Help Cut off benzos

[whywere]

I have had klonopin for 6 plus years. I take it about 3 to 4 times and year and only for 4 days at one time. My pharmacist told me that up to 4 days at 1 time, I was ok, after that dependence would start to set in. I also have opioids for chronic pain, I NEVER EVER mix the two, and my pharmacist said that if I got dependent on the klonopin, that it is a lot harder to wean from that opioids. So I have always been careful with them. klonopin does not work for me too well anyway. Walter

 

[Weary Soul]

Heya @whywhere : )

Klonopin is a long-acting benzo - meaning it stays in a person's system for much longer than some benzos. In contrast other benzos, such as Xanax or lorazepam, have shorter half-lives, meaning they have a quick onset of action and quickly leave the system.

I was on Klonopin before I was prescribed Xanax, and I actually liked it better, but it was definitely more subtle for me than Xanax.

If it does not work for you or you do not think it is helping, there are a host of other benzodiazepines available.

Maybe ask your doc if you can try a different one if you feel it will help?

Diazepam (valium) has been around forever and it also has a long half-life. From what I have read (anecdotal reports), people seem content with it.

Personally, I have had all three (Klonopin, Xanax, and diazepam) at different times throughout my life, and hands down diazepam worked the best. I also had lorazepam, and it did nothing for me (my anxiety and cPTSD are very bad). Those are the only ones though. There may be another that helps. Diazepam, just like the other benzos, is addictive.

Much love to you and I hope you are doing ok these days with the chronic pain.

 

[whywere]

Heya @whywhere : )

Klonopin is a long-acting benzo - meaning it stays in a person's system for much longer than some benzos. In contrast other benzos, such as Xanax or lorazepam, have shorter half-lives, meaning they have a quick onset of action and quickly leave the system.

I was on Klonopin before I was prescribed Xanax, and I actually liked it better, but it was definitely more subtle for me than Xanax.

If it does not work for you or you do not think it is helping, there are a host of other benzodiazepines available.

Maybe ask your doc if you can try a different one if you feel it will help?

Diazepam (valium) has been around forever and it also has a long half-life. From what I have read (anecdotal reports), people seem content with it.

Personally, I have had all three (Klonopin, Xanax, and diazepam) at different times throughout my life, and hands down diazepam worked the best. I also had lorazepam, and it did nothing for me (my anxiety and cPTSD are very bad). Those are the only ones though. There may be another that helps. Diazepam, just like the other benzos, is addictive.

Much love to you and I hope you are doing ok these days with the chronic pain.

THANK YOU so very much for being such a kind and loving person. You are AWESOME and a great global family member. I also hope you are doing great and, for real, your post to me really helped me as I am having a terrible bout with depression today. I, THANK YOU, again, from the bottom of my heart, for being such a kind and kindred person to me and everyone here. Sending you lots of hugs, smiles and a beautiful sunny day. Walter

 

[Weary Soul]

THANK YOU so very much for being such a kind and loving person. You are AWESOME and a great global family member. I also hope you are doing great and, for real, your post to me really helped me as I am having a terrible bout with depression today. I, THANK YOU, again, from the bottom of my heart, for being such a kind and kindred person to me and everyone here. Sending you lots of hugs, smiles and a beautiful sunny day. Walter

Thank you so much for your kind words and your upbeat and positive attitude despite everything you are going though. It helps, a lot. <3

And those hugs, smiles, and wishes for a beautiful day? Right back atcha : )

 

[ansiedad]

Hello dears bdz friends.
Today I have a horrible day.
Im taking 10mg lorazepam now. Its about 1 month thath my last take of .25mg.
I think that Im a real piece of shit.

 

[down for the count]

I take lorazepam on a per needed basis. I have not developed any dependence. However, I used to take them every day and when I switched doctors my doctor forgot that I was on them and abruptly stopped prescribing them for me. I ended up hospitalized soon after. However this may or may not have been caused by the lorazepam withdrawal because I had also just switched antipsychotics. i advise consulting a doctor who will know what signs to look for if you are suffering from withdrawal.

