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I need help getting off diazepam

Posted , 5 users are following.

kahla23820
kahla23820

ive been taking valium for nearly two years! quite a high dose! i started off on lorazepam and then was put on valium where i was taking 20-25mg a day! im an now down to 2-4mg a day but i am really really struggling to drop down even more!

i admit, i am dependent on benzos but its more of a psychological problem i think!

has anyone here gotten off of them?

how did you do it?

i am actually scared that my doctors will cut me off!

i have other health issues i am working on and until they are corrected i feel like i cant come off the diaz! is it in my head though?

any help or advice will be very much appreciated!

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • coby08389
    coby08389 kahla23820

    Posted

    I've been off Valium for nearly 8 years now and have written an ebook on how I coped with the withdrawal process. Its hard to differentiate between physical and psychological dependency because the two seem to be very interconnected. My suggestion to you is to Google 'The Ashton Manual' written by Professor heather Ashton - it's what I used as a guide as have many people before me. Go slow - thats the main rule, listen to your body and try to taper consistently . Good luck.

  • mary1166
    mary1166 kahla23820

    Posted

    Hi Kahla,

    I hope you have found a good doctor or rehab place to help you. I took myself off valium a year ago- 30 mg/day for 3.5 years. My doctor refused to help me and basically abandoned me when I refused to take it anymore. (I was prescribed it for muscle spasms- I am in terrible pain from a car accident and allergic to almost everything else.) It is very dangerous to do this yourself and you must not do it cold turkey as you could die from seizures. I lived and I am so happy to not be taking it but it was a very difficult process. I am happier and clearer than I have been for a long time. Be strong.

    • coby08389
      coby08389 mary1166

      Posted

      Thousands of people have tapered off benzos on their own - I am one of them. My doctor wrote out prescriptions for me but that is about it. If people follow the guidelines put down by professor Heather Ashton they will be OK . It is when people try to taper too quickly or if they stop the medication abruptly that they get into trouble. A slow and steady taper is safe. A rehab is likely to use another drug to help the person get off benzos because they can't afford the time frame needed to do it properly and then there is another drug for the body to cope with - not a good idea at all!

  • Guest
    Guest kahla23820

    Posted

    GABA receptors are one of the most impotant in the body, yes there are psychological anchors in any dependancy, but benzodiazepines are the hardest to get off of from a physiological perspective, much harder than opiates and much more paradoxical and unpredictable.

  • kahla23820
    kahla23820

    Posted

    thank you all so much for your responses!

    since i posted this i have managed to drop down to 2-3mg a day and i am hoping next year i can be benzo free!

    ill check out this ashton manual too but i have also decided to start an exercise regime to help with the process!

    again thank you all heaps!

    much appreciated!

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