Valium/Diazepam Support Group

[[ar...]]

Back in the fall when me and my family didn't know that I was in benzo w/d my GP tried to put me on low dose Paxil at first.  I took 3 pills 1 pill a day and I said screw this, I never had depression in my life and I stopped it.  About 2 months later they tried low dose Lexapro for two days and I said screw this again.  Glad I caught it quick right?  Any possible issues with this?

 

When Paxil progress was still around they said I would be fine and congratulated me for catching it early.  I guess I just need reassurance and peace of mind.

 

I had a huge battle on two fronts last fall to convince my family that it was benzo w/d and to stop listening to the GP.  I am grateful I won that battle.

[[jj...]]

Abilify is now commonly used along with other ADs to treat depression and anxiety but it is indeed an antipsychotic. Extrapyramidal symptoms can sometimes happen when a person first starts taking them that can include akathisia or tremors, but it's not permanent brain damage. Tardive dyskinesia sometimes happens after many years of taking an antipsychotic med and that can be irreversible if you don't get off the med right away.

[[or...]]

arcade you will be fine. There ought not to be any lingering issues  from such a very short time use . . . and anyhow, that was months and months ago. Several years ago I listened to the siren song of my pdoc and started Zoloft. After 2 doses - one in the am and one on the pm -- I re-thought things and decided that was not what I really wanted to do and just dropped it. I had no problems. So I think you will be okay. Glad you won the battle!!

 

If you want more reassurance you could check with Mindseeker who knows a great deal about ADs.

 

valleyman if it were me, I would go back to the dose your wife was crossed to -- 17 mgs -- and wait for s/x to subside.  Then she might consider cutting a little smaller i.e. .5 mgs every 2 weeks and see how it goes. The culprit here might be not waiting long enough after the cross . . . or it might be the size of the cut . . . or it might be both. At any rate, an updose to the original 17 mgs and a hold (10 days to 2 weeks) ought to sort things out.

 

Finding the cut rate that does not produce rotten s/x can be a challenge. And unfortunately, it's trial and error.

 

Your wife also might want to look into microtapering -- reducing a very small amount daily. This is an alternative to cut and hold and many people find it easier on their bodies and brains. Information about it is in my signature. Just click on the link. 

 

Hope things work out.

 

Okatz

[[va...]]

Thanx Okatz! That agrees with what I was thinking. I have been reading your posts, along with others, and like the idea of the MT. She will see her MD tomorrow, who is also new at this, so will give him your suggestions. So nice to have this forum where people care!

[[Sh...]]

Moodle, jjrosk, can do, sg57

 

Thanks all for your help! Sorry i have not answered sooner...lots going on in my life right now.

 

it was a rough 2 days when i posted.... but i still kept dropping down from the measurements i had made for the week. I make a weeks worth of cuts and put them in a weekly pill container in gel capsules....then i take it out and put it under my tongue )

I started at .040 x 3 doses a day... and throughout the week came down to .033 x 3 doses a day to where i am today.

 

Having the bad WD's the other day sent my wife into a tail spin ...we argued and my BP has been up ( 230/127...and now around 190/110 ) to where i was almost two years ago and the reason the Dr. gave me these damn pills (Lorazepam---c/o to 15 mg Valium last August) to begin with. So i have started the BP meds again which took me 4 months to get off of...WTF?

 

Anyways i didnt care much at that point...felt like i was dying so i just keep going with the cut and it smoothed out 2 days ago...weird.

My head still feels like Benzo brain but since starting juicing and changing my diet again my body actually feels better...again weird to me.

 

So today i am getting ready to start titration with Vodka and would like some help please to make sure i have this right.

The information seems easy enough but my brain is just not catching something. Like i am trying to use a 1 gallon container using 5 gallons of water...i just seem like it is over flowing.

I have even watched youtube videos and i seem to be more confused.

 

So i am at 1.1 mg and was going to drop to 1 mg over the next week...so i will be dropping .003 mg each dose as i take 3 doses per day as i started from the c/o to valium

 

My 2 mg pill weighs .180  so i mg is .090.    a 1/4 mg drop should be .0225 and i have been close at .007 drop per dose or a drop of .021 per day over a week.

e.g. monday it might be .002  tuesday .003  weds .004 etc so by the end of the week i am at .007 per dose drop x 3 per day for .021 drop per day

 

i would like to keep that up for now. I am thinking of only dropping .009 per day for a week... after what happened when i posted

 

So my plan is to dissolve a weeks worth of Valium in a container add the Vodka to dissolve it...then add water to dilute it. Any ideas on Amounts of each?

