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katysara


Moderator

Posted Thu May 13th, 2010 4:18am Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

OK, here's the thing. I am prescribed 30mg of diazepam on top of all my other meds that I listed at the bottom of this post. That is the max daily dose and is meant to be taken in divided doses but I take the whole lot at night to help me sleep (other sleeping meds include nitrazepam and 4 x the usual dose of zopiclone).

My doctors know this, i.e. my GP prescribes it all and my pdoc, who is wonderful, laments every time I see him that I have to get that 30mg down to ZERO. He told me monday that if he were to take a dose my usual meds it would kill him. We have been working on the nitraz and got that down from 10mg (max dose) to 5mg - that took 3 months and I experienced no withdrawal effects. He is a big believer in going slowly to minimise withdrawal - and of course nasty things like seizures and so forth.

I saw him yesterday and he suggested I get it down from 30mg to 25mg in 3 months. That seems so SLOW. I said this and he said OK then you can cut it down as you like but do it slowly and in 2 weekly intervals. This is the problem of having studied for a PhD in medicine - people think you know what physicians know when you don't, you specialise in one area of medicine and mine unfortunately was not psychopharmacology, though it should have been I needed more info from him really, but we were rushed. I'm not even all that clear about serious side effects of withdrawal other than seizures.

So I am wondering if anyone out there has any experience of diazepam withdrawal from any angle so I can proceed as fast as possible without putting myself in danger.

Diazepam has a long half-life. If my past is anything to go by I don't have an addictive personality and have never had trouble coming off other meds that other people have had great difficulty with - in other words, I think I can push myself. I came off lorazepam which is supposed to be far more addictive in one day. 4mg to 0mg. (That is equivalent of 40mg of diazepam as 1mg lorazepam = 10mg diazepam).

One of the reasons for pushing myself is that my psych may move out of the area and I'll be stuck with another pdoc who just piles on the meds again.

Help?

KSx

------------------------------------

Quetiapine (seroquel) 600mg

Aripiprizole (ablify) 30mg

Topiramate 100mg

Amitriptyline 300mg (v high dose, usual max is 225mg)

Nitrazepam 10 now down to 5mg (hurrah!)

zopiclone 30mg (max dose is usually 7.5mg)

DIAZEPAM 30mg max dose.

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"Having a great intellect is no path to being happy."
~ Stephen Fry

See my website: www.katysaraculling.com

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tito


Member *

Posted Thu May 13th, 2010 12:11pm Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

I also can take large doses of Diazepam, when I do take it, over the years I've built up a resistance.

Husband has been horrified at the amount I can take at one go.

But I cut down the Diazepam years ago bit by bit, by dosage and then how frequently I took it.

I don't know if I have an addictive personality. Which is daft but true.

Now I only take it from time to time, with months in between. I don't recall having any problems when I cut down years ago.

But I have a lot of memory loss from my former poorly self so.........

Do you know what? This is an incredibly unhelpful answer.

But I'll post it anyway and say that I don't think it was a problem. Although psychological withdrawal can be a problem. As you know.

Good luck with it anyway duckie, just take things easy and slowly. Gently does it.

xxx


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katysara


Moderator

Posted Thu May 13th, 2010 7:00pm Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

Thank you hon, that was a help. I kinda feel impatient to stop it all NOW but I know I'd suffer if I did that. Last night I cut down half a 5mg tablet and have been fine.

KSx

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"Having a great intellect is no path to being happy."
~ Stephen Fry

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tito


Member *

Posted Thu May 13th, 2010 7:08pm Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

I'm glad to hear it. I've always been a tranquiliser fan so I know it's a big step for you.

Now I will take either 12 or 16 mgs at a time. Which is less than years ago. This amount still worries husband.

Although when I have them in 2mg pills so I can control dosage more easily and I count them out and take a handful (v small hands so it looks even worse) it does look bad I know.

But like I say, I don't take them all the time.

Cutting down bit by bit is the key. You'll be fine. I know you will.

