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Valium/Diazepam Support Group


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Glad you are doing a lot better after all that, VNM!  I remember you struggling pretty hard as well.  I only got worse in a long hold.  Amazing what we have to go through in all this and it really just feels like walking in the dark, not knowing which way to turn, what's gonna help, etc.

 

So true! Walking in the dark... Withdrawal is so highly individual, what works for one person doesn’t for another.

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Hi all. I took a break from BB and pretty much all social interactions for about 3 1/2 years. I've been holding at 1 Valium for about 2 years now. I suppose I'm afraid to make that final push and am back for advice/support. I'm thinking of tapering at .01 ml/day. I've got the liquid diazepam (100 ml) but can't seem to get the courage to start.
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Hi all. I took a break from BB and pretty much all social interactions for about 3 1/2 years. I've been holding at 1 Valium for about 2 years now. I suppose I'm afraid to make that final push and am back for advice/support. I'm thinking of tapering at .01 ml/day. I've got the liquid diazepam (100 ml) but can't seem to get the courage to start.

 

You have tapered off Paxil which I have heard is a beast to get off of (Not looking forward to my Effexor taper). I commend you for making it this far and welcome back! I think the best way is to just start small and test the waters. Once you see how you feel you can proceed and that will help you build more confidence.

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Thanks Kitsune. The thing is for the past 2 years, I've been feeling relatively normal: no brain fog, emotionally stable, less tinnitus. But I also know I need to get off these meds, especially at my age

 

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Jwl,

Wow - welcome back!  Congrats on getting off the Paxil.  You've held at 1 mg of Valium for 3 1/2 years?  What made you hold at that dosage if you don't mind sharing?  Have you tried the liquid yet?  If not, then switching to liquid, perhaps gradually if even possible, is what I would suggest first to ensure you tolerate. 

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Jwl,

Wow - welcome back!  Congrats on getting off the Paxil.  You've held at 1 mg of Valium for 3 1/2 years?  What made you hold at that dosage if you don't mind sharing?  Have you tried the liquid yet?  If not, then switching to liquid, perhaps gradually if even possible, is what I would suggest first to ensure you tolerate.

 

I second trying liquid to finish your taper. It could make tapering your last mg more gradual and smoother. I agree Jwl, that getting off is important especially for older folks who can be at risk for falls, etc. Even if you feel normal, there is no guarantee it will stay that way as benzos have a habit of turning on all of us. I have found as I taper lower those symptoms have mostly improved for me as well. Another concern many of us face is being cut off as laws around benzo prescribing become more restrictive.

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I suppose I held at 1 mg for 2 years because I had a lot of other issues I needed to take care of and because I was feeling so good (though I know I'm not 100%.) One thing I noticed: I have a hard time finding the right words to say. Someone on the gabapentin thread said it might be the cause.

 

Yes I plan on tapering liquid Diazepam. My doc perscribed !00 ml and I plan on tapering at a rate of .01 ml/day.

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i tryed this cross over some years ago but was it did not work for me i believe i did it wrong has anyone had success switch over from ativan to Valium  if so please share how you did it ????
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Magnolis,

I wish I could just give you a big hug.  I know you have been through a lot and I've been there and empathize with the hell of it.  I understand you are afraid of yet another change.  However, if the TEVA is making you physically ill, I can only think of the two other options being to try Mayne Generic Brand or the Roxane liquid or hold or just start moving forward.  I can tell you that another buddy of mine could not tolerate TEVA either and does ok on Mayne.  I personally did better on TEVA so that just shows how individual this really is.  I do know that Christy Huff had acid reflux issues on Valium and did take Pantoprazole.  I'm not a huge fan off PPIs but she said that for her, it made things much more bearable and she was able to taper off that once she was done with Valium.  I know you have the ability to reach out to her so I will leave that up to you.  I'm sorry I can't give better advice - you should not have to be going through this.  :( 

 

 

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Hello Buddies. 

Just looking for thoughts on my situation.  I have been at this taper game for a while now and honestly have never felt stable on benzos so it’s been a rough road as most of you have experienced. A few weeks back I hit a total and complete wall on the K and made the decision to cross over to V using my Same vodka home brew as outlined by Builder from last year. The cross over was not to bad and I started sleeping again but last few days things have gone down hill with sleep, upset stomach and increased in anxiety.  Decided to updose to 6mg last night which is the approximate equivalent of the .3k I was on before the cross over. 

