Avoiding disaster with Valium

[searchingforthesound]

An acquaintance has struggled with social anxiety is entire life. As a result, has no clothes connections at the moment and deals with loneliness all the time.

A couple of weeks ago, he acquired 30 10 mg Valiums. I think he spent a few days being an idiot and taking 30 mg a day basically knocks out on the couch and not remember much.

At that point he realized that taking 10 mg was absolutely perfect and put him in the mindset where it was super easy to be himself, strike up. Interesting conversations with interesting people, become way more effective as a leader at work, get dates with attractive women, and basically get rid of whatever was blocking him from sharing his gifts with the world.

Homeboy has been taking the valium's daily, realizing that's not a good long-term strategy, and makes a plan to lay off the Valium except for one sore twice a week when he feels like he needs the extra help to perform in life.

That first day without after taking them daily for 2 weeks didn't go so well. Felt some withdrawals or whatever and took a 5 mg to make it go away. Now he's worried that He's going to be in for a hard time when the 60 mg he has left runs out, and common sense is telling him to taper what he has left and not get more.

What do you think homeboy is in for? He's only taken the damn things for a short period of time, though a larger dose than would have been prudent.

How much hell should he prepare himself for? And what's his best bet for getting through it? I guess it was stupid for him to think that a drug that made him think so clearly and communicate so easily was going to help him finally create a happy life

 

[ageingpartyfiend]

Shouldn;t be too bad after two weeks, take this one as your final warning though because proper benzo withdrawal can be hell on earth

Use your 60mg to taper. if it were me it would go something like 7.5 mg/day for 3 days, 5mg/day for 4 days, 2,5mg for 4 or 5 days and then zero

And yeah - don;t get more. Sounds like something you could easily get yourself a big problem with, so best avoided

 

[elgoucho9]

Shouldn;t be too bad after two weeks, take this one as your final warning though because proper benzo withdrawal can be hell on earth

Use your 60mg to taper. if it were me it would go something like 7.5 mg/day for 3 days, 5mg/day for 4 days, 2,5mg for 4 or 5 days and then zero

And yeah - don;t get more. Sounds like something you could easily get yourself a big problem with, so best avoided

Agreed with this. And take it as a serious lesson because what you're experiencing now is nothing close to full on benzo withdrawals.

To create a happy life really you have to have a lid on drug use and some self control. Focus on your own fitness and wellbeing. Socialising with people who are worthy of spending your time around them.

Hope things go smoothly man. I would agree with @ageingpartyfiend on the taper with what's left over. And don't buy more. I wasted years of my life and made so many bad decisions because of benzos. Yes they make you feel invincible at the time, but ultimately your decision making process is hindered and to everyone else you look stupid. They are a god send if used once on a blue moon for things such as long haul flights or public speaking. Day to day use/addiction isn't worth the side effects.

 

[searchingforthesound]

Shouldn;t be too bad after two weeks, take this one as your final warning though because proper benzo withdrawal can be hell on earth

Use your 60mg to taper. if it were me it would go something like 7.5 mg/day for 3 days, 5mg/day for 4 days, 2,5mg for 4 or 5 days and then zero

And yeah - don;t get more. Sounds like something you could easily get yourself a big problem with, so best avoided

Thank you if it sucks this bad, now I can only imagine what it's like to get into real trouble with the stuff.

I can look this stuff up on the web later but, would you take that 7.5 mg proactively, or wait until those withdrawal like symptoms start coming on and then take the 7.5? Or potentially take 2.5 mg 3x throughout the day?

 

[searchingforthesound]

Shouldn;t be too bad after two weeks, take this one as your final warning though because proper benzo withdrawal can be hell on earth

Use your 60mg to taper. if it were me it would go something like 7.5 mg/day for 3 days, 5mg/day for 4 days, 2,5mg for 4 or 5 days and then zero

And yeah - don;t get more. Sounds like something you could easily get yourself a big problem with, so best avoided

Thank you if it sucks this bad, now I can only imagine what it's like to get into real trouble with the stuff.

I can look this stuff up on the web later but, would you take that 7.5 mg proactively, or wait until

Agreed with this. And take it as a serious lesson because what you're experiencing now is nothing close to full on benzo withdrawals.

