I made a slip during taper. Will I be okay?

[[fi...]]

I’ve been on Valium since November. 60 mg. Prior to that I was on 3mg of klonopin for 3 years.

 

Basically fir the past six months I e been slowly tapering my Valium down. Well it might not be slow to some but still. I jumped from 60 to 50(bad idea) to start with but recovered and maintained at 50. I then went to 45 after 3 months of being on 50. 2 months after that I went down to 40. Been in 40 a little over a month. Been going pretty smoothly except for tonight.

 

Idk I had a terrible panic attack out of nowhere mixed with the cravings I already have. And I took 40mg a bit ago. Yes 40. So that means for this one day I took 80 in total.

 

My taper has been going really well... do you guys think this will effect me significantly in my taper as far as symptoms or is one time not enough? I really can’t afford to loose all my progress.

[[Ch...]]

One rescue dose won't hurt your taper.  Repeated rescue doses will, however.  What will you do if you have another anxiety attack?  That's key to getting through this, I think...

[[fi...]]

One rescue dose won't hurt your taper.  Repeated rescue doses will, however.  What will you do if you have another anxiety attack?  That's key to getting through this, I think...

 

Thank you so much for your fast response man. Well for the past 170 days or so my strategy has been to just “tough it out”. Distract myself. Do anything. This is the first time I’ve done this intentionally in my whole taper. (I may have taken a few extra before and not realized it because of my memory issues). But when I mean a few I mean a handful out of 5-6 months and like one extra pill.

 

I just had a really bad day today and I know I shouldn’t have done it. I was really depressed and just wanted some relief. I know people here can hopefully understand how long and hard a darn Benzo  taper is. I also do have cravings because before trying to commit to the taper I would abuse the drug often.

 

How many recuse doses in a row can you do before you’re in some deep trouble? I don’t plan on doing it again anytime soon if I can help it but just curious.

 

My main concern is if I’ll notice something symptom wise from my taper. I’ve been doing very well. I think I’m almost ready to jump down from 40 to 35 and it’s been a little over a month.

[[Ch...]]

One rescue dose won't hurt your taper.  Repeated rescue doses will, however.  What will you do if you have another anxiety attack?  That's key to getting through this, I think...

 

Thank you so much for your fast response man. Well for the past 170 days or so my strategy has been to just “tough it out”. Distract myself. Do anything. This is the first time I’ve done this intentionally in my whole taper. (I may have taken a few extra before and not realized it because of my memory issues). But when I mean a few I mean a handful out of 5-6 months and like one extra pill.

 

 

Great!  These are good strategies.  It's easy to forget you have them and cave in to the anxiety, so keep practicing them so they become automatic.

 

 

 

I just had a really bad day today and I know I shouldn’t have done it. I was really depressed and just wanted some relief. I know people here can hopefully understand how long and hard a darn Benzo  taper is. I also do have cravings because before trying to commit to the taper I would abuse the drug often.

 

 

We absolutely do understand this...and no judgment intended from me, nor should anyone else judge you.  That's not what we're about here.  We all totally understand wanting and needing some relief.

 

As to 'abuse', if you mean running out a little early because you reached tolerance and needed more to achieve relief, that's not abuse.  Taking them when you don't have a need for relief is abuse...in my opinion.

 

How many recuse doses in a row can you do before you’re in some deep trouble? I don’t plan on doing it again anytime soon if I can help it but just curious.

 

 

I don't think you'll end up in deep trouble unless you end up back on a higher daily dose, and that's not even deep trouble, it just means you've lost progress.  Nothing dire.

 

Generally, the more rescue doses you take, the longer your taper takes, which means that much longer until you're feeling like your old self again.

 

My main concern is if I’ll notice something symptom wise from my taper. I’ve been doing very well. I think I’m almost ready to jump down from 40 to 35 and it’s been a little over a month.

