Valium/Diazepam Support Group

[[Ki...]]

Im still fighting with a bad "dosage mistake" 6 weeks ago. Just a screw up, not a cut, because I just screwed up one day and went back to normal the next dose. I have gone through a whole micro withdrawal again and Im just now getting down to one "new" symptom on top of my regular taper symptoms. Everyones systems heal differently and sometimes even doing the best you can do you can get smacked with ongoing symptoms. But eventually things do calm down. You can scroll back through posts on this group  and see dozens if not hundreds of examples of how long it takes and I bet not one of them would be the same. But eventually people just get better- with patience. If in doubt- WAIT

[Guest [Fu...]]

I'm trying to make a crossover by substituting 10 mg's of Valium for my .5 mg's of Klonopin and oh my God I knew Valium was sedating but I slept for fourteen hours until 7 pm tonight. I feel completely brain dead and when I do wake up I have looping thoughts. I don't know if this is just me getting acclimated and it'll pass or what but I don't know how I could possibly function on the full 50 mg's. Did this level of sedation and foggy brain pass for most of you? I feel like I'm in tolerance withdrawal on Klonopin and it was worth a shot to crossover to Valium but this is a different beast.

[[Ho...]]

I'm trying to make a crossover by substituting 10 mg's of Valium for my .5 mg's of Klonopin and oh my God I knew Valium was sedating but I slept for fourteen hours until 7 pm tonight. I feel completely brain dead and when I do wake up I have looping thoughts. I don't know if this is just me getting acclimated and it'll pass or what but I don't know how I could possibly function on the full 50 mg's. Did this level of sedation and foggy brain pass for most of you? I feel like I'm in tolerance withdrawal on Klonopin and it was worth a shot to crossover to Valium but this is a different beast.

 

I crossed from Xanax to Valium and it was very sedating the first few weeks. But your body gets used to it. Once I was fully crossed over and acclimated, I haven't had anymore sedation from it. I do have withdrawal symptoms from my taper of course.

[Guest [Fu...]]

Was it worth it for you to make the cross over from Xanax to Valium though? I'm not expecting a miracle or anything, I'm just doing so poorly on Klonopin. I just don't know what to do. I feel like I'm gonna suffer from the withdrawal regardless so maybe to just "stick to the poison that got me here".

[[Ho...]]

Was it worth it for you to make the cross over from Xanax to Valium though? I'm not expecting a miracle or anything, I'm just doing so poorly on Klonopin. I just don't know what to do. I feel like I'm gonna suffer from the withdrawal regardless so maybe to just "stick to the poison that got me here".

 

I had absolutely horrific interdose withdrawal with Xanax. I dosed 4 times a day and the pill only lasted 3 hours at most. I tried to taper directly but couldn't. So for me I had no other option but to crossover. It is working for me. I still have withdrawal symptoms but the interdose is gone and I'm able to make progress with my taper (albeit slowly). I still have withdrawal, I still feel bad, but I'm getting somewhere. I'm not as familiar with K so it's hard to know. Maybe somebody who crossed from K to V will chime in.

[[ka...]]

I had the same experience that HOPE had with her cross over. I c/o from ativan to Valium. I did it slowly and it required at least 6 months for me to c/o & level off. I was then able to begin tapering from that point. I was unable to taper from ativan due to innerdose w/d, so c/o to V was a must for me. I hope this info helps ya some. You will get thru it, slow and steady will get ya there. 

[[Kg...]]

Fuzzy: Hope and Kasey crossed over to V from short acting benzos. K is a long acting benzo.  Therefore if you can taper from it there is no need to cross over. Many people have successfully tapered directly from K.  If you go to the old K Klub support group you can read the posts from many of us.  Some of us who switched to Valium were sorry that we did since it did not relieve the s/x of the taper and was not any easier get off of. 

 

 

[Guest [Fu...]]

Yeah, I just feel like K is so toxic. I mean I'm in tolerance withdrawal and I can't handle a cut or a hold so I thought switching to Valium might provide SOME relief because I honestly don't know how I'm gonna make it tapering all the way down in tolerance withdrawal. Asking someone to do a slow microtaper when they feel this awful feels impossible.

[[Kg...]]

Fuzzy what I did and Can Do did and Bets did is only cross over to some Valium and then taper the K. I just added in 2 mg V- I didn't cut the K just added the 2 mg in and kept it the same amt my entire way off of K.  Can Do and Bets did the same with their doses - put in some Valium and then tapered the K.  The taper of Valium was not any easier and I had the same s/x getting off it as I did the K but that is me, you may be different.  You may want to try the cross over and see how you do or perhaps try and add in some Valium and see how you feel.  My motto was when one thing isn't working it is time to try something else. 

