Taking a poll :: After crossing from K to V when did w/d sx's set in?

Now that's I've very successfully crossed over from 1.0 K to 20 mg. v and am now tapering from the v (I'm down to 16 mg. per day) I KNOW were are all different, but when can I expect the ride to get bumpy?  I hear it gets tougher the lower the taper gets.

I know take it one day at a time but I'm needing reassurance or at least some experiences.

Thanks so much!

Koff

Now that's I've very successfully crossed over from 1.0 K to 20 mg. v and am now tapering from the v (I'm down to 16 mg. per day) I KNOW were are all different, but when can I expect the ride to get bumpy?  I hear it gets tougher the lower the taper gets.

 

I know take it one day at a time but I'm needing reassurance or at least some experiences.

 

Thanks so much!

 

Koff

I'm sorry I do not have an answer, but a question:

I've been on klonopin 20 years.  I did an 32 week taper off of 2mg's.  I had to reinstate at 28 weeks out.  It's been devastating.  I got sick trying to cross from ativan to valium so I got back on klonopin.  Is it hard to cross from K to V and what were your main symptoms?  Can you please take a time out in this post to help me?  I would very very much be grateful.  I'm suffering so badly on the klonopin.    :'(

Kian

Hi Kian.

I've had very little symptoms.  I'm totally crossed over.  I don't know if it would be the same for you since you had to reinstate. 

The most annoying symptom was extreme tiredness.  That went away, finally.  I have a metallic taste in my mouth all the time.  But really, that's it. Again, though, I'm still on the Valium and tapering 2mg. every 7 days.  And once I get down to 10 mgs. it will be 1 mg. a week.  So I get all freaked out. 

I also dropped 10 mgs. from 30 mgs. Paxil to 20 mgs. in a week which is a huge jump and I had minimal symptoms (but that was in 2004 and I've stayed on the Paxil; am waiting to be benzo free before I tackle that one).

I'm sorry you're suffering. 

Why don't you post a separate message in the substitution forum with the words 'I need help'  and you will get lots of good answers!

Good luck, Kian.

Thank you, sorry I interrupted your post.

Kian

Bumping this question back up for Koff:

Now that's I've very successfully crossed over from 1.0 K to 20 mg. v and am now tapering from the v (I'm down to 16 mg. per day) I KNOW were are all different, but when can I expect the ride to get bumpy?  I hear it gets tougher the lower the taper gets.

I know take it one day at a time but I'm needing reassurance or at least some experiences.

Thanks so much!

Koff

Hi Koff,

When I tapered Valium, my absolute worst time was from 5 mgs to 2. Once I got below 2, things started to ease up and by the time I jumped from .5, I was feeling halfway decent. 

I never held my .5 mg cuts longer than 2 weeks, no matter how I felt.  Towards the end, I sped things up and cut every week.

Like you said, we're all different, so I just wanted to share my experience with you.

I'll answer this post by addressing Kian and Koffs concerns:

I went from .75mg klonopin to 7.5mg valium. I successfully crossed over at 4 weeks. I started having some mini w/d just before cutting out the klonopin. This went away after 3 days. At 7.5mg valium, I started having the opposite problem from w/d in that I experienced sluggishness, depression and sleepiness. I realized that 7.5mg was too much for my system so reduced the doasge down to 4mg in about a weeks time. At 4mg, I held for 2 weeks and continued the taper from there.

Initially, all went well until about 3 months out. I had gotten down to 1.5mg and after a 6 days, I had to do a dosage correction back to 2mg. That was because I started to experience w/d that was interfering too much. After going back to 2mg and holding, I felt confident again to taper and when I went to 1.5mg the second time, things went much more smoothly. I did experience more w/d from there on out but I negotiated this well.

The second time I experienced some hard issues was my first time jumping. I was hit by bad timing in that 5 days out, I caught what must have been the worst flu ever! I got slammed by some bad w/d and had to reinstate. I went back to .5mg valium and held for 4 weeks. I never used titration, so I figured out an 'alternating' taper method where I would skip days and gradually increase the number of days skipping until I decided to jump.