 

Good to hear your taper's going well.  You may want to keep the '10% every two weeks' in mind on your next cut...40 to 35 is probably doable but it might be even better to take it from 40 to 37.5 (or so) for two weeks and another cut from 37.5 to 35 two weeks later if you've been holding for a month at a time.  Just gentler on your central nervous system.

[[fi...]]

One rescue dose won't hurt your taper.  Repeated rescue doses will, however.  What will you do if you have another anxiety attack?  That's key to getting through this, I think...

 

Thank you so much for your fast response man. Well for the past 170 days or so my strategy has been to just “tough it out”. Distract myself. Do anything. This is the first time I’ve done this intentionally in my whole taper. (I may have taken a few extra before and not realized it because of my memory issues). But when I mean a few I mean a handful out of 5-6 months and like one extra pill.

 

 

Great!  These are good strategies.  It's easy to forget you have them and cave in to the anxiety, so keep practicing them so they become automatic.

 

 

 

I just had a really bad day today and I know I shouldn’t have done it. I was really depressed and just wanted some relief. I know people here can hopefully understand how long and hard a darn Benzo  taper is. I also do have cravings because before trying to commit to the taper I would abuse the drug often.

 

 

We absolutely do understand this...and no judgment intended from me, nor should anyone else judge you.  That's not what we're about here.  We all totally understand wanting and needing some relief.

 

As to 'abuse', if you mean running out a little early because you reached tolerance and needed more to achieve relief, that's not abuse.  Taking them when you don't have a need for relief is abuse...in my opinion.

 

How many recuse doses in a row can you do before you’re in some deep trouble? I don’t plan on doing it again anytime soon if I can help it but just curious.

 

 

I don't think you'll end up in deep trouble unless you end up back on a higher daily dose, and that's not even deep trouble, it just means you've lost progress.  Nothing dire.

 

Generally, the more rescue doses you take, the longer your taper takes, which means that much longer until you're feeling like your old self again.

 

My main concern is if I’ll notice something symptom wise from my taper. I’ve been doing very well. I think I’m almost ready to jump down from 40 to 35 and it’s been a little over a month.

 

Good to hear your taper's going well.  You may want to keep the '10% every two weeks' in mind on your next cut...40 to 35 is probably doable but it might be even better to take it from 40 to 37.5 (or so) for two weeks and another cut from 37.5 to 35 two weeks later if you've been holding for a month at a time.  Just gentler on your central nervous system.

 

Hello there is this post still technically active? I’m making progress on my taper but had another question. Thanks

 

Edit: I’m now down to 20 mg in my taper. Unfortunately I took three rescue doses so far this month. The 5th, the 18th and the 25th. I’m pretty worried I’m screwing my self.

 

I’m having weird seizure like symptoms but can’t tell if panic attack or seizure

[[wa...]]

Wow! Congratulations on your progress, first of all. That's something to celebrate. Instead of focusing on the 3 days you took an extra dose, what about the 20 or 30 or whatever when you didn't?

 

I am no expert and I am sure someone with more knowledge will chime in, but I will say that there are a number of common withdrawal symptoms that could be described as "seizure-like", for instance muscle twitches and spasms, hypnic or myoclonic jerks, and tremor, all of which can be scary but considerably less scary than a seizure. Of course seizures are a possibility in rapid withdrawal but hoping it is not that.

 

On that topic, have you considered a slightly slower pace for your taper? Also, do you have a plan for how to address anxiety and the cravings once you are done with the drug? You clearly have the ambition and motivation to get off, but it might be helpful to get some non-pharmaceutical tools in your tool belt.

 

Wishing you the best!

[[fi...]]

Wow! Congratulations on your progress, first of all. That's something to celebrate. Instead of focusing on the 3 days you took an extra dose, what about the 20 or 30 or whatever when you didn't?

 

I am no expert and I am sure someone with more knowledge will chime in, but I will say that there are a number of common withdrawal symptoms that could be described as "seizure-like", for instance muscle twitches and spasms, hypnic or myoclonic jerks, and tremor, all of which can be scary but considerably less scary than a seizure. Of course seizures are a possibility in rapid withdrawal but hoping it is not that.

