Valium/Diazepam Support Group

[[Ho...]]

Taking a poll: what are your symptoms after a Valium cut? Do they every go away or improve with holding? I'm on day 12 of my first cut and heart rate and anxiety/sob seem to be worse. Nausea and insomnia improving.  Also, I cannot get warm. I'm going to hold another 2 weeks then start smaller cuts. Just would like to hear others experiences.

[[la...]]

I can only say that when I tapered the last time from diaz. I started at 15mg and only cut .5mg every 2 weeks so it wasn't to bad

 

when I got to the single digits is when my sx ramped up but that was because my % had gone up too with the cuts

 

for me holding never really made a difference...longest I held was 3 weeks though...was in some kind of race in my mind.

 

this time I am NOT going to make that mistake...slow and easy

 

sorry you are already feeling the 1st cut...that is discouraging

[[Al...]]

Taking a poll: what are your symptoms after a Valium cut? Do they every go away or improve with holding? I'm on day 12 of my first cut and heart rate and anxiety/sob seem to be worse. Nausea and insomnia improving.  Also, I cannot get warm. I'm going to hold another 2 weeks then start smaller cuts. Just would like to hear others experiences.

 

Hope76,

 

The issue of holding bringing relief is tough to answer. For me it certainly did but I have episodes when it did not. We are all different in that regard. But my philosophy has always been,..when in trouble of increased sxs, hold until they subside. I found this true at higher doses but once under 2 mgs. It is a crap shoot.

I too am always cold, particularly my feet and hands and especially at night. Sleep is also difficult without the aid of something to help.

I get headaches, smell things that are not there, light sensitivity and lots of muscle pain around shoulders and neck. These are of course the physical sxs. The head ones are for me more rare but I do get brain fog, mild dizziness and mild depression.

 

These are just sxs of healing and that is how I look at it, we have to go through this and climb our way back to normal.

 

Stay positive and take your time, listen to you ur body and find a rate of taper and hold that suits you.

 

Peace & Healing to you

ATU

[[Ho...]]

I can only say that when I tapered the last time from diaz. I started at 15mg and only cut .5mg every 2 weeks so it wasn't to bad

 

when I got to the single digits is when my sx ramped up but that was because my % had gone up too with the cuts

 

for me holding never really made a difference...longest I held was 3 weeks though...was in some kind of race in my mind.

 

this time I am NOT going to make that mistake...slow and easy

 

sorry you are already feeling the 1st cut...that is discouraging

 

I am go it to try 0.5 mg cuts next time. How long are you planning to hold your cuts Laineyk?

[[Te...]]

I read this , is very important:

 

“Overestimating risk” – overestimating the chances that a scary event will happen – is perhaps the biggest source of power for scary thoughts. 

 

One of the best ways to pull the plug on scary thoughts is to ask yourself  “What are the chances that (the scary thought) could actually happen?”  A scary thought is powered by the belief that it is likely to happen.  When you challenge that mistaken belief, the scary thought starts to run out of steam. 

 

Here’s an example:

 

Sensation:  Racing heart

Scary thought:  “Oh my God, I could be having a heart attack!”

 

Challenging the scary thought (using “What are the chances” and the “Q & A” style):

 

Q:  When you are having a panic attack, what do you think is the chance you'll have a heart attack?

A:  50-50.

 

Q:  How many times have you had a panic attack?

A:  Maybe a hundred

 

Q:  So you've had 50 heart attacks?

A:  Not exactly.

 

Q:  OK, then, how many?

A:  Actually, zero.

 

Q:  Do you have any heart problems?

A:  No. My doctor says my heart is in great shape.

 

Q:  And how fast do you think your heart is beating during a panic attack?

A:  I've read that it could go as high as 140.

 

Q:  How high does it get when you go running?

A:  Oh, about 120 to 160.

 

Q:  And have you had a heart attack when you were running?

A:  Of course not.  In fact, running is good for my heart.

 

Q:  Has anyone ever had a heart attack just because they had a panic attack?

A:  Well, I've read Barlow, Zuerker-White, Bourne and some others.  They all say the same thing.  No one has ever had a heart attack just because they had a panic attack.  That's based on thousands of people who've had panic attacks.  No one has ever had a heart attack as a result.

 

Q:  So, what is the chance you will have a heart attack from panic?

A:  Zero!

 

http://www.paniccure.com/Approaches/CBT/Mastering_Panic/Pizza-7.htm

 

 

hugs

 

Tex

[[Le...]]

Thanks Tex, I really needed to read this today.

 

LB

[[re...]]

