Need Advice

[[Nd...]]

Hello

Ive gotten down to 6ml diazepam and have been holding for over two months but my symptoms are just getting worse! I can barely function. I used to take 15 mg per day so I’m a little under half way to my goal.  
Had severe panic and went to see the doc. He is switching me to Librium and I’m three days in feeling horrible. Should I stop the Librium now?  Should I go back to diazepam only and updose a couple ml to see if that helps? 
 

im really sick. I have to be able to function. The doc said he wants me to do an inpatient detox because I’ve struggled with this for so long. The detox place is called Rise Recovery and a very good place. But they would detox me off the benzo in 7-12 days. They do follow up care after you are released. I want off so badly I’m really thinking about doing the detox. I’m suffering every day. I just want my life back. 
 

What can I take to bring me relief? I need something to help me. Meds supplements etc.  This is unbearable. 

 

[[je...]]

Hi @[Nd...]

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

I am so sorry to hear you've been having such a difficult time. To better understand your situation and to give you the best advice I'm going to ask you a couple of questions please:

• How long have been using benzo's
• Do you have a history of previous benzo use/discontinuing benzo's
• How long did you taper from 15mg Diazepam to 6mg
• What is your current dose of Librium?
• Do you have any signs of tolerance or interdose withdrawal?
• Are you using any other medications or supplements?

If you don't mind answering these questions, we'll have a better understanding of what is happening to you. Just to add, we very seldom recommend detox facilities. They yank you off, then you have to suffer the consequences of what is essentially a cold turkey at home. 

We are glad you reached out and I'm sure we'll be able to give you support and advice.

 

[[Nd...]]

I started on Ativan 1.50 per day for a year then switched over to diazepam 15mg. The switch was very rough and I’ve never felt good since. I’ve tapered down from 15mg to 6mg starting in December 10 2022.  
Doc said to take 2mg diaz morning, 5mg Librium afternoon and 2mg diaz at night for a week. Then the next week take 5mg Librium morning, 2mg afternoon and 5mg Librium at night. Then after that Librium 5mg three times per day.  
Symptoms: tremoring, shaking, tachycardia, extreme restlessness, fear, panic, tense, squeezing sensation on my neck, no appetite, barely sleeping. 

[[du...]]

@[Nd...]like you I also made a switch, with supervision from my doc, to switch over from Ativan .5 x2 daily to 5mg Valium x2 daily. I am going on day 4 and all day long I want to die until about 5 or 6 pm and for some reason am blessed with a window. I switched because I want to get off these meds and the half life of Valium is the easiest jump per the Ashton manual and other people here on BB. I try to remember other people’s successes as I suffer with the switch. Obviously, it comes down to your personal preference and you need to listen to your body. If you’re tapering off any benzo i think the experience brings you to your knees regardless of what type you’re trying to ween off of. 

[[du...]]

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

The doc said he wants me to do an inpatient detox because I’ve struggled with this for so long. The detox place is called Rise Recovery and a very good place. But they would detox me off the benzo in 7-12 days.

I also asked this question earlier and a few of our fellow buddies said inpatients are generally a bad idea (us Idk about globally). If you decide to go to IP detoxing off benzos in a week to a week and a half sounds like hell no matter if you’re in a facility or in the “comfort” of your home. However if you feel like your life is in danger and you don’t have a very good support system it may be a necessary step.

[[...]]

If you've had a long, difficult taper, then "let's get you off everything in a week or two" sounds like a terrible idea. I don't even know why the switch from Diazepam to Librium, you've just traded a very long half-life for a very, very long half-life, which doesn't seem to do anything. Maybe the doc thinks you have a specific problem with Diazepam. When you say "doc" is this a general practitioner or a psychiatrist?

A lot of people recommend a symptom-based taper plan. You do small adjustments (10% of current does) every 2 weeks unless your symptoms are unstable and changing, in which case you hold.

[[je...]]

It doesn't sound like you're doing well on the Valium, but it doesn't sound like the Librium is working for you either. Why did your doctor switch you to Librium? I get the idea your doctor is very impatient and are just grasping at straws because they don't know what to do. If you've only been tapering since December 2022 it's definitely not "struggling with this for so long" as your doctor claims. It took me about two years to taper and depending on your starting dose, many people take a lot longer than that. If your gut is telling you the Librium is not working, then it might be best to switch back to Valium now and then we can work on a solution. But you are the best judge of how you are feeling - I just think, if it's not working and making you feel worse, then I don't see the point in crossing over. Are you taking any other medications?

