Day 12 CT - just spoke with my GP - not sure about this but comments welcome

[[ma...]]

Hi again - so I am day 12 CT from Diazepam and really feeling it now! Fatigue, dizziness, hot and cold, sweating, tinnitus etc...

Managed to get through to a GP today and they are suggesting 2mg per day for a week then 2mg every other day for a week then stop. I am hesitant to put anything back in but I have also read a lot on here about CT and frankly that is scary as well. I am tempted to try this rapid taper if only to give a small amount of relief, but I also have a concern that 12 days off now taking more again (however small) will just delay the inevitable (I will have to go through this all anyway).

Here in the UK GP's are very variable on prescribing, and once I am out of this horror show I am at least glad about that and the GP was not dismissive nor said withdrawal 'was not a thing'.

Ugh...

[[ma...]]

Hi markup

There is no guarantee that a reinstatement will work, sometimes it does but other times it doesn't.  If your symptoms are unbearable/intolerable, then i would reinstate.  It's best to reinstate with the lowest dose that alleviates some of the withdrawal symptoms.  Then it would be good to stabilize before starting a slow and sensible taper.  Its recommended to reduce between 5/10% every two weeks, or slower.   I am sorry you have this dilemma, If you choose to tough this out, it will eventually get better but it does take patience and time.

Magrita

[[pi...]]

Hello markuk,

I agree with what Magrita said.  You are very new off a cold turkey, 12mg isn't a small dose to stop taking suddenly This is likely the reason for the severity of the symptoms you are feeling. However, you are within the window for reinstatement, if this is what you choose to do.

I'm glad you feel validated by your doctor, but his plan is really not viable. As Magrita stated, it's best to reinstate on the lowest possible dose and then stabilize before started a slow and sensible taper.  Sometimes it can take a couple of weeks to stabilize.  The plan suggested by your doctor is too aggressive, in my opinion.  Additionally, skipping days is not advised. It confuses an already sensitive nervous system.

It would be best to taper very slowly. Take a look at some of the information on the Taper Planning board. Ask questions, you'll get help from those who understand the process.

Whatever you choose to do, we're here to support you. If you decide not to reinstate, it may be rough for a while during the acute phase, but it will get better with time.

pianogirl 

[[ma...]]

Thanks both. Pianogirl, it was 5mg I was CT off so not too high but still significant I think. I know the plan isn't very good but this is about the best I can do so will knuckle down for a rough ride. What I may do instead of 2mg every other day is try 1mg every day for a slightly longer period in the hope that 'some' diazepam in the system will reduce some of the symptoms as they are pretty acute just now. I know I am going to have a lot of symptoms as I was floxed 4 years ago and it feels similar but slightly worse (I had forgotten the teeth pain!), so I may be sensitive to these things. The taper won't be slow but perhaps better than it could have been...

Thanks again both for the replies, it helps a lot to know there are those in the world who help with empathy x

 

[[Ha...]]

That's not going to be enough IMHO. You won't stabilize in a week enough to taper, then a 1 week taper is just another cold turkey in effect. All you're going to do by doing this is sensitize your CNS further and cause more problems. It grips my sh*t that the harms of benzos have been known for decades and they come up with this sort of plan. Absolutely useless. I had similar when I went to the ER, they called the emergency shrink who tried to reinstate me. It didn't work, but it was a similar plan. Go back on for a few weeks and every other day taper over a month. You can somewhat give a GP a break, but all this guy does is prescribe this poison with little knowledge of how they work.

Sorry for the rant   Do you think he'd be willing to discuss things further if you could provide him with documentation on how to do it properly? I know they're busy, but if you insist they may make time for you

[[ma...]]

I don’t see another discussion with the GP even if I talk about Ashton etc…I think they think symptoms are rare. I will maybe cut to 1mg and if that calms things down at least I have 3 weeks worth! 
CT has been grim but if that’s my option then I will do my best to get through. It helps to know others are in the same boat even if none of us wanted to get on in the first place…

[[or...]]

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

Hi again - so I am day 12 CT from Diazepam and really feeling it now! Fatigue, dizziness, hot and cold, sweating, tinnitus etc...

Managed to get through to a GP today and they are suggesting 2mg per day for a week then 2mg every other day for a week then stop. I am hesitant to put anything back in but I have also read a lot on here about CT and frankly that is scary as well. I am tempted to try this rapid taper if only to give a small amount of relief, but I also have a concern that 12 days off now taking more again (however small) will just delay the inevitable (I will have to go through this all anyway).

Here in the UK GP's are very variable on prescribing, and once I am out of this horror show I am at least glad about that and the GP was not dismissive nor said withdrawal 'was not a thing'.

Ugh...

I agree with Magrita, and relate to your situation because I Ct'd about 10 years after starting my C.  It was one bad time for me but I say I was lucky because I did go back to my MD at the time, and he agreed to resubscribe for me.  I don't know how it would have been without reinstating but I am so glad I did looking back because I was way bad without my 1 mg C for I can't remember for sure how many days but it seems like it was only about 3 days without.  I can't tell you anything for sure, except I got back to being ok, was able to do a job, drive a car, all the things we do.  It took me a long time to be convinced that the drug wasn't doing for me, what it was prescribed to do, so it was then I started wanting to get off the drug, but remembered CT was not the way to go.

