valium taper and smoking cigs again

I been on 12.5mg of valium a day and I quit smoking about a month ago pretty easily just had few uncomfortable days after reading allen carr's book and decided to try to start a slow taper again of 1.25% per week (down to 12mg day) and already have had bad cravings for smoking and wondering if I didn't wait long enough from quitting smoking before I started my taper and that metal crutch of smoking helping me thru the process of tapering. I smoked/vaped for 15 years and decided I would have one on saturday after a hard workout session that might have strained my CNS because I got bad headache and restlessness that night and since then have been having about 5-6 cigs a day and fear falling back into smoking habit because I felt so healthy after quitting but smoking has consumed me since saturday and all I can think about doing. should I have waited longer from quitting smoking before starting taper even though I want to get off valium so bad? I feel not having nicotine will help my taper but will my weakness always be there and I should just continue my taper with the smoking and I will smoke no matter what when I taper off this drug because its been my go to for so long for withdrawal symptoms no matter how long I abstain from nicotine?

Ashton suggests quitting smoking post recovery. I have read many do quit during w/d as 1 symptom I’d difficulty breathing.

I’ve smoked forever-no shame-and consider it a bit of a paradox as,

1.) It’s a stimulant-bad for w/d

2.) It mimics yoga breathing, anxiety breathing techniques: inhale, hold, slowly exhale, relax…

 

However quitting causes additional w/d symptoms on top of benzo w/d symptoms, so: Paradox.

Maybe instead of looking for ‘perfection’ (quitting), try ‘progress’ and just slowly lower how much you smoke? And please don’t overthink this-you have enough on your plate! Just do your best as nothing more is required from you. 🙏

i smoked like crazy first time i got off valium. It was a 5 month taper and i guess i smoked about 10 cigs a day, that to me was alot. I waited til i was done with taper process before quitting smokes i mean you can only put up with so much.

thank you for the replies and feedback!

I had quit...started when taper hell broke loose.

 

I know the Ashton Manual states it's not a good time to quit smoking.  And, I sat with that for a good while.  However, at that time, I thought I may be at this a year.  Now I realize, it's been a year since this taper began, that it is going to be a lot longer.  And, am I willing to continue to do this to myself?  I definitely know it affects symptoms and GI issues I have been experiencing.  But, I totally understand quitting during this is also hazardous in terms of the added stress and what that does to our body.  So, it really is a catch 22.

 

The best I can do is slowly try to reduce...while in the state I am in now.  Then, I will go from there to see if there is more I can implement.

 

I am on a hold to see if I can see improvements in the intensity of my symptoms.  You know, all I really need is to see some progress.  That will create some momentum to do more.  For a year now, I've not seen any progress.  Now, I did not do things properly...so, I just want to state that.  No progress is a result of too rapid a taper for me...probably for anyone. 

 

Warmly,

F