Posted by yxibow on October 14, 2008, at 20:05:09
In reply to Want to taper down on my valium- Advice, posted by thinkingitover on October 9, 2008, at 15:57:12
> Hello all,
> I am looking to taper down on my Valium and take it for sleeping only. I currently take 5MG twice a day, so a total of 10 MGS/day. I've been on it about 18 months, so I know all too well that it won't feel good. I'd like to go down to 5MGS/day (just a 5 MG dose in the evening for sleeping).
> Does anyone have suggestions/ideas that have worked to their benefit, or ideas on how to best taper without severe side effects, and discuss this with my doc?
> ThanksAt 10mgs/day it can be easily tapered down in a matter of a few weeks. That isn't a high dose. And some will advocate an "Ashton Method", which is a certain following, I think partially tainted by a cant towards anti-benzodiazepines in the first place, but to each their own.
At any rate, considering the small size, 10mg only breaks up into 5mg, so you would probably have to use 1 or 2mg tablets, and say 10, 9 or 8, 7, 6, etc... but you may or may not find it necessary to go faster or slower. General psychiatric practice is about 10% per week, so going down 1mg a time, if it is too excruciating to go down 2mg at a time is fine.
In my tapering from much higher doses I found as I approached half of it, going down in doses produced diarrhea. GI problems are common, as Valium normally settles "that region" shall we say.
At 10mg if you just dropped it, it wouldn't be pleasant at all, and I don't recommend it considering the time on it nor just dropping benzodiazepines cold, but I doubt you'd have any seizures or things like that -- you'd just feel all sorts of anxiety spectrum problems.
So that's just my experience, if your anxiety can go through your digestive system too like some people, I would suggest having loperamide (Imodium) on hand.
Despite what the "Ashton method" may say, there is nothing wrong with backtapering if you discover that going from 10 to 8 is too much, well you could backtaper back to 10 for a few more days.
Valium generally has a half life of 24 hours, so you would probably start noticing effects around 5 days later.
-- best wishes
Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:856627
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081006/msgs/857475.html