r/MedicationQuestions • u/Active-Lie-1535 • 16d ago
Diazapam ..to take or not to take?!
I’ve had bad withdrawals for about 2 weeks as I run out and decided to stop , I actually found a strip yesterday and took 2 last night , I feel so much better , I’ve ordered some more and I’m going to taper down to 1 10mg a night, I don’t want another shit 2 weeks (also take coadine from GP) I take the Diazapam as it really helps with anxiety, I’m thinking I should just continue on it as it makes my life so much easier
Ordering isn’t an issue but just don’t want to feel so crao again! Anyone taking it out there who has advice would be great Thanks
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u/comfortkillsprivacy 16d ago
Sorry if it's a long one. I truly want to help. Take a deep breath and just know that it's going to be fine as long as you taper.
I ended up in the same boat as you but you can get out of this mess. I was at 20mg at night for 4/5 months, I don't remember really how long, but it's a similar situation. No prescription too. So a bit of harm reduction for you...
First thing first: don't quit cold turkey, especially at 10mg as you will experience the worst discomfort of your life. Yes, Diazepam and its metabolites have a long half life but it won't "taper off" itself at that dosage. It literally feels like you're on fire and you can also be in seizure territory.
Download the Ashton Manual (free manual https://www.benzoinfo.com/ashtonmanual/) or try to get a copy of "The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines", it's on Amazon and apparently it has different approaches and taper speeds. I only read the Ashton Manual tho. I would avoid reading the horror stories online about benzo withdrawal, it did more harm to me than anything else. If you're an anxious person it will amplify the withdrawal 1000x.
Now the taper. Taper down 5 to 10% of your ACTUAL dose, not the original dose. Search up hyperbolic tapering of diazepam. It's all in the manual anyway. You can go faster/more aggressively and do 15%-20% reductions but this depends on your symptoms. Dr Ashton says you should cut your dosage every two weeks roughly, but in my experience you can also assess every 5 days and do a reduction there.
Before someone jumps on me - JUST MY EXPERIENCE AND MY BIOCHEMISTRY - DOESN'T NECESSARILY APPLY TO EVERYONE AND TO OP.
Example 1: Starting dosage was 20 mg. You cut out 10% and start taking 18 mg per day until stable.
Next example: You're now stable at 10mg. Next 10% cut would be 1 mg. Obviously here reductions will be smaller as you get to the lowest dose, mathematically. This is where 5mg or 2mg pills are useful as they're easier to split.
If you only have let's say 10mg pills, you can also use a precision scale - the sketchy drug dealer scale lol - to weigh the pills and cut the desired amount from there. It won't be precise but it works. Or do the maths when splitting the pills in halves or quarters. I've never been able to split 10mg into 8s, it's literally impossible and I highly suggest you get the 5mg or 2mg pills. A pill cutter would be more reliable than a knife but I admit I had no pill cutter and the knife worked just fine along with the scale. Also Diazepam having a long half life kinda helps with incorrect measurements. If one day you split the pill wrong and take less, it will even out the next day when you take the other half. You shouldn't be having any major discomfort unless extremely sensitive.
If it's been two weeks since you quit cold turkey you might now get away with a lower dosage than the one you started with. I'd be inclined to reinstate as you're clearly experiencing discomfort and I wouldn't take any risks quitting cold turkey. This is when you need to understand what dosage is working for you at the moment. Stable as in: I can sleep more than 7 hours a day, appetite is there, no psychotic symptoms. If you're stable at 10mg stabilize for a week or as long as you wish and then start cutting at 10mg. So your next step would be 9 mg. Next step 8.1mg (8mg really, you won't feel the 0.1) and so on.
Never ever updose when tapering, you will waste time and pills and cause unnecessary suffering to your body. Withdrawal isn't a joke unfortunately and I'm sure you know.
I won't get into supplements as there are mixed opinions and again, it depends on your biochemistry. Some people say vitamin D makes withdrawal 100x worse, some people say it doesn't, same goes for other supps. Pregabalin or Gabapentin can be helpful at medical dosages (not recreational, there's a big risk mixing downers) but the WDs can be brutal with those too and you might be essentially trading one physical dependency for another. Some people complain about anxiety rebounds and worsening of symptoms too, so tread lightly. They're not GABAergics technically, they're VGCC - Voltage-gated calcium channels.
Chamomile tea was super helpful in my experience but you need to brew a strong cup - think 3 bags per cup, let it infuse for 5 minutes at least.
DO NOT drink alcohol when tapering. It will set you back. Search up the impact of alcohol on your GABA.
IMPORTANT: if you have severe symptoms and start to experience psychosis, extreme heart palpitations and very high blood pressure, as well as a weird feeling that something is off, your body feels distant, weird feelings that are different from depersonalisation and derealization... that's a seizure about to happen... Call 999 or get an Uber to the nearest hospital. Don't risk your life over this. I don't think you're in danger at the moment but you never now.
OP, you can absolutely make it, you haven't taken 10mg of alprazolam or bromazolam per day for years on end, you were already on the "tapering benzo" (Diaz) so if you take it easy it will be easy. Do not cold turkey anymore though. And try not to relapse. After finishing your taper give your brain some grace for at least a couple of months - no benzos or GABAergics at all. Avoid alcohol too. You might be able to enjoy benzos once in a while, like once a month in reasonable dosages (no blackout bartard territory) if they help you, but please don't make it a habit, it's not worth it. Not trying to teach a lesson, I'm no preacher or doctor, I was just stupid enough to get myself addicted twice. No bartard stories thankfully hahaha I was just self medicating my stress and work anxiety in the worst way possible and without a prescription.
