Diazepam taper

[[On...]]

Hi all, I’m tapering diazepam, down to 0.39mg and really feeling it these last few days. Interested to know what dose people jumped at or are planning to jump at?

Thank you

[[ia...]]

52 minutes ago, [[O...] said:

Hi all, I’m tapering diazepam, down to 0.39mg and really feeling it these last few days. Interested to know what dose people jumped at or are planning to jump at?

Thank you

Hi @[On...]!

First of all, a massive heartfelt congratulations on tapering all the way down to .39 on Diazepam. This is huge. My situation was a little complex when tapering but will share the details with you. I know there are MANY others who have tapered off Diazepam also and I hope they will chime in also with their experiences. 

When I was tapering off Diazepam, I was (and still am) also tapering off of Alprazolam CONCURENTLY. Meaning, I was tapering off of two medications at the same time. I tapered off the Diazepam over 9-11 months somewhere in that time frame. I got all the way down to about .30-.40 before jumping. It was a little difficult to discern the exact amount as I was doing a dry cut and hold method and weighing my pieces on the scale. 

I jumped while I was on vacation and thought I would have a TON of symptoms but honestly didn't. The symptoms I struggled with most after jumping included, 'voice chatter' in my head late at night when trying to go to sleep (not 'voices' but the 'ego' just running a mile a minute'.), I had some joint and muscle pain similar to an opioid WD. I did sweat quite a bit. I was irritable... lots of runny noses. Overall it wasn't bad. Part of the reason I think my jump wasn't terrible was because I was STILL on and tapering from the Alprazolam. Hope this helps. Congratulations again... you're doing GREAT!

[[On...]]

2 minutes ago, [[i...] said:

Hi @[On...]!

First of all, a massive heartfelt congratulations on tapering all the way down to .39 on Diazepam. This is huge. My situation was a little complex when tapering but will share the details with you. I know there are MANY others who have tapered off Diazepam also and I hope they will chime in also with their experiences. 

When I was tapering off Diazepam, I was (and still am) also tapering off of Alprazolam CONCURENTLY. Meaning, I was tapering off of two medications at the same time. I tapered off the Diazepam over 9-11 months somewhere in that time frame. I got all the way down to about .30-.40 before jumping. It was a little difficult to discern the exact amount as I was doing a dry cut and hold method and weighing my pieces on the scale. 

I jumped while I was on vacation and thought I would have a TON of symptoms but honestly didn't. The symptoms I struggled with most after jumping included, 'voice chatter' in my head late at night when trying to go to sleep (not 'voices' but the 'ego' just running a mile a minute'.), I had some joint and muscle pain similar to an opioid WD. I did sweat quite a bit. I was irritable... lots of runny noses. Overall it wasn't bad. Part of the reason I think my jump wasn't terrible was because I was STILL on and tapering from the Alprazolam. Hope this helps. Congratulations again... you're doing GREAT!

Aww, thank you for your kind words 🤗 it has been mostly manageable right up until a week ago. I’ve managed to stay in full-time work which includes a lot of travel and public speaking with only having to use holiday days a few times to cover those times I needed the rest. But this last week I’m really battling a negative mind that wants to quit work because I’m either very anxious or very glum. I’m also dealing with gastro issues - reflux and trapped wind that is not nice, and have a very itchy breast that feels like I’ve been bitten by something, but nothing there, no bite or rash 🤷‍♀️

It just seems out of the blue odd. I don’t suppose I’m at a therapeutic dose now so have toyed with jumping, but I’m feeling every cut so assume it’s to early to go?

[[du...]]

@[On...] congrats on making to how far you have made it… I was an idiot and tried to speed taper off of .5 Ativan and it didn’t go so well. My doc switched me to 5mg Valium and I’ve been on that a few days and feel like trash. If you don’t mind me asking what was your taper like, how frequently did you cut and at what’s percentage? I’m sure you’ve answered these questions before and sorry I can’t answer yours, but I’m struggling today and I look at people like you as heros who are about to make the jump into a full healing process. 

