Could this be withdrawal symptoms?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 4
Could this be withdrawal symptoms?
Hi i am 25yrs old male. I have been prescribed Valium 5mg since May 2007. I only have received 2 bottles since then so 60tabs total for anxiety attacks. Now since then i did not take it every single day but when i really needed it which would be probally 2-3x a week at 1 dosage. Now i split the tab in half and i have about 15 left and really want to quit this. I never took it everyday etc. But now within the last past week i have had to take a half a tab almost everyday if not my body starts shaking i get hot flashes and i am DIZZY ALL DAY LONG like my head is a bowling ball. I already went to the docs and had everything else checked out, and its fine. Can i switch to some type of herb right away while stopping valium? Could these effects im having of dizziness, nervous almost all day, body has shaken for like 3mins and then stops almost every night, head feels so heavy, could these be symptons of me stopping valium at such a low dosage?? I have to lay down almost all day its really put a beaten on me. I would like to switch to some herbs and stop this drug asap, i have st johns wort but dont know when i should exactly take this. Should i split my pills into smaller pieces and stop that way? Please help me, I just cant see that by just 60 pills of this drug throwing my body off whack within 9 months of not taking them every day! If so i am looking for answers. I eat a organic diet, i dont drink or smoke or do drugs.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: cape cod
Posts: 2,320
I'm not a doctor, so I can't give medical advice, but two bottles in 8 months doesn't sound likely to be withdrawals. Some of your symptoms sound like they could be anxiety, which is why I assume you were put on anti-anxiety meds. You should call your doctor to see what he/she thinks, but like I said, those symptoms sound like anxiety.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 4
yeah, i have asked my doctor and he said its most likely anxeity and panic attacks and wants to put me on SSRIs and other meds. The thing is i dont want to be put on any more drugs as they make me feel worse. I live a good clean life and have a great family for support during this hard time for me which is awesome. If it is withdrawal symptoms i have heard people stating dont quit cold turkey because its dangerous, why is that the case? Can you die? Or just more panic attacks etc? I am willing to quit it cold turkey and take another direction....
Dopeless Hope Fiend
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: anchorage Alaska
Posts: 2,741
Very cool..sounds like you are very WILLING..
You can do it...I did...just be willing to walk through the fire of feeling insane for awhile and things will get so much better. Its OK to feel like crap for awhile. Really it is!!!
Do you have any support?? Ya got some here!!
Anxiety sucks but you can get through it..it is much CALMER for me now that I am clean..benzo's made me really really sick for YEARS..I am glad I am free of that today..
I have lots of other little "quirks still..restless irritable and discontent ..but I know how to get a little peace in my life today..
Keep on posting and asking questions ..people care ..lotsa people..
love north
You can do it...I did...just be willing to walk through the fire of feeling insane for awhile and things will get so much better. Its OK to feel like crap for awhile. Really it is!!!
Do you have any support?? Ya got some here!!
Anxiety sucks but you can get through it..it is much CALMER for me now that I am clean..benzo's made me really really sick for YEARS..I am glad I am free of that today..
I have lots of other little "quirks still..restless irritable and discontent ..but I know how to get a little peace in my life today..
Keep on posting and asking questions ..people care ..lotsa people..
love north
Fighting the good fight
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 309
Hi djvb, welcome to SR.
We're not allowed to dish out medical advice, but I don't think you are suffering withdrawal symptoms after such a small dose.
Really, I don't - you just haven't been taking that much. It's like someone getting withdrawal from half a glass of wine a week, I just don't think there's enough in your system to create a physical addiction. If you ARE going through withdrawals, then because it is a low dose I think you'd cope with going cold turkey - our bodies are pretty tough, it's not like you're taking 100mgs a day, or 200mgs a day, or 500mgs a day - like some people on this board used to. THAT's when it's life threatening, not 2.5 mg a day.
Since you eat healthy, and live healthy, I can understand your reluctance to any SSRI's/MAOI's etc - and that's fair enough.
So in line with your lifestyle choices, what are you doing to combat your anxiety - do you meditate, do yoga, martial arts? Are you active socially? Have you considered that your diet may be deficient and need supplementation?
I think drugs should be the last resort, but THIS IS JUST ME - and you may find that there are medications that help with the anxiety. Keep reading, keep researching, I'm sorry that you feel crappy - it's obviously due to something that's going on, and I know you've made the connection with the pills, but since you haven't been taking that much I'd just stop and see what happens. If you need to, go to the doctors after a few days. You said you've got family there, and that they're supporting you, so tell them what's going on and make sure you can get to a Dr if you need to.
THIS IS ALL JUST MY OPINION, so please don't take it as gospel or the word of a trained physician or counsellor, just my experience and hope that you're ok.
