help

[[Al...]]

i’m having a lot of trouble reinstating on valium. I was only on 2.5 mg (but had an opiate for pain management) which now I don’t. Reinstating I’ve been taking more like 12-15 mg of valium a day (sometimes less) but I get no relief. Actually i feel much worse. I take it and become tearful and hopeless. My worst symptom is paralyzing attacks I get in the early mornings 530 am body wakes me up with hideous adrenaline and what feels like I’m being coursed with pure electrocuting adrenaline for hours. This continues all day till the evening making me non functional. In the evening it subsides some but not all. I’ve tried everything from medical marijuana to beta blockers to neurontin you name it. The only things which relieves if slightly is a 1 mg of xanax. I take that and can maybe sleep some more till I can’t take it and usually get up and have upset stomach and then just shake and feel sick in the head. Can i just switch to the xanax from the valium? I know it’s a shorter acting drug and a nasty one but it seems to be all that gives me three hours of relief and i’m on my last leg here. I know it’s only a matter of time before I need more of that I’m sure too. Lost all hope. Please read previous post for back story top weak. Thanks

[Guest [ba...]]

It seems to me that you're trying to cover the lyme disease plus a c/t withdrawal of both opiates and benzos with increasing doses of valium with spikes of xanax.  I don't think that's a good strategy, but I don't have a better one.  I'd advise working with a therapist with experience in pain management.

[[Al...]]

Unfortunately there are no such thing as pain management docs anymore. They don't exist. Also being on an opiate long term isn't an option the same way being on a benzo is not. I was ct off the Benzo but reinstated the valium and can't stabilize. The tramadol taper still continues week after week. Never have gone backwards on that. The valium I was taking for two years was 2.5  mg. Why would it now require me to take 20 mg a day to feel anything? Granted there is no longer an opiate but still.

 

What I need help with is reinstating at a place I am stable. Its like I am terribly unstable on Benzos period. This happened ten years ago with Klonopin (my only other run in with a benzo). I have tried varying doses of the valium throughout the last few weeks and nothing is giving me any function. I took the xanax out of pure desperation for sleep and BAM I had function and didn't feel as messed up emotionally. However, it is not possible to taper from xanax right? Seems like it would be like opening pandoras box and adding a new benzo that I never took in. I randomly have taken xanax over the years maybe 5 times total. I am not sure why it works much better and allows me to function. But crossing over from valium to xanax (with a short half life) and I know is an evil drug seems crazy at this time? I am feeling very hopeless and need some feedback. I cant imagine having taken just 2.5 valium for two years and now needing such a higher dose to taper and feeling much worse on that particular drug. Is that normal? The three times I took the xanax over the last few days it was 1 mg. Please help.

[[Ma...]]

Alb, you are in a rough situation, but one thing, if you keep changing things, drugs, doses etc; you aren't giving your brain and central nervous system an opportunity to stabilize.  Have you read about holding?  Holding all meds exactly where they are, can help you stabilize but it can take a while.  Truly, many of us have had to hold for quite long periods to get back to some stabilization.  Most of us tried tapering too fast and got in trouble. 

It happens often in benzo land that a dose that once worked, if you change or do something different, will not work as well the second time around.  I can't answer your question about Xanax, especially if you are a fast metabolizer. I like Xanax much better, but the short half life can be really hard . 

Have you tried to find a benzo wize Dr in your area?  You situation is complicated.  I have a pain management Dr, I live in Texas, and there are many here.  It's the weekend, often there aren't as many people on to give support so don't let that worry you.  More will be back Monday and hopefully we can get more support.  Hold on, we will all try to help.  Mary 🙋🏼😘😷😘😷

[[Al...]]

@[ba...]

Yes I was trying to cover the Lymes with meds. That’s all Lymes patients can do bc there is no CURE. We have to bandaid the symptoms. As far as cold turkey. That lasted all of five days and I reinstated the valium. Technically the valium was still in my body with the half life so it wasn’t quite a cold turkey. I reinstated the valium at a much higher dose then I ever took bc no more pain meds. I am off those 90 percent and will be done w that taper in three weeks.