 

and then is where i get really stuck...how much do i take per dose?  ( i have glass bottles and measuring eyedroppers that measure ml )

 

Once it is stable in the liquid will it stay stable over the week? or do i need to shake it?

 

Thanks!

[[jj...]]

Moodle, jjrosk, can do, sg57

 

Thanks all for your help! Sorry i have not answered sooner...lots going on in my life right now.

 

it was a rough 2 days when i posted.... but i still kept dropping down from the measurements i had made for the week. I make a weeks worth of cuts and put them in a weekly pill container in gel capsules....then i take it out and put it under my tongue )

I started at .040 x 3 doses a day... and throughout the week came down to .033 x 3 doses a day to where i am today.

 

Having the bad WD's the other day sent my wife into a tail spin ...we argued and my BP has been up ( 230/127...and now around 190/110 ) to where i was almost two years ago and the reason the Dr. gave me these damn pills (Lorazepam---c/o to 15 mg Valium last August) to begin with. So i have started the BP meds again which took me 4 months to get off of...WTF?

 

Anyways i didnt care much at that point...felt like i was dying so i just keep going with the cut and it smoothed out 2 days ago...weird.

My head still feels like Benzo brain but since starting juicing and changing my diet again my body actually feels better...again weird to me.

 

So today i am getting ready to start titration with Vodka and would like some help please to make sure i have this right.

The information seems easy enough but my brain is just not catching something. Like i am trying to use a 1 gallon container using 5 gallons of water...i just seem like it is over flowing.

I have even watched youtube videos and i seem to be more confused.

 

So i am at 1.1 mg and was going to drop to 1 mg over the next week...so i will be dropping .003 mg each dose as i take 3 doses per day as i started from the c/o to valium

 

My 2 mg pill weighs .180  so i mg is .090.    a 1/4 mg drop should be .0225 and i have been close at .007 drop per dose or a drop of .021 per day over a week.

e.g. monday it might be .002  tuesday .003  weds .004 etc so by the end of the week i am at .007 per dose drop x 3 per day for .021 drop per day

 

i would like to keep that up for now. I am thinking of only dropping .009 per day for a week... after what happened when i posted

 

So my plan is to dissolve a weeks worth of Valium in a container add the Vodka to dissolve it...then add water to dilute it. Any ideas on Amounts of each?

 

and then is where i get really stuck...how much do i take per dose?  ( i have glass bottles and measuring eyedroppers that measure ml )

 

Once it is stable in the liquid will it stay stable over the week? or do i need to shake it?

 

Thanks!

 

Shasta, man that sounds rough. I feel extremely uncomfortable when my blood pressure hits 150/100 so I can't even imagine  230/127.

 

As far as the vodka solution, don't over think it, it's really simple. You are making a solution of 1mg = 1ml. So all you do is take 1mg of valium and put it in 1ml of vodka. Then you are going to add 99ml of water to dilute it so you can use that for tapering.  Since it's a true solution, you don't need to shake it and it will stay stable for a good while. Keep it out of the light though when you are storing it.

[[Sh...]]

JJROSK

 

Thanks for understanding the BP situation...it is rough...but the BP pills made me like a zombie...especially with the Valium added to the mix.

My thoughts now are...better to be a living zombie

 

ok so then if i am taking 3 x a day then i would just take 33 ml of the 100 ml solution 3 x a day?

then the next week i would knock off my cut from the pill and do the titration again with 100 ml and just take it 3 times a day?

 

so whatever i cut the pill to below 1 mg will be what i mix with 1 ml vodka and 99ml of water...mix and take 33 ml 3 x a day right

 

Yeah i can see i was over complicating it with the math.

 

Thanks again!

 

PS i kinda was hoping there was more vodka in the daily mix....LOL!

I just saw somewhere on a you tube video that a person substituted vodka for the benzos and then got off the vodka...said it worked great.

[[ar...]]

I have been noticing in quite a few signatures that 4mg is the number that symptoms get a bit more rough.  1mg seems to be the number that waves get a bit less intense.

 

I know everyone is different so don't think this will happen to you but I notice this in some discussions and signatures.

[[Ki...]]

Ok I am in kind of big trouble :'( I woke up and I am complete mess. Anxious,depressed,very disconected,fear to death,suicidal,nauseous,dizzy But I am not sure if it's WD or too much Diazepam?

I didn't have that much problem with Valium before. Not at this high dose

So I am kind of confused and not sure what to do. Should I go back to 30mg or stay on 27.5mg.

Idk :'(

[[fr...]]

