For 3-4 months Ive been tapering off Xanax, starting around November, I went from crazy amounts of 20mg a day all the way down to 1/3 a bar once every 3 days which is about 0.66 mg if I'm correct. Starting mid January I've switched to Valium (I was able to go about 3-5 days without taking any Xanax dose before feeling withdrawals) Ive started taking 10 mg for twice a week, then the following I've started taking 5mg twice a week. I've broken the 5mg half of the Valium into 3 parts which if I'm correct is 1.66 mg for each 1/3? So this is where I finally gotten stuck, I can only go 3 days and no more before I have to redose with 1.6 mg. If I try to push it past the 3rd day and go 4 days without redosing, I start waking up shaking, but it eventually stops after I get up and move a bit, if I continue to lay down the shaking takes alot longer to stop. I also get this really small weak chest pain (barely noticeable unless I focus on it) but it also goes away when I get up aswell. At this point I kinda break mentally and just feel like giving up because i start thinking I cant beat it. But for some reason when thoughts of relapsing comes to mind I ignore it and continue with the tapering just for the very reason im tired of being dependant on benzodiazepines. Before i started taking Xanax I did have really bad anxiety untill I started taking it. Anyways any advice you guys can give me to get through this thing once and for all? Should I continue taking 1.6 mg a few more weeks so my body can get use to it? I was thinking this is probably why, and maybe I should also try to bite off half of the 1.6 mg so that I'll be taking 0.8 mg which is a really low dose and maybe my body won't recognize I'm even taking Valium anymore. I was also told once I get to about 2mg of Valium, there's really no chance of siezures and from this point on it's just a mental game. So should I go as planned or should I stop redosing and go through it? The main reason why I haven't stopped is because I don't want to risk of having any seizures and want some people to confirm that I'm at a low enough dose that seizures are out of the picture now. Thanks for any advice.
Tapered off Xanax with Valium and now have to taper off valium
- Thread starter SilentFL
- Start date
Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
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Welcome to BL SilentFL!
While it's important to honor your feelings about being sick and tired of the benzo stuff, the fact of the matter is that there is no just being done with what you're experiencing. There isn't really anything you can do to just be done with this once and for all, if for no other reason than it has taken you time to develop the kind of use habits than have gotten you to the point you're at presently trying to come off everything.
Recovery is a very developmental process. That means it's all about learning, and learning takes time. I like the analogy of cultivation: you plan seeds of recovery/wellbeing, you tend to them, care for them when they sprout and take care of them as they continue to mature. Eventually you get beautiful, luscious fruit, but it all started with the seeds and taking good, gentle care of them as they (you) continue to grow.
If you're struggling with anxiety I highly recommend you explore mindfulness based stress reduction. It isn't a panacea and has its limitations, but it is becoming recognized as a very effective modality in terms of mental health and substance use disorder stuff. It could really help you stabilize as you continue moving towards your goal of being benzo free.
With benzos it is particularly important to take your time taper and organizing your recovery. For one thing, the withdrawal process takes a long time. It doesn't have to be particularly horrible or painful, but it does take time. Having practices you can use and tools to rely on while you continue tapering and get to a point you can jump off, and then when you do jump off to deal with rebound anxiety and the like, that is super important.
Without learning, practice and integrating new tools to help you take care of yourself and regulate your mood without using benzos, things will be much harder and more difficult.
Because I'm a little confused about it, could you review your benzo history? How long were you using alprazolam, and at what doses? How long have you been tapering with diazepam? You said you've only been taking the diazepam every few days?
With tapering the best thing I find is to listen to your body. If you are feeling more or less stable with a dose, that is when to consider dropping. Generally there is no reason to rush dropping your dose, and the less you drop each time the easier it will be to acclimate to the new dose. Taking you time tapering also gives you more time to spend learning those tools to help you keep stable emotionally and psychologically, so that is another reason.
How do you feel taking the 1.6mg? If there isn't a rush to get off, or if the only rush is the desire to be done with all the bs already, I'd say take your time continuing to taper. Even if jumping off at 2mg or less is safe, you body will still thank you if you get as low as you possibly can before jumping off.
Do you have any plans or support systems in place for maintaining your process after you stop taking all benzos? That is also something to think about.
While it's important to honor your feelings about being sick and tired of the benzo stuff, the fact of the matter is that there is no just being done with what you're experiencing. There isn't really anything you can do to just be done with this once and for all, if for no other reason than it has taken you time to develop the kind of use habits than have gotten you to the point you're at presently trying to come off everything.
Recovery is a very developmental process. That means it's all about learning, and learning takes time. I like the analogy of cultivation: you plan seeds of recovery/wellbeing, you tend to them, care for them when they sprout and take care of them as they continue to mature. Eventually you get beautiful, luscious fruit, but it all started with the seeds and taking good, gentle care of them as they (you) continue to grow.
If you're struggling with anxiety I highly recommend you explore mindfulness based stress reduction. It isn't a panacea and has its limitations, but it is becoming recognized as a very effective modality in terms of mental health and substance use disorder stuff. It could really help you stabilize as you continue moving towards your goal of being benzo free.
With benzos it is particularly important to take your time taper and organizing your recovery. For one thing, the withdrawal process takes a long time. It doesn't have to be particularly horrible or painful, but it does take time. Having practices you can use and tools to rely on while you continue tapering and get to a point you can jump off, and then when you do jump off to deal with rebound anxiety and the like, that is super important.
Without learning, practice and integrating new tools to help you take care of yourself and regulate your mood without using benzos, things will be much harder and more difficult.
Because I'm a little confused about it, could you review your benzo history? How long were you using alprazolam, and at what doses? How long have you been tapering with diazepam? You said you've only been taking the diazepam every few days?
With tapering the best thing I find is to listen to your body. If you are feeling more or less stable with a dose, that is when to consider dropping. Generally there is no reason to rush dropping your dose, and the less you drop each time the easier it will be to acclimate to the new dose. Taking you time tapering also gives you more time to spend learning those tools to help you keep stable emotionally and psychologically, so that is another reason.
How do you feel taking the 1.6mg? If there isn't a rush to get off, or if the only rush is the desire to be done with all the bs already, I'd say take your time continuing to taper. Even if jumping off at 2mg or less is safe, you body will still thank you if you get as low as you possibly can before jumping off.
Do you have any plans or support systems in place for maintaining your process after you stop taking all benzos? That is also something to think about.
By the way, I was told by some people they take usually 3mg of valium everyday for 2 weeks and then low it down to 2mg everyday for 2 weeks, and vice versa till they get down to 1mg a day, everyday, for 2 weeks then they can completely quit it. Is that true? Reason for asking is because health comes first to me rather than trying to quit instantly.