Can someone please tell me the difference between xanax and diazepam? my doc has bought me down from 60ml too 10ml in a couple of months and i am finding my anxiety panic attacks etc have come back with a vengence! because of some morons abusing these pills he is cutting everybody off, hence my ROP shopping.on valium for 11 years and you can imagine how i feel , so any advice on my question (as much as poss) will be greatly appreciated, thankyou all.....

A Wikipedia search will explain the exact chemical and clinical difference. In my own expereince with "GAD" (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) Although Xanax has a shorter half-life, (is excreted from the body faster than Valium) it is more effective stopping a anxiety attack QUICKLY. When a Benzodiazipine is used for Detox. purposes, Valium is usually the better choice. In my (Non-professional) opinion, the Doc. tapered you WAY too quickly, hence the re-bound anxiety. I would even go as far as to say his judgement was probably a bit poor, tapering from Benzo's are a tricky business and should be done carefully. Of 3 med. classifications in my case, Methadone was the MOST difficult taper/WD, Benzodiazepines, the second most difficult taper/WD, and Hydrocodone the least difficult. Thats JUST ME and my own personal experience, everyone metabolizes meds. a little differently.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ~David~,

Bucky, I believe David is correct. That kind of dramatic taper is not good. My husband was taking xanax for a while and his Doc did not give him any instructions, or warnings about W/D. We were both very naive at the time, so he just quit one day. Then he spent a month thinking he had the worst flu of his life. If we were educated at the time, he would have done a slow reduction and probably had very little suffering.

Could you go back to your Doc and explain that you are in real need of enough medication to taper down to the amount he is prescribing now?

Also, there are some "old" meds in this same family that could help you through this process. They don't seem to have the current "fear factor" attached to them and seem to be fairly easy to obtain from a Doctor.

I don't know enough about this particular medication to be of much help, but maybe some others will join in and give you some ideas.

Great idea Manny! Since DEA has targeted Xanax as a drug for "Diversion", it may well be easier to get the lessor sought Benzo's, (minor tranquilizers) such as Valium, Klonopin, Ativan, these do not (yet) carry the same stigma as Xanax. It's too bad Xanax has fallen from "grace" due to abuse. (and it IS abused) I have used it intermittantly through the years, decades actually, it's a remarkable medication when used responsibly.

Hello to all of you. While you're on the Xanax subject........here's what I found, after months of severe headaches that lasted 2-3 days. My Dr. tried Xanax and immediately the headaches were gone. Even Imitrex wouldn't work for me. So I thought Xanax could be used for headaches, too. What do youthink?

Hey I say whatever works. You know your body better than any doctor ever could. So if it works for you bully on what they say! Again JMHO

Thats great 45th! It really is a terrific medication. (for me anyway)

Thanks for the response all...i believe my doc has been overprescribing some pretty hard core meds and the health authority have come down on him like a ton of bricks.I have noticed some new faces in the last few months coming out of the surgery comparing scripts (you"d think it was christmas) with big smiles on their faces , so obviously the doc has been taken advantage of by , let"s say , the more unsavoury characters.I do believe it was a very quick taper, too quick, so have made an appointment to see him thurs morn and hopefully come to some sort of compromise. Will post again on this subject and let fellow members know the outcome, thanks again.

Yes,

Withdrawl from Xanax I hear is very dangerous if done incorrectly. I've been on Xanax 1mg 3x daily when needed. I've spoken to my Md about how to go about getting off Xanax when I would like. He said it was very difficult, however they typically substitute a longer acting Benzo, like Valium and taper, taper, taper...very slowly. Anyway, hope that helps someone.

-SKB

I forgot to add my experience with Xanax withdrawl.

I ran out of Xanax one month, on a Thursday. I called for a refill and my old Md (since fired!) would not refill my medication early (2 days!) I mentioned several times that I've read that it is not a good idea to stop cold turkey but to no avail. Friday came and went without incedent, then Saturday I began so feel a bit strange. I brushed it off and Sunday eve, I called the emergency MD on call as I was really feeling terrible, and was told to "tough it out" untill Monday. Needless to say, I tried to "tough it out" but at 3am on Sunday eve, I had to call 911 because I thought I was having a heart attack. I was takin to the ER, explained my situation to the attending, was given Ativan via an IV to help withdrawls. Finally after getting my heart rate under control and many, many tests, the MD in the ER agreed that my problem was sudden cold turkey withdrawl from Xanax. He also said that my Primary Care was VERY irresponsible by not addressing my condition prior to going into full blown withdrawl and was going to call her the following day to give her a piece of his mind. Monday came, and I ripped my MD a new one. Then I promptly fired her and wrote a letter to the board of medicine in my state explaining the irresponsible acts of my MD. This letter was also supported by another letter, written by the attending MD in the ER. I'm not sure what, if anything actually happened to my old MD, but I'm sure it was nothing. That being said, Xanax is very dangerous to go "cold turkey" with, so PLEASE be carefull. You can actually have Grand Mal Siezures if withdrawl is done incorrectly.

-SKB

You are so right. Most people have no idea how dangerous that drug is. It is a very good drug when used correctly that when I had panic attacks it worked fantastic. I just can't imaging people actually using it to get high on. I got to where just carrying it with me helped calm my attacks. I don't care if it was all in my head either but just knowing I had it eased my mind tremendously. I eventually didn't have to take it anymore. I was suppose to take 1 3x's a day but thank God I only took it when I felt an attack coming on. Even then I only took 1/2. I never did have to take it as directed and that was ok with my doctor. I still have some and I'm sure they are no good since the date on them is 1987.

I took xanax a few times years ago. I don't think I would take it now knowing all the information I have learned. It is a great drug for some who really need it. It is a drug that should be very respected and used carefully..

1987? Good grief SA! you ARE conservative with your meds. My regimen is the same as Steves, but like you, just the idea that I have them will short circuit the need to take any. In my youth, I had a dreadful fear of flying, now, with my little bottle close at hand, I actually enjoy flying! I didn't want to go into clinical details of worse case Xanax cold turkey scenario's, but Steve brought home just how serious all of this really is, AND the fact that some Doc's are making poor judgement calls due to DEA intimidation. This is an example of why I have my psychotropic meds. handled by Mental Health professionals. My Psychiatrist would LOVE the opportunity to rip some moronic DEA officer, "A new one" (and believe me, he can do it) Most Mental Health clinic's operate on a sliding scale making services available to everyone, for $4.00 a month, I receive well over $1000.00 a month in psychotropic medications, it's worth the investment of time.

David,the flying part is sooo funny.You made my day.Thanks for the laugh. Love. mayy here.