To create a happy life really you have to have a lid on drug use and some self control. Focus on your own fitness and wellbeing. Socialising with people who are worthy of spending your time around them.

Hope things go smoothly man. I would agree with @ageingpartyfiend on the taper with what's left over. And don't buy more. I wasted years of my life and made so many bad decisions because of benzos. Yes they make you feel invincible at the time, but ultimately your decision making process is hindered and to everyone else you look stupid. They are a god send if used once on a blue moon for things such as long haul flights or public speaking. Day to day use/addiction isn't worth the side effects.

Thank you. Yeah it feels stupid. In a place now where what serves as a social scene and nearly only way to meet people revolves around drinking. Envious of those people who can go out and have a few drinks, a bump or two of Coke, maybe a pill or two, spend the night laughing, and then maybe do the same thing a few weeks later without is becoming a problem for them.

 

[ageingpartyfiend]

Thank you if it sucks this bad, now I can only imagine what it's like to get into real trouble with the stuff.

I can look this stuff up on the web later but, would you take that 7.5 mg proactively, or wait until those withdrawal like symptoms start coming on and then take the 7.5? Or potentially take 2.5 mg 3x throughout the day?

well, diazepam has an extremely long halflife so personally I'd be tempted to just take one dose per day.

Having said that, goin to 2.5 x 3 followed by 2.5 x 2, the 2.5 once a day until you stop also sounds ok to me too, although I'm not an expert on this so hopefully others chime in too

And yeah, your dark imaginings regarding how bad benzo withdrawal can be are probably onlt scratching the surface of just quite how hellish many find it. I know someone quite well who reckons he is only now starting to feel like something resembling human 18 months after quitting a 12 months 3mg/day aalprazolam habit and have heard countless other similar tales.

 

[searchingforthesound]

Thank you friend. I appreciate you and wish the best for you and your friend and may he never feel tempted to go near those alps ever again.

 

[ageingpartyfiend]

@searchingforthesound just to say it's great that you've realised this so early on. Benzo addiction is super-insidious, creeps up on you and bam!

If you had waited even another monh ot could've been a totally different story...more unhelpful neural pathways formed, you'd start rationalising all is fine (lizard brain) and then add another month and you're in whole world of pain

Your doubts are your intuition - listen to it - you already knew the answer before you mad the thread. Make moves to quit now and you have dodged a serious bullet mate, very likely to be one of the very bst decisions you will ever make

I highly doublt my mate will relapse tbh but thank you for your sincere wishes - I'll pass them onto him as he's coming over later. . He been off 18 months now and the struggle has him terrified of even taking a super low benzo dose to go on a long haul flight (which terrifies him....but not as much a single 5mg Diazepam does...go figure)

 

[MassAveMayor]

Slow and low taper is the best way don’t rush it and remember Valium and kpin have very long half life’s like 36hours or alittle more depen on person, so you wouldn’t ven experience withdrawal unti after 3 days with none. Taper slowly and get doen to tiny pits .25 skip 2 days and then take half of that - do it slowly!! I’d get a doctors advice (ik most know nothing on getting off ,benzos)

 

[neandertroll]

I was on them for 10 + years ,my real withdrawal didn't start for about 10 days without any.

 

[ageingpartyfiend]

I was on them for 10 + years ,my real withdrawal didn't start for about 10 days without any.

wow - that long? am surprised but unsure why

am guessing that you had such a lot in your system that the usual very long halflife was even longer?

what was your taper like? how much were you down to when you hopped off?

 

[neandertroll]

I was 30mill a day script for years when they use just give them out , but taper was 2 ml a month what I remember, then they would only give white 2 ml out, even on high dose , it took me years going down cause I was struggling bad , the methadone doctor would ring my doctors and it go up then they start again 2ml a time , but I've got there in end slowly, Now I'll not touch them cause I was ill, I still smoke kit but I leave Val's were they are , I would only take docs scripts anyway I would buy them from ppl on scripts aswell . so 2ml a month , In end the doctor said I stay on 4 ml along as I don't "lose script,dog eat script,etc etc , A change doctor lost me last 4 ml by then I was clean off them , so it took over 2 years I'd say get off them.

