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Yearning to be addiction-free ASAP but asking for helpful ideas
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: Apr 7, 2023 | Replies (43)Comment receiving replies
I definitely have heard and understand your viewpoint about "diseases/bodies need pills/medication" and that's fine, I'm not saying you or I should never take medicine. I'm a pretty good researcher though (learned in law school - not bragging) and benzodiazepams like clonazepam, Ativan, Xanax, and valium are NOT intended to be used for years and years; they are short term drugs. No, I'm not a Doctor but very reliable sources say this - no long term on benzos, that's not their purpose - only short-term - and long term wreaks havoc on your GABA receptors, all 50 million or so of them. They are, imo and that of pre-eminent medical organizations NOT intended for long -term usage and one can become and does become habituated to them so you have to keep upping the dosage to get the same effect. Or they stop working, viz, I feel nothing! from taking 4 mg clonazepam as I am habituated to it and physically dependent on it. The drug companies won't tell you they're short term, or it's in the fine print, so to speak. And big pharma persuades Doctors to rely on benzos for patients.
As for anti-depressants, there are many generations of anti-depressants, some (SSRIs) also not so benign with severe !!! withdrawal symptoms. Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Prozac and Cymbalta has been sued many times over alleged underreporting of withdrawal symptoms and suicides and anger by some on Prozac. These anti-depressants are not so innocent.
My solution is to taper off the benzo -.clonazepam completely! and use a non habituating one as suggested by my new great Psychiatrist. OR use natural supplements like omegabrite.com, exercise, therapy, B Complex, L-methylfolate and methyl B12.
Yes, I'm still at 4 mg clonazepam for one more week, then 3.5 for 2 weeks, and so on, then when you get to one, it's extremely difficult to get off that 1 mg and you have to go more slowly, .75, .5, .25 - 2 weeks each or whatever one's particular body requires to not go into severe withdrawal pains. If you go cold turkey - NEVER EVER EVER DO THAT - you can have seizures and even die. I don't want a drug like that in my body. And I want to feel my feelings. I will not be a slave to a benzo! I declare my freedom on August 1. : ) A personal decision. We each need to decide what to do under a Doctor's supervision. We need to speak up more, though, I believe.
As for the depression, I am asking my Psychiatrist if I can switch to Lexapro 10 mg and get off Cymbalta as it is, I've heard, intensely difficult as well, to taper off. I think, as a nation, we need to be active participants with our medical providers and have input into what we take and to ASK QUESTIONS! "Are there non-habituating / non physically-dependent alternatives, Doctor?" Etc. There are so many safer meds than benzos etc.
Thank you for your viewpoint, though! I know I will get off the benzo by about August 1.
May we all be well.
I used this NIH withdrawal study to determine my taper schedule BUT I will confirm with my new Psychiatrist next month (her first opening) and see how my body reacts to this taper schedule. NIH = National Institute of Health. ( NIH is about as reliable as you can get!)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20473065
Replies to "I definitely have heard and understand your viewpoint about "diseases/bodies need pills/medication" and that's fine, I'm..."
I basically agree with all your comments. Benzos short term may help a lot of people but once you get habituated, or worse yet addicted they are very difficult to wean away from. I was on low dose ATVAN (2mg daily) and it took me five months to get off it by reducing by 10% every two weeks. (And I am a control freak that does things by the book). This meant cutting the 0.5mg pills with a very sharp blade which is not accurate but...it worked. Ironically in some European countries to get off fast acting ATIVAN they switch you to slower acting Vallium and wean you off that. Klonopin and Xanax are also quicker acting and present problems.
As for antidepressants, as I understand it there are several classes depending upon the mode of action and yet many specialists use trial and error rather than testing to see which class is appropriate. I suffered from Maturity onset depression for two years after I retired and eventually gave up trying to find an anti depressant that worked and took up exercise (recumbent trike ) and mindful meditation. Luckily they gave me about 90% relief. The key is to get out of bed when you wake up and draw the curtains. Let in the light. Then get out of the house! Just driving to a nearby coffee shop and reading a book is a good distraction. The more you are at home alone brooding the worse depression gets.
Be careful of so called natural products though. Some interact with pharmaceuticals, some contain dangerous impurities, some don't contain the stated level of active ingredients. And the bioavailbiility of the active ingredient may vary from batch to batch. And worse yet most are not supported by peer reviewed statistically based clinical trials.
And in case you think I am anti pharma I should note that I worked for big pharma for years at a very senior level. Yes some of their pricing and marketing is disgusting and drugs do have side effects BUT overall big pharma improves the lives of millions. Just don't believe all the marketing hype!
Agreed. Thanks very much!
I truly hope that you are successful in finding what works best for you.
I took Cymbalta for a couple of years, for peripheral neuropathy pain. It was completely ineffective, so I tapered off it. I don't remember the schedule I followed, but didn't find it difficult, and never noticed any withdrawal symptoms.
I figured out that it was affecting me sexually - I had ED - and my wife and I are both happy that ED is better.
Jim
When I tried to stop the clonazepam, it went really badly. I had a Major Depressive Episode and had a seizure along the way. I want to tell you that yes, the slower the better!! As long as you have access to a doctor that's giving you the drug, work your way down as slowly as possible. I know that feeling that you want off all of it and you wan to do it NOW. Please, take one drug at a time. Don't try to stop smoking weed while you're weaning from the benzo. Withdrawal from marijuana can also be a tough experience and you definitely don't want both going on at the same time. I'm glad you see that drug free is the way to go, barring some pressing psychiatric diagnosis. The SSRI's are also hard to stop and need the same amount of care weaning off. When it's medicine that isn't ordinarily abused, they just call it Discontinuance Syndrome. One of my favorite euphemisms.
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I just would like to add that 1) I am NOT a Doctor, we need to work with our Doctors, of course, and 2) I know medicines can save your life! viz, insulin to one with diabetes.