Hi all..
I have been taking Restoril at nite to sleep. plus 10 mg Valium in the day for depresion/anxiety..
This has been going on for 5 years & the valium is just making me sleepy.
I'd like to switch..but dont have a clue as what to ask for?
I dont want my sex drive to go to he#@...LOL Ive heard stories!...There are so many things out there..I will tell you what I HAVE tried & didnt work 4 me...Paxil...made me jumpy).prozac...same reaction), amitripaline(sp)?
Does anyone have any suggestions? Im also afraid I may have withdrawl from the Valium when I switch?
Is that possible?..& how do I handle that? http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif
~~Thanks 4 any advice...

Hi-

I have used Zoloft, with Buspar at night and .5 Xanax. For daytime anxiety attacks I would break the Xanax in half most of the time just to see if I could get by with less. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not, and I'd just take the other half if I needed about 45 minutes later. After a couple of months of taking the Buspar and weekly therapy my anxiety subsided considerably and I was able to do away with the Xanax, but to this day I keep an emergency pill with me at all times.

As far as withdrawl goes, I think your doctor can give you something to ease the discomfort. I am a chronic pain patient and I recently made the switch from opiods to all non-narcotics medications. I had been using the opiods for about 18 months so we knew that even though I was not addicted my body would go through witdrawl. I can't remember the name of the drug and I do not know if it would do the same for Valium as it does for opiods but it's worth asking about! I had to take it as I slowly decreased my use of the pain killers and in turn slowly increased the new meds.

Hope this helps, Kelley

Hi Sonic,

I believe that Trazadone is good for anxiety...

Not everyone gets bad withdrawals from Valium, but make sure you withdraw very slowly... its worth asking your doc for the 2mg tabs if you are not already taking them, so that you can withdraw very gradually...

I'll be interested to read any other replies you receive...

Good luck!
Fuzzy x

Thanks for the suggestions! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

I just got back from My ENT dr...I have been having bad dizzy spells & nausea. well, he felt they MAY be due to "Anxiety"
I had no idea anxiety could make you so sick?
even bonamine dosent help. He gave me a srcript for "hydrodiuril"...for water retention?
He said when I get stressed it causes the nerves or muscles to swell causing an inner ear problem.

I've been tested for menier;s(ear disorder. why is this happening? Everyone has stress in their life..why does it have to make me sick?
Im just fed up..& afraid of taking MORE drugs.
http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif

Type in benzo withdrawal in your search to learn more about Valium, Restorial, and the other drugs from the benzodiazepine family. The first website that pops up from the U.K. is very good> These drugs are very addictive and will cause some reversable brain dysfunction, along with alot of physical symptoms.

I don't take zoloft anymore fore depression and I'm going it alone. But when I have bad times I take Valium and usually one at night, 5 mgs. Lately I think I'm becoming more depressed and I was wondering if it wasn't from the valium. I read the package and depression is one of the possible side effects. Duh!!

Yes, depression is only one of the many side effects. The dizziness, anxiety and nausea Sonic is having are withdrawal symptoms. Now get this, a person can have withdrawal symptoms even while still taking the pills!! Amazing, but true.

Because with benzos, there does come a day when the brain finally builds tolerance to the drug. When that happens, it starts to experience withdrawal because the drug no longer does what it used to. The only answer is to up the dose, but eventually, in time, the same thing happens until the dose is too high, then at that point it is typical for the doctor to blame the patient, aka "you have a drug problem" and off to detox you go(which doesn't really help the symptoms, only gets you off the drugs without dying of a seizure).

Or sometimes they just throw different drugs at you, hoping one will work as good, aka trading one dependancy for another. At that rate, it is not uncommon for people to develop huge tolerances to many drugs and so they experience symptoms still, then it's off to the institution.

Granted, this is a worse case scenario but it has happened to alot of people. Odd, though, some of them who were labeled bi-polar, depressed, obsessive-complusive, schizophrenic, who read the info on the benzo website, tapered off their drugs, weathered a sometimes lenghty withdrawal, actually recovered and are perfectly fine now. It really was the drugs; the original condition wasn't relevant to the condition developed while taking meds, because most peoples' original complaints never re-appeared once they got over the post-withdrawal syndrome.

