Holding longer on reductions during taper

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I’m tapering off Valium.  I was originally on Xanax.25mg for 9 weeks in late 2022 following 4 deaths in our family.  When I went to taper off I started having severe withdrawal symptoms.  In January 2023 switched to 4mg Valium and tapered off in 12 weeks.  When I came off I was in debilitating distress.  My doctors put me back on Xanax and it only made the withdrawal symptoms worse.  I immediately knew then that I was kindled.  Changed back to Valium 12.5mgs in May 2023 and have tapered down to 4.5 but now really struggling.  Initially I was reducing.5 every 2 weeks but the last 3 reductions have been 3 weeks, due to the sudden death of our beloved dog and health problems with my elderly parents.  My question is will holding for longer periods like 4 or even 5 weeks actually help my body to heal even though I’m still taking Valium.  I’m desperate for advice.  Help!!!

[[Br...]]

I'm sorry you've been through such a difficult time.  It's so important that you are listening to your body.  There are two main ways we can ease up on the stress we put our central nervous system through while tapering.  One is to hold longer between cuts and the other is to make smaller cuts.  It looks to me as though it would help you to start with making smaller reductions and then hold as long as needed for your symptoms to feel manageable enough to make the next cut.  We typically suggest making cuts of no more than 5-10% every 2 weeks.  If you reduce your current dose of 4.5mg to 4.0 that is slightly more than a 10% reduction.  You might want to aim for cuts closer to 5% but that is for you to decide.  What do you think of these ideas?

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Brighterday thanks for your advice and I am now to hold for at least another week or even two (4-5 weeks in total) on this currently reduction. There after I am going to cut and shave my Valium pill to around.25 and drop hopefully every 3 weeks.  I have never stabilised on this taper as I had been kindled and also withdrawal tolerance.  Do you think holding longer  gives our receptors more time to heal 

[[ve...]]

If you need some kind of truce with life and you feel stable at current dose, then hold.  Why not?  I'm holding at 0,5mg Victan until next winter perhaps.