Benzos Diazepam and Alprazolam problem.

[WellTram]

I have been addicted to alprazolam since I was 16, taking 0,25mg as needed and gradually, as i grown to 23 years old young man, i was using doses 2-7mg daily and after a few psychedelic trips i realized that i can't be happy because of enormous amount of strong downer i am addicted to - Alprazolam. So.. i am pharmacologically quite educated so i decited to abstain for a 25 hours from alprazolam while slowly introducing my body to good old friend VALIUM (DIAZEPAM). Everybody who know something about benzos know that best way to quit potent, straight to the head going short acting alprazolam is to switch to Diazepam. According to many sources and literature 10mg of diazepam = 0,5 - 0,75mg alprazolam. So i slowly put myself on 20-40mg diazepam daily, hoping it will build up in my system and over power alprazolam cravings but no matter how much diazepam i take, there is still something missing about alprazolam. For example i have Hard to to sleep on diazepam and i suffered one psychotic break down Last night which was quickly eliminated by 1mg alprazolam and 45mg codeine. My question is, is it even possible to replace such a strong and long addiction to alprazolam by slowly reducing diazepam schedule? In theory yes, it is standard way to quit short acting benzo. But i feel that alprazolam is doing something that diazepam can't cover up. Any ideas how to quit this devils potent triazolo benzodiazepine? Diazepam strategy works only partialy.

 

[billyj]

I wouldn't "switch" to Diazepam, but instead try and cut down on Xanax gradually, while introducing Diazepam to compensate. Maybe take a little extra Diazepam than needed. You'll need to taper and taper and taper the Xanax and up and up and up (don't go crazy) the Diazepam. If you cut the Xanax off for any reason, including a switch to Diaz, you're going to get withdrawals, like the symptoms you mentioned. You need to, at the same time, phase the xanax out gradually while introducing Diazepam to replace the missing Xanax doses. Eventually, you'll have to taper out of the Diaz too, but that's much kinder than getting off xanax.

 

[evo4ever]

Clonazepam is the perfect replacement for Alprazolam cos its just as potent mg for mg and it has a much longer half-life. I'd advise anyone to switch to a Clonazepam taper who wants to get off of Alprazolam! The most comfortable way to get off potent short-acting benzos completely is to use a Clonazepam->Diazepam taper plan...

Replace Alprazolam with Clonazepam at the same dose -> Taper down to 0.5mg of Clonazepam gradually -> Replace Clonazepam with Diazepam at the equivalent dose (Clonazepam 0.5mg = Diazepam 10mg) -> Taper down to 0mg of Diazepam gradually.

 

[pally pete]

I have been addicted to alprazolam since I was 16, taking 0,25mg as needed and gradually, as i grown to 23 years old young man, i was using doses 2-7mg daily and after a few psychedelic trips i realized that i can't be happy because of enormous amount of strong downer i am addicted to - Alprazolam. So.. i am pharmacologically quite educated so i decited to abstain for a 25 hours from alprazolam while slowly introducing my body to good old friend VALIUM (DIAZEPAM). Everybody who know something about benzos know that best way to quit potent, straight to the head going short acting alprazolam is to switch to Diazepam. According to many sources and literature 10mg of diazepam = 0,5 - 0,75mg alprazolam. So i slowly put myself on 20-40mg diazepam daily, hoping it will build up in my system and over power alprazolam cravings but no matter how much diazepam i take, there is still something missing about alprazolam. For example i have Hard to to sleep on diazepam and i suffered one psychotic break down Last night which was quickly eliminated by 1mg alprazolam and 45mg codeine. My question is, is it even possible to replace such a strong and long addiction to alprazolam by slowly reducing diazepam schedule? In theory yes, it is standard way to quit short acting benzo. But i feel that alprazolam is doing something that diazepam can't cover up. Any ideas how to quit this devils potent triazolo benzodiazepine? Diazepam strategy works only partialy.

What billyj and Evo said.

