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Benzos How much valium is too much?

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EEhouseEE

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 20, 2010
Messages
425
short question, is 10mg of valium a day fine, 20mg, 30mg,, how much is too much and how much is a safe dose
 
No amount is good to take every single day. We dont know your tolerance so 10 - 20 and 30 - are all still safe doses....i'm guessing 40mgs is the limit for a first time user or you'll black out. I wouldn't take that much though. It all depends.
 
You can't really overdose on Valium alone. It'll just sedate you in large doses. I once read a report about a woman who overdosed on 1000mg's of Valium, went into a coma for a couple of days, and was then discharged from hospital with no further complications. But be careful... it's an addictive drug, and you'll find that your tolerance increases over time, meaning you'll need more and more just to get the same effect.
 
^^ indeed the LD50 for benzos like valium when taken alone is extremely high... i've taken 500mg's before, but i have a very high tolerance...

the danger is when you mix it with ANY other CNS depressant... alcohol, opiates, soma... in which case the threshold for overdose goes waaay down

but taking any amount daily will get you addicted within a month at most...
 
There are way too many variables. Here are some : Tolerance/ previous experience with valium. Are you ONLY taking valium ? Do you have a general benzo tolerance? Are you planning on drinking ? Do you have any health conditions? Do you have any other addictions?

I mean, no drug is 'okay' to take (if you mean 'good for you' or just not bad for you) every single day w/o medical reason or instruction. Sure, 30mg is a good dose for someone being treated for general anxiety with a small tolerance. However, 'expect' dependence.
 
Lucky. I had 12/10mg vals one day.
I took one, then another, then another.
by 30mg I turned into a Zombie. I ended up taking 8 more, up to 110mg without knowing it!!
I did not want to but I couldn't comprehend not taking another.
Luckily I was fine and didn't drive.

You will be just fine with 30mg, but after that you sorta ""black out""
:)
 
Drug habits become dependany.

I've seen people go cold turkey after years of habitual benzo use. It's not pretty, I'm told it's up there with a GBL/Opiate withdrawal.
 
Drug habits become dependany.

I've seen people go cold turkey after years of habitual benzo use. It's not pretty, I'm told it's up there with a GBL/Opiate withdrawal.

Benzo WD is more like alcohol WD, GABAergic WD is almost always worse than opiate WD - you are right though, it's not pretty.
 
To the OP-

I just want to point out (for your own good), that in the past few days you have created about 10 threads all with a very similar theme-Your concern regarding benzos and possible addiction/withdrawal.

From all of these threads it is clear that this is a major concern for you.
It is often stated on this forum that once you begin to have thoughts/concerns about addiction, you have likely already begun the process of addiction.
I would suggest that your obvious concern and preoccupation with this subject suggests that you may be already headed down the road of addiction.

Also, you need to realize that the questions of the type you are asking in this thread cannot really be answered... "How much valium is too much?".

You must realize that this is an extremely vague, and impossible to answer question.
Too much for what? To die from? Well as has been said, it is extremely hard to fatally overdose on benzos alone.

Too much in terms of becoming addicted? That too has no hard and fast rules. There is no magic dosage or frequency of use which defines addiction. Some people can take benzos quite often and be fine, others will become dependent after little usage. So questions like "How much is too much", are not really useful.

What you need to know is that benzos are quite addictive and it is far better to take them on a "as needed basis", rather then daily.
And it is on this point that I part company with many doctors. Many docs will prescribe someone benzos and tell them to take them twice a day, daily.
While for people with severe and chronic anxiety disorders this may be necessary, for most people, taking them daily is not necessary, and counterproductive.

Good luck-DG
 
To the OP-

I just want to point out (for your own good), that in the past few days you have created about 10 threads all with a very similar theme-Your concern regarding benzos and possible addiction/withdrawal.

From all of these threads it is clear that this is a major concern for you.
It is often stated on this forum that once you begin to have thoughts/concerns about addiction, you have likely already begun the process of addiction.
I would suggest that your obvious concern and preoccupation with this subject suggests that you may be already headed down the road of addiction.