We're not allowed to dish out medical advice, but I don't think you are suffering withdrawal symptoms after such a small dose.
Really, I don't - you just haven't been taking that much. It's like someone getting withdrawal from half a glass of wine a week, I just don't think there's enough in your system to create a physical addiction. If you ARE going through withdrawals, then because it is a low dose I think you'd cope with going cold turkey - our bodies are pretty tough, it's not like you're taking 100mgs a day, or 200mgs a day, or 500mgs a day - like some people on this board used to. THAT's when it's life threatening, not 2.5 mg a day.
Since you eat healthy, and live healthy, I can understand your reluctance to any SSRI's/MAOI's etc - and that's fair enough.
So in line with your lifestyle choices, what are you doing to combat your anxiety - do you meditate, do yoga, martial arts? Are you active socially? Have you considered that your diet may be deficient and need supplementation?
I think drugs should be the last resort, but THIS IS JUST ME - and you may find that there are medications that help with the anxiety. Keep reading, keep researching, I'm sorry that you feel crappy - it's obviously due to something that's going on, and I know you've made the connection with the pills, but since you haven't been taking that much I'd just stop and see what happens. If you need to, go to the doctors after a few days. You said you've got family there, and that they're supporting you, so tell them what's going on and make sure you can get to a Dr if you need to.
THIS IS ALL JUST MY OPINION, so please don't take it as gospel or the word of a trained physician or counsellor, just my experience and hope that you're ok.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 4
things i forgot to mention - I cant drive at all btw. See after all this going on, i havnt taken valium in about a couple of weeks, and 1st week of Jan they put me on Lexapro & buspar and took that for 4 days then quit it and then they put me on klonopin and i took that for about a week and quit that and back to really low doses like 2.5mg of valium. But so far im taking Rescue remedy, b complex pills and 100mg of b6. I think its from switching all these different drugs in such a short period of time! Thanks for all the positive posts, im sorry i didnt post the above info earlier i can barely look at a pc longer than a few mins. Oh and btw i am doing massage therapy which is actually AMAZING! My next appointment is tuesday with my wifey and were doing a detox in a steam room and massages etc. the whole works. and yea im trying my best to quit cold turkey on these stupid benzos. I appreaciate all you guys opinions!
Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: cape cod
Posts: 2,320
Do you have a dog? If not, is there a local shelter where you could go walk their homeless dogs? That is, of course, if you even like them. If not I go in and visit the cats. The motion of patting an animal soothes me.
And, if you don't like animals at all, just moving your body and making it tired will help.
And, if you don't like animals at all, just moving your body and making it tired will help.
Philippines/Canada
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Left Coast
Posts: 454
I used to suffer greatly from anxiety, it really sucks.
God, grant me the serenity to except the things i can not change, the courage to change the things i can and the wisdom to know the difference.
That simple serenity prayer helps me to surrender to the fact that what will be will be and i have little control. Stay away from caffeine, Take some quit time, deep breaths from the diaphragm and meditate. The feelings that you are feeling can only make you feel uncomfortable, they wont kill you. This reasoning will help you to ride it out. Exercise is a good one too. When i would be bugging out from anxiety i would run around the block a few times.
I know all this may sound hoaky but it helps. I dont need meds anymore.
God, grant me the serenity to except the things i can not change, the courage to change the things i can and the wisdom to know the difference.
That simple serenity prayer helps me to surrender to the fact that what will be will be and i have little control. Stay away from caffeine, Take some quit time, deep breaths from the diaphragm and meditate. The feelings that you are feeling can only make you feel uncomfortable, they wont kill you. This reasoning will help you to ride it out. Exercise is a good one too. When i would be bugging out from anxiety i would run around the block a few times.
I know all this may sound hoaky but it helps. I dont need meds anymore.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: middle earth
Posts: 1,002
Originally Posted by djvb 
wish i can find something other than drugs to stop being nervous all day long....any ideas?
Yep - I am with you on that. Personally I think it can be the road to hell - paved with good intentions - if you start taking drugs to control mood etc. Fine if you are clinically depressed or bi-polar etc (mentally ill) .......... but I reckon that you can find a way thro all this - given a bit of time.
Your recent pill taking might well explain the symptoms - taking valium, klonopin (this particular drug lasts for several days in the body) etc............... not the best. I wouldn't be over hasty in saying that they might not be exerting an effect thro withdrawals...........
Play for time? Give yourself a bit of space and time before getting entangled with yet more pills? The trouble is that once you start down that road - then you may well become dependent on these drugs - and you then have to face the consequences of all that. If you can resolve the situation naturally then that has to be best for you?
Good luck - hope you find some peace.............
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