 

On that topic, have you considered a slightly slower pace for your taper? Also, do you have a plan for how to address anxiety and the cravings once you are done with the drug? You clearly have the ambition and motivation to get off, but it might be helpful to get some non-pharmaceutical tools in your tool belt.

 

Wishing you the best!

 

Thanks man! Well it’s very complicated lol. I’m already going slower, but up until about a month ago it’s been mostly smooth sailing. I’m also on gabapentin and trileptal. But I’ve been having these really bizarre feelings that come out of nowhere. It’s like I’m feeling too much at once and I start gagging and jerking around to “let off energy”. Sometimes in the middle of the night it’ll be bad enough to make my arm jerk upwards by itself and it legitimately feels like I touched a electric fence. And usually I get a fever afterwards.

 

So I’ve seen a neurologist yesterday about this and he wants me admitted to the hospital for a whole 5 days. And he said they would cold turkey me basically to see if they could induce a seizure. That sounds highly problematic considering I’m not really in a state to do something like that, AND because what if they makes a seizure that is unrelated to my problem? If what I have right now is not some form of seizure. It’s pretty terrifying because he says I could be having seizures unrelated to the withdrawal but I find it hard to believe.

 

Anyway I’ve recuse dosed 3 times this month to try and stop whatever these episodes are. I just feel like crying, so close to the end and I feel like it’s being taken away. I’m not sure what I’ll do about these bizarre symptoms.

 

Also I do have Aspergers. A Psych doc told me that there is this thing called.... um... functional something disorder which could also lead to seizure like symptoms. Basically a overload of the brain causing involuntary muscle jerks

[[wa...]]

It sounds like you have a lot of possibilities on your plate. Way outside my base of knowledge regarding these things, so I can't really help aside from validating your feelings and offering empathy. I would be nervous about the c/t idea, too. Worth asking some questions, maybe a second opinion?

[[Ju...]]

Thank you for asking the same question I had and don’t feel bad. Tapering off benzos is very challenging.

[[co...]]

 

So I’ve seen a neurologist yesterday about this and he wants me admitted to the hospital for a whole 5 days. And he said they would cold turkey me basically to see if they could induce a seizure. That sounds highly problematic considering I’m not really in a state to do something like that, AND because what if they makes a seizure that is unrelated to my problem? If what I have right now is not some form of seizure. It’s pretty terrifying because he says I could be having seizures unrelated to the withdrawal but I find it hard to believe.

 

Also I do have Aspergers. A Psych doc told me that there is this thing called.... um... functional something disorder which could also lead to seizure like symptoms. Basically a overload of the brain causing involuntary muscle jerks

 

I'm not a doctor, and I almost feel uncomfortable writing this since I have only been tapering since February--so I am far from the most experienced person on here.  But I don't like your neurologist's plan of admitting you to the hospital and cold turkeying you to see if they could induce a seizure. 

 

The seizure could be caused by them cold turkeying you, so I am not sure what that would prove.  Cold turkeying under any circumstances can make things worse and mess up your taper and leave you with a much harder road ahead of you with more problems

[[wa...]]

I am with confused on this. I, too, was nervous to say anything because I feel under-qualified to comment, but I have been really concerned since posting earlier. I know too little about your medical history to guess what your doctor's thinking is, but I do hope you will get a second opinion before submitting to that plan. If their goal is just to witness your brain activity when having this symptom, why not just admit you and monitor you while administering your doses of your meds as normal, since you are having symptoms already? Why do they need see a full-blown seizure?

 

Do you have a history of epilepsy? I noticed that another of your meds is an anti-convulsant, and gabapentin can be used to treat epilepsy, as well. If you don't have a history of epilepsy or seizures, and the drugs are for other issues, i wonder if your other meds could be involved in your symptoms. There are moderate interactions between them, to start with. And if you are tapering your valium, but occasionally taking much larger doses, that could complicate that. Again, I don't know how long you have been taking those meds or anything, but just thought I would bring it up.

