Addicted I know

[dally]

Valium is a very useful drug. But is highly addictive if not taken as prescribed and with care.
One dose...even only 2mg, will give effect for 4 hours but the chemical drug will stay in the body for more than 8 DAYS!!!!
SO..if you take another dose within 8 days your ur body is never without the drug and tolerance addiction builds up.
Withdrawal symptoms can occur on any dose even 2mg prn

[Davit]

Valium has a 24 hour half life but the metabolites it breaks down to last longer. They do nothing for anxiety though. It gets broken down by the p450 enzyme in your liver. If it competes with other drugs using this enzyme it takes longer. Some times much longer.

Dependence depends on the person since technically valium is not chemically addictive. Ativan is a different storey, it does cause temporary changes in how neurotransmitters work.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I hope your not mixing that guiness with that benzo Davit...and having a good time

I think a Guiness addiction would also mean stocking up on a lot of toilet paper!!!

[ohwell123]

I counsumed huge amounts of guiness and beetroot at a party the once.. I had health anxiety the morning after when I looked down the pan lmfao until my rational side kicked in

[MyNameIsTerry]

I've never been to a guiness and beetroot party before, sounds very trendy!

[dally]

This is info from the Ashton manual.

Speed of elimination. Benzodiazepines also differ markedly in the speed at which they are metabolised (in the liver) and eliminated from the body (in the urine) (Table 1). For example, the "half-life" (time taken for the blood concentration to fall to half its initial value after a single dose) of diazepam is 20-100 hours, and that of an active metabolite of diazepam (desmethyldiazepam) is 36-200 hours. This means that half the active products of diazepam are still in the bloodstream up to 200 hours after a single dose. Clearly, with repeated daily dosing accumulation occurs and high concentrations can build up in the body (mainly in fatty tissues). As Table 1 shows, there is a considerable variation between individuals in the rate at which they metabolise benzodiazepines.

---------- Post added at 17:30 ---------- Previous post was at 17:24 ----------

Also from the Ashton manual.
Worth a read.
Note. Regular and repeated use.
I became tolerant to Valium taking 4 mg 1~ 2 week

Dependence. Benzodiazepines are potentially addictive drugs: psychological and physical dependence can develop within a few weeks or months of regular or repeated use. There are several overlapping types of benzodiazepine dependence.

---------- Post added at 17:35 ---------- Previous post was at 17:30 ----------

Tolerance to different effects of benzodiazepines may vary between individuals - probably as a result of differences in intrinsic neurological and chemical make-up which are reflected in personality characteristics and susceptibility to stress. The development of tolerance is one of the reasons people become dependent on benzodiazepines,

---------- Post added at 17:42 ---------- Previous post was at 17:35 ----------

As I said, Valium is a valuable drug in treating anxiety, and if used occasionally or in extreme need, can provide a welcome relief of symptoms. I have thought I was careful, but I didn't understand about the 200 hour and accumulation of the drug metabolites in my body. My tolerance makes sense...now!

[ricardo]

Valium has a 24 hour half life but the metabolites it breaks down to last longer. They do nothing for anxiety though. It gets broken down by the p450 enzyme in your liver. If it competes with other drugs using this enzyme it takes longer. Some times much longer.

Dependence depends on the person since technically valium is not chemically addictive. Ativan is a different storey, it does cause temporary changes in how neurotransmitters work.

I am sorry but I disagree as valium has helped me more than any anti depressant I have ever taken for anxiety.

I take huge doses daily, I am addicted and to be absolutely honest the valium isn't helping my anxiety anymore (after 20 years) but I can't come off it on my doctor's advise until I get more counselling and my heart and other issues take priority.My GP knows that I do not abuse the valium or up the dose.
I am not proud that I am addiced but at the moment I am in a no win situation.

[NinjaKitty]

Im on a fairly high dose 5mg 3 times a day is fairly high for NHS scotland even though it is through my psychiatrist and he would happily prescribe me another 5mg a day if needed, I have been on and off benzos for the best part of nearly 15 yrs and I have always used the ashton method for withdrawal and it has always worked and caused minimal issues, don't get me wrong I get wwithdrawal symptoms but nothing the same as quitting cold turkey.

Also may I just Add that I have medical degrees including pharmacology and even if you are only on a low low dose benzo for an extended period of time your withdrawal symptoms can be just as bad as someone who is on a much higher dose for the same period of time this has been proven time and time again and everyone here should take that into consideration before making stupid or ridiculous joking comments towards a member looking for help.

this is ment o be a place for support and help not taking the preverbial out of someone just because his dose of Valium is quite low. Grow up and act your age and treat people with respect...... OH and the INTERNET DOESN'T KNOW EVERYTHING SEE A PSYCHIATRIST FOR THE RIGHT INFO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sial72]

Absolutely NinjaKitty!!!!
Also, I went to the docs once with side effects from a medication and she said, impossible that is not mentioned in the leaflet.
I then found out a lot of people have this side-effect. I can't stand the fact that conventional medicine will not accept anything that is not in black on white...
And it is the same with withdrawal, they only go by what they have studied and don't see people as individuals
Rant over

[ricardo]

Im on a fairly high dose 5mg 3 times a day is fairly high for NHS scotland even though it is through my psychiatrist and he would happily prescribe me another 5mg a day if needed, I have been on and off benzos for the best part of nearly 15 yrs and I have always used the ashton method for withdrawal and it has always worked and caused minimal issues, don't get me wrong I get wwithdrawal symptoms but nothing the same as quitting cold turkey.

Also may I just Add that I have medical degrees including pharmacology and even if you are only on a low low dose benzo for an extended period of time your withdrawal symptoms can be just as bad as someone who is on a much higher dose for the same period of time this has been proven time and time again and everyone here should take that into consideration before making stupid or ridiculous joking comments towards a member looking for help.




this is ment o be a place for support and help not taking the preverbial out of someone just because his dose of Valium is quite low. Grow up and act your age and treat people with respect...... OH and the INTERNET DOESN'T KNOW EVERYTHING SEE A PSYCHIATRIST FOR THE RIGHT INFO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I looked this up .
The only medically researched method of tapering off benzodiazepines that we are aware of was done by Dr. Heather Ashton. Her work in the field of benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome resulted in what we've come to know as the Ashton Manual.
Dr. Ashton recommends changing faster-acting benzos like Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin for an equivalent dose of Valium and using the Valium to get a smoother, more controlled taper. This is all explained in her manual.


My genuine question is why differenentiate Xanax,Ativan and Klonopin from Valium when they are all benzos.


I could understand like for like in equal dosage and then how to taper off but not the above.