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tried, failed

Posted , 3 users are following.

patty50572
patty50572

I have been on ativan, then clonazepam and now valium for 14 years. I have never stopped. I ran low this past month. I am prescribed 20 mg per day. Some days I take more. The last two weeks I ran out and could not get a refill until yesterday. I was hoping I could just stop, go through a little discomfort and I would be done. The past two weeks were so horrible I picked up my new script yesterday. I can't do it. Reading all these posts gave me anxiety. I am 64 years old and can't afford to spend years sick with the debilitating withdrawals so many describe. I can not stand the thought feeling panic and excruciating anxiety for months or years. I am envious of your strength and wish you all the best. I don't like being an addict, but am too weak to feel inescapable anxiety. I guess I felt the urge to tell you in my pea brain I can't fathom going through the painful withdrawals so many have/are. The lucky ones that have made are truly fortunate. Thanks for listening.

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • pam34048
    pam34048 patty50572

    Posted

    Why should you quit and suffer?  I take clonazapam for years it does not make high or act stupid.  Why suffer withdraw, if you need them for what ever purpose you and your dr agree to I say stay on the drug.  It does not make you weak and it most likely keeps you from having horrid panic attacts.  If you were A diabetic I would not tell you to go off insulin, the same with any other disease, don't beat yourself up because you can't quit or not ready to quit.

  • la12
    la12 patty50572

    Posted

    never cold turkey or stop from ativan or any of the others if you can avoid it especially from that size of dose, even for a few days or a week, you will have withdraweal You need to taper off valium real slow, it has a long ½ life in the body. like from 20 mg take 2 mg off every 5 - 10 days or so, if your happy when you get to 10 mg or even 5 mg just stay on it.

    only come off it your absolutely sure get the 2 mg tablets and start by missing 1 mg every now and then, then more often untill your down to just 2 mg. Then carry on miss 1 mg every other day for a few days, then more often untill your on just 1 mg then miss it every other day for a few more days untill you stop. it can be done this would take anywhere between 50 -100 days at that rate but you have to do it at your own pace

  • la12
    la12 patty50572

    Posted

    Also make sure you eat well maybe take 1/2 a multivitamins and minerals pill 3 - 4 times a week. Eat lots of green veg like broccoli, and those salad packs rocket, spinach and watercress for magnesium and peppers, toms and orange or other citrus for vitamin c and potassium, also have a banana lots of potassium and never add salt to your meals.
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