Hooked on Valium (diazepam)? - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

stevie g · 08-31-2007, 03:44 AM

If anyone has been...or is hooked on Valium (diazepam)....any advice on getting off would be appreciated!

emmer · 08-31-2007, 04:35 AM

Hello Stevie, Valium and (benzos) in general are a bitch to withdrawal from.
I've been on all the common ones' and withdawn off them all too and I have found valium to be the easiest because of it has such a long half life.

This stuff has to be tapered very,very slowly as it is a dangerous drug to go off of fast. Going off fast can even result in death.
Tell your doctor about your desire to end your addiction and he/she will most likely put you on a slow taper. ...Keep posting Stevie and welcome.......Joe

windysan · 08-31-2007, 06:27 AM

Kinda depends on how long you've been on valium and at what doses. I quit fast and had no problems. I was on really high doses of V and everything else. Some people quit cold turkey from small doses and get really sick and have major problems. From what I understand slow tapering is the way to go. Talk to your doctor about it. In my case I could taper nothing. If they were around then I ate them like Zagnuts.

nakur · 08-31-2007, 07:36 AM

How much do you take Stevie?

I used to take 15-20 mg daily for 3 weeks, then tapered off to 5 mg in 1 week, and then quit cold turkey. I had mild withdrawal symptoms like bad sleep, concentration but nothing very serious. I would still advise to see your doctor, everyone reacts differently.

ccgirl · 08-31-2007, 07:37 AM

I would definitely do it with a doctor's supervision or detox. I'm like Windy; no problems, but from what I've read on this forum a lot of people have a really hard time. It can also be life threatening if you have any underlying medical conditions; you could have seizures. Absolutely talk to your doctor.

emmer · 08-31-2007, 07:52 PM

I was on 260mg per day once and would have imploded if I did the c/t thing, but Windy is right it does matter how long and how much.

nakur · 09-01-2007, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emmer

I was on 260mg per day once and would have imploded if I did the c/t thing, but Windy is right it does matter how long and how much.

OMG 260mg?!! How did you manage to quit? How long did it take to taper off?

Live · 09-01-2007, 04:19 AM

Emmer, sorry, but my eyes are big as saucers....I thought on a fraction of that you would be comatose and have respiratory failure!!!

No wonder, you and I have seen them in such a different light! Totally different experiences!!!!

I am so glad you saved yourself from that.

3-4mg of xanax over several years would be dangerous to do cold turkey and would take more time than guessed to taper off because I have been prescribed them and taken them for such a long time.

good luck Stevie G. Some of my advice and there will be better come along...is try to cut caffeine as it exagerates anxiety, keep soft easy foods like yogurts or ice cream etc on hand, drink lots and lots of water. Try some chamomille tea, it relaxes.

stevie g · 09-01-2007, 06:05 AM

Thanks to everyone for being so helpful, I neglected to mention that I have been on and off valium for 4/5 years, but taking no more than 15mg a day and that is just recently.
I think this is relevant as well.........up until October last year I had been using amphetamine, ecstasy and pot for 9/10 years....I started using valium to cushion the come downs......not sure where all this is going to leave me.

emmer · 09-01-2007, 08:43 AM

No kiding livewerd, I had built up such a high tolerence to benzos that even with that much med in my system I had trouble sleeping.
Hard to believe but true.

At any rate Stevie your best to play it safe .... when detoxing , I too believe yogurt is a good thing , I also drank gatorade on advise from my doctor because I was vomiting up all my electrolytes.

ccgirl · 09-01-2007, 10:00 AM

Emmer; Holy crap! No wonder you are so passionate about the subject. My measly
.5 - 1 mg. per day was like m&ms, lol. What a strong, strong person you are to have beaten a 260 mg addiction. I salute you!

emmer · 09-01-2007, 12:06 PM

I was pmed by a lady once that was funtioning on ....(90 + mg) klonopin each day
that's easyly equal to 900mg valium.
She had a script for some of them but was buying most of the street.
She built up tolerence over many, many months.
She is clean now.
Tolerance is an amazing thing.

emmer · 09-01-2007, 02:02 PM

I need to add that just because my dosages of both klonopin and valium over the years was mind boggling. .....it doesn't mean that anyone elses addiction is less valid.

I hesitated to tell anyone of the extent of my benzo problem because there are people I have shared with that don't believe any doctor would prescribe
those amounts. But it is true.

Strangely, I have had equally bad withdrawals off far, far less medication.

Barto · 09-01-2007, 02:31 PM

http://www.non-benzodiazepines.org.uk/
http://www.thetrap.org.uk/forum/index.php

These folks, linked to above, have lots of good info and a great support forum for SLOWLY tapering benzos. Some can do it cold turkey, but I am not one. Right now, I am going very, very slowly off Klonopin (a similar drug). Like you, I’ve been on and off of benzos for a few years and I am on a relatively low dose, too.

Oh, and this is a good website for support, too.

08-31-2007, 03:44 AM	#1 (permalink)
stevie g Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: lancashire Posts: 9	Hooked on Valium (diazepam)? If anyone has been...or is hooked on Valium (diazepam)....any advice on getting off would be appreciated!

