Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Sadie49 on May 13, 2016, 04:08:52 PM
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Hi ladies! 15 years ago my then GP prescribed 2mg Diazepam for the anxiety and mild panic attacks I began to experience. Over the years I have used them from little to often, depending on how I have felt and my life's circumstances. Menopause started aged 51 and is still claiming my quality of life 15 years later.
Now I have a new GP and she wants me off the meds! I know I can drop a few days mentally but after that I need one. I was put on Naproxen anti-inflammatory and Solpodol pain relief but have now been taken off the latter two, due to both raising BP.
I am using 1 tablespoon of Eden organic beetroot juice in water daily, and it has certainly brought my BP down to a decent number though.
My ask is: has any member moved relatively comfortably from Diazepam to something almost as effective for tension/anxiety? With arthritis in my spine as well as other joints, the muscles around it ache and burn after I have done anything using my arms - which is almost everything! But all good things and all that, so I would value your advice/thoughts on this please!
Love Sadie49. x
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Valium can be used to relief muscle spasm as well as for anxiety 'as necessary'. GPs however are scared to prescribe it but what is better, a patient who is in control most of the while or ………… :-X.
I take an anti-anxiety medication when panic attacks floor me, it begins with an "L" but meno-brain here can't remember ::). My GP has no problems prescribing as he knows that on the whole, I am sensible.
Rescue Remedy is sold in many forms; mouth spray, pastilles ………. and I found deep breathing relaxation helpful years++ ago.
What have you been prescribed for the spinal/referred pain?
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Hi. I take Zapain which is codeine/paracetamol mix. Lansoprazole to keep digestive tract calm and an aspirin each day. I def. eat well compared to pre-meno but my ageing body doesn't appreciate it! I have two daughters aged 39 and 44 and have told them to get all the help they can the moment things begin! I can honestly say I wouldn't go thru the past 15 years again for millions!
I thought to try Kava Kava but bad med. reviews put me off.
Thanks for your reply! x
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How often are you taking it? Depending on how often you take it you may need to stop gradually. Even taking it every three days can lead to a physical dependency as diazepam has a long half-life, so taking it every three days would mean there is always some in your body.
The guidelines now are to prescribe only for very short-term (2 weeks ) or very occasional use.
I thought I was OK as I wasn't taking it every day, but I wasn't OK at all!
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Sorry, I know that wasn't exactly what you were asking! But GPs can be a bit gung ho about getting people off it.
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I take an anti-anxiety medication when panic attacks floor me, it begins with an "L" but meno-brain here can't remember ::).
Lorazepam?
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Our surgery has a notice up to say they will not prescribe Diazepam and I think Lorazepam any more. I think the feeling now is to prescribe beta blockers or anti-depressants. Doctors are also very hot on suggesting therapies like CBT for anxiety.
Me - I am going down the counselling route to see if that helps. If not, I will be queuing up for medication.
Bramble
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2 weeks ago a "new" Facebook friend and I got to talking about our meds. routine and which ones we were happy/struggling with. She said to look on a certain person's page as he was selling quality Diazepam for little money.
I checked his page out and although I had reservations about him selling them (knowing they are prescription only) I ordered 25 10mg (to cut in half then quarters) for £25 incl. p & p. They never arrived!
5 messages later and the same by my new friend and the penny dropped - rather the pounds! It was a scam and he wasn't going to provide them.
Even now he is selling and folk are ordering although somebody has said not to as the guy doesn't supply.
Then I realised how dependant I had become on the little beggers! But, if I get a migraine and lose most of my vision, 1 tablet gets me back within 1/2 hour. If I use my arms cleaning windows or ironing for long periods (over an hour) I know Diazepam will ease the burning across my neck/shoulders.
If I have a lot of work done at the dentist or hospital I use them. They are worth their weight in gold to me and I will have a hard time letting them go, mentally!