 

[ageingpartyfiend]

I was 30mill a day script for years when they use just give them out , but taper was 2 ml a month what I remember, then they would only give white 2 ml out, even on high dose , it took me years going down cause I was struggling bad , the methadone doctor would ring my doctors and it go up then they start again 2ml a time , but I've got there in end slowly, Now I'll not touch them cause I was ill, I still smoke kit but I leave Val's were they are , I would only take docs scripts anyway I would buy them from ppl on scripts aswell . so 2ml a month , In end the doctor said I stay on 4 ml along as I don't "lose script,dog eat script,etc etc , A change doctor lost me last 4 ml by then I was clean off them , so it took over 2 years I'd say get off them.

That's immense mate, you played the long game and came out benzo-free.

 

[Snafu in the Void]

Slow and low taper is the best way don’t rush it

Not in all cases. I advocate very rapid tapers sometimes, particularly if doses aren't crazy high and use is limited to around <2-3 weeks. For me this works out better usually, especially if I only have a very limited supply left.

But of course it's just a matter of opinion and every case is different.

 

[neandertroll]

Yea it was savage first time I tried to stop , I had do it slowly.

 

[searchingforthesound]

On a taper now, 2nd day on 2.5 mg/day. Plan is for today to be the last day, see if there are any withdrawal symptoms that start over the weekend, and then there are a few left to continue tapering if needed on Monday. Feeling pretty good so far, little bit of anxiety returning.

Fortunately I only abused the things daily for 3 weeks. Seems this can be long enough to become physically addicted but not necessarily, and about 10 minutes is all it takes to become psychologically addicted depending on who you are.

Shouldn;t be too bad after two weeks, take this one as your final warning though because proper benzo withdrawal can be hell on earth

Use your 60mg to taper. if it were me it would go something like 7.5 mg/day for 3 days, 5mg/day for 4 days, 2,5mg for 4 or 5 days and then zero

And yeah - don;t get more. Sounds like something you could easily get yourself a big problem with, so best avoided

Got down to 5 mg more quickly, two days of 5 mg now I'm on my second day of 2.5. plan is to take none tomorrow, see how that goes, and then I've got like 25 mg left if I get withdrawal symptoms, otherwise have them on hand for an emergency.

Starting to ask myself questions like what if I actually need to be on Valium to function normally? Maybe but I'm not going to try to make that decision until I've been benzo for you for a few weeks.

Scares the shit out of me how stupidly addictive these things are I hope I learned my lesson. Addiction in general is a b itch and I understand that benzo addiction is on its own level.

 

[neandertroll]

If you got plenty, no rush ,just take 2 ML a day , snap 2ml ,1ml a day , you look like you're there any way, good job

 

[neandertroll]

Sorry missed your first post , 3 weeks you should be fine , don't drag it out , do it sooner than later , you should be fine.

 

[middleman]

You should not experience withdrawal symptoms for at least 2-7 days after your last dose. The "withdrawal" symptoms are most likely all in your head. 2-3 weeks on a low dosage shouldn't be a problem. Go cold turkey and use the rest of your stash accordingly.

Then again, this is just all anecdotal advice from my own experience with benzos. The shortest time I abused benzos was for 1 month, taking anywhere from 4-6mg of bromazolam per day; the physical withdrawal symptoms were minimal and only lasted about a week. The longest time was 6 months, taking 2-6mg daily; tapering off was not fun.

I wish you the best; perhaps you can acquire a prescription from a doctor? I've been prescribed 4mg of diazepam per day for over a year and have yet to abuse my script or any benzo. Just treat them with the respect they deserve. They should be used as a tool to enhance one's life; it sounds like you have a dreadful problem with anxiety. They could definitely change your life for the better. No one should have to deal with crippling anxiety.

Please keep all of us posted on your journey. You'll make it; we'll all make it.

 

[middleman]

Slow and low taper is the best way don’t rush it and remember Valium and kpin have very long half life’s like 36hours or alittle more depen on person, so you wouldn’t ven experience withdrawal unti after 3 days with none. Taper slowly and get doen to tiny pits .25 skip 2 days and then take half of that - do it slowly!! I’d get a doctors advice (ik most know nothing on getting off ,benzos)

I think he should avoid tapering because it will only prolong the inevitable. I doubt a physical dependence has been established yet. If it has, he has not consumed nearly enough nor been on it long enough for him to have a grand mal seizure. Rebound anxiety and mild physical withdrawal symptoms should be all.