[[or...]]

29 minutes ago, [[m...] said:

I don’t see another discussion with the GP even if I talk about Ashton etc…I think they think symptoms are rare. I will maybe cut to 1mg and if that calms things down at least I have 3 weeks worth! 
CT has been grim but if that’s my option then I will do my best to get through. It helps to know others are in the same boat even if none of us wanted to get on in the first place…

Is 2 mg all your doc will prescribe @[ma...] ?  I agree taking as little as possible, depending on how long  you've been off, and how much you were last stable on.  If your doc is not very willing to work with you, set in his ways etc., maybe you should get the largest mg he's willing to prescribe.  I'll just say that I am frightened of CT's as experiencing 1 was enough for me.  But, I have to remember everyone is different. Denise

[[ma...]]

@[or...] thanks for the input. The GP will unlikely prescribe more or a higher dose so it looks like I need to work a plan with what I have. I’m not going to buy on the street as I have no idea what’s in those and I think I will try this quick taper as at least some kind of plan! I do have the benefit of working from home at least. I don’t expect it to be easy but I think my dose of 5mg on and off for a year is at least at the low end for diazepam compared to many…

[[or...]]

Ok, good you have 5 mg script.  You've been completely off for 30 days, so like someone said above, and I agree, is that you start the lowest you can get by one.  Probably trial and error but I think for me it's been the best to pick a dose and stay with it each day.  I don't know how to use the Half-life in figuring my taper, but I know someone here would know, @[Pa...], @[ma...], @[he...] to name 3 I know can help.  Also, for Diazapam there is a long half-life of 24-48 hours.  I just looked up a chart for benzo half-lives, but like I said, I'm clueless about how that might work in a taper of your 5 mg tablets.

That may be info you know already and why you are thinking of going every other day it sounds like.  Anyway, please stick around and let us know how you are doing, and I know we all want to help you as much as we can, Denise PS on the taper "plan" you can also taper, and hold that same dose, I think I said that already, but that's how I do mine.  Then when I feel stable for sure, I cut again, and hold that dose until stable. I couldn't confront my MD either, or wouldn't, because he is in a wheelchair with MS and can't even see patients in person, only Zoom type appt.  No other doctor in this small town is taking new patients. I just don't have the heart to send my doctor info to read or watch, expecting him to learn more.  I don't know, maybe he'd enjoy knowing, and things to do he could handle on his computer set-up.

[[he...]]

It sounds like you're not thinking about doing the "every other day" thing, and that's good. Allowing your serum level of diazepam to fluctuate like wreaks havoc on the body. I don't know why any professional ever suggests that, and yet many of them do.

If I were going to reinstate, I would try reinstating lower than the 5 mg, and then try to see how much helps you feel a bit better. You don't want to have to start any higher than you have to, but if it's 5 mg, then that's fine. And then, it would be good to have the 2-mg tablets so you can taper more easily. Even without a scale and nail file or a liquid, splitting these tablets into quarters gives you 0.5-mg increments to taper with. That might be enough for you, but if you are like most of us, you will need to be able to get smaller increments and taper at a reasonable rate of no more than 5 to 10% every two to four weeks, depending on what you can handle.

You can do this, @[ma...]!

[[or...]]

Hi @[he...], thank you so much for the reply, I remember what I've learned from others, but I find it hard to put into words sometimes.  Your info is priceless and am "following" you now so I can see how your are doing in your protracted-part of your journey in this ole world Denise PS you helped me so much and it's all coming together, thank goodness for you and others who've gone before me

[[he...]]

Hi @[or...], you're welcome. I'm glad things are coming together for you and glad what I've said in the past was helpful to you. We learn a lot as we go through this journey, and we need to share our knowledge with people new to this, who've just learned the ugly truth. Thanks for your kind words.

[[or...]]

Yeah, kind of a rude awakening when I realized "it takes awhile", and the only way to get through it is straight-on! And the good news was, I had folks to lead the way

[[ma...]]

Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately I am on a path now of taking 1mg for the next 14 days as I have cut the 2mg in half. It’s not a recipe for success but it’s at least ‘something’. I won’t be prescribed 5mg again as the GP’s here in the uk are (rightly) very wary of prescribing benzo’s compared to the US. 
 

So, 1mg each day for 2 weeks and then I am off them. Will have to see how it goes but I really appreciate the support and thoughts offered here…

[[he...]]

Wow, that's a big cut, @[ma...], but maybe you'll tolerate it just fine. We're not all as susceptible to the severe neuroadaptation that many of us have experienced, which requires a very gradual, usually hyperbolic, taper. Wishing you the best.

[[ma...]]

Many thanks. Yes it’s a big cut but I am going to try and get through it as best I can! Not ideal but it’s hard here to do it any other way unless you go under a psychiatrist and that could take longer than a taper to get an appointment. I think I’m stuck with it for now. Thanks for the good thoughts.