Hoping to find a herbal supplement that will take the sting out of it but for now...I'm doing my best during a difficult, menopause period that has already made me feel old before my time!
Thanks for your input ladies! xxxx
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Valium certainly did not remain in my body for that long. Otherwise people wouldn't become dependant ! I was taking 5mg x 3 Valiumfor a week in the 1990s then 5mg at night then as necessary. Until it made me feel weird, twice - it got me through lots of 'difficult for me' events.
BBs help enormously. If my Surgery ever told me that they were no longer prescribing it my anxiety levels would soar, I would be suicidal so I would change surgeries, I don't think that a Surgery can post such notices. It is up to the GP/Patient discussion!
BJ - that's probably it, the packet is in another room ::).
Sadie - you can report this seller to the Police who will contact the web-site and get the ad. taken down ;-).
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Valium does have a long half-life (HL of it's metabolites is up to 100 hours) but that doesn't mean you'll feel the effects for anything like as long.
It can be so useful short-term, but can cause big problems long-term.
Sadie, a good GP should allow you to come off them slowly. Best practice now is to let the patient dictate the pace.
I can point you to some good websites re coming off benzos, but don't just google, there's a lot of scare-mongering. I managed to scare myself silly!
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CLKD what are you short forms saying? Sorry not familiar with them!
Believe it or not, FB said he wasn't doing anything wrong selling out of his own stock!! BUT I contacted my bank and they agreed it was money laundering for which they can involve the fraud squad. He will be caught and dealt with but not by FB.
Sadly, he is in a worse state than most of his buyers....very sad life.
Sadie49 x
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BBs- beta-blockas
ADs - Anti-depressants
FB ? ::)
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Not sure if your primary use for diazepam is for your muscle pains or if it is for anxiety? If it is for muscle pains I am sure there are lots of other drugs that may help. Certainly for anxiety it is only recommended for use for a short term. As you have been using it for so long you will need to taper it down very gradually over a few months. How often do you take it? I had a very bad time about 6-7 years ago when I stopped it abruptly and I had to go back on and taper down slowly. I had only been using it for a couple of months.
Bramble
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I'm so new I don't think I can reply to PMs. But this is one useful website: http://www.recovery-road.org
Baylissa who runs it is lovely. I'll post some more...
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I was taking valium as and when I needed it, but too often. So I was unknowingly in and out of withdrawal. Hellish. Eventually the penny dropped and I luckily found a new GP who worked out a daily dose for me to stabilise on, and then reduce from there. I'm still on it though, just a lower dose.
Looking back I realise that the year a (very misguided) GP threw lots of valium at me was the year I became peri. Hard now to know which is which!
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I'm shocked at reading that GPs are still over prescribing benzos. I watched my mum struggle with anxiety then struggle even more with the side effects of daily Valium use until she was hospitalised for withdrawal in my teens. My own GP gave me 16 when I first presented with acute anxiety as peri ramped up in 2014 and I still have 2 left as I was so reluctant to take them. When I was prescribed sertraline before Xmas and had a terrible reaction to it, the duty GP just wanted me to dose myself up on Valium to get me through it with seemingly no thought for the consequences of that action. There is a time and a place for such medication but I'd certainly not see it as a safe every day option. Far better to look into other medication for anxiety and counselling /cbt.
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The reality of benzodiazepines (of which diazepam/valium is just one) is that they should NEVER be used continuously for more than 2 weeks. Even the pharma companies are very open about this, but it's the doctors who ignore the warning and will often keep prescribing these highly addictive drugs for years on end. Tolerance to these drugs is also very high, and often times people who are taking really high doses started out on very low doses originally, but because the effect wears off they needed to keep increasing their dose to get the same effect. The other reality of benzo is that they don't "fix" anything. All they will ever do is mask the symptoms.
Tapering off a benzo should never be done quickly. "Cold turkey" or rapid tapers are very dangerous and can lead to life threatening problems. A slow and steady taper (sometimes even done as a daily liquid taper) is what is always recommended.
