Diazepam insomnia before tapering?

Hello,

 

I originally was prescribed Ativan and Seroquel for Panic Attacks. As 14 years have past I only took Ativan because the Seroquel was giving me irregular heart rate. I crossed over from Ativan to Diazepam to get off of Ativan that was mixing with my other meds and raising my Blood Pressure over 200/100 and killing me. I made the switch on August 02 of 2022 but now the Diazepam is giving me insomnia and I haver not even began tapering yet. I get sleep about 4 to 5 hours. Originally, I switched from 1.75MG Ativan to 12.5 Diazepam and it nearly killed me with seizures for 2 days and on the 5th day I made it. I decided to drop to 10mg of Diazepam on the 6th day and stayed there for 5 days and then dropped again to 8.75mg of Diazepam. I stayed at 8.75mg for 8 Days and then dropped to 7.5mg and then had shakes had no sleep, anger, irritability, depression, rage, and muscle twitching. My MD said I dropped too FAST and to go to 8mg! She was  sure that I tapered too fast. She also said to try Trazodone which she did not prescribe and that my former MD who got me Dependent on Ativan prescribed to me. I tried the Trazodone for 2 days and became worse and was having mania and the EMT came and a online ER Doctor gave me 10mg of GEODON and I slept for 1.5 days. I was told by my new MD do not take any Geodon.  I am NOT going to take Trazodone either! I am Hyper Manic NOT depressed and antidepressants have NEVER worked and I told my new MD that and she blew it off! She said  she did not think it was the Trazodone. However, I know it was because my former MD's have tried antidepressants and they did the same thing to me! She then told me to go to 10mg of Diazepam for 14 days!?!?! Is it common to have insomnia while on Diazepam? I want to taper after 14 days but will this be possible when at dose equal to the Ativan I am having insomnia? Thanks in advance for any information. I can't find the information while taking Diazepam and getting insomnia without tapering or I just do not understand how this works!

 

The Trazodone made me have thoughts of  doing myself in, Rage, Depression, anger, extreme irritability, and caused on the second day epigastric pain. Emergency Services  (EMT's) and the Sheriff were called and they gave me 10mg of Geodon. My current MD does not want me on Geodon. She also did NOT prescribe me the Trazodone either; but wanted me to try the old prescription of/from my former MD who got me hooked on Ativan? I do believe this is not Lawful as my wife is a BSN RN? Also, I have and was told that I have to use Nexium for life? I stopped the Nexium because of the interaction with Diazepam. I had to stop ALL PPI's that included the option of use of Pantoprazole which will react with my Hydralazine and Simvastatin and cause nerve damage and so I stay away from carbs and meat except fish and salad as much as possible to reduce the cholesterol. I do not have a Gall Bladder. Funny thing though? I had gastritis while on the Nexium for the last 18 years and I have less symptom s now than when on it. I read somewhere chronic use of PPI's to reduce acid GERD or Hiatal Hernias with GERD can cause Gastritis, Gastroenteritis, and Esophagitis? The article also said if PPI's are over used then they must be reduced... by reduction of the PPI's my symptoms have almost disappeared and the medical article seems very true. Additionally, Ativan is Cholinergic and IT was DEFINITELY contributing to Gastritis as well. My Blood Pressure is NOW in the 140/99 some times or 130/89-90 and when on both Diazepam and Hydralazine in the 125/80's! My problem will be insomnia while getting off this Diazepam stuff!! I have no plans and have no idea or medical knowledge on detoxification on Diazepam. Worse the Diazepam impairs Cognitive Function and decisions can't be made by me. Today, I have had sleep of 7 hours after moving my middle dose closer to my morning dose! That is why I can write at all. I am simply terrified. 6 to 8 months of no sleep and then insomnia again after getting off of the Diazepam seems impossible.

Hi John1254,

 

could you put a signature with your history of Benzos and other meds? This way we can give more custom advise.

 

I believe that your insomnia is mainly caused by Benzo withdrawal. My issue was insomnia and it still mainly is. I am tapering Diazepam, but I was sleeping poorly on the original Benzo I was on after a while.

 

If sleep is really a problem, there are some tips I want to give. First if all, stabilize on the Diazepam. It is unclear to me how much Ativan you were on, but basically it that dose x10 Diazepam.

 

Secondly, my insomnia got so bad during my too rapid withdrawal I was losing my mind. An antihistamine seems to help a bit.

 

Lastly it is hard to say if the other meds you are on are contributing to the issues. Mirtazepine and Trazodone were awful for me, so I tossed them as they made me feel worse. For some a low dose of melatonin helps.