Also, you need to realize that the questions of the type you are asking in this thread cannot really be answered... "How much valium is too much?".

You must realize that this is an extremely vague, and impossible to answer question.
Too much for what? To die from? Well as has been said, it is extremely hard to fatally overdose on benzos alone.

Too much in terms of becoming addicted? That too has no hard and fast rules. There is no magic dosage or frequency of use which defines addiction. Some people can take benzos quite often and be fine, others will become dependent after little usage. So questions like "How much is too much", are not really useful.

What you need to know is that benzos are quite addictive and it is far better to take them on a "as needed basis", rather then daily.
And it is on this point that I part company with many doctors. Many docs will prescribe someone benzos and tell them to take them twice a day, daily.
While for people with severe and chronic anxiety disorders this may be necessary, for most people, taking them daily is not necessary, and counterproductive.

Good luck-DG

ok i understand everything you said but your wrong about on thing, iam not asking all these questions casue iam addicted...to be honest iv tooken valium 4 times in my whole life (20mg in total) i just started taking em and iam just very curious,,i dont wanna mess anything up and thats why iam asking you guys cause you guys seem like u know alot about them.
 
Well I've been taking 5mg of valium once every 3 days since Sept.

The reason I keep my dose this low is to avoid withdrawal symptoms when I no longer take them.

I can't tell you what the effects are if I quit dosing tomorrow, but I'd like to think they would be mild at best. Even so, I'd most likely do a slight taper.

YMMV
 
^ Do you find the 5mg is still as effective now as it was when you first started taking it in September?
 
No, not quite.. It's funny but if I take 6mg (which means biting off a slightly bigger chunk) then yes, the results are pretty much the same.

.. but we all know where that leads.
 
To the OP-

I just want to point out (for your own good), that in the past few days you have created about 10 threads all with a very similar theme-Your concern regarding benzos and possible addiction/withdrawal.

From all of these threads it is clear that this is a major concern for you.
It is often stated on this forum that once you begin to have thoughts/concerns about addiction, you have likely already begun the process of addiction.
I would suggest that your obvious concern and preoccupation with this subject suggests that you may be already headed down the road of addiction.

Also, you need to realize that the questions of the type you are asking in this thread cannot really be answered... "How much valium is too much?".

You must realize that this is an extremely vague, and impossible to answer question.
Too much for what? To die from? Well as has been said, it is extremely hard to fatally overdose on benzos alone.

Too much in terms of becoming addicted? That too has no hard and fast rules. There is no magic dosage or frequency of use which defines addiction. Some people can take benzos quite often and be fine, others will become dependent after little usage. So questions like "How much is too much", are not really useful.

What you need to know is that benzos are quite addictive and it is far better to take them on a "as needed basis", rather then daily.
And it is on this point that I part company with many doctors. Many docs will prescribe someone benzos and tell them to take them twice a day, daily.
While for people with severe and chronic anxiety disorders this may be necessary, for most people, taking them daily is not necessary, and counterproductive.

Good luck-DG

I completely agree with you. Over the past few days Ive looked at a couple of these threads and just could not figure any way to really answer them. The question of how much is too much is really to be honest, stupid. A person will most likely know at some point once they are addicted or becoming addicted, at that point you need to think really long and hard about the consequences, because the sooner you try to stop, the easier it will be on you. I was prescribed 5-10mg of valium every at night for about 6 months a couple years ago for bad anxiety and sleeping trouble because of pain problems. I eventually stopped as my pain got more under control with no real WD noticed, but I was on a load of opiates which could have played a role in helping that. Everybodys situation is different and there really is no right answer from us for you.
 
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I agree benzos should be used on a "when needed" basis as the wds can be absolutely terrible. IMO they also hold very little recreational value, but tons of therapeutic value. Some see dependency in one month, some 6, some a year. Everyone is different. Be safe when taking that shit(especially with other substances).

