Valium tapering down, some natropathics should be considerded

I was wondering the same thing re: "Shiat" and I think that Nicola meant the nutritional supplement called "Shilajit"? It's just a guess but it's what my naturopath has also recommended to help heal the damaged nerves in the brain while tapering very, very slowly.

She also told me the following: 

Remove only an 1/8th of the amount every 2 weeks and when down to around 3 mg of diazepam, remove only a 1/16th and hold for 2 weeks again and so on until you have just crumbs - use a nail file to leave tiny amounts for another 4-8 weeks.

The absolute key here seems to be tapering tiny amounts and then holding for a few weeks (even holding for 3-4 weeks at a time if you have to, if the withdrawal symptoms are too much) and decreasing even tinier amounts the lower you get on the drug. The whole "Drop 1 mg every month" is far too brutal for the brain to cope with and that is why people are having a terrible time coming off sometimes.

As well as shilajit, bacopa (brahim) is recommended and also turmeric capsules: these are neuro-protective and heal the nerve damage. Don't use any herb or supplement that hits the GABA receptors (Valerian is out, as is St John's Wort and any other GABA antagonist).

Passiflora is also stated on Pubmed as helping with withdrawal symptoms from diazepam, do a search for that. It doesn't affect the GABA receptors yet treats anxiety.

Do not drink alcohol whilst healing, it will delay it and set you back as that also hits the GABA receptors. Your brain is more vulnerable than usual due to the withdrawal process and trying to repair itself.

Make sure you load up on magnesium citrate in supplement form (transdermal oil is the best way to get it into the system) and ensure your potassium levels are OK - eat a banana every day.

Remove caffeine *completely* preferably before you start the taper as caffeine withdrawal can have you in bed for 3-5 days with its own symptoms. Caffeine is a much stronger drug than most people realise and removing it from your diet will lessen any anxiety and insomnia. Caffeine is also very hard on the adrenal glands.

Excercise as much as possible - not aerobics as this could exacerbate symptoms, but weights and strength/resistance training - this also encourages brain healing (please Google this), there's lots of information about how it is proven to facilitate neurogenerative, neuroadaptive, and neuroprotective processes and it will also minimise anxiety and insomnia. You don't have to join or go to a gym, again, there's lots of work outs on Youtube, all you need is a set of dumbells/free weights and perhaps a mat and a chair. 

Make sure your diet is clean - lots of fruits and vegetables and think about removing gluten which can also be a culprit for anxiety while tapering and 3 months after tapering ends. Use fermented cod liver oil and liquid vitamin D3 daily (this will counteract depression).

Try and only keep positive company with people who know what you're going through.

Keep a journal to track symptoms, progress and improvements. Know that healing is not a linear process, you can have three good days and then feel symptomatic again for a few days, but you will always be working towards recovery. Think of it like the Cha Cha, sometimes it's two steps forward and then one step back.

Stop watching or reading the news and take the stance that although it feeds the ego to feel "informed" about terrible events, there is nothing we can do about it so what really is the point in watching and listening to ultra depressing information 3 times a day. Unless one is prepared to get on a plane to go and help or devote one's life Mother Teresa style there is literally no point in following all the wars and disasters happening in the world. You can take up current events again once you have healed if you must.

Watch comedies, light entertainment, old black and white films, nature programmes and read only upbeat material with tales of redemption and the strength and beauty of the human spirit. Depressing stories/films and blood and gore and thrillers can wait until you are healed.

Meditation is free and there's lots of guided relaxation uploads on Youtube, take advantage of them.

For obsessive, unwanted and intrusive thoughts while tapering and healing look at the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also free to learn on Youtube. 

If you find the physical anxiety is really bad such as shaking hands and racing heart, ask your doctor for some propranolol - a beta blocker - which will help with that.

Try not to fret about being in benzo withdrawal, remember that many, many people are going through it and 90% of people fully recover - the other 10% have generally gone cold turkey or tapered too quickly. Stop reading the horror stories on the internet, they are extreme cases and some people may have comorbid conditions. Regardless, they are not useful to your healing journey. 

And lastly, remember the motto "This too shall pass". Because it always does.

I hope this helps someone. Good luck to everyone making this important step to reclaim their health. You really will recover and heal and afterwards you will be wiser and stronger in mind, body and spirit. 

You are so right with how hard this battle is and going thru hell and people do think, Job done and it's simply not the case.