 

 

On day 20 from a cut .. probably too much... from 2 mg twice daily to 1.5 in am and 2 in pm

 

Still having symptoms:  Can't eat, stomach gurgling, anxious, irritable, major head fog

 

 

[[la...]]

 

 

 

 

I am go it to try 0.5 mg cuts next time. How long are you planning to hold your cuts Laineyk?

 

 

 

I am not "planning" on anything...just going to cut when I feel its time, if that's every 2 weeks ok if its every 2 months that's ok.... of course knowing me I will be closer to the evry 2 week mark.

 

I was dosing :

 

6:00am                              2:00pm                            10:00pm

 

2.5mgV                              2.5mgV                            3.5mgV

 

today I switched it to:

 

2.5mgV                              2mgV                                4mgV

 

in 2 weeks I will drop the 2:00 dose and add 1mg to am & pm  hold that for awhile and then start cutting

 

Hope how often are you dosing and how much each dose?

[[co...]]

Hi, I started tapering off of Disappear after crossing over from ativan 2 years ago in January at 8mg. I believe I have tapered extremely slowly. I am now on .40mg daily and hope to move to .35 next week if I stabilize on current dose. I hope to complete my taper in around 2 months give or take.

 

My primary symptom is heart palpitations and anxiety. At times I also feel depressed. I am discouraged that I feel this way at this stage of the taper. I went through a period where i was not anxious at all and felt better able to cope with my life. Now the heart palpitations and anxiety and depression have resurfaced ever since I am at .5 and below. I have many areas of uncertainty in my life which could be causing anxiety and negative feelings however it is hard to know if the taper is magnifying everything or I am simply feeling anxiety that is related to my life circumstances.

 

It seems like I should be further along given how long it has taken me to taper down to this low dose. I am feeling discouraged and would like to hear from others who are in the final stages of a diazepam taper. I never can tell what is benzo induced due to central nervous system excitability or is simply my mind filling me with anxiety about many future based problems in my life that I have not attended to for too long, Concerned

[[mr...]]

Hi, I started tapering off of Disappear after crossing over from ativan 2 years ago in January at 8mg. I believe I have tapered extremely slowly. I am now on .40mg daily and hope to move to .35 next week if I stabilize on current dose. I hope to complete my taper in around 2 months give or take.

 

My primary symptom is heart palpitations and anxiety. At times I also feel depressed. I am discouraged that I feel this way at this stage of the taper. I went through a period where i was not anxious at all and felt better able to cope with my life. Now the heart palpitations and anxiety and depression have resurfaced ever since I am at .5 and below. I have many areas of uncertainty in my life which could be causing anxiety and negative feelings however it is hard to know if the taper is magnifying everything or I am simply feeling anxiety that is related to my life circumstances.

 

It seems like I should be further along given how long it has taken me to taper down to this low dose. I am feeling discouraged and would like to hear from others who are in the final stages of a diazepam taper. I never can tell what is benzo induced due to central nervous system excitability or is simply my mind filling me with anxiety about many future based problems in my life that I have not attended to for too long, Concerned

Hi Concerned,

My mom was doing well for a while when she got below .30mg, but many of her sx's came back.

They come and go, but now, she is having them come back more frequently.

I think it is because she is in the acute phase now.

She tapered 29 months from 6mg valium, so far and is at .005mg.

You might find things get better once you get below .3mg.

[[ma...]]

So does anybody manage Ashton taper method which is 1mg every 7-14 days? I tapered 6mg of Ativan in a little over 6 months and cut from 10 to 9 mg of diazepam starting 7 days ago and feel no different so I'm planning on going to 8 mg Sunday . Plan on dropping a mg every 10 days.Perhaps when I get down to 4mg which should take 6 to 8 weeks I might titrate .01 a day for 40 days and be done. Am I just lucky or do people who taper quickly without much problem just not get on here much? Oh and the whole time including the Ativan I dosed once a day at night for sleep.

[[so...]]

Am I just lucky or do people who taper quickly without much problem just not get on here much?

 

I wonder about this too. I know so many people personally who have taken Ativan and Valium somewhat long-term and they literally just stopped taking it because no one warned them not to, and they were fine. How does that happen? I was doing cut-and-hold from 1.5 mg a day of Ativan, reducing only 0.125 mg per month, and when I hit 0.625 mg, I had derealization and vertigo. That's why I've now crossed over to Valium, so I can quit the Ativan without falling apart. But why are some people magically fine when they quit cold turkey? What is the difference in our brains? I just don't know.

[[co...]]

Thanks Mrtmeo for your reply. I have come this far and there is no where to go now but to finish the taper. Your mother seems to be near the end.

