Scared new member; How long does Diazepam CT withdrawal last?

[[pa...]]

Hi everyone

 

I joined this BB this morning, I've butchered my first posts from the Introduction board, apologies if it rambles on. This is my situation..........

 

 

I have been taking diazepam for 7 weeks

 

10-30mg a day, every day, all from late afternoon into the evening, combined with 2-3 glasses of booze (beer, wine, whisky) and half a joints worth of weed, vaped.

 

I stopped taking them, no taper, 6 days ago.

 

Felt ill 48 hours later, been getting worse, yesterday was the worst. I completely span out with anxiety, depression, shakey hands, IB etc. No insomnia yet though.......

 

Today, once I got in to my day for a few hours, I realised nothing has changed, although now I've had time to process my situation I am in more control of my depression and anxiety.

 

After an enquiry from another member this is the story behind my situation......

 

I wasn't prescribed. I was taking them recreationally. I have taken them in small quantities in the distant past, as a teen/early twenties to help get over party drug comedowns. I'm in my 40s now and all I do is lightly drink and vape weed. I saw the diazepam in the online vendor I use for weed. Like an idiot, doing no research, I bought a couple of packs and off I went. I stopped taking them because I recognised I was displaying addictive patterns and thoughts. So, again like an idiot, I just stopped taking them. Didn't occur to me until two days ago why I might be feeling so terrible. I still have 28 X 10mg tablets in the house but on the day I stopped I gave them to my partner to hide from me.....

 

I spent yesterday afternoon researching my situation and all the info I found, and stories I found, seemed to refer to people who had been using for much, much longer periods of time.

 

I'm currently functioning, keeping it together, working and looking after our 1.5 yr old son with my partner. Even having a laugh and a joke when distracted enough.

 

I don't know where I am on the spectrum of withdrawals and symptoms.

 

I don't know if I should take again to start a taper or, given my shorter term use, keep going without. I don't know if I'm through the worst of it or how long this will go on for.

 

Will this get worse, what can I expect given my shorter term use?

 

How long will this last?

 

Given the above info should I retake and taper?

 

I feel so ashamed for getting myself in to this mess. Please can people answer the above questions, be as honest and tough as you like. I feel quite lost, I'm desperate for guidance and advice for my particular situation.......

 

[[Pa...]]

I've already voiced my opinion on your other thread but I wanted to address one of your questions.  This is only anecdotal from reading thousands of posts on the forum but I believe that short time users (2 months or less) can heal faster than those who have taken benzo's long term.  I've seen recovery in as little as 6 months or less for short time users when most long term can expect to recover in under the two year mark so I believe you could fall into the short user category.

 

Of course there are the exceptions who will take longer, I believe genetics plays a huge role in how it will go for us.  The symptoms you're feeling now will change, they may increase, change, lessen, increase and change again but eventually they'll fade, our recovery isn't linear, it changes sometimes from minute to minute so try not to base your decision on how you're feeling at your worst moment.

[[pa...]]

Thanks again Pamster, any and all info is welcome to me right now.

[[Pa...]]

Have you had any alcohol since you stopped the Diazepam?  You might be tempted to use it to dull your symptoms but this would be a mistake.  They both hit the same receptors in the brain and it can't distinguish between the two so if you want your GABA receptors to upregulate, I'd stay away from drinking until you've recovered. 

[[pa...]]

Thanks Pamster, yes I've been drinking lightly every night. Oh no, it did make me feel a bit better too. I'll stay off it from now.

[[So...]]

Hey there! I echo what pamster said!

And I would just like to say that if it were me.... And I was able to function, work and take care of my toddler, then there is no way in this world I would reinstate!!!! I would totally ride it out. In my opinion, I personally reserve trying to reinstate when severely non functional.....and even then, it doesn't always work (didn't for me either).

But yes, you could get an increase in symptoms, or they change, or lesson. All of that is totally normal! Just keep going and know that eventually it will fade

[[pa...]]

Thanks Southern Belle, really appreciate your support.

 

I'm disappointed as those 2 glasses of red wine got me through the 5pm till bedtime phase of anxiety, which so far has been the toughest time for me as the distractions that keep it at bay start to go.

 

However I'll definitely try from this evening to not drink anything.

 

Is even 2 glasses of red wine too much? I'm not getting drunk just taking the edge off?

[[Pa...]]

As I mentioned, your brain cannot distinguish between the wine and the Diazepam so you're in essence taking a bit of Valium by drinking the wine.  In detox facilities they'll give patients benzo's to keep them from having delirium tremens, this is because both alcohol and benzo's hit the same GABA receptors, alcohol is very often referred to as liquid benzo's.

 

I believe you can still recover from your cold turkey but you could be delaying it.