Valium/Diazepam Support Group

[[ho...]]

I have no psychiatrist and my PCP is supportive, but not knowledgeable.  I'm switching from 0.625K to valium.  I've been advised to crossover to 12.5V.  At this point, I'm up to 7.5V and so fatigued, weak, and often nauseous (have taken 13 weeks just to get this far). 

 

Night dose change went smoothly (50/50 for a week or 10 days, then all V). Morning dose change has been a bear and I went in reverse after 50/50 was so awful.  I switched to liquid proportions and slowly came down to 50/50.  Did 90/10 for a week, then 80/20 for a week, then 70/30, then got even slower. 

 

All this just for a crossover.  Meanwhile, I've become weaker and much more nauseous.  Just this past week (8 days ago), I made it to 50/50 for morning dose.  Some of nausea is dissipating, but so sleepy and weak. 

 

Is it advisable to continue my way to 12.5V or aim for lesser amount.  My pharmacist says since V accumulates, it'd be fine to aim lower, but won't this leave me in withdrawal to start?

 

As of now, I take 0.125K with 2.5V in the morning, 0.125K afternoon, and 5V night.  Next step (probably Wednesday) will be to drop 0.125K and get morning dose to 5K.  Can only imagine how asleep I'll be on 5V in the morning, then 0.125K afternoon, and 5K at night. Then I will still have another 2.5V to add in the afternoon, replacing 0.125K. 

 

Mostly thinking I'll be a total zombie, or sleeping for weeks.  Just wondering if I should/could aim for less than 12.5V equivalency dose for 0.625K dose?

 

Thanks!

 

Hi…I was reading this over.  If it were me, I would definitely try to go with the lower dose, and I would take it off the morning and afternoon dose. But you could play around obviously.  Then once you are stabilized, if you can move your afternoon dose to the night time dose.  That should help with the sleepiness. 

 

I did a crossover from K to V but I didn’t follow the Ashton protocol and I was a hot mess….OMG!!!  Once I got stabilized things were “ok”.  Anyway I did only dose 2 x a day, and I removed my AM dose first per the Ashton method.  For me that worked just fine.  I still only dose at night and it works for me.

 

Hopefully you will find what works and hopefully you can get away with a lower starting dose of the V, that will just help in the long run 

 

Marie

[[Sl...]]

Thank you, Marie

[[Mo...]]

Congrats, Marie, on getting down below 6mg!

[[ho...]]

Thank you, Marie

 

You’re welcome.  The struggle is real 

[[ho...]]

Congrats, Marie, on getting down below 6mg!

 

Thank you so much.  It’s funny.  I had these goals, like 10 mg (ended up being a hold) 7mg, and 5 is my next big one and then 3 and 1 and 0. It’s so exciting to almost be to 5.  It is still over a month or so out, but still it’s there.  When I got serious last year about this wean off (and actually was in my c/o hell around now…LOL…I can kind of laugh now, ore at my stupidity  :tickedoff) I had it all planned out and was going to be off by March/April of 2021, May at the latest.  Well isn’t life just so humbling at times.  Yet, I am so grateful to be at 5.6mg tonight, and so grateful for all those those (YOU) that helped me to get here, for this forum, for all the wisdom that comes from those that have gone before us, and are walking with us. 

 

You are doing so amazing wow….looks like you are about to gently walk off.  How exciting.  From my lurking, it seems like you are also doing pretty good too.  Correct me if I am wrong.  So congratulations back at you 

 

Hello to anyone else……anyone else lurking like I was?  Please say hi 

 

Marie

[[no...]]

Nova

 

I used the Inagene test.

It’s from Canada, but several of us here have used it, they ship to the States.

You pick which test you want, I choose the two ones that test for all drugs they have tests for.

It was around $400 Canadian for both. Great price actually for what you get.

 

Hope it helps.

 

Winnie.

Thanks Winnie  :smitten:

[[Ni...]]