 

[kappa]

@Weary Soul Did the whole ObamaCare thing do anything for your state? I'm in the bracket for low income so I was able to get on my State's insurance and for most things I don't even have a co-pay. Hopefully where you are there is something like this...

Hopefully you will be able to switch doctors and find someone better. I've been through so many I was worried something may be in my file, but was able to find a doctor that aren't scared of benzos. I find they help with nightmares as well, but I still feel exhausted throughout the day.

If you can get Remeron I would give it a shot, it doesn't do much for staying asleep- but will sedate you to fall asleep. It does poop out after a while, so I do take tolerance breaks at times.

About the "addictive personality" thing.. that kind of peaked my attention. I do not believe I have an addictive personality and I can relate with some things you said. If I have alcohol in my place, I want to drink it. If I have weed, I want to smoke it. I used to vape all day as well. If I had it, I wanted to use it. If I didn't have it, meh didn't really think of it. Do you think it may be more of a compulsion thing for you?

That is what is so frustrating with doctors. Usually their opinions and very strong and they aren't open to much else. Some doctors said there isn't a connection yet to dementia and benzos. I had a nurse practitioner hell bent on how all these adults are coming in with early onset dementia and they all have benzo use in their history so it must be that. I stopped seeing her.

It is very ironic how some things they will prescribe easily but others will not. I was given Adderall with no "proper diagnose". Just said I have trouble reading and concentrating on school work.

Wishing you the best.

Hello dears bdz friends.
Today I have a horrible day.
Im taking 10mg lorazepam now. Its about 1 month thath my last take of .25mg.
I think that Im a real piece of shit.

Woah I'm hoping you mean 1mg and not 10mg...

 

[Weary Soul]

@kappa thanks for your well wishes!

At the time all this went down I was in a higher income bracket and obamacare just about broke my budget - about 800/month plus a 7k deductible. It was outrageous, especially since I did not get adequate health care and my doc almost killed me - and then they wanted me to pay them for almost killing me - go figure.

I have no income now, so am on state provided healthcare and what a difference. No fees whatsoever although it can be tricky finding a doctor that accepts the healthcare (pain management clinics around here do not - and it is the only place I can get help for pain these days).

Sighs, I do not think I have an addictive personality disorder. I don't crave benzos or pain meds at all. In fact, I could probably find them on the dark net or find a supplier locally but this seems a little to risky to me. It was just that benzos were the only thing that worked for all of my symptoms combined - especially after the head injuries. I know of people that are on 15 different medications a day to treat all of the different symptoms they have.

In my case, one medication helped with everything and I did not get euphoria with it or have cravings for it - but, the physical withdrawal was sheer hell. I was stable on a 3 mg dose and never required a dose increase after 9 or so years (seems I escaped the tolerance build up). It helped to control headaches, insomnia, cPTSD, anxiety.. and I could work and continue to work at my job.

I am currently trying to find a doc who is not afraid to prescribe them and am hopeful that maybe just maybe I will be able to function and work again - but I do not have high hopes. I do not have much time left. I will ask the new doc (if I find one) about remeron. I do have to be careful with what meds I take now because I have a lower seizure threshold and some meds can induce seizures in people like me.

Thanks again, and thank you for the suggestion!

 

[ansiedad]

Woah I'm hoping you mean 1mg and not 10mg...

It's that I mean. 10 pills but don't worry this aren't lethal.
I'm 1 month without take diary and I'm feel better.

 

[Weary Soul]

It is great to hear from you ansiedad, and that is incredible that you were able to go one month off of these meds!!!

Please be careful with such a high dose after 1 month without benzos - this can cause some serious issues.

 

[kappa]

@Weary Soul I wasn't asking if you thought you had an addictive personality but rather if you thought it could be just a repetitive thing.