[Guest [Fu...]]

That's what my psychiatrist wants to do is substitute one or two of my K doses with V but he doesn't want yo go by the Ashton chart so I don't want to be on a lesser equivalency. I just don't know...

[[Kg...]]

I know Can Do and others have had issues with crossing over to less Valium than needed.  Luckily my doctor - who got me on this crap - felt guilty and gave me whatever I wanted.  Perhaps you can show him/her the Ashton chart and ask him/her to start you on the 'higher' dose so that you can taper off.  It never ceases to amaze me how doctors impede our ability to get off these poisons. 

[[ca...]]

I know Can Do and others have had issues with crossing over to less Valium than needed.  Luckily my doctor - who got me on this crap - felt guilty and gave me whatever I wanted.  Perhaps you can show him/her the Ashton chart and ask him/her to start you on the 'higher' dose so that you can taper off.  It never ceases to amaze me how doctors impede our ability to get off these poisons.

  Fuzzy ,Yep Kgirl is right i had trouble crossing over and am still paying for it so if crossing over get the right equivalent or be a pretty nasty time ! High Kgirl i hope your doing ok ?

[[Ho...]]

That's what my psychiatrist wants to do is substitute one or two of my K doses with V but he doesn't want yo go by the Ashton chart so I don't want to be on a lesser equivalency. I just don't know...

 

My pdoc didn't want to go by Ashton equivalents either and tried to switch me over to half the recommended dose (some charts show different equivalence). It wasn't enough so we ended up at the recommended Ashton equivalent. So definitely give feedback to your doc.

[[ca...]]

That's what my psychiatrist wants to do is substitute one or two of my K doses with V but he doesn't want yo go by the Ashton chart so I don't want to be on a lesser equivalency. I just don't know...

 

My pdoc didn't want to go by Ashton equivalents either and tried to switch me over to half the recommended dose (some charts show different equivalence). It wasn't enough so we ended up at the recommended Ashton equivalent. So definitely give feedback to your doc.

Hope, my P/Doc had me cut 2 mgs K in the first month of my taper and only added 10 mgs v so i started out in a pretty bad place . I am glad you have the right amount i did not and pretty sure i have not recovered from it yet ~ CD

[[Kg...]]

Hey Can do - I am okay - at just about 11 months off.  Still some waves but can I say it - yep I will - mostly windows except for mornings.  So life does get better and we do heal.  I go to Nomo's buddy blog so I know that you are still having the same old, same old though I hope you are a lot closer to getting off.  Keep in touch my friend - back to summer in Florida - Air B N B made it impossible to rent a place for this summer - way too expensive for a month unless I win the lottery!!!  Hey do you want company?!!

[[Ho...]]

That's what my psychiatrist wants to do is substitute one or two of my K doses with V but he doesn't want yo go by the Ashton chart so I don't want to be on a lesser equivalency. I just don't know...

 

My pdoc didn't want to go by Ashton equivalents either and tried to switch me over to half the recommended dose (some charts show different equivalence). It wasn't enough so we ended up at the recommended Ashton equivalent. So definitely give feedback to your doc.

Hope, my P/Doc had me cut 2 mgs K in the first month of my taper and only added 10 mgs v so i started out in a pretty bad place . I am glad you have the right amount i did not and pretty sure i have not recovered from it yet ~ CD

 

That sounds awful CD! I was able to get stable on the Valium and taper off the Xanax, but once I started tapering Valium I was back in withdrawal, just not interdose withdrawal. I've been pretty sick this whole taper, even though I'm going slow. How much V do you have left to go?

[Guest [Fu...]]

I showed my psychiatrist the chart and tried to explain it to him but he didn't understand. He seemed like he would not use the Ashton equivalency and would only do half of it which worries me. But this is my second go around with Valium after a failed straight substitution and I feel like I've taken enough doses (about 3 weeks worth) that when I don't take it my brain gets confused since from what I've read it hits different parts of the GABA receptors. 

 

Edit: I e-mailed my psychiatrist and told him I'm going to try a 10 mg add on of Valium to my .5 Klonopin evening dose. I want to be on the same page with him and make sure he knows I'm taking a higher equivalency than he recommended. I also know that it can be difficult adjusting at first but hopefully this will pass in time and I don't think there's anyway I could ever taper down from Klonopin in such bad tolerance withdrawal so it's worth a shot.