Guys I need help. I'm having major memory issues forgetting stuff lately and I'm not sure if this morning I took my morning dose of 3 mg valium. I couldn't find the wrapper of last night's evening dose of 3 mg anywhere but I did see the thursday wrapper of the morning dose opened, but I really don't recall having taken it so I took the evening dose a few moments ago.

 

Is it bad if you take a double dose on a valium taper? I was on 3 mg of valium in the morning but I could've taken 6 mg this morning by accident now. I'm not sure what happened.. Will this affect my taper?

[[no...]]

Guys I need help. I'm having major memory issues forgetting stuff lately and I'm not sure if this morning I took my morning dose of 3 mg valium. I couldn't find the wrapper of last night's evening dose of 3 mg anywhere but I did see the thursday wrapper of the morning dose opened, but I really don't recall having taken it so I took the evening dose a few moments ago.

 

Is it bad if you take a double dose on a valium taper? I was on 3 mg of valium in the morning but I could've taken 6 mg this morning by accident now. I'm not sure what happened.. Will this affect my taper?

No, I have exactly the same problem, same drug, and  it won't effect your taper  I've had to do it lots of times,  I'm going to start doing what I used to do before and that is  keep a small note pad next to my pills with the time and date  written down and tick it off when I take it, another thing you can do which I also did is download a medication timer set for your dose times to alert you to take it on  time.

 

Also put enough for a week in a container or jar  for however many doses you take daily so you can count how many days or doses per day  you got left  or have taken if you forget again  as sometimes I've absent mindedly turn off the timer, can't remember if I've taken what doses on a bad day and  had to go pill counting to check if i had or hadn't which  also helps  . Hope you understand an fit helps

 

 

                                                                Nova 

[[ho...]]

Guys I need help. I'm having major memory issues forgetting stuff lately and I'm not sure if this morning I took my morning dose of 3 mg valium. I couldn't find the wrapper of last night's evening dose of 3 mg anywhere but I did see the thursday wrapper of the morning dose opened, but I really don't recall having taken it so I took the evening dose a few moments ago.

 

Is it bad if you take a double dose on a valium taper? I was on 3 mg of valium in the morning but I could've taken 6 mg this morning by accident now. I'm not sure what happened.. Will this affect my taper?

 

Hi-

Nova already gave you great advice….I’m just jumping in.  I had a super stressful major event in Sept., and I came so close to updosing.  It took everything in my power not to do it, and use all my breathing and meditation to get through.  My doctor later said a one up, would not have hurt me.  So anyway, I don’t think it is going to hurt you.

 

Also I bought these sticky things like white board sheets for my fridge (magnet ones won’t work because of the stainless steel) so I could track my medication and how I felt.  I just write the month and then the days in, and then my dose.  I have a little system of smile faces/frowns/or in between and I write: wave or window and and code letters. I get a few months, and then I take a picture and wipe it clean and start over.  It helps track everything too, in case I forget to journal or don’t post on my progress log.  Just a thought. 

 

Marie

[[Mo...]]

I would make several days of pills at a time. I did this by putting them in individual pill holders,  then putting all 3 in a Ziploc bag for the day and labeling the bags.  If I was headed out, I just grabbed the pill holder. At the end of the day, I would shake the bag. If I heard a rattle, I knew I missed a dose.  I think you will be fine with a one off.

[Guest [...]]

HI Everyone

 

Anyone on here have to dose their Valium 4 times a day??

 

I’m just dying from interdose wd.

I haven’t even moved over completely to Valium

I’m too unstable at the moment.

I was much better on Ativan, but couldn’t taper that

 

I don’t have the right genes to process Valium - rapid metabolizer on both, so this is going to be tough

 

I don’t even know how to finish my crossover, when I’m this bad.

 

The stupid time change did me in today too

 

Ideas thoughts??

 

Dr wanted me to complete crossover in 4 parts.

1/2 my morning dose, than wait 2 weeks, then next, wait 2 weeks etc.

 

Does this seem like it will work??

 

I need help.

I have severe POTS, massive TMJ that has given me bad tinnitus - was shaking like a leaf at urgent care this morning - had to make sure it wasn’t an ear infection etc.

