Valium/Diazepam Support Group

[[Be...]]

Nice to hear from you Lottie!

 

Glad you’re making headway in your taper.

 

Sorry you have a lot of stress in your life, me too!!

 

I have dropped off the board because I’ve hit a really rough patch after I had a CT scan with dye and then my booster.

 

I some pretty unbearable symptoms, don’t think people really want to hear about it and I’m also in no way to help others.

 

Sorry to the new people, but I can’t help right.

 

I’m pretty upset, as I was quite functional and had a happy life (for withdrawal), not anymore.

 

Winnie

 

Hi Winnie. Unfortunately I had a setback and am back up to 6.5 mg, don't feel like fixing my tracker in my sig. I am holding for now, sickest I've ever been, going to have to slow down things and reduce my cuts once I am stable enough to taper again. Autism is really affecting me, and I am in just no position to help anybody right now. I have to take care of me, and Psych NP wants me to hold until things settle. Having random minor akathisia, going crazy with paresthesia's, acid reflux has been bad, am either too hot or too cold, it's just been bad. The paresthesia's have really been driving me batty. 

[Guest [...]]

Oh Lottie, I’m so sorry!

 

This sounds exactly like me.

I’ve been getting Akathisia everyday almost since mid Nov.

Hot/cold, all my extremities are so cold that my nose cartilage and ear cartilage is all weird.

 

My poor nose doesn’t work right anymore, it collapses when I breathe out.

 

I’m virtually bedridden, as my POTS has turned into past post prandial hypotension.

 

I too am getting the parasthesia issues, so bad. Oh the eye and ear pain is next level.

 

I didn’t cut from Oct to just a few weeks ago.

 

Right after my booster is when things went haywire for me, several ER visits, just terrible.

 

These drugs are terrible. I’m so angry, for using them for only 10 days and end up like this is beyond anything.

 

I only come on to read stuff around the site, and I happened to see your post.

I always loved chatting with you. Send me a pm if you ever need anything.

 

Take care, and I hope things improve for you!

Winnie

[[Mi...]]

Hi all

I have been advised to change the 10mg temazepam into 5mg diazepam and add it into my current taper of 11mg of diazepam.

This would only give me one benzo to reduce from.

Has anyone else done this swap over and add in?

Thanks

[[Tr...]]

I don’t have experience with that one Misspiggy - slow and steady on that changeover I all I can recommend.

 

It will be nice to only have one med to focus on tapering!

[[Be...]]

Hi all

I have been advised to change the 10mg temazepam into 5mg diazepam and add it into my current taper of 11mg of diazepam.

This would only give me one benzo to reduce from.

Has anyone else done this swap over and add in?

Thanks

 

I had to look up temazepam, it has a short half-life, so it could give you interdose withdrawal between doses, much like Ativan and Xanax. So, you might find it easier to crossover, similar to Ashton's crossover for Ativan or Xanax. How often are you dosing the Valium now? Temazepam is a sleep med, so you could add the 5 mg Valium to a current bedtime dose. 7.5 is the lowest dose temazepam comes in. I'm wondering if you could cut the 10 mg in half, cut a 5 mg Valium in half, and take half of each for a few weeks, then switch the remaining half of of 5 mg temazepam to the remaining 2.5 mg Valium, cutting out the temazepam and increasing to 5 mg Valium. You are already on mostly Valium, so you might find switching not too difficult. Would your prescriber be willing to help you switch? You'd probably find it easier to taper from one benzo than two.

[[jo...]]

I hope this is in the right forum.

I use valium

I do not know how long it takes for my symptoms to show after cutting (lag-time)and would like to know from as many valium users as possible how long it takes for symptoms to show after cutting, reducing or stopping, as I think I might have made a mistake, too worried to go into it, and don't know how long I will have to wait to see if I have got away with mistake without suffering.

Thanks

[[ra...]]

Hi all,

 

I have been absent from this group in part because I decided to give myself some needed rest, healing and to let it all go to the back of my consciousness instead of front and center. This was after 1 year of reducing my benzo use following Ashton's schedule almost to a tee (after just under 40 years of using small amounts prn per doctors prescription. I also went though around 9 months of what felt like torture before beginning Ashton. I suppose I hit tolerance big time in June of 2020 ).

 

I made it to 3.5 mgs of diazepam. That was around the first of 2022. Since then I have enjoyed my life much more, suffered less and increased my functioning enough that I haven't wanted to start tapering again. Actually, it's more truthful to say I've been terrified to loose what I've gained by microtapering (which is my chosen next step). The .25 cuts simply became too hard for me and I got the message from my body and psyche. No, I have not been without symptoms. At the same time, I have had bouts of guilt (that I may be doing myself a disfavor to stop at 3.5 ) and fears I won't return to getting off diazepam.