Cuddles, T xxx


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michael


Member

Posted Thu May 13th, 2010 7:42pm Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

hi Katy, best wishes with cutting back on the diazepam, it sounds really difficult!

this is probly NO help but i'm supposed to be getting, in the mail, a book about how to come of psychiatric drugs safely, and it's sposed to list advice for all different types (when done w/doctor approval of course)

unfortunately, it was ordered over a month ago and i still don't have it!

i just now found a website for the book http://www.theroadback.org/workbook.htm

i've never actually looked at it, my partner ordered the book for me, so i'm not sure how helpful it is. If you do check it out, i'd be interested to know if you think it's good info or if it is suspicious. (you know what i mean... sometimes i see psychiatric med help stuff that looks kinda unscientific and suspicious...what makes me suspicious of this is, i'm wondering if the guy is selling supplements or something...

or maybe i'm paranoid

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michael


Member

Posted Thu May 13th, 2010 7:52pm Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

p.s. one thing i did notice on that website is that it encourages tapering off at very slow rates... for example, from the sleep med section

"Only reduce the medication 2% every fourteen days for the first three reductions. The 2% reduction is based on the original dosage of the medication. The 2% reduction is based on milligrams."

and the antidep. section said that to taper off at a safe rate on many major antideps, you have to get a compounding pharmacy to make up the pills, since they don't come in such specific mg.s.

might be all old news to you!

"HELLO I'M TACTILE !" is an anagram of my name

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katysara


Moderator

Posted Thu May 13th, 2010 8:09pm Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

I only have 5mg and 10mg tablets so am cutting down at least 2.5mg (half a 5mg tablet, they are scored so you can snap in half), a week. That is more than 2%, it's more like 8%. I feel ok though. Like i said my doc is leaving it up to me...

Luckily topiramate, which I am on as it happens for other reasons, is also an anti-seizure med so I shouldn't get seizures anyhow.

KSx

I am an administrator on this site.

"Having a great intellect is no path to being happy."
~ Stephen Fry

See my website: www.katysaraculling.com

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tito


Member *

Posted Thu May 13th, 2010 11:03pm Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

You can get a pill splitter if you need one. We've got one for the dog's epilepsy tabs.

Why am I telling you this? You must already know about pill splitters. But I started so I thought I'd finish.

Thankyou for your kind attention. Goodnight.


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katysara


Moderator

Posted Fri May 14th, 2010 9:28am Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

Seem to be fine down 8%. Slept better!

I am an administrator on this site.

"Having a great intellect is no path to being happy."
~ Stephen Fry

See my website: www.katysaraculling.com

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tito


Member *

Posted Fri May 14th, 2010 1:50pm Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

Well done! Just take it easy. xxx


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michael


Member

Posted Fri May 14th, 2010 7:49pm Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

yay! ditto what tito says.

who is cracking me up with the "why am i telling you this? but i started so i should finish" lol

<3

"HELLO I'M TACTILE !" is an anagram of my name

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katysara


Moderator

Posted Fri May 14th, 2010 8:35pm Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

I will take it easy. Tempting to take more off but i will wait a week. Support appreciated. Dog is asleep on my feet, she's dreaming and jerking about.

KSx

I am an administrator on this site.

"Having a great intellect is no path to being happy."
~ Stephen Fry

See my website: www.katysaraculling.com

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greentree


Member

Posted Fri May 14th, 2010 9:28pm Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

Aw cute! Dogs are funny when they do that. Our cat twitches when she's dreaming... maybe their meds need withdrawing!

Good luck with the reduction in meds.... i only have one experience of diazepam (or it might have been temazepam).. and i was still up bouncing around at 3am after taking it.

No sig.

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Vampyros


Member

Posted Fri May 14th, 2010 11:41pm Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

6 cats and 1 dog so when they get going nobody sleeps. One of the cats and the dog snore and so does the wife - no wonder I can't sleep.
Vx

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katysara


Moderator

Posted Sun May 16th, 2010 9:37am Post subject: I may be grumpy - diazepam withdrawal - advice?

apparently i snore sometimes but i've never noticed

I am an administrator on this site.

"Having a great intellect is no path to being happy."
~ Stephen Fry

See my website: www.katysaraculling.com

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