Valium/Diazepam Support Group

Yes, thank you (!) that puts my headspace in better place (even though my Noggin’s feeling a little like their filming a Sci-fi movie in it right now) Just Riding it out… 

Hello all,

 

My last taper from 8 mg's diazepam to 7.5 was 44 days ago. I had 1 good week after 1 week of terrible anxiety and depression, but for the last 20 days it's been mental torture. Brainfog, agoraphobia, anxiety and deep depression. Since this is my third taper, did I cut too quickly? I'm afraid I won't regain a reasonable baseline. I'm thinking about updosing in order to regain a semblance of a funtional life. My CNS is in terrible shape.

 

What would you do? Please advise. Many thanks in advance.

 

--Tyler

Has anyone followed Ashton Method and had success, i.e. from 5 mg tapering .5 every week or two? Or do most people find they have to go slower.

I'm on 3 mg valium, started out out at 4 mg about a month ago for about 3 months.

I followed Ashton down to 5 mgs then found I had to go a lot slower. I switched to a DLMT at that point as it gave me the flexibility to reduce very small amounts daily. After having had lot of trouble from about 7.5 mgs down to 5, I  was determined to try something different. My s/x were just too awful to let me go on following Ashton, although her schedule works for some people. The DLMT saved my taper. It reduced my s/x to bearable form horrendous.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Katz

I followed Ashton down to 5 mgs then found I had to go a lot slower. I switched to a DLMT at that point as it gave me the flexibility to reduce very small amounts daily. After having had lot of trouble from about 7.5 mgs down to 5, I  was determined to try something different. My s/x were just too awful to let me go on following Ashton, although her schedule works for some people. The DLMT saved my taper. It reduced my s/x to bearable form horrendous.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Katz

 

Katz

 

So nice to see a familiar name, I agree with you I did dry cuts with both amitriptyline and valium but once I got to the lower doses it was much to harsh on the body so I too went to DLMT managed to get off the amitriptyline and now on my last 2.5mg of v which I titrated the whole 2.5mg two weeks ago (getting lazy with the math) and waiting for my body to adjust to the change before I start my DLMT. Just doing that I am now getting side effects mainly neck aches/stiffness, agitation and sleep issues so hoping that subsides soon so I can continue my journey down.

 

Cheers

Gypsy

 

I'm in a similar situation to Selkie.  Crossing over from klonopin to valium.  Night time c/o went smoothly, 50%K/50%V one week, and then 100%V for night, but am struggling with morning c/o.  Had to go backwards and take it slower. 

 

Original morning dose was 0.25K.  Now doing tablets of K and V into two whole milk 100ml containers and portioning them out each morning. Have felt quite sick and weak for a few weeks.  Did 90% K, 10% V for one week, then 80%K, 20% V for next week.  This week was 70% K, 30% V. 

 

Just really want the crossover done, so I can be on all valium.  12.5 was my intended target (0.625 K replacement), but am already SOOOO sleepy in the morning on 5 mg valium.  Cannot imagine taking 5 mg valium in the morning, and then 2.5 mg valium in afternoon. 

 

Suspect I will have to adjust and take more at night to take less in morning. 

 

But for now, just struggling like crazy with the crossover. 

 

Any advice? 

 

 

I'm in a similar situation to Selkie.  Crossing over from klonopin to valium.  Night time c/o went smoothly, 50%K/50%V one week, and then 100%V for night, but am struggling with morning c/o.  Had to go backwards and take it slower. 

 

Original morning dose was 0.25K.  Now doing tablets of K and V into two whole milk 100ml containers and portioning them out each morning. Have felt quite sick and weak for a few weeks.  Did 90% K, 10% V for one week, then 80%K, 20% V for next week.  This week was 70% K, 30% V. 

 

Just really want the crossover done, so I can be on all valium.  12.5 was my intended target (0.625 K replacement), but am already SOOOO sleepy in the morning on 5 mg valium.  Cannot imagine taking 5 mg valium in the morning, and then 2.5 mg valium in afternoon. 

 

Suspect I will have to adjust and take more at night to take less in morning. 

 

But for now, just struggling like crazy with the crossover. 

 

Any advice?

 

Slowandsteady

 

I really feel for you, I can’t offer any advice on crossovers as when I was on Ativan back in 2006 and I found a new dr we didn’t know a lot about equivalencies so I basically jumped from 3mg to A to 5mg of v, which approximately was 30mg down to 5mg, and it was a nightmare for about 4 years.

 

But I can empathise with you and offer support in that the effects do eventually pass and the body does heal.

Once you have completed your crossover to all v and things have settled a bit then you will be in a better position IMO to then maybe change your doses to being higher at night and lesser in the morning so as not to feel so sleepy during the day.

So many ways of doing these tapers, and the hardest is finding what works for you.We are all so different and our reactions whether mental or physical vary widely.

 

Just know you are not alone and support is always here.