[[On...]]

Ooh, I don’t feel like a hero but thank you kindly. Like most I tapered hyperbolically keeping at the 5% to 10% range. Whilst on the higher dose I split pills, once I got to 1mg I dissolved in milk and used a liquid taper 1mg=100ml, again keeping the reduction within the 5 to 10% over 14 days. If I felt a bit funky I would hold for a few days then continue.  I’m down to 0.39mg (39mls) which I divide into 2 doses - 19.5ml 7am and 19.5ml 7pm. I’m holding at the moment hoping that I’ll calm down and not quit work. 

[[je...]]

Hi @[On...].

Ashton said to jump between 0.5mg-1mg of Valium. But when you jump is completely up to you. Some people taper all the way down to zero. I jumped at the Valium equivalent of 0.5mg. I personally don't think there's a medical difference in symptoms between 0.5mg and zero but I do feel there's a psychological difference and you need to be mentally ready to jump. If you're going to be stressed out that you should've tapered lower then your anxiety will increase your symptoms post-jump. It's not worth the agony of stressing whether you've jumped too early if you're not ready. Then you might as well just taper lower and have peace of mind. But if you're committed and you are mentally ready for the leap, then jumping somewhere around 0.5mg should be fine. Good luck, you are so close!

 

[[ia...]]

11 hours ago, [[O...] said:

Aww, thank you for your kind words 🤗 it has been mostly manageable right up until a week ago. I’ve managed to stay in full-time work which includes a lot of travel and public speaking with only having to use holiday days a few times to cover those times I needed the rest. But this last week I’m really battling a negative mind that wants to quit work because I’m either very anxious or very glum. I’m also dealing with gastro issues - reflux and trapped wind that is not nice, and have a very itchy breast that feels like I’ve been bitten by something, but nothing there, no bite or rash 🤷‍♀️

It just seems out of the blue odd. I don’t suppose I’m at a therapeutic dose now so have toyed with jumping, but I’m feeling every cut so assume it’s to early to go?

 

The fact you've continued to work full-time, travel and SPEAK PUBLICLY - is HUGE. I think of the anxiety that can come with speaking (maybe this is part of your FT job... but still - big deal). I can relate regarding feeling down, gloomy...How do you feel about holding at your .39 and making one more cut after that?  To Jelly's point there's probably not much difference between .50-1 mg but psychologically it might support you and offer more 'emotional confidence' in your jump? Maybe give it a couple more weeks before jumping – at this dose and see how you feel? That’s another option.

 

As it relates to the GI issues... I get it. I've struggled with GI issues my entire life. I thought they were bad before Benzo and now... it's on another level. I've had to introduce an entirely new food diet and also new supplements that are helping some. I've also gotten a couple random rashes. Part of this is histamine response (I think)... for most of us tapering we become completely histamine sensitive/resistant and foods/chemicals that contain or create histamine in the body create the oddest symptoms. They should go away though! Amazing work on your taper. YOU INSPIRE OTHERS! 

 

[[On...]]

6 hours ago, [[j...] said:

Hi @[On...].

Ashton said to jump between 0.5mg-1mg of Valium. But when you jump is completely up to you. Some people taper all the way down to zero. I jumped at the Valium equivalent of 0.5mg. I personally don't think there's a medical difference in symptoms between 0.5mg and zero but I do feel there's a psychological difference and you need to be mentally ready to jump. If you're going to be stressed out that you should've tapered lower then your anxiety will increase your symptoms post-jump. It's not worth the agony of stressing whether you've jumped too early if you're not ready. Then you might as well just taper lower and have peace of mind. But if you're committed and you are mentally ready for the leap, then jumping somewhere around 0.5mg should be fine. Good luck, you are so close!