 

So questions for you guys are as follows.  1. What are your experiences with the accuracy of vodka solution accuracy? 2. For those who did a C/O to V did it take a while to feel better? 3 I went from three even doses of K per day to one nightly dose of V which really helped sleep and felt ok during day for a week or so but not sure if that was right move?

 

I know there are no magic answers but looking for thoughts based on your experiences..

thanks guys,

MW

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Hello Buddies. 

Just looking for thoughts on my situation.  I have been at this taper game for a while now and honestly have never felt stable on benzos so it’s been a rough road as most of you have experienced. A few weeks back I hit a total and complete wall on the K and made the decision to cross over to V using my Same vodka home brew as outlined by Builder from last year. The cross over was not to bad and I started sleeping again but last few days things have gone down hill with sleep, upset stomach and increased in anxiety.  Decided to updose to 6mg last night which is the approximate equivalent of the .3k I was on before the cross over. 

 

So questions for you guys are as follows.  1. What are your experiences with the accuracy of vodka solution accuracy? 2. For those who did a C/O to V did it take a while to feel better? 3 I went from three even doses of K per day to one nightly dose of V which really helped sleep and felt ok during day for a week or so but not sure if that was right move?

 

I know there are no magic answers but looking for thoughts based on your experiences..

thanks guys,

MW

 

Welcome back! So from my understanding the vodka/V mixture is not a true solution because when you dilute the vodka/V with water it lowers the concentration of ethanol which can cause the V to precipitate out. That’s why you have to shake the mixture and draw quickly. I crossed over from 1 mg K to 20 mg V and did it all in pill form, so I probably won’t be much help there. When I crossed over I had some minor withdrawal symptoms from the K, but they resolved in a month or two. If you did the cross over quickly, that is probably why you are not feeling well and you’re likely experiencing withdrawals from the K. It will pass, but it will take some time. I can’t say how long because it’s different for everyone. When I crossed over I kept the same dosing schedule (2x a day), then started dropping my morning dose first until I was only on V at night (during my first taper, my current taper I am dosing 2x a day again). Updosing V is not like updosing more potent benzos. It takes longer to build up in your system and it will likely take longer for your symptoms to go away or become more manageable. Patience is your friend.

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MtWhitney - hello!!  I also c/o from Klonopin to Valium and it was a rough cross for me for a while.  Many hellish symptoms abated but I was in w/d for a good while from the Klonopin, which is why I did it slowly.  Took about 5-6 weeks for me and to feel stable but it's just continued to get better for me, honestly.  I got my doctor to prescribe pill and the liquid valium so I can titrate.  I tried Vodka/Water with Klonopin and it was a nightmare.  I also made do 3 even doses of Valium (because of the first metabolite burning out quicker)) and I can't imagine only doing one. 

 

Mag,

I will DM you in FB. 

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Thanks for the reply Momof7 & Kitsune.  Really hoping the V smooths things out and since I did a pretty quick cross over I am thinking the K witdrawl is impacting me somewhat.

 

Take care,

MW

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  • 2 weeks later...
I'm going to switch over to 15 mg of valium in the morning and 15 mg of valium in the evening coming from 1 Ativan and 12 mg of valium. I did a cold turkey before for 4 days and the benzos have less effect on me. I once took 12 mg of valium in the morning and I had withdrawal in the midday. What are the chances of it backfiring on me?
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Did anyone hit a wall when you got down to 5 mg?  I have tapered from 15 mg to 5 mg in 14 months luckily with little withdrawal sx.  If your read my signature, you will see that I tapered very slowly and reduced my cuts as I got lower.  Until now, I would have 5-6 good days a week and maybe 1-2 symptomatic days a week, but nothing that was unmanageable.

 

From 6 mg to 5 mg was a little tougher so I have been holding at 5 mg for a little over two weeks now to try and stabilize, but it has been the roughest two weeks of my taper.  Many sx's and anxiety through the roof, which was never that much of a problem.  I find it strange that I was able to taper 10 mg in a little over a year with few problems, but once I hit the 5 mg mark I started having all these wd sx.

