# Just started Valium 2xday 5mg and life is bliss. I don't think I ever plan to stop...



## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

I've been on a multitude of psychiatric medications in the past and almost all have completely sucked for my GAD, ADD, AND BI-POLAR - some have been downright evil.

*Paxil* made me want to kill myself after 1 dose...nearly went to the emergency room the following day. 
*Adderall* has far too many side effects for my comfort level such as the constant jaw tension, tooth pain, and increased anxiety not to mention MAJOR cravings that were not acceptable. (by the way, they hand this crap out like candy and no doctor I ever met expressed any concerns about long term and highly addictive amphetamine maintenance)
*Symbyax* was like a lesser version of what paxil did to me...made me feel like a junky when I was on it and withdrawal after a month of daily dosage was awful. 
*Depakote* = braindead, drooling, incompetent, non-functional patient.
*Xanax* is great if you like to have absolutely no emotion and forget everything 30 seconds after you start doing something / saying something.
Librium was far too weak and ineffective but on the right track.
*Ativan* made me stutter my speech and have a near black-out episode the first and last night I took it.
Seroquel is great for sleep but makes you binge eat 30 minutes after you take it, dries up your mouth, stuffs up your nose, and leaves you groggy the next morning. I have been on seroquel for 7 years up until about 2 weeks ago when I switched to Remeron (mirtazipine).
Remeron has been a good switch for me from seroquel as I have no side effects as of yet. Really no groggy mood in the morning at all.

*VALIUM* - Now I have just began a regimen of one 5MG valium 2x/day and life has been dramatically easier. I am calm cool and collected in my thoughts at all times as well as attentive. It seems to be the most effective add/anxiety med I have ever tried. Without the valium I normally explode over stupid things that shouldn't be a big deal and it isn't just a minor problem - it's the kind of problem that has cost me many jobs and I finally have one that is leading to a career and a future and I don't want to lose it.

Why the heck should I ever stop taking the valium? I've never met an SSRI that didn't seriously screw with your head to the point of pharmaceutical manufacturers actually having to put suicide risk labels on ANTI DEPRESSANT meds for cryin out loud. So can anybody justify why I or anybody else who is in a position like mine should care about dependence if my quality of life is better?

I use to be a daily drinker to calm anxiety at the end of my day and when I take my valium, I have no urge at all to have a drink...that has been quite a pleasure.

So what's the problem if I choose to never stop taking the valium? It makes me function better and interact more with other people and has few drawbacks other than dependence...who cares about the dependence if you're never going to stop taking it? Some people smoke cigarettes until the day they die of lung cancer to calm their anxiety disorders...something inside me says I'll be alive far longer on my valium regimen than the daily cigarette smoker or bourbon drinker.

BTW, just a word of advice, if your doc isn't doing the right thing for you, find another...I once met a psychiatrist on our first appointment we discussed medication for my anxiety disorder and he outright told me he wouldn't even think of prescribing a narcotic medication until he's seen me for at least one year...good to know doc, I could have put a bullet in my temple during that time period until you felt comfy prescribing me what I needed a year ago.

Any thoughts on the subject folks?


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

I see your point
there are far worse addictions out there, like the examples you mentioned and in the long term there is no documented proof (forget internet articles) that state benzos "KILL" you or cause brain damage or hemorrhages. Alcohol and cigarettes do kill, you do not need to read articles about them because we have all known someone who has been ill or died from lung cancer or alcoholism and if you haven't then you are blessed because the damage it does to the families left behind is really awful.

I agree that benzodiazepines are as they say _"nature or doctors little helpers"_ To a point.

they do not make everything better and there is no pill out there that does.
I have found an antidepressant that works for me and I am not going to come off of anytime soon. Some people on this forum cannot or have not found the right medication or have disagreed with certain antidepressants and benzodiazepines however it is not my place to judge and my belief is that as long as you do not desire more and more milligrams of diazepam (valium) each month and can get yourself into a pattern and it can be done, of only taking the prescribed amount each day then why not?
If it honestly helps aide your anxiety and sleep and all the other things that the other medications did not do and life before diazepam did not do as well, then stick with them.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

How has Valium helped your ADD?