Marriane seems to have a very good knowledge of the whole scenario even correcting my spelling she is right it's Shilajit, it is an ancient almost sap like substance that use to and still does ooze out of the mountains and plateaus in the himalayas.  The natives of this area would see the highly intelligent monkeys of this region in which they reviered, they would pull out bits and suck on it, it has now been studied etc and has amazing properties for longevity, increasing brain power and healing nerves and nerve endings and so much more.  As Valium is a Central Nervous System Sypressant, while your on it it's like having a Huge Metal weight placed on the nervous system, when you start to come of that weight starts to lift usually leaving you with Central Nevous System Depression which is a doozy, hard to smile or laugh or experience any joy.  Like all in life Yin and Yang how ever long you spend nicely comfortable and calm thru meds, the reverse has to happen at some stage.  So delicate pathways in the brain take a lot of time to heal from taking these medications.  We also lose our emotions etc.

How it actually works is, as now it has been made into a powder from those very areas and it can be very expensive.  Just like anything people try to take advantage and sell inferior quality you must try to get the best.  Seek out a good natropath and they can get the good stuff.  It actually works on the cells in the body, instead of them dividing etc this product takes the toxins out of the cell itself thus over a little time helping cells to rejuvinate, it slows the aging process cleans toxins from this western society, food and more importantly everyday drinking water.  The build up of Valium esp after 27 years is stored in fatty cells and Shilajit actually takes the toxic levels of valium other medications in fact paracetamol is one of the worst, not in the withdrawal sense but for our organs and bodys.  I did find that using larger amounts at the end of the tapering process was best or it was actually taking it out of my body too quickly, like Marianne said you must be on a very slow reduction and she has given you the amounts in which you should reduce. Your Natropath would be giving you this product in capsules made just for you along with, black pepper, bee pollen, passion flora helps with the withdrawal so they would not be putting large amounts of Shilajit in your caps to begin with anyway but all these other products are so helpful also I think marianne mentioned Tummeric it is wonderful stuff.

If possible filtered water is great, due to the large amounts of toxins in tap water, if your on tank water even better but do what you can.

Lots of water if possible, lots of excersise when you can.

I'm kind of repeating Marriane now, absolutley no ALCOHOL and yes no St John's wart or Valerian or the Mood suppliments or sleep better as some of these have these herbs in them.

In general I was so desperate I wasted a lot of money on Vitamins in reality we need to be getting them in there raw forms, FOOD VEG'S.

Throught the withdrawal process you do tend to have negative thoughts a racing mind all that Marriane has stated below is so true so I wont repeat her.

Also keep your bed room for only sleep at night try not to nap thru the day, not that you can really sleep anyway.  I found really natural background music very calming and if you do watch TV, personnally i could not but if you do yes make it light hearted or if at all possible something to make you laugh.

If you are feeling a little sick in the stomach or digestive area there is another product called and here we go as I only call them in lay terms

Dia Earth or I think Diamastic earth its a product cattle farmers use to help reduce ticks bugs and any nasty's that get in there feed and can kill them, it's very dehydrating and it actually comes in the food grade form that looks like earth even tasts like earth,  Two teaspoons in the morning mixed with water or juice and skull only because it tends to be gritty and some stays at the bottom. It does not really have a taste just gritty, I have found this from day one to really help with a sore tummy as it kills any bugs in the gut also, if at other times of the day you don't feel well you can take more it will not hurt you.  Health food stores or your Natropath can get you this and does not have to be mixed in caps or anything.  I was paying 60 for a smallish bag and running out so I said to my Natropath can I buy more, I ended up with 2kg for $80AUD, I've still got it and can be used by any adult not just for withdrawing.  My mum now finds it wonderful, she only takes it when needed.

Finally and ill let you go, Meditation is an amazing thing and Marriane has named some which i'm sure are wonderful and in fact i will look up her You Tube (pick) not heard of that, so thanks Marranne.

A Meditation programme which is from Silva Life, it takes you through very easy lessons and from the first thing you no your meditating, it does of course have to tell you a bit about it all but its for deep centering meditation, monk like meditation we use 10% of our brain just imagine if we could use more.  I was actually in full blown withdrawal and climbing the walls but new i had this on my lap top.  Well usually I cant turn anything on (shaking) noise etc but I did my best and got it on and from the moment she said find a comfortable place with no distractions and lets you have the time to get comfortable, not lying down but I found laying back in a chair was great.  I't goes through the whole thing and there are times there is just very light noise (white noise) I could not believe it it had actually calmed me and id sat still for however long.  Because of withdrawing I did this particular one over and over but you then naturally go up to a higher meditative state.  Don't let anything overwhelme you and try in any situation not to let your mind take over with panic, even breathing in deeply thru the nose and holding it for 10 seconds or more if you can then slowly letting it out thru your mouth.  Do this 3 times as oxygen gets into your blood quicker which can help.

