Diazepam taper

[[Br...]]

21 hours ago, [[F...] said:

With that said, I have decided to pause my diazepam taper with the goal of tapering off my prescribed 60mg/day baclofen dose first (for reasons stated within my baclofen taper thread):

I know how challenging it is to wrestle with the need to taper off more than one drug, FHL.  Your plan to pause and taper off baclofen seems very sensible and well thought out.  Thanks for sharing your journey with others here.  It really is a gift.

[[Fa...]]

As badly as I want off diazepam, living life on life's terms does not always permit me to continually, or recklessly, reduce my diazepam dose and risk unpredictable consequences of such actions.  It has been 4 months since I last made a reduction in dose; however, I began reducing again last night.

In this 4 month stretch, I began by holding to 'catch my breath' and for 2 separate travel occasions the month of October.  When I returned from my 2nd trip at the end of October, I had been holding my diazepam dose steady for one month, and decided to taper off my prescribed baclofen dosage of 60mg/day.  

I successfully discontinued the baclofen quicker than I was expecting - it took me 1.5 months.  I then held everything steady for another month to ensure I was stable and also for another 2 week travel period.  Upon returning, I decided to switch 2mg diazepam tablet to 2mg liquid.  I held for 13 days to ensure the dosage form change did not cause any issues for me (which it did not). 

I will be reducing .21mg/mL every 14 days via alternating daily reductions of .02mg/mL and .01mg/mL unless my body tells me otherwise.  This will be a modest 2.6% exponential reduction in dose over the first 2 weeks.  My plan is to see if I can continue at this pace, and as a result, slowly push up my exponential reduction rate.  If I feel I am doing OK, I plan to actively reduce down to 7.5mg - at this point, I will plan to hold for 10-14 days to ensure I am stable (and not letting cuts accumulate).

Through this 4 month stretch, I have gradually and non-linearly improved.  It took over a month of holding to begin even seeing signs of improvement.  I know everyone is different, but this is valuable information for me in regards to holding and my taper.  My worst symptom, insomnia/sleep disturbances, is much more stable currently.

Though I am doing OK, learning, and feeling more confident regarding my discontinuation process - this is still a grueling and exhausting process.  Life has come hard at my family and I over these past 4 months as well.  Two dear family members and one loved employee have all unexpectedly, and tragically, passed away in this time frame.  My young, and active, family keep me strong, and I am very grateful to have them in my life.

I am also very grateful for this community - I don't know where I would be without the caring support, invaluable information, shared experience, and suggestions I have received to help me make informed decisions.

[[Ko...]]

@[Fa...]I'm glad that you were able to taper the baclofen without issue.

This is such a long and lonely journey especially when we have a lot of responsibilities on our plate. Life doesn't stop for our tapers. The whole process is the most stressful thing I have every experienced as we don't know how our bodies will react.

I am now at 7.25 mg of valium myself.

[[Fa...]]

Thanks, @[Ko...].  Life certainly does not stop for our tapers; however, we are given the opportunity to become incredibly strong and resilient people through this process.

I personally am grateful I have ‘a lot of responsibilities on my plate’.  It gives me something to dig deep for and helps me stay positive.  Great work chipping away your diazepam to 7.25mg while still ‘living your life’.  Keep it up! 

[[Fa...]]

I am now down to 7.5mg diazepam.  I will hold here for a week or two to ensure my system is stable before continuing my taper.  Though my taper is more linear in practice, I am still keeping 'suggested' exponential tapering (and associated hyperbolic) regimens in mind.  For example - though I reduced by roughly .5mg over the past month (via daily reductions of .02mg/mL and .01mg/mL), this strategy equated to an exponential reduction in dose over the past month of 6%.  I will continue to attempt to actively reduce by roughly .4mg-.5mg per month via this strategy until/unless my body tells me otherwise (obviously keeping an eye on the exponential reduction over any given reduction period).  I plan to implement short holds at each .5mg interval and additional holding times when changing dosage form (e.g., 6mg, 4mg and 2mg).  

I am doing well and fully functional.  My sleep continues to improve and is nearly back to normal.  A sleepy feeling at night is starting to return, and I am able to usually fall asleep within 10 minutes or so.  The early awakenings (for me) and some broken light hours in the early morning hours are the only difference that remains.