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## leon21 (Nov 8, 2009)

@Jonny:

Have you tried Klonopin?


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## bben (Oct 24, 2009)

Valium and all benzodiazepines decrease neurogenesis all over the place in the brain so its not really a long term solution, oh and its absolute hell coming off valium the withdrawl can last up to ONE YEAR (some people cant come off ever because withdrawl never goes away).

Benzos also induce a phenomena where you will start withdrawing from them even at a stable dose so you will be forced to keep upping the dose indefintely 

Benzos= win for 6-8 weeks 

Longer= you will pay eventually and will regret starting

I have quit heroin and Valium. Valium was 10x harder to quit.


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## JohnG (Sep 3, 2010)

bben said:


> Valium and all benzodiazepines decrease neurogenesis all over the place in the brain so its not really a long term solution, oh and its absolute hell coming off valium the withdrawl can last up to ONE YEAR (some people cant come off ever because withdrawl never goes away).
> 
> Benzos also induce a phenomena where you will start withdrawing from them even at a stable dose so you will be forced to keep upping the dose indefintely
> 
> ...


Which dose of Valium did you used and for how many time ?


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

Dr House said:


> How has Valium helped your ADD?


The valium allows my thoughts to slow down so that I can process things normally the way everyone else can. I can get extremely wound up to the point of violence and self destructive behavior when I cannot calm myself. In a nutshell, I'm f'd in the head. I've had a broken home style upbringing and have fought very hard over the past 7 years to get my life back together toward achieving an actual future worth living.

I was diagnosed with bi-polar about 10 years ago but the psych spent all of 10 minutes with me with his hat turned around (trying to be cool just like a 15 year old?...whatever) before he came up with the brainchild of a diagnosis which was bull**** to say the least. Do you sometimes feel bad? Do you sometimes feel good? Well you have bi-polar disorder....what a f'n joke.

So for an update...been on my 2x /day regimen and am doing well. Just had my yearly bronchitis nearly kill me for 2 weeks and w/o my valium to ease my anxiety, I never would have made it through those 2 weeks w/o losing my job.

I know benzo's are bad for you long term but so is sugar, so are cigarettes, so is alcohol, adderall, SSRI's, etc... and so forth. This WORKS for me! BTW I've done / abused about 90% of recreational / pharmaceutical drugs out there as a young'n so I have a better sense of what is bad for you and what is not than most. What it comes down to is quality of life and what it costs to achieve that quality of life which makes you happy. This improves my quality of life to the point that I feel like I have control again...who gives a **** if I never stop? I could be dead next year or tomorrow for that matter...at least I know i'll have good days between now and when I meet my maker.

BTW, most "maintenance meds" doctors prescribe these days...they don't even f'n know what the long term effects of these "FDA APPROVED" meds are. Comments welcome...long day....i'm done!


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

bben said:


> Valium and all benzodiazepines decrease neurogenesis all over the place in the brain so its not really a long term solution, oh and its absolute hell coming off valium the withdrawl can last up to ONE YEAR (some people cant come off ever because withdrawl never goes away).
> 
> Benzos also induce a phenomena where you will start withdrawing from them even at a stable dose so you will be forced to keep upping the dose indefintely
> 
> ...


Not planning on quitting sir!  Have you ever tried quitting an SSRI anti-depressant? If you had a handgun nearby, you would kill yourself to stop the withdrawals...but they hand that crap out like candy because it's the "fad" thing to prescribe right now. Benzo's are safe kind sir...dependence doesn't bother me. I'm one of those "some people" that are really f'd up that need this...some folks with the good end of the stick (psychologically speaking) just don't understand. You know they prescribe methamphetamine to people with extreme add / depression...brand name "DESOXYN"...look it up. Ya, that's the same drug we tell kids not to take and spend billions fighting on the black market but even doctors know, some people are so f'd...they need it. BTW, cocaine is a CII controlled "prescription" medication also...getting the point?

Also, on my days off...I do try to either eliminate my dose for the day entirely or at least half it. Many days through the week I half it also. You're no more likely to develop increasing tolerance to benzo's than you are opiates and god knows there's no shortage of pain clinics out there who are more than happy to prescribe as much to you as you like and for as long as you have air in your lungs and an insurer to bill. I just love playing pharmaceutical politics...don't you?