I hope you find this helpful and sorry i only got back to you now.  Let me no how your going. and the Marianne Love your work Girl.  So much to share and help each other.   Peace to all.  Good luck Paul.  Nicola

yeah am just back on this after the festive season and all that jazz i just could not be botherd with, but a happy new year to you anway

thanks for the advice nicola very helpfull always open to diffrent ways of calming the withdrawl, and yes marianne is very helpfull too,

iam on a even keell now at 20mg after just dropping 5mg over two week

period,which yeah has been tuff but rewarding mentally and am starting to feel better in myself,iam using various methods to combat the usual suspects sleep,panic attacts,shakes, but am managing for first time to get some peace and sleep,plus my appitite has came back with avengance and i have put on 1 stone since beginging of december which am very pleased with, but will be looking all of these products you have so kindly given me and you marianne ha!!!!

i still know i have a long journey ahead and its not the type youd pay for an trip on YUK!!!!!!!! so any advice and help through this difficult affliction whichn it now is refered to from me is a massive help

i do not have a natropath and am infact this time doing the reduction myself as ive taken myself away from home to do this, iam in the spanish region of the world EU which i find so helpfull through this and am finding it easy to sourse almost anything i need to help with withdrawl although it is also pretty easy to get youre hands on benzos over here sometimes over the counter if you have a prisciption from youre GP but i see that as a mental test that hardly ever enters my head now, i would hate to go backwards ever,yeah we all have our ups and dow days but thats life, its how we deal with them that counts, listen to me now i acctually sound like some one six month ago i would of told to p*ss off ha!!!!!!!

no joking aside thanks so much for the info and help, i will just google the products or a natropath, hope you are doing well nicola and all the best and please keep the chatt so helpfull,you should be proud of youre helpfullness.

Paul

happy new year

yeah ah think nicola got a bit mixed up just chatted her anyway,thanks so much its really good to hear a positive approach i suppose people have alot of diffrent ways of dealing with withdrawl for me ive been here so many times i know what coming in what order at what stage, but iam doing well have put on a stone in wheight and droped 5mg in one month

not saying it was easy far from it but am 100% feelling the benefits from it alot more freaqently than depresion, i have taken myself away from my home and past for the mean time to come of these, which i think is so much easier on the brain and health of the body with out all the stress from what was 

great meditation is use it all the time can get you sorted right out it can,totaly recomend that to any one on or off benzos,its just good for the head, will definetly look up all the products youself and nicola have been so nice to share 

yeah some times i do feel iam going to fast with reduction but so far iam having no negatives appart from day to day life and feeling up n down but hey to be expected,lets hope it works i want it so much i can acctually say i will do this and recover from it fully, then iam going to use it again as knollledge for others in need of help

ha marianne i have actually thought of joining red x and going to these war torn stricken countries to help but thats a long way away just now,

anyway again i thank you for the advice and help, hope you are doing well too and are happy

thanks 

Paul

What an amazing comment. I'm going through a difficult time getting off of mirtazipine and before this ativan and I just really needed to focus on the fact that it will pass. I'm so tired of reading horror stories.

I would like to tell my story about how diazepam has ruined me i had 4 back ops n was on 60mg a day for 7 years n my 5th op they overdosed me on morphine i was in a coma for 3 weeks so never had any diazepam i woke up feeling a different person i had custody of my daughter n if she had not been staying with me i wouldn't be writing this i was in hospital for 8 weeks n had no diazepam it changed my whole personality i was scared when visitors came a year n a half i wanted to die i was a happy go lucky guy n it changed me my head was gone surely someone must have seen my records n realised they couldn't just stop giving me diazepam my own doctor too i started researching about suddenly stopping large doses of diazepam n the main one was a total mental breakdown well i can assure you that's what i had until my back went again n i was prescribed diazepam from NHS 24 they gave me 56 5 mg i took 8 n within half an hour i felt a change in my brain im now on 40 mg a day n its took 5 year for me to actually start socialising again it totally changed my personality i think its shocking that no one gsve it a thought about suddenly stopping them what it can psychologically do to you they took my personality away n let me go through years of hell ...........im alot better now but know il never get back to the person i was ..........anybody want to say