Any positive stories about Benzo tapering? I need hope

There’s two huge reasons a person should consider tapering their benzodiazepine. The first is that sooner or later their benzo will stop working. Took 25 years for me. Research benzo tolerance. The second is the younger doctors are absolutely not prescribing long term benzo prescriptions. Should your long time doctor die or retire you’re going to wind up in a huge mess trying frantically to get your benzo script. This is what we’re seeing generally and of course there will be exceptions. No many though.

I am 73 and I couldn’t tell you if the effect is gone or not. All I know is that I have no adverse side effects and have never ever considered taking a larger dosage.
As far as younger Doctors not prescribing benzo’s I believe that is a result of the opioid epidemic we are currently facing in this country.
The result of that backlash has people being denied pain medication that truly need it.
I stepped on a did hook on a beach in the Atlantic Ocean. The pain was so intense especially when the hook was taken out I thought I was going to pass out. My son took me to the local emergency room and the doctor prescribed OxyContin. I took one pill that night and after the pain subsided never even thought about taking the remainder of the pills.
I didn’t get high from taking the one pill but my pain went away.
We all are wired differently and the medical community has got to start taking that in to account.
Good luck to you.

Thanks for the like. I left out fish hook and it was almost as painful as chopping off part of my little finger working as a longshoreman.
Years later I was trying to catch a foul ball at a major league game and the ball landed right in the same finger. I never took a pain pill but would have certainly understood if someone did.
Today they would probably give you Tylenol. 😊

If the medical community has turned its back on people that suffer horribly from physical pain they certainly won’t have a problem turning their backs on those who suffer mentally. Yes, Benzos are going in exactly the same direction the opioids have. Long term benzo users perusing the internet benzo forums are being cut off right and left. Rapid tapers are increasing. Antidepressants and antipsychotics seem to be what most doctors are prescribing now as they are not scheduled drugs. Sad when you have to go to strangers on the internet for help and guidance when you’ve been cut off or tapered so rapidly you feel like you’re dying. It should be illegal to do so but evidently it’s not. I thank God I’ve gotten the Benzo demon off my back and have found other alternatives. Good luck to you as well.

The good news is that there are many of us who have successfully put benzos behind us. It is not comfortable and needs to be done very slowly. I did a 9 month taper starting at 1mg per day. I only wish my psychiatrist had taken my withdrawal symptoms more seriously and provided some support for the insomnia and anxiety. He only offered an antihistamine and Remeron. Neither helped. I had to get in to a different doctor (sleep specialist neurologist) who validated my need for sleep and calm. She actually offered to write a script for Klonopin but I refused. I had been benzo free for 9 months by then and I never want to go through withdrawal again. The upside is I no longer have balance issues and stupid falls and I’m mentally sharper. I now take Lunesta for sleep and as my nervous system repairs itself, anxiety is not really an issue. That is also because the insomnia caused anxiety which made insomnia worse.

Isn’t it a shame she has to go through all this if she is not asking to increase her dosage or suffering any side effects.
Why can’t the medical community treat everyone as individuals. Some people can drink a small amount of alcohol everyday and not become an alcoholic. Some people can take an opioid until their pain subsides and others that get drawn in to a world of opioid abuse.
There are some people with an addictive personality and we shouldn’t all have to suffer because of it.
Doctors need to get to know their patients and not just treat all of them the same. This would make them better Doctors.
I am fortunate to have found one. Hopefully others can as well.
Good luck to everyone.

Hi!
Congrats on getting off the benzo. I have been weaning off Xanax and now Valium since April 2024 . I was on over 4 mg a day Xanax and had taken around 17 years . I’m now down to 1.5 mg of Valium (I switched to Valium in September) and I’ve been having the worst insomnia. My psychiatrist gave me lunesta which is wonderful but I’m afraid to take nightly as I’ve read it’s not good to take while withdrawing from a benzo. Did you take Lunesta while on Klonopin? My psychiatrist doesn’t believe in withdrawal side effects so I’m trying to find out info online..thanks so much!!

I’m lucky to habe found a psychiatrist but he doesn’t believe in post withdrawal side effects..I’ve been tapering since last April and am down to 1.5 mg Valium and now having such bad insomnia. I can take Lunesta but don’t want to get addicted to that and am worried about it making my withdrawal symptoms worse..of course he says it’s all fine..he loves to push meds…so scary..and then I read how long people take to taper and I feel like I went too fast from almost 4.5/5 mg a day Xanax since April 2024 to 1.5 mg Valium February 2025.. any advice ? I would greatly appreciate it!

You can do this I am on my last half a tablet 0.25 mg just keep active I did a two week stay in hospital take it very slow

No I did not take Lunesta during the taper. My psychiatrist was hesitant to give me anything. Toward the end, at .025mg, he gave me Vistoril. That didn’t help. Discharged me when I turned 65 with nothing but that. Suggested cognitive behavioral therapy - no help. My PCP gave me Remeron. No help. I had to beg for a referral to a sleep medicine doctor after 7 months of insomnia. She helped me right away. Maybe you could go that route.