  Kitten, So sorry you are getting hit.  I'm too new to really know which it is but I know that when I make a cut I feel it the next day also.  Everyone says V is long acting but I definitely feel it the next day.  then it seems to go away after a day or two and it comes back at the 5th or so day.  Then I start to feel better.  I just cut on Tues. and felt all my symptoms yesterday.  Today is better so far.  Hang in there, hopefully you will feel better tomorrow.  I am now down to 2 doses of 7.5 mg. each for a total of 15 mg.  I started on 20.  Boy this is going to take long.  I have to hold at least 3 weeks between so it is what it is.  We will all get there.  Hate these pills.

[[...]]

Ok I am in kind of big trouble :'( I woke up and I am complete mess. Anxious,depressed,very disconected,fear to death,suicidal,nauseous,dizzy But I am not sure if it's WD or too much Diazepam?

I didn't have that much problem with Valium before. Not at this high dose

So I am kind of confused and not sure what to do. Should I go back to 30mg or stay on 27.5mg.

Idk :'(

 

Looking at your sig it looks like you crossed from 1.5mg K to 30mg V in 16 days and eight days later your cut to 27.5mg?  That seems a bit rushed.  The cut was 8%.  It has not been long so I would probably put it all back and give the V more time to build from the crossover.  Also, have you considered a daily taper or at least a taper where your cuts are much smaller?  Those high percentage cuts are not doing you any favors.

[[Ki...]]

Freeme,

yes that's kind of how it is with me. The first day after 2.5mg I woke up with horrible back pain,then it got better and today is 5th day and I got hit hard. I mean it's soo bad I just want to go to ER but what is the point. They will just do CT and send me home so that's not an option. And I cannot get worse

that this! I had to go to get my $120 disability. I have to show up at office once in a while and I was sitting there being tortured in my head. I couldn't say one simple sentence and I don't know what they were talking about :'( I had to ask BF to walk me around or I would definitely get hit by car :'(

Then I met my father's wife and she freaked out and is really worried if I will survive that and then I met my father and was trying to explain what is going on and why I don't talk to anyone. Because

nobody understands what is going on even if they try. Well how can they,this is way too crazy and

horrible.

Well when I was cutting Valium it wasn't this bad at all but now I have Zentiva Diazepam and it is really different

So you are cutting every 3 weeks? Maybe I am going too fast but I am soo damn sedated on 30mg

but I guess better than being like this. This is just horrible and feels like trap. I am disconected

from my family ,friends and my son :'( 4 years now.

[[be...]]

Hi kittensick: I don't think you will get brain damage for 75 mg of Seroquel. But best not stay on it for like a decade or so. I'm sorry you are feeling rotten. If it were me, I would try and stabilize on the 27.5 mg for a while. You C/O was fairly quickly and then you made a large drop. Let your body settle down a bit. I don't know anything about the brand you are taking now. Do you think it is stronger? Well, at least you managed to spend some time at work.

 

jjorsk: Thanks for the info on Abilify. I've seen so many commercials about it that I didn't pay attention to them. But as I recall, they mentioned many S/X.

 

 

[[Ki...]]

SG57,

I don't really know what to do anymore I guess I did it too fast but the sedation is just crazy but

WDs are worse. No life on pills and even less life when tapering

I was trying micro water tapering with Klonopin and that wasn't easy also so I thought Diazepam

would be better and I wouldn't have to dissolve all those pills. It seems very complicated when sedated and complicated when withdrawing.

[[...]]

SG57,

I don't really know what to do anymore I guess I did it too fast but the sedation is just crazy but

WDs are worse. No life on pills and even less life when tapering

I was trying micro water tapering with Klonopin and that wasn't say also so I thought Diazepam

would be better and I wouldn't have to dissolve all those pills. It seems very complicated when sedated and complicated when withdrawing.

 

I think liquifying the drug and cutting small are both very important to taper properly (although a scale and pill filing also seems to work out).  Pill splitting can be rough and it is so unnecessary.

 

If I were on 30mg V and had just crossed I'd maybe give it more time then begin tapering at .04-.05mg per day.

[[Ki...]]

benzogirl,

I was taking 200mg and at one point even 400mg for a short period of time and after that I decided to do colon and liver cleanse. I know I am crazy but after that I just started to sleep too much

and a lot of my health issues dissapeared. I tapered to 75mg pretty fast without problems and started

to sleep less-normal. I started to sleep too much on Diazepam again but I just cannot jump to half dose right?

