Benzodiazepines are very addictive. And, yes, they can kill you. An overdose can cause respiratory arrest. You stop breathing. If you mix benzos with alcohol or any other sedatives, the same thing can happen (at high enough doses, but the synergetic effects from combining drugs can be unpredictable).
You can also have seizures, even fatal seizures, from quitting benzos cold turkey or tapering too quickly. It needs to be done under medical supervision.
I know this because I was hospitalized twice for addiction to benzodiazepines. Please be careful.
I decided to drop my daily dose of .5 mg cold turkey after 7 plus months. I'm now in day 6 and nothing too bad but definitely some shaking noticeable at times but seems to be better today. Also slept well last night but first few nights definitely had insomnia. I know my dosage was fairly light compared to many so not sure how someone weans off much larger dosages, I feel bad for anyone addicted. I just decided there's got to be a better way than using this medicine after reading this thread and other pieces on this drug. Wished I had never started it to begin with but my sleep doctor never mentioned any long term issues. Concerning! Best to all!
Glad you are looking for a new doctor. I hope you found one.
Consult a lawyer about a class action suit.
I used benzodiazepines, especially Ativan, for four years and was addicted. Because I had three degrees, had had a job in my field and lived in a nice home, I didn’t consider myself an addict.
I was also using any over the counter stuff with codeine in it. I almost overdosed twice; the second one I went into respiratory failure. I was only using Ativan and I came close to dying.
The doctor was harsh and forced me to go to an addiction centre. I have been clean for almost 23 years mostly due to Narcotics Anonymous. Lots of therapy helped as well.
Coming off them causes havoc. Whatever you do, do not go cold turkey, as there is a strong likelihood that you could seizure. It took 2 years, for my sleep patterns to return to normal. Just saying. I was taking 12-13 mg of Ativan before I went for treatment.
I share my experience not as a recommendation what to do (except the lawyer bit). You can get and stay off of benzos. I believe you can do this.
Benzodiazepines are very addictive. And, yes, they can kill you. An overdose can cause respiratory arrest. You stop breathing. If you mix benzos with alcohol or any other sedatives, the same thing can happen (at high enough doses, but the synergetic effects from combining drugs can be unpredictable).
You can also have seizures, even fatal seizures, from quitting benzos cold turkey or tapering too quickly. It needs to be done under medical supervision.
I know this because I was hospitalized twice for addiction to benzodiazepines. Please be careful.
I've gone down to 1 5mg of lorezepam. Years ago, I successfully tapered off it, and I'm not finding it difficult now. Just drop half your dosage and take a long time to decrease further. Help your detox by taking 2 CBD capsules. Also, L-theanine will calm you down and cheer you up. And a few glasses of wine will ease the pain. Good luck!
Give this some more time. You may be surprised as to how he bounces back. It can take a long time to heal for some people, but healing 100% happens all the time.
The key concept here is that healing 100% happens all the time for SOME, not all. Not me. Sometimes after bathing the brain in prescribed benzos for so long, structures within are permanently changed, and healing is not possible. In fact, there has been at least one successful benzo malpractice lawsuit in the U.S. recently. I'll leave a link. Maybe more will follow, maybe to the extent pharma companies will work on a way to fix what they have broken. One never knows.
What is your suggestion? Eliminate benzodiazepines? For some people they are therapeutic and provide quality of life that otherwise doesn’t exist. I think there is a risk/benefit to every medication and—after proper informed consent—we should be able to take what helps our quality of life.
I agree. It's the proper informed consent piece that was missing all those years ago when many of us were promised a safe and effective answer to our insomnia, anxiety, etc. No mention that one will become dependent on them if taken more than a couple of weeks nightly. No mention of risks, only benefits. No mention of a withdrawal so hard and so long it will bring you to your knees and make you wonder how you will make it through another day. Quality of life? Benzos took that from me. If you have your eyes wide open to risks, and there are many, and you are taking them as they were intended, very occasionally to address an acute episode, they may afford you increased quality of life. For many of us, benzos have annihalated our quality of life, permanently. I wish you continued therapeutic value from these drugs, be careful with them.
My regular doctor didn't like the fact the sleep doc put me on klonopin so recommended I try trazadone for restfull sleep as that's a pretty common medicine. I tried it and the episodes came back so I felt as if I had to go back on the klonopin. My sleep doctor told me that at a dose of only .5 mg per day my chance of dependence was not likely?? He said most people were taking double that dose or more? I don't know what doses people here take or have taken but need to read through these posts. Thanks!!