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

leon21 said:


> @Jonny:
> 
> Have you tried Klonopin?


Klonopin is like a high impact version of xanax...f'ing hated it! Took it 1 time and it was just like xanax on steroids. BLahhh...some of us actually still have to function for a living...xanax and klonopin are for another breed of person.


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## VagueResemblance (Apr 17, 2010)

jonnynobody said:


> Not planning on quitting sir!  Have you ever tried quitting an SSRI anti-depressant? If you had a handgun nearby, you would kill yourself to stop the withdrawals...but they hand that crap out like candy because it's the "fad" thing to prescribe right now. Benzo's are safe kind sir...dependence doesn't bother me. I'm one of those "some people" that are really f'd up that need this...some folks with the good end of the stick (psychologically speaking) just don't understand. You know they prescribe methamphetamine to people with extreme add / depression...brand name "DESOXYN"...look it up. Ya, that's the same drug we tell kids not to take and spend billions fighting on the black market but even doctors know, some people are so f'd...they need it. BTW, cocaine is a CII controlled "prescription" medication also...getting the point?


And marijuana is Schedule I while synthetic THC is used as medication; the American government's idiocy around drugs means nothing. Your experience withdrawing from SSRIs is atypical; I've withdrawn from several without ill effects, although SNRI (Effexor) withdrawal was hellish. It does happen to some individuals though... what ALSO happens is systemic receptor deregulation in long-term benzo use, which worries me enough that I decided to never start them though I have had very good short-term results with lorazepam. What he told you is a very valid concern with long-term benzo use, they are dangerous - although there are people that don't seem to build tolerance even after long term use, I know UltraShy on this forum is one. I hope you're another, for your sake. Good luck.


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## Under17 (May 4, 2010)

Benzo withdrawal is a lot worse than SSRI withdrawal, unless your sexual functioning gets ruined for life somehow.


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## Recipe For Disaster (Jun 8, 2010)

your life won't be bliss for long, you will build a tolerance to that affect. staying on it forever isn't a good plan since after a number of years (or sooner maybe) you will have built a complete tolerance to all the positive effects and only experience ever increasing negative effects.


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## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

Benzo's are only a short-term solution...


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## jimmythekid (Apr 26, 2010)

I have taken Valium on an as needed basis for five years. The only period in which I took it every day was recently and lasted a month. 

Life pretty much was bliss for me, too during that month. I would take it long term if it weren't for the tolerance that pushes you to higher and higher doses and withdrawal that can last months to years. I dunno I just hate the idea of making the illness worse in the long-run.
I think if you have abused drugs you should know that the honeymoon doesn't last with any kind of dope. heaven turns to hell at some point. It's completely up to you. It's just very important to know the potential risks of taking any med long-term if you are considering it. So just read up about it and be careful to follow your doctors instructions very closely. That is my advice


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

Ignorance is bliss; is it not  I have chosen to heed your advice and discontinue my daily usage of my valium. I'm down to half my suggested dose and on my day off this week, I plan to take nothing at all at but my seroquel to help me sleep through the day so I don't even think about it all the way through until my next day at work and even then, I will suffer through and stay dry. Experience with recreational drug use (extensive use  has shown me that no drug should be abused. Recreation is recreation until it becomes everyday and then it becomes an addiction and a need to feed said addiction...everyday. I guess I just got a little arrogant with my prior experiences with drugs (recreational or otherwise) in thinking I could control this medication more than it could control me, but anybody with experience, after serious brainstorming, knows inside that this is not natural and not sustainable. I sincerely thank you for all of your advice and comments and more than likely, you're comments will / have saved my future and I sincerely thank you for that. This is a great forum full of good people (obviously better than myself) who have experienced more than most, and we should all be so grateful to have their company here  

I will certainly post updates on any withdrawal symptoms I go through after 30 days on this stuff, so for those interested in short term benzo withdrawal...stay tuned....I'm a trooper though so I'll stay optimistic


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## 49erJT (Oct 18, 2010)