[Guest [ba...]]

I'm not knowledgeable about Lyme, but a student that was working for me at the university was doing a super low carb diet that she claimed would knock out the disease over time.  Any opinion about that??

[[Al...]]

Diet plays a huge role. I am working on that. I have a first meeting tomorrow with a new health coach.

Thank you for that feedback 

[Guest [ba...]]

I'm pretty sure the girl cured herself of the disease.  I could check.  I think I can still find her.  I recall that she was doing massive amounts of garlic and almost no carbs.  I'm sure she did other things too.

[[...]]

I'm tapering off Xanax. It's a tough drug to come off of because of how fast it leaves your system. The problem with xanax is that it works great. It will stop a panic attack immediately. The problem is that of course as you know, it doesn't take long before the same dose is no longer effective. I personally wouldn't recommend switching to Xanax. I think that holding until you feel stable could be an option. 1 mg of xanax is a lot in my book. I used to take 1 mg every night for sleep. It's a strong drug. I hope you find a solution that works for you. If it has to be xanax, I'd try a smaller dose.

[[Al...]]

HI SSR

 

I agree with everything you said. Prob is I just can’t stabilize on valium during the day. I can take it at night but during the day the only thing which seems to allow me to function is the xanax. 1 mg is a high dose. I’m currently taking 15 mg of valium though which is just a little less then 1 mg of Xanax. I try not to attach judgments to doses just because we all metabolize so differently. I kinda don’t know what to do.

 

[[...]]

HI SSR

 

I agree with everything you said. Prob is I just can’t stabilize on valium during the day. I can take it at night but during the day the only thing which seems to allow me to function is the xanax. 1 mg is a high dose. I’m currently taking 15 mg of valium though which is just a little less then 1 mg of Xanax. I try not to attach judgments to doses just because we all metabolize so differently. I kinda don’t know what to do.

I totally understand. It's very difficult to figure it out. My doctor wants me to switch over to Klonopin which I absolutely do not want to do. He thinks I will struggle to get off of the last half milligram of Xanax because it is so short acting. I think it comes down to doing whatever works best for you and allows you to be somewhat functional. I hope you can figure it out. I think that all benzos have their drawbacks but hopefully whatever you decide will be something that will help and also something that you will be able to taper off of.

[[Al...]]

Im still not stabilized and still trying to finish the tramadol taper. Is it possible to have interdose withdrawal with valium or unlikely. Im taking 5 mg at night and 5 mg early am then 2.5 and 2.5 during the day. Could this be what’s causing the horrible anxiety during the day? Valium never helped anxiety and I never had anything like this until starting these meds. So is this the tramadol withdrawal or can valium cause this? I didn’t think it could since it has a long half life. I’m so sick and tired of doing this.

 

[[Ma...]]

Alb, I know the last month had seemed an eternity but a month isn't usually enough to stabilize.

It could take many months everyone is so different and your situation is a complicated one.  I don't think you are in tolerance.  I think it's all the changes and you need time.  I am so sorry you are suffering and I would like to help.  I will keep my fingers crossed for you and hope your symptoms start easing very soon.

 

Hey , Support Groups thread, scroll down the Homepage until you see Support Groups, I believe there is one for benzo's and opioids.  That might be a good place to post.  .  🙋🏼🙋🏼🙋🏼

 

[[...]]

HI SSR

 

I agree with everything you said. Prob is I just can’t stabilize on valium during the day. I can take it at night but during the day the only thing which seems to allow me to function is the xanax. 1 mg is a high dose. I’m currently taking 15 mg of valium though which is just a little less then 1 mg of Xanax. I try not to attach judgments to doses just because we all metabolize so differently. I kinda don’t know what to do.

That's true, we all metabolize things differently. My opinion is probably based on my own experience with the drug. I hope you can figure out a solution that works for you. I never could take valium. It made me feel so tired and nauseous.