I can tell you right now your sleep doctor doesn't know what he's talking about. It doesn't matter if your dose is .25 mg or 2.5 mg, you will develop tolerance, dependence, and experience a withdrawal from mild to severe, depending on your individual constitution and how long and how often you've taken them. Your regular doc is absolutely right. How could someone who specializes in sleep be so ignorant? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess he's an older doctor, as they seem to be the ones left over from an era when these things were handed out like candy with no regard for consequences, which, if anyone had bothered to look, have been documented since the inception of benzos more than 50 years ago.
Benzos contribute to death in many ways, one of them being as you have mentioned, the ongoing undending brutality of withdrawal will cause many to take their lives. Benzos are on board in as many as 30% of overdose deaths
Benzodiazepines were involved in 12,499 deaths in 2021—steadily increasing since 2015 (NIH).
The risk of overdose is particularly great when combined with sedative drugs such as opioids or alcohol. Benzos increase the risk of motor vehicle crashes (AAFP.org).
Seizures have also been reported with less than 15 days of use and at therapeutic dosage. Almost all the withdrawal seizures reported were grand mal seizures. The severity of seizures range from a single episode to coma and death (NIH)
Benzodiazepines appear to cause an overall increase in the risk of attempting or completing suicide. Possible mechanisms of prosuicidal effects may include increases in impulsivity or aggression, rebound or withdrawal symptoms, and toxicity in overdose (Dodds, Psychiatrist.com)
Benzos are central nervous system depressants; they lower respiration; when taken with any other drug that is a CNS depressant, such as alcohol or opioids, the chances of fatal OD increase significantly.
Withdrawing from benzos may not kill you; it might just make you so sick you want to die:
Protracted withdrawal syndrome refers to symptoms persisting for months or even years. A significant minority of people withdrawing from benzodiazepines, perhaps 10% to 15%, experience a protracted withdrawal syndrome which can sometimes be severe. Symptoms may include tinnitus,[29][125] psychosis, cognitive deficits, gastrointestinal complaints, insomnia, paraesthesia (tingling and numbness), pain (usually in limbs and extremities), muscle pain, weakness, tension, painful tremor, shaking attacks, jerks, dizziness and blepharospasm[20] and may occur even without a pre-existing history of these symptoms (Ashton).
I've gone down to 1 5mg of lorezepam. Years ago, I successfully tapered off it, and I'm not finding it difficult now. Just drop half your dosage and take a long time to decrease further. Help your detox by taking 2 CBD capsules. Also, L-theanine will calm you down and cheer you up. And a few glasses of wine will ease the pain. Good luck!
Glad you're having a successful taper, you're one of the lucky ones. Maybe you weren't taking them inappropriately, as in every daily over an extended period? Dropping half the dosage at once could send many to a very VERY bad place. Watch it with booze and benzos, very bad combo.
Good morning. I has received a "warning" paper from the Dr that was prescribing my meds. I also did research on my own- mainly from the U.K./Australia. I am sure you could do the same. If not, I will take a pic of the side effects on the warning paper and upload it for you & others!!!
Connect
Connect
Like
Helpful
Hug
I decided to drop my daily dose of .5 mg cold turkey after 7 plus months. I'm now in day 6 and nothing too bad but definitely some shaking noticeable at times but seems to be better today. Also slept well last night but first few nights definitely had insomnia. I know my dosage was fairly light compared to many so not sure how someone weans off much larger dosages, I feel bad for anyone addicted. I just decided there's got to be a better way than using this medicine after reading this thread and other pieces on this drug. Wished I had never started it to begin with but my sleep doctor never mentioned any long term issues. Concerning! Best to all!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionGlad you are looking for a new doctor. I hope you found one.
Consult a lawyer about a class action suit.
I used benzodiazepines, especially Ativan, for four years and was addicted. Because I had three degrees, had had a job in my field and lived in a nice home, I didn’t consider myself an addict.
I was also using any over the counter stuff with codeine in it. I almost overdosed twice; the second one I went into respiratory failure. I was only using Ativan and I came close to dying.
The doctor was harsh and forced me to go to an addiction centre. I have been clean for almost 23 years mostly due to Narcotics Anonymous. Lots of therapy helped as well.
