Grateful to find this site

[[he...]]

I found this site from another website that helped a female of Ativan addiction and the withdrawal she experienced, which prompted me to look into your site. I have been

 

Please see my completed introduction, as this was sent by me accidentally before I finished my introduction. It was an accident since I am new to this site. Thank you.

[[be...]]

 

Hi heather50 Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

Congrats on being benzodiazepine free. The symptoms you describe are classic withdrawal symptoms. Even with a taper one can still feel unpleasant symptoms. The good thing is they are only temporary and things will get better.

 

You might like to check out The Ashton Manual it is an authoritative source on what to expect in withdrawal and recovery.  Dr. Ashton is an expert in the field. 

 

Please feel free to post to any of the dedicated boards, we have a wonderful community of people here, who will give sound advice. Members have been through all aspects of benzodiazepine use and withdrawal and are more than willing to share their experiences.

 

Please take the time to Create a Signature.  This will allow others to see where you are in the process so they can better support you.

 

Again Welcome! 

 

benzos-R-cruel

 

[[he...]]

I found this site from another website of a female that was recovering from benzo withdrawal and this site has helped her a lot. So I thought, why not look into it myself.  I have been a victim of involuntary drug addiction from the many psychiatrists continuing to prescribe me benzos since 2005, almost 10 years of being on a continuous dose of first Xanax 1mg 3 times a day, then requesting with get off of this medication, only to be switched to clonazepam 1mg 3 times a day, which made no sense. I have had numerous short term withdrawal due to some misuse due to my tolerance to these drugs or not coming in the mail on time and once when an ignorant doctor wanted to withdrawal me off of clonazepam in a 45 day timeframe after being on this drug at that time for 8 years, which despite warning her nurses to inform her that this will cause me withdrawal because of the short withdrawal duration. They did not take me seriously. I did go into severe withdrawal after my last dose, which only lasted 6 days due to becoming sicker.  I went to the ER on the 6th day and my blood pressure was 160/120 and I dropped 12 pounds in 6 days, very dangerous signs of severe and life threatening withdrawal symptoms. I am down to clonazepam 1 mg twice a day. I am scared but very ready to get off of this horrific and misprescribing of this class of drug. I am at sheer exhaustion of this 10 years of this class of drugs revolving and in reality, controlling my life.

[[ME...]]

Dear Heather50,

 

I am also taking Klonopin.  1 mg per day.  I started slow tapering, I failed 15 times.  Because when I feel better, I speed up the reduction.  Then I take high dose to regain brain balance.  It is a slow and delicate process.  I learned and discovered a lot of things. 

 

It really changes my whole being, physically, mentally and emotionally.  I joined BB to find comfort with the community of people in the same situation.  Some are in worse situation.  But I guess it does not matter, it is the same hell, whatever severity you are in.

 

It needs time, a long time, for us to recover.

 

 

MEexpat

[[De...]]

Hello heather50,

 

I too would like to welcome you to the forum 

 

I'm so sorry to hear what you've been and are still going through but you'll be given plenty of support and tapering assistance here in your quest to be klonopin (clonazepam) free.

 

General tapering guidelines for somebody who has been taking benzos long term are to reduce the daily dose by between 5% and 10% every 10 to 14 days according to how you are feeling. Tapering slowly is advised to ensure that the withdrawal effects are kept minimised.

 

I will give you a link to The Withdrawal Support Board where you can post for symptom support and feedback if need be :

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=145.0

 

 

I'm glad you found us and I wish you success with the taper.

 

Debbie

[[he...]]

Thank you MEexpat for sharing your experience with me and also Debbie for sharing the information you provided me to me about this site. This site sure does help to know that you are not alone with this problem. Because when you go through these horrible withdrawals, as everyone on this site knows, it feels like you are very alone when this happens and no one understands. I have gone through short term withdrawal way too often during these ten years, mainly due to my body building up such a tolerance that 1mg of K 3 times a day and I end up taking more than I should in the timeframe I am allowed to have it. I am really so tired of it, it is so draining to deal with this every day, month and year I have been on this crap.

 

Thank you again,

Heather50

[[ME...]]

Hello Heather50,

 

Everytime I stumble in a horrible mental agony to the point of suicidal thinking, I took high dose of Klonopin.  1 mg or 2 mg or 4 mg until I recovered the balance.

 

That was my fault because there were many times that I was tempted to speed up the reduction.

 

This time I will be very very careful.

 

Hope you are doing fine.

 

 

MEexpat

[[he...]]

Hi MEexpat,

 

I know how it feels to the point these feelings in your body are at the point of suicidal thinking. Been

 

there myself plenty of times. But since you have the knowledge and facts that these feelings are from

 

too rapid of a withdrawal, you are fortunate to know have gained the knowledge that it is not "YOU"

 

(meaning your natural self) who is feeling this way, just the chemicals in your brain trying to adjust

 

itself too quick.  Be grateful you have this knowledge and know how to help yourself from this awful

 

position these ignorant doctors have put upon us. There are a lot who don't.  Just keep trying and don't

 

give up!!! Our belief in our natural selves and the strength and determination within our minds is more

 

powerful than we think at times!!! :)