Hey everyone. I've been on VALIUM 10mg for 12 Years, anyone know about a safer anti anxiety drug

[K Todd]

Hello everyone,

I posted a couple weeks back, in my hydrocodone withdrawals regarding that I also have been taking 10mg of Valium (Diazepam) for severe anxiety.

The type of anxiety I get is heart palputations, panic attacks, insommnia, and the WORST is: sometimes for example, if I am stopped in the middle of a traffic light (boxed in with surrounding cars), I start to freak out, because I feel trapped. Then sometimes, I will get to what some would call that "BEING OUT OF THE BODY" or "NOT FEELING REAL", and my heart rate and blood pressure climbs rapidly and get this type of unreal, being outside of my body experience. Now that's the Worst and lest frequent - BUT if I DON"T take my Daily Doses of Valium (perscribed) 6 times daily, sometimes I can not ENEN DRIVE.

I have always been normal, but I also have alot of energy, and it takes a lot for doctors to sedate me. I've just kind of been living around with this anxiety and taking the Valium, (sometimes taking the long route while driving, making all right turns - so I don't get stuck in the left hand turn lane and have a panic attack) - But I'm sick of living my life depending on this sedative.

Just wondering if anyone knows of any new and safer alternatives to this type of anxiety? About 5 years ago, I told my Doctor and I have already tried about 15 different types of long-term anti dep / anx meds like: Celexa, Paxil, Elexapro, etc.. but those class of drugs just kind of make a buzzing type feeling in my brain.

Just wondering if anything new was out for anxiety / panic attacks other than the older drugs like Valium, Zanxax etc..

Any help would would be greatly apprecieated, and I thank you all and all your guys support here on the forum!

Todd

[road2recovery]

todd
OMG--you are the first person i have ever known to feel like me..In traffic bumper to bumper i have to get out of the car and take a breather...For the hurricane(i live in louisiana) we were trying to evcuate and the traffic was unreal for like 10 hours..i had the worst panic attacks that i have ever hadi stayed out of the car more than in..My husband thought i was crazy..But no one knows what that feels like..i now take lexapro now for 2 yrs..It is the best thing i could of ever did..i tried everything else..i also take adivan or klonipin..Valuim never worked for me..i am not ready to get off of any of those..That is just the way it is for me..i will probably take it the rest of my life..i don't abuse it becaue i need it...now i do abuse the hydro's i guess because i don't need it anymore( started with pain) and got addicted..i think we get addicted to the things we don't need..And don't get a high from the things we do need..
hope this helps you

[LadySundown]

Hi,
Many years ago I was going to a Dr. that put me on Valium and said it wasn't addictive. I never abused it. I took 3  5mg's a day. I went in for a check-up one day and he said to stop taking it. No tapering, just stop. He said I wouldn't have any w/d. WRONG!!  Valium is a benzo and more dangerous to stop abruptly than opiates. For three weeks I didn't eat, get out of bed, didn't sleep hardly at all. There were many more extremely unpleasant symptoms. I ended up in the hospital or over a month on the psych ward. I could have died.
The Celexa and Lexapro you mentioned are antidepressants.

PLEASE talk to a medical professional you trust before you attempt to stop the Valium. It can be done but only under close supervision. Hopefully, DutchessGolden will see this post and reply to it. She's is a practicing professional and she has always given good advice. If she doesn't see this post again and put her name "Comment to" space.

I wish you the best....Good Luck.....LS

[K Todd]

I just left a post for you about 7 columns above, because not even Doctors know the type of attacks I'm trying to describe to them.

They just kind of pawn it off, as well you probably have to see a Specialist, because they don't understand that felling of being trapped, almost fainting, and feeling unreal, or like my spirit is outside of my body.

Like I said, I posted a question for you above, on what Exactly Helped you the MOST?

Thanks a bunch!

Todd

[elvistcb]