 

Keep us updated. We are pulling for you. 

[[Ca...]]

Hi Fishels..

 

There are a few things here that jumped out at me...

Just how slow is your slow..?  -and has your taper been consistant over time? Have you done any long holds? Etc..

Actually a Sig would be a good idea, if possible... It gets hard to put it together from posts, esp with such a time lapse between them...

 

When I got to 0.25v and below, I had some very distinct brain acrobatics going on, different to the brain zaps, mini blanks, and pressure... If I didnt know it was WD SX I would have flipped out..

-Are there things that indicate (in your mind) that this is more than WD itself...??

 

For various reasons I have learnt that Drs can, on occasion, be very one track minded, and if they are not open to the idea of Benzo WIthdrawal Syndrome (BWS) as we all know it here, then I personally would be very sceptical of which direction their thought processes are actually going..??!!

 

There are other members here that might be in a much better position to relate to your situation in more detail, and I hope they weigh in... It would be a shame to finnish your taper with a messy Rapid Taper, If a decent hold and reduced taper speed would do the trick.. 

 

Remember, its not about when you reach 0.. Its about when you heal.. -provided there isnt something else serious going on...

 

That you were ok up to a month or so ago looks promising imo...

 

I used some small rescue doses strategically with my cut n hold taper, particularly as my cut % got higher at low dose.. They didnt hinder me, but I reduced the need as best I could by holding longer between cuts...  Some of us find that there is a long lag time (months even) for the SX of a previous cut to emerge, -which can complicate things if unaware.. It just depends on your personal Symptom Profile following a cut...

 

Anyways, let us know how your going...

 

 

 

[[fi...]]

 

So I’ve seen a neurologist yesterday about this and he wants me admitted to the hospital for a whole 5 days. And he said they would cold turkey me basically to see if they could induce a seizure. That sounds highly problematic considering I’m not really in a state to do something like that, AND because what if they makes a seizure that is unrelated to my problem? If what I have right now is not some form of seizure. It’s pretty terrifying because he says I could be having seizures unrelated to the withdrawal but I find it hard to believe.

 

Also I do have Aspergers. A Psych doc told me that there is this thing called.... um... functional something disorder which could also lead to seizure like symptoms. Basically a overload of the brain causing involuntary muscle jerks

 

I'm not a doctor, and I almost feel uncomfortable writing this since I have only been tapering since February--so I am far from the most experienced person on here.  But I don't like your neurologist's plan of admitting you to the hospital and cold turkeying you to see if they could induce a seizure. 

 

The seizure could be caused by them cold turkeying you, so I am not sure what that would prove.  Cold turkeying under any circumstances can make things worse and mess up your taper and leave you with a much harder road ahead of you with more problems

 

Lol your name is perfect for this. Confused is exactly how I looked at my doctor when he suggested rapid decrease in meds to see if seizures would happen. He even said I made a good point and you did too in terms of that causing a episode.

 

Thinking back on it he did say they would rapidly decrease my medications like trileptal and Gabapentin. I’m not sure if he explicitly mentioned doing that with the Valium so I need to call back and ask. But even then...I know a google search will tell you stopping gabapentin quickly can be extremely dangerous and cause seizure. Perhaps his taper in the hospital would have only been for a day or two and then back up.

 

I’ll have to ask more because I had a very bad feeling about it.

 

@cantfly

 

I have been tapering since March or April of 2017. I was on 60mg of Valium after being transferred from klonopin. I did my first jump at 10 mg down. And up until a few months ago I’ve been doing 5mg decreases every 2 months on average. Then for the past 4 months I’ve slowed way down to 2.5 every few months. A signature would definitely be helpful but I’m not sure how to do one since my schedule kinda moves how I feel like it(I have other problems and many other meds). My psychiatrist is also terrible so I’ve done all this tapering alone. Also I’d definitely need some guidance on terms this site uses and how I should format it.