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## Recipe For Disaster (Jun 8, 2010)

49erJT said:


> I mean no disrespect to anyone but where do some of you anti-benzo people get your information? Let me guess....anti-benzo web sites!
> 
> I've taken benzo's for almost a decade and they have been the only effective treatment option for my anxiety. My doctor prescribes Klonopin for anxiety and it's been a lifesaver. I've experienced very few side effects and have even slowly tapered off only to realize that my life is so much better when taking my doctor prescribed Klonopin.
> 
> I wish people would stop all the anti benzo preaching. If you don't want to take them that's a personal decision but there is no need to cast negative thoughts on to someone who is simply following doctors advice!


yes there is. i don't know about other people but the reason i preach agaisnt benzos is because benzos are very flawed drugs. i'm not denying that there are a few people out there like you who seem to respond well to benzos and don't have too much difficulty coming off. however, the problem is there are huge amounts of people who have major problems with benzos both with them losing effectiveness and causing depression and other side effects and with coming off them and the subsequent withdrawal. let's say there was a blood pressure drug that killed 60% of the people who took it, but it worked well for 20%. wouldn't you preach against that drug? benzos are somewhat like that. i am sure that safer drugs than benzos can be developed/discovered.


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## 49erJT (Oct 18, 2010)

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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

49erJT said:


> When I was first prescribed Klonopin I was apprehensive because of all of the negative propaganda I'd read on the internet. So i discussed my concerns with my doctor and he was very reassuring. I still did my own research for many months after being prescribed and finally reached a point where I felt the reward was worth the risk.
> 
> No one knows what the future holds...Maybe Klonopin will stop working for me in the future but I'll deal with that when (If) it happens. I certainly will not stop an effective treatment because of concerns of what "might" happen.
> 
> ...


Very well put my friend! Valium is a lifesaver for me but there is a delicate balance that must be maintained as with any other physically addictive drug. You simply must follow your regimen and not take more than prescribed. You need to take a day off here and there or cut your dose in half for a day or two a week to keep tolerance in check. A lot of people who are prescribed benzo's are not informed well enough by their prescribing doctors about the nature of the medication they're taking.

The side effects of benzo's are very real and potentially very dangerous but so are the side effects of drinking too much sugared soda-pop (i.e. diabetes), drinking too much alcohol (too many side effects to list), taking too much tylenol (i.e. liver failure), etc... and so forth...get the point?

What may be good for one person may be poison for another...it's simple as that. For instance; my best friend growing up just started adderall IR and from what i'm told, it's working terrifically for him and I for one couldn't be happier....this guy is a super nice person but has some issues beyond his control that adderall seems to be taking care of form him which has enabled him to resume a normal life...maybe even a life that results in an ideal future. For me on the other hand...adderall made me poop myself 10 minutes after every dose (10mg 1x/day btw) and with that 1 dose and 600 mg of seroquel at night to help me sleep.....i still could not sleep. My heart was pounding through my chest as if I was going to have a heart attack...I truly thought my life could be in danger at that point....(i.e. this crap didn't work for me)....but it worked for my friend. The point i'm trying to make is that we are all very different individual beasts of nature and things effect all of us in very different ways. For some of us, benzo's work...for some of us, amphetamines work, for some of us SSRI'S (i.e. anti-depressants) work...all I have to say is... to each his/her own.


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

btw, I went dry yesterday (no w/d symptoms) and took 2x5mg this morning b/c of an illness I can't shake for almost 4 weeks now...thought it would help and really didn't do much. Wish I had just done another day dry but the good news is...tomorrow is another day  hopefully the day off work and plenty of bed rest will do me good for work tomorrow!


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## Takerofsouls (Oct 20, 2010)

If you havent been taking them for long you should go cold turkey while your not completely dependant on them.


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

Due to a distressing situation pertaining to family bull$hit I have been unable to decrease my dosage as of yet. I am at 2x5mg/day still but I plan to put myself through horrible withdrawal on my next 2 days off as I've written off this family situation as a lost cause. I am converting into a constant depression that is only relieved by more valium and even then I am still depressed, just not as much. I may be a life-long f'd up valium subscriber at this point but i'm hoping for light at the end of this dark tunnel...we shall see. Benzo's are a *****!


