Withdrawal advice

[[Sp...]]

 

Hey guys 

I think the answer is obvious here but just wanted to ask 

I’ve been using Diazepam 10mg 2x per week for about 3 years, just to help with chronic insomnia. I didn’t use any more than that through fear of addiction. 

Anyway, after reading many horror stories i decided to quit. 

I’m 10 days since quitting and I’m getting headaches every day, and the most crushing fatigue, almost like I’ve been hit by a bus. Now I do have chronic fatigue syndrome so I’m very familiar with fatigue but this is next level. 

I suppose I assumed that using 2x per week wouldn’t be damaging. 

Can anybody provide any insight? How long would I expect to experience these symptoms?

Many thanks 🙏🏼

 

[[Re...]]

Hello @[Sp...], welcome to BenzoBuddies!

I am so sorry you have been hit by these difficult symptoms of withdrawal, these seem to be common. 

Diazepam has a long half life, occasional use (2x week) can lead to dependency as well. Usually a slow, symptom led taper is recommended after longer use. Dropping these medications cold turkey can be a very intense experience, I can not tell you how long it can last, unfortunately. Given the low (er) dose you have been taking, much depends on the intensity of your symptoms, how these evolve and how functional you are. 

General information on tapering strategies is available here. Please try to get informed about benzodiazepine cessation through the Ashton manual, it is a very good guide for us as well.

If you would like help with tapering or decide to do that, don't hesitate to post to the Taper Strategies part of the Forum. 

Take care, 

RR

 

[[Sp...]]

11 minutes ago, [[R...] said:

Hello @[Sp...], welcome to BenzoBuddies!

I am so sorry you have been hit by these difficult symptoms of withdrawal, these seem to be common. 

Diazepam has a long half life, occasional use (2x week) can lead to dependency as well. Usually a slow, symptom led taper is recommended after longer use. Dropping these medications cold turkey can be a very intense experience, I can not tell you how long it can last, unfortunately. Given the low (er) dose you have been taking, much depends on the intensity of your symptoms, how these evolve and how functional you are. 

General information on tapering strategies is available here. Please try to get informed about benzodiazepine cessation through the Ashton manual, it is a very good guide for us as well.

If you would like help with tapering or decide to do that, don't hesitate to post to the Taper Strategies part of the Forum. 

Take care, 

RR

Thank you so much for this advice and guidance ❤️🙏🏼❤️

[[Re...]]

8 hours ago, [[S...] said:

Hey guys 

I think the answer is obvious here but just wanted to ask 

I’ve been using Diazepam 10mg 2x per week for about 3 years, just to help with chronic insomnia. I didn’t use any more than that through fear of addiction. 

Anyway, after reading many horror stories i decided to quit. 

I’m 10 days since quitting and I’m getting headaches every day, and the most crushing fatigue, almost like I’ve been hit by a bus. Now I do have chronic fatigue syndrome so I’m very familiar with fatigue but this is next level. 

I suppose I assumed that using 2x per week wouldn’t be damaging. 

Can anybody provide any insight? How long would I expect to experience these symptoms?

Many thanks 🙏🏼

Did you gradually reduce your dosage or did you suddenly stop taking the drug? Withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and severe fatigue are very common during this process. The duration of these symptoms varies depending on individual factors. For some people it lasts days, others weeks, some months, and others years. I had head pressure for six months. I was a severe case though. Still struggling 18 months off with many other symptoms but had complications from other drugs/misdiagnoses due to benzo wd thrown into the mix. Patients commonly get misdiagnosed with conditions they do not have due to the medical system's complete lack of understanding about benzo withdrawal. Glad you are here. The more you know the better off you can be to avoid getting harmed further by the medical system. The explanation for symptoms up to one year off is usually Occam's razor - the benzo. Symptoms both old and new can be triggered by other drugs, alcohol, vitamins, supplements, OTC remedies, treatments, etc. The best thing to do is let them play out and give them time to resolve without treating them. I know that sounds counterintuitive. Anywhere from 6-18 months is the average time many patients heal. Some like myself can take longer.

Edited April 6 by [Re...]

[[Sp...]]

7 hours ago, [[R...] said:

Did you gradually reduce your dosage or did you suddenly stop taking the drug? Withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and severe fatigue are very common during this process. The duration of these symptoms varies depending on individual factors. For some people it lasts days, others weeks, some months, and others years. I had head pressure for six months. I was a severe case though. Still struggling 18 months off with many other symptoms but had complications from other drugs/misdiagnoses due to benzo wd thrown into the mix. Patients commonly get misdiagnosed with conditions they do not have due to the medical system's complete lack of understanding about benzo withdrawal. Glad you are here. The more you know the better off you can be to avoid getting harmed further by the medical system. The explanation for symptoms up to one year off is usually Occam's razor - the benzo. Symptoms both old and new can be triggered by other drugs, alcohol, vitamins, supplements, OTC remedies, treatments, etc. The best thing to do is let them play out and give them time to resolve without treating them. I know that sounds counterintuitive. Anywhere from 6-18 months is the average time many patients heal. Some like myself can take longer.

Hey Rebecca, 

Thanks a lot for your advice. 
I stopped all at once, I honestly didn’t think I was using it enough to develop dependence although I should have known really as my tolerance had dramatically increased which should have alerted me, but like I said I just didn’t put it all together in my mind. 
 

it’s been nearly 3 weeks now of not having any at all, and my symptoms are unpleasant but not unbearable at all… so I think I might have gotten off lightly, though I’m not looking forward to having to live with these symptoms for a long time. 
 

so sorry to hear you are still struggling after so long, and thank you for using your experience to help others in this group x

[[Re...]]

7 hours ago, [[S...] said:

Hey Rebecca, 

Thanks a lot for your advice. 
I stopped all at once, I honestly didn’t think I was using it enough to develop dependence although I should have known really as my tolerance had dramatically increased which should have alerted me, but like I said I just didn’t put it all together in my mind. 
 

it’s been nearly 3 weeks now of not having any at all, and my symptoms are unpleasant but not unbearable at all… so I think I might have gotten off lightly, though I’m not looking forward to having to live with these symptoms for a long time. 
 

so sorry to hear you are still struggling after so long, and thank you for using your experience to help others in this group x

I hope that things continue to go well for you. Please keep us posted.