Truth is Im scared to DEATH of going through withdrawl...who wouldnt be? My dr once gave me something to "ease" the transtition....turns out I was allergic & had to go to the ER! where they gave me a shot in the butt. ;( My face was practacally paralized! NOT fun.
Maybe someone can answer this?..what is the diff between an anti-depresant..& an anti-anxiety pill? I mean arent they the same?
How can I tell if my dizzy spells are due to anxiety or chemical use? I know the answer is "taper"off.., I will try but can anxiety make you feel nauseated(sp) & cause your ears to ring?
Its always worse when Im on the puter...or if I move my head around..
Thanks..

i was on ativan for along time which really helped with my anxiety untill one day my drs told me i ws becomming addicted to them so they had to stop i was preparred for really bad withdrawel(sp) but i dont remember it being that bad at all. some peopledont go through it as bad as others so dont get yourself too worried over it.

the difference (i think) between anti-depressants and anti anxiety is that the latter has more of a sedative affect although i could be wrong

sorry i couldnt be of more help.

Blue, can you tell me how long you were on ativan and did you just stop abruptly from taking them?? No withdrawal? Also, how many mgs were you taking at the time? thankyou for any info

Sonic,

What Blue said is true in some cases concerning withdrawal. Some people get lucky. The hardest withdrawals usually happen to people who have developed tolerance to the larger doses of benzos...so if your dose is still working, you haven't built tolerance so your withdrawal may be easier. Your valium dose doesn't seem very high. In some cases, withdrawal symptoms barely show up. So, if you haven't developed tolerance and your doses are not high, if you taper slowly, things may not be so bad for you.

I didn't mean to scare you. I always warn of the bad cases first..... because some people maybe believe if they have bad withdrawals and their docs tell them it's not withdrawals, then they go straight back on meds!

Hey ginli, how are you? I hope your taper is going well!

Gina

Funny, but I always though anti-depresants would have MORE of a sedating effect than anti-anxiety's.
But thats just my opinion*
~~TTFN~~

Hi Gina. Didn't see this post til now. I am down to .5mg/ativan at night. I think i'll taper directly from the ativan instead of switching to valium. So far, it hasn't been that bad, thank God. Any suggestions what i should do from here, Gina?? Thanks so much for all the info that got me started with this w/d!

Sonic:

I posted a reply today but it's not here. Please ask your ENT to refer you to a physical therapist who knows how to do that Epley Maneuver, it's not medication and could really help you out.

Also, are you still on the Celexa? Did it make you dizzier??
Thanks!

Hi amos..
The nuerologist "thinks" I may have Vestibular positional Vertigo! I dont think he's too sure). Yes, Ive heard of the eply maneuver!..I am going to look that up on the web.
He also said my last 2 MRI's were "inconclusive"...duh? & to have another in 6 months. (didnt seem to concerned) http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif
Said there is nothing I can do for it. we talked about my anxiety & stuff, so Its been about 6 wks on the celexa.
the good news is I havent had any "major" dizzy spells!
But my highs arent as high as they use to be(KWIM)? But at least Im not biting my sons head off....LOL

Its weird...Im not sad & im not happy..kinda apathetic.
I hope it passes.
I still take the "odd" valium. not everyday though. Maybe 3 times a week.

I still get very anxious in social situations..& that can trigger a spell..or make it worse.
~I'll let you know if things get better~
Ta....

Your neurologist is just not informed, neither is your ENT, which is sad, because I've been through both too, and only when getting PT for my shoulder did that PT reer me to her colleague who specialized in balance disorders. Please try it!!!!! They help you and CARE.

What is your dose on othe Celexa?? You still have spurts of dizzy feeling, I take it, but not major room spinning kind of vertigo?

Hi ginli! Sounds like you are doing very well. Your welcome for the info. The switching over to Valium isn't always necessary...some advocate it but others say different benzos effect different receptors and sometimes Valium doesn't cover the receptors the "newer generation" benzos cover. So I would think since your taper is going so well, continue as you are. If you do start to get some withdrawals, just know there is a support group linked to the site for you to vent or just to get some tapering/withdrawals advice if you would like.

Glad things are going so well for you! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/dance.gif

Hi Meg. I tried the 5mg/valium last night and it went pretty well. I'm thinking of crossing over from the ativan then tapering. I just can't help but think i'm trading one poison for another, though. Over at the board they are pretty set on tapering from valium. They really discourage direct tapers so there isn't much for me to post there. Isn't the valium just as hard to come off of, Gina? What's with that? Should i go back to the .5mg/ativan?? The only reason i take it at all is to sleep so either way, i have to start to sleeping without it. What do you think, Gina?? Godbless you