New here and would like your opinion on possible Valium Taper.

So, I don't know if i am addicted or if I am just falling back into my Anxiety state. I have been on a script for 5 years on a use when needed basis. Over last 5 years 30x1mg Xanax and 20x5mg Valium has lasted 3 months. In a typical month I might take 0.25mg Xanax a day for 3 days, if my anxiety continues I switch to 5mg Valium per day say for 2 days, then 2.5mg Valium 2 days, then 1.25mg Valium 2 days and then stop. I may have 4 or 5 days with no benzo and I don't think i have any withdrawal but then I have a panic attack and 0.5mg Xanax sorts it out and then 4 or 5 days no benzo again. Last week I had to take a flight, took 0.5mg Xanax before flight, 5 hours later 0.5mg Xanax. Then nothing for 48 hours then 1.25mg Valium to sleep. I am 4 days off any benzo and I don't feel so good and this has happened before and I want to take something, if I do I relax, if i don't I might feel ok the next day. So that's an example of my usage.

I want to stop totally and have no idea if I need to balance my usage then taper or just stop. I don't know if the symptoms I get are just anxiety again or withdrawal; the symptoms are not nice. I do have Health Anxiety so any symptoms do send me running for Valium or Xanax. I am quitting Xanax now and am just working with Valium due to its longer half life.

In the last 10 days i have taken between 10 and 0 mg per day; last 10 day average is 2.75mg per day.

Love to hear your thoughts on my options and I am happy to answer any questions or add further information.

Mixing the two meds with their very different onsets and half-lives makes for a very complex model to predict or work with.  If it were me, I'd consider dropping the xanax, stabilizing on as low a daily dose of valium as is tolerable then doing a nice slow taper.

Thank you for your input and I think you are right. I have stopped taking Xanax and think I will try 2.5mg Valium once a day an hour before sleep time. I hope this will stabilise me as I guess I have been a bit erratic. I welcome any other comments, observations and advise from anyone and will keep you posted on how I am doing.

I believe your body has become dependent to the drugs and the anxiety you're experiencing has nothing to do with your original anxiety, once our bodies become tolerant to the dose, the result is increased anxiety.  This is not your original anxiety, it is anxiety produced by the drug.  Most members will  say that normal anxiety is nothing compared to benzo anxiety.

 

I'm glad you're going to eliminate the Xanax and take the Valium daily, pay close attention, the purpose of this is to stabilize and if 2.5 mgs isn't enough to accomplish this, then thing about increasing it just a little. 

So I started with 1.25mg Valium as I knew I could take more if I needed, however three days in and taking 1.25mg at 8pm every evening appears to be ok. Very little withdrawal symptoms so far. Able to get in the garden, cut down trees and round up, split and stack. Will watch and listen to my body and see how matters proceed.  . Toes, fingers and everything else crossed and a positive attitude, I so so so so hope this is going to be ok, early days I do know.

This is great news, I'm happy things are going well so far and look at you, cutting down trees and splitting wood!  Keep nurturing that positive attitude, it's an important tool in this process.

 

Keep checking in, I look forward to your next update. 

That's encouraging news.  I think you want to stabilize for at least a week before beginning any taper.  It takes a good week for valium levels to even out in your body.

Thank you both for your input, New post started in Progress Log and link added to signature. Hope I have got this right!

Looks good Northern Boy!

 

I hope you'll keep us posted, since I didn't taper it helps me help others when I can see your progress. 

I will keep posting on the progress log, thanks for everything and your support so far.