Need help with tapering

[Guest [Do...]]

Hi,

I am currently taking 2 doses of diazepam every 12 hours, one daytime and one nightime.

I was wondering if i have to taper both doses at the same time or taper first the daytime dose and after i am done with that one, taper the night dose as in the Ashton manual.

The problem i see here is that if i go to one one dose a day (the night one) i will feel interdose withdrawl symptoms.

How do you guys do it?

Thanks

Edited March 19 by Guest

[[Fa...]]

Hi, @[Do...].  You can taper in whichever manner works best for you.  My original prescription for diazepam was 5mg 3x per day for muscle issues.

As I began tapering, I moved to 2x per day.  Once I reached 10mg, I switched to one dose in the evening as this was most convenient for me (as I also switched to a combo of tablets and liquid at this stage as well).  In addition, insomnia was my worst symptom.  I did not experience interdose issues going to one dose per day.

Many people are able to dose diazepam once per day without issues, however some need 2 doses per day.

[Guest [Do...]]

30 minutes ago, [[F...] said:

Hi, @[Do...].  You can taper in whichever manner works best for you.  My original prescription for diazepam was 5mg 3x per day for muscle issues.

As I began tapering, I moved to 2x per day.  Once I reached 10mg, I switched to one dose in the evening as this was most convenient for me (as I also switched to a combo of tablets and liquid at this stage as well).  In addition, insomnia was my worst symptom.  I did not experience interdose issues going to one dose per day.

Many people are able to dose diazepam once per day without issues, however some need 2 doses per day.

Thanks for your answer, it really helps, i was at 4mg per day, 2mg afternoon, 2mg night, and currently trying to drop 20% each dose (my second day with it).

I am thinking of trying liquid drops (2mg = 1ml = 40 drops) and taper 1 drop everyday to micro taper when i reach 3mg per day.

I started 2x day doses when i moved to diazepam from lorazepam, cause i was taking only one dose a day of lorazepam and i was having terrible interdose symptoms. I never tried diazepam single dose but it could be a good idea as it makes me sleepy during the day.

Any how i am very interested in how the rest of your tapring was. Did you finish it already? i have many doubts on how it is when you reach very low doses, i havent been suffering insomnia with diazepam so far, i had really bad one when i was tapering lorazepam but i do feel some unconfortable issues interdose now and this is why i was wondering if i should taper both at the same time, to avoid the interdose withdrwal when i get to a single dose.

Plese, i would apreciatte so much if you tell me more about your experience.

Thanks

Edited March 19 by Guest

[[Fa...]]

@[Do...], I have not finished tapering yet.  I am approaching 7mg diazepam.  I am currently tapering roughly .1mg per week via .01mg/mL and .02mg/mL daily reductions.  I unfortunately started my taper from a horrible position after a failed rapid taper from 15mg to 2.5mg in 3 weeks Fall of 2022.

If you click on my my username it will take you to my profile.  From there you can click on the 'History' section of my profile in which I outline my reductions/dates in addition to a 'Diazepam taper' thread you can read through where I have received suggestions/advice over the past year in addition to me giving periodic updates.  Wish you the best! 

[Guest [Do...]]

16 minutes ago, [[F...] said:

@[Do...], I have not finished tapering yet.  I am approaching 7mg diazepam.  I am currently tapering roughly .1mg per week via .01mg/mL and .02mg/mL daily reductions.  I unfortunately started my taper from a horrible position after a failed rapid taper from 15mg to 2.5mg in 3 weeks Fall of 2022.

If you click on my my username it will take you to my profile.  From there you can click on the 'History' section of my profile in which I outline my reductions/dates in addition to a 'Diazepam taper' thread you can read through where I have received suggestions/advice over the past year in addition to me giving periodic updates.  Wish you the best! 

thanks so much, you're helping a lot.

 

[Guest [Do...]]

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

@[Do...], I have not finished tapering yet.  I am approaching 7mg diazepam.  I am currently tapering roughly .1mg per week via .01mg/mL and .02mg/mL daily reductions.  I unfortunately started my taper from a horrible position after a failed rapid taper from 15mg to 2.5mg in 3 weeks Fall of 2022.

If you click on my my username it will take you to my profile.  From there you can click on the 'History' section of my profile in which I outline my reductions/dates in addition to a 'Diazepam taper' thread you can read through where I have received suggestions/advice over the past year in addition to me giving periodic updates.  Wish you the best! 

