want to stop diazepam as quickly as is safe.It's been makingme so ill for months

I am currently on 2.5mgs diazepam, and have never been well on it. I have been tapering for several months, though never on a high dose my taper was broken in hospital and put back on 4 mgs of diazepam, that being my original starting point.

I am feeling too old at almost 74 to keep taking diazepam as I feel it is too damaging to me and so I wondered if I could speed up my taper and still be safe.

I wish I could just stop, but think that might not be safe, so wondered how quickly I could reduce down and off. I really feel continuing to take diazepam is harming me so much, and in truth I just want to save my life.

I do not want to cause PAWs, but am hopint there is a safe amount I can go down by and get off this drug that is killing me as soon as possible.

Thank you for any guidance. My Psychiastrist is of no use, she says I can stop it in a week. I am not sure about that after 10 months of use, but maybe she is correct I don't know

Thank you in advance 

 

Your Dr is wrong imo, you seem very sensitive to Valium as I was. Please be careful, I was tapered too rapidly off 2.5mg V and I had a stroke which the hospital attributed to the too rapid taper as I had no cardiac issues prior to taking the V for only 6 weeks. I am now 13 months off and still suffering badly which I am sure is due to the rapid taper. I wish I had done a micro taper but I was clueless, like the Dr. My Dr had told me that 2.5mg was a tiny dose, hardly even therapeutic but my neurologist told me that no dose of benzo is "small" as they act on the cns in a very powerful and detrimental way. There is no quick fix for this.

Please be careful, chinchuck. I went down from 3.75mg diazepam to 2.5mg diazepam in November of 2018, and I have still not recovered from it. It was too big of a reduction for me. I wish I'd gone a bit more slowly.

 

2.5mg diazepam is not a small amount, and especially not if you are sensitive. Please be careful and consider a microtaper on the way down.

Thank you so much southern star and loraz

I know you are both talking a lot of sense.

I certainly don't want to end up having a stroke. or making matters worse than they already are.

I realise I am extremely sensitive to this drug and the damage it has done, so I guess I am not the ideal candidate for hurrying off. It's just this dread of more time and more Valium going into my body, and having no life at all, just endless fear.

I wish I had known all I know now before I ever took the Doctor's drug, but I blindly believed that Doctors were there to help us, not cause us suffering. I was given no warning re how long I could or should take it, and I am talking last year when they really should have issued instructions especially to an older lady of now nearly 74, but no advice was given, and then passed on to the Community mental health team when I developed more symptoms of nausea lack of appetite and agoraphobia. I went with and anxiety problem but this went so much worse, and I wondered about the Valium, indeed repeatedly phoning and asking about safety of taking, but was talked to as if stupid and told that on a low dose I was absolutely fine and that it takes years to become addicted. Anyway what is done is done. All I can do is try to heal, but it's an horrendous journey, as I am sure you both know.

I worry at my age if  I will ever heal, but I guess that is a common thought for those who are really struggling. No one knows the answer, but I do hope my life is not over. I have tried so hard through life to avoid anything addictive, even drank de caf tea, and yet this has happened.

I will try for the moment to stick to tapering which is extremely hard on me as I do feel the smallest of cuts, the latest being .05mg from my 2.5mgs after a 2 week hold. I am hoping to do this for 7 days, then another .05mgs for another 7 days. which will be .1mg  cut in 2 weeks,  then hold. I hope it's not too fast, but I have to do something. I find it hard to understand why the very low doses should be such a problem, but from what I read it seems for the sensitive few, the last few mgs are really tough. If I can go down like this till I reach 2mgs I think I may then go onto a DMLT maybe at a dilution of 1mg per 100mls reducing 1ml per day and holding of necessary.

 

I do have the liquid Valium, which I am using for the tiny reductions I am making but when an even number I just use pills. I do find that the liquid is different, I don't know why but it increases my already severe fear state, It may be something in the liquid. as in the sweetener they have added or the colouring which normally would not other me, but now everything does.

 

This means when using just liquid I might have to make my own, using milk. I shall see if and when I get there.

 

 

Even now though I wish I could just stop. I want Jen back, and for some they can do that, I just hope at my age it's not too late to heal. and I worry that more weeks and months are being added on to the time I am on it.

 

 

I really do appreciate you taking the time to respond, and have taken on board what you have said. Thank you 

Hi Chin,

 

Its great to see you have a plan, and are able to remove some V..!!

I do hope things will get easier as you go...

-I just wanted to wish you the best...

 

I am currently on 2.5mgs diazepam, and have never been well on it. I have been tapering for several months, though never on a high dose my taper was broken in hospital and put back on 4 mgs of diazepam, that being my original starting point.

I am feeling too old at almost 74 to keep taking diazepam as I feel it is too damaging to me and so I wondered if I could speed up my taper and still be safe.

I wish I could just stop, but think that might not be safe, so wondered how quickly I could reduce down and off. I really feel continuing to take diazepam is harming me so much, and in truth I just want to save my life.

I do not want to cause PAWs, but am hopint there is a safe amount I can go down by and get off this drug that is killing me as soon as possible.

Thank you for any guidance. My Psychiastrist is of no use, she says I can stop it in a week. I am not sure about that after 10 months of use, but maybe she is correct I don't know

Thank you in advance

 

 

Have you Bern on 2.5 from the very beginning or you dropped to 2.5mg from higher dose?

 

I too got severe reaction to valium from day1 taking it for muscle spasm. Started at 2.5mg in August  2018 and dropped in 2 big steps after 5wk at 2.5. I'm now at .53mg and in severe wd and still experiencing terrifying side effect. Each time I cut, the side effects would lesson while WD ramp up. I would like to hear more from you guys about your experience fast tapering due to side efgects.

Hi chin chuck,

 

Im sorry you are suffering. For what it's worth, the ativan was making  me very sick. I felt much better off. I'm sad in tapered for long as I did.  I wish I had listened to my gut and my dr.

 

I dont think long holds make sense. What does your gut say? No one has to live in your body but you.

Hi anxiousmama,

I'm happy to hear you are doing much better after stopping !

 

How are you feeling now?

 

4mom

Hi anxiousmama,

I'm happy to hear you are doing much better after stopping !

 

How are you feeling now?

 

Okay. Sweat that is burning on fire getting worse.

4mom

Chin, how are you doing now? Any better?

There are several ways of thinking about getting off benzos. Long slow tapers, or rapid tapers, or cold turkey. None of then PREVENT withdrawal symptoms in some people. There is no way to predict how YOU will react. It is a guessing game. I went CT with horrible results but I also know for sure (NOW!) that if I had tapered I would have felt just as awful. I guess I am super sensitive to benzos and ADs plus I took benzos for 30 years. OMG, can you imagine?

If we were people who don't have bad WD symptoms, we would not be here on BB. Its just a few people who have this much trouble getting off them.

However you decide to do this, just do it and never look back. Getting off benzos may turn out to be the best thing you ever did ….just for YOU.

Was for me.

east