Free Benzodiazepine Conversion Calculator

Benzodiazepine Conversion Calculator – A Practical Guide for Dose Equivalency

Switching between different benzodiazepine medications requires careful dose adjustment to maintain therapeutic effect while avoiding withdrawal or overdose. The benzo conversion calculator (also known as a benzodiazepine equivalency calculator or benzo dosage converter) simplifies this process by offering a standardized reference table and straightforward arithmetic. This tool is especially useful when transitioning from one agent to another—for example, from Xanax (alprazolam) to Ativan (lorazepam) or when determining a diazepam equivalent dose using a cross-reference chart.

What Are Benzodiazepines?

Benzodiazepines belong to a class of central nervous system depressants prescribed primarily for anxiety, insomnia, muscle relaxation, and seizure control. They have largely replaced older barbiturates because of a superior safety profile: lower toxicity, reduced risk of fatal overdose, and the existence of a specific reversal agent—flumazenil—which can rapidly counteract their effects. These advantages make benzodiazepines one of the most widely used anxiolytic drug classes worldwide.

Additional Medications for Anxiety

While benzodiazepines are effective, they are not the only option. For milder anxiety, clinicians often start with first‑line agents such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) that have a lower dependency potential. Other drugs sometimes used off‑label include certain opioids (e.g., morphine, tramadol), gabapentin, beta‑blockers (to control palpitations), and melatonin (for sleep). However, the benzodiazepine equivalency calculator focuses exclusively on converting doses within the benzo family, ensuring safe substitution when switching between these specific drugs.

Duration of Action and Onset – The Classification Table

Benzodiazepines can be grouped by their duration of action (short, intermediate, or long) and the speed at which they take effect. The following table summarizes onset times and typical duration for the most common agents, data that underpin the benzo conversion chart used by the tool.

Benzodiazepine	Onset of Action	Duration of Action
Alprazolam (Xanax)	30 min	6–20 h
Bromazepam (Lexotan)	30 min – 4 h	10–20 h
Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)	1.5 h	5–30 h
Clonazepam (Rivotril)	1 h	18–39 h
Clorazepate (Tranxene)	1 h	36–200 h
Diazepam (Valium)	30 min	20–50 h
Flurazepam (Dalmane)	1 h	12–100 h
Lorazepam (Ativan)	30–60 min	10–20 h
Midazolam IV (Versed)	1–3 min	2–4 h
Midazolam PO	10–20 min	20 min – 3 h
Oxazepam (Serax)	3 h	3–21 h
Quazepam (Doral)	20–45 min	25–100 h
Temazepam (Restoril)	30–60 min	10–20 h
Triazolam (Halcion)	30 min	1.6–5.5 h

The Benzodiazepine Equivalency Table – Conversion Factors

The core of the benzo dosage converter is a set of conversion factors relative to alprazolam (Xanax), which is assigned a factor of 1. To use the table:

• If your current drug is alprazolam, multiply the dose by the factor of the target drug.
• If your current drug is not alprazolam, first divide your dose by the factor of your current drug, then multiply by the factor of the target drug.

The conversion factors for common benzodiazepines are listed below.

Benzodiazepine	Factor (×)
Alprazolam (Xanax)	1
Bromazepam (Lexotan)	6
Chlordiazepoxide (Librium)	50
Clonazepam (Rivotril)	1
Clorazepate (Tranxene)	20
Diazepam (Valium)	15
Flurazepam (Dalmane)	30
Lorazepam (Ativan)	2
Midazolam IV (Versed)	4
Midazolam PO	10
Oxazepam (Serax)	30
Quazepam (Doral)	40
Temazepam (Restoril)	30
Triazolam (Halcion)	0.5

Practical Example – Temazepam to Xanax Conversion

Suppose a patient currently takes 20 mg of temazepam (Restoril) and the prescriber wants to switch to alprazolam (Xanax). Using the factor table:

• Temazepam factor = 30
• Alprazolam factor = 1

The calculation runs:

$$\text{Alprazolam dose} = \frac{20\ \text{mg}}{30} \times 1 = 0.67\ \text{mg}$$

Thus, 20 mg of temazepam is approximately equivalent to 0.67 mg of alprazolam. This same logic applies to any conversion, such as Xanax to Ativan conversion (multiply Xanax dose by 2) or determining a diazepam equivalent dose using the respective factors.

Important Considerations

While a benzodiazepine dose conversion chart provides a convenient starting point, individual patient response, metabolism, and clinical context vary. This tool offers an estimation only and should never replace professional medical judgment. Any switch between benzodiazepines must be supervised by a qualified healthcare provider, taking into account the patient’s history, severity of symptoms, and risk of dependence.