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Valium (diazepam) Taper
Hello, I’m new here and I joined this particular website because it seems a bit more uplifting than some of the others. Anyway I took benzodiazepines as prescribed for 8 years. In July I switched to 30mg of Valium I’m now down to 10mg. I’ve got terrible agoraphobia and depression. I’m interested in seeing if anyone got any relief from starting an SSRI—I’ve asked my doctor for Celexa—during a taper? Many of the other websites are 100% anti medication. I’m not to that point I just need relief from some of the anxiety and depression I’m experiencing. Can anyone help? Thank you.
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This is unbelievable!!! I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I have been on benzodiazepines for 15 years. I know I would be in the same position if I was abruptly taken off them. It sounds like to me that this is a necessary medication for you. I would talk to my neurologist about this and see if you can at least get 5 mg restarted.
Do you have a doctor now? If so tell him you’d like to try propanolol. It's a beta blocker that can really help with anxiety. It’s helped me immensely. Other than to reinstate, probably wouldn’t work, there’s really not much you can do except ride it out. Doctors need to start being held accountable for doing this to their patients.
We are finding out the hard way that many, maybe most, doctors don't know how to taper their patients off of these types of drugs. Dr. Josef who operates a tapering clinic to have very helpful videos, this is one of them https://youtu.be/QiyaPfzeACs Maybe you can find a clinic near you that can help.
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2 ReactionsWe are finding out the hard way that many, maybe most, doctors don't know how to taper their patients off of these types of drugs. Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring operates tapering clinics and he has some very helpful videos, this is one of them https://youtu.be/lLzeUFUXrfQ Maybe you can find a clinic near you that can help.
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1 ReactionIs Gastonia any where new Raleigh-Durham - The Research Triangle. I would strongly suggest that you seek expert care at one of those facilities. I would have also hired an attorney (Do no Harm - it's in their Oath) For a physician to discontinue those particular medications without the assistance of a psychiatrist/pharmacist and attempt a taper is unconscionable when there is medical information both professional and in lay terms how dangerous it can be to not be conscientious in dose reduction. I really get very concerned and upset when I hear things like this have happened. I am so sorry that you had and are having to go through this!
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3 ReactionsYes, a general practitioner or psychiatrist is probably your best bet.
There are so many new drugs out there that they can find something for you.
I take both an anti anxiety & an anti depressant & have for 20+ years & our
family doctor said he would find something new if either began to give
me problems. Keep looking for a physician that meets YOUR NEEDS!
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1 ReactionLook for "The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines: Antidepressants, Benzodiazepines, Gabapentinoids and Z-drugs." You can google that book title and find helpful information online. Best wishes.
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1 ReactionThere really is not anything that truly helps with anxiety other than benzodiazepines and doctors are slowly but surely getting away from prescribing them. If you have an old doctor you may get them for a while. If your doctor dies or retires and all you can find is a younger doctor you’ll probably be out of luck. The doctors are prescribing antipsychotics off label, antidepressants exclusively or beta blockers off label. There really isn’t anything else out there.
I’m not finding that to be true. Both my primary physician and my psychiatrist who are both relatively young (40’s) are happy to prescribe me anything that is medically necessary. This includes Ativan. I think that rgtaylor shouldn’t give up. There’s someone out there who will be willing to prescribe you whatever is medically necessary. And I think some kind of Benzodiazepine is for you.
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1 ReactionHeather Ashton has been a life saver to many. God bless her and her manual.
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