Should we go back on benzos?

[[Br...]]

I am about to give up on this cold turkey withdrawal crap. I can't stand it any longer. It's been exactly 3 months since I quit Klonopin c/t and I feel no better than when I first got off it. Anxiety has never been higher, and all of the medications that the hospital gave me do absolutely nothing but help me sleep (trazadone, gabapentin, haldol).  I can't stop shaking, anxiety is INSANELY high. I HAVE to get out of this slump, I can't live like this for an entire fucking year. I want to LIVE...

 

I am extremely close to just getting on valium or ativan to help combat this horrific anxiety. I can't do this any longer, nothing seems to help me. Magnesium? Fluzamenil? PLEASE give me some more methods. Valium is my absolute last resort, but I am knocking that 'last resort' door down...

 

:'(

[Guest [ma...]]

Sorry for what you are going through. I  have followed your posts since you joined. I know what you are going through b/c I have been exactly where you are right now.

 

C/T from K and ending up in the psych ward b/c nobody recognized the w/d symptoms from benzos and I was once again misdiagnosed. Was polydrugged and became worse. Was then reinstated on Valium. Took it for 5 weeks and then went c/t from all the drugs I had been precribed. If you want the details of what happened to me after taking only one dose of Valium I will tell you. Otherwise, try to imagine being way worse than you are right now. This happens to some people especially after being off benzos for more than a few weeks and reinstating.

 

The anxiety you are feeling is off the charts b/c it's not normal anxiety. It's a chemical anxiety caused by the temporary down regulation of your GABA receptors. The good news is that you will heal given the right amount of time for you.

 

Take care, mandala

[[Br...]]

Sorry for what you are going through. I  have followed your posts since you joined. I know what you are going through b/c I have been exactly where you are right now.

 

C/T from K and ending up in the psych ward b/c nobody recognized the w/d symptoms from benzos and I was once again misdiagnosed. Was polydrugged and became worse. Was then reinstated on Valium. Took it for 5 weeks and then went c/t from all the drugs I had been precribed. If you want the details of what happened to me after taking only one dose of Valium I will tell you. Otherwise, try to imagine being way worse than you are right now. This happens to some people especially after being off benzos for more than a few weeks and reinstating.

 

The anxiety you are feeling is off the charts b/c it's not normal anxiety. It's a chemical anxiety caused by the temporary down regulation of your GABA receptors. The good news is that you will heal given the right amount of time for you.

 

Take care, mandala

 

So what do I do now? I am all ears...

 

What did you do, specifically? How long have you been off, as of today? Also, how are you feeling as of now? This 'chemical anxiety' is unacceptable.

[Guest [ma...]]

 

So what do I do now? I am all ears...

 

What did you do, specifically? How long have you been off, as of today? Also, how are you feeling as of now? This 'chemical anxiety' is unacceptable.

 

Hi BF, Sorry but I can't tell you what do. All I can do is tell you that being resinstated after being off for 3 months sent me into a state of terror after one dose, and the physical symptoms were indescribable. My story is not unique.

 

Yes I understand that the chemical anxiety is not nice at all but it's the w/d that's causing it and it will go away with time. I have been off for 31 months. All the psychological symptoms have left and many of the physical ones as well. I am light years ahead of where I was even a few months ago.

 

In my opinion the best thing you can do is work at distracting and know that these feelings will go away in time. You cannot compare your healing to anyone else but you will heal.

 

Hopefully others will stop by and offer some suggestions for you.

 

I wish you the best. mandala

[[ea...]]

I agree wholeheartedly with what Mandala has said. It is a chemically caused fear/anxiety, and it will get better. For me, this lasted a long time, but everyone is different. There were many times I didn't think I could go on. But somehow I did. I distracted myself silly, is how I got through it. I considered reinstating, but my paranoia of doctors kept me from doing it and now, I am SO  glad I didn't. I would never want to go through withdrawal again.

 

The problem with reinstating (ONE of the problems-) is that eventually you will have to increase the dose, or get off the drug again. In the meantime, the drug will be damaging your Central Nervous System...again. There is strong evidence that repeated withdrawals leads to bigger and worse withdrawals.

 

The damage the drug does is reversible....this is what is meant by healing. Your brain and nervous system need time to adjust and re-balance, and for some of us, it takes a while. It is temporary damage, but while you are going through withdrawal, you think it will never end.

 

I, too, am completely glad I stuck it out. A benzo almost killed me. Im glad it didn't, and every week brings a little more healing.

east

[[br...]]

Unfortunately i can relate.  I just got out of rehab and am finding it difficult to cope.

Are you taking anything for anxiety?  Maybe something like Paxil would help?  That got rid of my anxiety completely and it works fast.  At least for me it did.  Only took a few weeks.

Hang in there!

[[Mo...]]

Hi Brain-Fog, i hope this video might help you in a way to understand.

[[gi...]]

Do not reinstate, its a big mistake, you have made it this far. I take Vistaril and it helps a lot for anxiety along with Lexipro. read this

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=66397.0

[[br...]]

Isn't that similar to Benadryl? 

[[ea...]]

Vistaril (hydroxyzine) is a prescription antihistamine. It is used for allergies, nausea and anxiety. Benedryl can be bought without prescription, and is probably a safer drug to use in some ways.

east

[Guest [Or...]]

Hey Brain I know you are going through a rough time right now, but you have to remember you were on Klonopin for 9 years. Thats a really, really long time on a high-dose benzo. Your acute phase could let up any day now. You are already at 3 months. Hang in there, buddy. We are all here to support you if you need to vent.

[[br...]]

They gave me that in rehab but i don't think it worked.  I would have remembered.

[[ea...]]

Vistaril didn't work for me either. Nor does Benedryl. I have wondered if my being on benzos for so very long affected my brain chemistry so a lot of meds don't work on me. I don't worry about this, mind you. In a way, Im glad. Because sleep has been such an issue for me, if something had helped Id probably still be taking it.

east