Benzos Long-term diazepam user, looking for advice

[Pickledlemons]

Have you ever found a reasonable dose of any benzo effective?

Well, even 20mg of diazepam relieves the worst effect of withdrawal for me, chest pain. So idk if thats what you meant

Surely didn’t start on such a high dose of Xanax

True, it gradually increased.

Doses above 60mg do nothing but sedate me, and I’ve only taken that much a couple of times as usually 20mg is more than adequate. Unless you have very unusual brain chemistry and/or metabolism, it’s unlikely that you couldn’t get the same benefits on a much lower dose.

Hmm yeah idk I've never taken over 60mg. 115mg for the whole day does not leave me much space to do so. And even when I take more than I should, its more frequent dosing rather than higher doses. And yeah those extra doses really help with anxiety, which has become more a problem this year, for personal reasons.

And the higher dose you take for longer than more you’re just downgrading your receptors and making the drug less effective.

Yeah, I know how it works, thanks, its been 2 days out of 6 months at this point cut me some slack.

I’d try to avoid binging as much as possible and cut back on your dose whenever you can. I understand you’ll have rough days but make sure you cut your dose on your good days.

I don't know how I'd have such a huge surplus if I wasn't already doing that.

 

[fairnymph]

Well, even 20mg of diazepam relieves the worst effect of withdrawal for me, chest pain. So idk if thats what you meant


True, it gradually increased.



Hmm yeah idk I've never taken over 60mg. 115mg for the whole day does not leave me much space to do so. And even when I take more than I should, its more frequent dosing rather than higher doses. And yeah those extra doses really help with anxiety, which has become more a problem this year, for personal reasons.



Yeah, I know how it works, thanks, its been 2 days out of 6 months at this point cut me some slack.



I don't know how I'd have such a huge surplus if I wasn't already doing that.

Ah okay 20mg is much more reasonable but still a bit high I’d say. Probably that’s just tolerance though. I don’t like to take that much because while it is more effective, it means that it will cease to be effective so much faster. I can usually get by on less. And I really need to spend as a little time as possible off it entirely because without it, I’m not very functional given it’s the only thing that treats my muscle tension. Maybe the anxiolytic effect doesn’t go away as quickly as the muscle relaxant effect?

I’ve never heard of someone redosing diazepam so often. It’s quite long lasting so you shouldn’t need to. That will drive your tolerance up even faster than taking it once a day. Do you have a fast metabolism? I’m wondering if there’s a specific reason that you need to redose more frequently. Most drugs don’t last as long as they should for me but it’s sounds like you might be even more unusual at least with regards to this drug.

Not trying to be hard on you - it’s great that you’re able to stockpile. I’m just trying to understand why our experiences are so different.

 

[Pickledlemons]

Ah okay 20mg is much more reasonable but still a bit high I’d say. Probably that’s just tolerance though. I don’t like to take that much because while it is more effective, it means that it will cease to be effective so much faster. I can usually get by on less. And I really need to spend as a little time as possible off it entirely because without it, I’m not very functional given it’s the only thing that treats my muscle tension. Maybe the anxiolytic effect doesn’t go away as quickly as the muscle relaxant effect?

I’ve never heard of someone redosing diazepam so often. It’s quite long lasting so you shouldn’t need to. That will drive your tolerance up even faster than taking it once a day. Do you have a fast metabolism? I’m wondering if there’s a specific reason that you need to redose more frequently. Most drugs don’t last as long as they should for me but it’s sounds like you might be even more unusual at least with regards to this drug.

Not trying to be hard on you - it’s great that you’re able to stockpile. I’m just trying to understand why our experiences are so different.

Everyone experiences drugs different. Our metabolism and our brains are all different, so much so that drug x can have completely opposite effects depending on the person. I also need to drink coffee to counteract the drowsiness from diazepam sometimes, but I mean... most people... drink coffee.

Yeah 10 - 40mg is generally the range of my doses. I think I took 50mg once. But yeah like I said, sometimes they are quite frequent, but 99% of the time the total for the day comes to 100 - 115mg. I usually take them when I wake up, right before bed, when I take my suboxone (8mg twice a day) but it varies a lot, just based on how I feel and whether or not I have any responsibilities I need to tend to.... its easier to take less when I'm at home alone than interacting with other people.

Oh and it was actually my doctor that said it would be best to take low doses frequently over high doses infrequently.

 

[Chickens]

I agree with most of the above posters. You are on what many people, myself included, consider to be a high dose of benzos. I've been there too though, I was getting clonozolam back when it was "legal" and managed to work up to about 100mg per day. The only way I found I enjoyed benzos at all again was to take a break. SLOWLY taper down, if you've got a script, it's a little easier because the pills are dosed well. It took me months to get my dose down much at all, but stick with it and it can be done. I find I tend to forget how much benzos affect me until I stop taking them.

 

[fairnymph]

Everyone experiences drugs different. Our metabolism and our brains are all different, so much so that drug x can have completely opposite effects depending on the person. I also need to drink coffee to counteract the drowsiness from diazepam sometimes, but I mean... most people... drink coffee.

Yeah 10 - 40mg is generally the range of my doses. I think I took 50mg once. But yeah like I said, sometimes they are quite frequent, but 99% of the time the total for the day comes to 100 - 115mg. I usually take them when I wake up, right before bed, when I take my suboxone (8mg twice a day) but it varies a lot, just based on how I feel and whether or not I have any responsibilities I need to tend to.... its easier to take less when I'm at home alone than interacting with other people.