 

Best of luck,

Naf1983

 

Hello,

 

I originally was prescribed Ativan and Seroquel for Panic Attacks. As 14 years have past I only took Ativan because the Seroquel was giving me irregular heart rate. I crossed over from Ativan to Diazepam to get off of Ativan that was mixing with my other meds and raising my Blood Pressure over 200/100 and killing me. I made the switch on August 02 of 2022 but now the Diazepam is giving me insomnia and I haver not even began tapering yet. I get sleep about 4 to 5 hours. Originally, I switched from 1.75MG Ativan to 12.5 Diazepam and it nearly killed me with seizures for 2 days and on the 5th day I made it. I decided to drop to 10mg of Diazepam on the 6th day and stayed there for 5 days and then dropped again to 8.75mg of Diazepam. I stayed at 8.75mg for 8 Days and then dropped to 7.5mg and then had shakes had no sleep, anger, irritability, depression, rage, and muscle twitching. My MD said I dropped too FAST and to go to 8mg! She was  sure that I tapered too fast. She also said to try Trazodone which she did not prescribe and that my former MD who got me Dependent on Ativan prescribed to me. I tried the Trazodone for 2 days and became worse and was having mania and the EMT came and a online ER Doctor gave me 10mg of GEODON and I slept for 1.5 days. I was told by my new MD do not take any Geodon.  I am NOT going to take Trazodone either! I am Hyper Manic NOT depressed and antidepressants have NEVER worked and I told my new MD that and she blew it off! She said  she did not think it was the Trazodone. However, I know it was because my former MD's have tried antidepressants and they did the same thing to me! She then told me to go to 10mg of Diazepam for 14 days!?!?! Is it common to have insomnia while on Diazepam? I want to taper after 14 days but will this be possible when at dose equal to the Ativan I am having insomnia? Thanks in advance for any information. I can't find the information while taking Diazepam and getting insomnia without tapering or I just do not understand how this works!

 

The Trazodone made me have thoughts of  doing myself in, Rage, Depression, anger, extreme irritability, and caused on the second day epigastric pain. Emergency Services  (EMT's) and the Sheriff were called and they gave me 10mg of Geodon. My current MD does not want me on Geodon. She also did NOT prescribe me the Trazodone either; but wanted me to try the old prescription of/from my former MD who got me hooked on Ativan? I do believe this is not Lawful as my wife is a BSN RN? Also, I have and was told that I have to use Nexium for life? I stopped the Nexium because of the interaction with Diazepam. I had to stop ALL PPI's that included the option of use of Pantoprazole which will react with my Hydralazine and Simvastatin and cause nerve damage and so I stay away from carbs and meat except fish and salad as much as possible to reduce the cholesterol. I do not have a Gall Bladder. Funny thing though? I had gastritis while on the Nexium for the last 18 years and I have less symptom s now than when on it. I read somewhere chronic use of PPI's to reduce acid GERD or Hiatal Hernias with GERD can cause Gastritis, Gastroenteritis, and Esophagitis? The article also said if PPI's are over used then they must be reduced... by reduction of the PPI's my symptoms have almost disappeared and the medical article seems very true. Additionally, Ativan is Colo-genic and IT was DEFINITELY contributing to Gastritis as well. My Blood Pressure is NOW in the 140/99 some times or 130/89-90 and when on both Diazepam and Hydralazine in the 125/80's! My problem will be insomnia while getting off this Diazepam stuff!! I have no plans and have no idea or medical knowledge on detoxification on Diazepam. Worse the Diazepam impairs Cognitive Function and decisions can't be made by me. Today, I have had sleep of 7 hours after moving my middle dose closer to my morning dose! That is why I can write at all. I am simply terrified. 6 to 8 months of no sleep and then insomnia again after getting off of the Diazepam seems impossible.

Hi John1254,

 

On august 2nd you made the switch from 1.75mg Ativan to 12.5mg diazepam. 1.75mg Ativan is the equivalent of 17.5mg diazepam, so you essentially dropped the equivalent of 5mg diazepam in the crossover (Mistake No 1).

 

I also get the impression that you switched directly from Ativan to Diazepam overnight (no slow crossover). Is this correct? Crossover should be done over a period of weeks, gradually reducing the Ativan whilst gradually increasing the Diazepam until total daily dose is Diazepam. If this is what happened (Mistake No 2)

 

Although both are benzodiazepines, they are very different medications, so you would have been going through cold turkey from the Ativan whilst adjusting to the Diazepam. This happened to me! Very painful indeed.

 

Then, only 6 days later you cut your dose from 12.5mg to 10mg and then only 5 days later you cut again to 8.5mg followed by a cut to 7.5mg only 8 days after that (Mistakes 3, 4, 5) before being hit by intense benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms.

 

Can you see all these mistakes?

 

What you’re experiencing is intense withdrawal. The mistakes made in the conversion of benzodiazepine equivalencies followed by a much too fast taper rate and comprising of dose reduction much to large have put you into intense withdrawal symptoms.

 

I would suggest that the diazepam has nothing to do with your insomnia. After every cut in dose I experience severe insomnia until I stabilise again. Then sleep gradually returns. Your sleep will return too, once you allow yourself to stabilise.

