Valium/Diazepam Support Group

[[El...]]

Thank you bluepill.  I really appreciate the advice and well wishes. I will wait and when ready I will make a very small cut.  I really needed this encouragement from all of you. It's been really bad, and I have been holding for so long that things were looking extra bleak.  ATU, thanks I'm going to try to float and not fear.

[[Ki...]]

Intrusive thoughts are common but so frustrating. Weird dreams as well. I think for a lot of people the sensitivities and odd things change up too so dont be surprised if that happens. Sometimes my problems are visual sometimes auditory. Lots of really vivid dreams about things from so long ago that stick around all through the following days. Its frustrating but try to remember its a sign of your brain healing!

[[ka...]]

Ella,  Have you considered MT of your V? You Have made huge progress, congrats!! Many have found that when they get to a low dose like you are currently on, their bodies and brain respond well to MT. Just wanted to pass that along, as I know it has made a huge difference for me.

[[El...]]

Hi Kitty and kasey . Viewing the intrusive thoughts as healing is a very good idea. I'm going to give that a try. They really are wearing me down. I've been trying to not give them energy etc.., but it's hard. The anxiety/terror and the thoughts are just exhausting me.  I will consider the micro taper too. Thank you. I haven't given that any real thought yet so maybe I'll read that part of the forum today.  Thank you both so much.  All of your responses are helping me a lot.

[[bl...]]

Ella:

L-Theanine is a supplement I take for nerve pain (benzos) butI find it also helps a bit with anxiety. I'm still at 6 and due (tho scared to cut) but I think it's pretty harmless?

Blue

[[fr...]]

  Blue, Did you find the L Thianine helped with your nerve pain?  I am so scared of trying new things.  Magnesium reved me up terrible but I have some of the L Thianine here but I'm wary.  Guess I'll only know if I try but I just can't take anymore s/x right now as my T has ramped up also.  Thanks. 

[[El...]]

Hi blue  ,

I've had varied amounts of help from l theanine.  I tried a Now  brand that worked fairly well. Just recently I tried another brand and I have had no luck with that. I agree with you though l theanine does seem to help a bit with anxiety. Thanks for mentioning it because I think I might order the original brand I tried again.

[[bl...]]

free and ella:

I think it is harmless--no s/x for me and i can be sensitive as well. I use brand Stress-Relax--125 mg--I actually take 2 to 4 pills a day (more if my feet and hands are bad--less if ok---worth a try...helps a tiny bit with sleep too

[[fr...]]

  Thanks Blue,  Ella , I also have the NOW brand, it seems to be a good brand.  I take aloe vera caps and they really help with constipation.  I might get my courage up and try the Ltyanine.  I am desperate for some relief.  Thanks again.

[[In...]]

I was curious to hear people's experiences with if they take even doses of thei valium or if they do a larger dose once a day?  I was wondering how you are doing and if you experience any symptoms in between your doses?

Also, for those that take even doses, how do you feel?  I am presently taking more at night but my anxiety has revved up during the day.  I have had a LOT of stressful events lately and am very sensitive to changes.  I wish I wasn't!  So, I'm hoping it is just the stress and not tolerance (crossed to valium in November) or because of uneven blood levels or something.  Thanks for your replies (in advance, so I don't forget!). I love the support that this site has for each other.  Better than other things I've been a part of.  Thanks!

[[dr...]]

I'm only on 4.75mg right now and even splitting that into 4 X a day.  My sx are horrible anyway but splitting up seems to help with inter dose anxiety ie: chest pain and tightness. Have insomnia no matter what I do but I tried taking 1 dose/day and was waking with some kind of massive depressive dread every night.  I already have severe depression 24/7 so that was too much to deal with.  I don't find the actual duration of action of valium any better than Clonazapam(Klonopin) for me even though the half life is longer.

[Guest [Fl...]]

I met this woman at a meeting earlier and she was taking up 100mgs daily for over a decade

 

The doctor dropped her to 30mgs and then reduced her dosage by 6mgs a week. Her last dose was on Christmas day and she says it was hard but seemed fine now.

