valium taper schedule help needed

lukesmom

I know medical advice is not allowed here but my gp advised me to seek others experiences of withdrawing from valium and tapering slowly. I have tried twice to withdraw the first time I went too quickly and ended up back on it and the second time I went much slower and still ended up with bad anxiety so back on it again now. I'm on it since March for anxiety I've a severe anxiety disorder. I don't want to stay on it forever so I'm keen to find the least painful way to withdraw. Anybody got any experience of this???? The first time I went from 2mg to 0 and got hellish withdrawals. The second time I went down 1mg a week and when I got to 1mg the awful panics started even though I had been doing great. I'm on 10mg a day.

To be honest, it's your GPs responsibility to guide you through withdrawal from any medication, especially medication like Valium. If you have an anxiety disorder, you may well need some form of medication to manage it as prescribed by your doctor or psychiatrist.
Coming off Valium without being under constant supervision by your doctor would not be recommended at all.

lukesmom

I'm on a cocktail of meds but in March went on valium due to a particularly stressful period in my life. It's getting off the stuff now it's very difficult. My doctor originally said come off at a much faster rate. I honestly think they are pretty clueless when it comes to these meds. I don't know what I'm going to do. I was hoping for some guidance here from someone who has successfully tapered off valium. The Internet searches are too scary and make me so much more anxious. I'm only stabilising back on the 10mg valium but I know she will want me to start coming off it again when I go back for my check up in two weeks. She doesn't know what way I should do it to prevent awful withdrawals.

UsedToWait

lukesmom wrote: »

I'm on a cocktail of meds but in March went on valium due to a particularly stressful period in my life. It's getting off the stuff now it's very difficult. My doctor originally said come off at a much faster rate. I honestly think they are pretty clueless when it comes to these meds. I don't know what I'm going to do. I was hoping for some guidance here from someone who has successfully tapered off valium. The Internet searches are too scary and make me so much more anxious. I'm only stabilising back on the 10mg valium but I know she will want me to start coming off it again when I go back for my check up in two weeks. She doesn't know what way I should do it to prevent awful withdrawals.

I believe the Ashton method is generally regarded as the gold standard.
Plenty of info on the web.

Edit: I would do my research, print it out and present it to the gp..
They should agree to working with you on the taper if they are an any way decent clinician.

lukesmom

UsedToWait wrote:

I believe the Ashton method is generally regarded as the gold standard. Plenty of info on the web.

I followed the Ashton method dropping by 1mg a week until I got to 0.5mg but it started causing problems when I got to 1mg unfortunately. Now I'm back at square one feeling defeated.

UsedToWait

lukesmom wrote: »

I followed the Ashton method dropping by 1mg a week until I got to 0.5mg but it started causing problems when I got to 1mg unfortunately. Now I'm back at square one feeling defeated.

Perhaps you need to leave a longer interval between lowering the doses - I understand the method allows for this..

Veering close to advice though, so I'd reiterate that this needs to be done in conjunction with a sympathetic GP..

If you feel your own GP doesn't have sufficient knowledge or empathy, perhaps you could seek a second opinion?

lukesmom

I was thinking maybe when I get to 2mg I could leave 2 weeks between the last 4 0.5mgs? I honestly otherwise haven't a notion. Ive heard of a liquid schedule but my doctor never heard of it. I asked another opinion and a male doctor told me valium doesn't usually cause withdrawal symptoms!!!!!! Which in my experience is very untrue. I just want to stabilise now on this 10mg and have a clear plan in place. But GPS seem to be just as clueless as I am.

UsedToWait

Dr Ashton suggests leaving 2 weeks between the lower doses here:

If your starting dose is 20mg diazepam daily, you could begin at Stage 10, but in this case you could reduce by 1mg every 2 weeks.

You mentioned a liquid schedule, but I reckon you wouldn't really have any effect from doses lower than 0.5, so it would be pointless really I reckon..

Does your GP not feel you should be on any medication for your anxiety?
As another poster suggested, "If you have an anxiety disorder, you may well need some form of medication to manage it as prescribed by your doctor or psychiatrist"

lukesmom

I'm on a cocktail of 3 meds apart from the valium 2 antidepressants and an anti-psychotic. This is the combination that worked for me after several failed med trials. I also see a psychotherapist regularly. My problem is getting off this damn valium. I'm so scared I'll never get off it successfully and my gp as sympathetic as she is is absolutely clueless.

lukesmom

I'll just have to leave two weeks between the lower doses. My gp will go with whatever I say. I don't want to be on it long term I'm already on it over 5 months with two failed withdrawal attempts. It's so frustrating. I'm trying to stabilise back on this dose but worrying about how I'll eventually get off it is not helping.

neemish

Would a psychiatrist not be better equipped to help you with it? GP's are great, but you know yourself, they're all-rounders. My own psych is much more confident with meds, doses, combinations etc. and I wouldn't even consider asking my GP about changing doses

The other thing is if you have managed to get down to 2mg or even 1, maybe ask your GP could you stay at that dose until you manage to get off it completely. Surely 2 is better than 10?

lukesmom

I'm back on 10mg since Monday so it's a bit late for that. I'll wait until I'm fully stabilised at this dose and see what my options are.

Cliona99

Hi lukesmom,
I just wanted to say I sympathise. I've talked to GPs, psychiatrists, one neurologist and a clinical pharmacologist; not one of them believed in 'discontinuation syndrome'.

I know you said the websites are scary but the single best resource I found was a website called www.survivingantidepressants.org. Don't be put off by the name, it's not a scientology thing, just a website about withdrawal and safe tapering from psychiatric medications, but full of first hand experiences and tips.

Best of luck with it.

lukesmom

Cliona99 wrote:

Hi lukesmom, I just wanted to say I sympathise. I've talked to GPs, psychiatrists, one neurologist and a clinical pharmacologist; not one of them believed in 'discontinuation syndrome'.

Cliona99 wrote:

. Don't be put off by the name, it's not a scientology thing, just a website about withdrawal and safe tapering from psychiatric medications, but full of first hand experiences and tips.

Thanks and yes you are right they don't believe you can get withdrawals a lot of them don't. I will look at that website you suggested when I'm fully better from this latest failed attempt and reinstatement. I'm getting better but not fully there yet. It's a huge test of strength getting on and off the horse so to speak. Each time I've tried to withdraw I've gotten bad symptoms, reinstated back on the dose and have experience anxiety and now depression so it's a matter of balancing it all out again. Honestly I'd rather a broken leg. Thanks for your post x