 

It is  a mystery why some people can take ativan and valium long term without developing any tolerance and just stop easily. My cousin was prescribed 1mg of Ativan for sleep many years ago and she has not developed any tolerance.

 

I was also on 1.5 Ativan and crossed over to valium half way through to 8mg as the Ativan taper was too difficult around .075. It is now 2 years later on diazepam and I plan to be done in a few months. I had hoped to be feeling more myself at this point however I seem to be feeling more depressed and anxious however that might be coming from the valium leaving my system. I was look forward to the end and now I am less excited about finishing soon based on how I am feeling now as I am not sure how long it will take me to feel better once I am off of it. I am trying to stay positive however my depressed mood currently makes that difficult as this has been such an arduous process.

 

Many people who were on BB at the time I started already finished a few months ago and I am stuck at .40. This is why I wonder if my state of mind is influenced by the taper or the taper is stalled by my state of mind and body. Ashton's taper is much faster then mine. She also thinks that once you reach .5, you can just stop and that there is no need to taper further however I do not think my body and mind can handle it. This entire process is an enigma, Concerned

[[mr...]]

Hi Concerned,

Take as slow as is necessary for your own unique central nervous system to recover.

Moving too quickly by comparing others can be disastrous.

 

 

[[Ho...]]

Anybody get shortness of breath/ chest tightness with Valium taper.? This was one of my main symptoms with Xanax interdose withdrawals. I'm 14 days out from my first v cut and have been experiencing these symptoms but milder than with x the last few days.it seems to be worse within 2 hrs of my next v dose, which I take 3 times a day.  Just wonder if it improves for you prior to the next cut.

[[so...]]

I was due for another cut today according to my crazy doctor's schedule, but we just had a death in the family last night and I want to make sure that I'm able to go to the funeral on either Tuesday or Wednesday, so I'm holding off. Sorry doc, but my priority is my family right now, not your ridiculous impatience.

 

I'm also planning to call the psychiatrist"s office tomorrow and see if they take my insurance and if I can get in there prior to my doctor's appt, because I see how long a valium taper usually takes and I don't think I want either of the doctors that I'm currently dealing with in charge of that. In fact, I think it's time to find a new prinary doc, period.

 

Having said that, I know that most doctors don't understand how addictive benzos are and how hard they are to get off of. Is this also true of psychiatrists?

[[Ho...]]

I was due for another cut today according to my crazy doctor's schedule, but we just had a death in the family last night and I want to make sure that I'm able to go to the funeral on either Tuesday or Wednesday, so I'm holding off. Sorry doc, but my priority is my family right now, not your ridiculous impatience.

 

I'm also planning to call the psychiatrist"s office tomorrow and see if they take my insurance and if I can get in there prior to my doctor's appt, because I see how long a valium taper usually takes and I don't think I want either of the doctors that I'm currently dealing with in charge of that. In fact, I think it's time to find a new prinary doc, period.

 

Having said that, I know that most doctors don't understand how addictive benzos are and how hard they are to get off of. Is this also true of psychiatrists?

 

The PA at my primary doc's office interpreted my severe interdose withdrawals on Xanax as anxiety and it was only through this website that I figured out what the heck was going on.  I knew my body had become dependent as I couldn't breathe within 2 hours of the next scheduled dose.  Tried to explain this to her and she said I could just come off cold turkey since I had only been on it 2 months but gave me a 3 week taper schedule just to appease me (I was on 0.75 mg daily at that point and was in withdrawals as I had been trying to wean myself).  She pretty much told me I was a basket case and that I would never get off Xanax.  I found a nice psychiatrist who usually changes people over to clonazepam for weaning (he was at least aware of the addictive nature of benzos) but I showed him the Ashton manual and he was willing to give it a go (I had read too many horror stories about clonazepam).  He's not all that experienced with the valium taper but has done some reading on the issue now.  He is positively floored at all the difficulty I'm having since it seems like such a low dose and short time period, but the thing is, he listened to me, and he believes me and is willing to help me go as slow as I need to to get off this poison.  So anyway, I think part of it is just finding the right doctor who is willing to listen, whether they are GP or psych.  There is also such a thing as addiction medicine specialists, not sure if they are helpful or not.  Search for benzowise doctors on the board (somebody has compiled a list) and maybe you can find somebody in your area. 

[[Ho...]]

I was due for another cut today according to my crazy doctor's schedule, but we just had a death in the family last night and I want to make sure that I'm able to go to the funeral on either Tuesday or Wednesday, so I'm holding off. Sorry doc, but my priority is my family right now, not your ridiculous impatience.

