I am also a benzo user and it's been about 23 years now, I did stop twice when it was still early and I could cope with how I felt. Today I'm a woman aged 72 and a two time survivor of lung cancer... if I thought I was stressed years ago, it doesn't come close to what I feel like today. I was following conversations on the subject of addiction and depression, sometimes I would add my two cents (so to speak), and I found it so helpful and rewarding. I don't think we can compare on everything because of our individual personalities, what our lives have been like to date just to name a couple of things...some people are not as addictive as others and can get off different things easier than someone else can. I believe we are all good souls looking to connect with others and find some comfort or helpful info when needed...I say bravo to those of you who conquered the evil drugs in our world but I also have to give credit to those who have tried everything to get rid of them and didn't quite make it. Life is a constant struggle with some people going through a lot more than most and it's very easy to get lost in it...now many of us are also dealing with Long Covid and that's putting a whole new spin on everything. I have long covid since last November after getting infected... today I deal with the many unpleasant symptoms I have and very little help with it so taking on more things in my life like a benzo withdrawal is just a bit more than I can handle...I try not to feel disappointed with myself but rather give myself a pat on the back more often and what really gives me my drive is I remember my Mom and Dad and all they dealt with in their lives, they were truly survivors and I was left with the gift of a sense of humor, (truly a lifesaver), and don't take yourself too serious, it is hopefully going to give some of you a boost when you try it out, only good news amen.
You’re very lucky your benzo continues to work for you and you never hit tolerance. In the vast majority of cases our benzo becomes totally ineffective, causing horrific problems, and like myself we have absolutely no choice but to discontinue.
You’re very lucky your benzo continues to work for you and you never hit tolerance. In the vast majority of cases our benzo becomes totally ineffective, causing horrific problems, and like myself we have absolutely no choice but to discontinue.
It’s very frightening to think about being dependent on a drug that is very addictive and then one day it’s not helping you anymore…if this drug wasn’t under so much scrutiny and bad for us it would be easier because you could perhaps increase your dose or switch to something else that works for you. I’m truly sorry for you and the other people who have become immune to the benzodiazepines, it’s the last thing you need being forced into a withdrawal from hell…I don’t know what I would do other than beg the doctor to help me or send me to a doctor who will. I have had a time after getting covid that I couldn’t feel the effects very well, told the pharmacist about it and he said perhaps I should try the name brand for Ativan instead of the generic one that I use…it did help me for a while and then I went back to the usual one, I still don’t feel like it works as well but I stay with it and hope for the best.
I truly understand the frustrations that come with medications, it’s becoming more complicated these days, we have so many drugs available today that our doctors can prescribe but at the same time they don’t really have much knowledge about the drugs they give to us…most of their knowledge they have about our meds is what they are told by the pharmaceutical salesperson and the rest comes from the patients they give them to…it’s not a perfect system, sometimes we have to try several meds to get the desired effect and this is not an easy thing to get through, unwanted side effects and also addiction issues. It also doesn’t help matters when they start putting pressure on you as the patients…we’re already trying to cope with the symptoms of our illnesses. I honestly can’t think of how we can improve the way it works and giving up meds isn’t an option
@sears, @cookiegirl1944 , @shake, and all...
I've spoken to and called multiple lawyers to find help against a doctor who withdrew my son suddenly, with no refills/no tapering/no instructions/no suggestions, from Klonopin. I've hit dozens of brick walls. The last lawyer stated he considered my son's situation a tragic life, a tragic case, but too expensive and difficult to go further due to the complexity of his illness and the 20 years of poor treatment.
Does anyone know of a Klonopin Class action lawsuit? or can this be included in the Benzo suit?
Any help is appreciated and needed!
Thanks.
Be blessed on your journey...Elizabeth
The benzodiazepine Coalition is someone u can contact. There has been a lawsuit but it only addressed failure to warn! Not the right direction. The Supreme Court struck down the suit based on you cannot sue them for failure to warn.
They have information on their site as to how to file. I hope this helps u
I have suffered extreme illness from Klonipin after being on it for 3 years. I would wake up and start vomitting for a day and stay in bed for 2- 3 days. My stomach was constantly nauseous, my intestines were twisted in knots couldn't eat. Just to name a few side effects suffered. All tests came back negative for gall stones, ulcers etc.
