AboutMary E Scott, RPh, CGP Expertise I am a certified geriatric pharmacist with over 23 years experience as a long-term care consultant to nursing homes. I also do community-based consulting on an individual basis. My facility-based monthly newsletter on pharmacy topics is read by nurses in over 200 long-term care facilities in 5 states.
Experience I received a BS in Pharmacy in 1980 with post-graduate work in public health. I have had a Consultant Pharmacist license since 1984.
Organizations American Society of Consultant Pharmacists .I received certification in geriatric pharmacy in 1998.
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
