3,2,1: Under 3 mg Valium people

[[Ja...]]

Wow that is great

I am on remeron

If I wasn't on it I would be in full blown withdrawal most days

Maybe I am paradoxical bc I feel similarly. Well I feel that o am so revved up it doesn't touch it

But yesterday and last couple of days were good

Anxiety about going to work this week probably did it

My job is stressful so that's prob why. I am dying to quit and if I had money I would it's just been a business I have built over 16 years. Crazy.

[[Ke...]]

LeslieAsh

What were or are your symptoms coming off the AD?

I am weak, lightheaded..... Shaky... Fogged out

Thanks for encouragement.

Did doc say how long it will last...  I know not as bad as Benzo, but I am so tired of this.

[Guest [Le...]]

LeslieAsh

What were or are your symptoms coming off the AD?

I am weak, lightheaded..... Shaky... Fogged out

Thanks for encouragement.

Did doc say how long it will last...  I know not as bad as Benzo, but I am so tired of this.

 

Hi Keeka, I had all of those things, but I was also in tolerance WD, still on Ativan.

 

~However~

I had been on Paxil a number of years earlier (got off in 2007 or so, I think), and that left me shaky and weak for months after the acute symptoms (vertigo, huge head zaps) stopped, and there were no other drugs in my life at all at that point. I think I felt pretty good within 4 months of finishing that taper. It certainly was over by 6 months, and I felt fine.

 

I only got back on a few years later because of huge personal and professional struggles that piled up - of course, I'm deeply sorry I opted onto psychiatric drugs again, because that is when the new round of Paxil led to Adderall and then to Ativan. It's water under the bridge now, but boy do I feel stupid - I have to try to stop wasting my time thinking about doing it all over differently now, dang.

 

You'll be fine though - it could be that a lot of the symptoms are still leftover from your benzo taper, and those of course may take longer to clear than any of the ADs (Paxil is supposedly one of the worst for WD).

 

Lots of luck to you, Keeka!

Leslie 

[[Kg...]]

So like Shamo I am now having some weird stomach symptoms -tonight I ate dinner and feel overfull though I really didn't eat that much.  Kind of like the food is just sitting there. I also was down to 99 lbs (not good) and I am now back to 112 but I  gained 3 lbs in the last week - and now my stomach looks like I ate a basketball. Is this weird weight gain normal - and my stomach issue?  Any thoughts? 

[[Sh...]]

Kgirl! Its so strange isnt it! Its like as soon as we get off this happens...mine is getting better already though...my appetite has come back a lot and food seems to be digesting better. Although still not perfect again. Its definitely not a serious issue, but an odd one.

 

Keeka I started an AD and stopped after 3 weeks cause of the new effects. It took atleast a month for my panicky sx to stop. All these things take time. It sucks badly.

[[Kg...]]

Shamo: Did you have the weight gain or just the stomach issue? Glad you are feeling better- it gives me hope that this awful overfull feeling will go away.  But if I keep gaining weight I had better stop eating anything at all. 

[[Sh...]]

Im not sure sure if I was gaining weight. I didnt weigh myself. It was just a disgusting overfull feeling. Like to the point where I ate some pizza and 6 hours later it literally hadn't digested a single bit. And that started to hurt my stomach. Since then I just started drinking smoothies, just 1 a day was enough to keep me feeling full all day. So weird!

[[Sh...]]

Funny story for you guys.

 

After finally getting off the valium 3 weeks ago I decided it was time to move out from my parents house and back into the real world. So im moving back in with my friend who lives in another state. Its a 3 day drive to my new state. My sister decided to help me out and come with me. We drive all day and are safe after day 1.

 

Day 2- we take a wrong turn and get bogged in the middle of nowhere literally outback Australia. I had to run 5km to a farm and ask for help and then back to the car. Then back to the farm again. Eventually after waiting 3 hours the farmer came home and got his tractor out and pulled us out of the bog. After driving 11 hours since then have made it safely.

 

What is withdrawal without a little fun like this? And you know what? It was actually interesting and took my mind off my symptoms. 1 day to go tomos. I hope we survive!

[Guest [Le...]]

What a great adventure - glad you survived what must have been an exhausting diversion. Isn't it great that you are off the benzos and handled everything so well?

 

Congratulations on the start of your new life! 

