Protracted Benzo withdrawal
Taken of 8mg of Ativan daily in 3 weeks and suffering terribly nearly 4 years now! Unable to walk ,have insane muscle tightness,no memory,tinnius is unbearable,unable to picture things in my mind ! After 45 months it’s worse than ever and 2 neurologists have tried only medications which all made me even worse!
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@ess77
Hey there Lizzy,
Hope your improving by the day.
May I inquire why your son is taking Seroquel? Is it only for sleeping? If so, has has he tried other sleep preparations specifically designed for that purpose? Does he still hear the voices. Does he have RLS?
I am so sorry about your son. Unfortunately, I feel that to get off of Benzodiazepines you MUST have a Dr. Experienced with tapering. I went Cold Turkey after taking Lorazepam for over 10 years (very angry with the Dr. who prescribed them for so long) I was in terrible shape when I called my Primary Care Dr at 4:30 AM and got a prescription. I was then on 4 different medications to get through the withdrawal. I have been on Clonazepam for 8-1/2 months with a psychiatrist on ZOOM. She has made no plan for tapering and I just tapered myself. I am obsessed with researching about all the drugs I have been on to get off the one Benzodiazepine. I cannot stress enough to read, read, and read before making any decisions on the future of your son. You are your own best advocate. I know I will get better after looking back at where I was. That Dr. should be culpable for malpractice. Thank God I found Connect Mayo Clinic, it's been a WEALTH OF INFORMATION AND ADVICE.
Once you are completely weaned off of Ativan, can you ever take it again as needed? I used to take It once a month or so & now I’m on it daily for the last 10 weeks and dreading the taper!
I would say we are in the same class as the alcoholics. Once sober those that are committed cannot touch alcohol. One benzo leads to another, and then another. I would say definitely no. Alcohol and Benzos both attach to the gaba receptors in our brain.
Four years ago, I was on ativan for about 4-6 weeks straight. I had terrible withdrawal. Some aspects of it still linger at a low level (mainly random muscle fasciculations, mostly in the legs). My advice would be to NEVER go on benzos.
Did tapering to Valium work? How did you do it?
I’m in .25 Ativan three times/day for 7 weeks and need to get off.
They did not tell me anything about benzo’s 🥺
I’m on .25 Ativan three times/day for 7 weeks….
How can I get off?????
Do you sleep okay? I can’t sleep or get drowsy or anything. It’s super scary.
How did you taper the benzo?
I’ve been on ambien 5 and Ativan .25 three x/day for 7 weeks after Paxil WD crisis. They never told me about getting off them
I’m so afraid
I need help!
I’m on ambien 5 mgs and Ativan .25 three x/day for 7 weeks….
They never told me about benzo’s, tapering, etc.
I had to go to the hospital may 3, terrible reaction to trying Celexa after 9 months of incredible withdrawal from Paxil which had worked well for 25 years then pooped out. Psych took me off too fast I found out later. Obsessive thinking and rumination about these drugs and so afraid. I’m in a small town and only have a psych nurse who wants me to taper Ativan with Hydroxyzine. And get off ambien with trazedobe. Researching that says Hydroxyzine makes you sleepy but doesn’t help tapering. Benzo sites say to cross over to Valium then taper that….can’t get in to a psych 3 hrs away for months and not sure if they taper properly….there is no way in my mental state that I can crush, weigh Ativan powder and I’m in deep despair.
And how to taper ambien?
Which one first?
I’m also on Primidone a phenobarb for essential tremor and the A and A say don’t use with other CNS suppressants….all three are a terrible mix😫
I’m so scared
Please tell me about your cross taper to Valium to get off the benzo!
I’m on ambien 5 mgs and Ativan .25 three x/day for 7 weeks….
They never told me about benzo’s, tapering, etc.
I had to go to the hospital may 3, terrible reaction to trying Celexa after 9 months of incredible withdrawal from Paxil which had worked well for 25 years then pooped out. Psych took me off too fast I found out later. Obsessive thinking and rumination about these drugs and so afraid. I’m in a small town and only have a psych nurse who wants me to taper Ativan with Hydroxyzine. And get off ambien with trazedobe. Researching that says Hydroxyzine makes you sleepy but doesn’t help tapering. Benzo sites say to cross over to Valium then taper that….can’t get in to a psych 3 hrs away for months and not sure if they taper properly….there is no way in my mental state that I can crush, weigh Ativan powder and I’m in deep despair.
And how to taper ambien?
Which one first?
I’m also on Primidone a phenobarb for essential tremor and the A and A say don’t use with other CNS suppressants….all three are a terrible mix😫
I’m so scared