1. < Depression & Anxiety
Profile picture for sears

Any positive stories about Benzo tapering? I need hope

Posted by sears @sears, Nov 9, 2019

Would love to hear some positive stories from people whom have tapered off benzos. Positive only please. Give me some hope. No horror stories! I need some encouragement!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.

Profile picture for Colleen Young, Connect Director
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Feb 20 5:37pm

Friendly reminder to review the Community Guidelines, in particular guideline number 6. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines/

REPLY
Profile picture for rosebookay
rosebookay | @rosebookay | Feb 20 5:55pm
In reply to @katnewton "@rosebookay Painkess is my hope. How do you do a water taper with Valium tablets that..." + (show)
Profile picture for katnewton @katnewton

@rosebookay Painkess is my hope. How do you do a water taper with Valium tablets that are 2 mg? Appreciate if you can help please. Thank you.

Jump to this post

@katnewton Go to YouTube and look up videos on water tapering Benzodiazepines.

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for naturelyn
naturelyn | @naturelyn | Feb 21 6:49am
In reply to @katnewton "@frouke my current dosage is 10 mg daily. 5 AM and 5 PM. Dr wants to..." + (show)
Profile picture for katnewton @katnewton

@frouke my current dosage is 10 mg daily. 5 AM and 5 PM. Dr wants to cut my dose 2 mg a month but agreed to 1 mg a month. But it’s hard to cut the tablets. I am fearful of withdrawal symptoms. It’s been difficult. Hearing positive outcomes and successes gives me hope. Thank you for your support.

Jump to this post

@katnewton
Hi, I had tapered off of Ativan a few years ago after realizing I was getting tolerant on that dose(.5 mg)- had been taking only in AM and started getting anxiety late in day. I cut up tablets in all sizes and just took the tiniest amount less each day, at the end I skipped days. If I felt withdrawal symptoms, took a tiny amount/ with Ativan it was practically a crumb!
But here’s the tip – I have found with Ativan at least, the generic manufacturers tablets vary quite a bit in size. So if you’re finding tablets hard to split, you may find that a different manufacturer is easier to split and try to get that one. They may very, not only in size, but in hardness.
Good luck to all!

REPLY
Profile picture for berekann
berekann | @berekann | Feb 21 8:38am
In reply to @berekann "@daveshaw It makes me wonder, too, if it’s worth the effort to taper off something when..." + (show)
Profile picture for berekann @berekann

@daveshaw It makes me wonder, too, if it’s worth the effort to taper off something when we might need the extra mental help. It might die if something else. Saw a DO today, very holistic, who said my low dose of Lorazepam is okay - helps my anxiety & sleeping.

Jump to this post

@berekann of course, that was a typo -should have read I might die of something else. We need to be comfortable in our daily lives. Now if I could just sleep better! Or at least not wake up at 3am 😣

REPLY
Profile picture for katnewton
katnewton | @katnewton | Feb 21 10:43am
In reply to @rosebookay "@katnewton Go to YouTube and look up videos on water tapering Benzodiazepines." + (show)
Profile picture for rosebookay @rosebookay

@katnewton Go to YouTube and look up videos on water tapering Benzodiazepines.

Jump to this post

@rosebookay Thank you. My Dr ordered liquid Valium yesterday. Maybe that will be easier. I appreciate your replies. I’m just scared. How did you get through your fear of body sensations?

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for rosebookay
rosebookay | @rosebookay | Feb 21 1:56pm
In reply to @katnewton "@rosebookay Thank you. My Dr ordered liquid Valium yesterday. Maybe that will be easier. I appreciate..." + (show)
Profile picture for katnewton @katnewton

@rosebookay Thank you. My Dr ordered liquid Valium yesterday. Maybe that will be easier. I appreciate your replies. I’m just scared. How did you get through your fear of body sensations?

Jump to this post

@katnewton I didn’t really have any. It was a very smooth withdrawal.

REPLY
Profile picture for spreels2
spreels2 | @spreels2 | Feb 21 4:45pm

Hi!!!! I recently tapered off of clonazepam. I was prescribed Gabapentin to help with symptoms associated with withdrawal. It is a lifesaver!!!

REPLY
Profile picture for kb2014a
kb2014a | @kb2014a | Feb 22 5:59pm

Yes. I was tapered off klonopin under medical supervision- psychiatristic and neurologist in the summer of 2017. Took 7 months..It was successful. No regrets. Have never resumed this drug.

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for cindyartist
cindyartist | @cindyartist | May 15 1:59pm
In reply to @georgette12 "My goodness, please be positive on the tapering of benzos . I recently got off ambien..." + (show)
Profile picture for georgette12 @georgette12

My goodness, please be positive on the tapering of benzos . I recently got off ambien for sleep, tapered off an anti anxiety med and have previously gotten off klonopin from a rather high dose. I'm 75 and have taken these meds for 45 years. And gotten off successfully. Even had ECT and no side effects. Sure, everyone is different, but I've been around long enough to see some amazing things people can do. Sometimes it's a trial and error thing, but life itself is trial and error, don't you think?

Jump to this post

@georgette12 WOW!!!Good for you. Yes, we are all different and you, as my grandmother would say are made of good material.
I have started Xanax withdrawal after 20 years. I am 74. I can’t give up my ambien, though.
Having some side effects.. to be expected

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for berekann
berekann | @berekann | May 16 7:24am
In reply to @cindyartist "@georgette12 WOW!!!Good for you. Yes, we are all different and you, as my grandmother would say..." + (show)
Profile picture for cindyartist @cindyartist

@georgette12 WOW!!!Good for you. Yes, we are all different and you, as my grandmother would say are made of good material.
I have started Xanax withdrawal after 20 years. I am 74. I can’t give up my ambien, though.
Having some side effects.. to be expected

Jump to this post

@cindyartist I took Ambien for years and then it stopped working. So my doctor put me on lorazepam. Eight months later, I’ve started to taper off, and have gone from 1.5 mg two weeks ago to just .5 mg now

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.