[[Sh...]]

Update. Made it safely to my new state. I have finally had some improvement. The consistent and crushing depression ive had for ages seems to have lifted quite a bit. Im still having bad ocd thoughts, but for the first time in a long time I dont hate the world.

[[Kg...]]

Great news Shamo. Wow what a trip to your new state. I'm glad you didn't drive this alone.  Now on towards more healing.  And today BTW - 2 weeks out my body feels like every muscle hurts - so I guess it is my 'hit day' like you had. Very weird but I will just go with the flow. 

[[...]]

Wow Shamo, that's great news your moving on state and moving on from benzo, kgirl  hope healing are continue on the way.  I've been struggling with unsteady balance and some insomnia but still trying to go somewhere because it's summer here, trying to motivate myself that all this sx will subside.  Kallie = how you doing.  Regards to all. Mcm

[[Pi...]]

Anyone ever feel like their valium dose causes anxiety?  This last week, when I take my dose, I initially feel very anxious and my rate races a bit for about 30 minutes.  I've also noticed I get a headache too. I've been sitting at 1.25 for several weeks trying to feel better.  I'm thinking of speeding up my taper and getting off if this continues.  Anyone ever feel this? I tried increasing my dose a bit but it didn't help.

[[Kg...]]

PineValley - Yep that was me- I decided to just 'get off'.  I think the benzo made me feel worse and it was toxic to me.  I didn't speed up but I just kept going.  Shamo led the way for me and some others here on benzo buddies.  Most people said to keep going and that I would feel better as the weeks went on off of the drug.  I am getting hit today 2 weeks off but I still managed to walk a mile and get out of the house - more than I can say for what I was able to do even 6 months ago. 

 

 

[[Pi...]]

Thanks so much for replying.  I had decided to cut tomorrow after having a terrible panic attack this afternoon.  If I'm still getting them, what's the point in holding longer? My tinnitus is driving me crazy too!  Thank god for Netflix Marathons.  I just keep them going all night to drown out the ringing. I'm going to try adding buspar in hopes it might help with my pamic and my sleeping problems.  I've taken antihistamines for sleep a couple times but they make me feel hungover the next day. I only use them when I'm desperate. 

[[Sh...]]

Pine thats the mindset kgirl and I eventually reached. Holding and trying to stabilise just didnt seem to work for us so in the end we just bit the bullet and kept cutting towards 0 through the SX.

 

KGIRL- wow that sounds similar to me. Im at 4 weeks on tuesday. Im still having some stomach issues but it has improved. Its hard getting more sx, but in a way its a good sign that your body is realising the last of the poison is leaving your system. So try and hold on to that.

 

MCM same as kgirl, hit a bit harder now that youve jumped.

 

Well my legs are shot from running all that distance haha! Good exercise though hopefully people still give some updates in the cool club!! Keep us posted.

[[Ja...]]

So nice you guys are doing ok!!

I am at 2.28 tonight!

My emotions really really play a role in my symptoms it's just they are not right sized at the moment

It's been hard to eat

Did you guys have that?

I am hiking and workjng and going to the beach tomorrow. Praying.....

 

[[...]]

Hi everyone, I'm just wondering about Keeka and Arcade= how are you guys doing?  hope you are doing ok.

 

Today my unsteady balance are better hopefully it will gone completely in few days, some headache and fatigue ear issues still but I know I'm still in acute phase so that is understandable, trying to accept those symptoms but sometimes couldn't wait to feel normal again.  wishing you all BBs a complete healing everyday. 

 

regards, MCM

[[Pi...]]

I had a question for you guys. I cut Sunday from 1.25 to 1. I know it was a big cut, but the valium was giving me some anxiety and I had been stuck at 1.25 for almost a month.  The next day,  my head,  my muscles ached. I'm been feeling really out of it. I thought there was a lag time with valium.  Does it not exist anymore when you get this low? Usually,  my cut would hit me around day 4.  It was immediately this time.  Is it just going to keep getting worse?  I don't know what to do. I don't want to go back up. 

[[Kg...]]

PineValley - Hard to say but my guess is it is the Valium since it is a muscle relaxant.  I believe that since the dose you are on is no longer a therapeutic one it is time to just get off. Shamo told me to do this as did some others - and I just gritted my teeth to get off.  I think that we still need to go slow - but the end is hard for so many of us.  I know my s/x ramped up at the end and then got back to more normal ones as I went off.  So IMHO I would not updose. 