Also, people's sensitivity to benzos can vary enormously. Some people may have no problem tapering off a benzo, but other people who are highly sensitive will need to taper off over months or even years. There have never been any studies done (apart from what Prof Heather Ashton did years ago), but it is estimated that about 30% of the population has a high sensitivity to these drugs and will need to taper very slowly.
I know all this because I became dependent on diazepam, largely because of mismanaged menopause treatment, and it took me almost 2 years to taper off just 5mg of diazepam because I am one of the unlucky highly sensitive types. Also women often have a harder time tapering because hormones (particularly progesterone) don't play well with benzos, and of course a lot women are put on benzos because of hormones.
There are a lot of sites around that will offer advice on benzo tapering, but a lot of them aren't terribly helpful and I have heard of some very bad advice being given on a lot of them. I would personally keep away from all the facebook pages, because usually there is no one monitoring the information or advice they are giving.
IMO the best site available for benzo tapering is http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/. I used to be an "mentor" on that site, but I don't do it anymore because it just became too much for me, plus is it often difficult dealing with the mental issues of some when they are highly addicted, and not just on benzos. It also got too depressing, constantly seeing so many people joining every day suffering from benzo dependency.
Sadie - if you would like some personal advice on how you can tackle your problem I'm happy for you to send me a PM. Helping people with their diazepam problems was my specialty on BB for a long time. Tapering off your dose will not be that hard. It's entirely do-able and painless, provided you know the right way to do it.
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I suffer with anxiety and take a low dose SSRI and a low dose BB. I am reminded of my mother's sister, my aunt, who suffered badly with her 'nerves'. I now think it was probably anxiety, maybe hormone related. Anyway she was treated with Valium and other things, not sure what, and became more and more nervous so took more and more medication. The upshot of this was that she started with Alzheimer's at age 58 and died age 62. My mother was convinced it was all the medication she kept taking but the doctors just kept dosing her up.
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Valium: It can be given from 5mg up to 30mg spaced through the day for 3-4 months if necessary. It can also be given via a drip [IV] which I was unaware of but that is usually when someone has intense back spasm. Some people have an 'addictive' personality apparently so I am lucky not to have become dependent. The last couple of Valium that I took (in the 1990s, 10mg with breakfast) on 2 separate occasions made my head really weird ::).
My Dad was prescribed Ativan, a small blue pill given as a pre-med in many Hospitals but used daily in people with some mental disorders. He had difficulty stopping it.
I knew that Valium and now the current as-necessary drug works for me so I don't need to depend on it. 1mg (I think) is enough to calm me and then I'm OK for a couple of days. Usually.
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That's really interesting about benzos and progrsterones, Dana. The perfect storm ::)
CLKD, 3-4 months? Is that based on your personal experience? It goes totally against the NHS prescribing guidelines issued by NICE/BNF:
"Important: benzodiazepine indications
Benzodiazepines are indicated for the short-term relief (two to four weeks only) of anxiety that is severe, disabling, or causing the patient unacceptable distress, occurring alone or in association with insomnia or short-term psychosomatic, organic, or psychotic illness.
The use of benzodiazepines to treat short-term ‘mild' anxiety is inappropriate.
Benzodiazepines should be used to treat insomnia only when it is severe, disabling, or causing the patient extreme distress."
from https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/formulary/bnf/current/4-central-nervous-system/41-hypnotics-and-anxiolytics#PHP2097 (https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/formulary/bnf/current/4-central-nervous-system/41-hypnotics-and-anxiolytics#PHP2097)
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Meant to post two more helpful websites for you, Sadie
http://www.btpinfo.org.uk
http://www.benzo.org.uk/support.htm - you might find a source of help local to you on here.