 

I have always used a home brew DLMT along with pills for my taper.  Has anyone experienced this once you got down to around 5 mg and did it stay with you until the end of your taper or did it start to get a little easier the lower you got.  I hope it's not going to be like this for the final 5 mg...Pure Hell!! :(

 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

JoJo

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Did anyone hit a wall when you got down to 5 mg?  I have tapered from 15 mg to 5 mg in 14 months luckily with little withdrawal sx.  If your read my signature, you will see that I tapered very slowly and reduced my cuts as I got lower.  Until now, I would have 5-6 good days a week and maybe 1-2 symptomatic days a week, but nothing that was unmanageable.

 

From 6 mg to 5 mg was a little tougher so I have been holding at 5 mg for a little over two weeks now to try and stabilize, but it has been the roughest two weeks of my taper.  Many sx's and anxiety through the roof, which was never that much of a problem.  I find it strange that I was able to taper 10 mg in a little over a year with few problems, but once I hit the 5 mg mark I started having all these wd sx.

 

I have always used a home brew DLMT along with pills for my taper.  Has anyone experienced this once you got down to around 5 mg and did it stay with you until the end of your taper or did it start to get a little easier the lower you got.  I hope it's not going to be like this for the final 5 mg...Pure Hell!! :(

 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

JoJo

 

For me, there seemed to be quite a lag time from the time I tapered to feeling the effects of it. At first I tapered pretty fast too with very little sxs but then it caught up with me and had to hold for 6 months. Once I stablized and started micro tapering it was relatively easy. I've been holding at 1 mg for 2 years mainly to address health issues but I noticed all my sxs have gone away ; brain fog, stomach issues... I'm now ready to tackle my last 1 mg with confidence as long as I take it nice and slow. I guess what I'm trying to say is tapering your last 5 mg can be easy if you don't try to rush it and listen to your body and hold if you have to

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Thanks Jwl, I hope the rest of your taper goes smoothly.

 

I also wanted to mention that I have always dosed 2 x daily from when I started tapering at 15 mg and have tried to keep both doses as equal as possible.  I now take 3 mg in the morning and 2 mg at night during the current hold I am on. 

I am curious at what point those of you who dosed 2 x daily went to once a day dosing?  And did dosing once a day seem to help or hurt when you got under 5 mg a day?

 

Thanks again and take care,

JoJo

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Did anyone hit a wall when you got down to 5 mg?  I have tapered from 15 mg to 5 mg in 14 months luckily with little withdrawal sx.  If your read my signature, you will see that I tapered very slowly and reduced my cuts as I got lower.  Until now, I would have 5-6 good days a week and maybe 1-2 symptomatic days a week, but nothing that was unmanageable.

 

From 6 mg to 5 mg was a little tougher so I have been holding at 5 mg for a little over two weeks now to try and stabilize, but it has been the roughest two weeks of my taper.  Many sx's and anxiety through the roof, which was never that much of a problem.  I find it strange that I was able to taper 10 mg in a little over a year with few problems, but once I hit the 5 mg mark I started having all these wd sx.

 

I have always used a home brew DLMT along with pills for my taper.  Has anyone experienced this once you got down to around 5 mg and did it stay with you until the end of your taper or did it start to get a little easier the lower you got.  I hope it's not going to be like this for the final 5 mg...Pure Hell!! :(

 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

JoJo

 

I seem to have hit that point at 1.7 mg. Anxiety through the roof, very poor sleep. It stinks and I'm sorry you're dealing with it too. For me I'm pretty certain it's because I reduced too quickly from 2 mg to 1.7 mg (did it in 24 days) and as many of us know, the lower doses can get tricky. I plan on holding for a good while and have an appointment with a doctor to see about getting a propranolol prescription to help with some of my symptoms. I think this is just one of those things that hits some of us at various doses. No idea why other than for me it seems to correlate with my menstrual cycle and the speed at which I reduce. I think it's smart of you to hold and stabilize for a little while. I know some people never hold (I didn't during my previous taper last year), but I think it gives us more of a chance to adjust and do some extra healing. Hopefully you will turn a corner for the better soon.

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Thanks Jwl, I hope the rest of your taper goes smoothly.

 

I also wanted to mention that I have always dosed 2 x daily from when I started tapering at 15 mg and have tried to keep both doses as equal as possible.  I now take 3 mg in the morning and 2 mg at night during the current hold I am on. 

