Diazepam for 3 weeks, how to come off?

[loops81]

My b/f is trying to get off the Diazepam.

He has been taking 5mg 3 times a day and his nurse said today to take 5mg, 5mg then 2.5mg.

Then tomorrow she said to do 5mg then 2.5mg at night.

Tonight he is so anxious it's unbelieveable, I know it's the withdrawal so I said you need to wean off slower but he is adamant to get them out his system as quick as possible

How would you guys suggest if only been on them 3 weeks?

x

[suzy-sue]

Hi loops ,sounds too quick to me .Try this link for some info . www.benzobuddies.org. Good LUCK ..luv Sue xx

[haz]

My psychiatrist(who is very experienced, I'm lucky) told me the recommended withdrawal is 5mg per month but he's going to reduce mine by 2.5mg a month when I next see him. I too am on three 5mg tablets daily.

Best Wishes.

[iamspartacus]

the slower the better. Do not rush this withdrawal and he will be fine. there are no prizes for the quickest taper.

[Greenman50]

From what i have read about these and have been on them but only 2 mg a day , there is no long term health issues with them apart from them being addictive and your body needing more as it gets used to them thats why there only for short term use .

So....as said above the best bet is to come off them as slowly as you need to under supervision of course .

The 2 mg i was on i was worried about comeing off them but i had no side effects probably because of the low dose and the fact i used to skip days anyway .

Good luck

[loops81]

Well he is contiuing with this way because this is the way the home care team have told him to do it, he wants all meds out his system so he can start some therapy and herbal something.

It all got a bit heated with the faamily last night because I knew he was suffering withdrawal and they were shouting that if he didn't calm down he would have to stay in hospital. I knew that due to rebound anxiety from reducing Diazepam this is what was happening, no-one believed me though, they believed the so called professionals!

It is like he is coming off Heroin or something its awful!! why the hell did we listen to them in the first place!

How long is he likely to have anxiety at this level if he completes the withdrawal by the end of the week? I spoke to a doctor who said it would be another week after taking the last one :(

[iamspartacus]

believe me, he is better listening to his own bodies response than any so called 'professional'. I spent 5 years on this stuff and came off in a couple of months. That was 15 months ago and the anxiety and other problems have not left me yet. He may want to get free quickly, and the 'professionals' may think they know, but rushing at this stage does not guarantee an easy life once off. slow and steady wins the race here.

[loops81]

OK he has just phoned in a cpmplete state, suicidal thoughts and extremely anxious which I know is withdrawal.

How should he taper off this now? He has been planned to have 5mg this morning and then only 2.5mg!

I think he needs to go back up a bit but don't know what to????

[suzy-sue]

loops.Your boyfriend needs to get stable on his antidepressants before he cuts down too much on the Diazapam .Did you read any good stuff on the forum I posted for you ? What has been suggested by the nurse isnt a good idea right now .try cutting down by half a tab evey other day for at least a week , before he cuts down again .If he cant do it now its because his anxiety is worse because of his antidepressant increase .He will find it easier to do it when this stops .Listen to the people who have been there ,not the nurse ..Most of them go by text book crap and not by experience .They dont care how you are going to feel . All the best Sue x

[loops81]

I know, he decided last week that he would come off everything so he lowered the dose of the Mirt to 15mg!!

I totally agree that reducing the diaz this way is so not right.

I have started another thread to try and help us decide what the hell to do, feel like we are not getting the proper help and home care are supposed to be the professionals!