Oh Jelly baby, that was so helpful, thank you 🤗. I do find myself thinking ‘should I/ shouldn’t I?’ and maybe that’s the problem right now. I find myself looking at my work schedule over the coming months to identify a time when I could schedule in the post jump phase - daft isn’t it? Finding a time in my schedule to suffer is stressing me out more then the taper itself and likely the reason behind why I’m thinking I should quit work, but I can’t do that really.   Thank you so much for taking the time to consider my concerns, that was very kind of you. 

[[On...]]

31 minutes ago, [[i...] said:

The fact you've continued to work full-time, travel and SPEAK PUBLICLY - is HUGE. I think of the anxiety that can come with speaking (maybe this is part of your FT job... but still - big deal). I can relate regarding feeling down, gloomy...How do you feel about holding at your .39 and making one more cut after that?  To Jelly's point there's probably not much difference between .50-1 mg but psychologically it might support you and offer more 'emotional confidence' in your jump? Maybe give it a couple more weeks before jumping – at this dose and see how you feel? That’s another option.

As it relates to the GI issues... I get it. I've struggled with GI issues my entire life. I thought they were bad before Benzo and now... it's on another level. I've had to introduce an entirely new food diet and also new supplements that are helping some. I've also gotten a couple random rashes. Part of this is histamine response (I think)... for most of us tapering we become completely histamine sensitive/resistant and foods/chemicals that contain or create histamine in the body create the oddest symptoms. They should go away though! Amazing work on your taper. YOU INSPIRE OTHERS! 

Hi iamtheoriginalaudigirl, thank you for jumping in and I’m so sorry you suffer with the GI issues, it’s not at all pleasant is it? I eat clean with the aim of keeping it easy to digest, choosing diet rather than supplements because I’m not knowledgeable enough about otc pills and potions.
Yes, the anxiety of speaking is a challenge, but weirdly it has helped me in that at least there is a good reason for it (unlike the chemical anxiety that comes for no discernible reason) and I can manage it much better.

I think I will hold for a while and see if it settles down, if not I guess I have a decision to make, but as I said to Jelly, I can’t find a time in my diary that is lightweight enough to allow for the post jump phase. I know I might not suffer like some have, but it seems highly likely and I should plan for that, which is what leads me to think I should leave work, and I really don’t want to. 
I have read about the histamine issues, could that cause an itchy booby but not produce a rash or any obvious reason for the itch? That would be helpful to my nervous mind if it could. 
Awww, I haven’t done anything wonderful to inspire, but it’s kind of you to say so 😊. I’ve just followed advice from the Hive mind and taken it nice and slow. Luckily for me my GP is happy to prescribe to allow for the slow taper, some people don’t have that luxury and I really feel for them. 
I wish you well on your journey audigirl, where are you at?

[[An...]]

20 hours ago, [[i...] said:

Hi @[On...]!

First of all, a massive heartfelt congratulations on tapering all the way down to .39 on Diazepam. This is huge. My situation was a little complex when tapering but will share the details with you. I know there are MANY others who have tapered off Diazepam also and I hope they will chime in also with their experiences. 

When I was tapering off Diazepam, I was (and still am) also tapering off of Alprazolam CONCURENTLY. Meaning, I was tapering off of two medications at the same time. I tapered off the Diazepam over 9-11 months somewhere in that time frame. I got all the way down to about .30-.40 before jumping. It was a little difficult to discern the exact amount as I was doing a dry cut and hold method and weighing my pieces on the scale. 

I jumped while I was on vacation and thought I would have a TON of symptoms but honestly didn't. The symptoms I struggled with most after jumping included, 'voice chatter' in my head late at night when trying to go to sleep (not 'voices' but the 'ego' just running a mile a minute'.), I had some joint and muscle pain similar to an opioid WD. I did sweat quite a bit. I was irritable... lots of runny noses. Overall it wasn't bad. Part of the reason I think my jump wasn't terrible was because I was STILL on and tapering from the Alprazolam. Hope this helps. Congratulations again... you're doing GREAT!