 

I literally feel like I’m going unconscious before my next dose, my entire brain shuts down!! 

 

I was doing so well too….

 

Thanks Winnie.

[[...]]

Hi Winniedog, im sorry your suffering. I’m a bit confused from your summary. What was your last stable dosage of Ativan before you started your Valium crossover. I may be wrong but it appears you started below the Ashton equivalent of 10-1.

[Guest [...]]

I crossed when I was around 0.575 A (was able to taper before cross for a few weeks)

I was then able to taper some more A very quickly after the cross.

 

I’ve never felt like the Valium has worked in my body as well as the Ativan.

I’ve always felt interdose wd on it, but never did on Ativan.

 

I think this is also just wd as well, the cuts caught up etc.

 

My story is so long and I involved and sad.

 

So much went wrong with my care. I had no idea what was going on etc.

 

Just trying to find stability again.

Had it a few weeks ago.

[[Sl...]]

I've just finished crossing over (3 days ago) from 0.625K to 12.5V.  I'd like to construct a daily liquid microtaper plan (or at least the beginnings of one).  I know no one can tell me the perfect amount to reduce, but is 5% every two weeks too ambitious. 

 

Also, is there someone or a program to use to make this simpler for myself?  I have some equipment (100 ml cylinder, 60 ml syringe, 10 ml syringe, and 1 ml syringe). 

 

I'm planning to hold after completing the crossover for two weeks.  Is that logical or should I begin tapering? 

 

Must admit it took me a long time to cross over from K to V and have felt it was quite difficult.  Am very sedated now from the 12.5V. 

 

Thank you!

[[Ta...]]

I have a question for the group that I hope people can share their experiences.  I've been tapering for over a year and I'm at 7 mg now  (3 mg am and 4 mg pm).  I was dosing three times a day and I tapered off of that first and did not miss having that afternoon dose.  The Ashton manual suggests tapering completely off the am dose and leaving the night dose for last.  OR is it better to keep am and evening doses even.  I would really appreciate responses because I'm going to begin cutting again soon. 

 

Basically, should I taper completely off my am dose, then work on my pm dose?   

OR

Should I go back and forth between doses to keep them even? 

 

 

[[Mo...]]

Tall, I basically went back and forth, keeping all 3 of my doses. I personally wouldn't go down to 1 dose at this point but that's just me.

[[Ta...]]

Thanks so much for your feedback.  I appreciate it. 

[[Li...]]

Hi all, I have read many of the trials and burdensome stories of tapering off Benzos on this site and one thing that is clear to me is that we are all different and that we are all here from a different starting point. I got here because of a trigger event in December 20. Started taking antidepressants but they hardly touched my condition so Jan this year I started taking Lorazepam at 0.5mg prn this soon became a daily dose and by June I was up to 1.5mg single dose each day.

Started my taper in July as I thought the time was right. Here in the UK there is a charitable organisation that came to my rescue and provided me with a taper plan. They base their advice on the Ashton manual but with some variation.  I have been advised to stick to one dose a day and I crossed from 1.5mg A to 15mg V in four gradual steps over the period of 4 weeks. This went OK although I still suffered some of my original symptoms which are either pains in my solar plexus or in the pit of my stomach.  Also some psychological symptoms as well.

 

The taper continued at 2 weekly intervals and I have stuck to this rigidly up to now where I am on 5mg V. I still have good days and bad days but as I've read here this is one hell of a drug to get off. I get a support call each week from the charity which helps a great deal.

 

So this is my question.  They are confident that continuing at this rate ( cutting down by 1mg each fortnight) is achievable right down to 0. There may be a need to cut by 0.5mg each fortnight near the end but at no decrement smaller than this. What is the experience of there trying to get to the finish line at this rate? Thanks, Livefree22

[[Mo...]]

Free,

I would suggest looking into doing a microtaper if you have a supportive physician.  Most people have to decrease the cut amounts as they get lower.  If you are noticing it getting harder, that's your cue.  It's good that you have support of the charity!

