Valium/Diazepam Support Group

[[Di...]]

Thank you so much. I am going to print this out and look it over w doc and husband. Seriously my brain is fried. I am not a stupid person except right now lol

What did u feel w Roxane? How do u know it didn't agree w u. For some reason I worry liquid will be less potent than pills? Irrational.

Just out of acute and terrified to feel that again.

I hope I can do this and come out the other side after being kindled etc... Pls tell me I can

Thanks

 

I didn't use Roxane, because that's not the brand we have here in Australia. We have Diazepam Elixir, but I never had any problems with it.

 

What a lot of people do when they first switch to liquid is to hold their dose for a good week or two, just to make sure they handle the switch okay. Some might even do a very small updose in case there is a small difference in the potency.

 

The alternative, if you are worried about the LV, is to try the vodka method, as Moodle posted above. It works just as well as the LV, but you continue to use the tablets. You only need to use the tiniest amount of vodka (1-2ml) to dissolve 1mg of valium and then you top up with water to make 100ml. So the end result is still a 100ml mixture, but it's just made a slightly different way.

[[Mo...]]

Thank you so much. I am going to print this out and look it over w doc and husband. Seriously my brain is fried. I am not a stupid person except right now lol

What did u feel w Roxane? How do u know it didn't agree w u. For some reason I worry liquid will be less potent than pills? Irrational.

Just out of acute and terrified to feel that again.

I hope I can do this and come out the other side after being kindled etc... Pls tell me I can

Thanks

 

Oh no worries, you're a lot more coherent than I was when I arrived here 

It's quite usual for having cog fog and not comprehending things as you did before for the moment.

It'll pass in time. I understand , acute is horror.

Symptoms come and go but you'll see that it will pass again.

 

Yes, you can. You definitely can do this. You'll find you will have lots of support here and you're not alone.

Also, you seem to have s doctor willing to work with you and you got your husband with you. That's worth a LOT.

 

The active ingredient is the same so, in theory, it shouldn't make a difference.

However...some people need a bit of time to get used to the new delivery method and because of that , many just hold for a bit, that's okay, too, it isn't a race. Getting off safely and on a pace that you can tolerate is important.

I think I felt the Valium hit me a bit on liquid. More tired. Maybe the quicker absorption.

That went away after a week or so.

 

Also, my tummy didn't respond well to Roxane, and that why I went with compound.

Most people on Roxane do just fine. My tummy is a sensitive one , due to other health issues, not benzo related. So don't go by that, ok?

Just give it a go or use the vodka method.

 

You'll be just fine.

[[Ja...]]

Thank you so much for your encouragement

During my fast taper I was so cocky I just ignored the sx and cut 5 mg in 5-6 wks then I hit acute. Now I have learned my lesson. The encouragement is so helpful.

I have stomach issues SIBO so we will see if commercial grade Valium works or I can get it compounded might be a cleaner version.

Just waiting to hear back from doc so I can get started already... Been holding for about 6 wks to stabilize after acute.

So glad you guys are still helping others and giving back.. I so appreciate it

[[bu...]]

Thank you so much. I am going to print this out and look it over w doc and husband. Seriously my brain is fried. I am not a stupid person except right now lol

What did u feel w Roxane? How do u know it didn't agree w u. For some reason I worry liquid will be less potent than pills? Irrational.

Just out of acute and terrified to feel that again.

I hope I can do this and come out the other side after being kindled etc... Pls tell me I can

Thanks

  Yes, completely irrational.  The Rx liquid V has at least the same therapeutic effect as tablets.  And the dose-to-dose uniformity is actually better than you could possibly get with tablets.

 

I used the Roxane Dizaepam Oral Solution throughout my taper with absolutely no problems.

[[bu...]]

I would like to start tapering

I am waiting for my p doc to give me the ok

Stable on 5mg of Valium and the plan is reducing .5 per 30 days.

How much would this be per day in reduction?

I am still very confused about the liquid taper.

Cvs pharmacy says they have 5ml-5mg and I also found a compounding pharmacy

What else do I need? What kind of syringe? So confused. Thank you

  The5:5 Rx liquid is definitely the better alternative.

[[Gr...]]

I also get my liquid Valium from CVS and have had no problems. I switched to liquid Valium at 3.5 mg and had no problem taking it at that level. And since I'm mixing it with water, it isn't troublesome.