 

Things do seem different this time. These attacks seem to be getting worse and worse and they seem to be coming without cutting doses at random times. Fevers come after them as well. My therapist even witnessed me kinda blank out on one of our last sessions for about 10 seconds. Perhaps withdrawal is really this severe? She raised a interesting point. Maybe gabapentin is causing this and Valium was suppressing the seizure and now that I’m tapering lower it’s getting worse?(just a theory)

 

 

@waveontheshore

 

Thanks. I’m definitely not submitting to cold turkey of Valium under any circumstances. That won’t happen on my watch. Good question about why can’t I just be observed as is. I’ll be sure to ask it.

 

The truth for why I’m on all this mess is I was taken off Zoloft by mistake in 2014 which sent me into a fit. Gave me a bad reaction and I was put on so many benzos and a mood stabilizer. Then the Gabapentin for help coming off benzos. Although that turned into more of a pain drug than anything and I have “abused” it in the past. I was taking 1600mg at one point but for the past 8 months I take 600mg a day. Unless I’m having worse anxiety or pain. This drug has always made me feel bad. Twitching, heart racing etc. But the benefits have always seemed to be good enough.

 

Can I ask what you meant by these drugs having interactions or did you just mean them working on the gaba receptors.

 

Sorry that this is such a mess guys I wish I could tell you all the info in one place 

[[Ca...]]

Thanks Fish..

 

This is a link to one of the orange "sticky" posts we find at the top of some main pages...

 

Abbreviations and terms...

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=141733.0

 

I also sent u a link via PM to some tech support and info on how to put stuff together etc...

But dont feel you have to meet a standard... -ur doing fine...

 

Sigs, are very personal, most people tend to put whats important to Them, and they are easy to edit and change as you wish...

 

Gabapentin is worth keeping an eye on... -I know it changed for me a bit once I was on benzos...

 

Sounds like you have had a lot going on in the past, and im pretty sure the slower taper would be helping... You may decide to explore some options that would give your CNS some stability, and time to settle a bit.. Its very hard to try and sort things out in the midst of chaos...

A long hold, usualy a few months can be a good start for many..

-From there, it can be easier to find and maintain a tapering speed that matches your ability to heal, and hopefully identify other things that could be contributing to your problems...??

-anyways, its one option to consider...

 

[[fi...]]

Thanks Fish..

 

This is a link to one of the orange "sticky" posts we find at the top of some main pages...

 

Abbreviations and terms...

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=141733.0

 

I also sent u a link via PM to some tech support and info on how to put stuff together etc...

But dont feel you have to meet a standard... -ur doing fine...

 

Sigs, are very personal, most people tend to put whats important to Them, and they are easy to edit and change as you wish...

 

Gabapentin is worth keeping an eye on... -I know it changed for me a bit once I was on benzos...

 

Sounds like you have had a lot going on in the past, and im pretty sure the slower taper would be helping... You may decide to explore some options that would give your CNS some stability, and time to settle a bit.. Its very hard to try and sort things out in the midst of chaos...

A long hold, usualy a few months can be a good start for many..

-From there, it can be easier to find and maintain a tapering speed that matches your ability to heal, and hopefully identify other things that could be contributing to your problems...??

-anyways, its one option to consider...

 

Thanks. If not too personal would you share what changed about gabapentin for you?

 

Would you do a even slower taper? Feels like it’s taking forever lol

[[Ca...]]

Thanks Fish..

 

This is a link to one of the orange "sticky" posts we find at the top of some main pages...

 

Abbreviations and terms...

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=141733.0

 

I also sent u a link via PM to some tech support and info on how to put stuff together etc...

But dont feel you have to meet a standard... -ur doing fine...

 

Sigs, are very personal, most people tend to put whats important to Them, and they are easy to edit and change as you wish...

