looking for advice on diazepam taper

[[Ko...]]

hello,

I have been doing a very slow diazepam taper after crossing from .5 klonopin after relatively short term usage (4 months) to 10 mg of diazepam in September.  I struggled initially with the crossover (lots of burning skin, muscle twitching, tinnitus, bouts of chest pain and most bothersome of all- severe intrusive SI)

Because I have to work a high functioning job and am a single parent, I decided to decrease slowly- have been decreasing by .25 mg every 2 weeks. I am now at 6.75 and due to decrease tomorrow to 6.5mg.

I feel that I have more symptoms of excess valium than withdrawal at this point and am wondering if I should increase to .5 mg decrease this time. I feel over medicated and sleepy,  lethargic, with total lack of motivation and interest in things.  I have a lot of obsessional anxiety about the taper and benzowithdrawal. Or should I just consider myself relatively lucky and stay the course with the .25 mg decreases until this no longer works for me. I don't want to drag this taper out anymore than I have already done but its of vital importance to me  and my children to stay functional.

thanks for any input 

[[je...]]

Hey @[Ko...]

You've done so well in your reductions! I know this journey can feel neverending. Personally I don't think the sleepiness, lethargy and lack of motivation has to do with excess medication. As you know, people say they feel sedation on Valium. My lethargy and lack of motivation has increased 100% since I've jumped. I felt more motivated on the drug than off. Now that some of the intensity of my worst symptoms are abating, the lethargy is a killer. I am finally in a position where I am well enough to get off the couch but there is no motivation to do anything else than to stay on the couch! 

If it were me, I would continue with the same reductions as you were making, because functionality is so crucial to you.

[[Ko...]]

@[je...]Thank you for your insight. I am sorry that you still have a lot of lethargy and lack of motivation even though you have been off for awhile.  I will continue the slow slog downwards. 

[[je...]]

That's just my experience. Maybe someone else has a different experience. I'm suspecting I had lethargy while on the drug I just didn't feel it because the other symptoms were too overwhelming. So it might not have bothered me because I wasn't in a position to do much anyway other than the bare minimum and then stay on the couch. If that makes sense? Now that my symptoms are lifting a bit and I feel I can get out more, I have no desire or motivation to do so. But that doesn't mean the lethargy was not there to begin with. I don't want you to be demotivated and think the lethargy will get worse as you go down. 

[[Ko...]]

@[je...] if its not too triggering for you, may I ask what your other overwhelming symptoms were?  

The reason I was wondering if its the valium itself is that I am depressed but don't have the intense anxiety. I feel as if I could lie in bed all day and do nothing. I am working but that is getting harder to do even though I have no choice.  

[[...]]

Diazepam def causes Depression.

It made mine so worse over the years that I overdosed cause I didn't know it is the Diazepam. I didn't laugh or feel sth for years. I am still on 30 mg. I cry a lot but I finally can feel sth.

Diazepam also should never be prescribed when you allready have depression.

[[...]]

59 minutes ago, [[K...] said:

@[Je...] Wenn es für Sie nicht zu auslösend ist, darf ich dann fragen, was Ihre anderen überwältigenden Symptome waren?  

Der Grund, warum ich mich gefragt habe, ob es am Valium selbst liegt, ist, dass ich depressiv bin, aber keine starken Angstzustände habe. Ich habe das Gefühl, ich könnte den ganzen Tag im Bett liegen und nichts tun. Ich arbeite, aber das wird immer schwieriger, obwohl ich keine andere Wahl habe.  

Thats me. Did nothing for years!

Didn't have that 5 years ago on Lorazepam.

[[Ko...]]

@[...]I was switched from clonazepam to diazepam for tapering. Pretty much forced to by the nurse practitioner as it comes in the lower tablets to do ashton method type taper off.  I didn't feel good on the clonazepam either though- I think that benzodiazepines do not agree with me. I was not sleeping at all for 3 weeks before the clonazepam and then stayed on it too long...this was about 1 year ago. I have been tapering since Sept and only down to 6.5 now. 

This is difficult situation to be in with kids and working...I really wish I could taper off quickly without harming myself.

[[je...]]

5 hours ago, [[K...] said:

@[je...] if its not too triggering for you, may I ask what your other overwhelming symptoms were?  

The reason I was wondering if its the valium itself is that I am depressed but don't have the intense anxiety. I feel as if I could lie in bed all day and do nothing. I am working but that is getting harder to do even though I have no choice.  

My major symptoms are brain fog, head pressure, headaches, insomnia and tiredness. These head symptoms felt like a sinus infection. I felt like I needed to lay down all the time. I had so much pressure, intense headaches and fog, I couldn't focus and struggled to work. Very much like you said, work was always a struggle. I only had energy to work, do chores, take care of absolute necessaties of the kids and the rest of the time I was on the couch. I also had some depression but it came in waves. I'm not sure if it was withdrawal or if I was just depressed because of my benzo situation. 

[[Ko...]]

@[je...]I am sorry to hear that. I am hoping that my symptoms will not be as severe. Needing to work through this adds an extra level of stress. I pray I am able to keep my job through this. In the US that's also how we have our health insurance.  

I hope you are feeling a lot better now? I know you did a slow and careful taper. 

Thanks for your support. I kinda wish they still had threads for folks here like they used to....people who are trying to work through this.

[[je...]]

My symptoms are much better now. The pressure has lifted quite a bit so headaches don't feel as intense. The brain fog is still there, but it also doesn't feel as intense. I don't feel as if I have a sinus infection. Now it is more a feeling of general unwellness - almost like you're coming down with something. Before I felt sick and I needed to be down, now I feel unwell but I don't feel like I have to lie down. I don't exactly know how to describe it.