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Diazepam taper help needed

Posted , 12 users are following.

marleen85993
marleen85993

Am on diazepam 7mgs for 10 years.Have reached tolerance and they are making anxiety worse over the last 3 years.l take them for sleep however they now make me so agitated and anxious and during the day l feel as though I am going through withdrawal.Any advice would be great.l have read so many horror stories l am nearly beaten before I begin.

0 likes, 59 replies

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  • shane23112
    shane23112 marleen85993

    Posted

    Hi Marleen this is great news! I know well what you are experiencing right now. I will never forget! You are so close to the finish line now fantastic. Believe me well worth the pain to be physically and emotionally free of this horrible poison. Wishing you a happy holiday and a healthy benzo free new year! Stay strong - the reward is great! Here if you need support.

    Best, Shane

    • marleen85993
      marleen85993 shane23112

      Posted

      Thank you Shane it means a lot to know you are there.Will message in the New year have a great Christmas you deserve it.X
  • lynn28941
    lynn28941 marleen85993

    Posted

    I am new to this forum.  I just saw your message which has been posted 6 months ago and would like to find out how you are doing since being off the benzo for over 2 years.  I have been on .375 mg. Clonazepam for 6 months and then it was increased to 1 mg. for another 6 months along with 7.5 Mirtazepine for sleep and appetite for a few months and then increased to 15 mg. for another 6 months but I wanted off these drugs very badly.  Originally put on them when anesthesia and/or powerful pain killers were given me during surgery [tibial plateau frature to L. knee].  Woke from surgery and couldn't eat or sleep for almost a month.  Placed on benzo.  After a year of the benzo and Mirtazepine, I started tapering off and had a lot of trouble.  After 9 months of horror and tremendous pain, I finally got off.  Too much to get into here, but dr.'s had to reinstate me or I would have died.  I am now at 6.25 mg. Diazepam and this drug causes depression.  Helps me to sleep, but want to taper off.  I hear it can take a very long time.  Need some thoughts.  Any help?  I know I need to go extremely slow, but it's killing me to go even this slow with all the depression and anxiety.  The first taper resulted in 20+ serious complications the last of which involved, not just burning skin, but "ACID" skin deep down into my bones all over my entire body and every "cavity" in the body from head to pelvic area, etc.  Bladder started to fail, etc.  Wanted to end my life, but didn't believe in that and God sustained me through it, along with a lot of praying family and friends.   What can I do to get through the diazepam which is causing such intense depression, which is all new to me?  Heard slow tapers are best, but the depression is killing me.  Dr's are talking about putting me on an antidepressant.  Seems like adding more fuel to the fire.  Am I incorrect in this?

    • marleen85993
      marleen85993 lynn28941

      Posted

      Hi Lynn there is no easy way to taper off this poison however slow and steady is the only way to taper.l know you want off quickly however you want to stay off when you get off so do not rush this. I am on 2.5mgs and holding at the moment.l have been tapering on my own with absolutely no support so it is doable.l think you should give an antidepressant a try it may help.Just remember you will be going through withdrawal symptoms and they will pass with time.
  • shane23112
    shane23112 marleen85993

    Posted

    Hi Marleen, checking in to see how you are doing. Hope all is going well.

    Shane

    • marleen85993
      marleen85993 shane23112

      Posted

      Hi Shane sorry for the delay responding haven't been on in a while.Have had the flu about 2 weeks ago and am still recovering.Will lower again when I am feeling better.l am being slammed with panic so hopefully it will level out a bit in the next few weeks.I hope you are doing well.X

    • shane23112
      shane23112 marleen85993

      Posted

      Hi Marleen, Sorry for slow response - technology issues! Hope you are over your bout of the flu and feeling better. Keep pushing I know it gets a quite rough once you get down to the small amounts. The up side to this is you are getting much of the withdrawal out of the way now. Once I jumped off completely it was anticlimactic. I expected it to really be intolerable for awhile but it was just mild discomfort more annoying then anything. Stay strong! The end is in plain sight!
    • marleen85993
      marleen85993 shane23112

      Posted

      Oh Shane you have really lifted my spirits.l am in a bit of despair at the moment so I am going to hold for a while longer. I keep thinking l can't do it and what is it going to be like when l do get off.I just want to keep functional.Thank you Shane for your continued support it really means a lot.

  • ned97925
    ned97925 marleen85993

    Posted

    Hi just reading this thread is giving me hope,I’m on 5mgs of valium and Deff am getting tolerance withdrawals,I’m gonna start tapering soon,I’m from Ireland 
    • marleen85993
      marleen85993 ned97925

      Posted

      Hi Ned l am glad you are going to start tapering.Go slow and listen to your body do not rush and take control of your taper.Take any withdrawal symptoms and try to hold on to the fact they are withdrawal symptoms and they won't last forever.Good luck

    • ann55375
      ann55375 marleen85993

      Posted

      You seem to be an inspiration to us all on this poison.  I need to get off 5mg which i take at night for sleep.  I am not sure how to go about it but imhave seeen ashton manual.  I am definitely in tolerance after four years.  Can you tell me when you say go slow would that mean taking off about half a mg per night for a while, then another half etc?

      i am still feeling anxious in daytime and sometimes need 1mg to get through, i think that may be the last to go.

      i have recently tapered off mirtazapine after several failed attempts on anti deps.

      any help you can give would be appreciated, i have suspected gastritis, hiatial hernia and on warfarin.  My anxiety levels are high due to tests needed for stomach.

    • marleen85993
      marleen85993 ann55375

      Posted

      If l were you Ann l would go to 4.5 mgs at night and stay on that dose for 3 plus weeks.l know you are filled with anxiety and worried about cutting down on the diazepam however Ann l believe that you will improve greatly when you get off this poison and allow your brain to heal.
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