Best wishes to both of you as you continue!

kian,

I wasn't trying to tell you not to post in this thread ~ so sorry if it came across that way!  My suggestion was that I thought you might get more responses.

Sorry if I offended you ~

kian,

 

I wasn't trying to tell you not to post in this thread ~ so sorry if it came across that way!  My suggestion was that I thought you might get more responses.

 

Sorry if I offended you ~

 

Please don't ever think you offended me.  You most certainly did not.  Please be at peace.  We are all freaking out about everything.  I was just trying to be kind and bump up your question as an act of courtesy, and was in NO WAY offended...........thank you for your kindness.

Kian,

So THIS is what freaking out feels like 

Hugs to you too!

Koff

Now that's I've very successfully crossed over from 1.0 K to 20 mg. v and am now tapering from the v (I'm down to 16 mg. per day) I KNOW were are all different, but when can I expect the ride to get bumpy?  I hear it gets tougher the lower the taper gets.

 

I know take it one day at a time but I'm needing reassurance or at least some experiences.

 

Thanks so much!

 

Koff

Koff I am happy for you with your c/o to V.... I am also in the same boat as you are right now....  My cross over with be finished today... If you want to talk you can talk to me on my blog as we can help each other... I am on the same mgs ofValium as you are.

Also feeling the same way as you do....

I will give you the reassurance you will get well and I am wishing you all the best with this journey

Luv

Mishi

Kian,

 

So THIS is what freaking out feels like  

 

Hugs to you too!

 

Koff

Dear Koff,

Do you take any other med or just benzo? I heard a cross from K to V might be bad on Dilantin which i take, but tolerance is bad now as you well know long term.

Kian

Kian,

I was on Dilantin loooong ago ~ in the 70's. 

At present I take Paxil 20 mgs. (my doctor upped my Paxil to 30 mgs. in 2005-2006 ~ my brother shot himself in the head ~ he lived ~ but doc thought I could use more Paxil ? ~ I dropped it back down to 20 mgs. in a week with very little probs, but I would like to get off after I tackle the benzo)

I also take 50 mgs. Atenelol & Diovan for blood pressure.

I didn't have many problems crossing over from k to v but am starting to feel sx's as I taper.  Not intolerable but I hope it stays that way as I am self supporting (who could maintain a healthy relationship on this crap???).  I'm so angry at the doctors for telling me I would need this poison for life.  But that's another story.

Dear Mishi,

I would love to be 'taper pals'!

and    to all,

Koff

Koff,

Hi there, sorry I didn't reply sooner.

I crossed from Klonopin to Valium.

When I got below 25mg it started getting bumpy for me, but realize I started at 45mg.

Kian,

 

I was on Dilantin loooong ago ~ in the 70's. 

At present I take Paxil 20 mgs. (my doctor upped my Paxil to 30 mgs. in 2005-2006 ~ my brother shot himself in the head ~ he lived ~ but doc thought I could use more Paxil ? ~ I dropped it back down to 20 mgs. in a week with very little probs, but I would like to get off after I tackle the benzo)

I also take 50 mgs. Atenelol & Diovan for blood pressure.

 

I didn't have many problems crossing over from k to v but am starting to feel sx's as I taper.  Not intolerable but I hope it stays that way as I am self supporting (who could maintain a healthy relationship on this crap???).  I'm so angry at the doctors for telling me I would need this poison for life.  But that's another story.

 

 

Dear Mishi,

 

I would love to be 'taper pals'!

 

and    to all,

 

Koff

Good luck to yu  thank you post me on my blog and I will post yu back...So sorry for your brother..... stay on the course and stay well

Mishi

With valium hard to say but 25mg.

I am not sure when the symptoms actually started.. I am going to say June, but I was at 22mg, when the onset of the w/d sx's were tossed at me.

I think I am smoothing out now.

Valium is a tricky one to come off of because-

1) The half-life

2) When making a cut and all the Valium (Diazepam) is built up, how much Diazepam is there really.

Example: If one makes a cut from 18mg to 17mg, do they really have 17mg exactly in their bloodstream? No, because it takes a while to peak, so on.....