[[la...]]

I woke with horrible anxiety that has calmed a bit because I got hit with the MAV. but returned again as day went on.

 

is this possibly from the cut? who knows.... I essentially have cut a lot since this c/o all began  in Oct I dropped from 1.5mg Lorazepam to 1.25mg

 

then in Nov I started the c/o but did not c/o to 12.5mgs (per Ashton) just c/o to 8.5mg V so technically I cut another .4mg off the lorazepam?

 

then by Dec 19th was on all V  and have now tapered again to 8mgs (-.5mg)

 

So I feel maybe I have rushed things a bit?  I will see how I feel the next couple days but if this lasts I won't be cutting again for awhile...not that I felt great before this cut

[[Mo...]]

I woke with horrible anxiety that has calmed a bit because I got hit with the MAV. but returned again as day went on.

 

is this possibly from the cut? who knows.... I essentially have cut a lot since this c/o all began  in Oct I dropped from 1.5mg Lorazepam to 1.25mg

 

then in Nov I started the c/o but did not c/o to 12.5mgs (per Ashton) just c/o to 8.5mg V so technically I cut another .4mg off the lorazepam?

 

then by Dec 19th was on all V  and have now tapered again to 8mgs (-.5mg)

 

So I feel maybe I have rushed things a bit?  I will see how I feel the next couple days but if this lasts I won't be cutting again for awhile...not that I felt great before this cut

 

Yup, you cut 0.4 off the Ativan. Which is 4 mgr of Valium. And that's a LOt, IMO.

I'd also hold a whole of I were you and catch my breath a bit right now if things are so bad.

There is no win in going too quick just for the sake of getting off and then feeling lousy longer or feeling worse than you'd be during the taper than if you had taken a little break.

 

Sometimes cutting too fast may even take us longer.

I know this, because I did it. And it always bit me in the behind.

 

You might not feel great but you may be able to make it more tolerable.

 

I hope you can sleep tonight Lainey... My night was horrendous.

[[Di...]]

I woke with horrible anxiety that has calmed a bit because I got hit with the MAV. but returned again as day went on.

 

is this possibly from the cut? who knows.... I essentially have cut a lot since this c/o all began  in Oct I dropped from 1.5mg Lorazepam to 1.25mg

 

then in Nov I started the c/o but did not c/o to 12.5mgs (per Ashton) just c/o to 8.5mg V so technically I cut another .4mg off the lorazepam?

 

then by Dec 19th was on all V  and have now tapered again to 8mgs (-.5mg)

 

So I feel maybe I have rushed things a bit?  I will see how I feel the next couple days but if this lasts I won't be cutting again for awhile...not that I felt great before this cut

 

Honestly Lainey I'm seeing a repeat of your past mistakes here. I know you didn't want to cross over to a higher amount of valium, but crossing over to the lower amount, and then cutting, is now kicking you in the butt.

 

There are no short cuts with any of this stuff. You need to be on the right dose to manage your symptoms. If not you might just end up taking a hell of a lot longer with your taper because you are going to always be holding or suffering from the side effects - or worse even, you might just give up. This has to be the last time you attempt a taper. You need to either be prepared to keep holding until ....., or you need to reconsider the dose you are on.

 

Also, IMO you need to be looking into starting the daily taper asap (once you feel more stable of course) and not waiting until you get to 5mg. That is going to be the best way of doing this as smoothly as possible, and making sure you stay the course. Acceptance is the key here, and you need to accept that you have to do things differently this time, otherwise nothing will change, and you'll just continue to suffer.

 

Sorry I don't mean to be blunt, but I really care and I want to see you succeed at this.

[[...]]

Grace 200 and Modle---thank you for your reply really appreciared.  Im not good in math so im still confuse.

 

im now 0n 1mg D 11.am  --- 2mg D 7pm 

 

its harder this stage because i was cutting .5 every week till i reach 3mg.  now im planning to go to liquid diazepam but the only available is 2mg/5ml.  i dont know how to convert it.  also im not sure if ineed to continue to cut the daytime dose and leave the evening dose. this time im in very bad symptoms.

 

My plan:

.75 am    ---2mg 7pm continue to drop .25 weekly till

.5            ---2mg

.25          ---2mg

                    2mg D 7pm continue to drop .25 wkly till .5 and jump.