 

I did learn to make a home brew solution (using water and 2 drops of Vodka), so there is that.

 

Today, after an internal boxing match and a good cry, I decided to start microtapering per a 300 day schedule. I'm having to gather my courage and see what it will be like to reduce by what seems to be teeny amounts. I can't say I feel confident at all, but I know I can stop.  I dose once in the evening, and would love it if someone could wish me luck (that is if you don't resent my not sticking around to help out). In no way am I wanting to parade on anyones' rain.

 

Finally, in response to people commenting on that lack of posts here, I wonder if some of the folks who used to be here have found other groups/threads and they've been there (rather than here). I certainly know I have posted and responded elsewhere on BB when most interested in different issues relevant to my experience (such as drug interactions, surgical procedures, general health, etc.) Also, I take breaks from time to time to reduce obsessing and perserverating on the process.

 

Sending out hugs to all suffering,

Rascal

 

 

[[Ni...]]

Hi everyone, I took my final valium dose (0.25mg) on the 18th of March after tapering for a year and 3 months. My taper went pretty well - the most I experienced was some insomnia but it always passed. I'm still not sleeping very well but I know that will improve. My question is - I am on a horrible antipsychotic called Zyprexa (Olanzapine) and I was put on it to help with benzo withdrawals (big mistake I know). How long should I wait before beginning my Zyprexa taper?

[[Ni...]]

I had a talk with my prescriber today, said the jump from 0.5 mg to 0 valium would only cause some withdrawal symptoms for about a week and then I'll be fine. What's your guys opinion on this? He also said a lot of the fear for symptoms are in your head and even mentioned placebo effect.

[[Pa...]]

I had a talk with my prescriber today, said the jump from 0.5 mg to 0 valium would only cause some withdrawal symptoms for about a week and then I'll be fine. What's your guys opinion on this? He also said a lot of the fear for symptoms are in your head and even mentioned placebo effect.

 

How do you feel about jumping at .5 mgs, if you're confident then that's all that matters.  Have the last few reductions gone well, this is a good indicator of when you can jump. 

 

As for your doctors opinion, what he said makes me incredibly angry!  I guess we're all suffering from mass hypnosis or we're all delusional, or hypochondriacs, good grief.

[[Pa...]]

I hope this is in the right forum.

I use valium

I do not know how long it takes for my symptoms to show after cutting (lag-time)and would like to know from as many valium users as possible how long it takes for symptoms to show after cutting, reducing or stopping, as I think I might have made a mistake, too worried to go into it, and don't know how long I will have to wait to see if I have got away with mistake without suffering.

Thanks

 

What is your taper method, your signature doesn't provide any information.

[[Tr...]]

I hope this is in the right forum.

I use valium

I do not know how long it takes for my symptoms to show after cutting (lag-time)and would like to know from as many valium users as possible how long it takes for symptoms to show after cutting, reducing or stopping, as I think I might have made a mistake, too worried to go into it, and don't know how long I will have to wait to see if I have got away with mistake without suffering.

Thanks

 

Hi journey - for me I feel reductions 3-5 days after dropping. Symptoms peak around a week, then over 10-14 days clear up a bit. I think that’s pretty varied for people.

Most say they feel symptoms of cuts within 3-4 days though.

 

[[Tr...]]

Nikitis- have you done 0.5mg drops before? How did they go?

 

[[Ni...]]

I had a talk with my prescriber today, said the jump from 0.5 mg to 0 valium would only cause some withdrawal symptoms for about a week and then I'll be fine. What's your guys opinion on this? He also said a lot of the fear for symptoms are in your head and even mentioned placebo effect.

 

How do you feel about jumping at .5 mgs, if you're confident then that's all that matters.  Have the last few reductions gone well, this is a good indicator of when you can jump. 

 

As for your doctors opinion, what he said makes me incredibly angry!  I guess we're all suffering from mass hypnosis or we're all delusional, or hypochondriacs, good grief.

I feel confident in jumping yeah. Last few reductions have gone extremely well. The doctor even said that he never saw someone before doing a taper so smoothly without any symptoms for so long. The other malarky he said I really wonder of where he got those ideas.

[[Ni...]]

Nikitis- have you done 0.5mg drops before? How did they go?

Yes since I got down to 5 mg of valium from 28 mg doing 1 mg drop per 2 weeks, I've started doing 0.5 mg drops. They went extremely well, without severe withdrawal symptoms other than a few days in all those months, and they weren't as severe, just mostly mentally, feelings of losing my mind, intrusive thoughts and slight sensations of chemical anxiety and loss of libido and ED.

[[Tr...]]

