First time post need help with Valium taper.

I have 10mg tablets, 90 approx. and I have started tapering but it’s just really rough. My biggest fear is having a seizure. I went cold turkey off of Xanax only to find that I had major rebound anxiety. Currently I’m more agoraphobic, tinnitus, and other symptoms. Does anyone know the lowest dose I could drop to without having a seizure? And any info on liquid titration would be best. I don’t drink alcohol at all so I’m avoiding putting them in alcohol. Any help and info is greatly appreciated.

Hi Bmonkey.

 

Glad you’re here for support with your Valium taper. Let me give you a couple of links to start asking questions of the wider membership:

General Taper Plans   

Withdrawal Support (during your taper)

 

Other members replying to your posts generally prefer to know where you are in the process, so here’s how to add your benzodiazepine information automatically to your posts: go to Profile, then Forum Profile, write your pertinent info (benzodiazepine, dose, taper history) in the text box and save. Thanks! Let us know if you need help with this.

 

Take care,

Challis 

 

 

The Ashton Manual is a comprehensive and highly regarded free online resource about benzodiazepine use, withdrawal and recovery. If you’re not familiar with it we recommend having a look.

I’ve been using the Ashton method and have got from 30mg’s a day to 10-15mg’s a day. My doctor has been really crappy about tapering and have me the typical 4 weeks to taper which I’ve tried. I also went 3-4 months cold turkey Xanax. Which didn’t really work, I still had anxiety and weird symptoms. It’s kind of hard to explain since I’ve only take one 10mg tablet this morning. I don’t plan on taking anymore today.

Does your doctor understand that you may still be feeling the effects of the Xanax withdrawal? For most people it would take quite some time for the anxiety and other withdrawal symptoms to go away after a cold turkey.

No. They gave me a 4 week taper plan of Valium. I did that and it was hellish. So I started tapering on my own.

What if u don’t even tell the doc you’re tapering and they just keep feeding you the Valium.  In the meantime follow one of the taper plans here (daily micro liquid taper seems like a winner).

This way you won’t have to deal with explaining reality to your moron doctor and you don’t have to worry about cold turkey or rapid taper.  Just a thought.

PS - find a new doctor, it will be worth it.  2/3 docs I’ve seen understand the pains of benzo withdrawal and are willing to go along with a super slow taper schedule.  Post your city and state and maybe someone can recommend a doc in the area that is reasonable.

My experience is that doctors don't want to hear about a taper or quitting a benzo but they are quite happy to keep writing a prescription forever so I'm tapering myself (and it is not an easy process) but I can't handle trying to educate a medical professional while sick from withdrawal. I used to try for support from a doctor but their idea of quitting is generally 4 weeks and you're off which we all know is not so. I had a whole lot of unnecessary tests when I quit other psych drugs and everything always came back normal - it's the withdrawal and no doctor that I've found knows or cares - as far as they're concerned, you're off the drug and all is well and if it isn't, you are relapsing so go back on the drugs.

Even with my benzo damaged brain, I trust my own judgement more than theirs.