I usually am getting 4-6 hours before awakening into a much lighter, more broken sleep.  I don't track my sleep, but I'd say I'm getting my old 7-8 hours most nights - just with a period of lighter, more broken, sleep in the early morning hours that I used to not have.  I'm certain this will all go back to 'my normal' at some point if I am careful and continue to reduce slow and steady (considering where I've come from re: this issue after my injury/failed rapid taper from 15mg to 2.5mg in 3 weeks Sep. of 2022)

Our baby girl turned 1 yesterday, and she is such a blessing in our lives.  I have been able to coach my son's 1st grade basketball team this winter, and it has been a grand time (with a 10-0 record going into the postseason ).  The season ends in the next couple weeks, and we transition straight into baseball season (which I also coach).  I have never stopped working throughout this ordeal, but that aspect of my life is obviously much easier currently (as I am getting decent sleep).

I was hesitant to post this update as I have a strong compassion for the injured members of this community, and fully understand what many are going through.  I felt led to continue this thread (good or bad), to hopefully help myself, and other readers, better comprehend the iterative nature of this process.  I am obviously very pleased I am able to post a positive update at this time.

I began this journey with a failed rapid taper from 15mg diazepam in the Fall of 2022 that sent me to a place I did not know existed.  Re-instatement did not help (perhaps I would have gotten even worse??... which is hard to fathom).  The fear was indescribable and paralyzing - and the sleepless nights abounded.  I am now halfway off of my original dose and in a much better place today.  I have had to dig deep.  This process to 'stabilization', for me, has required the patience of Job!  I have held on 2 occasions for over 3 months with no guarantees.  It was the only reasonable option I had in each instance considering the circumstances, and demands, in my life.

I hope, and pray, that the remainder of my taper remains manageable - as it is today.  I also hope, and pray, that those tapering from longer-term use, and/or benzo injury, also dig deep and trust that a slow and steady taper, from a 'stable' place, is the only way to go - this is my opinion/belief anyways (from my own personal experience and many other's experiences I have read).

[[or...]]

Thank you for sharing this @[Fa...], thanks to you helping me here on BB, I am doing so, much better, especially with my sleep, as well as any wd sxs I've had on my slow dry taper. 

I'm so happy for you and your family and I am also able to do all the things I enjoy in life as well, and only just under halfway there oregonlady

[[Li...]]

1 hour ago, [[F...] said:

 I felt led to continue this thread (good or bad), to hopefully help myself, and other readers, better comprehend the iterative nature of this process.

What a wonderful, uplifting post!  Thank you so much @[Fa...].

You’ve hit the proverbial nail on the head with your observation about the iterative nature of planning and implementing an individualized, response-guided taper. Far too many individuals get into trouble because they do not understand that taper ‘planning’ is actually an iterative process, not a one-time event. 

[[de...]]

Lovely post @[Fa...]  Sounds like you are doing well and enjoying life!    Getting good sleep makes such a difference.   Thanks for the update!!!

[[Pa...]]

Never feel bad about sharing your good news @[Fa...].  I know it seems cruel to the many suffering but in our hearts, we need to know recovery happens and you're providing a wonderful roadmap.  Thank you.

[[Fa...]]

I am now down to 7mg and doing ok.  My sleep is still decent most nights.  I'm certain it will return to my 'old normal' eventually.

I am still fully functional, working, coaching my son's baseball team and able to travel.  I don't feel great most days, but it is what it is, and I will not allow it to prevent me from being present for my family and work.

I will continue to actively reduce by roughly .5mg/mL per month, via .02mg/mL and .01mg/mL daily reductions, then hold for a period to ensure my system is stable before proceeding with another series of reductions.

Though I am reducing linearly, I am still keeping suggested exponential, and what we know about associated hyperbolic, regimens in mind.  From 2/21 to 3/21, I reduced by an exponential mark of 4.9% which included 7 days of holding at 7.5mg; however, my active reduction period, after the 7 day hold, equated to a monthly reduction in dose of 6.4%.

[[Li...]]

Thank you for yet another good news update @[Fa...].  Congratulations on reducing your dose to 7mg — another milestone achieved!

Your taper has been a textbook example of one of my favorite quotes by Horowitz and Taylor in The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines:

”Ultimately, it is the patient’s experience of withdrawal that should guide the rate of taper.”

 

 

[[Ko...]]

@[Fa...] I like hearing your updates and am glad to hear that you are holding up ok all things considered. I am following your journey with your taper down on valium as I am in the midst of it too. I have similar taper rate of .5 -.75 mg per month but using the cut and hold approach. I am at 5.75 mg and will be due for another decrease next week to either 5.25 or 5.5 depending on how I am feeling. I also strive for a minimum of a .5 mg decrease each month.  I don't feel good but I know it could be much worse.

I am still working and trying to function as a single mother to my teenage daughters. I would say I do the bare minimum in both capacities and my social life has really taken a hit.  So, good for you in juggling all that you do.