Expert: Mary E Scott, RPh, CGP - 6/22/2009

Question
Hi Mary,How & what can I address w/my primary care physician to switch xanax for valium.My experience has been that if I have a "perfectly valid" reason,she will do it.When is valium "perfectly" valid/justified?

Answer
Hi,Leki!
I guess I could ask you why you would want to switch. Is it because you feel that Xanax is not effective for you? I have reservations about someone switching from Xanax to Valium for a few reasons. One is that Valium (diazepam) is a long-acting medication which can accumulate in the body for a longer period of time. It is a problem for older individuals because it doesn't leave the body as fast and can cause confusion, and other cognition problems. Another is that it can cause worse problems than Xanax  when abruptly stopped.
So I probably didn't answer your question, but may have voiced the same concerns your doctor may be thinking when you ask him/her to make the switch.
Hope this helps, Mary