I asked this when you said you were a functional drinker but quit with no problem. Not sure if you ever smoked weed, vaped, etc. I didn't get the impression that you had a problem with pills, but the quitting drinking with no problem just made me wonder if it could be more of a habit- OCD, repetitive, anything like that.

I'm only asking because I would chain smoke weed/vape, if I had booze I would wanna drink it if I could. But if I don't have it in my place, I don't really think of it, or if I do I can't be bothered to get it. I've heard of people having experiences like that and was just curious if maybe it was just a habit (with me, you, whoever). But I did read that you were self-medicating.

Sorry for the confusion

 

[Weary Soul]

Heya @kappa, I too am sorry for any confusion - I never took your comment as a negative one. I always take comments as something that maybe I should look into, consider, or think about - as it may well be something that I have not thought of or that helps me. Your comment was welcome, and I had to really think about it. So please, no worries : )

I actually have weed, alcohol, and tabaco here - I do not smoke the weed (does nothing for me), alcohol (at this point - and it may be my many brain injuries, the thought of drinking makes me want to throw up....), and then there is tabacco - and yes - if it is here, I will smoke it. If it is not here or if I am someplace I cannot get it I have found that it is actually not that hard to stop - so yes - maybe a bit of both a habit/availability and addiction).

<3
Thinking of you @ansiedad. Hope you are doing ok.

 

[MountKecske]

I gave Xanax up for 2 weeks, I was taking three a day and I was doing just fine but then I panicked a lot one day started taking them again. Now taking 1,5 Xanax and 2 Ativan. It's difficult to quit them for good, even months afterwards withdrawal symptoms can come back. So maybe lowering your dosage instead of quitting is the best route to take.

 

[Weary Soul]

I gave Xanax up for 2 weeks, I was taking three a day and I was doing just fine but then I panicked a lot one day started taking them again. Now taking 1,5 Xanax and 2 Ativan. It's difficult to quit them for good, even months afterwards withdrawal symptoms can come back. So maybe lowering your dosage instead of quitting is the best route to take.

I was on Xanax for 9 or so years, and my doc just about ripped them out from under my feet (he initally took me from 3 mg/day (total approximate monthly dose of 90 mg for 9 or so years - if my math is right there, smh at myself :) ) to a total monthly dose of 5 mg, even though I expressed a LOT of concern about withdrawal effects and asked him to take it very slowly with the withdrawal - he ignored me, and I paid the price and it was bad, beyond bad. He also lied to me, he told me he wanted to keep me on a dose of 1 mg a day - which he never ever prescribed.

I am 2 years off of them and my symptoms still come back, and I can no longer work or function very well.

Your advice, in my experience is very, very wise MountKecske : )

 

[MountKecske]

Did you try replacing them with mood stabilizers? They start working weeks afterwards but they do give an overall feeling of calmth even though they can't compare to benzodiazepine.

 

[Weary Soul]

@MountKecske, I am not sure if your comment was directed at me? If it was, I was given a host of meds and was eventually hospitalized because the withdrawals were so bad.

While in the hospital, one of the meds I was given was Seroquel, which should never have been given to me based on my medical history. Within 15-30 minutes of taking the med, I had a grand mal seizure and sustained yet another very bad concussion. I was standing and fell head first onto a concrete floor.

Now, I have been told that I am not allowed to take any medication that has the potential to cause seizures, and this, from what my doctor told me, includes most mood stabilizers as well as other commonly prescribed medications for depression.

I have been given hydroxazine, which tends to chew my stomach up, but it has helped short term with anxiety - and I hear it also helps with sleep. Over a few days of use though, I seem to build up a tolerance and it does not quite work as well.

Please know that this was my experience only and because of my medical history, I've been told that I will always have to be very careful of any medicine I take.

