1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Benzodiazepines and Z Drugs

Diazepam tapering increased anxiety

Posted , 7 users are following.

chelsea54783
chelsea54783

hi all! so ive been on diazepam since february, 5mg everyday, they tapered me down from 5-4mg over 4 weeks now down to 3mg , im on week 2 of the decrease i feel like all of my old problems have came back which were post natal depression, extreme anxiety and now irritability and anger, feeling fearful of the world, insomnia etc i just want to know if anyone else has tapered down and had this? or am i going back overs?

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • RubySlippers
    RubySlippers chelsea54783

    Posted

    Hi Chelsea. It is not going to be easy. You are going to feel like crap. The tapering process should be slow, but some doctors just stick to the plan they have. Just know that in the long run, you should...... feel better. it might takes months. I was on benzos for 20 years and am totally off. My life is so much better. Ask your doctor if there is something else that would help you to get off the diazepam and will help your anxiety while you are tapering. I lost sleep for months but knew it would be okay in the end. Or at least I hoped and it is much better. Just wish you the best of luck and really really talk to your doctor about this please. Wishing you a good weekend. Ruby S

    • chelsea54783
      chelsea54783 RubySlippers

      Posted

      thank you ruby, i have spoken to my psychiatrist about it and what a surprise she got straight on the defensive and said it cant possibly be the diazepam as i am doing a "slow taper" , they defend their medicines big time and leave me worrying, they shouldnt have put me on it for this long i didnt have any knowledge around it, and now ive got to try and come off it which i want to be off it its just hell the tapering process, i am hyper sensitive to any med changes.thank you so much

    • RubySlippers
      RubySlippers chelsea54783

      Posted

      Chelsea. I went through pain management for my monthly pain meds and have been for the last 3 years. My normal doctor was prescribing me my hydrocodone and also ativan. My equivalent to diazepam was 10 mg a day for 20 years. Last year they had a law that they couldn't presribe benzos with pain meds and I had to get off the ativan. They let me taper myself as long as the next month was a lower dose and it took me about 8 months and been off for a year. It was a nightmare but I just went with it and had little to no sleep for weeks on end. Was not in a good mood at all. My mind felt fried. But now I am so happy to be off the ativan. I sleep normal now. The doctors at pain management were very nice and knew this was an absolute nightmare to do. They applauded me every month when I told them I had cut down. I only wish you luck but sometimes it takes a second opinion. Seriously think about that please and keep us updated. Hugs to you and stay strong. Ruby

  • charlie95778
    charlie95778 chelsea54783

    Posted

    Hi,

    sorry you are feeling so bad reducing diazepam.

    essentially what I think you are experiencing is 'Benzo hangover'

    If for example you took 4 one day and then the next took none while you have some tolerance to benzos, you would get a benzo hangover. Which would consist of depression symptoms, anxiety etc

    These symptoms are temporary during the reduction and withdrawal of benzos for a period of time exceeding a few days.

    You have a choice of how to deal with it. You can talk to the prescriber about a slower reduction and maybe increasing the dose temporarily then when stabilised start reducing again but more slowly.

    Going down this route may take you much longer to fully come off of Diazepam (It really shouldnt be used for more than a few days in a row, it is super psychologically addictive)

    the other option is to carry on with reduction, under the supervision of the prescriber if you can cope. Honestly, It will take about 4 weeks of not having any diazepam for symptoms of withdrawal to stop! obviously it varies from person to person.

    Im sorry that you are in a benzo trap. I have been through it and its not comfortable.

    I would talk to the doctor who is managing this for advice and help. The doctor should be knowledgeable of cutting down benzos.

    I do however think it is irresponsible for someone to have prescribed you a benzo for such a long period of time. in the beginning they seem like the answer to all of lifes problems, but they soon become life's biggest problem.

    good luck 😃

  • coby08389
    coby08389 chelsea54783

    Posted

    Hi Chelsea

    Who is they?

    Do you have any choice over the speed of the taper?

