3,2,1: Under 3 mg Valium people

[[Ta...]]

congrats

[[Fr...]]

Hi All,

Just wanted to drop in real quick and say that I took my last dose of Valium today, ending my taper at .02mg.  It has been a long journey and two years ago, I didn't think I was going to make it through this.  I'm grateful this part of it is over and I'm looking forward to more healing.  All the rest of you will get here too one day!  Wishing you the best and cheering you on!

 

Congratulations so happy for you!

[[Fr...]]

Hi everyone!

 

I wanted to pop back in here and update you all on how I’m doing. I think I’m the absolute slowest of us all    I’m at 1.05 mg and I’ve found that I’m pretty reactive to .01 mg reductions. After my crash last year, and getting covid twice, (mild symptoms thankfully), I’ve been holding a lot. Holding a lot has allowed me to return to my career. I work from home but returning to my career was a huge goal of mine, so if working from home allows me to do that, then great!  Overall I’ve been feeling a lot of healing happening. My energy is so much better overall, and my symptoms remain manageable.

 

Right now I’m making roughly .005 reductions every 5 days or so. It may take years but I’ll get there, one day at a time. For me, the healing and return to life that is happening on the way to 0 is worth so much more than reaching 0, if that makes sense. But I must say, I’ll be so happy when this is all finally over, for good.

 

Sending love to all you warriors 

 

Candace we're doing more or less the same. I cut 0.10 mgs a month. Tomorrow I'll be down to 1.30. I'm not visiting the forum lately. We'll get there eventually.

 

Val

Are you cutting that amount every month and then holding or do you micro taper daily? How have the symptoms been at that rate. You are making good progress!!

[[ga...]]

Hi All,

Just wanted to drop in real quick and say that I took my last dose of Valium today, ending my taper at .02mg.  It has been a long journey and two years ago, I didn't think I was going to make it through this.  I'm grateful this part of it is over and I'm looking forward to more healing.  All the rest of you will get here too one day!  Wishing you the best and cheering you on!

 

[move] Congratulations! [/move]

[[se...]]

Gardner 99---Congratulations!!  You are on the other side...well done!!  Only good things to come moving forward. 

[[Fr...]]

Gardner 99---Congratulations!!  You are on the other side...well done!!  Only good things to come moving forward. 

 

Hi Seasalt

I see your signature of the symptoms you had in July are they still there as you have got lower? I am struggling with all those and holding and it doesn’t seem to be helping. We’re you able to still work since that started this summer or what is your level of functionality. Hope this message finds you doing a little better.

[[se...]]

Hello Fruity Pop!

 

Symptoms stayed the same from July until I jumped.  It got a little better and then week two it was rough.  Things have slowly been getting a bit better (I am three months out now).  Recently the anxiety card kicked in (this could be because I began eating sugar again) who knows. I keep telling myself that it can only get better.  It is MUCH better than it was six months ago for sure!!

[Guest [bl...]]

Hello - Did I Blow it?

 

I tapered Valium for a year and got down to 0.25, that was two years ago. Because I am a giant baby I just stayed on the 0.25, I had to work to support my family, my dad died etc etc. fast forward to this week and I think I maybe hit tolerance or my compounding pharmacy messed up and I suddenly feel like I’m dying. Rapid heart rate, intrusive thoughts, no sleep, basically it feels like when I did a cold Turkey. So two nights ago  it took 3mgs in desperate bid to get my heart rate down (it’s been like a week at over 100 bpm’s allll day long). Have I entirely messed everythibg up? I never updosed once in the entire taper process ever so im worried this morning and sure enough the heart rate is back up and pounding. I saw my doctor yesterday who sent me to the ER where I was diagnosed with mild pericarditis, this explains the heart but not the mental symptoms. Again last night I took 2.5 mgs, and slept quite well. I feel rough this morning and am looking for guidance on how to continue here. Do I stay at this dose now or keep reducing? I’d like to take 2mgs tonight and see how that goes? Please any help so so welcome.

[[He...]]

I don’t know how to help you.  I’ve heard that one updose won’t screw its up but consistently updosing will.  I’m sorry you’re going through this.  I hope others can help

[Guest [bl...]]

Thanks - I’m not too sure what to do. I need to see my doctor this week to discuss what to do from here. I am aiming to just be done soon and hope I haven’t blown my taper, so much hard work for nothing. I also think I’m in a rough spot and if I have to I’ll just taper from my higher dose when I stabilize, I’ve done it once and can do it again, probably not ideal but what can ya do. I finally slept last night so I’m feeling better today. Thanks for the reply

[[Li...]]

I’m sorry you’ve hit a rough patch, blessthismess.

 

Just checking ...

 

Given that you used your compounded liquid for a long time without issues, is there any chance that the symptoms you experienced were caused by the pericarditis or some other life event/change (e.g. another medication/treatment/procedure, stress) rather than a problem with the compound? Did you contact your compounding pharmacist to ask if s/he made any changes in the compound formulation or its preparation (e.g. tablets came from a new/different batch than those used previously).

 

 

[[ga...]]

Gardner 99---Congratulations!!  You are on the other side...well done!!  Only good things to come moving forward. 

(Sorry I missed this.)

 

Thanks, Sea! Congrats to you, too!

 

[[...]]

Hi

I thought I’d post here since I’m at 3 mg V and will soon be under in a week or so

Hope others will join in. I’ve tried to get some traction in the Valium Diazepam support group but not much luck. Maybe things will pick up here hopefully

Thinking about going to liquid since .5 cuts are a bit high. Did 2 quarter reductions so far by just changing from a qtr of a 5mg tablet in the morn and evening by changing to 1/2 of a 2 mg tab

Hope to hear from you all

Joeb

[Guest [bl...]]