 

 

 

Also, I just wanted to pop in real quick on this board and say that I took my last dose of Valium today, ending my taper at .02mg.  It has been a long journey and two years ago, I didn't think I was going to make it through this.  I'm grateful this part of it is over and I'm looking forward to more healing.  All the rest of you will get here too one day!  Wishing you the best and cheering you on!

[[Li...]]

Momof7babes: Thank you for sharing this superlative news with us.  Congratulations and well done!

[Guest [...]]

Congrats Mom of 7 !!!

 

So happy for you!!!

 

Let us know how you’re feeling!

 

Winnie. 

[[Li...]]

Momof7

 

Thanks for your message and can I join the others in congratulating you on getting to the end of the tapper. Getting over the finishing line must be a special feeling.

 

Regarding your taper - I notice that you hold your dose for a few months before reducing and near the end the reductions are smaller.  Do you base your taper on how you feel. I.E. do you wait until you've stabilised at each dose before considering your next move? Now I'm at 5mg I have found that I have some new symptoms which I can only assume are due to the larger percentage reductions so it may be time for me to hold for longer or to reduce by less. The posts on here certainly suggest that slowly and steady is the way forward despite the frustration we feel of wanting to be rid of the drug as soon as possible.

[[Mo...]]

Thanks everyone. I feel immense gratitude and relief.

 

Live, I microtapered the Valium at about .01mg a day. It was a little more after my crossover and then less as I got lower. I never held longer than a week. What you are seeing in my signature is just a summary. I did hold the Klonopin for several months after tapering too much and too quickly. It got me into bug trouble.

[[ho...]]

Thanks everyone. I feel immense gratitude and relief.

 

Live, I microtapered the Valium at about .01mg a day. It was a little more after my crossover and then less as I got lower. I never held longer than a week. What you are seeing in my signature is just a summary. I did hold the Klonopin for several months after tapering too much and too quickly. It got me into bug trouble.

 

Congratulations !!! You have been such an inspiration to so many of us, thank you

 

 

Marie

[[ho...]]

Hi all, I have read many of the trials and burdensome stories of tapering off Benzos on this site and one thing that is clear to me is that we are all different and that we are all here from a different starting point. I got here because of a trigger event in December 20. Started taking antidepressants but they hardly touched my condition so Jan this year I started taking Lorazepam at 0.5mg prn this soon became a daily dose and by June I was up to 1.5mg single dose each day.

Started my taper in July as I thought the time was right. Here in the UK there is a charitable organisation that came to my rescue and provided me with a taper plan. They base their advice on the Ashton manual but with some variation.  I have been advised to stick to one dose a day and I crossed from 1.5mg A to 15mg V in four gradual steps over the period of 4 weeks. This went OK although I still suffered some of my original symptoms which are either pains in my solar plexus or in the pit of my stomach.  Also some psychological symptoms as well.

 

The taper continued at 2 weekly intervals and I have stuck to this rigidly up to now where I am on 5mg V. I still have good days and bad days but as I've read here this is one hell of a drug to get off. I get a support call each week from the charity which helps a great deal.

 

So this is my question.  They are confident that continuing at this rate ( cutting down by 1mg each fortnight) is achievable right down to 0. There may be a need to cut by 0.5mg each fortnight near the end but at no decrement smaller than this. What is the experience of there trying to get to the finish line at this rate? Thanks, Livefree22

 

Hi-  Yes, it is so individual. If you are having good days too and you have come this far, you may do well.  I think most of us try and do a “symptom based” taper because we have gotten into trouble going to fast.  At some point it catches up with many people, but not all.  The lower doses, it does get harder because it basically comes downs to % being cut.  At the higher rates you/we are cutting about the same % but as those mg’s get lower those % start to double rapidly and the cut’s can become brutal.  So a once 1mg cut can be like a 3 mg cut.  The best rule of thumb is to listen to your symptoms and how well you are able to function.  You don’t want to end up in trouble like many of us have.  It just ends up setting you backwards and you need more time to heal your body.  I hope this helps and good luck…..Oh and welcome to BB’s

 

Marie