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Strange that I read that on the NICE Guidelines last night :-\ and nope, not my personal experience though my GP has never denied me emergency medication. The consequences would be dire :'(
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Valium: It can be given from 5mg up to 30mg spaced through the day for 3-4 months if necessary. It can also be given via a drip [IV] which I was unaware of but that is usually when someone has intense back spasm. Some people have an 'addictive' personality apparently so I am lucky not to have become dependent. The last couple of Valium that I took (in the 1990s, 10mg with breakfast) on 2 separate occasions made my head really weird ::).
Sorry, but this is completely incorrect information. Even pharma companies would not advocate benzos being used this way, and they're the ones making money out of them. I've known of people who have become dependent after just a few weeks. 3-4 months is far too long to be taking a benzo continuously. Unfortunately though it's some doctors who prescribe irresponsibly.
Also becoming dependent on a benzo (addicted is not the correct word to use) has nothing to do with having an addictive personality. I would have the least addictive personality going (never smoked or used drugs and I rarely drink because I hate the thought of something 'controlling' me), yet I became dependent valium.
I knew that Valium and now the current as-necessary drug works for me so I don't need to depend on it. 1mg (I think) is enough to calm me and then I'm OK for a couple of days. Usually.
Like I said in my earlier post, not everyone will have problems with a benzo, but no one will know if they have a severe sensitivity to them until it's too late and they've become dependent. You are probably one of the lucky ones who didn't have that problem. Having said that, sensitivities can change. There is a thing called "kindling" where each time a person starts and stops a benzo it can become harder and harder to get off them. Please don't let that happen to you. Taking one every so often can be okay, but never start taking them continuously. It can seriously become a very slippery slope.
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I wasn't trying to be confrontational :-\ as I don't have the energy - I post what I see, I tell the truth and what I posted was from the NICE Guidelines - of course, there weren't any dates as to that particular advice ::). I know a friend who was given Valium IV for extreme back spasm in 2001 - (spoke to him this morning) ……. he was hooked up for 3 days in Hospital.
I drop by on the Forum to offer support and if any of my experiences or advice can be taken on board then that's fine, if people don't think what I suggest is for them, that's fine.
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Agree so much with your post, Dana.
One GP said to me 'take what you need for now, don't worry, you don't have an addictive personality'. Ahahaha! Next, better informed, GP said when it comes to benzos it has nothing to do with an 'addictive personality' it's a physical dependency.
Do you have a link for that from NICE, CLKD?
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Nope.
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Ladies, thanks so much for taking the time to source info etc. Nell, I checked out the links but to be honest, the thought of reading/sharing all that drama would induce me to take another one! lol!
In one way I am confident that at a comparatively low dose it won't be too scary but on the other hand I fear hitting a brick wall and not having the necessary meds/advice to help.
I am SO thankful for this forum though! Each piece of advice is like a hug and for me, that is very rare!
I will chart the next week and see just when and why I pop a pill so that I have something to go on for reduction. I know the biggest hurdle will be between my ears and once that is accomplished I will be on the winning lap!
Lots of hugs,
xxxx
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I wasn't trying to be confrontational :-\ as I don't have the energy - I post what I see, I tell the truth and what I posted was from the NICE Guidelines - of course, there weren't any dates as to that particular advice ::). I know a friend who was given Valium IV for extreme back spasm in 2001 - (spoke to him this morning) ……. he was hooked up for 3 days in Hospital.
I drop by on the Forum to offer support and if any of my experiences or advice can be taken on board then that's fine, if people don't think what I suggest is for them, that's fine.
I don't want to be confrontational either, but I honestly couldn't let your comments go without responding because what you have said is just completely wrong. btw - I wasn't commenting on the IV information. Yes it can be given by IV, but only in extreme circumstances and only in hospital.