 

any opinion will be very appreciated.

 

thanks, mcm

 

 

 

[[fr...]]

  I also crossed from 2.5 mg Ativan to 20 mg. V.  I did fine for a few months and then got hit.  I had an MRI with contrast, steroid injections in spine and knees and am also on two other meds that probably are affecting my taper.  Once the s/x's kicked in they really never got better. Dr. said to hold at this point because I was facing surgery, in so much pain couldn't walk etc so I did.  Now that surgery is over and I had to have a stress heart test with more drugs and plus the meds to put me to sleep, God knows what they all were I felt terrible.  I just went ahead last Sat and made a small cut to my 15 mg. V dose.  I cut 1/8 of a 5 mg. pill which I think is .625 mg. or thereabouts.  I felt it on the third day, had diarrhea, nausea etc. but seems to be settling down.  Who knows if crossing to the full 25 mg. of V would have made a difference or if the other meds are just messing me up at this point.  I will just press on and hope for the best.  I think I will cut the other 1/8 pill next week, as I have two dr. appts and want to be able to get to them.  I hope you feel better Lainey and all that are trying so hard.  I also think micro liquid taper might be my next step.  It seems so hard to figure out for me right now but I'm sure if I follow the steps I can do it.  Good luck everyone, we are all in this together and hope for a better Sunday for all.

[[be...]]

Freeme, I will tell you that the liquid taper method has made this so much easier, than trying to cut dry pills. it isn't that hard, it was for me at first,

 

because I was obsessing about the amts, and getting mixed up, but now I have it down pat, and it has been a Godsend, I am lowering slowly and I

 

sometimes have mini anthills of sx's, but nothing like I had before, and the good thing about this, is if you start feeling bad, you can stop at the dose,

 

and stay there until you feel better, I have learned to really listen to my body. Now I would love to make out a plan for you, but you need one of the

 

better informed here, Diaz-Pam was really helpful, she set up a plan for me, it is on this Support site, or you can just post to her. The only thing I did

 

differently was to purchase a 100cc syringe to go along with the 1cc and 10cc, because try as I might, I kept losing count of the amt I was putting in my

 

little jar, and it helped so much. I bought these on Amazon, and Yogi suggested to place scotch tape over the numbers, and that has helped, collectively

 

there are so many good souls on this site, and I am sure you will get some help. Stay Strong my dear friend.  and to all others also.

[[la...]]

Moo. Diaz, Free....THANK YOU!!!  I know you are right Diaz...I keep making the same mistakes out of impatience. I want to do something NOW.

 

well that certainly has not worked for me has it?

 

I am going to hold for awhile and if that means another month or so, then so be it...I pray that will help me

 

Moo, I sleep but wake as if I hadn't, always wake with anxiety and horrible feeling as if I have been hit by a truck. Sorry you are not sleeping well.

 

I wouldn't say my sleep is good but I do sleep, seems to be the only time I have any relief from all of this.

 

so I ate my hubbys home made Clam chowder ;last night (knowing it would kill my gut) and sure enough doubled over this morning in pain  such an idiot.

 

This HAS got to be my last time at this tapering thing, back is against the wall

 

I have been encouraged by Kgirl to MT so I am seriously looking at doing so

 

I have the Horizon scale, and its pretty accurate

 

God bless you all and pray that today God shines grace upon all of us

[[Di...]]

Good to hear Lainey!! 

 

I honestly know all about impatience because it was the one thing that plagued me my entire taper. I knew I got an "early warning sign" of headaches that told me my taper was going too fast, but every single time I would ignore it and then I would end up face planting. I'm sure my taper could have been a bit quicker if only I'd listened to that sign and held straight away.

[[so...]]

Wow, this thread has been lively during the little break that I took!

 

Thank you to everyone who wrote me such wonderful advice. I wish this brain fog wasn't preventing me from listing you all by name right now, but my phone won't let me scroll back that far and I'm afraid I'd leave someone out! You know who you are though, and I appreciate you sooooo much. 

 

On that brain fog note, I was so confused last night that I thought it was late February already. It really freaked me out. I'm supposed to have already taken my very last 1/4 pill of A today. Afraid to jump tomorrow. But I guess I should try. I'm finally having my pelvic ultrasound on Thursday and if I end up needing surgery, I'd like to just be on the V, because they won't even give you 1/4 of a pill in the hospital (already tried that when I was tapering during my last surgery!).