 

I'm also planning to call the psychiatrist"s office tomorrow and see if they take my insurance and if I can get in there prior to my doctor's appt, because I see how long a valium taper usually takes and I don't think I want either of the doctors that I'm currently dealing with in charge of that. In fact, I think it's time to find a new prinary doc, period.

 

Having said that, I know that most doctors don't understand how addictive benzos are and how hard they are to get off of. Is this also true of psychiatrists?

 

Here is that link of doctor's.  The only one in my area who was supposedly benzowise I Googled and found out he had charges pressed against him for sexually harassing female patients.  Maybe he is benzowise, but not wise in other areas    Needless to say I went elsewhere.

http://benzodocs.com

[[la...]]

I have a question for the ppl who have been doing this for awhile

 

I am now at 8.5mg V  from 1.5mg Ativan...yes, I know that its less then what Ashton says...been there done that...trying to stay lower this time

 

my question is that I dose 3xs a day from 4xs a day on Ativan.  8 hours apart 6:00am    2:00pm  10:00pm

 

I want to cut out the middle dose before I start to taper...and just add those mg to either end of the day

 

2 days ago I went from  6:00am                2:00pm                  10:00pm

                                    2.5mgV                2.5mgV                  3.5mgV

to:                                2.5mgV                2mgV                      4mgV

 

how much will it whack me if in another week I just go to:

 

                                    3.5mgV                                              5mgV

 

I will not have been on all V for 4 full weeks until the end of this month

[[Ho...]]

I have a question for the ppl who have been doing this for awhile

 

I am now at 8.5mg V  from 1.5mg Ativan...yes, I know that its less then what Ashton says...been there done that...trying to stay lower this time

 

my question is that I dose 3xs a day from 4xs a day on Ativan.  8 hours apart 6:00am    2:00pm  10:00pm

 

I want to cut out the middle dose before I start to taper...and just add those mg to either end of the day

 

2 days ago I went from  6:00am                2:00pm                  10:00pm

                                    2.5mgV                2.5mgV                  3.5mgV

to:                                2.5mgV                2mgV                      4mgV

 

how much will it whack me if in another week I just go to:

 

                                    3.5mgV                                              5mgV

 

I will not have been on all V for 4 full weeks until the end of this month

 

I am a novice but I would wait the 4 full weeks before you start to taper from what everyone says here and my own personal experience.  Wish I had, because I dropped the recommended 1 mg after 2 weeks (was feeling good then and told told to do it by my doc).  Either cut was too big or I needed more time to stabilize on V alone, now I don't know.  I was on Xanax before.  But I got pretty sick and am holding for a month now.  I'm still taking V 3 times a day (5,4,5 mg).  As far as going to twice a day it depends on whether you get interdose withdrawals.  After my cut I'm definitely feeling the need to dose 3 times a day, but the two weeks prior I wasn't counting down the hours to my midday dose.  When I'm more stable and dose is lower I'd like to go to twice a day.  What time of day do you plan to dose it (I.e. exactly 12 hrs apart?). 

[[la...]]

you misunderstood my question...I am NOT cutting...just not dosing as often...taking the same amount of drug just2xs a day instead of 3

[[Di...]]

I'm always super cautious with valium because I know how hard it can whack you. What I would be inclined to do it split the second dose in half and then move each 1mg a little bit each way every day. You'll probably end up in the same place at more or less the same time, but you're just playing valium at it's own sneaky game..lol...

[[Te...]]

I'm always super cautious with valium because I know how hard it can whack you. What I would be inclined to do it split the second dose in half and then move each 1mg a little bit each way every day. You'll probably end up in the same place at more or less the same time, but you're just playing valium at it's own sneaky game..lol...

 

Hi Diaz-Pam,

I', at 0.8 ml V,  my constant sx is a  sound likea zummbb  sometimes is a ring,  It doesn't stop,  why is this sound in my ears? 

and I have  social phobia, or  store phobia,  and  I can't talk to anyone for a long period,  I have an urge to leave the moment.

this situation was  gone but It came back,  not sure how or why. 

 

before I got this when I was hungry, after I ate it was gone.

 

please advise

 

Tex 

 

[[Tr...]]

Can someone please explain to me benzo fever I've had hot flashes all day and feel like I have a fever but the rest of my body is OK it's just in my face

[[ka...]]

I do not have an explanation, hopefully someone can offer the explanation. I certainly can validate those symptoms ,i get those too - facial flushing, fever, then chills... it comes and goes, along with other symptoms. humm, so sorry you are having those sx.