Heather Ashton pretty much agrees https://benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm

Schedule 7. Withdrawal from alprazolam (Xanax) 4mg daily with
diazepam (Valium) substitution (4mg alprazolam is
approximately equivalent to 80mg diazepam)​

	Morning	Midday	Afternoon	Evening	Daily Diazepam Equivalent
Starting dosage	alprazolam 1mg	alprazolam 1mg	alprazolam 1mg	alprazolam 1mg	80mg
Stage 1 (1 week)	alprazolam 1mg	alprazolam 1mg	alprazolam 1mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	80mg
Stage 2 (1 week)	alprazolam 1mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 1mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	80mg
Stage 3 (1 week)	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 1mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	80mg
Stage 4 (1 week)	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	80mg
Stage 5 (1 week)	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	80mg
Stage 6 (1-2 weeks)	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.25mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	diazepam 20mg	75mg
Stage 7 (1-2 weeks)	alprazolam 0.25mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.25mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.5mg diazepam 10mg	diazepam 20mg	70mg
Stage 8 (1-2 weeks)	alprazolam 0.25mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.25mg diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.25mg diazepam 10mg	diazepam 20mg	65mg
Stage 9 (1-2 weeks)	alprazolam 0.25mg diazepam 10mg	Stop alprazolam diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.25mg diazepam 10mg	diazepam 20mg	60mg
Stage 10 (1-2 weeks)	Stop alprazolam diazepam 10mg	diazepam 10mg	alprazolam 0.25mg diazepam 10mg	diazepam 20mg	55mg
Stage 11 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 10mg	diazepam 10mg	Stop alprazolam diazepam 10mg	diazepam 20mg	50mg
Stage 12 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 10mg	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 10mg	diazepam 20mg	45mg
Stage 13 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 10mg	diazepam 20mg	40mg
Stage 14 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 20mg	35mg
Stage 15 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 15mg	30mg
Stage 16 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 12.5mg	27.5mg
Stage 17 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 10mg	25mg
Stage 18 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 2.5mg	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 10mg	22.5mg
Stage 19 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 5mg	Stop diazepam	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 10mg	20mg
Stage 20 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 4mg	--	diazepam 5mg	diazepam 10mg	19mg
Stage 21 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 4mg	--	diazepam 4mg	diazepam 10mg	18mg
Stage 22 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 4mg	--	diazepam 3mg	diazepam 10mg	17mg
Stage 23 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 3mg	--	diazepam 3mg	diazepam 10mg	16mg
Stage 24 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 3mg	--	diazepam 2mg	diazepam 10mg	15mg
Stage 25 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 2mg	--	diazepam 2mg	diazepam 10mg	14mg
Stage 26 (1-2 weeks)	diazepam 2mg	--	Stop diazepam	diazepam 10mg	12mg
Stage 27 (1-2 weeks)	Stop diazepam	--	--	diazepam 10mg	10mg
Continue reducing diazepam by 1mg every 2 weeks (see Schedule 3, Stage 26)

 

[KS78]

I was prescribed both of them. Used and later abused both Alprazolam and Diazepam. I think that switching to Diazepam is smart and one of the common ways to taper down or stop using potent and short acting benzodiazepines like Xanax. You are also correct about the dose equivalency.
For me, the missing thing when I use benzos other than Xanax is the speed and intensity. I also got quite intoxicated on Xanax which never happened with Diazepam. So I think that you need to accept that you won't get an enjoyable high like Xanax on Diazepam. I didn't even get it with Clonazepam how much ever I took it.
Once you accept it, use Diazepam so that you don't experience withdrawal and taper as slow as you can, you will be able to become benzo free without much trouble but it will take a long time so patience is essential.
Some use Gabapentin or Pregabalin to help them drop the benzo dose faster but I don't have experience with this.

 

[WellTram]

Thanks for help. I will try to take lower alprazolam doses and eventualy try to change it to diazepam only. Than nothing. These meds were good for anxiety and in high doses great for avoiding whole reality around me but they made me unable to feel that natural or even drug induced happiness.
Without them (or only on low doses + my casual opiates and weed) i can feel that the reality which i was trying to avoid can be as owerwhelmingly cruel and painfull as it can be beautiful and good and as i slowly begin to perceive these emltions again i feel like i am getting alive, or like some kind of chcemical emotion-proof glass around me is melting down.