Posted by Aldus Huxley on September 24, 2005, at 14:14:59
I have read some of the posts previously discussing these two benzodiazapines, but I have a few questions to any who may have had similar experiences as me.
Recently, I asked my pdoc to switch from alprazolam/Xanax ("X") to diazapam/Valium ("V") as I felt that when I took X for anxiety (usually .5mg), it wasn't very effective. Further, if I took 1mg, I would then get sleepy.
Now on V, I find that it is a much better choice for me as an anxyolitic, now however--as a sedative--it is much LESS effective. if I take 10mg of V for insomnia (where I used to take 1-1.5mg of X), I still have difficulty sleeping.
Anybody else notice this?
Also: Question to pdocs or other self-proclaimed omniscients: Why is valium as (or more) "addictive" than Xanax? I would think that since V has a 90-100h half-life, the withdrawal would be much less difficult than X (which has a half life of around 15-20h, if memory serves). I think by the time the valium and its active metabolites were excreted, your brain's down-regulation of its GABA receptors (please forgive me, I am guessing here) would be already be starting to revert to a normal state.
poster:Aldus Huxley
thread:558984
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050921/msgs/558984.html