This may not be the case for others and a mood stabilizer may well help those struggling to withdraw from benzos (I am not a doctor and do not know what they prescribe these days to help for benzo withdrawals).

 

[MountKecske]

@MountKecske, I am not sure if your comment was directed at me? If it was, I was given a host of meds and was eventually hospitalized because the withdrawals were so bad.

While in the hospital, one of the meds I was given was Seroquel, which should never have been given to me based on my medical history. Within 15-30 minutes of taking the med, I had a grand mal seizure and sustained yet another very bad concussion. I was standing and fell head first onto a concrete floor.

Now, I have been told that I am not allowed to take any medication that has the potential to cause seizures, and this, from what my doctor told me, includes most mood stabilizers as well as other commonly prescribed medications for depression.

I have been given hydroxazine, which tends to chew my stomach up, but it has helped short term with anxiety - and I hear it also helps with sleep. Over a few days of use though, I seem to build up a tolerance and it does not quite work as well.

Please know that this was my experience only and because of my medical history, I've been told that I will always have to be very careful of any medicine I take.

This may not be the case for others and a mood stabilizer may well help those struggling to withdraw from benzos (I am not a doctor and do not know what they prescribe these days to help for benzo withdrawals).

I'm sorry you had such a horrible experience with seroquel, it seems to help me. Glad you found something that seems to help, did you talk about building tolerance to your new medicine with your doctor? Maybe she/he can recommend another class of sleeping pills that aren't also mood stabilizers. Because initially seroquel was given to me as a sleeping aid but then I stopped taking risperdal and upped my seroquel dosage. But there must be sleeping pills that doesn't work with the same mechanism mood stabilizers do.

 

[Weary Soul]

I'm sorry you had such a horrible experience with seroquel, it seems to help me. Glad you found something that seems to help, did you talk about building tolerance to your new medicine with your doctor? Maybe she/he can recommend another class of sleeping pills that aren't also mood stabilizers. Because initially seroquel was given to me as a sleeping aid but then I stopped taking risperdal and upped my seroquel dosage. But there must be sleeping pills that doesn't work with the same mechanism mood stabilizers do.

I have been struggling with this doctor for 2 years now since he does not seem to listen to me or take my concerns/knowlegde of the medical field into consideration. I went through a compelete fiasco with this same doctor over a simple b12 test. It is along story - but ultimately when a doctor does not listen to his patients he is not a good doctor. So I am, well maybe I will, try to find someone else. I have been searching but I do not have much time left so I am not sure if the search, stress, etc., is worth it really. Thank you for your kind messages : )

 

[MountKecske]

I have been struggling with this doctor for 2 years now since he does not seem to listen to me or take my concerns/knowlegde of the medical field into consideration. I went through a compelete fiasco with this same doctor over a simple b12 test. It is along story - but ultimately when a doctor does not listen to his patients he is not a good doctor. So I am, well maybe I will, try to find someone else. I have been searching but I do not have much time left so I am not sure if the search, stress, etc., is worth it really. Thank you for your kind messages : )

A new doctor might be a good idea. An older more experienced psychiatrist maybe? I had several over the years actually I had 6 different ones last year but I keep on asking my psychiatrist from 8 years ago about drug choices and dosages. It is worth it, you should try, doctors are people like anyone else, and it's rare to come by a truly humane one. You too, thank you for your kindness :)

 

[LoupDeFeu]

You're gonna go through hell just like I will when I decide to come off of them. I won't for now because I experienced toxicity from an antibiotic I was taking which causes anxiety so I need them for now. I have a peer counselor who was a heroine addict for most of his life and said that getting off benzos was much harder than heroine. You're going to feel really sick and like you're going through a nightmare where you can't think straight as that is what happened to me the first time I got from three pills to just one a day. I couldn't handle it, but I hope you can.

Well I guess I'm fucked then bc I've been on benzos for literally years. The times I tried to stop, my withdrawal symptoms were worse than the symptoms I had when I began benzos.