Well actually, i was given valium while traveling abroad for severe panic attacks and i continued taking the 10mg prescribed for 3 weeks. I then dropped down to 5mg and have been on this dose for a week and a half. I am unsure if I should bother tapering anymore. I can go a day or two without any severe symptoms just feeling a bit off. I realize that the long half life allows for this so i do not take the lack of symptoms as a sign of being in the clear. Any advice? Should i taper down again to 2.5mg? or just stop once and for all. I am in school right now so my fear is feeling too sick to go to class and do my work. Any advice/guidance would be appreciated.
Gabriel
Also, i should mention that maybe a few months ago i was on .5-1mg of xanax for panic attacks for a little over 3 weeks. the withdrawal only lasted 2-3 days then it started to clear. Valium's half-life is different tho which is why I'm concerned.
Hi Gabriel it sounds as though you should be ok l know everyone is different drop down and sit for a week and see how it goes.If you feel any withdrawal sit longer you will know yourself how you feel.
Taper slowly, Gabriel.
Despite the long half-life, you still need to taper down gradually so that you don't get rebound symptoms etc.
Always taper, this just avoids any potential side effects that could happen.
Drop it to 2.5 for a week then every other day for a week. Then if you need every 3 days over a week then just stop.
You'll have a few tuff days for sure but thats just part of the parcel with these tablets. Try and take it easy if you can, do exercise and east healthy. If you do feel bad just remember it isn't forever and it will pass.
Hope you fix the underlying problem thats causing the panic attacks. Are you doing something to tackle that other than taking tablets? You don't need to explain why you have them but it would be good to know you're working on it from another angle.
Good Luck 
Thanks for the advice jimbo82,
I do exercise 2-3 times a week and try to eat healthy. Im a recovering heroin addict and take gabapentin along with b-complex daily for anxiety. That usually helps with my general anxiety but when these attacks hit they hit hard and during this trip I couldn't leave my room for a few days. I do not want to become dependent on these tablets which is why i want to stop them and am asking for advice. I go to counseling and we're trying to figure out the underlying cause, but as of now I don't know what is causing them.
No worries,
Sounds like you're on the right track then, things can only get better for you from here if you keep that in place.
Congrats on giving up the addiction thats massive
These tablets are a double edged sword as you know already I'm sure, they fix the problem in the moment but then can leave you in a right mess after a period of taking them. I just managed to break my own withdraw for the second time from being stuck on them for a few years, it wan't pretty. I came to realize any benefit from them is totally outweighed with the negative withdraw process. Saying that I keep a very low dose 2mg in my wallet should I really need it!
What I realized for myself in the end that 2mg was just enough to take of the edge and then any rebound is small.
I realized that I was taking way too much before! Just an option but maybe you could just try the 2 MG tablets as a crutch rather than the 10MG. Obviously bounce the idea off your doctor next time you see him and i'm not a professional. I know traveling is very difficult when you suffer from Panic attacks.
Oh and I also quite booze a month ago and that is helping loads with everything, I would defo recommend that if you've not tried already.
If you get stuck you know where to find us
Taper slowly! Continue on 5 till you are adjusted, you will know when the cut down by half. If you taper down too quickly you ll go back up to 10
When I cut down to 5 I felt it a few days later, but it wasn't bad. If anything I felt like the 10mg had been getting me high. The 5mg was perfect. I'm stable on the 5 so I was thinking about just stopping
'Tread gently all those who enter here....'
Please reconsider this, Gabriel.......you could end up with horrible withdrawal symptoms.
Those of us on this site who have experience of detoxing from benzos and zs know that it is a challenge and a difficult process.
Ok. What i meant is that I'm stable on 5mg now so i can drop again. I think i'll do 2.5mg every other day for a week
I'd be interested to hear how you get on.
I'm on my 3rd day off. I'm at school and will be here for another 7 hours. I don't feel too bad. Depersonalized, blurry vision, some stomach bloating. I take gabapentin for anxiety so that is helping. I'm having a very hard time concentrating. I feel like i should take some, but i feel guilty
Guilty for what?
If you feel you should take some diazepam, go for it Withdrawal symptoms are the main reason why people end up severely addicted.
Seriously, you don't need to beat yourself up about this. You're on the right track, doing your best to get off diazepam. There is no need to feel awful while you're doing it.
Im a recovering heroin addict and am terrified of getting addicted to something else. But you're right, thank you
My partner is a recovering alcoholic who struggled to get off zopiclone.
Her (excellent) doctor put her on to diazepam and very slowly reduced the dose so that she didn't feel and withdrawal symptoms. I watched as it happened, and I remember the doctor being very clear about keeping my partner feeling well.
It took 14 months to get her off 15mg diazepam - down to zero.
Hi Gabriel why are you dropping so much.Drop 1mg and sit on it for 2 or 3 weeks until you settle down.There is no rush as long as you get yourself off them.
How are things going, Gabriel?
I am on day 5 no valium. The use continued for another 3 weeks but with spacing in between. 3 times a week. So far i have no real withdrawal. Other than increased agitation and a bit of disorientation. I do not think that i am out of the woods just yet, but its promising so far. I was already on gabapentin before the valium so the risk of seizures is covered even though my kaiser psychiatrist said that i haven't been on valium long enough for it to be a real concern. The gabapentin and doxepin (for sleep) has helped a lot. I think the root of my anxiety is lack of restful sleep. I haven't had good sleep in years so being able to sleep (not a drugged kind) has made things better.
i've been able to continue going to school. Working out. Eating. I can feel the valium leaving but like i said, there hasn't been any real withdrawal yet. doubling my dose of gabapentin (300 3x to 600 3x)during this withdrawal period and the doxepin have helped a lot. I can deal with they psychological aspects of withdrawal. The physical is what kills me. Hopefully they don't come but we'll see.
Also, i never took more than 5mg and on a few days i dropped it down to around 3-4mgs