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## theIsolated (Nov 29, 2010)

if you've only been on it a month it should be that hard to come off.


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## Himi Jendrix (Mar 24, 2010)

1 month isnt that long to be on it. Withdrawal should still be okay and not hellish. 

This is exactly how I thought this thread would go. Person gets prescribed benzo and thinks its a cure and then 1 month later comes back with "problems". 

I am by no means anti benzo, in fact I take xanax, its just that benzos eventually loose their effectiveness with daily long term use and you grow increasingly physically/mentally dependent on them. 

I was on 4mg klonopin for several years and it was pure hell getting off it. I agree with everything everyone has said about it being worse than other drug withdrawals. I am prescribed 1mg per day xanax and I take breaks at the end of the month so as to lower tolerance.


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

I have very unfortunate news regarding my current state of being which in describing, I hope will provide some insight for anyone else in a similar situation that I am in - god willing.

I first and foremost am an alcoholic. I've tried quitting 3 times and 3 days ago marked my 4th attempt. I am 26 years old and have 2 alcoholic parents and 2 alcoholic grandparents. The cards have been stacked against me genetically and I have been surrounded my entire life by alcoholism which has impacted my life quite largely.

While taking valium each day, I've also been drinking approximately 2 40 oz heavy lager beers in addition to 2 shots whiskey each night. Bad situation...I know. 3 days ago I decided I had to quit both and the alcohol needed to go first because the docs prescribe benzo's to offset the dt's (if you don't know that is, look it up) so doing away with the benzo first would not make sense. 

Anyhow fast forwarding to my current situation...3 days without liquor at all and I have an extremely high metabolism and am hypersensitive to any drug / narcotic which includes withdrawal of such. Yesterday on day 2 I took 40 mg valium just to maintain so I could do my freaking job without offing somebody. Today...the nightmare has begun. I started with 20 mg valium, then another 10, then another 10...all of that and I have minimal relief of my alcohol withdrawal symptoms most likely due to the fact that I've been on maintenance valium for almost 2 months now so it's efficacy at reducing my alcohol withdrawal is diminished significantly. Basically I can take 20 mg valium and barely even feel the effects....I'm not having tremors, just intense delirium and random fits of crying due to the alcohol withdrawal being so intense.

Today at work I snapped at my boss (who is a piece of sh*t mind you) over something fairly minor, which on another day would have never happened. I'm usually a very calm cool and collected person and am friendly with almost everyone in the building but today, I couldn't be myself. One thing led to another and I ultimately had to leave work because I was in tears due to the fact that I no longer knew how to handle what was going on in my head without losing my job by lashing out at others for no good reason.

So here I am...I have 2 doc appts tomorrow. 1 with my psych and one with my gp. Both the valium and the alcohol needs to go permanently but I just don't know how to handle the conversation between the two. I feel like I want to just drive my car into a brick wall and hope to god I don't survive...

I just want to be free of both these terrible awful drugs and go back to normal...do I need in-patient-rehab? I don't want to lose my wife and I don't want to lose my career but I simply don't know what to do anymore. As crazy as it may seem, you people on this board are my closest confidants...please help me decide an appropriate plan of action as most doctors don't give a flying **** so long as they cover their liability end of things. as I sit here, I have succumb to my alcohol craving and am drinking as of this moment. I can't handle the crying and distress anymore....I am literally at my whits end and I am scared at what may happen to me. please, anybody...help!


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

btw as a side note... I live in a medical marijuana state and "medibles" (marijuana cooked into baked goods...i.e. cookies, brownies, etc...) are MUCH more effective at dealing with anxiety than this crap they give out at docs offices. Isn't it F'd up that marijuana is a schedule 1 drug (right next to heroin mind you)...yet morphine, cocaine, amd, methamphetamine (brand name DEXOSYN) are schedule II...then you have highly addictive benzo's as schedule III...boy those fellas over at the FDA and DEA surely have the patients interests first and foremost eh? So cocaine and methamphetamine are apparently safer than marijuana even though there is no known toxicity limit for marijuana....gosh I love the pharmaceutical politics that goes on in America...don't you?


