Benzodiazepine Withdrawal
 

Has anyone here ever experienced this? I've heard the best method for tapering Benzos is the Ashton Manual, tapering at a slow and steady rate. I've been on benzos for almost three years now and my taper will be approximately 1.5 years, and then (according to the Ashton Manual) another 6-18 months of healing. :(

I was on Klonopin for about 2 years and tapered off in 2 weeks. I replaced it with gabapentin. The Ashton Manual sure makes it sound scary. I took 3 months to taper off paroxetine after 13 years of max dose.

What benzo are you on and what dose ?

Mark,

You are so kind. Still, the only person on this site that has replied to my posts. I am on 25 mgs of Valium. I am tired of micro-tapering. I am in Hell whether I go slow or fast, so I'd rather speed up the process. I won't cold turkey, but I refuse to take a year or more to taper. Can you tell me a little more about your own WD experience? I need as much info as I can get... ❤️

Are you still on the gabapentin? Does this need to be tapered, as well?

I'm facing a similar dilemma as I've been on 2mg/day of lorazepam for over a year. I've recently added Gabapentin at night so I'm actually taking both which makes me quite uneasy thinking of the possible healing I'm preventing. Unfortunately, the anxiety is unbearable without the medications due to my current life situation.

I would recommend to be very careful with coming off diazepam at that dose. Your idea of going with the Ashton manual is a smart and safe one. I've never gone through it, but benzodiazapine withdrawal has the potential to be a huge nightmare. Gabapentin withdrawal has reported similarities and does need to be tapered as it builds up tolerance.

Another important question would be how long have you been taking the medication? Has it been at the same dosage the entire duration? These all play a role in predicting withdrawal symptoms.

Please consult with a physician before making any drastic changes to your medication. The last thing you want to do is be stuck with benzodiazapine withdrawal symptoms for years due to post acute withdrawal syndrome. That being said, 18 months does seem a little high. Perhaps you would be fine with a much quicker taper but do you really want to find out the hard way? It's better to be safe than sorry. That's one lesson I've learned as a result of this long nightmare.

Not trying to scare but just sharing my concerns which are very personal in nature. I look forward to the day where I can wake up and not have to take any medications.

Keep us informed of your progress and continue to post questions and concerns here. This is a very friendly and informative community.

Best regards,
Danny

Hi, Danny,

I have tried tapering earlier in the year, then reinstated because I went too quickly. I am now going too slowly. Either way, my WD symptoms are next to unbearable, so I plan on going forth with my taper at a more steady rate. I'd rather have the symptoms with less of the drug in my body than more of it. At least I know what to expect this time. I know that healing does not begin to occur until the benzo is out of the body.

I have no quality of life and I am either in bed all day or on my couch. I now have agoraphobia and social anxiety, thanks to the valium. I was put on it after my little girl's car accident, almost three years ago. Started with Xanax and then switched over to Valium, as the Ashton Manual suggested. I want my life back and I will not give up until I do.

Hi Ali,
You could also post over on the Medications & Treatments Forum about the Benzodiazepine withdrawal. You may get info from others who don't just visit the TBI/PCS forum if you know what I mean.

I ran a couple of searches after you posted yesterday and again just now and there are so many older posts scattered around the forums that it was difficult for me to direct you to any in particular. I did find some older posts regarding the Ashton Manual as well.

You can use the Forum search feature if you want to find any other threads/posts. I tried a number of different keywords including Valium withdrawal, benzo withdrawal, benzodiazepine.

>> It's really important that you keep in contact with your Doctor and that they keep an eye on your health while you taper.

I'm so sorry to hear about your troubles. I can't imagine having to watch your child suffer.

It's good that you switched to diazepam because it has a longer half life. I'm sure you are aware of the reasoning.

How far in the tapers did you make it before starting to feel WD symptoms? Do you remember the dosages? It will give a good indication of where you are at.

Also, I'm a little confused did you suffer a TBI as well?

Trust me a lot of us know that feeling of wanting our lives back here. The best thing to do is try to take it one day at a time and appreciate what life we do have. I've been practicing this and I've noticed some improvements for it.

Thank you, Lara and Danny:)

I did not suffer a TBI, although if I could have switched places with her, I would have done it in a heartbeat and still feel the same way. I was driving the car and I feel so much guilt even though we were rear ended at 60 mph. I did suffer postconcussion syndrome but pretty much dealt with the symptoms because I was at the hospital with my little girl for three weeks, and the nurses were so incompetent, so I was taking care of her almost 24 hours a day. I have considered getting a CAT scan now that it has been three years and my little girl is doing much better. I ignored everyone's advice about self-care, but I am beginning to see now just how important it is. It is now my turn to take care of myself and get off of this medication.

