2 weeks CT

[[GS...]]

Good day all,

wish I had found the forum earlier, I wonder if anyone can share a view/support.

Ive been taking 10/20mg of diazepam at night over the last 12 months, not everyday but probably more regularly than needed. I’m 2 weeks in cold turkey, initially I thought I had COVID/Flu but suspect it’s withdrawal symptoms, my sleep has been ok with the help of CBD oil and Magnesium Glycinate. I’m walking up early at the moment but getting 5/6 hours.  Mildly irritable but no depression or fatague that I’m unable to work through. My symptom are now starting to come and go over the last few days, feeling cold, minor muscle spasms and mild flu like feeling with a bit brain fog. No desire to take Diaz or anything like that, couple of beers at night feel like they have helped. I feel like now that I’m 2 weeks in, I’d be as well carrying on. 

this seems to be inline with what others have experienced (having now had a read), is there anything I can be doing other than plenty liquid, walks and cracking on? Any guidance or insight into your own experience would be helpful, I’ve walked into this with my eyes closed and now that I’m 2 weeks in with a feeling of something not being quite right, have I done a bit digging. Irresponsible I know but had issues sleeping with some big domestic issues. 
 

TIA

Edited May 4 by [GS...]
Adding additional detail

[[...]]

@[GS...], welcome to BenzoBuddies! We're glad you've found us, even if not at once. The withdrawal is better to be coped with when you have an idea of it and can get or share support and experience with people living through the same condition.

All the issues you've listed seem to be quite common and must subside over time. I think, judging by the way you'd been taking diazepam, you are not going to have it too tough but i'd be on my guard for a while so as not to be unpleasantly surprised if some weird symptoms visit you. 

I'm sure you'll have lots of guidance and insights from others here in no time. I will share my own experience with my pleasure a bit later. Good Luck to you!) 

 

[[Ma...]]

You may want to read the Ashton Manual to understand what is happening, symptom wise, and what to potentially expect.

Alcohol is the only thing that affects gaba receptors the way benzos do. Your goal is for those receptors to heal so it’s a generally recommended to quit drinking. For now.

[[GS...]]

I’ll go have a read, thank you!

[[GS...]]

Thanks Kate

[[Tw...]]

4 hours ago, [[G...] said:

Good day all,

wish I had found the forum earlier, I wonder if anyone can share a view/support.

Ive been taking 10/20mg of diazepam at night over the last 12 months, not everyday but probably more regularly than needed. I’m 2 weeks in cold turkey, initially I thought I had COVID/Flu but suspect it’s withdrawal symptoms, my sleep has been ok with the help of CBD oil and Magnesium Glycinate. I’m walking up early at the moment but getting 5/6 hours.  Mildly irritable but no depression or fatague that I’m unable to work through. My symptom are now starting to come and go over the last few days, feeling cold, minor muscle spasms and mild flu like feeling with a bit brain fog. No desire to take Diaz or anything like that, couple of beers at night feel like they have helped. I feel like now that I’m 2 weeks in, I’d be as well carrying on. 

this seems to be inline with what others have experienced (having now had a read), is there anything I can be doing other than plenty liquid, walks and cracking on? Any guidance or insight into your own experience would be helpful, I’ve walked into this with my eyes closed and now that I’m 2 weeks in with a feeling of something not being quite right, have I done a bit digging. Irresponsible I know but had issues sleeping with some big domestic issues. 
 

TIA

Congratulations on quitting diazepam cold turkey. I also quit benzodiazepines cold turkey, and it was the hardest thing I have ever endured in my life. It's excellent that you are drinking plenty liquids, walking, and not giving up. I also experience sleeping issues and brain fog from being seven weeks after quitting the benzodiazepines. I got medical attention for most of my withdrawal symptoms. 

[[Ca...]]

Reiterating--don't drink. You're just substituting one drug for another.

[[De...]]

Keep going man! That’s a major achievement.

[[me...]]

19 hours ago, [[G...] said:

not everyday but probably more regularly than needed.

Could you please elaborate, how often did you take it?

I'm in a similar boat and I really would like to know your dosage. Thanks in advance!

[[GS...]]

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

Could you please elaborate, how often did you take it?

I'm in a similar boat and I really would like to know your dosage. Thanks in advance!