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## Raptors (Aug 3, 2009)

^Pot makes my anxiety worse. Different meds for different people


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

You're absolutely right! I personally prefer marijuana processed into foods which provides an entirely different experience than smoked marijuana. Eating medibles lasts longer...doesn't give you that "stupid" high type of feeling and just makes you mellow. No physical dependence at all whatsoever! The problem is that the feds are fighting this issue tooth and nail due to pharmaceutical lobbies and international treaties to eradicate marijuana (thanks nixon, you f&ck!) which we not only created, but enforced on every free sovereign country in the civilized world. How could the leader of the free world possibly come up with an excuse to say...hey fellas, we really f'd up on this one....lets call it truths and use common sense here to say marijuana really is no worse than tobacco or - god forbid - alcohol...and by they way, our u.s. army will stop spraying poor marijuana producers' family's fields with deadly pesticides in mexico so they can no longer produce their yearly family income that provides their way of life (which feeds the american need for said product).

Most people who have tried cannabis have never tried a medible...and we're talking two entirely different experiences here. Medibles, which are processed in the belly rather than the lungs produce a different effect....it mellows you out with no physical dependence. I suggest many of you anxiety sufferers try a medible sometime...you will be pleasantly surprised...and food tastes much better!


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

BTW, quick sidenote....anybody on opiate withdrawal - marijuana tends to increase anxiety in the withdrawal process so keep that in mind.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

jonnynobody said:


> I have very unfortunate news regarding my current state of being which in describing, I hope will provide some insight for anyone else in a similar situation that I am in - god willing.
> 
> I first and foremost am an alcoholic. I've tried quitting 3 times and 3 days ago marked my 4th attempt. I am 26 years old and have 2 alcoholic parents and 2 alcoholic grandparents. The cards have been stacked against me genetically and I have been surrounded my entire life by alcoholism which has impacted my life quite largely.
> 
> ...


Have you considered trying NMDA antagonists to withdrawal? Especially low doses of DXM looks highly interesting to withdrawal and reverse tolerance, just temporary to try and get off can be of major help, in this thread there are currently a few ppl withdrawing from benzo's with the use of DXM/memantine:
http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=501875


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## 49erJT (Oct 18, 2010)

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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

49erJT said:


> I've heard that doc's generally don't prescribe Benzo's to alcoholics or addicts for this very reason...I'm confused as to why the med's were prescribed to you? If they worked for whatever ailment your doctor prescribed them then why discontinue?
> 
> Maybe I'm just a rare breed of benzo user but I've taken my Klonopin as prescribed for many years with positive results and no tolerance issues. My dose stays the same and the relief stays the same...It's confusing to me how so many people have completely different (terrible) experiences with benzo's and have so many problems on them and coming off them...


Well, I was originally prescribed Valium on a PRN basis and if I had taken it appropriately it would have been a good thing for me. When I went through alcohol withdrawal, I then became psychologically dependent on the Valium for a short period of time. I've been through withdrawal 3 times (I think) so far and each time it seems I abuse the Valium more and more. It's really easy to convince yourself that if you're not drinking and only taking "prescribed" medications then you're not doing anything wrong.

So far I am on day 2 of being alcohol free again and 1 day free of Valium (cold turkey...no taper) and I'm managing well. I plan to attend AA meetings to keep myself on the right path and I no longer have any intention of taking ANY benzo as a maintenance medication ever again. I will most likely keep a bottle on hand in the medicine cabinet for distressing situations but I've learned my lesson...benzo's are not designed for long term use by people like me (or most people for that matter).

I'll keep posting as I continue my recovery and I am looking forward to sobriety without withdrawals in the near future. Hearing the truth about this type of medication from people who know better than I do very well may have saved my life...


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## VagueResemblance (Apr 17, 2010)

Alcoholics in the family here, too, but they've kept me away from drinking by their very example. I do every now and then but I know where it'll lead me if I lose control.
Marijuana helped me with other addictions by replacing them, then I controlled that addiction. You know about that one already.

I wish I could offer something more substantial - good luck. *You can do this.*


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## ZeroG64 (Oct 14, 2010)

Wow, that is a low dose of valium. You are very lucky to have such a low tolerance to it.

