HELP

Hi Lizzie.

Be careful. I thought I was doing the same with Klonipin. Took it maybe every 2 or 3 days. I developed a tolerance because Klonipin has a long half life. So it was still in my system after 2 or 3 days when I took another. Valium has a longer half life then Klonipin.

Now I'm in the middle of a slow taper do to these terrible drugs. It's not fun at all. It's very hard.

Not saying you will face this. If you are taking it once a week you prob won't.

Good luck

Thanks Reba.  

I've been through one lot of withdrawals already as last year I was addicted to 30/500 co-codamol, ended up overdosing and turning myself in to a&e.  They gave me the paracetamol antidote, to which I had an anaphalactic reaction and miraculously, no organ damage,  and I went cold turkey, it was just aweful, took me about 4 weeks to get over it, worst feeling ever, but since then I've been clean of it.  Don't know if I could go through that all over again with the diazepam when I'm not increasing my dosage and it doesn't seem to be doing me any harm.  I may be dependent but don't seem to be developing tollerance.  I've been on 5mg as required for about three years now.  I'm terrified my gp will take it off me and force me through cold turkey again.  There is no motivation in me to stop it to be brutally honest.  They really help my anxiety and sleep on occasions so why stop?   I know that's not what I'm supposed to say but I've always been a free spirit.  Lizzie x

Should just add, I'm also on citalopram and risperidone for bipolar II, neither of which do anything for my anxiety but have stabilised my bipolar, I no longer get obsessional thinking, hypomania  / mania or depression.  Physically I'm not in the best of shape  as the bipolar meds coupled with a sedantary life style caused me to put on loads of weight, have low iron and high blood pressure too.  Seem to have started self harming this year, at aged 57!!!!  isn't that totally ridiculuous.  There is so much I don't understand.  Lizzie...

 

How long were you on it for Bellaluna?

But ive only been on them 7 weeks and up untill yesterday I was doing so so well like 95% my self! I dont think I would of got any better qith out them, I was suicidal!

What shoild I do?

Lattifa, I am not a doctor. Are you talking about Benzo's? If so, you should not stop them abruptly. You need to talk with your doctor about a taper schedule. Are you on an antidepressant? Maybe you need a dosage adjustment of the anti depressant.

It is so important to talk with your doctor. Slowly get off the benzo and get on some type of antidepressant. He might want you to stay at the level of Benzo until the Antidepressant works. But again, I must stress, I'm not a doctor. You need to talk to him as soon as you can.

Oh sorry no im on anti depressant (sertraline)

Been doing really well until yesterday?? And I havent taken diazopam for weeks, although im really temted today? I thought you meant anti depresants will stop working, sorry my mistake

Oh ok, please try to avoid using the benzo! You probably need a dosage adjustment with your other med. Please talk with your doctor.

I wish I didn't have to use the benzo but went through a very tramatic experience and needed them until the antidepressant kicks in.

I've been on them for two months at 5mg 3 times a day and now worried to death about coming off of them and Getty withdrawl.

But I will just take it slow.

God Bless!

You might also just be having a little blip. Just a bad day.

Yeah I hope its a blip, how long does a blip last?

17 years and counting,back then they just left you on them, I was actually taken off after 3 weeks but it wasn't done slowly and unfortunately I did have severe withdrawal, they put me back on them and left me on them.

That is why I say short term use with a plan in place for a suitable alternative, being left on them indefinitely rarely ends well and tolerance is horrible.

And I would advise anyone on them to insist on a slow taper even if they have only been on them a few weeks, it should be easier if it's only been a few weeks but it should still be done slowly to avoid nasty withdrawal symptoms, the withdrawal period and intensity of symptoms has been researched to show that the longer you are on them the worse withdrawal is even if it is low dose so it must be done slowly to avoid that.

I understand that some people absolutely need them, I still take mine but I really want to get off them because they are just useless now and resistent withdrawal is a very real thing, I'm not here to scare anyone, my experience doesn't need to be another person's experience but I do advise caution, making an informed decision is very important and having a long term plan in place can certainly save a lot of misery in the future.