 

Gabapentin is worth keeping an eye on... -I know it changed for me a bit once I was on benzos...

 

Sounds like you have had a lot going on in the past, and im pretty sure the slower taper would be helping... You may decide to explore some options that would give your CNS some stability, and time to settle a bit.. Its very hard to try and sort things out in the midst of chaos...

A long hold, usualy a few months can be a good start for many..

-From there, it can be easier to find and maintain a tapering speed that matches your ability to heal, and hopefully identify other things that could be contributing to your problems...??

-anyways, its one option to consider...

 

Thanks. If not too personal would you share what changed about gabapentin for you?

 

Would you do a even slower taper? Feels like it’s taking forever lol

Both Gabapentin and lyrica started having a WD of there own, very similar to valium...

Gabba made me like a zombie and my legs wouldnt keep up with me, loss of coordination type thing...

Like it was way too strong, but didnt work for my nerve pain very well...

I first took it long term, but later, months apart often at 2400/d for one day... -never had a problem..

 

Some of us do have to go very slow, but its a matter of working out what works for each of us...

It also depends on the position we would like to be in when its time to jump, -or perhaps "slide" off..

For some of us its a choice to minimise SX and maintain function, hoping that most of our healing is done on the way down, etc... For some its pure necessity, maybe sensitivity, a complex medication history, previous tapers or C/Ts, -many things or combinations...

Really, we cant choose how fast we heal, but we can assist it.. Being able to adjust our taper rate can be a big help... imo..

-Symptom Based Tapering...

 

 

 

[[wa...]]

@waveontheshore

 

Thanks. I’m definitely not submitting to cold turkey of Valium under any circumstances. That won’t happen on my watch. Good question about why can’t I just be observed as is. I’ll be sure to ask it.

 

The truth for why I’m on all this mess is I was taken off Zoloft by mistake in 2014 which sent me into a fit. Gave me a bad reaction and I was put on so many benzos and a mood stabilizer. Then the Gabapentin for help coming off benzos. Although that turned into more of a pain drug than anything and I have “abused” it in the past. I was taking 1600mg at one point but for the past 8 months I take 600mg a day. Unless I’m having worse anxiety or pain. This drug has always made me feel bad. Twitching, heart racing etc. But the benefits have always seemed to be good enough.

 

Can I ask what you meant by these drugs having interactions or did you just mean them working on the gaba receptors.

 

Sorry that this is such a mess guys I wish I could tell you all the info in one place 

 

Hey Fish! (I don't know how important "fishels" is to you, but I think you are o-fishel-y "fish" now.)

 

Sorry to hear that your tale of woe started with a mistake with another med. Sadly it seems like many people end up on these awful drugs because of side effects or withdrawal effects of other drugs. It's heartbreaking, really, but we can learn from it, and hopefully go on to help prevent such things from happening to those we know and love.

 

About the medication interactions, no, I wasn't just referencing the gabapentin and Valium acting on the same receptors, though I know that can cause issues. I tried taking a gaba supplement that is supposed to cross the blood-brain barrier, to help with sleep during my crazy insomnia period, and that made me feel crazy weird. Then, later, I tried chamomile tea to help me sleep and the same thing happened,  and I thought what the heck, so I looked it up, and chamomile acts on the benzo receptor as well.

 

But as far as actual interactions, there is a compounding effect of gabapentin and Valium, because they have similar side effects, and that flags them as a moderate interaction. Not terribly concerning as long as doses aren't too high and dosing is consistent. The more concerning one is the Trileptal with the Valium. Trileptal (depending on dosage) effects your liver's ability to metabolize the Valium, which can multiply the effect (and side effects) of the Valium, by up to 40%. This is also flagged as a "moderate" interaction.

