Tapering off Diazepam - never had stable dosage

[[Li...]]

Hello, @[Ni...].  

Just in case you are considering trying 5-HTP ….

Are you taking any other prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, or supplements (in addition to the diazepam)?   If so, I encourage you to check for interactions between those substances and 5-HTP.  For example, the concomitant use of 5-HTP and other agents with serotonergic activity (e.g. antidepressants) may increase the risk of serotonin syndrome.  To learn more:

5-HTP Interactions Checker - Drugs.com
https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/5-hydroxytryptophan,5-htp.html

 

[[Ni...]]

The GP wont do a prescription for lower doses.

Said 1mg is lower than what they give to babies.

Said to stay on 1mg for 4 weeks (30 September) then stop.

Said if I would feel more comfortable I can take half a mg after that and then stop.

 

Is this something that is ok or will I go into withdrawal going from 1mg to half a mg?

 

This GP said she had worked in a rehab centre for a few years and she really doesn't think I would suffer withdrawal after 1mg, especially after half a mg.

 

I tried to explain about how sensitive I am to chemicals and how M.E is inflammation of the CNS. 

But she was having none of it.

 

Can anyone give advice on this please?

[[Pa...]]

If you follow your doctors orders, you may feel some additional symptoms, but I imagine it will just feel like more of the same you’ve already been dealing with.

Members describe what they call the acute stage after jumping from their benzo, it seems to last on average about 2 weeks.  For some, its can be more intense symptoms, for others, its not a big deal, like I said, just more of the same symptoms.

Your dose is low and tapering to .5 mgs diazepam is reasonable.  Once you’re off of the medication, your body will begin the real work of getting normal function back.  It can take some time but every cell in your body know’s how to repair and it will. 

[[Ni...]]

How Ive been feeling now is terrible.

But its hard to tell if it's withdrawal, the change in frequency of dosing or both.

Or something else entirely to do with my M.E. or all of the above.

 

If I go from 1mg to 0.5mg I will have been taking 1mg a day, everyday for a month.

Not jumping all over the place with day or two breaks like I did in August.

 

Thank you.

Ive got a lot to think about.

 

[[Ni...]]

My 2mg tablets can be cut into 8 pieces.

 

If my maths is right, which it often isnt.

Half a tablet is 1mg

Quater of a tablet is 0.5mg

Half a quater of a tablet is 0.25mg

 

 

So I could go from half a tablet to

a quater and half a quater - 0.75mg

a quarter - 0.50mg

half a quater - 0.25mg

Then stop.

Edited September 13, 2023 by [Ni...]

[[Pa...]]

Our brain craves consistency so erratic dosing can have a negative effect, you’re right, this could be contributing to how you’ve been feeling.

If you can cut your tablet into 8 pieces I can see this working for you.  I’m sorry its so difficult to know what is causing what so all you can do is to try to eliminate what you suspect.  Just remember, it may take awhile to know if you’ve been successful since recovery can take some time.

[[Ch...]]

On 12/09/2023 at 06:53, [[P...] said:

I think giving your body even more time to acclimate to a steady 1 mg dose is a good idea.  

Your doctor will need to prescribe the liquid diazepam from the manufacturer if you’re interested in that route, compounding pharmacies can also create liquid but it may be more expensive. There are many YouTube video’s on how to create your own home brew but I can ask another member to drop by who has more knowledge than I do about titration.  

Does removing the amount of water based on dosage. 300 ml of water for all doses and remove 1 ml daily. If on klonopin do you take 3 times daily  I am so confused and scared 

[[Pa...]]

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

Does removing the amount of water based on dosage. 300 ml of water for all doses and remove 1 ml daily. If on klonopin do you take 3 times daily  I am so confused and scared 

Hi @[Ch...], if you’re interested in learning about titration, lets discuss it on your taper thread located here: 

 

[[Ch...]]

I don’t even know how to get back to home with the categories. His will i be able to get help if I can’t even follow simple tasks on your website. 

[[Pa...]]

44 minutes ago, [[C...] said:

I don’t even know how to get back to home with the categories. His will i be able to get help if I can’t even follow simple tasks on your website. 

In the post above, please click on the word Help next to the C of your username.  This will take you to your taper thread where we can discuss liquid titration. 

[[Ni...]]

