Hello, looking for advice from anyone who has gone through diazepam withdrawal and is now 100% free. I have been off them a while after a slow withdrawal but I am still having 'bad episodes' feel as though I am in shock / on the verge of passing out It starts with general 'offish' feeling, dry eyes and then as if I am wearing an Ice Cap, this is quickly followed by cold sweats, skin burning but shivering and rivulets of sweat running off me. Bad Cramps in legs and arms, joints feel as if they are coming apart. Would love to hear from anyone who has fully recovered. Thankyou and sincere good wishes for those still in withdrawal.
Firstly I imagine you would take into account how long you have been on them and how much a day you were taking. Everyone is different so my experience may be a lot worse than yours, just so I don't scare you but i'm telling you like it is, RAW.
I have come of Diazepam twice, first time, slowly but not slowly enough most Doctors like to say 9 months but even though I did everything I could think of to help and truly detoxify, excersise, meditation, Acupuncture eating well, drinking lots of water to flush system out and mainly being positive. I was putting on a happy face all the time while dying inside.
I felt may be a little better at 6 months than at my worst but still very bad and agraphhobic, anxiety and all the syptoms you mentioned and never felt any better from that point on. Doc's put me back on to come off slowly, this time I went for 1.5 years, with nothing, I felt physically and mentally gone, nothing would work in my body, digestion etc and mind full of horrid thoughts, paranoia and depression like i'd never felt before. If I did sleep it was only to have nightmares. I tried so hard and everyone said, you have come so far, surely after this long you would feel normal. I did'nt and every day I would wake thinking, Hmm will I try to eat breakfast this morning or will I get my affairs in order, lost all my lust for life, felt I was a burden on all around me & the worst was my life was just slipping by never enjoying all normal occassions in life that I had naturally enjoyed before. All the sypmtoms you mentioned I had and more, the sweating was so bad and that feeling of generally being unwell, nothing made me smile or laugh. I lied to all and felt like a faliure. Truth being usually takes years from the time you take your last pill for your brain and body, Central Nervous System to not only adjust but re grow the delicate brainwave paths this drug has destroyed. It's a very Very long long hard Road but it can be done, I found a specialist in this field and am considering going into a long term medical facility for even a year or how ever long it takes. Tapper should be extremely slow for any comfort and they can monitor you as I had become suicidal they can also give you some medicines that can help with your withdrawal (non addictive). A year or two in the scheme of things really is not that long when you think of the alternative. I've not really answered your question as I'm not fully recovered and thought I was going mad. Fact is my specialist re assured me, I'm not going mad it is the longest withdrawal of any medication groups being the (Benzodiazepams) Valium, xanax serapax etc. Look up benzo.org there is a mountain of info out there these days.
He did not sugar coat it, some people do well, some like me, itcan take years before you feel even remotley like your old self again and that's what I want. Otherwise I'm only just exsisting and that's no life. I'm not whinging, many more people have worse ilnesses, conditions etc than me. What would my life could have been, if i'd never listened to that first doctor that prescribed these for anxiety & depression and assorted other meds that were just as bad all those years ago or at least looked into them but we trust our doctors, at least I did. This generation we have a lot more info at hand with the internet etc. So, I'm sorry hun you could be feeling this way for a long time alhough we are all different, I've been told It will be the hardest thing I will ever do and I beleive it.
In saying all that, there are people on this forum that have come of slowly and successfully, not pleasant for a while but some say after 3-4 months they feel great, I really hope you fall into that catagory. All the best and let me no how you are travelling. Nicola
Same here Jessie it's hell,iv no plans to attempt it again not for a while,I feel worse now than I did before I started a detox,now back up to same around again,plus an alchol problem into the bargain but iv got my sanity,& them doctors need to be retrained in this specially for people that have been on this horrendous drug for years,I feel totally let down by the doctors,anyway take it easy&in your own time lol 
Yes Brandon, they wipe their hands of us now after we provied all the guinea pig info they needed. Now they just look at us and shake there heads. I wish I was well enough to sue, i'm not into litigation but thousands upon thousands of people put ofn this drug way back when they did not no what happens, now they do and want to take us of and leave us alone, what about DUTY OF CARE or MORRALS. This ux big time, i've heard in US there are class actions against pharmacutical companies, we should all pull together and sue them also. Money wont give us our lives back but help with bills and general living hell. Having a bag night. best to all. Nicola
I totally agree with you there Nicola,I love to sue them my life has been totally ruined by this drug,I have to drink a few cans of lager just to go out,because my anxiety is so bad,if some one makes a sudden movement,I go into real panic,I just love to swap my brain with the doctor for 1 day,so they new what it's like,anyway take it easy lol
Hello Brandon, let down unbelievably by those we trust, my dogs have had better treatment at the vets. If only they had given us a an idea of what to expect, a few sessions with a physio to help us with the muscle problems and the offer of advice when needed. Just pushed out with nothing is so irresonsible, I fully under stand by people turn up at A & E instead of going to a surgery. The medical practice I go to has stopped appointments, a Dr rings you up - after you have told the receptionist what your problem is !!! I am at a loss with this, lost and alone, and yes at times scared. I hope you manage to get off it one day, and the alchol problem does not escalate out of control. Take care Brandon.
Many thanks kind regards
Ohh how wonderful would that be, to swap our brain with Doctor for one day! I'm sure then things would be taken seriously. Understand u having to have cpl of largers to go out, I dont drink, use too. Bad exp with long term partner of 21 yrs after buying a home together in a pristine part of Australia, rather cheap at the time was also classed Country town. I'd always carried him, I was a workaholic, saved & saved so we could pretty well buy outright. being a hot country town, I'd got a job but was 11hours a day, 7 days a week, helping locals get a cafe up and running. He like many of the men in the little town turned to drink, not work. Thought i'd be with him the rest of my life, met him when I was 16. It crept up, drinking more and more, i'd come home at 9pm to find bodies everywhere, house a mess etc. Don't no how I did it but one morn I woke ,after a particularly violent night that he did not remember. I had broken ribs, bruises etc. I was liying to myself, he almost killed me. Anyway I left, he was all I knew & as he said I'd broken his heart & i'd pay. I was silly enough to have the house in his name, even though a lawyer told me he had no group certificates etc, Lawyer recommended to take him on and I'd get 3/4 of all. Didnt want to be a bitch, I left with what I came with. I left everything i'd brought for the house with him. Ended up depressed thus on all these tablets Vals & never delt with my loss or mourned. Geoff was my life, just wish I'd never believed the Doc's putting me on this stuff, like you, I needed a few pills to go out. I'd stopped drinking I believe a subconcious thing as he'd abused me so much while drunk, I just could not drink anymore, which I use to love and have a larger or a few. lol All crutches, i've lost everything, house, life. I still love my ex & only want the best fo him, he's not rich but his alcoholisim has become 10 fold & he blaes me & I kinda blame myself. Although, I tried everything. So I left him with the house and property. Until he recovers, he will never really realize what's happened. His family is very wealthy & they knew he had this prob, were happy that i'd always been there to look after him. Now a world of pain with all doc sh*t. Dont get me wrong, I'm not judging you, having a drink, I've learnt alot. I don't judge anyone, i'm down that path.
I'm sorry i went way off the track, must have needed it. Just came out.
Sorry bout that,,hope you are doing as well as you can and keep me informed Brandon, don't be hard on yourself, we are taking one day at a time. You can always tell me too shut up. Or if you feel like screaming, crying whatever,I'm here for you mate, I'm an Aussie. take it easy, Nicola & don't be a stranger.
Hi. Yes I am 100% free. Its been hard work but worth it.
I went cold turkey from 8mg. Yes there were side effects but one thing is important. Eat and drink plenty and. Do relaxation.
Don't rush yourself,take one day at a time.
Hope it helps xxx
Well done Linda, I hope all the W/D symptoms are finished for you and life is good. At seven months down the line, off the Diaz. I was at rock bottom, 2 months on and it is getting better, Thank Goodness, I was at the end of my rope lol.
Thanks for the advice, will keep it in mind and always one day at a time.
Regards
Jessie
Keep at it, your head will be clear , you will feel emotions even happiness.
Diazepam dulls all your emotions leaving you feeling you have no point in life.
Your short term memory improves,as does your appetite for food and life.
On bad days take it an hour at a time.
Its truly worth doing as it changed my life for the good .
I have now 21 NVQ credits Level one and two. I did these while coming off diazepam.
A new life is waiting for you.
Keep at it xxx
Thankyou linda, I can see an improvement even now, still far from good all round but yes,, the light is there. I do miss them - took them for the relief of muscle spasms, got other meds but is not as good, also took them for over 30 yrs. I do see a change in me / myself, likes and dislikes etc.
Really good to hear about you, and how you are so positive. Congratulations on all your exam results I hope this means you have a great career and it takes you far.
Going to tell a girl on here called shell, in the diazepam group, she is struggling very hard to come off them, you are just the person she needs to hear about, heck I am off them and struggling, shell has not got there yet and needs all the encouragement she can get.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate your reply and the hope you give me
Warmest Regards Linda xx
Jessie. x
Hi,Linda,I just want to know how long you were on them for,as I myself have been on them for over 20 years,& would never attempt it to stop again,I'm back on them,&feel even worse than I did before I started my taper,they mess,with the chemicals in your brain,my head is still in trauma, I didn't realise how dangerous these pills are,if I could change anything,in my life it would be to throw them back at the gp,that first gave them to me,
Hi I was on diazepam for thirty. Five years.
Thirty five years xxx
Iv got to applaud you,many congratulations
Thank you. I have my life back and now feel emotions.
It was worth it... I am happy now.
When on diazepam I felt dull, no feeling or emotions.
Xx
Hi reading your story helpful. I have been taking diazepams over ten years . I am now at 23mg taper every 7 weeks. Ln but I have been on 23mg forTV 12 week s due to side effects I am now getting my woman month every two weeks for the last 9 week s. I am waiting on my blood s test to come back. I am thinking the worse because of the bleeding. Has anyone else had this. Regards shel
hi Jessie.
Yes there is life after diazepam.
I was using 30 x 10mg in eight days.
I realised I had a problem and sought advice.
I am totally clear of diazepam now and have my life back. I actually feel happy, I couldn't feel anything when on diazepam.
I don't miss it.
Go for it..I am proof it can be done but do it in your time x
But how many years were you on diazepams
regards shell