SCARED!!!! 5mg Diazepam - WANNA QUIT!!!!

[Tone_1976]

Hi guys

Ive posted this in another forum, but Ill try here to due to anxiety

My names Francesco, 7 years ago I injured my back....2 prolapsed discs. Prescribed 100mg Tramadol and 10 mg of Diazepam a day. Cut the Diaz to 5, about 4-5 years ago........2.5 in morn and night.

18 months ago I gave the tramadol away cold turkey..........that was tough, but NEVER gone back

I have NEVER increased my diaz intake in all this time...basically I take 5mg a day, half in morn and night. There have ben times  where Ive fallen asleep and not taken it, and Ive been ok.

NOW ITS TIME TO STOP!!!!!!!!!!!

Whats the best way......is my dosage excessive?????????

I feel like it does nothing to me....just a bit tired during the day

Is cold turkey on this dosage ok or not????

I was thinking about 2mg in morn and nigth and then dropping that again

I just wanna know if Ive been overdoing it...as Ive said..I never ever took more than 5 mg a day for 5 years or so

Help would be appreciated.......

PS - my back will never be the same, but I want my mind to go back to the way it was before all these meds

Been a tough 17 years for me.......Illicit drugs were a MAJOR problem for me for 8 years, daily marijuana and class a's..... stopped that CT the day I left on my honeymoon 8 years ago!!! Not a touch of anything since!!

Then the tramadol, 5 years daily, but never abused it...CT, and nothing since, although I was advised not to.

Now this.....I wont CT though...too scared of this one..........SHOULD I BE????

Its funny how I fought for myself for so long and got myself together and then a stupid work injury, and a doctors prescription and advice, and Im back where I started!!!!!!!!!!!!

No more though, so I wanna make it through

And I am SCARED!!!!!   Please help with any positive stories and advice!!! Ill be forever indebted

Ive always had anxiety, but always under control, and I suppose the diaz has maybe helped that along the way (without being the intention)

Its the horror stories that scare me, I heard them with tramadol, and now with this. When people mention seizures and death, course its gonna scare u!!!!!

Plus Ive always liked 2 or 3 beers at night, which I never knew were no good with diaz.

Does anyone else have any experience with a low dose over a long period???

Im not scared of stopping, or even withdrawels...its the SERIOUS stuff that people talk about that gets me worried!!!

Any help from others appreciated

Peace

[mammo]

Follow your doctor's advice, he knows best.  If you experience any problems, immediately call your doctor, he will know how to get you thru this.  Take care.

[Tone_1976]

Hi guys

Been to my doctor, and they were really happy that I chose to stop!!!!!

We deided to start tapering to 4mg a day from 5...(2mg morn - 2 mg night)

Wk 1 - 4mg
Wk 2 - 3mg
Wk 3 - 2mg
Wk 4 - 1mg

Then every second day....every third day....so on

Does this seem right to everyone???? The horror stories are still making me scared!!!!!

Is a 1mg drop a week to much??????

Any help is appreciated

Thanks....

Peace...Francesco

[Paxiled]

Hey, guys, this is an addictive drug and can cause seizures if quit cold turkey.  The horror stories are there because people weren't treated properly by their docs and they had nowhere else to turn.  One shouldn't use them to scare oneself, but benzos can be tough to quit taking, and so should always be done under the careful monitoring of a psychiatrist who understands how to properly taper one off.  Things done correctly will prevent the horror stories.

[RubyWitch]

The half-life of diazepam is 20-50 hours. You are taking 5mg. Somewhere between 20 and 50 hours, 1/2, or 25mg of the diazepam would be out of your body. In another 20-50 hours, 1/2 of the 25mg, or 12.5mg would be out of your body. Every 20-50 hours, 1/2 of the reamaining drug will leave your system until it has all been excreted.
Hope that helped explain it.
Peace
Greenlydia

[Tone_1976]

Thanks Carmen

Horror stories are ****, and not positive at all. Unfortunately, these are the things that stay with people.

Even the alcohol...When I first started taking, the packet said "Alcohol may increase the effects". Ive heard stories about death and convusions and these things just scare me!!!! As I said, Ive had a few beers or g&t's every night responsibly and now I get worried!!!!

Thanks for your positivity though....its a breath of fresh air, and has helped me understand diaz more.  I still dont quite grasp the half-life concept though

Thanks again

Peace

[Carmen_Sandiego]

Schedule an appointment with the physician who prescribed the Valium and request the 2 milligram size tablets. These may be scored into four equal quarters of 1/2 milligram each.

The physician would likely tell you to stop taking it (your dosage is peanuts), although from personal experience I have found it easier to reduce in 1/2 mg decrements/week from dosages below 5 milligrams. I was formerly on 120 milligrams daily for six years. Aside from migraines and trivial muscle spasms, I had no issues getting off of it. Valium is generally very easy to taper off of. It's a low potency benzo with a *very* long half-life. It is essentially "self-tapering".

Personally, I wouldn't waste another second of my life reading horror stories on the internet. This drug has been on the market since 1963, and it is exceptionally safe when used correctly. There is no concern here; especially given the low dosage involved. Speak with your physician about your desire to stop and take it from there. The worst thing you could do is read into those horror stories.