Withdrawal ?

[[le...]]

I used 10 mg of valium for 14 days in a row..I have not used any for five days...really helped with my anxiety after recent surgery on my heart.

My question is will I experience any withdrawal? And can I start taking 10 mg twice a week without becoming dependant? I get this sounds lightweight though I probably should mention I used heroin for 25 years and have been clean of all substances for twelve years..the valium was prescribed due to anxiety three months after quadruple bypass surgery..

Any insight will help.

[[...]]

Hi, @[le...] and welcome to BenzoBuddies! We're glad you've found us. My congratulations on your being clean of heroin for 12 years. Sounds great!

As for your question, i think you may not necessarily experience valium withdrawal. I didn't when stopped diazepam cold turkey after a short use. But it's hard to say for sure since we're all different. Perhaps, you'll have some uncomfortable time but, in my opinion, it shouldn't take long.  I also believe taking benzo as needed to fight anxiety or anything is a bad idea. It's a slippery path and can lead to physical dependency. Benzos don't really treat anything anyway but mess with our nervous system. 

Really hope other members will step in and share their opinion as well. Good luck to you!)

[[le...]]

Thanks

[[vo...]]

@[le...] welcome to this group leeps! Happy to hear you're ok after your heart surgery. I originally went on a benzo for medically diagnosed generalized anxiety disorder at 17 years old. My cardiologist increased the dosage after a heart attack about 11 years ago to combat my anxiety. I wish I never went on it to begin with and that I had dealt with my anxiety using other ways like yoga, exercise, talk therapy, etc., but I didn't. They weren't the popular ways of treating anxiety back then, pills were the way to treat us. I have to agree with @[...], that it's a bad idea and I hope you can avoid the possibility of suffering from potential withdrawals and hope you can get off it as soon as possible. I have to say the withdrawals of benzos are worse than the anxiety I had.

[[le...]]

Thanks..it did really help the anxiety loop I was in after surgery eg constantly checking blood pressure dr googling every creak in my body etc..it has been five days since I last had a ten milligram dose and I only took that dose for 12 days..

I am very aware of addiction as per my history with opiates..

My question was will taking now 10 mg once or twice a week lead to dependence..

Thankyou for acknowledging my clean time and the heart bypass..the heart bypass really shook me and has left me with some serious anxiety!!!! I am talking to people and attending a act group acceptance and commitment therapy.. I exercise and eat as best as I can..

I found the valium to be helpful I just do not want to get addicted as I am super aware of the devastating struggles people have withdrawal.

So in anyones experience will 10 mg once or twice a week and sticking to that level and dose cause dependence/addiction.

Thanks in advance.

[[vo...]]

I just found from my own experience that even though I too was only taking my med as needed, over the course of time, I was reaching for it more and more every time I felt my anxiety creeping in. It became a "crutch" for me and I didn't realize it until it actually became the crutch and then it was too late. It's too easy to reach for those pills to combat the anxiety and before you know it, you totally rely on them to reduce the anxiety.

[[Al...]]

27 minutes ago, [[l...] said:

So in anyones experience will 10 mg once or twice a week and sticking to that level and dose cause dependence/addiction.

I honestly wouldn't risk it because even if you can stick to taking it once a week and don't get physically dependent it is not a free lunch. You will likely have increased anxiety when the dose wears off and there will always be the temptation to use it more often than you first intended.

[[le...]]

hanks..it did really help the anxiety loop I was in after surgery eg constantly checking blood pressure dr googling every creak in my body etc..it has been five days since I last had a ten milligram dose and I only took that dose for 12 days..

I am very aware of addiction as per my history with opiates..

My question was will taking now 10 mg once or twice a week lead to dependence..

Thankyou for acknowledging my clean time and the heart bypass..the heart bypass really shook me and has left me with some serious anxiety!!!! I am talking to people and attending a act group acceptance and commitment therapy.. I exercise and eat as best as I can..

I found the valium to be helpful I just do not want to get addicted as I am super aware of the devastating struggles people have withdrawal.

So in anyones experience will 10 mg once or twice a week and sticking to that level and dose cause dependence/addiction.

Thanks in advance.

[[le...]]

Genuine thanks people.

Guess it is the old smacky in me looking for a easy option.. the heart surgery and the consequential anxiety really did scare me.. I would get anxious and my blood pressure would go up and I would literally get stuck in a anxiety loop that made my heart beat faster etc. it was only four months ago..hey the short term use of the valium did stop the loop and I do start to feel like the new heart plumbing is settling...being able to speak about this openly also is appreciated. The old smacky in me thought hey once a week should be ok..I worked hard to beat addiction to opiates and do not want too pick up another one over a medical condition.

Thanks again..

[[Do...]]

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

.it did really help the anxiety loop I was in after surgery eg constantly checking blood pressure dr googling every creak in my body etc

Hi @[le...]

As a former anxiety and panic disorder sufferer i can tell you 100%, you can completely eliminate anxiety loop and health anxiety without medication, i did it and mine was colossal. Check for Claire Weekes "Self-Help for Your Nerves: Learn to Relax and Enjoy Life Again by Overcoming Stress and Fear" i did that and i am free of it all. You can check some of the content in youtube and following the Accept, Allow and Let go rules you will find major improvements really fast. I was taking 20 years of AD and lots of benzos and never got rid of my disorders until i cut it from the roots and i did that without any meds, just therapy, cause what is good about anxiety is that is all in your mind and so only your mind can defeat it for good. Believe me that is as simple as, when you stop the fear you stop the anxiety, fear is the gasoline of anxiety and panic, no fear no panic. I know is easy to say and hard to do but it takes some time, i took me 2-3 months to slowly improvements but i finally made it and so can you. Even now in my worst time of WD i dont get any panic attacks or anything bigger than mild anxiety caused by rebound but it makes the journey much easier without it.

I agree with what all buds said here, not worth it risking the benzo ways even if is not daily, i was one of the victims that started by taking it couple of days a week and when i had a big crisis one month of daily use was all needed to hook me up in hell.

Benzos should be only be used as a single time use for a real emergency and not for sporadic use or even short time use.

As one good friend of mine says, benzos are like a snake hidden in the high grass ready to poison you when you least expect it.

Edited Thursday at 15:27 by [Do...]