The comment I was referring to was when you said "It can be given from 5mg up to 30mg spaced through the day for 3-4 months if necessary". I have never seen that information being given by any legitimate source ever, and I would love to see the source where you got that information. No one should ever be told it's okay to take valium continuously for 3-4 months. That amount of time was all it took for me to become severely dependent, and then it took me nearly 2 years to taper off it. Even 3-4 weeks could be very dodgy for a lot of people. Perhaps you are mistaken and what you actually read was "3-4 weeks", because that is the standard advice.
Also, your "addictive personality" comment was somewhat demeaning to the millions of people who become unwittingly dependent through no fault of their own, and purely because of doctors who lack appropriate knowledge. Benzo dependency has nothing to do with what kind of personality you have. It's a physical thing because the drug affects the GABA receptors in the brain. It is also totally different to an "addiction" where someone has a craving for a drug like alcohol, illicit drugs, tobacco etc. Comments like that only put these people into the same category as "druggies", when it's really the doctors who should be held accountable for their actions.
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Ladies, thanks so much for taking the time to source info etc. Nell, I checked out the links but to be honest, the thought of reading/sharing all that drama would induce me to take another one! lol!
In one way I am confident that at a comparatively low dose it won't be too scary but on the other hand I fear hitting a brick wall and not having the necessary meds/advice to help.
Hi Sadie,
I couldn't cope with a benzo forum either, other people's stories were just too much for me too! (Although I appreciate they do sterling work.)
But http://www.btpinfo.org.uk/ (http://www.btpinfo.org.uk/) is just very measured information, including coping techniques and info for family/friends/your GP. You can also ring them.
And http://www.benzo.org.uk/support.htm (http://www.benzo.org.uk/support.htm) is just a one page list in case there is some actual 'real life' help local to you.
The other site I mentioned http://www.recovery-road.org/ (http://www.recovery-road.org/) has some good, calm info on it. You can simply avoid the Stories tab.
Anyway, those sites are there for you when you feel like a bit of reading.
Definitely don't feel rushed to start a withdrawal before you have a good understanding of how things work. Your GP should never rush or pressurise you. But be aware lots of them are very unaware of how slow you may need to take it.
If you have been varying your dose a lot, as I had, you may need to stabilise on a daily dose before trying to withdraw. My GP looked at how much I had been prescribed over the previous 6 months and worked out a suitable stabilisation dose. Cutting out the variation in dose was essential as at least then your brain is getting the same each day rather than fluctuating.
x x
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My mum suffered terrible with anxiety and depression and I'm afraid I am now taking after her; as I said on a previous thread I've been taking HRT for 6 months and due to a recent unexpected bereavement I've been prescribed Sertraline. Never taken an AD before but feeling emotionally crippled at the moment so giving it a go. Regarding this thread; I've been taking Diazepam (Valium) off and on for the last 30 years; I went for years without it, but my GP now gives me a 28 day supply of 5 mg as he knows I use them sensibly and only when needed (I take 1-2 per week on my 'bad' days) every few months. It makes me wonder why people are so worried about taking it in the UK, as in countries like France and Holland you can buy them over the counter in Boots the Chemist! Diazepam is a muscle relaxant and a mild sedative (as far as I am aware) yet GPs are willing to give out mind altering drugs like ADs like sweets.
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My mom is almost 90 and has been on valium 5mg daily since she was in her 40s. She is still fit and well and has all her faculties so to speak, she has always been an anxious person and that is what was prescribed back then and I dont see them changing it now.
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If you have been varying your dose a lot, as I had, you may need to stabilise on a daily dose before trying to withdraw. My GP looked at how much I had been prescribed over the previous 6 months and worked out a suitable stabilisation dose. Cutting out the variation in dose was essential as at least then your brain is getting the same each day rather than fluctuating.
x x
I totally agree with this. If you are at point where you need to do a slow taper off a benzo you should never take them "as required". The main thing with doing a taper is consistency, so your blood levels are consistent and not all over the place. If they are that will only lead to withdrawal symptoms, and they can be very unpleasant.
