing etc.
So I did a lot of research and couldn't find anything about tranxene .
Except here.. Thank you all so much..
It takes a lot of the concern of getting off , off me.
I am tapering now at a slower pace. And still nervous. But you have eased some of my fears..
Thank you all again, so much.

 

[MentalBreakdown]

Sounds like you had an old fashioned doctor that sincerely wanted to better his patients lives, then after him got some new age pos that is all about sobriety and "not taking addictive substances". Tough break, happens to everyone now.

 

[Lorne???]

^ Yep. The dangers of, what, 7.5mg Clorazepate/Nordazepam per day?

This thing of addiction - is incorrect and wrong-Sorry sorry

 

[marina909]

Hello..doc has me tapering. Worried about GABA . Would 3.75 even over 20+ years have done the damage she is worried about. The taper is causing me anxiety. Would like to stop fighting this. Get off and move on.

 

[Rafayte]

I have prescribed Tranxilium 50mg three times a day which are 150mg daily. Tranxilium is the same that Tranxene but is in 50mg tablets. I think Tranxene is not in a dose so high, am I wrong? Tranxene is a benzodiacepine mostly anxiolytic and with a noticeable body nature. Tranxene is very similar to Valium, both have the same active metabolites and both are primarily anxiolytic with a muscular relaxation and long duration. Here Tranxilium is in capsules of 5, 10 and 15mg and in 50mg tablets

 

[Jeepers01]

Hello..doc has me tapering. Worried about GABA . Would 3.75 even over 20+ years have done the damage she is worried about. The taper is causing me anxiety. Would like to stop fighting this. Get off and move on.

Marina909 how did your taper go, if you are still on this board?

 

[Lil'LinaptkSix]

I remember it when I was like 16-18 yrs old. Kinda reminds me of a lighter version of alprazolam. Not sure of method(s) of action between the two nor about dependence.
May be time to read up a bit on this. Probably read worse. ha

 

[Lil'LinaptkSix]

seems to be a lot of this substance here at BL and guess Imma start here.

tranxene bluelight.org - Google Zoeken

 

[Fire&Water]

Yeah
I remember liking it
and working similar to diazepam, maybe a little more tranced?
had it for a few years off and on in the 90's

 

[Nas47]

Longest actin' benzo may be.Some of its metabolits are in fact metabolits of diazepam also.Normal daily dose-around 15mgs.It was good.Even better than diazepam(for me).....but there ain't got any in pharmacies anymore from a couple of years.If i have-would pop 15mg immidiately right now