Thin should reinstate do slower taper

[[Buddie]]

Not had much experience with diazapam. Only went on it about 9 weeks ago due to bad reaction to flu jab. Started on 5 mg then gradually tapered to 1 mg jumped about week ago at 1 mg . I was OK on it, and tapering seemed OK, will only give you limited supply here so can’t do long taper. Since jumping felt awful very depressed, jittery, one day can’t get out bed, next day pacing the room all day. I did try taking 1 mg just made me worse the next day. Is it a case symptoms should eventually subside. I’m obviously not totally recovered from flu jab as well yet. Really don’t want to go back on it as fear will just delay the inevitable horrible withdrawal if I do, and didn’t really help on lower doses.My symptoms mainly mental so real physical stuff. Am going through some emotional family stuff at moment so that is causing me stress.

[[Buddie]]

Bump have renamed my question.

[[Buddie]]

Re: your question “How soon does diazepam leave your system” …

Per StatPearls:

The initial distribution [of diazepam] is followed by a prolonged terminal elimination(half-life ~ 48 hours). Additionally, the terminal elimination half-life of the active metabolite N-desmethyldiazepam is up to 100 hours …Diazepam accumulates upon multiple dosing; consequently, the terminal elimination half-life of diazepam is slightly prolonged.

According to the Drug Half Life / Clearance Calculator linked below, it would take approximately 10 days to eliminate the diazepam and 21 days to eliminate the primary active metabolite N-desmethyldiazepam after taking a single dose.

Note: Many patient-specific variables may affect elimination half-life (e.g. age, liver function, pre-existing conditions, presence of other drugs).

Links:
Diazepam - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537022/

Drug Half-life Explained: Calculator, Variables & Examples
https://www.drugs.com/article/drug-half-life.html

[[Buddie]]

Thanks for the reply. Stopped taking it about 10 days ago, so hopefully in next week or so things ease up a bit. Very up and down , was only on it about 9 weeks on very low dose and tapered off. Seemed feel worse the lower the doses I got so think dud right thing coming off need get it out my system. Made my sleep awful.

[[Buddie]]

You’re welcome.  I share your hope you will begin to feel better soon. However, please be aware that eliminating the drug from your body is just the first step.  The second step is recovering from the neuroadaptations your body made while you were taking the drug. Here’s a link to our Post-withdrawal Recovery Support board below in case you need support during the recovery phase:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=146.0

[[Buddie]]

Think I’ll try going back on it feel so ghastly, getting physical symptoms as well panic attacks, chest tightening. I tapered from 5 mg to 1 mg in 9 weeks. Psych only give me limited supply but if start at about 1.25 mg got enough to cut about every 3 weeks probably down to 0.50 as seems slower taper gives you less symptoms. Was bit ignorant as was forced against my will to CT zop, the AD’s made me so ill dud fast taper off them. As seem quite sensitive still hopefully even low dose will help. Whatever was in flu jab is still affecting me so need something, as not really eating.

[[Buddie]]

I don’t know what the answer is for you and I’ve never used Valium or reinstated so I don’t have personal experience but I saw this the other day and wanted to share it with you. 

https://www.benzo.org.uk/ashsupp11.htm

Reinstatement, updosing

A dilemma faced by some people in the process of benzodiazepine withdrawal, or after withdrawal, is what to do if they have intolerable symptoms which do not lessen after many weeks. If they are still taking benzodiazepines, should they increase the dose? If they have already withdrawn, should they reinstate benzodiazepines and start the withdrawal process again? This is a difficult situation which, like all benzodiazepine problems, depends to some degree on the circumstances and the individual, and there are no hard and fast rules.

Reinstatement after withdrawal? Many benzodiazepine users who find themselves in this position have withdrawn too quickly; some have undergone 'cold turkey'. They think that if they go back on benzodiazepines and start over again on a slower schedule they will be more successful. Unfortunately, things are not so simple. For reasons that are not clear, (but perhaps because the original experience of withdrawal has already sensitised the nervous system and heightened the level of anxiety) the original benzodiazepine dose often does not work the second time round. Some may find that only a higher dose partially alleviates their symptoms, and then they still have to go through a long withdrawal process again, which again may not be symptom-free.

Updosing during withdrawal? Some people hit a "sticky patch" during the course of benzodiazepine withdrawal. In many cases, staying on the same dose for a longer period (not more than a few weeks) before resuming the withdrawal schedule allows them to overcome this obstacle. However, increasing the dose until a longed-for plateau of 'stability' arrives is not a good strategy. The truth is that one never 'stabilises' on a given dose of benzodiazepine. The dose may be stable but withdrawal symptoms are not. It is better to grit one's teeth and continue the withdrawal. True recovery cannot really start until the drug is out of the system.

Pharmacologically, neither reinstating nor updosing is really rational. If withdrawal symptoms are still present, it means that the GABA/benzodiazepine receptors have not fully recovered (see above). Further benzodiazepines cause further down-regulation, strengthen the dependence, prolong withdrawal, delay recovery and may lead to protracted symptoms. In general, the longer the person remains on benzodiazepines the more difficult it is to withdraw. On the whole, anyone who remained benzodiazepine-free, or has remained on the same dose, for a number of weeks or months would be ill-advised to start again or to increase dosage. It would be better to devote the brain to solving individual symptoms and to finding sources of advice and support. Advice about how to deal with individual symptoms is given in the Manual (Chapter 3).

[[Buddie]]

Jyst going by what mrsnicag  dud in her success story. She went off it  felt so terrible for couple months went back on it but dud slower taper and was fine. She recommends doing longer taper than Ashton and jumping lower than 1 mg. I only took it to help with the symptoms from the flu jab, since they seem take several months to subside, think need something to stop me being virtually non functional. Only been off it 10 days. Can understand not good idea in long term users, or if you’ve benn off meds long time, but was only on it short time. Not eating and virtually bedridden some days so figure tapered off too quickly.