[[Nd...]]

I’m five days in. The Librium seems to work but I’m struggling. I’m now taking two doses of Librium 5mg and one dose of valium 3mg. I will do this for another 7 days then jump off the valium. I’m running out of options and really need this to work. Just prescribed Zofran for the nausea. They will put me in a detox if this doesnt work.  I’m really scared. But hoping to feel better soon. 

[[Nd...]]

Talked to addiction specialist. She said if this switch doesn’t work it’s time to consider adjunct meds to help me.  Or go to a detox place called RISE recovery.  
I’m running out of options and really scared at this point. I need reassurance I will get through this and come out the other side. At this point I just need relief. To stabilize and then feel comfortable enough to continue the taper. Please only positive comments. I’m already freaked out and stressed. 
Thanks for being supportive and replying to my post. 
I appreciate it very much. 

[[ne...]]

The "addiction specialists," who 99% of the time are completely ignorant on benzos because they are a completely different animal, suggest, "Adjunct meds to help me." Unless it's a BP med that's usually a very bad idea. You are trading one issue for many more and usually have to taper those drugs as well. Listen to the people here who are the experts; not the ones who claim to be. 

[[Co...]]

True, my addiction psychiatrist did state also you cannot help a withdrawal by covering it up with something else.

[[Nd...]]

So what am I supposed to do? I’m so lost 

[[Ho...]]

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

Talked to addiction specialist. She said if this switch doesn’t work it’s time to consider adjunct meds to help me.  Or go to a detox place called RISE recovery.  
I’m running out of options and really scared at this point. I need reassurance I will get through this and come out the other side. At this point I just need relief. To stabilize and then feel comfortable enough to continue the taper. Please only positive comments. I’m already freaked out and stressed. 
Thanks for being supportive and replying to my post. 
I appreciate it very much. 

I'm so sorry for your suffering! It's awful, I do know. I went through this and at first had no idea what was going on. When I finally went to the doctor's they tried this med and that med and made things worse. I didn't know. They didn't know. 

The problem is, they want so much to help, they'll use all the tools in their toolbox. But there isn't a tool in their box for benzo withdrawal. It's rough because you want to trust the professionals; that's what we do. We go to the people we've always trusted. I did. Hundreds here did. It only extends the suffering, but you'll figure that out soon enough.

Someone in this string mentioned blood pressure medicine helping. It's true. Your docs won't recommend it but keep that information in your back pocket, because it will be useful when you're ready. This suffering feels so inhuman, I know! It's just unbelievable. It does come to an end, but you'll have to go through it to get to the end. This forum has a ton of help for you to harvest. 

Will be following and hoping for some relief for you!!!

 

[[Nd...]]

What kind of blood pressure medicine? Thanks for replying. I don’t feel so alone in my struggle now. I’m five days in and have the worst benzo belly but still pushing through. 

[[Ho...]]

Hi, I looked for the old strings with that information and can't find it! I remember clonidine and propranolol I think. I'd put the question out there in new topics. It may take a couple of days, but people will start to chime in. I don't have a lot of experience with it myself but I tried it once and it helped. Good luck!! I really want to see you find ways of this being as bearable as possible!! 

[[Nd...]]

I have scripts for both clonidine and propranolol. Also gabapentin. Just haven’t taken them because I’m too scared to get hooked on something else and have to taper that as well. But I’m real close to trying one of them soon. 

[[Ho...]]

I just read up in the string and see that they're moving you to Librium. I don't know anything about Librium except that it's very sedating. 

I know you're trying to figure this out, and must feel tremendous pressure from the medical community, your body and other advice. I don't want to add to that burden at all! It's so hard to research when you're going through this withdrawal. Every time your meds change substantially, your central nervous system takes time to stabilize, so every move your doctor recommends will destabilize you. The Librium may calm you a lot, but I have no idea what part of the benzo withdrawal will be left. 

If you can muster the energy, go through the archived threads and do a search for Librium. You'll get information from people who've experienced using it and that will be helpful!

Hoping for the best possible outcome for you!

[[ho...]]

I did a detox at the Coleman Institute almost 5 years ago… I’m still in this badly. If you can somehow stick to a taper I would. I had bad medical advice and wasn’t aware of benzobuddies yet since this was all new and trusted the doctors and the Institute… biggest mistake for me personally.