To no avail I could not find answers until I looked up side effects of Klonipin and there I was! I suffered from paralyzing anxiety, left my job hanging could not address it, basically couldn't live.
I told my doctor what I found out and he LAUGHED at me! Stated only 1% people suffer side effects. I told him I wanted to wean off Klonipin he told me take a vitamin!!
No one but no one should wean themselves off of Klonipin by themselves, could be deadly! Most people have to enter detox to go off the medicine and here my whacko doctor told me to take a vitamin! How dare he call himself a doctor. I entered out patient therapy, found a psychriatrist and a new MD of course! With all of this and more no lawyer will touch the case due to the fact Texas has a 250,000.00 cap on malpractice cases so no lawyer finds it profitable to take this on! So no justice through malpractice nor the makers of Klonipin. It absolutely sucks that we trust our doctors, they destroy us but nothing can be done! So much for our government For The People. More like Government for the money!
I recently watched the movie Pain Killers on Netflix, truly a horror story and I hope that they learned something from this tragic story, sadly I don’t think they worry about the people they are destroying but more on their bank accounts.
I have suffered extreme illness from Klonipin after being on it for 3 years. I would wake up and start vomitting for a day and stay in bed for 2- 3 days. My stomach was constantly nauseous, my intestines were twisted in knots couldn't eat. Just to name a few side effects suffered. All tests came back negative for gall stones, ulcers etc.
To no avail I could not find answers until I looked up side effects of Klonipin and there I was! I suffered from paralyzing anxiety, left my job hanging could not address it, basically couldn't live.
I told my doctor what I found out and he LAUGHED at me! Stated only 1% people suffer side effects. I told him I wanted to wean off Klonipin he told me take a vitamin!!
No one but no one should wean themselves off of Klonipin by themselves, could be deadly! Most people have to enter detox to go off the medicine and here my whacko doctor told me to take a vitamin! How dare he call himself a doctor. I entered out patient therapy, found a psychriatrist and a new MD of course! With all of this and more no lawyer will touch the case due to the fact Texas has a 250,000.00 cap on malpractice cases so no lawyer finds it profitable to take this on! So no justice through malpractice nor the makers of Klonipin. It absolutely sucks that we trust our doctors, they destroy us but nothing can be done! So much for our government For The People. More like Government for the money!
Going to rehab would be the last thing anyone would want to do to discontinue a benzodiazepine. They must be tapered very very slowly for months, even years for some people. Tapering too quickly can cause immense, long term suffering. Please do some research before EVER entering a rehab center for benzodiazepines.
in reply to @evilklonipin1 I am so sorry you have had this horrible experience. I have been prescribed klonopin for many years, and because the pharmacy ran out of the 1mg tablets, I was given 5mg tablets. I take them as needed, which is rare. They do help me get the sleep I need, and have never caused any problems. I am able to go days without taking them, and without experiencing any undesirable effects. It sounds like you have been sick for a long time as a result of this drug; can your doctor help you taper off? My pharmacist is my "go to" person in terms of tapering simply because she is more of an expert on drugs than my PCP. It seems as though everything I am putting into my system has its downfalls, and I often wonder what people took before BIg Pharm became so influential in our society. I suppose those swigs of laudanum, a puff of opium or even liquid bromine were more beneficial than what we have today. LOL. I know it is not easy, and it is not my intent to make it sound so. Admittedly, I fill the prescription each month because I know at some point at some age, Medicare will cut me off, and I do not want to be left "high and dry" without something, if anything to add to my "nuclear bomb" kit I keep in the closet, just in case.....
Best to you.
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You’re very lucky your benzo continues to work for you and you never hit tolerance. In the vast majority of cases our benzo becomes totally ineffective, causing horrific problems, and like myself we have absolutely no choice but to discontinue.
