Benzodiazepine Equivalency

Evidence-based information on benzodiazepine equivalency is limited, and different sources may disagree; hence the use of dose ranges in this table. Even so, the data listed in this table are estimates, and their use requires clinical judgement.

Particularly when tapering a dose, a very gradual reduction with attention to patient response is required. This is particularly the case for patients who have been taking benzodiazepines for an extended period of time. When escalating a dose, it is preferable to err on the side of caution, to avoid overshooting and causing respiratory depression.

Table 1. Benzodiazepine Equivalency^{[1, 2, 3, 4]} (Open Table in a new window)

	Approximately Equivalent Oral Doses, mg	Time to Peak Level, hours	Half-life, hours
Alprazolam (Xanax)	0.5–1	1-2	12
Bromazepam (Lexotan)*	3–6	1-4	20
Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)	10–25	1-4	100
Clonazepam (Klonopin)	0.25–0.5	1-4	34
Clorazepate (Tranxene)	7.5–15	0.5-2	100
Diazepam (Valium)	5–10	1-2	100
Flurazepam (Dalmane)	15–30	0.5-1	100
Lorazepam (Ativan)	1–2	1-4	15
Nitrazepam (Mogadon)*	2.5–10	0.5-2	30
Oxazepam (Serax)	15–30	1-4	8
Quazepam (Doral)	10–20	1.5	25-41
Temazepam (Restoril)	10–20	2-3	11
Triazolam (Halcion)	0.25–0.5	1-2	2
*Not available in the United States