 

Despite the fact that you are taking the Trileptal as a mood stabilizer, it is actually an anti-convulsant just like the Valium is. The gabapentin is used to treat epilepsy, also, but works differently. Dramatically dropping doses of any of them, let alone all three, could induce a seizure, and Trileptal actually has seizures not only as a warning against stopping the med suddenly, but also as a part of its side effect profile. It is in the "less common" list, but not "rare". I am not suggesting any of this is a reason to panic or make other med changes, but it seems worth talking to your doctor about.

 

It sounds like you are on the right path, and you have knowledge and empowerment to bring to the table. Continue to advocate for yourself, tend to the things you can control and try to accept the things you can't. You have hit a rough patch, but the human body tends toward homeostasis, so things will likely even out somehow. Have patience, and be strong. And try to keep remembering how far you have come,  and be proud of the work you have done.

[[fi...]]

@waveontheshore

 

Thanks. I’m definitely not submitting to cold turkey of Valium under any circumstances. That won’t happen on my watch. Good question about why can’t I just be observed as is. I’ll be sure to ask it.

 

The truth for why I’m on all this mess is I was taken off Zoloft by mistake in 2014 which sent me into a fit. Gave me a bad reaction and I was put on so many benzos and a mood stabilizer. Then the Gabapentin for help coming off benzos. Although that turned into more of a pain drug than anything and I have “abused” it in the past. I was taking 1600mg at one point but for the past 8 months I take 600mg a day. Unless I’m having worse anxiety or pain. This drug has always made me feel bad. Twitching, heart racing etc. But the benefits have always seemed to be good enough.

 

Can I ask what you meant by these drugs having interactions or did you just mean them working on the gaba receptors.

 

Sorry that this is such a mess guys I wish I could tell you all the info in one place 

 

Hey Fish! (I don't know how important "fishels" is to you, but I think you are o-fishel-y "fish" now.)

 

Sorry to hear that your tale of woe started with a mistake with another med. Sadly it seems like many people end up on these awful drugs because of side effects or withdrawal effects of other drugs. It's heartbreaking, really, but we can learn from it, and hopefully go on to help prevent such things from happening to those we know and love.

 

About the medication interactions, no, I wasn't just referencing the gabapentin and Valium acting on the same receptors, though I know that can cause issues. I tried taking a gaba supplement that is supposed to cross the blood-brain barrier, to help with sleep during my crazy insomnia period, and that made me feel crazy weird. Then, later, I tried chamomile tea to help me sleep and the same thing happened,  and I thought what the heck, so I looked it up, and chamomile acts on the benzo receptor as well.

 

But as far as actual interactions, there is a compounding effect of gabapentin and Valium, because they have similar side effects, and that flags them as a moderate interaction. Not terribly concerning as long as doses aren't too high and dosing is consistent. The more concerning one is the Trileptal with the Valium. Trileptal (depending on dosage) effects your liver's ability to metabolize the Valium, which can multiply the effect (and side effects) of the Valium, by up to 40%. This is also flagged as a "moderate" interaction.

 

Despite the fact that you are taking the Trileptal as a mood stabilizer, it is actually an anti-convulsant just like the Valium is. The gabapentin is used to treat epilepsy, also, but works differently. Dramatically dropping doses of any of them, let alone all three, could induce a seizure, and Trileptal actually has seizures not only as a warning against stopping the med suddenly, but also as a part of its side effect profile. It is in the "less common" list, but not "rare". I am not suggesting any of this is a reason to panic or make other med changes, but it seems worth talking to your doctor about.

 

It sounds like you are on the right path, and you have knowledge and empowerment to bring to the table. Continue to advocate for yourself, tend to the things you can control and try to accept the things you can't. You have hit a rough patch, but the human body tends toward homeostasis, so things will likely even out somehow. Have patience, and be strong. And try to keep remembering how far you have come,  and be proud of the work you have done.

 

Thanks so much I needed this

 

As a quick update my doctor let me do a take home EEG for 72 hours. Well actually I just got it placed on this morning. No fun but it’s better than going off my meds in the hospital