Benzos alone are also almost impossible to OD on, so I wouldn't worry about that
 
i dunno i always found Valium (Diazepam) to be quite weak when compared to the effects other benzos give me, especially Xanax. When i take xanax for instance i can take 2mgs and feel the effects "OK"... but valium is another story, i have to take like 50mgs just to get a decent effect. Oh and I have NO benzo tolerance at all.. I may take benzos for 1-2 days out of a month at max.
 
Old Wife's Tale

I realize this is an old thread, but I read it in some amazement, waiting for someone to dispel the crazy addiction myths about valium. No one ever did, so here goes:

You will NOT get addicted taking one valium a day, even if you take it for thirty years. It simply won't happen and, frankly, I'm amazed that this old story is still given credence by the very savvy people on this site. Valium got its reputation as highly addictive due to some sensationalized stories back in the seventies. While it is true that valium has addictive properties, it is not some magical pill that will cause addition by taking the tiny amounts you all are talking about. The horrible addiction stories you probably have heard about are from people who were being prescribed and taking 80-100 mg a day or more over a period of many years.

You would have to take a minimum of three 10 mg valiums a day, every day, for a period of a couple of years, to become addicted. That's the bottom line. You are not going to become addicted if you are taking 10 mg per day. I should know. I was prescribed 10 mgs per day about twelve years ago, after trying paxil and other drugs for anxiety. I needed something that would allow me to relax but not fuck up my cognition skills. I was seriously bothered by the fact that my MD wanted me to take something like paxil on a daily basis, when I didn't need it on a daily basis. In short, I wanted to control the dosage and the time that I medicated, and my MD finally agreed.

So, I got prescribed one 10 mg per day over ten years ago. Since then, there have been months on end, where I took it every single day when I came home from work because of stress/anxiety issues. The wonderful euphoric 'high' -- didn't last out the first year, but the drug still helped me to slow down and organize my thinking without interfering with my sharpness at work. In fact, I rocketed up the promotion ladder the first five-seven years I was taking it, before settling in. So, I've taken 10 mg, pretty much every day, for months or even years. And then I'd stop. I'd just forget to take it for a couple weeks, or I'd be working out of town and not have access to it, or -- more commonly -- I'd need to lose weight for summer, and have to stop taking it for a couple months to get bathing suit ready. One thing valium WILL do is stimulate your appetite. But you aren't going to go through withdrawal because you took a valium a day for a year, or ten years, or twenty. I don't even think it is physically possible.

And, while I think the addictive qualities have been way overstated on this site, the harm reduction component has been very much overlooked. It is not enough to recommend not drinking with valium. Do not ever drink alcohol with valium. Ever. Especially if you have been dieting -- trying one of those cleanses or something. You will die if you drink and take valium while not eating. Seriously. Google Karen Ann Quinlan.

Ironically, I started coming to this site because of some major issues requiring pain medication. I am currently prescribed 8 norcos per day for pain. I've been asked if I want to consider morphine or methadone instead and came here as part of my research on the issue (I've chosen to stick with the norco for now, even though it doesn't sufficiently address the pain even at this high dosage, and yes, I'm fully aware that I am, almost surely, already physically addicted to vics). My dirty little secret is this: the valium had pretty much stopped working for me after so long, and I had nearly stopped taking it at all over the last couple of years. Really, I just kept a few around for my friends who swear by it for hangovers. But, lord! The first time I combined vicodin with a valium was a revelation to me. It was pure bliss. Oddly, I find that most other people I know, even those who love benzos, don't care for this combo. Except strippers in Las Vegas, or so I've been told. I hear its their drug combo of choice out there.

Anyway, bottom line is that you will build up a dependence (oddly, it's never even occurred to me to take more than one valium per day. And I can't take more than that now with all the vicodin I'm taking), but you won't become addicted on only one valium per day. Not physically addicted anyway, and if your tolerance is such that it's not doing much, you aren't going to have a psychological addiction either.
 
I realize this is an old thread, but I read it in some amazement, waiting for someone to dispel the crazy addiction myths about valium. No one ever did, so here goes:

You will NOT get addicted taking one valium a day, even if you take it for thirty years. It simply won't happen and, frankly, I'm amazed that this old story is still given credence by the very savvy people on this site. Valium got its reputation as highly addictive due to some sensationalized stories back in the seventies. While it is true that valium has addictive properties, it is not some magical pill that will cause addition by taking the tiny amounts you all are talking about. The horrible addiction stories you probably have heard about are from people who were being prescribed and taking 80-100 mg a day or more over a period of many years.

