Tapering Diazepam

[[Ke...]]

Hi, during a recently hospital stay In January of this year I was put on Benzos that were only meant to be short term.

I was put on Lorazepam 1mg X2 daily for 3 months then switched over to Diazepam 5mg X2 daily for 1 month to present.

I want to start a taper off the Diazepam but I'm also suffering severe antidepressant withdrawal/ adverse reactions.

I was wondering if I could get advise on the safest way possible to taper the diazepam.

Thankyou.

 

 

 

 

[[ma...]]

Hello Kennyt2023 Welcome to Benzobuddies!

 

We are glad you joined our community.  You've come to an excellent place for information and support. I'm sorry you're suffering adverse a/d symptoms, when did you finish tapering your antidepressants? Tapering slowly is the best way with these drugs, It’s generally suggested reducing between 5% and 10% every 10 - 14 days, many taper slower,  whatever feels comfortable to you.  Please post your questions to any of the dedicated boards. You will come through this, just keep positive, it will get better.

 

The Ashton Manual, is a great resource for understanding the effect benzo’s have on our body.  It provides withdrawal information and includes a list of common symptoms 

 

I'll leave you a few links to check out:

 

The Ashton Manual. 

Planning Your Withdrawal (TaperPlans)

 

You might also like to post here

 

Valium Support Group

 

If you would like to add a signature (history of meds/doses etc) to help members give you relevant advice.  Please go to the top of the page and select PROFILE then choose forum profile then insert drug history into the text box and remember to click change profile

 

Welcome aboard

Magrita

 

 

[[Ke...]]

Hello Magrita! 

Thanks for the reply

So I was recommended to come here by Surviving Antidepressants.

I will copy and paste my post regarding my story if that's okay from what I told them.

It's long and dragged out so I'm sorry!

 

Hello everyone.

 

 

 

I will try keep this as simple as possible as my story is long, confusing and it's now difficult for me to memorise and communicate like I once used to but here goes.

 

So around 2010 when I was a teenager I had severe ocd and with it extreme anxiety. My parents took me to a Psychiatrist where I was given Sertraline. I was still in High school and believed that these tablets were to be used when and as needed as I did not realise how powerful these drugs were and would go weeks using, start to feel better and stop, also I was getting severe heartburn. Nobody at the time said to me that they should be taken everyday and I was never monitored as I was so young I just believed they were for flare ups or when times became tough. My dosage was 100mg in the morning and 100mg at night. This went on for around 4 years. Having breaks inbetween for a few months and then restarting when my OCD and anxiety flared up again. I finally cold turkeyed my sertraline around 2014 and life was okay although I was very tired and sleeping long hours and finding life very hard compared to people I knew of my age, also my anxiety was uncontrollable and I had no reason as to why it was so bad.

 

In 2015 after a breakup I was prescribed Venlafaxine, I took 1 pill and literally overnight I lost my ability to sleep deeply, it felt like I was half asleep, half awake and most nights I would not sleep at all, I was left with crippling fatigue and extremely low mood, I could also no longer exercise as I tried to go to the gym multiple times believing it was depression and was always left feeling like I would pass out with the fatigue. I also had a very demanding job which required me to lift heavy items and many hours of driving was involved. Around the same time I developed extremely dry eyes that were extremely painful and made my days extremely hard, not knowing anything about withdrawals or reactions I continued to live my life as normal as I could although all I could really do was work, come home, try and nap but never could so just closed my eyes for an hour or two for some relief from the pain in my eyes and fatigue. Every night I was wired but tired and restorative sleep was impossible.

 

As time went by my sleep slowly improved although I still suffered dry eyes and fatigue but not as crippling. I was also able to nap again. I would also spend my weekends partying and drinking heavy amounts as this would somehow help my fatigue and give me relief from the dry eyes, I would also sleep deeper after heavy drinking so would get temporary relief the following day. This went on for years until in 2017 I experienced a breakdown from years of lack of sleep and pushing my body (I now know looking back that this was my body in complete chaos from the multiple stopping and starting of Sertraline when I was younger) doctor gave me 50mg of Sertraline but couldn't handle it and stopped after 3 weeks as I was spewing and I couldn't sleep a wink.