17 hours ago, [[P...] said:

Our brain craves consistency so erratic dosing can have a negative effect, you’re right, this could be contributing to how you’ve been feeling.

If you can cut your tablet into 8 pieces I can see this working for you.  I’m sorry its so difficult to know what is causing what so all you can do is to try to eliminate what you suspect.  Just remember, it may take awhile to know if you’ve been successful since recovery can take some time.

Do you think as the dose lowers any symptom caused by the Diazepam will decrease in severity?

[[Fa...]]

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

Do you think as the dose lowers any symptom caused by the Diazepam will decrease in severity?

My opinion is it is possible.  It seems for most, when dose is sensibly decreased, it is just 'more of the same'.  One thing for certain is that you are that much closer to eliminating the diazepam from your system.  Most people will agree and attest, that once eliminated, true healing will begin and symptoms caused by the diazepam should non-linearly improve and disappear.  You are very close, @[Ni...]!

[[Ni...]]

So the symptoms may or may not decrease in severity as the dose lowers?

 

And non linear improvement means that once out of my system the symptoms are gonna be up and down in severity?

 

Im just asking to make sure.

 

I started taking diazepam in 2016, barely taking it.

14 tablets lasted a year.

But then 2020 onwards I moved to 28 tablets every 3 months.

Then 23 April this year is when I started taking it almost everyday.

All the erratic timing and doses, its only since Wednesday last week I started on a regular dose and timetable.

 

I hate to think what damage has been done, if its even reparable! Especially considering my M.E. is inflammation of the Central Nervous System. 

 

Im constantly thinking about all this and always thinking the worse.

[[Pa...]]

We tend to obsess about this process, it pretty much takes over our lives, so what you’re going through is common.  I wouldn’t look at how you’ve been taking the medication as damage, at least not any that can’t be repaired.  You may have added to your misery but now that you’re educating yourself, you can certainly turn things around.

But yes, recovery is pretty much like tolerance and withdrawal for awhile but things begin to slowly improve.  The trouble is our symptoms continue to wax and wane even in recovery, so we never know from one day to the next how we’re going to feel but we’re moving in the right direction even if it sometimes doesn’t feel like it. 

[[Fa...]]

2 hours ago, [[N...] said:

So the symptoms may or may not decrease in severity as the dose lowers?

Correct.  Everyone is different.  If dose is decreased sensibly, the severity of your associated symptoms will most likely not increase however.

2 hours ago, [[N...] said:

And non linear improvement means that once out of my system the symptoms are gonna be up and down in severity?

Not necessarily.  Again, everyone is different.  Your associated symptoms may very well begin to ease and then disappear.  I just mention non-linear improvement as many people start feeling better (i.e., ‘windows’) then go through an unforeseen rough patch (i.e., ‘wave’).  They then come out of this ‘wave’ with further improvement.  Think 2 steps forward, 1 step back etc… until all associated symptoms disappear for good.

 

2 hours ago, [[N...] said:

I hate to think what damage has been done, if its even reparable!

It is most certainly ‘repairable’!  There have been countless people fully healed from much higher doses and for longer dose durations.  Most all people heal from associated neuroadaptations caused by benzodiazepines upon cessation.

2 hours ago, [[N...] said:

Im constantly thinking about all this and always thinking the worse.

Fear is one of the worst symptoms.  I fully can relate.  It is so easy to go there but you will be ok!  Tell yourself this and practice distraction to the best of your ability in the meantime. 

[[Ni...]]

Thank you both for your replies.

Its reassuring to talk to other people about this and to learn more about what to expect.

 

Im still stressed about all this, especially with how bad Ive been for the last 2 weeks (since 31 August). 

I just hope being on this 1mg a day everyday will eventually mean I start to feel better.

 

I was going to reply to both of you individually, but I found I just wanted to say the same thing to both of you.

[[Ni...]]

Odd question.

Is it ok to take iron supplements while all this is going on?

I know so many things can set things off. Not just active ingredients but inactive ones too.

 

It would be either of these two that I take.

 

Solgar Gentle Iron - Iron Bisglycinate 

Ingredients:

Iron (as bisglycinate), Bulking Agent-Microcrystalline Cellulose, Anti-Caking Agents-Magnesium Stearate**, Vegetable capsule Shell (hypromellose).

