Endless withdrawal from benzos and pregabalin

Posted by chaos @chaos, Jun 3, 2022

Hi,
I’m at my wit’s end. I have been withdrawing for so so long that euthanasia is looking good to me. Since last November I have withdrawn from clonazepam and closely followed by pregabalin. Actually still struggling with the later drug. I am not sleeping, full of anxiety, fear and wanting to off myself. It feels like every week I reduce the drug, I lose hope that things will get better. I don’t have anyone in the medical system that understands withdrawal from these drugs.
It would be good to connect with people that have gone through this process and have improved their lives.
Also, I’m not sure if there is a discussion already in place for this topic.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Addiction & Recovery Support Group.

@laurine7

Sorry you are going thru something nobody could possibly understand unless they have been there. I Started my taper last June 4, 2021, was on Lorazepam 6MG for at least 11 years. My Doctor and Psychiatrist dosed the 6MG of Lorazepam with 0.5MG of Clonazepam. Finished my taper March 2022. I was so happy to be off all the medications I had been on to get off the Lorazepam. I suffered a lot with the taper and many times told my Psychiatrist I felt like I was in Protracted withdrawal. Of course you are not, says she! I had a rash, hives, sleep deprived and still am. After 5 days off Clonazepam I awoke in the middle of the night with terrible dry mouth, upper and lower lip swollen and my gums had receded, and a burning swollen tongue. I won't go into the gruesome detail that I have gone through. Worst part, nobody had any idea how to make me feel better or tell me why this happened to me. After days on line researching I had more questions than before. I decided to ask the pharmacist at Walgreens what 6Mg of Lorazepam equals to Clonazepam ARE YOU READY FOR THIS 3MG. I was given the wrong dose to taper. We all know slow, slow, and slow when tapering from a Benzodiazepine. I had a rapid taper and suffered unmercifully and still have new symptoms that crop up weekly. Not one Doctor has a remedy to relieve my pain and suffering. Everything I heard and read tells not a good idea to start over. I have a problem that does not happen very often and I really do not want to scare or upset you. No matter what, I will not give up. I am 79 years old and I am determined to get better. Please let me know how you are doing, you happened on an incredible web site.

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Hi, it’s me, Chaos.
I hope you are doing okay. I thought about you and the sleep deprivation. Just wondering if you have tried anything in the supplement world? I have a few things that worked for me a few years back, but I don’t want to bother with the list unless you are interested. Just let me know.
Also, last night was the worst evening since beginning the withdrawal. It was as if I was in an abrupt cold turkey situation. Dry mouth, skin, eyes, hot/cold sweats, anxiety, panic, fear and suicidal thoughts. Up until now, most of my symptoms have seemed more of a mental issue. But this throw back into a world of sudden withdrawal was not supposed to happen. Oh and I thought I was having a cardiac issue as well.
Have you had this happen to you?

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@chaos

I finished clonazepam in mid February. I started tapering off lyrica in April. I am still tapering. I am down to 75mg per day. Every week I reduce another 25mg. I hope to be off it by the end of June. The withdrawal, however, combined with the decrease in nerve pain relief is a deadly combination.

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You are tapering way too fast. Start researching now because once you stop taper there is no going back to start again when it goes wrong.......

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Hi, I am 7 months off a slow step down. I have been using a tincture that is mushroom based, Amanita Muscaria. Has helped tremendously with sleep, brain fog, brain zaps and anxiety. Best to you.

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@laurine7

You must try your best to be positive, otherwise you will get very depressed and that makes you worse. Are you going on line and researching? I have learned volumes about Benzodiazepines and how much my Doctors have not a clue how to treat, prescribe, and taper if needed. Somehow the Doctors must have culpability as well as us. Since they prescribed the medications they definitely should have warned us about all the side effects. I take zero medications now and have suffered insomenia because I will not take Benadryl or anything they recommend. I can't have Coffee any more or Hot Chocolate because of the caffeine in them. We are not alone out there, many people are suffering from Benzodiazepine prescriptions. Keep in touch and I will as well just in case I have any good news that will help us.

