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Feeling MORE drugged as I go down in Valium.


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So far, my taper has been somewhat manageable (following Ashton Valium taper from 2.5mg of Ativan).  I'm very lucky that I can continue to work (although it's a challenge every day).

 

I am now on all Valium just cut from 24mg to 22 this week. 

 

I feel very "drugged" throughout the day and I am very unstable when I'm standing.  I am also feeling the depression starting to get worse.  This all happened so quickly; should I just give it more time (I've been on 22 for 5 days now)?  I'm VERY reluctant to go back up again.

 

Thanks in advance.

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When your tapering, you have to remember the Valium has built up in your body.  There's usually a delay or lag time when cutting to when you start to feel the lower dose, and start the adjustment process.  Long story short, its usually safe to cut every 7-14 days.  Some cuts go easier than others too.  What you're feeling could very well be a decent amount of build up, and haven't really felt the 'punch' of the cut.  Don't get caught with your pants down either.  Keep moving forward cautiously.

 

About the depression... That's a bitch.  There was really nothing that helped me with depression, especially during the winter months.  One thing that really did help was reach out to friends and family, and just 'catch up'.  Listen to someone elses problems just to keep your mind sharp.  Lots of vitamins and drink plenty of fluids.  I wish there was an easy 'fix it' suggestion, but there's really no one size fits all.

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Not to be too short, -but it sounds like very typical benzo WD, possibly with the valium "downer" that it can be known for...

Yes V can have quite the lag time..!! Months in my case, with other meds and sensitivity in the mix, but thats a stretch for most people I think..

I guess the only way to realy know is to hold and see what pans out, if you feel the need...

 

:)

 

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Is the Valium delay or lag time only true for crossovers from a benzo with a short half life like Ativan? Having only taken another long acting benzo like Klonopin, that lag makes sense.
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Hello everybody.  Me too on the Valium... depression .. but we have to keep going to get thru this.

I've been missing in action for a while.. just couldn't do anything.  barely tapering.. down to 11 from 15.

but this seems to be as fast as I can go.  Hang in there...  Others before us have succeeded.  That keeps

me going. 

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I went off 1 Adivan with 30 mg of Valium.  I think the doctor gave me too much to switch.  Nevertheless, I felt good till I hit 10 mg.  I tapered too fast, faster than Ashton said.  So My advice to you is Stick to the Schedule and don't go too fast even if you feel strong and good, don't advance faster than the schedule.  I did and I'm paying for it.  I'm on HOLD on 10 mg now because of severe withdrawals for a month so far.  When you taper too fast, it's like you went off COLD TURKEY.  That's how severe it is.  So go according to the schedule or slow down and/or HOLD if you have to till you know your body stabilizes.  I'm still not stabilized as yet, still waiting.  Biggest symptom is that my healthy heart, healthy, clear arteries is reacting to my Central Nervous System raising my BP to dangerous levels.  Trying daily to keep my BP down and it's been very difficult.  You do not want to get to this point.  So take it slow.
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Is the Valium delay or lag time only true for crossovers from a benzo with a short half life like Ativan? Having only taken another long acting benzo like Klonopin, that lag makes sense.

I have only noticed it in relation to V reductions, but I havnt taken other benzos or done a cross over...

Its simply the time it takes one to adjust to a reduced dose.. Perhaps it relates to benzo type changes or C/Os in its own way too..?? -IDK...?

 

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Yes, I've had that horrid "drugged" feeling on valium. It's like being "on something". Yes, there was definitely a delay and it made the depression way worse. But I would have been a goner on ativan, so it was either valium or klonopin for me, and I found this site and the Ashton manual, and reading the Ashton manual, it seemed that valium made more sense.

 

However, I felt such a difference in potency between ativan and valium. Huge difference. Ativan acts so much stronger on me than Valium. I was carefully microtapering ativan, and as I would get down around .25mg ativan, I'd add 2.5mg Valium. I personally found valium easier to taper down that ativan, but it's far from easy. It's just a lot of harrowing, prolonged misery, where with ativan, the reductions felt immediate, disgusting, sharp and awful. I would not recommend any of those drugs to anyone, other than valium for taper. It is hell on Earth. All of it.

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