Nitrazepam Withdrawal

Nitrazepam withdrawal can be difficult especially if the person has been a long term user of nitrazepam. Long term users of nitrazepam or other benzodiazepines are likely to be addicted and suffer withdrawal symptoms when the dosage is reduced. One of the main problems of nitrazepam is that it is not available in low potency tablets so individuals trying to reduce their dosage by directly tapering off nitrazepam end up reducing their dosage by large percentages of the dose they are taking. There is however an easier method of withdrawing from nitrazepam. The solution is to swap the benzodiazepine drug nitrazepam for another drug in the same benzodiazepine family but available in in lower potency tablets. The benzodiazepine which is recommended for withdrawing from other benzodiazepines is diazepam, sometimes better known as valium. The reasons for using diazepam to withdraw from are explained thoroughly in this article on tapering using diazepam.

When a person's body has become addicted to nitrazepam it can be difficult to reduce the dose without experiencing unpleasant withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, panic, insomnia, and many other physical and mental withdrawal symptoms. With diazepam very small dosage cuts can be made of 0.5 mg of diazepam. Diazepam also has an even longer elimination half life than nitrazepam which will allow for a smoother slower decline in blood levels and thus a reduced intensity of withdrawal side effects.

Nitrazepam is equivalent mg for mg to diazepam according to Professor Ashton's benzodiazepine equivalence table. That is 5 mg of nitrazepam is equivalent to 5 mg of diazepam. The first step is to gradually replace the nitrazepam tablets with equivalent doses of diazepam tablets. Someone taking 10 mg of nitrazepam could swap a 5 mg tablet of nitrazepam for 5 mg of diazepam and allow 2 - 4 weeks to stabalise before replacing the remaining nitrazepam tablet with 5 mg of diazepam and stabalising for 4 weeks before proceeding with a gradual reduction regime.

Nitrazepam Brand Names

Nitrazepam is the generic name however it is known under a variety of brand names world wide. Some of the brand names that you may recognise nitrazepam under are as follows:

Alodorm, Apodorm, Arem, Cavodan, Dima, Dormalon, Dormo-Puren, Eatan N, Eunoctin (Еуноктин), Hypnotex, Imeson, Insoma, Insomin, Mogadan, Mogadon, Nitavan, Nitrados, Nitrapan, Nitravet, Nitrazadon, Nitrazepol, Nitrosun (Нитросан), Novanox, Numbon, Onirema, Ormodon, Pacisyn, Paxadorm, Radedorm (Радедорм), Remnos, Somnite.

Nitrazepam Withdrawal Guide

Below is a withdrawal schedule for withdrawing from nitrazepam. The schedule below is a rough guide. Some people will be able to withdraw more quickly than others and others will need to go even slower. The important thing is to listen to your body. If you are experiencing unpleasant withdrawal symptoms it is best to hold off tapering until those withdrawal symptoms subside before reducing any further the dosage. Note that the below withdrawal guide is only a guide and the rate of reduction should be at a tolerable rate to the individual.

Withdrawing from Nitrazepam
Withdrawing from 10 mg of Nitrazepam using 2 mg Diazepam tablets.
Follow Table From Your Starting or Current dose
Morning	Lunch Time	Evening	Before Bed	Total Daily Dose
			Nitrazepam 10 mg	Nitrazepam 10 mg
Stabalise for 2 - 4 weeks
			Nitrazepam 5 mg + Diazepam 5 mg	Nitrazepam 5 mg + Diazepam 5 mg
Stabalise for 2 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 10 mg	Diazepam 10 mg
Stabalise for 2 - 4 weeks
At this stage you should be stabalising on the diazepam and ready to start making some small reductions in dosage.
			Diazepam 9 mg	Diazepam 9 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 8 mg	Diazepam 8 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 7 mg	Diazepam 7 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 6 mg	6 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
See also NOTE below for additional information on withdrawing from 5 mg of diazepam
			Diazepam 5 mg	Diazepam 5 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 4.5 mg	Diazepam 4.5 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 4 mg	Diazepam 4 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 3.5 mg	Diazepam 3.5 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 3 mg	Diazepam 3 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 2.5 mg	Diazepam 2.5 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 2 mg	Diazepam 2 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 1.5 mg	Diazepam 1.5 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 1 mg	Diazepam 1 mg
Hold reduction for 3 - 4 weeks
			Diazepam 0.5 mg	Diazepam 0.5 mg
Drop Last 0.5 mg dose of diazepam and Never Take Another Benzodiazepine Again
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Gradual Diazepam Detox Complete

NOTE: Some people find it difficult in the final stages of withdrawal from 5 mg of diazepam to zero. If you are one of these people it may be of value asking your doctor to provide you with the 2 mg per 5 ml diazepam liquid suspension, and obtaining a 1 ml syringe from your local pharmacy/drug store/chemist. Users can then obtain smaller dose reductions than the 0.5 mg sized cuts using tablets. See this page on SLOW WITHDRAWAL FROM DIAZEPAM using liquid suspension diazepam.