I did not start feeling withdrawal symptoms until my second cut. I was tapering way too quickly and did not realize it. I should have done research before I even started to taper. But, like I said above, I am in hell whether I taper quickly or slowly. My biggest mistake was reinstating.

My withdrawal was not a big deal but I was also on the vitamin regimen. It may help the brain get its balance back. One site I read mentioned cold turkey and toughing it out. The first week to 10 days can be miserable but after that, the ride just gets up and down.

Have you sought out a psychiatrist to help you with this ?

I was reading the Ashton Manual after finding a couple of posts in the Vitamins Forum. For some reason she doesn't seem to think that taking supplements is a good idea generally.

http://www.benzo.org.uk/ashsupp11.htm#suppl

I was surprised but then again I have no personal experience with benzodiazepine withdrawal. I certainly wouldn't do it cold turkey!

Hello, Mark,

Not unlike most other benzo users, I no longer have faith in the psychiatric community. I am lucky to have a wonderful PCP who is helping me along. I have heard that the first 30 days are the roughest. If you go on to YouTube and type in keywords such as "benzodiazepine withdrawal", you will see some pretty scary and disturbing videos. I saw one last night that made me want to cry – it was an older woman who was cold turkeying off Klonopin. The video was not long at all, but it was heartbreaking to see. I have been following our young woman's videos and she is about two weeks into her cold turkey. Below is a link to her latest video, which she just recently uploaded.

https://youtu.be/4gewkLQCuN8

Lara, you are correct about supplements. I believe the safest ones to take during withdrawal are vitamins D3 and C.

Ali,

I highly recommend staying away from horror stories in videos like that and online forums. Everyone's neurobiology is different and you may be able to beat this thing easier than you would expect. By watching those videos you're basically putting it in your head that you're gonna have as rough a time as those people if not worse. It might not be conscious but you are introducing these thoughts to your subconscious at the very least.

The Internet is a great resource but you have to remember that you really don't know the person on the other end of the communication and what else they are going through. Could be multiple drug withdrawals, brain injury, poor nutrition, other mental or physical illnesses. Who knows. All you can control is your situation. That's why I asked how far you made it in your taper because this can give you a good indication of your condition and how bad the full withdrawal will be. Use it as a measuring stick and try to separate the anxiety due to anticipation from the actual withdrawal symptoms themselves. I know this can be rather difficult. Anxiety is a powerful disruption in the brain.

Also, in general, people who have bad experiences are more likely to post on the Internet than those that have good experiences. I see this as a general rule of thumb when using the net.

And definitely don't cold turkey after years of steady use! This puts you at risk for seizures.

Just some friendly words of advice.

Danny,

Thank you for the advice. I do try to avoid horror stories, as I am aware that everyone heals differently. I have been doing research on cold turkey-ing because tapering slowly is not working.

Ali,

Keep in mind that those who are cold turkey withdrawing from benzos who are not having horror stories do no usually publish to YouTube. Only the worst cases make it.

I have found a need to do research to find a good psychiatrist. I've had 3 good ones over 32 years and a few that I canceled after the first appointment. My last good one would show me the chemical process/interaction on his table and how the supplement I was taking was not interacting with the med. He actually researched my supplement regimen. I dropped my last because he was just a pill pusher and did not take an interest.

You might benefit from getting some blood work done to check for deficiencies. B-12, folate, D-3, mag and some others are very important to support the brain's ability to function properly. It might be worth getting these things in proper balance before starting to withdraw again.

Ashton and others poo-poo using supplements to help withdraw but I have not seen anybody comment about supplements prior to withdrawing. Some meds deplete essential substances so getting them back up to proper levels would be well worth it in my book.

IMO.

Mark, you rock! I just had four vials of blood taken and everything looks OK, thank God. I plan on getting some things into place before I start my rapid withdrawal plan. I just took a screenshot of your recommendations for blood work. I will get this done before I do anything too drastic.

You have been so kind to me. I cannot thank you enough!

Love and Light,
Ali

Ali,

Benzos can be very difficult for some to withdraw from. I would suggest looking up A place called Point Of Return as they are very skilled at helping people with this issue.

Bud

Thanks, Bud,

I have already looked into POR and read more bad testimonials than good. Rehab is not an option for me. I will not leave my little girl. Also, rehabs for benzos are not recommended unless you are at a low dose. I am still at 25 mLs.