 

For muscle aches I take a hot bath (throw in some Epson Salts) and tylenol. I also do some yoga stretches as well - it all helps. 

[[Pi...]]

PineValley - Hard to say but my guess is it is the Valium since it is a muscle relaxant.  I believe that since the dose you are on is no longer a therapeutic one it is time to just get off. Shamo told me to do this as did some others - and I just gritted my teeth to get off.  I think that we still need to go slow - but the end is hard for so many of us.  I know my s/x ramped up at the end and then got back to more normal ones as I went off.  So IMHO I would not updose.

 

Thanks for the advice!  I'm going to finish out this dose for the week and then probably jump. Didn't think about the muscle relaxant effect.  I took my dose this morning and my headache went away for a bit. I also started Buspar.  I think it's helping, maybe.  I've also been having the hot flashes at night.  I guess that's the valium leaving my system.  I just didn't expect it to be so immediate. I guess the lag time is just gone when you get to 1.

 

 

[[Kg...]]

PineValley IMHO I would not jump off now.  I would keep cutting but I would not jump.  Yes you want off but Shamo and I went down much lower than 1 mg.  At minimum cut again to .5 mg and then hold there a bit.  Shamo and I both jumped around .3 mg. 

[[Pi...]]

K-girl, how was at the end? Did you have bad headaches and muscle pain?  My vision has been a bit foggy in my left eye. I'm scared it will just get more intense the lower I get and then be beyond terrible when I stop. My anxiety is pretty bad too. Maybe I'm just a fast metabolizer of valium and that's why the cut was so immediately felt. Or I cut too much. If this doesn't let up soon I don't know what to do. I've been non functional today. I've gotten up for maybe a few minutes today. Ugh! When this happens my brain starts "the use should of just tapered off the ativan months ago instead of crossing to valium" and I start giving up. Maybe tomorrow will be better.  It usually takes a week before my symptoms improve but they haven't ever been this bad.

[[Kg...]]

PineValley each of us has different s/x so what I have had on the way down doesn't mean you will have them. (Mine were terrible anxiety, agoraphobia, burning skin and lots of GI issues, now add in muscle pain.)  I think the worst thing for us to do is to lay around in bed. I know you don't feel well and I have been there but if you can get up try and make it to the couch!!  Watch some mindless tv, do a few stretches anything to distract yourself.  Take a bath for the muscle aches. Listen to Baylissa John's you tubes - do some meditation tapes - again distract, distract, distract is the key.  Exercise is a life saver for me and on days like today when I have sore muscles I just stick with my yoga. 

 

The end was okay- my s/x got much worse when I was at the end of K not Valium.  They ramped up and vs. having night windows they lasted all day every day. I kept going - and week one off was the same for me -w/in 4 weeks I felt well enough to start cutting the V. The s/x came roaring back and as I got lower on the Valium but  at least I got some windows during the day.  So what you have once you stop getting 'hit' is how you will feel once off. That is you will get 'hit' but it will get better and each time you will recognize that you are better than before. My progress log helps me with this - I see how much better I am now even though I have s/x then I was just a few short months ago. 

[[Sh...]]

Alright guys I thought Id give an update. I reached the 1 month mark a couple of days ago since I jumped off. I didnt feel any improvement at all the first 3 weeks but last week I definitely felt the depression id been having lift a bit. All of a sudden last wednesday night I just felt better. So thats positive. My other main symtom which is intrusive, looping, OCD thoughts is still pretty bad. There hasnt been much improvement on them yet and thats the symptom I cant wait for to leave.

 

The main problem I have now is that its been so long since Ive felt normal  (4 months since my last window) that Ive forgotten what it feels like. So its hard to remind myself that it will get better because I just feel like this is the norm and as good as its gonna get. But that's not true. I felt fantastic before this shit started.

 

I really feel deep down that mine is not gonna be a long term recovery. Im hoping that in another month Im a lot better. But I wont be disappointed if it takes another 2-3 months. I set myself the goal of feeling better by my 29th birthday. Which is october 29. So ill keep aiming for that.

 

Hows everyone doing? Kgirl can I have an update? Mcm???