Hi Libertas - this is the second time the pharmacy has messed up the compound. The last time I caught it early enough that nothing happened. I think it threw me into acute. No major stress or anything really. Just had the Covid vaccine and got pericarditis about a week

Later. Luckily it’s mild and Advil seems to help with that. I will see my doctor next week and see how he wants to proceed. I’m also looking for a new pharmacy 

[Guest [bl...]]

Sorry I’ll also add that it feels as though maybe the brand changed because I used old tablets to take the Updose and felt pretty well normal immediately. I don’t want to get stuck at 2mgs again so will probably make my own solution somehow to get back down 0.25. I took 2.5 mgs for the last two nights and back to being stable, so my best guess is the suspension was funky? Any guidance on how to get back down to 0.25 is most welcome. I was planning on slowly decreasing the 0.25 in the New Year. If I have to reduce from 2 mgs again it’s not the end of the world as I need to remain stable and am very sensitive. Thanks 

 

[[Li...]]

Hello again, blessthismess.

 

That’s interesting that your ‘rough patch’ coincided with getting the vaccine. 

 

Rather than guess, I’d ask your compounding pharmacist if anything changed.  This would also be a good opportunity for you to ask what formulation s/he is using. For example, here’s one for a 1mg/ml diazepam suspension from Alberta Health Services:

 

http://inphonet.albertahealthservices.ca/pharmacy/ahs_recipes/viewrecipe.asp?id=52

 

If I were in your shoes, I would want to get back to the smallest dose possible as soon as possible.

 

PS If you switch to a homebrew liquid, please be sure to give yourself adequate time to transition to it.  First, find a dose that works for you.  Then switch to the homebrew for at least a week or so while keeping your dose constant.  As a heads-up, some members find they need to updose a bit when they switch to a liquid — if your homebrew ‘recipe’ is different from the formulation your compounding pharmacist is using, you may need to do the same.

 

 

[Guest [bl...]]

Yes it started about 7 days post second vaccine. This does not feel the same as insomnia caused by benzos as it progresses, I never had this issue even with a CT. I have taken 2.5 mgs for 3 nights to get my heart rate down (not anxiety heart rate this is very very different). I see my doctor again tomorrow so I will ask more questions and call the pharmacy. Will try 2mgs tonight or 1.5, I really don’t want to get stuck at this dose and have to taper again but I cannot live a heart rate at 154 BPM. Do you think I’ve ruined my taper? Or is there still hope? I might just use the tablets to get back to my regular dose doing a quick little taper back down to 0.25. Might work?

[[Li...]]

I don’t think you’ve ruined your taper but I do think you need to be careful about how you proceed moving forward. Making changes without identifying root cause(s) conveys risk.

 

Talking to your doctor is a wise move ... for example, I would want to know if there are other ways I could get my heart rate down other than taking more diazepam.  If my doctor didn’t know, then I would request a referral to a cardiologist.  Talking to your compounding pharmacist is also a wise move ... for example, I would want to know (a) what formulation s/he is using and (b) if a change was made in either the formulation or preparation of my compound.

[Guest [bl...]]

I think so too. I was so scared from getting pericarditis, it’s a really horrible feeling. I am going to talk to the doctor and go from there. How would I come down off this increased dose? Any ideas? Maybe I should just take less tonight? I will see my GP tomorrow and he does not work with me on my taper. That’s my PDoc who I am hoping to see this week. Thanks so much.

[[Li...]]

To help us help you, would you please update your signature with a day-by-day summary of the recent changes you made? 

[Guest [bl...]]

Done and done, and thank you again for your time and help. It’s just so so nice to talk to someone who has even the slightest idea of what I’m going through.

[[Li...]]

That was fast!  Thank you for the compliment.  Let me return it by saying it’s a pleasure working with such a responsive member.  It gets discouraging when members request assistance and we try to help, but the member does not respond.

 

Let me preface my comments by saying I have zippo experience with taking or tapering diazepam so I hope other members will share their thoughts. 

 

Given that you have only been taking the 2.5mg updose for 3 days, here’s one possible schedule to return to your base dose of 0.25mg over 5 days:

 

Starting dose:  2.5mg

Day 1 - 2.0

Day 2 - 1.5

Day 3 - 1.0

Day 4 - 0.5

Day 5 - 0.25

 

Needless to say, you would monitor your symptoms closely during this period and stop making reductions if you do not feel well enough to continue.

 

Another point to ponder is whether you wish to delay down-dosing until you can find out what your options are for decreasing your heart rate.

[Guest [bl...]]

Thanks so much! I will give this a go. I don’t think Valium is helping as it’s making my heart slow down but in a bad way, my heart feels like it needs to beat quickly with whatever else is going on, not sure this makes sense at all. Will start this tonight. Thanks again

[[Li...]]

You are welcome.  Please let us know what you find out from your doctor and compounding pharmacist. (What you wrote about your heart rate makes perfect sense to me. )

[[He...]]

Hi

I thought I’d post here since I’m at 3 mg V and will soon be under in a week or so

Hope others will join in. I’ve tried to get some traction in the Valium Diazepam support group but not much luck. Maybe things will pick up here hopefully

Thinking about going to liquid since .5 cuts are a bit high. Did 2 quarter reductions so far by just changing from a qtr of a 5mg tablet in the morn and evening by changing to 1/2 of a 2 mg tab

Hope to hear from you all

Joeb

Hi Joeb

I did a liquid micro taper the whole way down from 5mg.  Definitely things get tougher under 3 or 2 so it might be worth trying.  There are lots of videos on the subject if you need help.  I’ll try to answer questions if I can.