Benzos Question about quitting 10mg diazepam

[Soul11]

Hi guys, i have been taking 7.5-10 mg Diazepam for my anxiety and for social anxiety which i have problem looking people in the eye when talking to them.

it comes to my mind that after taking little over a year of this medication, i want to be free of this chemical for good and i have not tried tapering as of now yet.

when quitting cold turkey and tapering as low as i could go to the point not taking anymore, what are the things that i should expect from quitting 10mg diazepam daily for years?

By the way thank you for all bluelighters for helps and safety rules of knowledges, past 8 years. i just wanted to say this.

 

[Keif' Richards]

Hey there Soul I know you've been around for a while, but it's still nice to hear from new people or old people alike! 10mg Diazepam (Valium) is a relatively small dose. If a Alprazolam (Xanax) "bar" is 2mg, your dosage of Diazepam would be approximately one quarter of this. I feel it's useful to have a little comparison so you know what you're in to. I would probably take 60mg Diazepam to start off and even that might not be enough. There is definitely a wide range of usage patterns, but rest assured, that yours is definitely at the low end of the spectrum.

People make a big deal out of Benzodiazepine withdrawal for good reason. It is very painful, long-lasting and potentially deadly. However, you are taking a low, prescribed dose so your withdrawal symptoms will be minor. You mentioned some of your anxiety and other symptoms like not being able to make eye contact. You can unfortunately, at the very least, expect some of these issues to reappear. Benzodiazepines do not actually cure conditions or help cure conditions, they just manage them. Once the Benzodiazepines are gone, you're back where you started. In your case, you shouldn't expect anything serious.

Most of these will be mild, keep in mind:

Anxiety

Insomnia

Paranoia

Depression

Temperature Imbalance (fever like stuff) and perspiration

 

[Essentialle123]

benzo.org.uk : Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw, Prof C H Ashton DM, FRCP, 2002

Good luck.

 

[PtahTek]

.... what are the things that i should expect from quitting 10mg diazepam daily for years?

As mentioned; the return of what caused one to go on diazapam at the onset. If it were a sudden traumatic event and one just needed something to smooth the edges for a minute then one may not go through so much: If it was to manage a long standing issue then one may expect a bit more to come back.
Take the taper slow is a good idea all the while assessing ones mental/physical state. If there be any sudden change in ones perception of surroundings, by all means add a couple mgs of diazapam until stable. It may take a while (2wks to a couple months) until any noticeable effects so be patient and do not drop dose too quickly.
10mg is pretty low but not insignificant. If I ate .5mg alprazalom a day for a few weeks there would be a reckoning if I suddenly drop it. It may not be full on do or die WDs but it would throw me off for a week or so (maybe more).
Best of luck and stay strong.
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