 

Somehow I managed to recover after a few months although I wasn't right and my body was still extremely fatigued, eyes were now extremely dry but my mood slowly picked up (I also noticed my sex drive was extremely high for some reason) and I would get by on coffee and cigarettes while working long hours.

 

In 2020 my anxiety became crippling again and I was struggling and napping lots. All I could do was work, come home and nap for an hour or 2 and then be wired at bedtime so I could never get deep sleep.  Doctor recommended to restart Sertraline as he convinced me this was a flare up. I started on 50mg, my body accepted the Sertraline this time although I didn't feel any benefit and then was increased to 100mg, again didn't really feel any benefit but continued taking because it made me sleepy before bedtime as that was when I would take my dose.

 

Still suffering fatigue as my sleep was never right after that 1 dose of Venlafaxine in 2015 and dry eyes I managed to hold down my job, met the woman of my dreams and continued to do as much as I could although I found it difficult and my daily routine was working long hours, coming home for a power nap and trying to enjoy my evening as best as possible.

 

This is where things went extremely wrong and terrible....

 

So in March 2022 I spoke to my GP regarding my sleep issues as I was expecting my first born and I was desperate for deeper more refreshing sleep as knew I would need it. I had read up about Trazadone and suggested this to him and I also told him this could be added to my Sertraline at a low dose as I found out through my own research that many people were on this combo. He told me Trazadone couldn't be added to Sertraline but instead he told me to come off my Sertraline over a 2 week taper and I could could directly go onto 100mg of Trazadone. Thinking nothing more I agreed.

 

I rapidly tapered my Sertraline and excitedly took my first dose of the Trazadone thinking this would now solve all my sleep troubles.

 

From my very first dose of Trazadone it was like a light been switched off. I immediately lost all my feelings, nothing felt real anymore, although I did sleep extremely well something was definitely not right.

 

By the 3rd day I had now developed a migraine so bad it left one side of my brain and body completely numb, fingers, toes everything. This lasted for 24 hours, next I then began to get horrific shoulder pain that would go all the way down to my spine, I had night terrors where I would wake up screaming and confused. I still had no feelings or emotions and I continued the Trazadone for 28 days as the doctors told me this was just side effects.

 

I spoke to him again, he decided to change me over to Mirtazapine as I was now panicking at this point, lasted 2 months on Mirtazapine, no improvement, anger issues and still no feelings along with fatigue.

 

Told to cold turkey and restart Sertraline immediately.

 

Took 50mg out of desperation, was violently sick, fatigue so strong I was spewing everyday. Was now bedbound, crying everyday, pulling my hair out in frustration, could no longer work, I no longer slept at all, couldn't nap, couldn't feel. Paralyzed with fatigue, was given Diazepam that did nothing because the doctors still convinced me this was all anxiety. Stopped Sertraline after 3 weeks, went down to 25mg and stopped as I could no longer handle it.

 

Was given Hydroxyzine that gave me a few hours sleep but regardless if I slept or not I was still spewing with fatigue along with every other debilitating symptoms. I literally couldn't do anything. I would sometimes get small windows late at night before bed where the fatigue would go and I could hold a conversation with my Girlfriend and have a laugh and talk about our future although I knew something was extremely wrong. I also developed hives on my feet and hands and began having problems breathing (tight chest). Again told anxiety.

 

From August 2022 until November I was still on hydroxyzine although this wasn't helping.

 

Everyday would consist of light sleep and spending my day crippled with fatigue and crying wondering why I was so ill.

 

I had my first born on the way and this was meant to be exciting and all I could do was make it through the day although most days I was stuck to my couch crying and my parents telling me this was now major depression. I knew this wasn't depression and I should have trusted my gut but my symptoms did match slightly to a major depression episode.

 

In November 2022, my parents and girlfriend convinced me yet again that this was depression even though I told them this was caused by medication.

 

Was given Peroxetine as I felt that things could not possibly get any worse.