Yes the Diazepam here is stronger and the withdrawal symptoms are worse.  So maybe Diazepam is not going to make it any easier

Well yes I need to get stable I lost my mind today. My BF had to get me new sunglasses because I

look like some heavy drug user :'(

Time at work? I wish Just disability place to get my $120.

I am seriously scared I am not going to make it :'(

[[Ki...]]

SG57,

so do you think the problem can be cutting those pills? I am not probably getting exact dose but I didn't think its soo important with Diazepam since its long half life but where is the long half life?

What is .04mg day? Sorry my brain just doesn't work

I think I can try liquid.

[[fr...]]

  Yes, I hold at least 3 weeks sometimes longer.  I just have to.  I get the burning tongue, stomach pain, heart palps, and other s/x.  Last cut I think I held over a month.  It really does help to go slow.  I might ask my Dr. to give me some liquid V and try microtapering.  Have to see how to do it, I can't seem to understand quite how it works.  hope you feel better today Kitten, hang in there. 

[[...]]

SG57,

so do you think the problem can be cutting those pills? I am not probably getting exact dose but I didn't think its soo important with Diazepam since its long half life but where is the long half life?

What is .04mg day? Sorry my brain just doesn't work

I think I can try liquid.

 

The drop of 2.5mg all at once causes avoidable symptoms.  Basically the V is being removed way before your body is prepared to deal with it.  The poor accuracy of pill splitting is not helping either.  It makes your dose go up and down too much.  I suggested a starting point of .04mg since your CNS can very likely process that much healing in 24 hours.  By contrast, removing 2.5mg is over 60 times this much.  At best it is several weeks of catching up.  Why run out so far ahead and suffer?

[[Ki...]]

freeme,

ok I guess I will have to wait 3 weeks and try again. But does it really change a lot? I will still have to cut or liquid taper This whole process is soo scary and painful :'( I am trying and suffering for 4 years and I am still back on pills. I feel like a loser but I was always pretty strong and I knew I was gonna do it but these pills are just horrible and dangerous :'(

[[Ki...]]

SG57,

So I think I should stay on 30mg for couple more weeks now because I really lost it

today :'(

And if I will go really slow is there a chance that I won't lose my mind? Because losing my mind

is not fun at all They will lock me in loony bin and that will be it :'(

.04mg? How much is it in liquid if I will try the water titration?

I took 10mg noon instead of 7.5mg and I think I am little better but still

[[dp...]]

SG57,

so do you think the problem can be cutting those pills? I am not probably getting exact dose but I didn't think its soo important with Diazepam since its long half life but where is the long half life?

What is .04mg day? Sorry my brain just doesn't work

I think I can try liquid.

 

The drop of 2.5mg all at once causes avoidable symptoms.  Basically the V is being removed way before your body is prepared to deal with it.  The poor accuracy of pill splitting is not helping either.  It makes your dose go up and down too much.  I suggested a starting point of .04mg since your CNS can very likely process that much healing in 24 hours.  By contrast, removing 2.5mg is over 60 times this much.  At best it is several weeks of catching up.  Why run out so far ahead and suffer?

 

SG, is it okay to weigh pills and shave them to micro-taper? My symptoms have been unbearable for so long.. and I've been micro-tapering with a scale.. only doing about 7-10% month. I don't know how to explain the severity of what I'm going through.

[[...]]

SG57,

So I think I should stay on 30mg for couple more weeks now because I really lost it

today :'(

And if I will go really slow is there a chance that I won't lose my mind? Because losing my mind

is not fun at all They will lock me in loony bin and that will be it :'(

.04mg? How much is it in liquid if I will try the water titration?

I took 10mg noon instead of 7.5mg and I think I am little better but still

 

Sounds like you should go back to 30mg for sure.  Sit tight there and be sure to dose consistently and on time.  Give it a few weeks and meanwhile form a plan.

 

We can work out the amount of liquid later.  First get to 30mg and then decide what liquid method you want to use.  There are several.

 

I think you can turn this around.

[[...]]

SG, is it okay to weigh pills and shave them to micro-taper? My symptoms have been unbearable for so long.. and I've been micro-tapering with a scale.. only doing about 7-10% month. I don't know how to explain the severity of what I'm going through.

 

You've tried liquids and the scale, right?  I don't know what to tell you other than to slow down more or just hold a long time.  Don't allow symptom increase.

[[Ki...]]

I am already back to 30mg and I guess more normal I hope. But this will take me forever 

if it will ever happen but I cannot stay on 30mg also   I sleep 15 hours on that but when I

Tried do decrease little bit I lost my mind great :'(

But does the Valium in vodka and water even works?