Why should I consider possibly switching from my present benzo to Valium for my taper?
Switching to Valium is an individual choice. Valium has a longer half-life than most other benzodiazepines. Benzos with a short half life can cause “inter-dose withdrawal”. This means that you begin to feel withdrawal effects between your daily doses of a benzo. This is not usually a concern with Valium, as it is eliminated at a much slower rate; it stays in your system much longer. In addition, Valium is less potent per pill than other benzos and available in 10mg, 5mg, and 2mg pills. Considering equivalencies of benzodiazapines (1mg of Ativan is thought to roughly equal 10mg of Valium), it is easier to make smaller cuts with Valium.