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Why can't we take legal action against the Doctor that prescribed a BENZODIAZEPINE for many years never explaining all the side effects and danger go withdrawal?

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My wife's psychiatrist diagnosed her over 40 years ago, with schizoaffective disease, takes an anti-psychotic med daily, that totally controls episodes... however, it seems to have given her insomnia and sever depression. Over the years she has tried numerous meds, some that worked, and then some that didn't. As she went without quality sleep, her depression worsened. About 20 years ago, she would take Deseryl/Trasodone with a Dalmane... worked well for about 10 years, and she was happy. Then either both meds stopped working for her, and or the generics weren't as good as the brand, she was then switched to just Temazapam/Restoril for sleep and depression... with Xanax .25mg, on an as needed, no more than 3/day, basis. Again, worked in the beginning, 10 years ago... but kept needing more of the Temazepam. Now, she understands, that the side effects, for her it's nausea with dry heaves, come from taking too much Temazapam, 60mg, or from having too little in her system. I am trying, with her dr,, to gradually get her back to only taking 30mg. And yes, she's tried to off herself, to end the constant depression from a hopeless existance. She wants to try TMS for the depression, hoping that a major mood change, may give her life meaning and purpose, along with restorative sleep, but will not even consider starting the TMS until the nausea and dry heaves are gone. This has been her experiences, just wanted to share her current path.

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I wondered the same thing. I called two different law firms in my large city. They weren’t interested. I think it would take a class action suit in my uneducated opinion. I think action would have to be taken against the pharmaceutical companies.

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@chaos

Hi, it’s me, Chaos.
I hope you are doing okay. I thought about you and the sleep deprivation. Just wondering if you have tried anything in the supplement world? I have a few things that worked for me a few years back, but I don’t want to bother with the list unless you are interested. Just let me know.
Also, last night was the worst evening since beginning the withdrawal. It was as if I was in an abrupt cold turkey situation. Dry mouth, skin, eyes, hot/cold sweats, anxiety, panic, fear and suicidal thoughts. Up until now, most of my symptoms have seemed more of a mental issue. But this throw back into a world of sudden withdrawal was not supposed to happen. Oh and I thought I was having a cardiac issue as well.
Have you had this happen to you?

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Would appreciate any recommendations you can give me for sleep. Tell me about your tapering, what were you tapering off, how long had you been taking the drug including the amount of MG'S and what drug did they give you to taper, what it different from what you had been taking or did they switch you to one with a longer half life. I am still in bad shape and no Doctors can help. Are you familiar with BENZODIAZEPINE INFORMATION COALITION? Write that down and go online, they area wealth of information. This is a sin and a crime what we have to go through. I am in the process of seeing an attorney, however, I only heard is very difficult for any outcome.

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@laurine7

Why can't we take legal action against the Doctor that prescribed a BENZODIAZEPINE for many years never explaining all the side effects and danger go withdrawal?

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All I know, filing a Malpractice law suite, is difficult. I was given three Attorney's phone number, and two have declined to take my case. The first, was so professional and said to make sure to file within one year of knowing there was a problem. Unfortunately, it was not in tune with the cases they are doing now, but told me not to get discouraged. I am moving very slow to contact my third and final Attorney. May be because I am afraid it will be NOW.

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@laurine7

All I know, filing a Malpractice law suite, is difficult. I was given three Attorney's phone number, and two have declined to take my case. The first, was so professional and said to make sure to file within one year of knowing there was a problem. Unfortunately, it was not in tune with the cases they are doing now, but told me not to get discouraged. I am moving very slow to contact my third and final Attorney. May be because I am afraid it will be NOW.

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Keep us posted on this.

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@laurine7

All I know, filing a Malpractice law suite, is difficult. I was given three Attorney's phone number, and two have declined to take my case. The first, was so professional and said to make sure to file within one year of knowing there was a problem. Unfortunately, it was not in tune with the cases they are doing now, but told me not to get discouraged. I am moving very slow to contact my third and final Attorney. May be because I am afraid it will be NOW.

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Very difficult to win a case like that. They consider reading the literature that comes from pharmacy to be considered enough information and warning For the patient to think about what they area are taking.

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