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cb68136: valium taper


cb68136

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I have tried valium taper before and I am trying again. first time was approx. 5-10% taper every two weeks and crashed at 8.5mg and was unable to leave the house for week until updose kicked in. was having severe insomnia didn't sleep for days trying to power thru it but just couldn't take it anymore. I smoked like a chimney pacing around my garage and patio just hoping the next day would be the day I had moment of relief. currently on 12.5mg of valium and 40mg PPIs for GERD that I was recently diagnosed with and quit smoking 1/13/23 and exercising again and feeling really good about life. started taper 3 weeks on brass monkey method of 1.25% a week and currently at 12mg a day but I don't know if from over training or I didn't fully have enough time since quit smoking but started smoking again saturday because of agitation and bad head ache and made mistake of "just having one" would help me sleep because smoking was so on my mind and was always my crutch to help with anxiety and withdrawal symptoms. trying to decide if I need to address my smoking cessation for longer time before tapering again because smoking makes me feel less healthy than being on valium.

12.5mg of valium a day for 1.25yrs. tried tapering 10% that did not last long. had major symptoms right away and then stabilized and then 5% every two weeks and did not work. crashed hard at 8.5mg and had to updose to my original dosage
Edited by Gridley

quit drinking 8/1/2020 (recovering alcoholic)

Primary doctor prescribed 5mg valium 9/1/2020 for panic attacks which was primary reason I drank

Got serious covid 3/15/21 and doctor upped my dose of valium to 10mg due to PTSD from thinking I was going to die and ending up in hospital from covid

Got covid again 9/1/21 and upped dose of valium 12.5 mg of valium

started micro taper 1/1/22 at .5mg every two weeks per doctor recommendations

5/2/22 had to updose to original level when made it to 8.5mg

since then been on 12.5 mg a day

diagnosed with GERD, EoE (food allergy) 1/3/23 and quit smoking/vaping after 15 years been on PPI's since 1/5/23 to repair damaged throat choking feeling

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Welcome to SA, cb68136.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements.  Please go through your post and its last paragraph and put them in a list rather than in paragraph form--much easier to read.  Be sure to include your current dose and the dates and percentage reduction of your Brassmonkey taper.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

I'm currently doing a Valium taper, so I have some understanding of what you're dealing with.  10% every two weeks was obviously way too much for you; likely the 5% too.  As you probably know, we recommend tapering no more than 10% of

your current dose every 4 weeks.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

The Brassmonkey Slide you're using is an excellent method, more gentle than the 10%/4-week taper.  It's how I tapered Lexapro.

 

The Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro-tapering

 

The smoking/Valium conflict seems to me to be paramount right now.  I wouldn't do the smoking cessation and the Valium taper at the same time.  It's too much.  I don't smoke (though I used to) so my thoughts are more about getting off the drug.  But you know your system and situation best.  In your post you said, "I was recently diagnosed with" and there's no diagnosis.  What were you diagnosed with?  Again, I wouldn't do both at the same time; it's a recipe for tapering failure.

 

If strenuous exercise works for you, great.  Many members find it too activating and stressful and do better with more gentle exercise, like walking in nature.

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium (glyciinate is a good form) and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.  I hope you’ll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation.  I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but I am glad that you found us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gridley Introduction

 

Lexapro 20 mg since 2004.  Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017.   

End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg 

End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg

End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg  

Oct. 30, 2020  Jump to zero from 0.025mg.  Current dose: 0.000mg

3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete.

 

Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements

Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium

Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium 

End 2021  year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg

End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg 

End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg

Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper.

Taper is 95% complete.

 

Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986.  Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg  

March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper

Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper

Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper.  Current dose as of Oct 15: 3.2mg

Taper is 96% complete.  

  

Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotic, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase, L-Glutamine, milk thistle, choline


I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice. It is information based on my own experience as well as that of other members who have survived these drugs.

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  • Gridley changed the title to cb68136: valium taper
54 minutes ago, cb68136 said:

I have tried valium taper before and I am trying again. first time was approx. 5-10% taper every two weeks and crashed at 8.5mg and was unable to leave the house for week until updose kicked in. was having severe insomnia didn't sleep for days trying to power thru it but just couldn't take it anymore. I smoked like a chimney pacing around my garage and patio just hoping the next day would be the day I had moment of relief. currently on 12.5mg of valium and 40mg PPIs for GERD that I was recently diagnosed with and quit smoking 1/13/23 and exercising again and feeling really good about life. started taper 3 weeks on brass monkey method of 1.25% a week and currently at 12mg a day but I don't know if from over training or I didn't fully have enough time since quit smoking but started smoking again saturday because of agitation and bad head ache and made mistake of "just having one" would help me sleep because smoking was so on my mind and was always my crutch to help with anxiety and withdrawal symptoms. trying to decide if I need to address my smoking cessation for longer time before tapering again because smoking makes me feel less healthy than being on valium.

 

quit drinking 8/1/2020 (recovering alcoholic)

Primary doctor prescribed 5mg valium 9/1/2020 for panic attacks which was primary reason I drank

Got serious covid 3/15/21 and doctor upped my dose of valium to 10mg due to PTSD from thinking I was going to die and ending up in hospital from covid

Got covid again 9/1/21 and upped dose of valium 12.5 mg of valium

started micro taper 1/1/22 at .5mg every two weeks per doctor recommendations

5/2/22 had to updose to original level when made it to 8.5mg

since then been on 12.5 mg a day

diagnosed with GERD, EoE (food allergy) 1/3/23 and quit smoking/vaping after 15 years been on PPI's since 1/5/23 to repair damaged throat choking feeling

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