[[Ki...]]

Yeah, I just feel like K is so toxic. I mean I'm in tolerance withdrawal and I can't handle a cut or a hold so I thought switching to Valium might provide SOME relief because I honestly don't know how I'm gonna make it tapering all the way down in tolerance withdrawal. Asking someone to do a slow microtaper when they feel this awful feels impossible.

I read a lot of posts saying things like klonopin is toxic etc and valium is just bleah. For me, my doc initially wanted to switch me from xanax and ambien to klonopin. I picked valium because it seemed to me K is harder to get off of for a lot of people. Valium just seemed to be a means to an end. But lots of folks do great getting off K! You just dont want short acting stuff. Unevenness is a bad thing in a taper unless you are really strong. I couldnt do a xanax taper I tried....

[Guest [Fu...]]

Yeah I am extremely dizzy on Valium and just have this cog fog that doesn't seem to lift but I'm hoping that will lessen as my body acclimates to it, gets used to it in place of the Klonopin. I don't know, I've beaten myself up over whether or not I should do this a ton and I'm just tired of feeling so awful. I never, ever should have updosed but I can't change that now and I'm trying my best to get at least SOMEWHAT stable.

[[Ki...]]

I think it took me around 3 weeks to get functional on valium. First two weeks even though I was swapping slowly I was on the couch. Even that first 1 mg floored me. Now Im almost halfway down from my starting dose of 11 mg, and I can go swimming- well doing water aerobics anyway. My muscles are still weak but thats a side effect. But I am not tired during the day. I have the cog fog but its just like living in a bubble. You will get used to it- it just takes a while!

[Guest [Fu...]]

Thanks, I feel a bit better today just still really tired but that I was expecting. The dizziness and increased anxiety not so much but I'm assuming that's because I've replaced .5 mg's of Klonopin that my brain and body had gotten so used to with 10 mg's of Valium.

[[Ki...]]

Plus with valium beimg so slow acting it takes what seems like AGES for it to "swap"- I did my swap over about 3 months, but it took weeks for the valium to really " take over" for the xanax. But eventually it did. Klonopin is long actimg but it seems like it works immediately like its supposed to, like xanax. Valium is just so pokey, which makes it hard to judge the equivalency. My cross was tough but I cant say it would have been a whole lot easier had I ended up at a higher dose of valium. Once I was crossed over it settled in and seemed like an appropriate amount even though it was about 3 mg short of Ashtons numbers. Hopefully yours will settle in right!

[Guest [Fu...]]

Thanks for the support. Dang that must have been a tough few weeks waiting for it to kick in.

[[po...]]

sorry Im posting again!  My kids are crying because Im not normal!

 

I was stabile and fine on .75 klon.  But i just wanted to get off eventually.  Well my Dr. said why not just get off now??  He said switch to librium, reduce over 4 weeks and you'll be done!  So I did that.  A week later I was thrown into acute PSYCHOSIS.  I lasted 3weeks more like that and a new dr. reinstated me to only 5mg liquid valium and it worked!  Was normal.  so slowly started tapering .05 every 5 days or so.  Was fine.  Then stupidly made a .25 cut on my syringe.  2 days later getting bad so I updosed to where I was before stupid mistake 4.5mg.  kept getting worse.  14 days ago I went back to 5mg.  STILL getting worse!  What is happening to me??  My dr gave propranolol but I swear that makes my anxiety worse when it wears off.  He said to updose to 10 mg!  what? ! 

1. Im afraid it won't work.

2. I'll be way farther back then.

3.  Do you think if i updose just to 6mg I might find relief??

 

Im in a constant panic attack state.  I feel like my body is just going to break down if I don't get some relief!  What should I do??  I was fine before that dumb cut.

PLEASE GIVE ADVISE

Thank you

[[Kg...]]

Pooky I know you don't want to hear this but given how you are feeling you only have 2 choices to stick it out on the 5 mg you are on now and hold there until you feel better or updose and see if that helps.    IMHO Perhaps you should just increase in increments of 2 mg Valium pills to see if that helps you vs. going right to 10 mg. of the Valium.  No one can really tell you if this will help you or not but I will tell you that once you are stable it is easier to start a taper when you are ready vs living in he%%.  The only other advice I would give you is once you feel better to hold there for awhile and give your body a break from tapering.