 

She suggested I speed up my taper as I'm just prolonging it.

 

Any thoughts?

[[bu...]]

You are the only one that knows how you are responding to your taper. That's why it's called a symptom based taper.  And that means YOUR symptoms, not what someone else said about theirs.

 

Has your recent taper been symptom-free, or maybe only minor, tolerable sxs? If yes, then you might want consider speeding up.

 

But if you have troublesome sxs, I wouldn't risk making them worse.

[Guest [Fl...]]

Hm thanks builder. Its been OK, better than it was at the higher doses at any rate. I seem to get conflicting advice from people in the 'real world' as it were who say to go faster and get it over with and on here which pretty much say go reeeally slow.I know I still have a fair way to go and I'm of nda scared as things get lower. Maybe I've been reading to many horror stories. I mean this lady yesterday jumped at 6mgs which is pretty much unheard of on here. I don't know, I really am not in a stable place mentally to deal with severe sxs nor am I in a stable place physically (as in life situation) to do a really slow taper (I need to get back to work etc). Rock and a hard place right?

[[bu...]]

It really isn't complicated.  When you begin taking a benzo, the body gradually reacts to its presence by down-regulating the GABA receptor system.  And when you begin to withdraw from the drug, the body will respond by up-regulating the receptor network.  You can comfortably withdraw by matching your withdrawal rate to YOUR body's recovery rate.

 

And that should allow you to be fully functional, hold a job, handle your daily responsibilities, etc.

[[me...]]

I'm currently on 5 mg of Valium (which I've been taking every night for a couple of months). I see all the advice on keeping to a 10% taper, but then the Ashton Manual actually suggests a much quicker taper:

 

"When you get down to a dose of 5mg daily, you could begin to decrease in 0.5mg doses, but most people manage with 1mg reductions."

 

Same with this site, which confusingly talks about a 10% taper at the following page, but then outlines a Stepping-Off Table right below that suggests that if you're starting from 1 tablet (like I am), you taper to 3/4 of a pill, then a 1/2, then 1/4 every 1-2 weeks. These are much bigger cuts: 20%, 25%, 33.33%, and 50% respectively. It specifically states that most people will do fine on this schedule.

http://www.benzobuddies.org/benzodiazepine-withdrawal-methods/direct-taper/

 

I would prefer to go with this quicker schedule, but why the discrepancy? I'm hoping that since I've been on a low dose for a relatively short period of time, this taper will work for me.

 

Thoughts or feedback?

 

 

[[...]]

Hi Mellie

You may well be able to taper more quickly due to your short term us. As prescribed by Heather Ashton and the founder of this site.

Equally you may not.

Only trying will answer you problem

The idea is to taper slowly enough to keep your symptoms to a minimum.

 

The reason I am answering you is I see you CT an SSRI in 2015 and had severe withdrawal syndrome, plus cancer.

Me too, I CT Citalopram (celexa) in 2014 nand got acute withdrawal sxs and I had cancer in same year.

Your CNS may well still be sensitive to withdrawals due to your CT.

 

Look at my sig below I have reduced 1 mg V very 2 months from 5 mg where you are and had minimal symptoms.

 

We all want off this stuff asap.

Some of us have learnt that slowly slowly wins the race.

I would also say I have done cut and hold and found it pretty brutal.

When I switched to a daily micro taper things improved massively.

Good luck

[[bu...]]

 

 

I would prefer to go with this quicker schedule, but why the discrepancy? I'm hoping that since I've been on a low dose for a relatively short period of time, this taper will work for me.

 

Thoughts or feedback?

 

Because 1) tapering off of benzos is not an exact science, and 2) because everyone is unique.

 

You need to choose a schedule that you think will work for YOU.  All tapers should be "symptom-based", and you can make changes as you go, if needed.

[[ka...]]

Mellie,

 

So glad you have joined us, sorry for the reason. Jp and Builder are right, i want to add that there are many here who will help you thru this. Have you tried tapering any of the 5mg? some do start with a 10% and some start with a 5% reduction and some start with a MT. When do you plan to start and what would you like to start with? 

