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How to taper? 2 week of diazepam use


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I am currently almost at 2 weeks of diazepam use (day 12 to be precise), 8mg per day. Every day that goes by I get more afraid of how long I have been taking it.

 

I have tried to find guides on tapering after such short term user but have struggled to find anything. I need some guidance as to how to approach this as I don't think I could deal with the withdrawals people have described on here, I'm in a very fragile state physically and mentally.

 

Someone please help me before it's too late to avoid problems.

 

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Hello, Panda19.

 

To help us help you, would you please list your total daily diazepam dose on each of the past 12 days?

 

In this post, you’ve indicated you are taking 8mg.  In your July 5 post, you indicated you were taking 2mg.

 

It would also be helpful to know if you have a history of taking and discontinuing benzodiazepines or other psychotropic drugs.

 

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Apologies for the confusion. I have been taking 4x2mg per day for 12 days, with a few days in that time being 2x2mg as I tried to lower.

I went back to 4x2mg after those few days as the problem I was put on it for was still bad. I was reluctant but my doctor insisted. So 10 days 8mg in total and 2 days 4mg in total.

 

I have taken Fluoxetine and Citalopram in previous years and tapered those successfully without effects.

 

I have had two incidences in my life that I was given diazepam for one day but it was literally for a day on those two occasions.

 

Does all that help and make sense? Thanks.

 

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Hi Panda19,

 

I've moved your post to the taper board since it looks like you need some help in that department.  I'll also provide instructions for adding your medication history into your signature, this way members can see at a glance where you and where you've been, this helps us help you. Add your history/signature

 

I know you'll get excellent suggestions on this board to help you get off of the Valium but I did want to say that I feel your fear about being on the Valium too long is justified and I'm concerned so I hope you can come to a decision soon.  I can promise you that whatever the problem you were put on it to fix will only get worse the longer you stay on the drug.  I don't say this to scare you, this is coming from years of reading how these drugs make just about every situation worse for people like us who can't take these drugs long term and have great difficulty withdrawing and recovering from.

 

Pamster

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I agree with Pamster.  The sooner you can discontinue the diazepam, the better.  If you’ve read the patient information pamphlet that accompanied your prescription, you know that one of the risks of taking benzodiazepines is that physical dependence can develop quite rapidly.

 

Given the medication history you’ve shared with us, it sounds like you may be a good candidate for a direct taper via pill-splitting.  Here’s a description of this approach:

 

Pill-splitting taper plans

http://www.benzobuddies.org/benzodiazepine-withdrawal-methods/direct-taper/

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Thank you for the replies.

 

I have had a call with my doctor today who has advised me to taper by doing 2 days of 3x2mg, 2 days of 2x2mg and 2 days of 1x2mg then stop.

 

She advised this is the fastest she would recommend but I can hold at a dose for a day or 2 if I feel it's too quick.

 

Given my timescale of use should this tapering schedule allow me to be successful with little to no issues/withdrawal?

 

I'm sorry for being at all paranoid, repetitive or annoying but I am desperate for some help from people with experience.

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No need to apologize, this process is scary, we all understand and we just want you to escape what we're had to endure or are currently enduring.

 

I didn't taper so I can't really speak to your doctors plan but what I do like about it is that she gave you the option to slow it down if things get too rough.  A patient led, symptom based taper is just what we hope for.  :thumbsup:

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Thanks Pamster, I appreciate your non-judgemental attitude. I feel such a fool for not being more diligent in considering the risks of this medication before commencing. I try to not to be hard on myself though as I wasn't really in a fit state to consider the implications at the time.

 

That being said I hope someone with relevant experience can comment on my suggested taper to give me an idea of whether I am along the right lines/what to expect from it.

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My guess is we don’t have many currently active members who have experience with the taper schedule your prescriber has proposed.  Some (maybe even many) individuals are able to taper successfully* using this ‘what I learned in medical/nursing/pharmacy school’ approach, but they don’t tend to frequent the ‘halls’ of BenzoBuddies. 

 

As you know, our general rule of thumb is to make an initial, trial reduction in the range of 5 - 10%. If all goes well, then the taper rate can be increased.  Your prescriber’s schedule has you making a 25% reduction (followed by rapid reductions of 33%, 50%, and 100%).

 

Given the level of uncertainty/anxiety you are experiencing, I wonder if your prescriber would be willing to let you try a smaller reduction followed by a brief hold to evaluate how you respond?  For example, a reduction from 8mg to 7mg would be a 12.5% reduction. 

 

*Note: ‘Tapering successfully’ does not necessarily mean ‘no symptoms or issues’ — it means symptoms are tolerable.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I went ahead with the agreed taper I discussed with my doctor but added two days of 1mg at the end to ease the jump. My last day of 1mg was Tuesday 19th and I am doing ok so far. I have what I believe is some rebound anxiety, trembling, heart palpitations and sensitivity to noise(easy startling). Some of these symptoms were present because of the reason I was put on the diazepam so it is hard to know if ceasing it has contributed to them or not but either way they are not debilitating  so I am grateful for that. I am not getting ahead of myself as I know the long half life of diazepam could mean things will change in the coming weeks in terms of symptoms but I am just taking one day at a time and being as optimistic as I can. (Not always easy for me with my anxiety but you've got to try don't you!)

 

Thank you so much for asking, it was very kind of you.

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