As for GP's prescribing benzo's to addicts, it happens, certainly here in the UK. I'm an opiate addict, I take buprenorphine on a daily basis, have a history of alcohol abuse and my GP has regularly prescribed me tamazepam and zopiclone for short term insomnia. I have also been prescribed diazepam for anxiety but my GP was very cautious about this and also stated that he would not prescribe me alprazolam when I inquired, though he said that was because it was more of "an American thing" and that they have a more hands-on approach, what ever that is supposed to mean.


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

ZeroG64 said:


> Wow, that is a low dose of valium. You are very lucky to have such a low tolerance to it.
> 
> As for GP's prescribing benzo's to addicts, it happens, certainly here in the UK. I'm an opiate addict, I take buprenorphine on a daily basis, have a history of alcohol abuse and my GP has regularly prescribed me tamazepam and zopiclone for short term insomnia. I have also been prescribed diazepam for anxiety but my GP was very cautious about this and also stated that he would not prescribe me alprazolam when I inquired, though he said that was because it was more of "an American thing" and that they have a more hands-on approach, what ever that is supposed to mean.


Ya, I feel it's a low dose also...I've taken 40mg in a day before for withdrawal of alcohol and I have no problem functioning. I've been in an ER and had over 60 MG administered via IV over a period of 2 hours and was still fully functional. I feel 2x10mg/day would be more appropriate for my situation but try convincing a doctor of that due to the stigma attached to valium...but they sure have no problem prescribing an unlimited supply of xanax, klonopin, or ativan. It's called pharmaceutical politics my friend...what a joke medical care can be sometimes eh?


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## Jermyn (Oct 23, 2012)

*Happy with V*

I have been taking Valium for many years: 5mg in the evening with a glass of wine. I live a normal and happy life. Life without this little 'indulgence' not worth it. Yes, I am addicted to the 5-er a day: and I do not mind in the least.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

Jermyn said:


> I have been taking Valium for many years: 5mg in the evening with a glass of wine. I live a normal and happy life. Life without this little 'indulgence' not worth it. Yes, I am addicted to the 5-er a day: and I do not mind in the least.


I take a hell of a lot more than you and a stack of xanax on top of it. I fail to see it as an indulgence. A high-class call girl, a massage, a single malt scotch, a summer home in the Hamptons.... those are indulgences. Valium is a medication and at 5 mg it's barely anything. If the most important thing in your life is 5 mg of valium then I feel very sorry for you and I hope you begin to overcome such a serious condition soon. Damn, I thought my depression and anhedonia was bad.


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## Jermyn (Oct 23, 2012)

*indulgence...*

Not the "most important thing" in my life, but certainly a part of it. Like a great cuppa in the morning.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

Jermyn said:


> Not the "most important thing" in my life, but certainly a part of it. Like a great cuppa in the morning.


Yeah I need a valium to get out of bed in the morning too.


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## Jermyn (Oct 23, 2012)

*Happy with V*

In response to ISTAYATHOME:

You clearly have a rather more 'lethal cocktail' to be dealing with. As with ANY drug / medication, people respond in different ways. I never felt the urge or need to increase my dose of 5mg, taken in the evening with a glass of great French wine (Delas, Northen Rhone): a wonderful combo and really helping me to unwind and focus. I did go without it for three years (after most unpleasant cold cold turkey withdrawal) but my life felt dull and boring afterwards so I decided to start taking it, again, and feel much better for it. It's clearly my 'substance'... as opposed to Cannabis which induced severe paranoia and panic attacks - hate the stuff. But I am sure it works well for others. I shall stick with V for the rest of my life. It really helps me. But I am certainly not suggesting it good for everybody, especially for those with highly addictive personalities. Yes, a degree of discipline is required but it does pay off.