Oh and it was actually my doctor that said it would be best to take low doses frequently over high doses infrequently.

Indeed! That’s why all this information is so helpful.

Thanks for sharing more details. I assume that you have tried taking diazepam once daily and found that isn’t sufficient for you? I can’t imagine taking diazepam right on waking, but again I’m using it for a different purpose. And one of the things I like about being on the dose that I am, and taking it at night, is that I don’t get any drowsiness at all the next day. In fact, I am extra alert.

 

[silver_lining]

I've been taking Tapentadol the last 8 months, between 200-400mg per day. I'm finding it hard to stop. I also have been taking 30-40mg Diazepam daily for a solid year, and also Soma most days, usually small 100mg doses to potentiate the others, but some evenings I'll eat 1,000 mg, probably 2-3 times per week. I keep bouncing around my dosage intake on all 3, trying to get clean but always seem to get back up to my ceiling on all 3. I've decided to get serious about it and stop 1 at a time. The Soma is the first to go, as it doesn't have much withdrawal and also the tolerance builds so fast it's not really good daily. I'm tackling the Tapentadol next, it's such a strange opiate, i usually take my doses upon waking up and within the first 4 hours of the day, then don't touch it till the next morning. It has a very stimulating effect along with the pain relief. But now I switched doctors and he prescribed me gabapentin which i am very familiar with. I'll use it for a few weeks off and on along with my diazepam until i feel comfortable that i will only take my daily diazepam. Then i can begin my Taper of the benzo, which as we all know is not the best couple of weeks/months. But i've done it before and i am ready to do it again. I am prescribed diazepam but only 10mg per week, which isn't nearly enough at this point of my tolerance of 30-40mg per day so i get it from a non prescription source. Just where i'm at, today i feel pretty good with just the gaba and valium. I also have zopiclone for sleep if i can't get to sleep, but i use it very sparingly as it causes serious depression the following day. But wowza does it work for sleep, as long as it's only once a week or so.

 

[Dextro .45]

Low dose Diazepam 5mg then 2mg scored tablets 1mg Valium even
Pregabalin 150 X 2 daily…..then 75……50
Clonidine 0.1mg tablet (half in morning, other night)

Comfort meds used properly will wean you

I have Diclazepam (2-Chloro-Diazepam) which metabolizes into 3 genuine pharmaceutical benzodiazepine meds….2 most significant are Delorazepam (loooong acting anxiolytic benzo) then finally into Lorazepam (Ativan) I had 2,000mg of Diclazepam……should’ve bought more ,fuck

Still have a bit plus Avizafone (Pro-Diazepam)

 

[Coffeeshroom]

This is something slightly of subject but still very interesting. for the last week I swap from 15mg diazepam a day to clonazepam 1.5mg a day. And after 2 days I started feeling shit and only today after restocking my diazepam, after taking 15mg, 30 min later I felt so much better. So clearly for me personally, diazepam is fixing me something that clonazepam doesn't and in away it causing wd like symptoms even though just light.

Just for interest sake.

 

[lost weekend]

Hi, I'm a long-term user of diazepam. Right now I get 60 0.5 mg tabs of Clonezepam/Kolonopin a month. I have been on various diazpems over the past 10+ years. Initially I liked the buzz, then the relaxation, then the way they helped me sleep. But after years of use (and misuse), I'm having trouble getting much out of them. I utilize tagamet and white grape fruit juice 30 minutes before taking the pils, and am pretty meticulous when it comes to timing, taking on an empty stomach, etc. But at this point I'm lucky if I get a light buzz and a little sleepy after taking 10 mg of Clonazepam.

Two questions/thoughts:

First, I divide my dosage up. I'll take some tagamet and grapefruit juice 30 minutes before the Clonazepam, then take 10 0.5 mg tablets. I'll then wait 60-90 minutes before taking more tagamet/juice, wait 30 minutes, then take the final 10 Clonazepam. The reason being, I don't want to be knocked out - I want to enjoy the buzz and relaxation without pass out. But at this point, I'm thinking I could take all 10 mg of Clonazepam at once and not risk that.

Second, I also have Carisprodol (350 mg) which I know potentiates diazepam. I tried to take Carisprodol before a few Diazepam years ago, and was just knocked out entirely. I don't recall the dosage, but it wasn't much for my tolerance at the time and I had/have a high tolerance for both Diazepam and Soma. Anyone have any advice on how to chase these together and get good results, without passing out?

Many thanks!

I was taking 6mg of clonozopam a day for 4 years non stop.went on holiday for 2 weeks abroad cold turkey and bam 5 th day in I was a wreck.thought I was going to seizure, was swimming as well.never slept for 4 days solid .went to chemist and asked for sleep aid and they gave me gabapentin, was a life saver was taking 120mg a day and could get some broken sleep.my advice is taper with diazapam as it has a much longer half life.i belive if I had been taking 40mg of valium upto holiday I may have lasted the 2 weeks albeit in severe discomfort but not life threatening

 

[marcoman]

I'm 67 yrs old, old hippie, longtime ice hockey player with a body beat to shit. So my meds are legit and used for pain relief, relaxation and to be honest ; recreational as well. Who doesnlt want to be pain free and happy at the same time? I'm a long time k pin user. I have to wean off and take breaks once or twice a year , then go back. I take .5 at 3x a day and works just fine..along with my 10 mg oxys, 3x a day. I found a cool doc, yeah. With the wean period and stopping is about 4 weeks. Everyones different but that works for me. I don't want to keep having to take higher dosages. Once a drug no longer works I wean off and take a break. Of course I don't tell my doc I do this.