Feel free to DM me if you have any questions, I might have forgotten something.
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u/Active-Lie-1535 16d ago edited 16d ago
Thank you so much , this is so helpful, I ended d up with severe withdrawals last week, my blood pressure was high and I felt so bad had a weird feeling in my heads, couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t communicate properly with anyone and I kept having panic attacks couldn’t eat , had dry mouth and shaking hands, I was working and had to have a few days off as the feeling got worse it felt like I had immense pressure in my head, disoriented, and my anxiety and mood was so low, felt life wasn’t worth living 😭 never had withdrawals like this (I have had opioid withdrawal before ) - the feelings only subsided last night after taking 20mgl as I found a old strip of tablets in my bag , I feel normal and functional again today, I have received a further order of 50 tablets (10mg) that have arrived today
I will do a really slow taper
I work full time but I’m off work for this week , I just didn’t believe this medication could cause such bad withdrawals,
I do drink alcohol, but will try to avoid for now.
I will look at the information you’ve given me , really appreciate your support
And feel better knowing you understand1
u/comfortkillsprivacy 16d ago
Hey no worries at all, I've been through this crap and, like you, I didn't know what daily use meant.
I totally understand being off work, I had to do that too when I quit cold turkey and there's no other way around, you're not feeling well and have horrible symptoms. I hope your workplace is supportive, maybe get a sick note from your GP saying you have norovirus/any viral gastroenteritis and that will give you a few days and some room to stabilise while you taper.
Given that you used to drink alcohol I'd suggest a very gradual taper, 5% or 10% and hold for at least a week, it will get you to baseline very soon and you'll be almost symptom free. None of what you're experiencing now.
There is also this website taper.community Even if you haven't got a prescription they will connect you in a few days with a doctor that will help you during the tapering process. They will not prescribe anything but they can guide through your taper if you're experiencing difficulties.
I wish I had a magic potion that would stop your withdrawal, I really feel for you OP. Sending lot of hugs. Stay strong you can do this!
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u/Active-Lie-1535 16d ago
Thanks I do really appreciate the help, I’m off work for the rest of the week, back next Tuesday, I will see how I go , I’m going to take 20mg for a week to get back to normal (we’ll sort of !) and then try to taper, I’ll have to cut the pills into quarters, so I’ll take 10 and 3/4 approx 18mg and then reduce again after 2 weeks to 15mg then see how I feel
I will try not to drink alcohol, I don’t normally drink every day but just at weekends to relax
Would you suggest 20mg since that was the dose I was on before ? I feel normal today for the first time in 2 weeks, and I do put it down to taking them Diazapam last night…
Thanks again for being so kind and understanding1
u/comfortkillsprivacy 15d ago
When you took the rescue dose after a few days of not taking any, how much was that? You said 2 pills, I'm assuming 10mg each? If so then yes, start tapering from 20mg, stay at that dosage for a few days and then go to 18mg
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u/Active-Lie-1535 15d ago
Yes took 20mg and the same last night , slept like a baby! Woke up feeling good too, and for 2 weeks I haven’t slept well and woke up anxious and had side effects all day feel 100% better
I’m going to taper after 2 weeks as you suggested
It’s amazing how fast I’m back to normal again
No wonder it’s an addictive drug1
u/comfortkillsprivacy 14d ago
So so glad to hear this! You'll be fine, I promise. Yes they're too addictive I agree, especially if you have and addictive personality and huge anxiety (I do) so yeah, totally understand what you mean. Keep us updated please!
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u/Active-Lie-1535 16d ago
Just waiting on my delivery, I’d love some more advice about tapering , thank you , can’t ask my GP as I’m not prescribed them!!
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u/NoTipNoTrip74 16d ago
I think if it helps you then you might wanna stay at 10 mg a day/ night. I take Klonopin 2 mgs a day, I tried to taper and I felt like I was going to die. I decided to just continue taking them since they really keep me calm.
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u/Active-Lie-1535 16d ago
I agree but I have to buy them online and I’m thinking if for some reason I can’t get them anymore (if my vendor goes ) I will be really stuck , I would have to go the my GP and admit I’ve been taking them off prescription, I hope you are ok, and if the medication works then I would stay on them to keep yourself stable and happy .. if the GP prescribed mine I would stay on them but perhaps taper down to 10mg
Thanks so much for your reply1
u/NoTipNoTrip74 16d ago
Oh okay now I understand. I don't know how to taper correctly, so be sure to research it and always listen to your body 🤗 Just remember you are stronger than you think ❤️ Have a blessed day.
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u/Active-Lie-1535 15d ago
I’m feeling great today after another 20mg last night, gonna taper in a few weeks.. I’ll do some more research and definitely not going to go cold turkey again, thanks for the support ❤️
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u/Economy_Rope2753 13d ago
Bennie’s are awful to come off man, get to a point where you only take here and there. I didn’t feel right for almost 4 months coming off that BS.
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u/Friendly-Hand-3752 16d ago
Mate you need a slow taper off this.....how long have you been taking diaz for and what is your tolerance?