 

I copied down the link to the MT spreadsheet and I'm going to take a look at that on the computer later. My original plan was to reduce 1 mg every two weeks, but I'm thinking 1 mg every month would be smoother, if my doctor will only go along with it.

 

He is insistent that you don't need to take so long to taper these things, and he also didn't want me to stay on A before and wanted me to switch to Paxil (I've had zero depression in my life other than at times when it makes perfect sense to be depressed), so I said no to that... I have a feeling he isn't going to want to keep me on V either and he's going to want to rush it.

 

The problem is that I can only switch primary doctors once in 30 days, and I can't consult with them first, so it I switch to a doc who is completely unwilling to prescribe V, I'll be totally without it. Scary stuff. I have no extra and I don't know anyone else who does.

 

I do have the 5 mg tablets currently and would like to switch to the 2mg tablets for the taper. I'd like to be honest with him about my tapering schedule (perhaps not the liquid MT part of it because he'll just think that's beyond ridiculous), and have his support in my taper. Right now, that's my plan. My mom comes with me to my appointments, so she'll be there to advocate for me as well (that helped when the other doc only wanted to give me 2 mg V instead of 10 mg).

 

So what do you all think? Is 1 mg per month a plausible MT taper? Should I make that Ativan jump tomorrow?

 

Thank you once again for your support and kind words! 

[[la...]]

1 mg a month is doable but you have to go by how your body/brain feels. as you get lower the % go up as far as cuts and remember the old stay below 10% is the rule of thumb

 

I was able to do 1mg a month from 15mgs to 4 and then I hit the proverbial wall and threw in the towel gave up.....should have just started MT

 

so here I am a year later starting all over again, just at a lower amount...I am going to dry cut MT

[[Di...]]

Wow, this thread has been lively during the little break that I took!

 

Thank you to everyone who wrote me such wonderful advice. I wish this brain fog wasn't preventing me from listing you all by name right now, but my phone won't let me scroll back that far and I'm afraid I'd leave someone out! You know who you are though, and I appreciate you sooooo much. 

 

On that brain fog note, I was so confused last night that I thought it was late February already. It really freaked me out. I'm supposed to have already taken my very last 1/4 pill of A today. Afraid to jump tomorrow. But I guess I should try. I'm finally having my pelvic ultrasound on Thursday and if I end up needing surgery, I'd like to just be on the V, because they won't even give you 1/4 of a pill in the hospital (already tried that when I was tapering during my last surgery!).

 

I copied down the link to the MT spreadsheet and I'm going to take a look at that on the computer later. My original plan was to reduce 1 mg every two weeks, but I'm thinking 1 mg every month would be smoother, if my doctor will only go along with it.

 

He is insistent that you don't need to take so long to taper these things, and he also didn't want me to stay on A before and wanted me to switch to Paxil (I've had zero depression in my life other than at times when it makes perfect sense to be depressed), so I said no to that... I have a feeling he isn't going to want to keep me on V either and he's going to want to rush it.

 

The problem is that I can only switch primary doctors once in 30 days, and I can't consult with them first, so it I switch to a doc who is completely unwilling to prescribe V, I'll be totally without it. Scary stuff. I have no extra and I don't know anyone else who does.

 

I do have the 5 mg tablets currently and would like to switch to the 2mg tablets for the taper. I'd like to be honest with him about my tapering schedule (perhaps not the liquid MT part of it because he'll just think that's beyond ridiculous), and have his support in my taper. Right now, that's my plan. My mom comes with me to my appointments, so she'll be there to advocate for me as well (that helped when the other doc only wanted to give me 2 mg V instead of 10 mg).

 

So what do you all think? Is 1 mg per month a plausible MT taper? Should I make that Ativan jump tomorrow?

 

Thank you once again for your support and kind words! 

 

On 10mg, a 1mg reduction per month is a good plan IMO. If you are going to use a 100ml mixture that would be a 3ml reduction per day. See how you go with it, but also be prepared to hold if you feel you need to.

 

It's good that your mother will be there, because mom's can be like tigers when it comes to protecting their kids. If she is on board with a slower liquid taper then I'm sure she will fight the doctor to make sure you get what you want.