 

I suggest you hold without setting a time limit. The situation you’re in could mean you need longer to stabilise, so wait until you feel you’ve recovered and stabilised sufficiently, before resuming your taper at a much slower rate.

 

It is generally recommended a dose reduction of 5 - 10% of your daily dose every 10 - 14 days, although, some members need to go slower.

 

Naf1983 make a good point - if you could fill in your history/signature, it would really help guide you, and you would also get more replies from other members because of the information you display in your signature.

 

Feel free to ask anymore questions you may have.

 

We are here to support you and help you avoid anymore unnecessary suffering.

 

Take care, John1254

 

WS

 

 

Thanks. Do my Doctors EVEN know what they are doing??? They did this to me! I used an online calculator instead of the Ashton Method.

Not sure how to do "history/signature"? My MD is Br. B and I found him on YouTube.

 

 

They told me not to watch Benzo Buddies? Up Theirs! I am watching!!!! Are my Detox PA's and MD trying to KILL ME?! A before Detox Center dropped me 50% of the Benzo's and nearly killed me in Bakersfield. Good Samaritan. I have learned NOT to trust any MD's because so many have almost killed me! My wife is a BSN RN and she saved me all those times. I now use Drugs.com to check drug interactions and that was how I found out that Ativan was doing all of this to me! It saved my life! There are no Detox Centers in Bakersfield. When I asked my Psychiatrist to taper me off Ativan he stopped prescribing me Ativan! He tried let me die! I had to go to this FAKE detox center (Good Samaritan) to buy time for my new MD to give me Ativan for 4 days until a new prescription could be filled by another MD. Because my old MD PSYCHIATRIST RED FLAGGED me as a ADDICT to my Pharmacy! I have ONLY been taking this stuff as he prescribed it, no more and no less!!!! EVER! I almost died at least 12 times this year! I am so upset and I have no F/N words! Even My PCP even said "YOU ARE NOT ADDICTED or DEPENDANT to Ativan after taking this for 14 years? I will NEVER go back to my PCP ever again. He was my MD for 15 years!!!!!!! Thanks for the heads up! I thought I was at dose at 10mg? Now I know I was in severe withdraw!!!!!!!! God Dam IT!

This was my post on YouTube to Dr. B.

 

I have been on 2MG of Ativan for 14 years! I started to taper when got High Blood Pressure and the Ativan was interacting with my BP Meds! My blood pressure was spiking to 230 over 130! I almost DIED several times! My taper was wrong at first and  then too fast. I went to a Detox Center and those fools dropped me 50% or from 2MG to 1MG in 1 DAY and I went in to SHOCK and they only gave me 100MG of Gabapentin!!!!! Almost died again! I learned later the Detox Center was a SCAM where they bill Medical and Medicare and then throw the patient out on to the street within 2 to 9 days! I am now attempting to taper from 2MG to 1.75MG by myself for 2 weeks and the then drop to 1.5MG and stay there for a month and then drop to 1.0MG and stay there for 2 months. From there who knows and who knows for how long! This is a NIGHTMARE for me! I am in Bakersfield, Ca. and I do not know what to do as there is no detox centers here!!!!!!!! I am panicked and sometimes wish I was DEAD as the Blood Pressure is out of Control and the withdraw symptoms are: shaking, cold, my muscles all over are tight (neck, diaphragm, leg muscles), BP Spikes that last for hours, having small spasms. Any help would be appreciated. Was put on Clonidine, Hydralazine, and Losartan. The Clonidine is dangerous because of BP rebound. I am 53 years old. My GI tract is a mess and it was not before!

I agree with Winters sun, I feel holding for now would be your best bet, there have been too many recent changes and you need to stabilize.  I'd also not plan your taper out so far, your symptoms will guide your taper if you pay attention to your dose reductions and your symptom severity, good record keeping can be invaluable.

 

Here are the instruction for creating your signature. Add your history/signature

Thank you.  I will stay at 10mg Diazepam with schedule 4/2/4. I am also taking Geodon 3 times a week allowing 30 + hours or more to control possible addiction to Geodon in between to sleep and stabilize. I will do my "history/signature" when I can think more clearly.

Geodon is 20mg. Lowest dose they have.

Its good to see you're aware of dependency issues with the Geodon, you still may need to taper it but hopefully it won't be as intense as the Diazepam.

I have decided to take Geodon twice a week. Will that stop me from added addiction? If not then I have to consider upping the Diazepam with my MD/PA.

I have decided to take the Geodon only twice a week. Will that give me Addiction?

I don't have any experience with Geodon, you might want to ask about it on the Other Medications board or you can do a search using these tools, they're much better than the forums search tool.  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=251991.0

 

 

Hello again,

 

I took Nexium with the Diazepam and this put me to sleep and I got chills. It says in interactions that it increases the plasma levels and interacts with Diazepam. Should I be worried?