Swapping 1 x 10mg Valium For 5 x 2mg..... Scared!

In need of some help please.

I have been on 1x10mg Diazepam tablet every day for the past 19 years. To do my taper my Dr has prescribed me 2mg Diazepam tablets. This is the crazy part. I am scared stiff to take the 5x2mg tablets..... It's crazy as it is the exact same dose that I am on now and have been for 19 years. For some strange reason I think that taking the 5x2mg tabs will make me more anxious (originally prescribed for severe anxiety and agoraphobia)

How do l overcome this?

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

How about taking five 2mg pills and breaking each in half.  That would make ten 1mg pills.  Same exact dose as before.

How about taking five 2mg pills and breaking each in half.  That would make ten 1mg pills.  Same exact dose as before.

 

Badsocref, I don't understand your advice here. 10 pills, five pills, 1 pill...it's all the same dosage if it adds up to 10mgs. I think the OPs anxiety is over taking more pills, not a different dose. Forgive me if I misinterpreted what you wrote.

 

Leonlion, I can't think of any reason why taking the same dose with more pills would be intrinsically harmful. It's really about the dose. Some people have problems with pill fillers and linings, but it's rare and I think you'd already know it if that were the case since you've been taking this stuff for awhile. It really seems like a non issue and nothing you need to be worried about at all.

 

Did your doctor say why they want you to do it this way?

 

Are they saying take the two mgs at different times to space out your dosage over the day?

 

Or are they saying to take all five of the pills at the same time?

 

Basically, what is their reason? Are you experiencing interdose withdrawal? Because that would be a reason to space your dose (but going to 5 times from 1 time seems...excessive).

 

Anyways, if you could provide more context it would help people help you.

 

Here's why guess. They want you to start tapering from 10mgs. So they are giving you smaller size pills so that you can do that. So one week you'll take 5x2mg pills for your normal dose of 10mgs. Then you'll go down to 4x2mg pills, and half of another pill (1mg), which would equal 9mgs. Then after some time for your symptoms to call down, you'll take 4x2mg pills, for a total of 8 mgs. And you'll just keep going down like that. Because you can't really cut up a 10mg tablet as effectively as you can taper using smaller sized pills.

 

Does that make sense and does it fall in line with what your doctor is saying?

 

quiet

 

 

 

Thanks greatly for the replies. It's the fear of change, any change scares me at the moment. I instantly think that taking 5x2mg diazepam tablets will make me feel worse, I know, it's crazy! The manufacturer is exactly the same on the 2mg tablets as the 10mg tablets, yet I am so scared.

Reason I want to go on the 2mg tablets is to slowly taper. I have read many articles that long term benzo use actually increases anxiety..... I don't know how true this is, but there are a few things about it on the net. They will be taken all at once, so first thing in the morning like I do with my current 10mg tablet.

Once I pluck up the courage to go on the 5x2mg tablets then I could maybe space them out throughout the day, say 4mg morning, 2mg lunchtime and 4mg evening..... I don't know if that would be better?

 

But the main issue is swapping 1x10mg diazepam tablet for 5x2mg tablets. Scares me like crazy.

 

So sorry if I sound really silly.

 

Would it be less scary to do this in stages?  10 x 1 mg; then 8 x 1 mg + 1 x 2 mg; then 6 x 1 mg + 2 x 2 mg...

Valium has a long half life. Why space them out if you haven't been doing that up until now?

Make a taper plan - be very glad that your doctor agreed to give you 2 mg pills.

Read the Ashton manual as often as it takes for it to sink in. I have experience of needing to read it again and again - benzo brains are dull.

If you're taking your valium only once a day, it will much easier to measure doses at the end of your taper so there's motivation to stay on once a day.

The hardest part is to start your taper. Once you get going, it does become easier.

Thanks greatly for the replies. It's the fear of change, any change scares me at the moment. I instantly think that taking 5x2mg diazepam tablets will make me feel worse, I know, it's crazy! The manufacturer is exactly the same on the 2mg tablets as the 10mg tablets, yet I am so scared.

Reason I want to go on the 2mg tablets is to slowly taper. I have read many articles that long term benzo use actually increases anxiety..... I don't know how true this is, but there are a few things about it on the net. They will be taken all at once, so first thing in the morning like I do with my current 10mg tablet.

Once I pluck up the courage to go on the 5x2mg tablets then I could maybe space them out throughout the day, say 4mg morning, 2mg lunchtime and 4mg evening..... I don't know if that would be better?

 

But the main issue is swapping 1x10mg diazepam tablet for 5x2mg tablets. Scares me like crazy.

 

So sorry if I sound really silly.

 

I was on klonopin for a long time and it eventually caused me anxiety and insomnia. I was thankfully saved by a partial cross to Valium. The replies you are getting concerning your valium doses make perfect sense. I think it’s your anxiety that is making you so worried. I honestly changed my Valium doses frequently. First four time a day, then three etc until I got to one. I didn’t feel worse. Same total dose is all that matters.