 

Hopefully she will also be able to talk the doctor into the 2mg tablets, but don't let that worry you if you can't get them. You can use any size tablet to do a titration, but the 2mg does make it a bit easier.

[[ta...]]

I woke with horrible anxiety that has calmed a bit because I got hit with the MAV. but returned again as day went on.

 

is this possibly from the cut? who knows.... I essentially have cut a lot since this c/o all began  in Oct I dropped from 1.5mg Lorazepam to 1.25mg

 

then in Nov I started the c/o but did not c/o to 12.5mgs (per Ashton) just c/o to 8.5mg V so technically I cut another .4mg off the lorazepam?

 

then by Dec 19th was on all V  and have now tapered again to 8mgs (-.5mg)

 

So I feel maybe I have rushed things a bit?  I will see how I feel the next couple days but if this lasts I won't be cutting again for awhile...not that I felt great before this cut

 

Honestly Lainey I'm seeing a repeat of your past mistakes here. I know you didn't want to cross over to a higher amount of valium, but crossing over to the lower amount, and then cutting, is now kicking you in the butt.

 

There are no short cuts with any of this stuff. You need to be on the right dose to manage your symptoms. If not you might just end up taking a hell of a lot longer with your taper because you are going to always be holding or suffering from the side effects - or worse even, you might just give up. This has to be the last time you attempt a taper. You need to either be prepared to keep holding until ....., or you need to reconsider the dose you are on.

 

Also, IMO you need to be looking into starting the daily taper asap (once you feel more stable of course) and not waiting until you get to 5mg. That is going to be the best way of doing this as smoothly as possible, and making sure you stay the course. Acceptance is the key here, and you need to accept that you have to do things differently this time, otherwise nothing will change, and you'll just continue to suffer.

 

Sorry I don't mean to be blunt, but I really care and I want to see you succeed at this.

 

Dear Diaz-Pam,

 

It's been a few weeks since I last posted, but things are going well for me. I have successfully made the switch from pills to liquid Ativan (from a compounding pharmacy), split my 2mg dose into four doses of .5, and have stabilized really well (after a few weeks of not so great).

 

I am now ready to begin my daily micro-taper, but I do not know how fast I should taper.

 

The advice on the boards ranges from 1% per day (7% per week...28% per month), down to 2% per week....8% a month. That's a huge difference, and I just don't know what advice to follow.

 

I'm not looking for a fast taper...I am looking for slow and steady, and successful.

 

You have given me such good advice in the past and I am wondering if you could be so kind as to give me some guidance  on how fast to taper .

 

With many thanks....Tango

[[Ju...]]

1 mg a month is doable but you have to go by how your body/brain feels. as you get lower the % go up as far as cuts and remember the old stay below 10% is the rule of thumb

 

I was able to do 1mg a month from 15mgs to 4 and then I hit the proverbial wall and threw in the towel gave up.....should have just started MT

 

so here I am a year later starting all over again, just at a lower amount...I am going to dry cut MT

 

You can do this lainey!!!!

[[Ju...]]

I woke with horrible anxiety that has calmed a bit because I got hit with the MAV. but returned again as day went on.

 

is this possibly from the cut? who knows.... I essentially have cut a lot since this c/o all began  in Oct I dropped from 1.5mg Lorazepam to 1.25mg

 

then in Nov I started the c/o but did not c/o to 12.5mgs (per Ashton) just c/o to 8.5mg V so technically I cut another .4mg off the lorazepam?

 

then by Dec 19th was on all V  and have now tapered again to 8mgs (-.5mg)

 

So I feel maybe I have rushed things a bit?  I will see how I feel the next couple days but if this lasts I won't be cutting again for awhile...not that I felt great before this cut

 

Yup, you cut 0.4 off the Ativan. Which is 4 mgr of Valium. And that's a LOt, IMO.

I'd also hold a whole of I were you and catch my breath a bit right now if things are so bad.

There is no win in going too quick just for the sake of getting off and then feeling lousy longer or feeling worse than you'd be during the taper than if you had taken a little break.

 

Sometimes cutting too fast may even take us longer.

I know this, because I did it. And it always bit me in the behind.

 

You might not feel great but you may be able to make it more tolerable.

 

I hope you can sleep tonight Lainey... My night was horrendous.

