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Addiction (Expert Forum)
VALIUM
Questions in the Addiction forum are answered by a medical expert.
Doctor's Answer
by HVM-MD-SA, Dec 19, 1998 12:00AM
There is a great deal of person-to-person variability when it comes to the extent of withdrawal symptoms upon stopping a long-acting sedative-hypnotic tranquilizer like Valium (diazepam). Although I have met people who have experienced virtually no withdrawal symptoms when discontinuing a relatively modest daily dose like 10mg, no-one can expect to count on that. It is important to remember that withdrawing from benzodiazepines, especially short-acting ones like Xanax (alprazolam), can be so dangerous as to be life-threatening. Anyone who decides to stop a benzodiazepine should do so under medical supervision in order to avoid withdrawal delirium and grand mal seizures. Another point to remember is that the discomfort of sedative-hypnotic withdrawal is more a function of the percentage dosage decrease rather than the absolute number of milligrams decreased. So it is generally much easier to go from 25mg of Valium per day to 20mg (a 20% decrease) than it is to go from 2mg a day to 0mg (a 100% decrease). For this reason, a good rule of thumb to follow is this: THE LOWER, THE SLOWER. The lower the total dose, the slower the taper. A lot of people run into problems at the end of a taper because they are simply tapering too rapidly. So check in with a doctor who can review your medical history and guide you as to the best way for you to go about getting off of the Valium. Good luck!
Steve Adelman, M.D.(a.k.a., DrSteve)
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.
keyword: benzodiazepine, withdrawal, Valium (diazepam)
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