 

From the first pill my brain went completely numb, I could no longer speak, I had a sensation of hot water running down my legs, genital numbness, extreme confusion, no sleep, extreme suicidal thoughts, absolutely no feelings or emotions whatsoever, felt like I was in a waking coma. I stopped straight away but the reaction remained, I could no longer do anything, everything was dark, my family didn't believe me, I was so scared and because I had lost every single emotion and feeling including the crippling fatigue (I was that numb I could even feel the fatigue I had previously anymore) and because could no longer speak or communicate anymore I tried to take my own life, it was literally like I had turned completely mad.

 

I was admitted to hospital where I stayed for 5 weeks. During this time I told them it was medication that caused this, I also discovered this website and how so many people had been affected by medications and reactions.

 

They did not believe me that medication caused any of this and put me back on Sertraline 50mg and was drugged with Lorazepam 1mg twice daily for the duration of my stay.

 

I pretended I was better just so I could be released and to go home.

 

I am now home and I am still on 50mg of Sertraline and they have switched me from lorazepam to 5mg diazepam. I still have every symptom described above although strangely with the 50mg of sertraline my sex drive has returned and my genital numbness has gone which I do not understand?

 

I spend everyday now completely blank, no feelings, emotions, scared, unable to understand anything, I still can't speak proper and when I do my words do not come out proper. I spend everyday emotionless, no love, no quality sleep, burning sore heads, no hunger, no nothing, can't even watch TV.

 

My memory is also completely gone.

 

I am so scared and I know now looking back that all my problems were no doubt caused by my years of using Sertraline when needed or going weeks and months and then stopping and starting for years.

 

I have no idea how to sort this mess out, I'm holding on the 50mg of sertraline and I am still on Diazepam as I have no idea how to taper and I need some advise.

 

One thing I forgot to mention is ever since I had my reaction to Trazadone my stools now smell like burnt hair and this has not changed.

 

I have no idea what advise anyone can give me but I am so scared. I'm loosing everything because of all of this.

 

My family now believe me about what the medications have done which is good but they still don't understand how extremely ill I am. All I talk about now is medication and what it has done and I'm extremely angry.

 

Please could I get some advise on what I should do regarding tapering the 50mg and supplements I should try. I have no idea if my brain is now completely fried forever and everyday is a living nightmare. It's like being awake in a coma.

 

Thanks everyone and I'm sorry for the long post, I hope somebody could give me some advise as I will do anything to now try get out this mess no matter how long it takes.

 

I am actually so extremely scared, I have no idea if there is even any chance of any progress or recovery now and it's all my fault.

 

 

[[Ke...]]

So currently I am now on 50mg of Sertraline once a day and 2x 5mg Diazepam

I take my Diazepam with Sertraline at 1pm and 6pm daily.

Because the doctors are planning to get me off Diazepam anyways the plan is to taper the Diazepam first and then the Sertraline as I told them sertraline was working in order to get out the Phychatric Hospital.

All a bit of a mess Tbh...

I will update my signature shortly for you guys

Thankyou to anyone who has the time to read my story

[[ma...]]

Hello Kenny2023. I know you are scared, you will come through this. Congratulations on the baby! Its great that you have family support.  I am really sorry to read whats happened, you’ve had a tough time from a young age off and on  a/ds.  I get why you're angry, I was angry too but I let it go, because it was draining me,  I needed all my strength to focus on getting through the withdrawal and getting better.  I would think stopping and starting a/ds would have resulted in many of your symptoms.  I am sure symptoms will resolve with time, these things do tend to take a while, so stay positive.

 

I think you are right in tapering the diazepam first, you will have some symptoms, remember they are temporary.  When you feel ready to taper the diazepam, you need a slow careful taper, and depending how your body reacts, you may need to slow it down further.  The recommended 5/10% reduction every 2 weeks is too much for many of us, listen to your body and taper accordingly.

 

Hopefully someone will come along with more knowledge of  Sertraline and offer some advice and support.

 

We have dedicated boards dealing with Anxiety, Depression and Insomnia issues, I had all three in withdrawal. You can connect with others who can maybe offer some ideas and help.

 

Anxiety     

Depression 

Insomnia 

 

 

Magrita