[[In...]]

Okay.  So, I am on day 6 of my DLMT of valium.  I was taking 4 uneven doses.  I know take 3 even doses and the loud from that fourth dose is evenly distributed though those three.  I take a total of 15mg pills and 5mg liquid.  Every day, my symptoms have gotten worse.  Worsening anxiety, heart palps, tachycardia, nausea, weak, exhaustion (probably from the panic attacks) etc.  I could not updose when I switched to liquid because I don't think my doc would do it.  However, my symptoms start about 3-4 hours before my next dose.  So, right in between my 8hr doses.  It is a struggle to make it to the next dosing time.  Does this sound normal for switching from 4 to 3 doses AND doing liquid (even if it is only ¼  of my total dose?  I do meditation, mindfulness, I try to distract.  This is just getting worse.  Is this par for the course?  I know I'm supposed to hold for 2-4 weeks to adjust.  Do these symptoms sound normal for what I have done?  My period is going to start soon (sorry guys for the TMI) and I am always 10x more symptomatic during that time anyway. 

I guess I just need reassurance that this is normal and will go away.  I will hold until I feel better.  I felt more stable on the 4 uneven doses.  I want to be sure I made the best decision and this is par for the course.  I have severe health anxiety, but luckily, meditation is helping with that and deep breathing and mindfulness. 

Any insight or advice is appreciated.  Thank you. 

[[me...]]

Jp, thanks for your input. I thought I was the only unlucky one to experience SSRI withdrawal and cancer in the same year. Not fun, is it?

 

When you did cut and hold, what were your worst symptoms? I'm most worried about insomnia. I would definitely be interested in doing a daily micro taper. Is liquid Valium more expensive? Wondering if my insurance will cover it.

 

Kasey, I was definitely hoping to taper more quickly than 10%. Part of the reason is that I have 5 mg pills and it's impossible to split them in tenths. Also, I'd like to be off them quickly, especially since I haven't been on them long. I was planning to try the cut from one full 5 mg pill to 3/4 of a pill and see how it goes.

[[...]]

Mellie

I got over the cancer and then CT the SSRI thinking I was bomb proof!

Very very bad decision.

 

I honestly can't remember the exact symptoms from earlier in my taper.

Just that it was not good and improved hugely doing a daily

micro taper.

 

I am in UK so don't know about cost of liquid in US.

It's not that expensive here.

Builder will know

You can make your own liquid.

See titration threads.

 

 

Try a cut and see how you feel.

You can updose if it's not good and start a slow taper.

 

[[ka...]]

Jp, thanks for your input. I thought I was the only unlucky one to experience SSRI withdrawal and cancer in the same year. Not fun, is it?

 

When you did cut and hold, what were your worst symptoms? I'm most worried about insomnia. I would definitely be interested in doing a daily micro taper. Is liquid Valium more expensive? Wondering if my insurance will cover it.

 

Kasey, I was definitely hoping to taper more quickly than 10%. Part of the reason is that I have 5 mg pills and it's impossible to split them in tenths. Also, I'd like to be off them quickly, especially since I haven't been on them long. I was planning to try the cut from one full 5 mg pill to 3/4 of a pill and see how it goes.

Mellie,

Most insurance will cover the cost of liquid valium - diazepam. I take the roxie 5mg/5ml solution. When i c/o to V from ativan it was a bit of an adjustment to just c/o. however, i had been on ativan for 6 -9months prior to c/o. one really doesn't know what they will experience, if anything at all, until they have started a taper. You are wise to have done a bit of homework &  if i may offer a suggestion - start slow and taper low, then you can always adjust that taper as you need too. might be a great place to begin. 

Let's see what others have to share about this...

 

[[me...]]

Thanks for all the advice. It's much appreciated! Just trying to get through, one day at a time.

[[me...]]

One more question for the Valium withdrawal veterans who did the cut-and-hold: How long after a cut was it before you experienced peak withdrawal symptoms? A few days? A week? More?