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Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionIt’s very frightening to think about being dependent on a drug that is very addictive and then one day it’s not helping you anymore…if this drug wasn’t under so much scrutiny and bad for us it would be easier because you could perhaps increase your dose or switch to something else that works for you. I’m truly sorry for you and the other people who have become immune to the benzodiazepines, it’s the last thing you need being forced into a withdrawal from hell…I don’t know what I would do other than beg the doctor to help me or send me to a doctor who will. I have had a time after getting covid that I couldn’t feel the effects very well, told the pharmacist about it and he said perhaps I should try the name brand for Ativan instead of the generic one that I use…it did help me for a while and then I went back to the usual one, I still don’t feel like it works as well but I stay with it and hope for the best.
People are not dying “right and left” from taking benzodiazepines.
I truly understand the frustrations that come with medications, it’s becoming more complicated these days, we have so many drugs available today that our doctors can prescribe but at the same time they don’t really have much knowledge about the drugs they give to us…most of their knowledge they have about our meds is what they are told by the pharmaceutical salesperson and the rest comes from the patients they give them to…it’s not a perfect system, sometimes we have to try several meds to get the desired effect and this is not an easy thing to get through, unwanted side effects and also addiction issues. It also doesn’t help matters when they start putting pressure on you as the patients…we’re already trying to cope with the symptoms of our illnesses. I honestly can’t think of how we can improve the way it works and giving up meds isn’t an option
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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThe benzodiazepine Coalition is someone u can contact. There has been a lawsuit but it only addressed failure to warn! Not the right direction. The Supreme Court struck down the suit based on you cannot sue them for failure to warn.
They have information on their site as to how to file. I hope this helps u
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI have suffered extreme illness from Klonipin after being on it for 3 years. I would wake up and start vomitting for a day and stay in bed for 2- 3 days. My stomach was constantly nauseous, my intestines were twisted in knots couldn't eat. Just to name a few side effects suffered. All tests came back negative for gall stones, ulcers etc.
To no avail I could not find answers until I looked up side effects of Klonipin and there I was! I suffered from paralyzing anxiety, left my job hanging could not address it, basically couldn't live.
I told my doctor what I found out and he LAUGHED at me! Stated only 1% people suffer side effects. I told him I wanted to wean off Klonipin he told me take a vitamin!!
No one but no one should wean themselves off of Klonipin by themselves, could be deadly! Most people have to enter detox to go off the medicine and here my whacko doctor told me to take a vitamin! How dare he call himself a doctor. I entered out patient therapy, found a psychriatrist and a new MD of course! With all of this and more no lawyer will touch the case due to the fact Texas has a 250,000.00 cap on malpractice cases so no lawyer finds it profitable to take this on! So no justice through malpractice nor the makers of Klonipin. It absolutely sucks that we trust our doctors, they destroy us but nothing can be done! So much for our government For The People. More like Government for the money!
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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
6 ReactionsI hope someone can find an attorney! Some articles have stated BENZOS are the next opioid crisis!
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Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI recently watched the movie Pain Killers on Netflix, truly a horror story and I hope that they learned something from this tragic story, sadly I don’t think they worry about the people they are destroying but more on their bank accounts.
Going to rehab would be the last thing anyone would want to do to discontinue a benzodiazepine. They must be tapered very very slowly for months, even years for some people. Tapering too quickly can cause immense, long term suffering. Please do some research before EVER entering a rehab center for benzodiazepines.
in reply to @evilklonipin1 I am so sorry you have had this horrible experience. I have been prescribed klonopin for many years, and because the pharmacy ran out of the 1mg tablets, I was given 5mg tablets. I take them as needed, which is rare. They do help me get the sleep I need, and have never caused any problems. I am able to go days without taking them, and without experiencing any undesirable effects. It sounds like you have been sick for a long time as a result of this drug; can your doctor help you taper off? My pharmacist is my "go to" person in terms of tapering simply because she is more of an expert on drugs than my PCP. It seems as though everything I am putting into my system has its downfalls, and I often wonder what people took before BIg Pharm became so influential in our society. I suppose those swigs of laudanum, a puff of opium or even liquid bromine were more beneficial than what we have today. LOL. I know it is not easy, and it is not my intent to make it sound so. Admittedly, I fill the prescription each month because I know at some point at some age, Medicare will cut me off, and I do not want to be left "high and dry" without something, if anything to add to my "nuclear bomb" kit I keep in the closet, just in case.....
Best to you.