 

Sorry to hear you had a rough night Moodle, hope you're feeling better

[[bl...]]

Got some questions that will probably get a better answer here than on the main withdrawal board.

 

So here's the situation. I was on Klonopin as needed for a couple years, never developed a tolerance until last October (2015) and then things went completely sideways.

 

In January, I decided to cross over to Valium because the K was giving me terrible anxiety. I crossed to 2.5 mg, experienced some mind-bending depression and then stabilized after about 3-4 days.

 

Last week I decided to try a cut, and I've been shaving about 1/4 off the pill every night. I'll say right now, yes, I know this was probably a bad idea and that that is a huge cut to make but I wanted to see what would happen. Again, terrible depression and a bit of insomnia but then I seemed to stabilize again after 3-4 days.

 

This morning however, I woke up to some pretty intense tinnitus. I went to see my acupuncturist this afternoon and it's been much more tolerable since then, but it's still there. I'm going to see him again tomorrow for another round of treatment.

 

I'm also seeing my doctor tomorrow to discuss my taper. She's considering prescribing me 2 mg tablets so I can taper down from there.

 

So, my questions are as such, does the tinnitus go away after a big cut like I made or do I need to updose? Will that make it go away? From there, will a daily liquid micro taper alleviate such symptoms? I've heard good things however, it seems to take forever to get to a point where one can jump.

 

Please, no horror stories. I want to have a more positive association with this site because reading accounts from some users makes all this sound utterly terrifying. I'm not thinking this will be easy, but I don't think it has to be debilitating either. I just want to know what the best course of action is so I don't have to give up my life and dreams just to get off this crap.

[[cr...]]

I feel sick right now so I will be short and hope my question is understood.  Have I read that switching from pills to liquid can make you feel sick?  I am doing about 23 mg Valium in pill form and started doing one mg every 10 days in liquid. I did the 1st 10 days and now I am working on the 2nd 10 days.  Last night I took .8.

I have felt sick to my stomach the last two days and wonder if I just just do.8 again tonight and take 20 days instead of 10.  I am also extremely stressed right now with a boatload of situational depression, so don't know if that is why I feel so bad and should just carry on and take .7 tonight. I always read "listen to your body".  I am just not sure if switching to the liquid is causing this or if I even read that.  Hope this makes sense to someone and someone responds.  I am supposed to take my dose in less than 4 hours. Thank you.  Cross

[[mr...]]

I feel sick right now so I will be short and hope my question is understood.  Have I read that switching from pills to liquid can make you feel sick?  I am doing about 23 mg Valium in pill form and started doing one mg every 10 days in liquid. I did the 1st 10 days and now I am working on the 2nd 10 days.  Last night I took .8.

I have felt sick to my stomach the last two days and wonder if I just just do.8 again tonight and take 20 days instead of 10.  I am also extremely stressed right now with a boatload of situational depression, so don't know if that is why I feel so bad and should just carry on and take .7 tonight. I always read "listen to your body".  I am just not sure if switching to the liquid is causing this or if I even read that.  Hope this makes sense to someone and someone responds.  I am supposed to take my dose in less than 4 hours. Thank you.  Cross

If it is the liquid valium that might be making you sick, can you try dissolving a pill in water method?

[[cr...]]

Mrtmeo, thanks for responding.  I don't know that method, my husband handles all of this for me and he is gone until late tonight, otherwise I know he would look that up for me.  Do you know if taking the liquid can make you sick or do I just think I read that somewhere.  I had no problem the first 10 days.  If it does make you sick is it usually just a matter of your body adjusting to it?  I can handle the pain but just want to be sure that if it means I should slow down, the I definitely will slow down.  Thank you.  Cross

[[mr...]]

Mrtmeo, thanks for responding.  I don't know that method, my husband handles all of this for me and he is gone until late tonight, otherwise I know he would look that up for me.  Do you know if taking the liquid can make you sick or do I just think I read that somewhere.  I had no problem the first 10 days.  If it does make you sick is it usually just a matter of your body adjusting to it?  I can handle the pain but just want to be sure that if it means I should slow down, the I definitely will slow down.  Thank you.  Cross

If you had no problems with it for 10 days, I would think that your sx's are just normal wd happening.

If you want to try the pill in vodka method, someone in the tapering threads should be able to help you.