Diazepam withdrawal

[Brandonb66]

Iv been on 10mg of Valium for over 22years,iv been coming of 1 mg a month,I'm now down to 3mgs,I thought I'd gone through the worst of it,but now I can't go outside,& this bloated feeling,I feel like my stomaches going to burst,I'm just wondering,how long does it take after final 1mg,does it take for body to feel normal again,or does it,I can only say this whole process feels like an out of body experience,is there going to be light at the end of the tunnel,the doctors don't even seem to know,I feel like giving up,iv only got another 3month to go,but how long does it take to feel normal again

[Sean49]

I am on day 10 of not talking any valiam I'm 29 and been taking them since I was 16 I was taking 200/300mil per night most of the time but dropped to 100 mil for a month then tried to stop I lasted a week then I was on 50mil for a month then dropped to 10mil now I haven't taken a for 10 days and I am finding it so hard but I'm not thinking of taking any this time I've got over that part I know I want take any but the only thing I really need to know is will this feeling ever go away as I got it stuck in my head that I'm going to feel this way for ever I feel dizzy and like swimmy if you know what I mean it's not a nice feeling and I can hear the smallest of noises I'm really on edge and paranoid I just want this feeling to end but keep thinking it want but I don't know anybody that's gone through the same systems??

[Brandonb66]

Many thanks people for your encouragement cheers Just the thought of getting up one day& the withdrawal symptoms have gone,makes me feel better,can't wait to be able to go outside again,iv forgotten what being normal feels like

[Jinx_777]

I was on xanax for years.  I did not know that I would even have withdrawals so when I stopped taking them, the only thing I noticed was that I could not sleep.  I would take OTC sleep aids, benadryl, etc and NOTHING worked.  After about 5 or 6 days it got better.   I had to stop because I had no insurance and no money to buy them anymore.   I know now that quitting cold turkey can  be dangerous, but honestly think if I had heard about every withdrawal symptom everyone had, it would have been WAY worse anticipating those symptoms to come.  In my case, ignorance was bliss.  

[lulu747]

Hi Brandon-

I am tapering off of diazepam as well.  I was on another benzo at a very high dose for nearly a decade for sleep.  When I wanted to get off (because I want to get pregnant soon) I switched to diazepam and began to taper.  I started at 10 and just jumped down to 7.5 after 8 weeks.  In 8 weeks I will go down to 5.  This is a slow taper and it seems to be working great.  I added two things that I think are making a big difference.  Tryptophan and melatonin.  Two, totally natural sleep aids that act on the brain in similar ways.  Tryptophan (yes the stuff in turkey) boosts seratonin levels and helps deepen and lengthen your sleep.  I take 2000 mg of it at night.  I was also on another sleep med called zoplicone (similar to ambien) for 20 years.  I tapered it fast and then stopped.  I really believe I've been successful with this due to the tryptophan.  The only side effects are that it' hard on the tummy so I take it with crackers at night.  I do feel a bit drowsy in the morning, but aside from 2 days of interrupted sleep (but I have pain issues) I haven't felt any withdrawals from the valium.  It's worth asking your doctor about.  Also, everyone reacts differently with benzos and it could be your taper is too fast.  Sometimes you need to spend longer at a certain dose to stabilize before dropping again.  Remember it's a marathon, not a sprint, so take your time.  You don't want to risk feeling awful and then taking more.  One step, one moment at a time.
Sending support...
Lu

[ariley13]

Hi there Brandon! Benzo tapers and withdrawals can be absolutely brutal. I have never had an issue with them, but have had loved ones that have. They were symptomatic for almost a full month after quitting, but they did a very quick taper. Hopefully with your slow taper you are able to recover a little more quickly than that. Just know that you are doing this the safe and right way. Stick to your guns and keep fighting. Freedom is right around the corner!

[selfinduced]

Hi Brandon, That paranoia is normal. It is your brain getting used to the reduced dose along with the addict/dependent mindset that THIS WILL NEVER END. I promise you it will. You have weaned beautifully. Don't be afraid to ask you Doc for reinforcement on your symptoms. I had to come off of ativan and I did feel sea sick for a week or so after I stopped, but low and behold you'll wake up one day and it will dawn on you that all your symptoms are gone. I'm not big on changing out one drug for another, but if you find your too uncomfortable with the feelings, ask your Doc for a possible antidepressant for a few months. Just my thoughts. Hang tough, your doing very well.

[Brandonb66]

Thank you,I really hope so,I wish I new someone that's actually came of diazepam,after years,I'm dreading when I'm,on nothing& I feel this paranoia,for ever,or is that me,just feeling like this just now,as I'm coming down,my imagination is running mad,

[brandiroars386]

Tapers can be tough, but you are doing so well!  It's really hard to say "how much longer", we are all so different.  Remember we didn't become addicted in a day, it will take time.  Keep it up, you can do it!

[OpenMind24hours]

A long taper is really rough, but if you stick with it you will get your life back. I went through an Ambien taper plan for 4 months. Based on that experience, the one thing I learned was to take it one reduction at a time. I made sure I had become comfortable on the reduction I was on before moving on down to the next one. If you go too fast you get in trouble. I'm glad you have medical help with this. Make sure you speak with your doctor about wanting to take the reductions slower so you're more comfortable during the taper. Don't ever give up, your miracle is just around the corner. You can do this.