# Low dose diazepam dependence



## Wntusthsacnt (Apr 24, 2018)

Hi all

Does anyone have experience with trying to taper off a low dose of diazepam? I couldn't get from my NHS GP so went to a private doctor in May to ask for it as I felt I would need the occasional dose for crisis moments when coming off 50mg Zoloft. She is willing to give me a prescription of x28 5mg every month for a fee of £120. I wasn't taking them every day at first but seemed to be experiencing increased DP, agitation and really low mood when I went 2+ days without a dose.

I've since been reading the Ashton Manual and have been to a couple of benzo support groups in London, and have been advised that it's better to take a steady daily dose so that it balances out in the blood stream and reduce the daily dose by 1/4 to 1/8 every week or two. So now I'm taking 4mg a day and I hope to be completely off it in the next couple of months. It seems like such a low dose and I don't know if it's all in my head but I feel like I've developed a dependency and keep worrying that I've f*cked up my brain chemistry and damaged by GABA receptors for good, hence the heightened DP.

If anyone has any experience of this or knows about bentos and DP I'd really appreciate your feedback.

Thanks


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## forestx5 (Aug 29, 2008)

50mg zoloft is a starting dose. A 2X daily dose of diazepam is 2 to 10mg, depending on severity of symptoms. 4 mg is not a large dose.

I would say it is in your head. Maybe you should just continue taking it? If not, you can taper off as you suggested. I doubt it is physically necessary to do so,

but if you are more comfortable doing it then proceed.


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## XXX (Dec 28, 2016)

You should taper of with drops, the tapper process took me one year, 10% of your actual dose every 10 days.

Good luck.


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## Broken (Jan 1, 2017)

I just started diazepam 2 days ago. 2mg x 3 a day at the moment. Certainly helping with physical tension & stress. Occasionally helps the DP sometimes feel more spaced out.

As it seemed to help I have started taking green tea, theanine, glutamine, and chamomile tea. Vitamin b6 + magnesium/zinc as well... these things naturally effect the GABA system. I have heard that people who are coming off benzos found kefir effective as well. As you are in the UK & asda just started supplying it:

https://groceries.asda.com/product/chilled-dairy-dumplings-salad/bakoma-kefir-yogurt-drink/910001936127

Also sauerkrat can be easily homemade with salt and cabbage and has a bacteria that turns the glutamine in cabbage into GABA.... these things obviously wont be as powerful as benzos but combined may provide some relief. Let us know how you get on


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## Wntusthsacnt (Apr 24, 2018)

Thanks for your feedback.

Forestx5: I was on 200mg sertraline at one point but tapered down to 50mg and had stayed on that for a few years.

time2wakeup: reassuring to hear I've not permanently damaged my GABA receptors. I do think I've developed a dependence though, as I've been taking it every week for over for months now. Slow taper is the plan.

XXX: Do you live in the UK? I'm not sure diazepam comes in liquid form here...hopefully I'll be okay to just reduce my dose by 0.5-1mg every week or two though, so I can cut my 2mg pills into half/quarters.

Broken: many thanks for all your tips. I currently have magnesium and theanine but not the others. I've heard good lots of good things about sauerkrat! Anything non-addictive which helps with the tapering process is worth trying. Are you planning to take the diazepam indefinitely? I would just be careful as 5mg used to make me feel great but your tolerance can develop quite quickly.


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## Broken (Jan 1, 2017)

I've already tappered off diazepam really. Was a tiny dose just to see if it helped my anxiety at a wedding... didn't do too much help really as environments like that are very hard for me. But it did help with muscle tension during the day which is a big part of my problem I believe. I only had 2mg tabs x3 a day for a few days, should be fine really.

Am going to get kefir today, have ordered kimchi & actually made some kefir as well. I've made an ice tea recipe which helps as well:

*4x chamomile tea bags* - has apigenin in which acts as the benzo receptor & also acts as a monoamine transporter activator. Basically this will increase serotonin & dopamine in small amounts. Apigenin also increases neurogenesis so all round is good for anxiety/depression & safe in high doses. It also crosses the blood brain barrier (BBB). Oh also it acts as an antagonist of Kappa opioid receptors which have been related to DP and depression when these receptors upregulate (it weakly blocks this receptor but every little helps)

Edit: just had a look & it also contains luteolin which also acts as a monoamine transport activator. It also inhibits TBK1 which is involved in inflammation. ALSO: "Apigenin and its derivatives inhibit fatty acid amide hydrolase at micromolar concentrations, inhibit COX-2 and activate PPAR-γ, suggesting it could have a pharmacological effect on the endocannabinoid system". Chamomile is so under rated to me, although these interactions are weak, you can take chamomile at high doses (ALWAYS check for interactions if already on meds). But it interacts with serotonin, GABA, dopamine, endocannabinoids, kappa opioid system, inflammation... and crosses the BBB, so it interacts with a lot of receptors implicated in DP & depression

*2x teaspoons green tea* - contains theanine which is calming like GABA. Green tea also increases BDNF and neurogenesis

*Glutamine x1 teaspoon* - this will provide the friendly bacteria what they need to make GABA in the gut. One theory is this calms the vagus nerve with calms the nervous system

*Tryptophan x 1/2 teaspoon* - this is provide friendly bacteria what they need to make serotonin. 95% of serotonin is found in the gut so to me it seems the best place to start as opposed to SSRI's which can take weeks before you find out they don't even affect you personally so you need to try the next one and wait 4-6 weeks

*Theanine* - half a teaspoon. There are recommended doses for this but for me there is no recorded overdose so it is safe to not be too specific

*3x teaspoons sugar* - for taste, might start adding honey as that is prebiotic. Might also add fibre but don't want to spend too much

That's the tea recipe. I make it at night in a big jug (4-5 cups) and then let it cool for a couple of hours and put it in the fridge to drink the next day

I also take 5HTP pills for serotonin, Vitamin B6, niacin (b3 NOT niacinamide, look up niacin flush), Mag/zinc... I would say DO NOT take tryptophan, 5HTP or even B3 if you are on SSRI's as this could lead to serotonin syndrome.

Here's a list I am buying today:

kefir
Red Wine
Bananas
Honey
Yoghurt
Chickpea crisps
Humous + pickles (brine not vinegar)
Nuts
Tempeh / Soy sauce / miso
Cottage cheese
Blue cheese
Beetroot
Chamomile
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
black Olives in brine
Cucumber- dill, mustard seeds, garlic, chilli, 1 teaspoon sea salt, black pepper
Cabbage
kombucha (holland & barrett)
Lentils
Apples

If you get anything from the shop get it in brine, although most of them would have been pasteurised anyway. I started on my gut a while back with some slight effect, but the key is sticking to it LONG term. Also, chamomile tea is a big one for me, has so many good benefits to it. Good luck!


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