How long did it take you from 1mg V to done?

Eh- am I the slowest person on the planet? This is gruesome. Each 1/100th of a mg of Valium is torture and my body is fighting it. I feel EVERY drop that I cut. Pain is the worst symptom. Headaches aren’t touchable- no less help and I’ve tried everything. So I just suffer. Like knives in my brain.

  I’m at .88mg of compounded liquid Valium. If I take 3 weeks per .1, or a little longer, I’ll be done in February. Ahhh!! Does my body eventually stop getting therapeutic effect? When? I can’t imagine jumping- I’ll have to walk off super, super low.

  I was hoping to jump off by the new year- 2019! So three months to go from .88 to off. Has anyone done that, who had a difficult taper? Come on, please I need a pep talk! Is this doable?

  Thank you!!

Hi StTheresa A,

  I understand how hard tapering valium is. I have deep compassion for you. I also did a very slow taper. At the end I was only able to reduce .001mg per week. Some of us are sensitive to very small reductions. It was not easy but once you are finished, even if symptoms continue, it feels good to be free. I'm still healing but much much better than during the taper or the first few years off.

 

Pain was one of my worst symptoms as well. I think that is quite common. I used heating pads, rice bags, massage, gentle yoga, meditation, walks and lots of distraction. I watched more tv and movies than ever before. It was very challenging. Some days it was one minute at a time and here I am, three years free. You can do this!

 

Knowing I was not alone was very helpful. I made some good friends here and counted on their support to get through. My sweet husband was by my side (he has become very involved in benzodiazepine prescription reform) every step of the way. It was the hardest thing we've ever done in our long marriage.

 

Healing is individual...some folks are better within a few months others take years. You don't know where you will fall on the healing curve. One certainty is even when you are feel sick you are making progress. Our bodies know how to heal from this damage. You will be well one day!

 

Right now you are in the very difficult process of ridding yourself of the drug. After the taper our bodies need to process the residual drug and recover from the damge it caused. I prefer to call post taper "recovery" rather than "withdrawal". There is a widely believed idea in the medical community that once the drug is out of your system you should be well.  Perhaps that is true for some but others may heal long afterwards.

 

Trust that you can do this. It takes oodles of self compassion and patience. Many many people have done it before us. Believe in their success. Go slowly... day by day it adds up to being drug free. It feels great to not worry about cutting and measuring. It gets better!

 

With encouragement,

Carita

Thank you!!! Progress is progress, even if it is SLOW and it’s painful. Healing is taking place. Thanks:)