How did you taper off Benzodiazepines?

Posted by enrique5544 @enrique5544, Feb 6, 2022

How can I fight getting of Xanax I’ve been on it for many years and I’ve had enough

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@emmett1026

My Melatonin works pretty well and is obviously naturally produced by your body.

Having said that, i can see now, how much Clonazepam helps with a lot of different things and most importantly, is tried and true. The hard part is doing everything else that you can physically and mentally do first and staying on a low dose of Klonopin! My RLS came back with a vengeance as i'm tapering off Clonazepam entirely, so i bring heat to my legs before bed and when necessary, use a "Masauge Gum" to help with that particular issue... Good Fortune's All!

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I very interested to find out how your tapering off Clonazepam is for you. Are you using the ORAL DISSOLVING TABLETS? When I finished tapering off Clonazepam I had BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME, RECEDING GUMS, AND VERY BAD DRY MOUTH. The pharmacist thinks it may be from the CLONAZEPAM ODT. Nobody else knows what is going on with it and I have read "could go on for years".

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@sears

The doctors ALWAYS try to downplay withdrawals. They try to convince us it’s all in our heads! Can’t possibly be withdrawal! Blah, blah, blah!They need to wise up and stop acting like their patients are ignorant!!!!!!

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The unfortunate thing is we are still suffering because they are only trained with bits and pieces they get from here and there and that's what they're giving us. I am so ANGRY with my increasing problems, one goes away and another crops up. Symptoms I have never had in my life and they are not listening and learning from what has happened to me help Doctors figure out what is going wrong.

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@emmett1026

My Melatonin works pretty well and is obviously naturally produced by your body.

Having said that, i can see now, how much Clonazepam helps with a lot of different things and most importantly, is tried and true. The hard part is doing everything else that you can physically and mentally do first and staying on a low dose of Klonopin! My RLS came back with a vengeance as i'm tapering off Clonazepam entirely, so i bring heat to my legs before bed and when necessary, use a "Masauge Gum" to help with that particular issue... Good Fortune's All!

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They have a drug just approved by the FDA FOR PARKINSON'S AND RLS called NEUPRO. I was taking Lorazepam for RLS for over 12 years. RLS came back when I tapered off the benzodiazepine. The Michael J Fox foundation has a lot of information on RLS, it is a form of PARKiNSON'S. The prescription would have cost me over $350 a month, can't afford that. Only the wealthy can!

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@laurine7

I very interested to find out how your tapering off Clonazepam is for you. Are you using the ORAL DISSOLVING TABLETS? When I finished tapering off Clonazepam I had BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME, RECEDING GUMS, AND VERY BAD DRY MOUTH. The pharmacist thinks it may be from the CLONAZEPAM ODT. Nobody else knows what is going on with it and I have read "could go on for years".

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When i tried to get ALL the way off my Clonazepam after 37 yrs, I wanted to "crawl out of my skin" and went into a fetal position! I highly recommend taking a very long time to wean ALL the way off! As always, talk to your Medical Professional about the safe way to move off any medications. I would simply request a very slow declination off any Benzodiazepine's. They don't want to go peacefully into the night! Best Wishes for your success! 🙋🏻‍♂️

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@lindasmith1222

My withdrawals were no picnic, but I had built the coming withdrawal with negativity and way out of proportion to what really happened. The withdrawals were not nearly as bad as I anticipated, but I have gone very slowly to get my body accustomed to lesser dose. I was on benzos for 15 years. I went very slowly off and still take 1 mg of Valium at night for sleep. Not being able to sleep, in my opinion, is the worst withdrawal. I have learned to use alternative methods to fall asleep.

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What are your alternative measures?

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@cmd

What alternative measures do you use?

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Meditation twice a day, upon waking and before dinner. Activity. Walking, getting out amongst people, not staying home feeling sorry for myself, which is what I used to do. Anything to get my mind off the withdrawal symptoms, but being active during the day helps aid my sleep the most. Camomile tea before bed. Relaxing with music instead of TV. Now that I have been clean for several months, I have more energy than I had when on Valium. My depression has lessened, too, as Valium has a reverse side effect of causing depressive feelings. Positive self-talk is important. I give others a break, time to give myself a break.

