We'll I'm afraid iv had to go back up to 5mg again,I think I was trying to come of them to fast,after 22 years,I wish I'd never taken even one,I was told by my gp,that cutting down 1 mg a month,I'd be fine,got down to 3'&ive never experienced anything like this in my life,I was lyn on the floor,not being able to function,I'm now being referred to a shrink,to see,what's wrong with me,when in fact there's nothing wrong with me,apart from,I can't seem to get of these tablets,as they do stuff to your brain,chemical imbalance or something,I'm, still going to try again,but,very slowly next time,
Mate, I no what you mean and 22 years is a long time, Valium has a very long half life 100hrs, which means its in your system for at least that long, so you have been building it up for a while. At least it was only 5mg, Ive not been on for 22 yrs but a while. I was taking more that you and others too all prescribed. I feel as you do, wish id never taken them, bloody doctors, we were the guinea pigs and we are now paying their price. Its a very very hard road, I've tried so many times and gone without for 7 months hear 9 months there but never felt better only felt worse and worse. They effect your central nervous system, so they create CND Central Nervous System deppression. Yes, they change the chemistry in your brain too. I could go on and on, Nothing wrong with you, just a physicle addiction. and mental. If you have agood GP They can taper you down so slowly like over years, not many GP's understand or no or care about this. Detox centers can help but only 7/14 days your still left feeling like your in hell once you have left. Go Slow, your not alone and drink lots of water, excerise if you can, i no that's almost imposible when your in full blown W/D. Feel free to get back to me, Ive had alot of exerience with all these meds. Thinking of you and Take care.
After 44 years of being on this medication I am involuntarily dependent on it ..I cannot do without it ..do be careful with withdrawal ..I wanted to die when my script was halved
To Nicola..have wondered how you have been ?...hope you told your parents about your meds ..hope you have a bit of peace in your life
I'm actually on to 5mg a day,so it's 10,I'm on,iv took many substances over the years,& nothing compares to the withdrawel of these,it was like someone had put me on a permenant bad LSD trip, I can't go throu that again,I'm back to where I left of 4 month ago,but still,don't feel right,some doctors say there getting taken of the market,which is what strikes the fear of hell into me,I even told my gp,about the Ashton method,they said they'd never heard of her,there should be rehabs in the uk for this,I can't believe,these little pills are now controlling me,my brain can't function without them,these doctors need to know how dangerous it is to try,& come of them,iv read of people that's taken 10 years to get of them,& are still messed up,I'm going to see this shrink,iv asked to see,& tell them everything,that I'm terrified of coming of these,a friend of mines seen the state I was in,& says what are you on,I was like nothing,I'm actually coming of them, aahhh,what can you do but keep taking them!
Exactly...it can be more dangerous to stop taking them than to stay on them..where did you hear they would be taken off the market ? ..if that happened there would be millions of people who would go crazy.literally
That was just a doctor I had a few years ago,that said that to me,iv got a pretty good doctor now,but still doesn't seem to understand what the withdrawel symptoms are like,the best I could explain it to him,was that I was holusinating,& was like an outer body experience,& that I was feeling suicidal,& it was real to me,I could hardly even speak, I felt like the doctor thought I was of my head,
I'm really sorry to hear that you have had to reinstate, but its what happens if you cut too fast. The trouble is that GP's don't have much understanding of the severity of withdrawal, they really need to read the Ashton report!!! I'm still stuck on 3mg after 14 years and my GP tells me that "its all in my head" and that if I was given a placebo that I wouldn't notice, how wrong he is!! I even get side effects if I change brand, if the brand is slightly weaker, there is varience between brands even though there shouldn't be so I stick to Teva brand, they are easier to split and are scored down the middle. Do you drink coffee or tea? Or anything with caffeine in? I have to stick to decaffeinated. I had a glass of coke a few weeks ago and it made me feel ill for 8hrs 
Spot on with your post Nicola! Apparently there 150,000 in the UK hooked on this bitch of a drug. Its a national disgrace and an embarrasment to the NHS, in the states they have a worse problem and many are going for compensation. Its good that we can support each other here. 
Ye,I didn't drink any caffeine,or anything,I was doing ok,then,I just woke up one day& thought I was having a stroke or something,I just feel really let down that doctors seem to think its like heroin or something,they think you'll just sweat it out& you will be fine,I would like to try again,but the doctors think I'm taking the mick,I still don't feel that much better,I'm waiting for my brain to adjust again ,this is crazy,
Its worse than Heroine withdrawal so I have been told by someone who has used both drugs because the withdrawal symptoms go on for ages. If you can't resolve this with your current GP then I would change your doctor. If you have only just reinstated on 5mg recently it will take a while for you to settle down to the new dose. Best wishes Brandon.
Forgive me for being blunt ..why come off them if it is upsetting your life ?..been on them 44 years ..hate it but love my life and family more.Try to accept your dependence and live your life ..I am fine on 50 mg a WEEK ....was on 210 mg a week ..have accepted that this is as low as I can go and still have a life ..
To be entirely honest it was a job,I was hoping to get,& I can't get whilst on them,& I thought I'd manage to do it,there was no other way around it,than to come of them,but my health is more important in the end,I underestimated what they have done,&now realise I need them,so iv learned a lesson,still upset that I couldn't do it,but I tried
Cheers puma
Spent my life with no job ..I ' m a graduate from uni ..if I'd known then want I know now I would not have disclosed the fact of my "mental" illness .Do not mention this in your application ..you have nothing to lose ..Zi know so many people in jobs like you and me and they did not declare mental illness ..enjoy your life
Most employers don't follow up on references ..you have nothing to lose ..don't let the pills win like they did wit me ..
The dose you are on is neglible ..go for it
That would be fine apart from its a blood test,I have to take,so there's no way round it,but il think of something else. Once my head gets back to normal,we'll back to being settled on my correct dose again, when I can think again,brain is still scrambled,a bit
Hi Pat, I don't know what your experience is with this drug but being on 5mg is not "negligable". I have been trying to taper off 3mg after being on higher doses for 14 years, each time I have gone into meltdown even cutting by a small fraction. I was a moderator on a Benzodiazepine Withdrawal support formum for about ten years and came into contact with hundreds of people struggling to get off this drug, in my experiece we are all different and had different reasons for taking it in the first place, this has obviosly some bearing on how we cope with withdrawal. I know of many who are still struggling to get off the last 1mg!
Sorry Pat, didn't see this post (another senior moment).
Hi puma..sorry if I sounded complacent ..any dose of Valium is difficult to withdraw from ..I know of the Aston approach and Shirley Trickets book "coming off Tranquillisers"...neither appreciate the true nightmare that happens in withdrawal..have done it once but never again ..the dose I am on keeps me normal......I have no side effects .my brain seems normal to me ."so maybe I'm lucky ?..