Any positive stories about Benzo tapering? I need hope

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!

That is a fast withdrawal- your brain needs ample time to adjust. Lunesta is a different class of medication and has a milder effect than a benzo. If your doc says it’s ok, you could try it. My overactive brain needs something to shut it down so I can sleep. I’m not worried about being dependent on it. As my dr. said, “It is more damaging to have chronic long- standing insomnia that to take a drug for sleep.” It’s her specialty and she also has a psychiatry degree. I trust her.

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.

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.

I replied on the other tread..I tried Hydroxyzine as well and it just dries me out (I have sjogrens ) but it only helped me sleep a few times, the other nights it seemed to make me wired tired..thanks for letting me know about lunesta ..it does help me sleep great. I was just worried it would make my benzo withdrawal worse..

I can’t say for sure but I think it would have made mine better. I didn’t sleep properly for 9 months! I was an wreck!

Do NOT try to do this in 3 weeks. Can you find another doctor? My doctor will be using the Ashton Method of tapering. Please google this and show it to your doctor. It can take months or years to safely taper a benzo. I’m still very nervous and anxious about tapering even though my new doctor says he’ll work with me as long as it takes.

I have titrated 14 medications seven psych meds, including benzodiazepines…in 17 months…if you really want off there is a path to recovery.

It is simple but not easy.

Four things all must be done concurrently and it sucks at first.

Move: as much exercise as you can physically do…one must “strive” that produces dopamine…it is good healthy natural brain dopamine and it is addictive…get hooked.

Nutrition: eat garbage you will feel like garbage…most people need way more protein and less sugar and things that turn to sugar…pretty much white anything.

Sleep:natural un-drugged sleep, exercise enough you start to sleep better…navy SEALs have no trouble sleeping on demand.

Loving Connection: biological imperative, oxytocin and all that.

The brain and body will heal itself especially the brain.

Address these areas and develop a slow taper 5 to 10% reduction every two weeks depending on dose and duration.

Hydrate! The brain is 80%water…dehydration of 1% makes me 5% dumber I can’t afford that… can you. Water is not enough the brain and body need electrolytes, that’s why we get an iv when shot in the battle field or playing sports.

Inflammation: every “mental” health problem is now linked to inflammation of specific regions of the brain…docs put me on 800mg for a broken back three times a day and it had the side effect of stabilizing all my garbage diagnosis, taken with food and hydration it is safe and effective.

Mental health is Brain Heath. I can not “will” away a heart attack or a stroke, nor can I “will” away a problem with the organ called the Brain.

Until psychiatry wakes up to the fact that they are drug dealers for big pharma we are kind of on our own.

Review my posts, I only state what I have hard research for. If you want off this garbage you can do it. Go slow have a plan and lots of support. Journal, not just for you but for those who follow.

If you are stable and fulfilled in your meds, I celebrate that for you, so take no offense. I’ve not met anyone who is, but I’m sure some are, if that’s you consider yourself blessed.

Peace and good health is our birthright. You can reclaim it but make no mistake it is going to be hard…the longer the higher doses the worse it will be…it almost killed me a number of times. But here I am.

They should have killed me when they had a chance…now I have a few questions they need to answer.

God willing they’ll wake up soon and help us instead of trying to kill us.