Hi again,

I am half way to read you're huge post with @Libertas and @Pamster, it is indeed very interesting.

As i said, i am currently tapering to 1.5mg of diazepam every 12 hours i am exactly at the same point as when you wrote this:

"I just feel I need to start a micro taper sooner rather than later so I don't continue to shock my already shocked system with each cut and hold of .5mg and fear of being more unstable or having to hold for long periods of time.  [...].

[...]  Any advice and/or personal experience would be so greatly appreciated.  I feel I am at an extremely critical point in terms of how to proceed from 10mg".

 

I am planning to go liquid original from the brand i am using that come with a drop dispenser wich i think will help me make a lot easier to taper this way:

The dosage comes like this in the liquid solution:

2mg = 1ml = 40 drops

So it means that:

20 drops = 1mg
10 drops = 0.5mg
5 drops = 0.25mg
1 drop = 0.05mg

That tapering would be like this:

1 drop (0.05mg) less every day for 5 days and 2 days hold and do that every week with a drop of 0.25mg ech dose, every week. 

day 1 - 29 drops = 1.45mg, day 2 - 29 drops = 1.45mg, etc

Is important to mention that i switched from lorzepam (wich i took daily for only 3-4 months) to diazepam in 17 days, i only started using diazepam from march 1st 2024, and i havent been having big withdrawl symptoms since i started with diazepam compared to the hell of lorazepam symptoms, stating at 5mg a day, i managed to drop to 4mg in 15 days with only a few waves and many windows and this is why i plan to go a little faster as i should be in the moderate taper range according to the doctor in this video:

 

 

Edited March 19 by Guest

[[Li...]]

@[Do...] I finished a 4.5 year taper from valium at the beginning of this year.  When I got down to 2mgs a day my doctor prescribed me liquid valium.  The lower my taper got the more sensitive my body was and the worst the withdrawal.  It got to the point where I could only decrease a drop every few months.  Long story short I had a hard time and stupidly went back to 2 mgs.  When I did this I went back on the 2 mg tablet and stayed there for a while.  I know that I would always have a plan but the symptoms of my taper is what I had to go by.  For me I had to stop keeping track because it would frustrate me that I wasn't sticking to my schedule.  lol    My liquid form was 1 mg/1 ml= 20drops.  I think you have a plan my suggestion would be to listen to your body as you taper down.   Good luck  

[Guest [Do...]]

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

@[Do...] I finished a 4.5 year taper from valium at the beginning of this year.  When I got down to 2mgs a day my doctor prescribed me liquid valium.  The lower my taper got the more sensitive my body was and the worst the withdrawal.  It got to the point where I could only decrease a drop every few months.  Long story short I had a hard time and stupidly went back to 2 mgs.  When I did this I went back on the 2 mg tablet and stayed there for a while.  I know that I would always have a plan but the symptoms of my taper is what I had to go by.  For me I had to stop keeping track because it would frustrate me that I wasn't sticking to my schedule.  lol    My liquid form was 1 mg/1 ml= 20drops.  I think you have a plan my suggestion would be to listen to your body as you taper down.   Good luck  

Thanks for your advice,

I do feel that is getting harder as i get to lower doses, actually i just had a big anxiety wave from my last drop and that's why i am gonna go liquid and i will try my planning but of course, i will slow down if i feel worse.

 

[[...]]

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

@[Do...] I finished a 4.5 year taper from valium at the beginning of this year.  When I got down to 2mgs a day my doctor prescribed me liquid valium.  The lower my taper got the more sensitive my body was and the worst the withdrawal.  It got to the point where I could only decrease a drop every few months.  Long story short I had a hard time and stupidly went back to 2 mgs.  When I did this I went back on the 2 mg tablet and stayed there for a while.  I know that I would always have a plan but the symptoms of my taper is what I had to go by.  For me I had to stop keeping track because it would frustrate me that I wasn't sticking to my schedule.  lol    My liquid form was 1 mg/1 ml= 20drops.  I think you have a plan my suggestion would be to listen to your body as you taper down.   Good luck  

I feel like this is where I am at with my clonazepam tapering,  the getting from 6 mg to 1-1.5 wasn’t as bad as trying to get below that dose. I feel like it is affecting me more at the lower doses. It’s nice to know that I am not alone in this…