Hi everyone, I'm new

K

kay361

Member
Hi, my name is Kay and I'm new here. I wish I had found this place a long time ago. I stumbled across it while looking for information on Valium dosages for presentations. I have a presentation today and I could die (well not really!). I'm so glad I found out 20mg works best. I'd only been taking 5mg and that explains why on job interviews I was still sweating up a storm and nervous as could be. I did a trial run the other night just to make sure I wouldn't pass out on 20mg and it really worked perfectly. I read somewhere that it's about equivalent to 1mg Xanax and I think it's true. It feels exactly the same but with Xanax I crash and get a terrible headache so my doctor gave me Valium instead and it lasts a lot longer. I know this is a very weird introduction. But these medications have been a lifesaver for my SAD. The last presentation I gave was about 5 years ago when I was in college and that before my doctor gave me any benzo. I just had Effexor back then. I was so nervous I began CRYING! Fortunately it was a sad topic on AIDS so it appeared that I was a very emotional person but really it was because I was so nervous. My teacher gave me an A for sympathy I think. Well I'm so happy to be here. I am in a nursing assistant class, by the way. Very happy to be entering the healthcare world. With Prozac, my SAD really does not affect my interactions with patients. I'm very comfortable and really love it. It's much better than my old career which involved sales. I wasn't always nervous selling but there were those people who intimidated me and I would just try to avoid. Ok my darlings, nice to be here. :)
 
B

Beatrice

Guest
Hey there! You know, I'm glad you posted this. This is helpful to me. It think my mom used to be on Valium but she felt too weird on it so she had to stop taking it. Plus she didn't want to get addicted I think? Gosh, I can't remember. But I was wondering... the only time I ge SUPER nervous like a lot of people do with presentations, is with confrontations. I mean, presentations I can usually handle but when I have to confront someone about an issue I get deathly nervous. Ugh. Horrid. I wonder if taking Valium in a reasonable dose before I have to confront someone would help? Is that even a good idea? Hmmm, maybe I should make this question into a new thread.
 
K

kay361

Member
Beatrice said:
Hey there! You know, I'm glad you posted this. This is helpful to me. It think my mom used to be on Valium but she felt too weird on it so she had to stop taking it. Plus she didn't want to get addicted I think? Gosh, I can't remember. But I was wondering... the only time I ge SUPER nervous like a lot of people do with presentations, is with confrontations. I mean, presentations I can usually handle but when I have to confront someone about an issue I get deathly nervous. Ugh. Horrid. I wonder if taking Valium in a reasonable dose before I have to confront someone would help? Is that even a good idea? Hmmm, maybe I should make this question into a new thread.
Click to expand...

Hi Beatrice,

Yes, it's an excellent question and you might want to start a new thread but I will give you what I know. Xanax has one of the shortest half-lives of the benzos and Valium one of the longest. If someone is tapering off Xanax, the doctor might switch them to Valium because it is much easier to get off of. The same is true with other medications I've been on, like to get off Effexor I switched to Prozac. The highest tablet of Xanax is 2mg and the highest tablet of Valium is 10mg, so you might think those are equivalent. No way... 10mg Valium is not all that potent but 2mg of Xanax will have you stumbling like you're drunk. So today my presentation went GREAT by the way. I took 20mg Valium 30 minutes before class and then I made sure my group presented towards the beginning of class. There was that slight nervousness, but nothing like usual. Normal my voice would be so shaky I would hardly be able to talk, sweat dripping from my forehead, hands shaking, and stumbling for words. I think I've finally found my cure for these situations where I'm likely to be overwhelmed with anxiety. And I've had no crash at all, although I am on 10mg Prozac daily (low dose) so it could have some effect. For the Valium to work, it is essential that you only take it occasionally (like once a week at most, although in my simple life, I only need it every couple of months). If you take it daily, it eventually has no effect and can even aggravate anxiety. I'm no doctor but this is just my experience. Now if I tell my doctor I took 20mg she's probably going to freak and never prescribe it to me again. lol So I might keep that a secret. But the funny thing is she had NO QUALMS about prescribing 1mg Xanax as my starting dosage when I first got benzos, which for anyone who takes Xanax they know that is a potent dose for someone who doesn't take it regularly. Since Valium lasts so long, it is much safer to take 20mg Valium than 1mg Xanax IMHO. The wonderful thing is that if you don't have insurance like me, the generics for these drugs are super cheap, almost as cheap as over-the-counter meds. If you have any questions, please let me know. Also, all of my research for my own good has come from "The Ashton Manual." I wish more doctors would read this so they would know more about benzos. It was my idea from reading this to switch to Valium and I'm so glad I did.

Here's the link, it's free:

benzo.org.uk : Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw, Prof C H Ashton DM, FRCP, 2002
 
K

kay361

Member
Hi newbies, good to know I'm not the only one. :) I am from Illinois, by the way. I enjoy living a quiet life. I don't see SA as a disorder (although I usually do put SAD just cuz I'm used to that), but to make it in this world, esp. in this economy where you must take any job you can get, you have to face many situations that you would probably rather not face. So it can definitely be a struggle and I have understood that all my life. I was always extremely shy, but always very open with my closest friends. My biggest problem is how self-conscious I am. I don't want to be perfect, but in my mind I always have thoughts racing through my head, "OMG, what are they thinking about me. Wow, judging by that reaction, they think I'm a total weirdo." I over-analyze everything someone says or does and adjust my words and actions accordingly, which prevents me from being ME. Through medicine (Prozac now, previously Effexor, Elavil, Paxil, and probably some others lol) I've found some freedom and it feels great to feel normal a lot of times--but by no means all the time. Please feel free to send me a PM. I love meeting new people, especially online where my SAD is not evident, and especially with other sufferers. *mwah*
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top