Posted by SLS on June 19, 2005, at 9:55:50
In reply to Re: Valium help, I cannot taper, posted by Paul Smith on June 18, 2005, at 22:55:53
> > Hi.
> >
> > > I live in symptoms, they do not disappear.
> >
> > Please correct me if I'm wrong, but you are saying that there is no dosage of Valium that will allow these symptoms to disappear?
> >
> >
> > - Scott
>
> I do not know Scott, Am way high now, going back to 40 mgs. How high does one want to go with this drug? 50, 60, 80 mgs? Then if it poops out there you are all the more screwed. On a recent trip to Central American they were shocked to hear I was on 40 mgs a day. Their health ministry only allows prescribling 30 of V a day, 2 mgs of K.
I hope I haven't sounded condescending by asking you these questions. I was just trying to get an idea as to whether you could accomplish a BZD discontinuation the same way I have with Klonopin and Ativan. I used a flexible-dosing method that I found very effective, but I began the taper from a dosage that produced no withdrawal symptoms.Sorry about the additional question, but I am still unclear as to whether there is a lowest dosage at which withdrawal symptoms disappear, regardless as to the degree of tolerance you have developed to its therapeutic effect. You said that you live in a chronic state of withdrawal. Would this be true if you were to increase the dosage? At 40mg, can you remain without the occurence of a withdrawal syndrome indefinitely?
If I were in your position, which I'm sure I cannot fully appreciate, I think I would want to increase the dosage to whatever is the minimum that would prevent a withdrawal syndrome from occuring until you have a new strategy in place for discontinuation. Of course, if continual dosage escalation is necessary just to prevent the symptoms you describe, this is not a viable option.
I personally think it is a bad idea to allow the brain to be subject to extended periods of unmitigated BZD withdrawal syndromes. I currently believe that there is a chance that allowing this to occur acts to kindle and sensitize the brain such that the syndrome worsens in intensity, becomes more refractory to symptomless discontinuation, and persists longer after discontinuation is accomplished.
I'm just thinking out loud. This might all be worthless conjecture.
Ed's suggestion of using flumazenil sounds interesting. I would have expected that such a drug would worsen withdrawal in much the same way naltrexone or naloxone makes worse withdrawal from opioids. I imagine there is much about the properties of flumazenil I am unaware of.
So much for my ability to understand things...
Has it ever been suggested to you that you use an anticonvulsant to reduce the intensity of withdrawal symptoms?
I wish you nothing but luck on your endeavor to discontinue BZDs. I hope you continue to post here.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:513250
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050611/msgs/515440.html