09-01-2007, 04:19 AM	#8 (permalink)
Live Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Bristol TN/VA Posts: 11,298 Blog Entries: 5	Emmer, sorry, but my eyes are big as saucers....I thought on a fraction of that you would be comatose and have respiratory failure!!! No wonder, you and I have seen them in such a different light! Totally different experiences!!!! I am so glad you saved yourself from that. 3-4mg of xanax over several years would be dangerous to do cold turkey and would take more time than guessed to taper off because I have been prescribed them and taken them for such a long time. good luck Stevie G. Some of my advice and there will be better come along...is try to cut caffeine as it exagerates anxiety, keep soft easy foods like yogurts or ice cream etc on hand, drink lots and lots of water. Try some chamomille tea, it relaxes. __________________ Each small candle lights a corner of the dark....Roger Waters

09-01-2007, 02:31 PM	#14 (permalink)
Barto Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Righthere, Rightnow Posts: 1,497	Welcome, and I can relate. http://www.non-benzodiazepines.org.uk/ http://www.thetrap.org.uk/forum/index.php These folks, linked to above, have lots of good info and a great support forum for SLOWLY tapering benzos. Some can do it cold turkey, but I am not one. Right now, I am going very, very slowly off Klonopin (a similar drug). Like you, I’ve been on and off of benzos for a few years and I am on a relatively low dose, too. Oh, and this is a good website for support, too.

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08-31-2007, 04:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
emmer Guest Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,716 Blog Entries: 10	Hello Stevie, Valium and (benzos) in general are a bitch to withdrawal from. I've been on all the common ones' and withdawn off them all too and I have found valium to be the easiest because of it has such a long half life. This stuff has to be tapered very,very slowly as it is a dangerous drug to go off of fast. Going off fast can even result in death. Tell your doctor about your desire to end your addiction and he/she will most likely put you on a slow taper. ...Keep posting Stevie and welcome.......Joe

08-31-2007, 06:27 AM	#3 (permalink)
windysan Big Idiot Man Child Join Date: May 2004 Location: La Posts: 5,773	Kinda depends on how long you've been on valium and at what doses. I quit fast and had no problems. I was on really high doses of V and everything else. Some people quit cold turkey from small doses and get really sick and have major problems. From what I understand slow tapering is the way to go. Talk to your doctor about it. In my case I could taper nothing. If they were around then I ate them like Zagnuts.

08-31-2007, 07:36 AM	#4 (permalink)
nakur Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Holland Posts: 90	How much do you take Stevie? I used to take 15-20 mg daily for 3 weeks, then tapered off to 5 mg in 1 week, and then quit cold turkey. I had mild withdrawal symptoms like bad sleep, concentration but nothing very serious. I would still advise to see your doctor, everyone reacts differently.

08-31-2007, 07:37 AM	#5 (permalink)
ccgirl Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Harwich, MA Posts: 2,749	I would definitely do it with a doctor's supervision or detox. I'm like Windy; no problems, but from what I've read on this forum a lot of people have a really hard time. It can also be life threatening if you have any underlying medical conditions; you could have seizures. Absolutely talk to your doctor.

08-31-2007, 07:52 PM	#6 (permalink)
emmer Guest Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,716 Blog Entries: 10	I was on 260mg per day once and would have imploded if I did the c/t thing, but Windy is right it does matter how long and how much.

09-01-2007, 06:05 AM	#9 (permalink)
stevie g Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: lancashire Posts: 9	Thanks to everyone for being so helpful, I neglected to mention that I have been on and off valium for 4/5 years, but taking no more than 15mg a day and that is just recently. I think this is relevant as well.........up until October last year I had been using amphetamine, ecstasy and pot for 9/10 years....I started using valium to cushion the come downs......not sure where all this is going to leave me.

09-01-2007, 08:43 AM	#10 (permalink)
emmer Guest Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,716 Blog Entries: 10	No kiding livewerd, I had built up such a high tolerence to benzos that even with that much med in my system I had trouble sleeping. Hard to believe but true. At any rate Stevie your best to play it safe .... when detoxing , I too believe yogurt is a good thing , I also drank gatorade on advise from my doctor because I was vomiting up all my electrolytes.

09-01-2007, 10:00 AM	#11 (permalink)
ccgirl Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Harwich, MA Posts: 2,749	Emmer; Holy crap! No wonder you are so passionate about the subject. My measly .5 - 1 mg. per day was like m&ms, lol. What a strong, strong person you are to have beaten a 260 mg addiction. I salute you!

09-01-2007, 12:06 PM	#12 (permalink)
emmer Guest Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,716 Blog Entries: 10	I was pmed by a lady once that was funtioning on ....(90 + mg) klonopin each day that's easyly equal to 900mg valium. She had a script for some of them but was buying most of the street. She built up tolerence over many, many months. She is clean now. Tolerance is an amazing thing.

09-01-2007, 02:02 PM	#13 (permalink)
emmer Guest Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,716 Blog Entries: 10	I need to add that just because my dosages of both klonopin and valium over the years was mind boggling. .....it doesn't mean that anyone elses addiction is less valid. I hesitated to tell anyone of the extent of my benzo problem because there are people I have shared with that don't believe any doctor would prescribe those amounts. But it is true. Strangely, I have had equally bad withdrawals off far, far less medication.

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