To be honest, I didn’t track it. But probably 2/3 times a week at times on average, sometimes less then less frequently more but when I decided to stop. I was on a run of 2 weeks which wasn’t common for me. Usually always 20mg.  Even today, I feel like I’ve made a tiny bit progress. I’ve gone down the rabbit hole reading about it, won’t be touching them again that’s for sure. 
 

I’ve taken them on and off for a few years with no issues, but the last 12+ months I’ve been using them more regularly, at points too much. Now paying the price for that I think. 

[[me...]]

9 minutes ago, [[G...] said:

To be honest, I didn’t track it. But probably 2/3 times a week at times on average, sometimes less then less frequently more but when I decided to stop. I was on a run of 2 weeks which wasn’t common for me. Usually always 20mg.  Even today, I feel like I’ve made a tiny bit progress. I’ve gone down the rabbit hole reading about it, won’t be touching them again that’s for sure. 
 

I’ve taken them on and off for a few years with no issues, but the last 12+ months I’ve been using them more regularly, at points too much. Now paying the price for that I think. 

Thanks for the details. I think it's good that you didn't take it daily like my idiot self

Edited May 5 by [me...]

[[GS...]]

2 minutes ago, [[m...] said:

Thanks for the details. I think it's good that you didn't take it daily like my idiot self

Hindsight is a great thing, but can’t be sure what my habits were only that when I decided to stop, I had taken them a couple of weeks and was tired of feeling sluggish with them. That’s a best guess over the last 12 months.

was worried that going CT with that kind of usage was going to dangerous but it seems like it’s only in severe cases and high, sustained dosage that ends up with some of the more severe symptoms.

[[or...]]

Hi GShock, and welcome

I've found reading all the material I can get my hands on (especially my eyes on ) and listening to my body works just fine, along with good nutrition and exercise. 

If you're just 2 weeks CT, I may have that wrong, but I think that's within the time they say it's an option to updose.  I'm just saying it's an option because I CT'd just maybe 5-6 days off 1 mg of Clonazepam and it turned real nasty. 

Alcohol was a deterrent for me and also can cause poor health whether on benzos or not.  The info is out there, sometimes harder to find because Big Pharma doesn't seem to mind pill-pushing to "fix" us. 

I work to get to the cause, not just the symptoms.  With tapering off, or a CT, I realize the body has to transition back to running on it's own steam, not a drug's, so then I have wd sxs which I choose to believe is my body ridding itself of the benzo.  I look at food/exercise as proper fuel I need to have healing + quality of life.

You'll get plenty of help/opinions here, so you can figure out what's right for you, here on BB is where I get about 99% of my guidance, hope you stick with us, Oregonlady

 

[[GS...]]

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

Hi GShock, and welcome

I've found reading all the material I can get my hands on (especially my eyes on ) and listening to my body works just fine, along with good nutrition and exercise. 

If you're just 2 weeks CT, I may have that wrong, but I think that's within the time they say it's an option to updose.  I'm just saying it's an option because I CT'd just maybe 5-6 days off 1 mg of Clonazepam and it turned real nasty. 

Alcohol was a deterrent for me and also can cause poor health whether on benzos or not.  The info is out there, sometimes harder to find because Big Pharma doesn't seem to mind pill-pushing to "fix" us. 

I work to get to the cause, not just the symptoms.  With tapering off, or a CT, I realize the body has to transition back to running on it's own steam, not a drug's, so then I have wd sxs which I choose to believe is my body ridding itself of the benzo.  I look at food/exercise as proper fuel I need to have healing + quality of life.

You'll get plenty of help/opinions here, so you can figure out what's right for you, here on BB is where I get about 99% of my guidance, hope you stick with us, Oregonlady

Thanks for the welcome. I’m 16 days in, not sure I’ve got any appetite for updosing, or tapering. I’m not sure my consumption merits that, although could be wrong. For now, happy to carry on and hope I see small improvements day in day or nothing worse than what it was the first few days. 
 

I’ll keep an eye on the threads and read a lot of them last night. It’s a real eye opener reading different peoples experiences. 

[[jo...]]

2 minutes ago, [[G...] said:

Thanks for the welcome. I’m 16 days in, not sure I’ve got any appetite for updosing, or tapering. I’m not sure my consumption merits that, although could be wrong. For now, happy to carry on and hope I see small improvements day in day or nothing worse than what it was the first few days. 
 