Nikitis- sounds like you’re going to be good with that last drop! When are you thinking of stepping off?

 

The mental game is so hard. I get lost in looping fears. If I can just step back for a minute I can see what’s going on.

 

I’m excited for you!

 

 

[[Tr...]]

Hi everyone, I took my final valium dose (0.25mg) on the 18th of March after tapering for a year and 3 months. My taper went pretty well - the most I experienced was some insomnia but it always passed. I'm still not sleeping very well but I know that will improve. My question is - I am on a horrible antipsychotic called Zyprexa (Olanzapine) and I was put on it to help with benzo withdrawals (big mistake I know). How long should I wait before beginning my Zyprexa taper?

 

I personally would give it a good 6 months of pretty normal days before tackling the zyprexa.

How long have you been on it? I know it can be one of the rougher ones side effect wise, so I understand wanting to come off.

[[co...]]

I tapered from 8mg Valium to 7mg Valium on 2/21 which was a Monday.  I didn't feel the cut until Thursday the 24th.  I am still having W/D symptoms today.  Do you ever stabilize from the cut?  Or just keep tapering?

[[Pa...]]

I tapered from 8mg Valium to 7mg Valium on 2/21 which was a Monday.  I didn't feel the cut until Thursday the 24th.  I am still having W/D symptoms today.  Do you ever stabilize from the cut?  Or just keep tapering?

 

Members say their symptoms level out a bit, they don't actually disappear, are yours manageable, are you able to take care of your daily tasks?  Its only been a week, if you don't feel stable you might want to wait another week.

[[Ni...]]

Nikitis- sounds like you’re going to be good with that last drop! When are you thinking of stepping off?

 

The mental game is so hard. I get lost in looping fears. If I can just step back for a minute I can see what’s going on.

 

I’m excited for you!

Hey Treelover, I'm schedule by my prescriber to jump tomorrow.

 

All I'm having so far is pain spots on the brain that are similar to the pain spots I had when I crossed over from ativan to valium. Also intrusive and skewed thoughts and music playing in my head all the time. A few days ago my mind actually was silent for a while, it was so relieving and relaxing. I hope these symptoms will go away as I recover after the jump. Thanks for your support!

[[co...]]

Pamster, my physical W/D Symptoms are extremely manageable.  It's just the cognitive ones.  Yes, I can do daily tasks, it just takes longer and is harder.  The Cognitive and memory issues are the worst!  I feel like Patrick from Sponge Bod Square Pants!  I have a part time job that I need to think for, house to manage, kid, husband, dogs, etc., etc.. you get it.  Sometimes, it's just downright scary- the memory issues that is!!  I push myself to keep working out and that is helping. I am feeling a little better since the last cut, I was just wondering how long each cut's W/D symptoms lasted typically OR is this extremely different for everyone? 

I am not going back EVER- I am not making a cut until next week (that's even if I make one), I may stay on this dose until I can think better- but does that ever happen during the taper?  OR are you just left this way until you are done tapering?

I have an appointment with my Psychiatrist Monday and of course I will discuss this all with him, just wondering what those people tapering from Valium had experienced.

[[po...]]

Hi all, I have begun an Ambien to Valium crossover but am struggling to find the right starting dosage. Please see my signature for a summary of the issue. Would appreciate any advice.

 

Thread with more details: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=266896.0

[[Tr...]]

Hey copper - it takes me 10-14 days to level out a bit from the acute feelings.

The spaciness and mood lability doesn’t seem to clear up much for me.

I get a few days a month that feel ok.

 

[[Ni...]]

Guys yesterday evening I took my last dose of 0.5 mg valium, together with my usual dose of 1 mg risperidone. I'm sure I had a quarter of a 2 mg valium tablet in my hand and a 1 mg rusperidone tablet. A few minutes after taking it, I felt wired and buzzed and mentally weird. I got very paranoid that I accidentally took more valium. Also because for some reason on the drawer where I have all my medication, there happened to be a 5 mg valium tablet I do not remember placing there. Along with that 5 mg tablet, there were just quarters of 2 mg valium tablets on it along with risperidone 1 mg tablets in wrappers. I just grabbed a quarter and a risperidone tablet from there and took it.

 

Now I'm afraid I took more of valium due to the weird feelings I had after taking it. Today I've jumped to 0 for the first time and my valium taper is finished. I'm not taking valium anymore from now on.

 

Could I get some reassurance I did not make a mistake and possibly screw up my taper?

 

Thanks

[[Pa...]]

Congratulations Nikitis, this is wonderful news!  That mix up at the end is not a big deal, you've done the work and a one off dose mistake won't even register on your radar.  What will is worrying about it so be happy, make a post on the Benzo-free Celebrations (& Milestones) board and let us celebrate your achievement!