The main issue is that your dose is very low and in some ways that is harder to withdraw from than a high dose because the cuts you make have to be so small, and often a lot smaller than just doing a tablet cut. This is why a lot of people under 10mg find doing a liquid taper is the most beneficial way to taper.
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The patient leaflet instructs me to take my Diazepam 'as required' ... this is what my GP advises too. I can go for months without a Diazepam and everyone is different. You should really take the advice on the patient information leaflet, together with your GP and please remember this is a forum to share experiences and not give out medical advice!
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Well said V 😀
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The patient leaflet instructs me to take my Diazepam 'as required' ... this is what my GP advises too. I can go for months without a Diazepam and everyone is different. You should really take the advice on the patient information leaflet, together with your GP and please remember this is a forum to share experiences and not give out medical advice!
If you are taking it "as required", and can go without it for months, then you don't have a dependency, so you don't really know what a benzo dependency or a taper is like. I do.
As I said in my post above "If you are at point where you need to do a slow taper off a benzo you should never take them "as required". I stand by that comment because this is about how you should dose once you realise you are dependent, and you need to do a taper. You simply can't properly do a taper by taking inconsistent or "as required" doses. You would experience constant withdrawal symptoms because your blood levels will be too erratic.
So this has nothing to do with those who only take a tablet here and there. This is about someone who is already dependent. I am not giving medical advice, I am giving tapering advice because I've done a taper and I know how to do it safely and painlessly - many doctors don't. I hope that clears up any confusion.
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Thanks Katie; just worried there's so many vulnerable and confused ladies on here that they really should be talking to their GPs for advice. I'm not saying there isn't valuable information on the forum with a lot of experienced ladies who have a vast amount of knowledge; I just think it's safer to take GP/specialist advice before taking any action :)
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You ladies would be amazed at the fluctuating advice/comments I have had just from my GP practise of six Drs!! Each has a personal opinion - the last being for me to practise "mind changing" exercises when I felt I needed one!!!
The advice/comments I have read here have been 100% helpful in directing ME to the right source and in the right way. For others it maybe a little different but I am so thankful I had the courage to start the thread and listen.... :)
Just putting myself on 2 tablets a day morning and evening, knowing that I am aiming for stabilisation before I begin to withdraw, has me relaxed and happy. Beforehand I felt SO guilty each time I took one, which is why I tried to make one last 2-3 days!
I know I have been thru the worst, as for years I have been committing unstable withdrawal without realising it! Members here have helped me see that, and I am really grateful. :-*
No-one knows a situation until they have been thru it themselves.
I feel equipped and ready to make the small but necessary changes that will see me off the meds. safely and happily. 8)
XXXX
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Valium certainly did not remain in my body for that long. Otherwise people wouldn't become dependant ! I was taking 5mg x 3 Valiumfor a week in the 1990s then 5mg at night then as necessary. Until it made me feel weird, twice - it got me through lots of 'difficult for me' events.
You are wrong CLKD.
Diazepam has a half life of 2-5 days. This means the maximum amount of drug left in you will be half the taken dose after 5 days - that's if your kidneys and liver are functioning normally. For example if you took 2mg on Monday by Saturday you could have 1mg.
The half life is worth knowing when looking at when you will reach a therapeutic, steady state in drug terms or when the drug will be completely removed from your system. To work both of these out you multiply the half life of the drug by 5. So using Diazepam as an example, if you took 2mg once it could take 25 days to be completely removed from your system (5 x 5 days half life) but remember this is in miniscule, ineffective amounts, the minimum therapeutic amount is 2mg. Prozac has a half life of up to 16 days - taking up to 80 days to be completely removed when stopping or the same amount of time to reach a steady therapeutic state hence the 2-3 months it takes to work in some people. Always remember that everyone is different - no one knows an individuals metabolism and some people 'use' drugs really quickly whilst others take the maximum amount of time - medicine is not an exact science.