I am curious at what point those of you who dosed 2 x daily went to once a day dosing?  And did dosing once a day seem to help or hurt when you got under 5 mg a day?

 

Thanks again and take care,

JoJo

 

In my previous taper from 20 mg I reduced only my morning dose until it was gone (10 mg/10mg). This time around I am dosing twice daily all the way to 0, I think it helps namely because my CNS is sensitized from my jump last fall. I have to take medications in the morning anyway. I think dosing twice a day helps keep the drug levels more steady even if Valium has a long half-life. I think that choice is mostly personal, but there are some people who metabolize drugs more rapidly and need to dose Valium multiple times a day and those who are ultra sensitive as well. My genetic testing says that one of the enzymes that metabolizes V makes me an ultra-rapid metabolizer, but I was able to cut out the morning dose of Valium with no problem in my previous taper.

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Ugh, just wanted to chime in and say to both Jojo and Kit that I'm sorry you have gotten hit suddenly.  Seems to be fairly common, though we all pray/hope it won't happen to us.  I've been tapering at .01mg and am just at 4.12mg now.  I will probably go to .009/day reduction within the next 1 mg and will continue to reduce my rate the whole way down.  Not sure it's gonna help but it's the only thing I know to do to try and keep this from happening to me, if anything can.  This just sucks - hang in there!!!
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Thanks Jwl, I hope the rest of your taper goes smoothly.

 

I also wanted to mention that I have always dosed 2 x daily from when I started tapering at 15 mg and have tried to keep both doses as equal as possible.  I now take 3 mg in the morning and 2 mg at night during the current hold I am on. 

I am curious at what point those of you who dosed 2 x daily went to once a day dosing?  And did dosing once a day seem to help or hurt when you got under 5 mg a day?

 

Thanks again and take care,

JoJo

 

In my previous taper from 20 mg I reduced only my morning dose until it was gone (10 mg/10mg). This time around I am dosing twice daily all the way to 0, I think it helps namely because my CNS is sensitized from my jump last fall. I have to take medications in the morning anyway. I think dosing twice a day helps keep the drug levels more steady even if Valium has a long half-life. I think that choice is mostly personal, but there are some people who metabolize drugs more rapidly and need to dose Valium multiple times a day and those who are ultra sensitive as well. My genetic testing says that one of the enzymes that metabolizes V makes me an ultra-rapid metabolizer, but I was able to cut out the morning dose of Valium with no problem in my previous taper.

Thanks kitsune556 for the information.

 

It's hard to know what to do with these dang meds.  I don't know if I'll stay at dosing twice a day all the way to zero or try dosing once a day...UGH!!  I kinda thought maybe when we get down to taking a couple of mg of valium twice a day, it might be easier on our sx if we took the entire dose just once a day since 2 mg is a fairly small amount of benzo in valium form.  But then I worry about interdose wd that may come with only dosing once daily.  I remember those interdose wd's from when I was originally taking ativan before my c/o...HORRIBLE!

I would love to hear anyone else's experience with how many daily doses of valium you take or took toward the end of you taper.  :smitten: :smitten:

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I take my dose 3X a day but I know others take theirs 4 - just because of the shorter metabolite.  I personally would not go from 2 to 1.  IMO, it's best to stay even, even if it makes me a little tired (better than alternative). 
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I take my dose 3X a day but I know others take theirs 4 - just because of the shorter metabolite.  I personally would not go from 2 to 1.  IMO, it's best to stay even, even if it makes me a little tired (better than alternative).

Mom, how do you divide 4.45 mg valium into 3 equal daily doses using pills and liquid?  I also use pills and liquid, but only use 1 mg in home brew liquid form.  I try to keep my two pill doses as equal as possible and take my liquid at night with my night time pill dose.  So at 6 mg, I took 3 mg of pill in the morning...2 mg pill and 1 mg liquid at night, which I did my DLMT from.  Just curious how you have your dosing schedule set up and does dosing your valium 3TID seem to help with your sx's?

Thanks again for all your help and taking time to listen. :smitten:

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I'm going to switch over to 15 mg of valium in the morning and 15 mg of valium in the evening coming from 1 Ativan and 12 mg of valium. I did a cold turkey before for 4 days and the benzos have less effect on me. I once took 12 mg of valium in the morning and I had withdrawal in the midday. What are the chances of it backfiring on me?

Could someone reply to this? Thank you

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