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

Jermyn said:


> In response to ISTAYATHOME:
> 
> You clearly have a rather more 'lethal cocktail' to be dealing with. As with ANY drug / medication, people respond in different ways. I never felt the urge or need to increase my dose of 5mg, taken in the evening with a glass of great French wine (Delas, Northen Rhone): a wonderful combo and really helping me to unwind and focus. I did go without it for three years (after most unpleasant cold cold turkey withdrawal) but my life felt dull and boring afterwards so I decided to start taking it, again, and feel much better for it. It's clearly my 'substance'... as opposed to Cannabis which induced severe paranoia and panic attacks - hate the stuff. But I am sure it works well for others. I shall stick with V for the rest of my life. It really helps me. But I am certainly not suggesting it good for everybody, especially for those with highly addictive personalities. Yes, a degree of discipline is required but it does pay off.


I am most confused by this post kind sir. I fail to understand and have never even heard a suggestion of the kind which might indicate that the medicines I use have a lethal potential. I am a man of strict temperance and abstinence. No substance is or has been ingested by my body of which a even a moderate interaction with the medicines I take might occur. Furthermore there have been many a physician (including the type that specialize in pathology's of the mind ) and the chemists who provide me with the medicines of which my doctors insist I use with whom this discussion has been had and none have even made the slightest hint or suggestion that I may be at risk of such a serious reaction as death. I also have much experience in regards to this matter and have stayed awake many a night reading about this subjec so that I may be accurately informed.

The exact amount of these medicine in question which I take is perhaps more than the amount provided by most chemists. However I assure that I have been taking the exact same amount of this medicine since the time at which I first began consuming it. Indeed my Physician discovered that the psychological ailments of which I suffer had progressed to such a serious extent that I would need the chemist to provide me with the aforementioned amount of this medicine even though such an amount might prove to be more than most patients require.

Although it is often reported by patients that due to the chemical nature of this medicine they must increase the amount of it that they take over time. I am very fortunate in that I have continuously for over three years ingested the same amount every day and this medicine has never lost any effectiveness in the treatment of the great solicitude which used to greatly disable me from most activity. My condition remains as comfortable as one might hope for.

Indeed you drink a fine French wine of which even the finest Lords and Lady's would approve. Although such a small amount of this medicine in combination with the small amount of wine you consume poses only the most minimal risk to you, I shall remind you of the chemist's order's that the consumption of wine (no matter if it is of fine quality) in combination of this medicine will pose a greater danger than is present when this medicine is consumed alone.

Though I have no desire to speak ill and cause any disruption with you kind sir on such a lovely day There are a few more notations which must be said. Firstly I would remind you not to despair. It is always good for us to remind that such neuroses may one day pass and medicine will no longer be necessary. You along with the physician and the chemist may be able to help you discontinue such a medicine when such neuroses pass.To end this letter I must agree with you that I too find cold turkey's to be most unpleasant; though even the most disgusting cold turkey can forgotten after one has been cleansed, there is no need to have an unpleasantness that remains for many years after one's experience with a cold turkey unless a very serious illness was sent upon you from tour contact with said turkey. Perhaps the physician and the chemist might have helped you by providing a medicine which could have dispelled whatever misfortune had befallen you after your time spent with this cold turkey. Finally it is also true what you say about the plant cannabis from which hashish has long been derived. It may be of the form of an herbal tincture which the chemist provides for the use of some ailments. But indeed using what you have spoken of as a medicine for neuroses of the mind can often be dangerous and certainly does not help the user to dispel such neuroses.

With that I bid you farewell and having much experience with this neurotic disorder, infact even to more severe extent than you my friend because unlike you I am often unable to leave the house so I am unable to make purchases from the winery as you do in order to procure your fine french wine. or to go the chemist to procure the hashish like substance of which you smoke. Or even to the butcher to obtain the cold turkey which brought such grief upon you. It is for reason like that which I experience such a great fear as to remain close to my home. I digress. Perhaps it would do you well to remember that due to my experience and knowledge of this medicine I am well enough off that it is only an unnecessary loss of your valuable time when you make an attempt to suggest that perhaps the medicine I take might be lethal. The physician is trusted like a father is trusted by a son and the chemist is also of great repute so fear not as I also do not fear. I am most safe and there is no reason to predict that death may befall me.


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## MarlaJStewart (Mar 27, 2013)

*Honeymoon period*

Youre brain doesnt have a limitless supply of GABA. When youve depleted youre GABA supplies the honeymoon period will be over.


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