Hi Todd
Ive only been on the forum a few weeks and am still just putting things off as far as the opiates. It will happen though. Concerning your panic attacks and anxiety. About 25 years ago I had my first panic attack, Sitting in a chair my heart just started racing and I thought i was having a hear attack etc. Went to the ER and had tests done. Everything normal. Also have been in cars like you and that feeling just overcomes you Wham.. I too have had to pull over. Well over the next fifteen years, I kept on having these panic and anxiety attacks. At least once a week I would wake up in the middle of the night and my heart was pounding and I would dash outside thinking I was dying. A lot of nights I slept in the recliner thinking if it happened again I could just jump right up. I have had EKGs done, treadmills etc. All normal. Then in 1997 They finally diagnosed me with major panic attacks and anxiety. They put me on Xanax  2 milligrams a day. I took them faithfully and as prescribed. My life was 99 percent better. About a year and a half ago I ran out and had to wait two days for my doctor to get back. What a nightmare. I had no idea that there were withdrawls from Benzos. Man did I do a years worth of research in about two weeks. Xanax and Clonizepam(klonipin) will do miracles for your anxiety and panic attacks but they are the two most potent Benzos in the world. They have such a short life in the bloodstream.    .5  milligrams of xanax(alprazolam) is equal to 10 milligrams of Valium     I too have tried many other SSRIs, Paxil, Buspirine. Citalopram. but nothing worked. As LS said, getting off of benzos is 100 times harder than opiates. I switched over to valium because it has a much more longer life in the blood so I could slowly come off of them I am now down to 10 milligrams of  valium and once in a great while take a xanax. So my 2 milligrams of xanax was equal to 40 milligrams of Valium. You can find something else to help with your anxiety. Xanax and Klonopin will definitely help you better than Valium but beware of how potent they are. Not meaning they will kick you in the butt while youre on them( I functioned just fine for 9 years on them) but coming off of them is very tricky. Even if you find something to take the place of your Valium youre still going to have to slllloooowwwwlllllyyyy come off of the Valium. Ive  been reducing from 40 mills of V to ten now and that has taken about 10 months.  I am more nervous about the final withdrawls of Benzos than I am about the opiates which I take for Herniated Discs.      

[beachtowel]

If I could recommend a book for you.......

I'm dancing as fast as I can

[LadySundown]

OMG!!!! I read that book about two years after my w/d from Valuim. There was so much of me in it at the time. I would love to read it again. Do you happen to remember the author's name??
Thanks and Take Care....LS

[beachtowel]

I bought a copy off Ebay three yrs ago, I'll have to look for it. I know I still have it somewhere around here........its a great book and a true story.........

[kimmieb]

I don't think any of the benzos are "great" or "safe" drugs, as far as addictionor dependency are concerned.  I've had personal experience with lorazepam (Ativan) for the past 5 years, taking it every night before bed for insomnia, never abusing it.  When I ran out of the medication (my fault) about a week after a hysterectomy and called in to the dr. thinking he'd be able to call in a refill (like he's done in the past, especially because of the surgery circumstance), he didn't refill it and I just stopped taking it, thinking I might have a little trouble falling asleep at night for awhile, but NEVER in my wildest dreams imagining the w/d's I experienced for 3-4 days (before I was put back on it again).  Absolute worse feeling in my life.  

Anyway, what I really wanted to say is that I did NOT feel "addicted" to the medication (never took it to get a high,never got a high out of it anyway), but I was obviously physically dependent upon it by then.  Those withdrawls are bad.  Very bad.  I didn't know until I posted to this forum and someone directed Duchess to my post and she responded with some pretty serious information.  So, back to your question.....  I'm not sure there really is a "better" benzo than valium....because I don't think any of the benzos are capable of not being physically addicting.  I don't know how much that helps, but thought I'd share my personal experience with a similar benzo and trying to get off of it.    

[SandraVen]

I was called the benzo queen at the rehab I got out of about 67 days ago. I took xanax and drank alcohol which almost killed me. I had anxiety as well, which got worse with the xanax because the xanax wore off. It gave me horrible anxiety so I took more which then turned to a major full blown addiction. I had to take detox meds and I am so thankful for them because my body screamed for the drugs as well as jumped all over. I now feel better and don't have as many panic attacks or sleep problems.  It sounds like you are not abusing the valium but your body is very used to it after so many years. I agree that it is very important to talk to someone you trust and or a detox specialist who will help you switch meds for your anxiety. Many health professionals do not understand detoxing and can wean you off way too fast. Hope you keep us updated.

[K Todd]

Thanks so much, I think I really need to look at my 12 year addiction with the VALIUM. I have even gotten has high has 10mg Valium 15 x Daily, but still not for the high, I used it to detox (at home) off of alcohol.

I've been sober from alcohol for 3-1/2 years now, but took the Valuim for panic attacks before, and escpecially AFTER I QUIT ALCOHOL!

It kind of scares me to think, the most mild of Benzo's (so to speak) has more w/d and addiction than meds like 7.5 Hydrocodone.

Thanks so much for everyone's input, and may God Bless us all,

Todd

[justagirl1964]

Does anyone know if you can die (or anyone who has died) from a combination of 80 mg of Celexa and 10-15 mg of valium, plus a large amount of alcohol? (like 1 and 1/2 bottles of wine a day? ) If there is a link to such information, please post it.   Thank you.

[avisg]

this is an old post ,i don't think anyone is still around ,go up where is says post a question ....paste it there ,that way people will see it...:)

BTW alcohol and benzos is a very dangerous combination .Whom ever is doing that need to STOP before something happens.
avis