Coming off them causes havoc. Whatever you do, do not go cold turkey, as there is a strong likelihood that you could seizure. It took 2 years, for my sleep patterns to return to normal. Just saying. I was taking 12-13 mg of Ativan before I went for treatment.
I share my experience not as a recommendation what to do (except the lawyer bit). You can get and stay off of benzos. I believe you can do this.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsI've gone down to 1 5mg of lorezepam. Years ago, I successfully tapered off it, and I'm not finding it difficult now. Just drop half your dosage and take a long time to decrease further. Help your detox by taking 2 CBD capsules. Also, L-theanine will calm you down and cheer you up. And a few glasses of wine will ease the pain. Good luck!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionThe key concept here is that healing 100% happens all the time for SOME, not all. Not me. Sometimes after bathing the brain in prescribed benzos for so long, structures within are permanently changed, and healing is not possible. In fact, there has been at least one successful benzo malpractice lawsuit in the U.S. recently. I'll leave a link. Maybe more will follow, maybe to the extent pharma companies will work on a way to fix what they have broken. One never knows.
I agree. It's the proper informed consent piece that was missing all those years ago when many of us were promised a safe and effective answer to our insomnia, anxiety, etc. No mention that one will become dependent on them if taken more than a couple of weeks nightly. No mention of risks, only benefits. No mention of a withdrawal so hard and so long it will bring you to your knees and make you wonder how you will make it through another day. Quality of life? Benzos took that from me. If you have your eyes wide open to risks, and there are many, and you are taking them as they were intended, very occasionally to address an acute episode, they may afford you increased quality of life. For many of us, benzos have annihalated our quality of life, permanently. I wish you continued therapeutic value from these drugs, be careful with them.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsI can tell you right now your sleep doctor doesn't know what he's talking about. It doesn't matter if your dose is .25 mg or 2.5 mg, you will develop tolerance, dependence, and experience a withdrawal from mild to severe, depending on your individual constitution and how long and how often you've taken them. Your regular doc is absolutely right. How could someone who specializes in sleep be so ignorant? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess he's an older doctor, as they seem to be the ones left over from an era when these things were handed out like candy with no regard for consequences, which, if anyone had bothered to look, have been documented since the inception of benzos more than 50 years ago.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsBenzos contribute to death in many ways, one of them being as you have mentioned, the ongoing undending brutality of withdrawal will cause many to take their lives. Benzos are on board in as many as 30% of overdose deaths
Benzodiazepines were involved in 12,499 deaths in 2021—steadily increasing since 2015 (NIH).
The risk of overdose is particularly great when combined with sedative drugs such as opioids or alcohol. Benzos increase the risk of motor vehicle crashes (AAFP.org).
Seizures have also been reported with less than 15 days of use and at therapeutic dosage. Almost all the withdrawal seizures reported were grand mal seizures. The severity of seizures range from a single episode to coma and death (NIH)
Benzodiazepines appear to cause an overall increase in the risk of attempting or completing suicide. Possible mechanisms of prosuicidal effects may include increases in impulsivity or aggression, rebound or withdrawal symptoms, and toxicity in overdose (Dodds, Psychiatrist.com)
Benzos are central nervous system depressants; they lower respiration; when taken with any other drug that is a CNS depressant, such as alcohol or opioids, the chances of fatal OD increase significantly.
Withdrawing from benzos may not kill you; it might just make you so sick you want to die:
Protracted withdrawal syndrome refers to symptoms persisting for months or even years. A significant minority of people withdrawing from benzodiazepines, perhaps 10% to 15%, experience a protracted withdrawal syndrome which can sometimes be severe. Symptoms may include tinnitus,[29][125] psychosis, cognitive deficits, gastrointestinal complaints, insomnia, paraesthesia (tingling and numbness), pain (usually in limbs and extremities), muscle pain, weakness, tension, painful tremor, shaking attacks, jerks, dizziness and blepharospasm[20] and may occur even without a pre-existing history of these symptoms (Ashton).
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsGlad you're having a successful taper, you're one of the lucky ones. Maybe you weren't taking them inappropriately, as in every daily over an extended period? Dropping half the dosage at once could send many to a very VERY bad place. Watch it with booze and benzos, very bad combo.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsGood morning. I has received a "warning" paper from the Dr that was prescribing my meds. I also did research on my own- mainly from the U.K./Australia. I am sure you could do the same. If not, I will take a pic of the side effects on the warning paper and upload it for you & others!!!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction