Question:
What is the best way to get off diazepam? I use 10mg a day 4 six months. I've been told not to just stop.?
davidredbank
2009-05-09 15:36:25 UTC
I have been on 10mg diazepam daily for six months. I have stopped for 7 days, but have been told NOT to stop cold turkey. What is the best way to "step it down"? Every over day, every third day? I really want to get off this medicine, as it now makes me feel horrible!
Six answers:
2009-05-09 15:59:55 UTC
The best way to kick any addiction/drug/habit is to do a body cleanse. You can get a kit a your local health food store or you can do other things like the lemonade cleanse and so on...



I stopped taking diapezam cold turkey. DAMN, if you realize it is not good for you then STOP TAKING IT NOW. Why continue poisoning yourself? YES--It sucks. But if you are determined to feel better and you know your goals in doing it, you should not have a problem. Find someone you can talk to through the process. And make a list of thirty things you enjoy doing (and do them).
CDC
2009-05-09 16:02:59 UTC
Diazepam...AKA Valium is not an easy drug to stop taking, esp. with 10 mg. If you took 5 mg tabs they'd be hard enough. If you have the 10 mg tabs that you can cut in half, That would probably be the best way to do it. (Have you talked to the MD that ordered it, or is this one of THOSE kind or things where it's not really being followed closely, like being ordered every month like most MDs do?) If it was ME & I wanted to stop, I'd cut the pills in half, then take 5 mg daily for a few months. Then I'd go to 5 mg every other day. Then 5 mg every 3rd day. Every 4 th day. Gradually only once a week.Stopping cold turkey can cause seizures, so you can see why this drug is not a safe drug to take for long. Try to switch to something like Xanax or Ativan. They're a hell of a lot safer than Valium. Good luck with it.
?
2014-08-09 15:28:52 UTC
I need to take 10mg or cut in half. If I get a rage it calms me. I could kill if I get ti aggravated husband locks his room when in a rage I have to have it I took it for 44 yeas The most 10 mgs a day that's it no abusing it. I know better if I cannot get it here in my new state I go the 13 this week to see a dr. I will drink if they refuse me and I may hurt some family members . I am 77
Kimberly
2016-02-28 03:00:18 UTC
DO NOT attempt to stop your Valium (diazepam) cold turkey. The withdrawls can be severe and in some instances deadly. Diazepam has a very long elimination half life, 100 hours, so you will probably start feeling symptoms soon. Speak to your prescribing Physician as soon as possible to wean yourself off.
Ricky S
2009-05-09 21:05:52 UTC
it is not that bad. everyday cut it in half for three or so days. Your gonna feel better once you stop taking it. And DON"T take it if it messing with you. be thankful you got to take such a fine drug. As far as switching to ativan or another drug? cmon. if I am having a hard time with speed should I try some crack to help out? I have a bottle of ativan in by cupboard right now and can get as many as I want for seizures. I have taken valium and know its effects are weaker but last longer. You do not want to take a more powerful med. Just cut the doses and be careful if you have a seizure disorder because diazepam can trigger a seizure. Happy naps
mrlookingforu
2009-05-09 16:22:31 UTC
*NO* *YOU MUST NOT STOP TALKING THE DRUG 'COLD TURKEY* ....



Benzo's (which is a class that diazepam belongs too) are as ad or worse then alcohol to quit from. Heavy ethenol drinkings, in a medication setting, often get barb's to because of the lack of cross tolerance on the GABA receptors (GABA keeps your body calm, from insantely going into life-threatening seizures and is also the 'therapeutic' effect from diazepam/Valium, and barbs and the recreational effects from alcohol and other depressents ...



The problem is that your body *MUST* have GABA simulation fro your body not to totally freak out, at the very least panic attacks and feeling like your going to jump out of your skin, at the works sudden death due to seizures. The half life of Diazepam is somewhat long - so you'll still have some in your system. Once your totally cleared of Diazepam you'll likely wake up a few days latter with brain damage due to the sieziers and the firing of the everyother neuron to the point of destruction because your body adjusted to the high levels of GABA (from your body and from what you've been taking) and now they excited themselves to death



You need mediation attention, you can't do this alone, nor is it safe to try. Aside from death, brain damage is often the result (however many experiments how shown that drugs that stimulate the NMDA receptors prevent the damage to the brain)



*NO MATTER WHAT* your button your life on the line and playing with fire, the best would be a in-hospital/clinic detox, if that's not possible because of job, or other reasons. You need to find a doctor that will put you on a controlled reduction of the drug so that you still feel half normal, and don't have the severe risks of what your doing now. You should ask him to write the script so you have to pick it up daily or every other day so the urge to 'take more then prescribed' and end up short is much reduced or eliminated with daily pickups



*TODAY* if you still have access to the drug try just try half a pill or quarter .... to keep your system stable... *REMEMBER* your tolerance to the drug will have reduced so you must be careful



*ALSO* you will still have to deal with the reason why your on the drug to begin with ..... Please email ..... I can help ......It could be a underlying medical condition, poor diet or depression that are giving you panic attacks, or it could be poor diet leading to depressing that's causing you to need them for sleep. No matter what I have very healthy suggests to help you through this and handle the reason you needed, or where drawn to them in the first place ....



Because of seizures I've gone from 3x .5 Klonopin/clonazepan to 4 x 2MG ... Mind you I'm a large guy with *plenty* of muscle (and sadly since I've been sick too 'insulation') and since drugs are protein, I'm 200LBS skinny, and I'm current tipping 300Lbs so although that's enough to killed the normal person 2x over I've managed to taper down without problem. But you must understand you need medical attention and you *MUST* taper ..... otherwise, even if your not putting your life in your hands - your getting brain damage from the rest of the neurons in your brain *NOT* being inhibited by the inhibitory GABA receptor because it's adjusted to your natural+artificial dose of GAMA simulators (which calms *everything*) else will either fire until the HSP (heat-shock-protein) turns it off to rest, it's damaged often for ever, and it's dead - always forever ....



HSP/Heat Shock Protein really has nothing todo with heat, except that the fact is that everytime a cell is in trouble it releases HSP trying to save its self and turn itself off - and when this was being researched the way they always could induce this was from heat, overheating... *HENCE* the name HSP... But it's released from everything from head trama, to heavy alcohol intoxication or anything else that damages the cells & neutrons ...



GABA is released during dead trama, cardiac events/situations nearing the time of cell damage to the brain because of lack of oxygen or blood flow - *HOWEVER* this is just being understood now. Mostly because the COPS and medical examiners started screening for the 'start rape drug' GHB, which turns into to GABA - and ignorantly declared high levels of GABA = GHB. There have been famous cases, that have tried to be hushed up, where the medical examiner has proudly proclaimed with the local police this is a another 'GHB/DESIGNER CLUB DRUG' related death (odd because it was discovered how to make it in France and has been used for 30 years safely as a safe and non addictive sleep aid - something North American 'medical science' is still 'looking for' . In fact now it's be used for head trauma and heart attacks by the really caring and education doctors specifically because it increases the cells efficiency in consuming oxygen and seems to delay death and damage in the absence of oxygen, or blood flow. This is the evolutionary reason GA


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