I copied and pasted this info from another site. If you check Dr Ashton's manual on withdrawal it's explains the half life in there
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You ladies would be amazed at the fluctuating advice/comments I have had just from my GP practise of six Drs!! Each has a personal opinion - the last being for me to practise "mind changing" exercises when I felt I needed one!!!
The advice/comments I have read here have been 100% helpful in directing ME to the right source and in the right way. For others it maybe a little different but I am so thankful I had the courage to start the thread and listen.... :)
Just putting myself on 2 tablets a day morning and evening, knowing that I am aiming for stabilisation before I begin to withdraw, has me relaxed and happy. Beforehand I felt SO guilty each time I took one, which is why I tried to make one last 2-3 days!
I know I have been thru the worst, as for years I have been committing unstable withdrawal without realising it! Members here have helped me see that, and I am really grateful. :-*
No-one knows a situation until they have been thru it themselves.
I feel equipped and ready to make the small but necessary changes that will see me off the meds. safely and happily. 8)
XXXX
Good luck Sadie xx
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Hi lisa789
This is just for information - not a criticism :). When we take info from another site we are supposed to put it in quotes (so we know which bits are written by someone else or might be copyrighted or to enable others to find it too) and/or post the link - so I've done it for you!
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php't=118929
Hurdity x
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Thanks Hurdity I didn't know we had to do that. I copied & pasted the text rather than post a link to NMP as there's some scary stories on there and I didn't want anyone to see them and become more anxious. I did add at the bottom of the paragraph that is was copied from another site.
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Thanks Katie; just worried there's so many vulnerable and confused ladies on here that they really should be talking to their GPs for advice. I'm not saying there isn't valuable information on the forum with a lot of experienced ladies who have a vast amount of knowledge; I just think it's safer to take GP/specialist advice before taking any action :)
What we do need to consider though is that doctors don't always have the right knowledge or experience. On MM, we often bemoan the fact that many doctors are clueless about menopause and especially HRT. If that's the case, why would we think that doctors are then going to be completely au fait with benzos? They're both medications that have been around for a long long time, and attitudes have changed a lot to both, yet there are just as many doctors, possibly more, who are just as clueless about benzos as they are about HRT/menopause. I've heard literally hundreds of first-hand stories to substantiate that.
For what it's worth, my doctor actually admitted that I taught her a lot about diazepam and its withdrawal, simply because I did the research and I had to live through it. She had only ever read about it.
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Actually valium can have up to 200 hours half life (or 8 days). This will vary from person to person of course. It has been calculated that it takes about 8 half lives for valium to totally leave the body. So 200 hours x 8 = 1,600 hours or just over 66 days.
Whichever calculation is correct is actually irrelevant. The reality is that valium is a drug that stays in the body a long time and should never be messed around with without using a lot of caution.
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You ladies would be amazed at the fluctuating advice/comments I have had just from my GP practise of six Drs!! Each has a personal opinion - the last being for me to practise "mind changing" exercises when I felt I needed one!!!
The advice/comments I have read here have been 100% helpful in directing ME to the right source and in the right way. For others it maybe a little different but I am so thankful I had the courage to start the thread and listen.... :)
Just putting myself on 2 tablets a day morning and evening, knowing that I am aiming for stabilisation before I begin to withdraw, has me relaxed and happy. Beforehand I felt SO guilty each time I took one, which is why I tried to make one last 2-3 days!
I know I have been thru the worst, as for years I have been committing unstable withdrawal without realising it! Members here have helped me see that, and I am really grateful. :-*
No-one knows a situation until they have been thru it themselves.
I feel equipped and ready to make the small but necessary changes that will see me off the meds. safely and happily. 8)
XXXX
You're going to be fine Sadie. Just one step at a time, and lots of patience, is all that is needed to do a benzo taper. Also, you need to make your own choices. You can listen to other people's opinions, but the bottom line is YOU are in control, not your doctor or anyone else.
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Good luck Sadie, hope it all works out for you :)