 

All the best

 

Gypsy

Slow,

I typed something up but lost it all so have to be brief.  Many of us struggle during c/o but for most, things settle eventually.  I had some bad symptoms (severe head pressure/pain, extreme burning muscles/weakness/pain, some nausea, weakness/tiredness) but it all dissipated in time.  I was NOT able to handle Klonopin in a homemade liquid form (water/milk/homebrew), and I was NOT able to take Valium and Klonopin together like Ashton suggested.  That made me nuts so I had to do things a little differently - I was on 3 doses, so I had to take all Valium or all Klonopin in those doses (moving amounts temporarily to one of the other 2 doses).  Hang in there and blessings to you. 

Slow,

I typed something up but lost it all so have to be brief.  Many of us struggle during c/o but for most, things settle eventually.  I had some bad symptoms (severe head pressure/pain, extreme burning muscles/weakness/pain, some nausea, weakness/tiredness) but it all dissipated in time.  I was NOT able to handle Klonopin in a homemade liquid form (water/milk/homebrew), and I was NOT able to take Valium and Klonopin together like Ashton suggested.  That made me nuts so I had to do things a little differently - I was on 3 doses, so I had to take all Valium or all Klonopin in those doses (moving amounts temporarily to one of the other 2 doses).  Hang in there and blessings to you.

 

Sorry to interrupt but I use the back arrows located at the top left of your browser window to retrieve lost posts, it's amazing how helpful it is.  I used to get so angry when this happened but I can always find them now. 

Haha, thanks Pam!  I should've thought of this.  I tried do an undo but it wasn't there.  I will try to remember that for next time!

I’ll be down to 7.5 mgs tomorrow, big deal for me since I essentially started at 40mgs, (2 mgs xanax), but man oh man is my insomnia just horrific, it’s been horrible the whole way, so I don’t think going way slower will benefit me really, really feel trapped but im going to keep pushing on, although it does feel impossible with this level of sleep deprivation.

0.17mg Klon to V?

I posted in withdrawal support board and was referred here! Didn’t realize this board was here. So much good info. I have been dry cutting oral disintegrating K tablets for a few years 🥴 trying to get down from 0.5mg.

Turns out I’m very sensitive to decreases in doses.

 

I am struggling with inter-dose WD now (I take k at 10am and 10pm).

I’m working full time through this taper and it’s becoming more difficult. Before my morning dose I am jittery and can’t focus my eyes, I feel dizzy and boaty.

I get about 4-5 hours of relief from the morning dose and by 3pm I’m back to wild brain symptoms.

Would a c/o to Valium help this?

Have any of you had success with crossing over from such a small K dose?

This taper is sucking the life out of me and I need to find some way to make it even slightly better.

Ashton shows how to cross over with a much higher dose, what would it look like from 0.085mg every 12 hours??

 

Thank you V gurus 😊🙏🏼

Tree,

I can empathize.  I also was trying to dry cut oral disintegrating K tablets and microtaper and it was brutal.  I had horrendous interdose withdrawal, watching the clock like a drug addict.  And this was taking it 3 times a day.  I crossed over at .360 mg of K to 6.5 mg of V.  Though the c/o was rough for me in many ways, I got immediate relief from a lot of things too, including interdose withdrawal.  I was incredibly symptomatic, including your dizzy, boaty and jittery along with a whole host of horrendous things.  I'm down to .53mg of Valium now and doing quite well.  Is this the route you should take?  Only you can decide.  I've seen it go either way, to be honest.  But for me, it was just so bad I couldn't do it any longer.  Best wishes.

Momof7 - so you stabilized on Valium fairly well? How long did your cross over take? How rough was it? 😬 I am the breadwinner of the house and need to be able to go to work. I’ve been taking it so slow just to be able to stay semi-functional. Scared to rock the boat, but this is becoming unsustainable.

 

Thank you for your response. ❤️

 

Btw if you have 7 kids you’re a hero 🙌🏼

Hi Tree,

Haha, definitely not a hero - most days just feel blessed to get through.  I'm functional but I had to quit working about 2 years ago, before I crossed over.  I was also the breadwinner and my husband stayed home and homeschooled.  We had to flip-flop.  It was rock bottom for me but it's brought about many blessings too - most importantly, the appreciation for life (being alive) and the simple things!  Mentally, I'm quite foggy but I'm not wanting to jump out of my skin and pace for hours.  I can be around my kids and cook (following a recipe) and clean again.  I can read again and comprehend a good bit, unless it's a complex subject.  I'm able to drive just fine now.  I don't cry for hours and hours a day.  I can go in public and be in stores, etc (though I still avoid really noisy places and am not sure I will ever go to a concert or anything like that again).  I'm not watching the clock like a drug addict, needing my next "fix".  BTW, I was never mentally addicted but physically dependent but it sure made me have an understanding for what people on heroine and other street drugs go through.

 

My crossover took about 5 weeks-ish.  My side effects from the Valium were extreme muscle pain and some itchiness.  I got severe head pressure from Klonopin withdrawals that took a couple of weeks to subside.  I almost didn't go through with it but seeing the improvements, the doctor said we weren't going back and would take as long as we needed - she was sure that these things would go away and thank God, she was right.  All those things subsided.  I was foggy brained for a good bit and tired and sleepy (a welcome side effect) but most of that went away/got better after a little bit too.  It was also a HUGE relief for me to not have to try and weigh those dang doses.  I went to all liquid at 3mg and am doing a liquid microtaper.  It's been WAY easier.  I still dose 3 times a day but probably could get by with 2. 