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@laurine7

Here I am again after a much disappointing outcome. I was on Lorazepam 6MG for at least 10 years. A friend's husband, a Psychiatrist told me it was a dangerous drug. I decided in a day to stop. Called my Primary Doctor and asked how long would it take to get off, he said 7 days, do I want something to help, I said no. Obviously I knew nothing about Benzodiazepines and tapering. Four days after stopping COLD TURKEY I was in very bad shape. I kept hearing my phone ring and it wasn't, I sat up in bed rocking for hours, could not lay down, it made me vomit. I could never describe what I went through. 4:40 AM I called my Doctor and he called in a prescription, which was Clonazepam, another Benzodiazepine. Plus 3 other medications to get me through this, Mirtazapine, Ropinirole and Hydroxyzine. Needless to say there were several others Gabapentin for sleep, that was a terrible problem. Two weeks after staring the new medications I got a terrible rash all over the upper part of my body. Two weeks after that ended I got hives all over. These are both signs of a reaction from one of the prescriptions I was taking. Obviously I didn't sleep much for three weeks because they caused itching and burning. I started tapering myself as I so badly wanted off these drugs. One script at a time. My suggestions not the Doctors. At this point I started seeing a Psychiatrist at UCSF because was told this is who I needed to go thru withdrawing and tapering off the ORIGINAL LORAZEPAM. I was, at start of tapering, taking .5MG Clonazepam which was switched from the 6MG of Lorazepam, which has a longer half life. At 10 months off all medications I found out that I should had started my withdrawal and tapering with 3mg of Clonazepam which is equal to 6mg of Lorazepam. Contacted both my Doctor's and told them of the mistake they made when they started my taper with the wrong strength of Clonazepam. That is why I had HORRIBLE HORRIBLE withdrawal systems for 10 months and all the while I was telling both I was having tremors, not sleeping and felt I was getting worse not better. At this point I was dealing with my Psychiatrist which the Medical Industry says you need a Psychiatrist when tapering. She told me my symptoms were not are not from tapering. Where am I now, not doing well. I am 79 years of age and a very ANGRY PERSON. I am basically on my own. They will not admit to their mistake, which is a big one, one everything you read about tapering will tell you make sure you are dosed correctly when changing to a longer half life to taper. Sorry this has been so lengthy, I did omit a lot. I hope this wakes up anyone who is going or will go thru tapering to be aware. Went on line many time to find out the comparable strength of Clonazepam from Lorazepam and only found info when tapering from Lorazepam to Diazepam. I found it way too late. Make sure you RESEARCH AND RESEARCH, and read ASHTONS MANUAL. Thank you Mayo for allowing me this theatre to vent.

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I'm so sorry that your doctor did not acknowledge your withdrawal symptoms. I'm weaning off clonazepam now and, the doctor helping me validates how I'm feeling. It can be hell. I was originally prescribed for sleep/anxiety. Used every day. Up to 2mg. a day, that was in late Feb. I am now on .25 1x pm. At first I wasn't sleeping on the .25, I began taking 2 to 3 60mg THC gummies. Bought a sound machine and listen to the rain while falling asleep. It seems to be working. I am not looking forward to my next tapering to .125. But I want this shit out of my system for good so I am willing to go through some hell to get my brain back to somewhat normal.

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@dolphin56

I use THC gummies,

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What kind do you use? I just started indica for sleep. I’m not sure what to take during the day.

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@sears

What kind do you use? I just started indica for sleep. I’m not sure what to take during the day.

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They are sour gummies, 10 in package and each one is 60 mg. They do not have either an indica or hybrid mentioned on the package. When my doc had me go down to .25mg I wasn't sleeping. So I tried taking 3, it worked and now I only take 2. During the day, if I'm not in the office I smoke a hybrid cannabis. Just use the gummies for sleep. I found if I take the gummies during the day, I fall asleep. The medicinal dosage for these gummies is 10mg. Not possible with the ones I get. If you go to the dispensary you will find packages containing only 100mg and suggested dosage is 10mg. I am taking recreational gummies. each gummy is 60 mg. Anyway, good luck. BTW I'm 67 and have been using cannabis for over 50 years.

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