    Professor Heather Ashton, author of the Ashton Manual was considered to be an authority on tapering from benzodiazepines and recommended no more than 10% every 10 - 14 days - your taper is way faster than that. The valium only ever masked the emotions that you have been feeling - it was never a cure. When you deal with the root cause in an appropriate manner those emotions will go away. You will probably also feel some or many of your symptoms returning because your GABA has most likely become deregulated and it takes time for that to repair.

    You haven't been on the Valium all that long which is why 'they ' may have decided that you should go on a rapid taper. Some people are given no choice and are cold turkeyed , you are luckier than they are.

    You could try Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT or Tapping) It really does help to calm things down in your body - there are loads of YouTube videos that could help you on anxiety, depression anger and the other negative emotions that you listed. Breathing techniques such as 4-7-8 breathing, meditation, yoga, Tai Chi or hypnosis are all things that you can try to help you through this.

    Google the Ashton Manual - it has a section in it for doctors and it recommends that the patient should be listened to in terms of the speed of the taper.

    Hope that helps.

    • chelsea54783
      chelsea54783 coby08389

      Posted

      hello 😃 "they" is my psychiatrist as stated further up in the thread, i know i may be "luckier" than others that have been told they have to quit cold turkey, however i have to be a little selfish right now and think about how im going to get through the current decreasing process than to think about what is happening to others in that respect that is why i have reached out to others on the forum to see if they have an similar experiences i think you do anything when you feel the hell that you feel going through this, everyone is different, what may affect one may not affect another... i have got through the post natal depression this is why i am coming off the diazepam as it wasnt really working anyway, working with my psychologist and taking mirtazapine (remeron) has been best for me its just since decreasing its been awful and hearing from others in a similar situation has been helpful, thank you for your advice.

    • carol71680
      carol71680 chelsea54783

      Posted

      Yes, to say you are luckier , its like saying you've only had one leg cut off not two !! One of the perils of being on a forum sometimes! I've been guilty of it myself getting into an argument ( I am in withdrawal so a little narky at times ) on here. I regret it now as we are all suffering really in this. The doctors and psychiatrists that come out with these tapers have never been there themselves and should know better i think. Makes you wonder if we are these medics experimental little bunnies sometimes! Your right go your own way fight for whats yours . My gp marched through the taper like an idiot really massive reductions per week but I was unable ( and it would have been dangerous too to supply myself )! Im still suffering now! I wonder if they have just got targets to meet or are just so obsessed with getting someone off the drug that they are blind to the detrimental effects of withdrawal. I hope it doesn't last too long for you but it can last and slow and taper seems to be the way to reduce longstanding withdrawal. I wont put any numbers on it as we are all different. Id love an end to mine as sometimes I wonder how much more I can take! My gp is ridiculous and gave me something else to try yesterday... I took it for one day felt really really bad and I'm sure its a back step. I wont mention the name of the drug its not a benzo its a pain med ( one of these rubbish but jumped up new ones - total rubbish! ) and I know sometimes other supplementary medications help people, but not for me anyway, not this time it seems. I want to insert a great smilie here but i cant so here is just my version :0) . Ps I read some interesting stuff on benzo buddies today . It was somewhat reassuring as my main gripe is very bad abdo pain and second to that insomnia then a general irritabillity and negative view/ depression type symptoms. It wouldn't be so bad otherwise at this stage but the knawing pain is doing my head in now. I seem to have got through most of the psychological symptoms agraphobia especially but they are still there but Im not sure how much is now lack of sleep and pain. All the best

    • coby08389
      coby08389 chelsea54783

      Posted

      You are right Chelsea - you have to be selfish at this time. I have worked with many people going through withdrawal over the past 10 years and I know that the 'what if's' that come from asking people about what happened to them or their symptoms can throw a person into a bigger state of fear. The what if's may never happen - we are all so very different but they are more likely to happen if we allow the fear to grow. This is why I suggested tapping (EFT) for you to help you calm your nervous system down. I know many people who tapped their way through withdrawal - I wasn't one of them because I didn't know much about it at that time. Please understand that I do know how scary this is for you - I just jumped online to help out a bit. All the best 😃

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.