You would have to take a minimum of three 10 mg valiums a day, every day, for a period of a couple of years, to become addicted. That's the bottom line. You are not going to become addicted if you are taking 10 mg per day. I should know. I was prescribed 10 mgs per day about twelve years ago, after trying paxil and other drugs for anxiety. I needed something that would allow me to relax but not fuck up my cognition skills. I was seriously bothered by the fact that my MD wanted me to take something like paxil on a daily basis, when I didn't need it on a daily basis. In short, I wanted to control the dosage and the time that I medicated, and my MD finally agreed.

So, I got prescribed one 10 mg per day over ten years ago. Since then, there have been months on end, where I took it every single day when I came home from work because of stress/anxiety issues. The wonderful euphoric 'high' -- didn't last out the first year, but the drug still helped me to slow down and organize my thinking without interfering with my sharpness at work. In fact, I rocketed up the promotion ladder the first five-seven years I was taking it, before settling in. So, I've taken 10 mg, pretty much every day, for months or even years. And then I'd stop. I'd just forget to take it for a couple weeks, or I'd be working out of town and not have access to it, or -- more commonly -- I'd need to lose weight for summer, and have to stop taking it for a couple months to get bathing suit ready. One thing valium WILL do is stimulate your appetite. But you aren't going to go through withdrawal because you took a valium a day for a year, or ten years, or twenty. I don't even think it is physically possible.

And, while I think the addictive qualities have been way overstated on this site, the harm reduction component has been very much overlooked. It is not enough to recommend not drinking with valium. Do not ever drink alcohol with valium. Ever. Especially if you have been dieting -- trying one of those cleanses or something. You will die if you drink and take valium while not eating. Seriously. Google Karen Ann Quinlan.

Ironically, I started coming to this site because of some major issues requiring pain medication. I am currently prescribed 8 norcos per day for pain. I've been asked if I want to consider morphine or methadone instead and came here as part of my research on the issue (I've chosen to stick with the norco for now, even though it doesn't sufficiently address the pain even at this high dosage, and yes, I'm fully aware that I am, almost surely, already physically addicted to vics). My dirty little secret is this: the valium had pretty much stopped working for me after so long, and I had nearly stopped taking it at all over the last couple of years. Really, I just kept a few around for my friends who swear by it for hangovers. But, lord! The first time I combined vicodin with a valium was a revelation to me. It was pure bliss. Oddly, I find that most other people I know, even those who love benzos, don't care for this combo. Except strippers in Las Vegas, or so I've been told. I hear its their drug combo of choice out there.

Anyway, bottom line is that you will build up a dependence (oddly, it's never even occurred to me to take more than one valium per day. And I can't take more than that now with all the vicodin I'm taking), but you won't become addicted on only one valium per day. Not physically addicted anyway, and if your tolerance is such that it's not doing much, you aren't going to have a psychological addiction either.

I disagree, simply on witnessing a large amount of my friends becoming extremely dependent Valium (all un-prescribed and obtained illegally) and recently after around 14~ months of abuse expressing a desire to quit but finding the psychological side effects of width-drawl intolerable.
 
Benzo WD is more like alcohol WD, GABAergic WD is almost always worse than opiate WD - you are right though, it's not pretty.

Not pretty is a under statement. makes opiate w/d look like a few days of sipping mixed drinks on a beach. i have been on benzos on and off for 8 years (mostly on) after 2 years use of 4-6mgs of clonazepam a day i went cold turkey and went nuts for a month. litterly lost my mind. Im surprised i didnt die of or even have a seizure.

Atm im taking between 20-50 mgs a day of valium a day.

My point is stay the fuck away from this shit b4 it gets you. im already got dont let it happen to you.
 
I'm going to close this old thread. Please don't bump nearly two year old threads anymore without adding something significant.
 
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