 

Sorry this is long-winded.  Just wanted to explain how things were before and after and how they are now.

Thank you for your reply. My husband homeschools our kids too. Such a big job.

I’m digging through the archives of the group looking for stories about c/o. Feels like a big decision.

I wish someone else was in charge of driving this boat 😂 I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I’m sure my husband is sick to death of the constant reassurance I need.

 

Sigh.

Oh wow, how about that.  How many kiddos do you have?  I know the pressures of where you are at right now, trying to hold it all together and go through this.  It took a big toll on my family, my marriage, etc.  My husband was trying everything he could to help and was dealing with his own struggles to come to grip on it all.  Since then, there's been the CNN special, Jordan Peterson thing and we've found countless other stories.  Once I was stable on Valium and doing better, he really saw that it was the withdrawal.  The switch was almost night and day.  We've been working to put the pieces back together.  There really almost needs to be a support group for spouses somewhere. 

 

As far as c/o, I was hesitant because of the bad stories here and because I had an initial bad reaction to Valium just when trying it alone once.  However, I searched for stories on FB Groups and found a lot more people who had success with it and reached out to several.  As well as several on here.  Unfortunately, you are going to find an equal amount that didn't have a good experience.  It is so individualized!

 

There is someone I know from here, FighterK, who had to jump at .125mg K or thereabouts as she went into acute while microtapering for a long bit.  She was like us and the breadwinner in her family.  After she jumped, she went on to do NAD+ therapy with great success, though she had to go on short term disability, taking a couple of months off work.  NAD+ is quite expensive (and doesn't work for everyone) so that's been my backup plan in this.  I hesitate to bring it up because it could go either way but if you are interested, she may be someone you can reach out to.  She's been where we are. 

 

Feel free to reach out via PM.  Best wishes.

I’ll be down to 7.5 mgs tomorrow, big deal for me since I essentially started at 40mgs, (2 mgs xanax), but man oh man is my insomnia just horrific, it’s been horrible the whole way, so I don’t think going way slower will benefit me really, really feel trapped but im going to keep pushing on, although it does feel impossible with this level of sleep deprivation.

 

WPWP how are you doing with the 7.5mg? Any sleep to speak of?

Hi all I'm not feeling great at all and I'm constantly second guessing if it's withdrawal or if I'm dying. I honestly am losing all hope right now. Constantly crying, constantly is a state of anxiety

About everything that's wrong with me

 

Currently down to 6.75mg valium and I'm experiencing everything, someone told me it shouldn't be this hard!! So that has me thinking it's not withdrawal.

 

I don't really want to list my symptoms as I don't want to worry anymore else. Can anyone help me. Feel so alone, tired and generally depressed.

Hi ben,

I'm so sorry that you are suffering and I can totally empathize.  Unfortunately, what you are experiencing is completely normal for some.  I wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't happened to me or I hadn't seen it first-hand.  Hang in there - I hope better days are ahead for you.

Hi ben,

I'm so sorry that you are suffering and I can totally empathize.  Unfortunately, what you are experiencing is completely normal for some.  I wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't happened to me or I hadn't seen it first-hand.  Hang in there - I hope better days are ahead for you.

 

Thanks for your reply. Absolutely awful poison this stuff is I seem to have every withdrawal symptom there is. Hope you have good days too.

Hey guys so I may have messed up and taken 2 doses last night. I'm so foggy brained these days. I have a weekly Sun - Sat container and last night I noticed that no it Friday and Saturday were empty so I think I accidentally took 2 doses. That or I never put Sat's dose in the container ( altho I check things diligently I can't see myself not doing that). I decided I would skip today's dose to level it out but im still freaking about it because if I didn't take 2 doses then I'm just skipping a did but then if I did I guess I'd rather be under than over..

Has anyone done anything like this ?

 

What will the repurcussions be? I'm freaking myself out I couldn't sleep last night worried. Any advice appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Yes, I've done that.  Not to worry - it will all even out.  My opinion is that I would rather take an extra dose than miss a dose and possibly have withdrawals so that's what I did.  Hang in there!

Does anyone have experience with being pregnant while on low dose (5mg) of Valium daily? Was the baby okay?

So my benzo story started 16 years ago while I was on bedrest in the hospital with a complicated pregnancy.

 

I went in at 27 weeks and they gave me 1 mg of Ativan to sleep every night until the birth at a planned c-section at 32 weeks!

 

She was fine, but did have some preemie issues, now I realize some might have been from wd.

 

They sent me home with nothing, and I was fine.

 

So I had no idea of any of this wd, until I took antibiotics last spring and had horrible physiological anxiety!! Took one Ativan and was set off again.

 

I’m sure everything will be fine, but check in with your dr and see?

 

Good luck