Taper after a 3 month relapse

[[Fi...]]

Last yea I ended a 20 year valium addiction with a 6 month liquid micro taper.  I got off 5 mg of Diazepam, reducing by .03 ml/day.  

I was benzo free from the start of the year until last May, when a series of tragedies left me on the verge of madness.  Teinstating appeared to be literally the only option.

The tragedies have subsided, as have the crippling claustrophobia / panic attacks they triggered.  At some point in August I will begin my taper again.

This time, instead of 20 years of use, it’s approximately 3 months of use.  It's 5 mg/day again.

My question is:  do I still taper at the same rate I did last time?  

Thank you for all your help.
 

[[pi...]]

Hello @[Fi...],

I am terribly sorry that you had to endure such trauma and tragedies. You did what needed to be done for your health in terms of reinstating. I am glad that your life has settled so you can taper the Valium.

Three months of taking Valium can still cause a dependency to develop. How were you feeling before the issues arose? How symptomatic were you during your taper and recovery?

Simce you have been through this process before there is a chance you would experience kindling, where subsequent tapers could be more challenging. However, this might not be the case for you. 

If you were feeling totally recovered I would personally try for a little faster taper this time. You could try a 5-10% reduction and see how you do and decide then how to proceed. 

We’re here to help so keep posting.

[[Fi...]]

5-10% of what / how often?

 

[[pi...]]

13 hours ago, [[F...] said:

5-10% of what / how often?

5-10% reduction of the 5mg dose, every 10-14 days. It will depend on how you feel. It’s important to listen to your body. 

How symptomatic were you during the first taper?

[[Fi...]]

Anyone done a taper after a relatively short relapse?

Took me 6 months after 20 years of use. 

Not sure how to approach a 3 month relapse.

[[Pa...]]

Hi @[Fi...], I'd start out slow to gauge how you're going to react, 3 months is long enough for your body to have become dependent.  But, you may be able to go faster than you did the first time, but still, I'd start low and slow. 

[[Fi...]]

thank you!