I’ll keep an eye on the threads and read a lot of them last night. It’s a real eye opener reading different peoples experiences. 

The first CT I did had resolved within a month. It was Brutal first few days like yours. Unfortunatly this is my 3rd CT and not so short a recovery this time. When you get off stay off. Don't think after a couple of years you are ok to go back to taking them here and there. Thats the mistake I made.

[[or...]]

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

Thanks for the details. I think it's good that you didn't take it daily like my idiot self

Hi medazapp, and welcome to you as well  

I've read, I believe here on the forum, that it's very hard to tell how the benzo time of taking, or how much, can tell each of us exactly how we should do it, but it can be a good starting point for trial and error type testing our own body's ability to handle.  We are all different.  I feel I basically gave into just being my own guinea pig, but I did have some good info to start with from here on BB

When I taper, which I can't tell anyone much about CT although my one time was enough, and I chose to updose with my doctor at the time, and I know not everyone has that choice. So I digress, but again, when I taper, I hold that dose for at least maybe a week before I will feel pretty sure I am stable again on the latest dose.  Tapering too fast, or too much really was giving me no quality of life but I'm older, and I have to keep my cuts very small.  I'd been on it many years, oregonlady

[[or...]]

10 minutes ago, [[G...] said:

Thanks for the welcome. I’m 16 days in, not sure I’ve got any appetite for updosing, or tapering. I’m not sure my consumption merits that, although could be wrong. For now, happy to carry on and hope I see small improvements day in day or nothing worse than what it was the first few days. 
 

I’ll keep an eye on the threads and read a lot of them last night. It’s a real eye opener reading different peoples experiences. 

Everyone seems to have different, but always something in common here, with wd sxs, length of time taken, and benzo-type etc. I was just tossing out options for anyone have a rough time.  I think you are both so lucky to get here so early on.  I was taking the C 1mg for 35 years so it's good to see people are getting the word out to others so maybe save them some heartache oregonlady

[[GS...]]

14 minutes ago, [[j...] said:

The first CT I did had resolved within a month. It was Brutal first few days like yours. Unfortunatly this is my 3rd CT and not so short a recovery this time. When you get off stay off. Don't think after a couple of years you are ok to go back to taking them here and there. Thats the mistake I made.

Do you mind if I ask what your consumption was up to the point of first CT?

[[GS...]]

6 minutes ago, [[o...] said:

Everyone seems to have different, but always something in common here, with wd sxs, length of time taken, and benzo-type etc. I was just tossing out options for anyone have a rough time.  I think you are both so lucky to get here so early on.  I was taking the C 1mg for 35 years so it's good to see people are getting the word out to others so maybe save them some heartache oregonlady

Absolutely, that’s why I’m here. It’s been an enlightening read the last couple of days. Naively thinking I was bulletproof and not properly understanding the potential risk. 
 

it’s gave me plenty to consider. 
 

thanks 

[[jo...]]

1 minute ago, [[G...] said:

Do you mind if I ask what your consumption was up to the point of first CT?

it was 3 months or so of use. I was abusing them not using them as prescribed. I would say roughly about 20/30 mg per day.

[[GS...]]

2 minutes ago, [[j...] said:

it was 3 months or so of use. I was abusing them not using them as prescribed. I would say roughly about 20/30 mg per day.

Did you notice small improvements as the days went on? I’ve been over a longer period but with breaks or generally not using daily, but abusing them in a way as well. 

[[jo...]]

Yeah the first few days were really rough then gradually got better over the next few weeks. Sleep slowly returning, anxiety dissapating, appetite returning etc.

[[jo...]]

Just now, [[j...] said:

Yeah the first few days were really rough then gradually got better over the next few weeks. Sleep slowly returning, anxiety dissapating, appetite returning etc.

it was pretty linier that time. This time it's all over the place. And longer!

[[GS...]]

1 minute ago, [[j...] said:

Yeah the first few days were really rough then gradually got better over the next few weeks. Sleep slowly returning, anxiety dissapating, appetite returning etc.

Helpful to know, I’ve not really experienced Anxiety as such but appetite, sleep and physical impacts for sure. 

[[GS...]]

Just now, [[j...] said:

it was pretty linier that time. This time it's all over the place. And longer!

Sorry to hear that, although thankful for you sharing.