My anxiety is so bad at the moment and I could try a slight increase, I wont lie, I thought about it more than once, you do when you're desperate but I know it wont do me any good.

The thing to do is ask your doctor one thing 'What happens when these no longer help my anxiety?' because like I said there needs to be a long term plan, if they don't have an answer you need a new doctor.

Slow taper and I mean really slow, reduce by 5-10% every 2-4 weeks, don't rush it and always follow the advice of your doctor, they helped you, that is great but they wont help forever, this may well just be an off day, it happens but you do need a long term plan for your anxiety treatment.

So sorry I also got confused, sertraline is usually pretty good but yes you can still have off days, if it keeps on speak to your doctor of course but you don't generally build tolerance to sertraline like you do the benzos, you'd still have to come off slowly in the future but they are not as bad as benzos and can be safely used long term, don't take the benzos, stick with the sertraline, it's much better.

A day, maybe a few days. Please talk to your doctor if it lasts longer than a few days. I'm sure you will be fine. If you were feeling good for 7 weeks, you might just need an adjustment.

God Bless!!!

You were on them for 17 years! I was on Valium 15mg 3 years ago for another event that kicked off severe anxiety. I have PTSD, I was on them for 2 months and then tapered off of them over a 4 month period. I was also taking Celexa at the time, so the cekexa to the place of the Valum. I used the Ashton Method and had no problem coming off.

I am on the Valium and Celexa again and hope to start tapering off the Valium with the Ashton method again. My doctor is agreeable with it.

I hope that you can find some relief Bellaluna!!!

God Bless!!!

I was on Klonipin 0.5 mg (equivalent to 10 mg valium) - half to whole tablet every other day on and off for 10 years. More on then off the last two years .

I developed and interdose withdraw and was just told to make sure I take it daily. I did for a few weeks and just became fed up. I didn't want to be addicted to anything.

I first just tried stopping. That was HORRID. The withdeaw was unimaginable. I had 100 fold anxiety and brain fog. I couldn't eat. I became dehydrated. Lost 20 lbs!

Needless to say, I reinstated. Went to a detox center. That was another stupid thing to do. They switch you to a weaker more longer acting valium and taper that over 5 days and stop.

The withdraw just returned 3 to 4 days after I left.

I spoke with my doc who started the wean. I started at 2 mg twice daily. Want to go down by 10% every 2 to 3 weeks. I went down 6 days ago to 1.5 mg in am and 2 mg in pm. On day 4, I started to feel bad again.

I'm hoping of will normalize soon as I feel bad (anxiety, irritable, achy, foggy headed, no appetite).

I saw the Ashton method went without issue for you. I'm hoping this isn't as bad as the internet says

That 2 mg is valium. Not Klonipin.

I'm still on them now, a huge part of me believes that they are the cause of a lot of my issues and I am looking into tapering them off but I am terrified of doing it.

It's going to need to be a very slow and gradual thing that's for sure, I'm glad you found a way to taper last time and that you have a supportive doctor for your next taper, that will be a huge help to you.

Thank you, I hope so too, I have had many breakdowns over the years but this bad spell has knocked me sidewards and I can't seem to claw my way out, I just hope it lifts a bit soon so I can get my fight back.

Read the Ashton Taper, google it. And show your doctor.

God bless!!!

Just take it SLOW! Stay at the level you are at now until you feel comfortable and then cut small, 10% or even less of what you are currently at. Stay at that until you feel comfortable and then cut again. That's just my suggestion but I am no doctor! Talk it over with him/her.

God Bless!!!

Thank you robert.

I will continue slow. Concerned about what will happen when I hit zero.

Still anxious today, no appetite, why on earth is it all happening again?? I was doing so well, sitting here crying my eyes out , I cant go through yhis again, I really cant.oh somine tell me its going to be ok plzzz

It really is going to be okay lattifa, you can do this, you are a stronger person than you think, anxiety is telling you that you're not but anxiety is a liar, you were doing well and that means you can do well again, breathe, let the feelings flow and I promise they will pass x