*Made from vegetable stearic acid

 

TERRANOVA Easy Iron 20mg Complex

Ingredients:

Rose Hips [Rosa canina]-organic 100mg

Stabilised Rice Bran 100mgg

Green Barley Grass [Hordeum vulgare]-fresh freeze dried-organic 50mg

Acai Berry [Euterpe oleracea]-fresh freeze dried-organic 25mg

Iron (as bisglycinate Chelate* [Ferrochel™] 20mg

Vegetarian Capsule Shell (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose)

[[Fa...]]

Hi, @[Ni...].  I'm assuming you have an iron deficiency, and your doctor has advised you to implement iron supplementation?  No one on this forum, including myself, should be giving you medical advice; however, I have provided you a link to drugs.com interaction checker for diazepam and iron bisglycinate.  There were no interactions found between the two.  There is also useful information regarding food and the two (diazepam and iron bisglycinate) within the link.  Any further questions regarding this information, I would suggest discussing with your medical provider.  My opinion would be that you should be just fine supplementing iron while tapering diazepam.  

https://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=862-0,4499-0

[[Pa...]]

@[Fa...] provided good information, its always a good idea to check interactions. If you’d like to discuss these or other supplements, we have a Group specifically for that you may want to check out. https://benzobuddies.org/forum/138-topics/

[[Ni...]]

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

Hi, @[Ni...].  I'm assuming you have an iron deficiency, and your doctor has advised you to implement iron supplementation?  No one on this forum, including myself, should be giving you medical advice; however, I have provided you a link to drugs.com interaction checker for diazepam and iron bisglycinate.  There were no interactions found between the two.  There is also useful information regarding food and the two (diazepam and iron bisglycinate) within the link.  Any further questions regarding this information, I would suggest discussing with your medical provider.  My opinion would be that you should be just fine supplementing iron while tapering diazepam.  

https://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=862-0,4499-0

I recently found that checker but didn't think to use it to check supplements.

Thank you.

 

 

[[Ni...]]

2 hours ago, [[P...] said:

@[Fa...] provided good information, its always a good idea to check interactions. If you’d like to discuss these or other supplements, we have a Group specifically for that you may want to check out. https://benzobuddies.org/forum/138-topics/

Thank you.

I will go have a look.

[[Ni...]]

Ended up in A&E on Saturday.

 

The difficulty being upright on 31 August. Almost passing out, head pressure, tinnitus that left me having to stay laying down, even to eat and drink.

On Saturday after just making it back from the loo I lost all my strength.

I couldn't move and only got out the odd word or groan. Was so weak and only sort of conscious.

3 hours later my strength came back, kept in to be seen by Cardiologist.

He tried to blame it on me laying down constantly for years, which I havent been. But he wouldn't listen to me, already made his mind up.

Back at home 24 hours later, still difficulty being upright. Head pressure problems even when lying down after Cardiologist made me stand for 30 minutes, which I haven't been able to do for 20 years (wheelchair user).

All these symptoms came on so suddenly 31 August. I thought it was from cutting the Diazepam too much and too fast. And would have to wait it out until it got better/passed. But that will be 3 weeks this Thursday, so now I doubt it ever was.

 

Now Im wondering if I was ever feeling problems from the Diazepam at all.

I dont feel I can trust my own body anymore to tell me when to do what with tapering and if it was ever a problem at all.

I was only taking it nearly everyday for 4 months. Before that I would go a week without taking any.

[[Pa...]]

What a terrible experience, I’m so sorry!  Did you have someone there with you, to help you get to the hospital?  It doesn’t sound like you were treated very well, can you follow up with your doctor, it seems like you need more medical tests to determine what happened.  

What you’ve described certainly sounds like benzodiazepine symptoms but we know there can be other things going on so I hope you’ll consider further testing. 

[[Ni...]]

I was transported by ambulance because I couldn't move.

The Cardiologist I saw in A&E has cancelled my Cardiology referral I had.

He also said it was fine to be laying there doing nothing and for your heart to start beating so fast that it reaches 179.

All my symptoms have been changed and reduced in severity on my discharge sheet. It was like reading someone elses symptoms not mine.

 

I dont have fight left in me, Ive deteriorated so much. 

 

I have been trying to talk to a GP about this since 31 August and they keep refusing to talk to me thinking Im talking about the constant vertigo that started 29 April.

I dont have much fight left in me, but I will try again.

[[Pa...]]

Do you have any family members who can advocate for you, I can hear how discouraged you are.