Can valium withdrawal be this bad on such a tiny, infrequent dose?

I'm down to taking 2.5 mg of valium every 2 to 3 weeks. Absolutely tiny, right? But when I get to the edge of 3 weeks I start to feel strong withdrawal - dread, nausea, sometimes flu-like symptoms, headache, twitching limbs. And when I take another 2.5mg it stops. I've gone from 10mg roughly every other day during covid lockdown, down to this.

I'd hoped to be fully off it by spring next year but I seem to have hit a wall here.

I suppose I should be shaving it down to just 2mg, and keep going from there... I'm just shocked at the intensity of the symptoms. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it because valium has such a long half life? I figure my system has not been totally free of valium for at least 15 years :-( thanks for any thoughts

That is a small dose, equivalent to 0.1mg daily over the 21 day day period between doses. Is there a way for you to spread that dose over the 3 weeks between doses rather than go cold turkey every 3 weeks before reinstating at the same dose? I’m currently on 0.5mg daily and was thinking of quitting on that dose but your post has made me think again. I need to reduce as low a I can go before stopping altogether

Hello,

 

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate you pointing out the dosage equivalent of 0.1mg if I were spreading it evenly. I used to just take 10mg of valium for occasional insomnia or major stress, so I wanted to space out that dose again - but of course there's no turning back the clock - it was taking it so regularly during covid that really had it building up in my system :-( and I really didn't notice it happening for a long time...

 

Mostly I hadn't realised about valium's huge half life. I wonder if what I'm having now symptoms-wise, given the spaced out dose, is withdrawal from one or more of the metabylites that linger, and presumably haven't properly left my system for years... Once I have that 'top up' 2.5mg then the symptoms go away and I feel fine again, for a couple of weeks or more. Gah!

 

Thanks again for your reply :-)

 

I started taking them casually too, but quickly began taking them regularly, it’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years now ! I notice the withdrawal comes in phases after a dose cut, with the peak around 2 - 3 weeks in. Next time u stop your meds and reinstate, maybe try taking a smaller amount to see if you get the same effect as the 2.5 and reduce that way.

I’m going to make a couple more cuts before I try stopping completely, but not until the new year, don’t want to ruin Christmas 

I would say yes from what experience I have tapering off Valium.  It is very hard, and brutal. You're  lucky it even still works for you.

I wish you the best.  What are your symptoms..just curious.  The Valium affects my thoughts, they get crazy fast and weird, and I think the worst of things. Also seems to make me feel angry and scared to be around other people and to do simple things like drive to a store.  I have inner trembling and I move/twitch a lot.  It is going to take me a long time to get off.  I'm wish I could just stop it but I think I'd end up in a mental ward.  It seems the long half life brings on the super dark symptoms about a week later, sometimes earlier.

Good luck.

The symptoms lurk up on me at some point after 2 weeks... It's not the same each time, although a sense of dread is pretty much always there, as is irritability. Sometimes it feels like flu; or a sharp headache, or a sense of intense restlessness.  Sometimes whatever it is lifts, but it has only all reset when I've another small dose (roughly in line with my taper plan, the direction of travel is down). I appreciate I'm talking very very low amounts here, which is sometimes why I doubt myself! What a substance.

My plan is to just keep tapering it down as best as possbiel.... I'd hoped to be off by spring but it'll take the time it takes.

Wishing you the best too!

I started taking them casually too, but quickly began taking them regularly, it’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years now ! I notice the withdrawal comes in phases after a dose cut, with the peak around 2 - 3 weeks in. Next time u stop your meds and reinstate, maybe try taking a smaller amount to see if you get the same effect as the 2.5 and reduce that way.

I’m going to make a couple more cuts before I try stopping completely, but not until the new year, don’t want to ruin Christmas 

 

Yes indeed, Christmas probably isn't the moment! Last Christmas I had already started this process and the struggle was real!