How much xanax do you have to taper? Why were you taking two benzos at the same time if you don't mind sharing?

[[An...]]

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

Hi all, I’m tapering diazepam, down to 0.39mg and really feeling it these last few days. Interested to know what dose people jumped at or are planning to jump at?

Thank you

Congrats Onnit, you are almost across the finish line. How long have you been at .39? Were you stable before your last cut?

[[An...]]

15 hours ago, [[j...] said:

Hi @[On...].

Ashton said to jump between 0.5mg-1mg of Valium. But when you jump is completely up to you. Some people taper all the way down to zero. I jumped at the Valium equivalent of 0.5mg. I personally don't think there's a medical difference in symptoms between 0.5mg and zero but I do feel there's a psychological difference and you need to be mentally ready to jump. If you're going to be stressed out that you should've tapered lower then your anxiety will increase your symptoms post-jump. It's not worth the agony of stressing whether you've jumped too early if you're not ready. Then you might as well just taper lower and have peace of mind. But if you're committed and you are mentally ready for the leap, then jumping somewhere around 0.5mg should be fine. Good luck, you are so close!

Yes, if you do the Ashton protocol, starting from 5 mgs of valium, she goes from 5 to 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 to off (every 1-2 weeks). Those are 20% reductions. I personally like the 10% reductions like Benzobuddies suggest.

[[ia...]]

 

@[On...] It's hard to say about the itchiness... I mean if it's red and constantly itchy, I would say that's probably an allergy. I developed SO many random allergies during my taper, but from previous experience (sadly this isn't my first rodeo... ) but the last time I tapered off benzos, the allergies eventually subsided. If the itchiness is really debilitating, think about when it started, and what you might have consumed/eaten (I know that's really hard to to).

Another option is an elimination diet. Start with something really clean: chicken/broccoli. Slowly reintroduce other foods. That's a lot of work but if the itchiness is really awful, might be worth the elimination diet? 

So glad you are able to do a slow taper. I'm grateful that more physicians are coming around and understand the importance of this. 

I'm located in northern MN!

 

[[je...]]

16 hours ago, [[O...] said:

Oh Jelly baby, that was so helpful, thank you 🤗. I do find myself thinking ‘should I/ shouldn’t I?’ and maybe that’s the problem right now. I find myself looking at my work schedule over the coming months to identify a time when I could schedule in the post jump phase - daft isn’t it? Finding a time in my schedule to suffer is stressing me out more then the taper itself and likely the reason behind why I’m thinking I should quit work, but I can’t do that really.   Thank you so much for taking the time to consider my concerns, that was very kind of you. 

For what's it worth, my jump was a non-event. I had the exact same symptoms after my jump as before. I waited in anticipation for the bottom to fall out and it never happened. I very much doubt you'll be suffering much more after jumping than what you're doing now. This has to do with the therapeutic value of the drug. As you go lower, at some point the drug loses its effect and serves very little medical purpose if any at all. Ashton said:

Quote

 In any case the 1mg or 0.5mg diazepam per day which you are taking at the end of your schedule is having little effect apart from keeping the dependence going. Do not be tempted to spin out the withdrawal to a ridiculously slow rate towards the end (such as 0.25mg each month). Take the plunge when you reach 0.5mg daily; full recovery cannot begin until you have got off your tablets completely.

I'm not pressuring you into jumping - as I said the psychological effect is big. I just want you to know what is likely happening in your body right now and the uptick in symptoms might already be because the drug is losing effectiveness. 

[[On...]]

Thank you Jelly, that has given me something to think about certainly, I just now need to find the courage 

[[On...]]

On 7/31/2023 at 4:14 PM, [[A...] said:

Congrats Onnit, you are almost across the finish line. How long have you been at .39? Were you stable before your last cut?

I do a daily liquid taper and have just reached 0.39. I’m going to hold here for a few days to see how I feel and think things through. 

[[An...]]

OK, I think that is a good idea.  👍Following....