Reistated Xanax and saying so long and good luck

[[ro...]]

    Could not take it anymore, my symptoms with my balance are debilitating. I'm to old to spend the rest of my years this way. Probably in a wheel chair. I have a family, a new grandbaby that I want to enjoy.

I wish you all good luck and peace,

 

  Rockrimmom

[[Ch...]]

I'm sorry.  I've heard a that many doctors tell their patients to stay on for life because it's so hard to taper off.

Best of luck to you, Rockrimmon.

[[va...]]

{{{{{rockrimmon}}}}}  I hope you find peace.  Good luck. 

 

Namaste.

 

~K 

[[al...]]

Did your sxs go away once you reinstated?

[[bk...]]

Good luck, take care, be safe.!

[[ro...]]

My symptoms are slowly disappearing. I was able to sleep and this morning I was fine. Was able to go X-mas shopping and had lunch with the hubby. Don't recommend this to anybody, but i had to tried.

  If I have to be on a pill for the rest of my years so be it.

I cant spend the rest of my years suffering. I want to drive again, go out and have fun and enjoy my grandkids.

No more excuses about not going places bc I'm sick. My pain Dr is fine with my decision, she is more than fine Rx's my meds.  Fought hard but at the end is quality of life.

  Good luck to you all!!!!!!!

[[Di...]]

All the best to you, Rock. 

 

[[wi...]]

Rock,

 

Best of luck- I am considering reinstating after a year off myself. I am functional, but have a much worse quality of life than either on or before benzos.  I wish you well. Enjoy the holidays!

 

WW

[[Po...]]

Good luck rockrimmon.  I understand your reasoning  completely.

 

At age 68 I am considering a similar strategy when faced with the choice of a possibly tortuous taper, or just taking the pill forever. 

 

Would have been nice to have known this 13 years ago.

 

Get back with Dr. in January to discuss all this. 

 

 

[[Br...]]

Rock,

When you went through withdrawal the first time, how long did it take to heal? I'm glad you are feeling better!

Brooke

[[ro...]]

Hi guys,

I cold turkey back on 2009, didn't know better. I had a lot of good windows since then, but never felt quite right. The c/t was horrific, my marriage almost ended. I stop driving, stop doing the things I enjoy. I know I made a mistake by taking pills, but at the time I was dealing with breast cancer.

I have 3 grandsons (17-13 and 6 months) I'm tired of the suffering, the pain, I also suffer from fibro and arthritis and all the aches and pain that come with age.

I want to enjoy my life, my family...I'm too old.

I'm not trying to influence anyone into restating. Look at what is going on in your life, how much you have t give up to stay free of these meds.

If you think you can make it, please continue with your tapers, but if your life is a miserable mess, do what you need to do.

 

      Rock

[[je...]]

I don't blame you.  I will not quit if I'm suffering miserably, what's the point of that. That is why I reinstated about a year ago but I'm not suffering this time around as I taper now that I'm taking it sloooowww. Maybe you regroup in a year or so & slowly taper so you don't notice.  Either way suffering is not worth it.

[[ro...]]

  Thanks to all that responded to my posts...I know I was a bit crazy for a while, I was just so angry.

Hopefully now I can relax and sort things out.

I'll be checking in now and then and let you guys now how things are going.

    Please take care and be safe!!!

              Rock

[[Ch...]]

  Thanks to all that responded to my posts...I know I was a bit crazy for a while, I was just so angry.

Hopefully now I can relax and sort things out.

I'll be checking in now and then and let you guys now how things are going.

    Please take care and be safe!!!

              Rock

 

Take care, enjoy the holidays with the grandkids.  We're here if you need us.

[[Po...]]

Hi Rock, and all the best to you.  Dizziness and balance my problem too.

 

Have you tried physical therapy or some of the really simple exercises?  I think they have helped me, but no cure yet.

 

I'll be back at neuro doc in January and we'll have a serious discussion vis a vis my age and the advisability of a long taper.  I'm interested to know if he has ever tapered a patient and what the results were.

 

Is it really worth suffering for the rest of my life, or should I just relax, take the pills, and chalk up one of life's lessons learned?

 

I seem to be able to manage on 1.0 Xanax per day.  Dr. does not like to give more than this to anyone, and the prospect may be that I'll take it forever, assuming this is the cause of my balance and dizziness problems.

 

Good luck to you, whichever way you decide to go.

 

 

 

 

[[Po...]]

Oh, and make sure, if possible, you get adequate sleep.  7-8 hrs

 

I know this is a big problem for a lot of people

 

[[my...]]

Hello all,

 

I had read rockrimmon's original post in early Dec. about giving up trying to taper and about how her quality of life was so important to her....  I agree Roc!  But I am still planning to try a slow taper and see how it goes.  I am around your age and have a husband and grandbabies, as well as the desire to travel and generally enjoy life. This past summer, during the period I was still on 2 mg K per day...I was able to enjoy a wonderful, once (or more if lucky!) in a lifetime trip/cruise, etc with my husband.  I am down to 1.5 after tapering too quickly, IMO and the opinion of others here.  I have held for nearly 6 weeks before trying another cut - this time all my cuts will be .0625 or less.  But frankly, after just returning from a vacation (yes we are able to travel ) with him to celebrate a big birthday, I have to say that I found enjoying what I would normally enjoy difficult!  The laughter just wasn't there, there were days when I suffered my usual string of sxs (chest pain, difficulty catching my breath, head tight, etc as well as a lot of anxiety and the resulting depression from all the above). 

 

I just don't know....will discuss with my doctor tomorrow who generally is kind and will do almost anything I ask....a good thing, mostly, but sometimes I feel as though she isn't sure WHAT is best.  Wish I had a crystal ball to see how this will all go.  I too do not want to spend years in a physical/mental struggle.  On the other hand if I can taper slowly enough so it will just feel like normal life - or close to it - as I go down...then that will be OK.  The problem I see with staying on this level of K or even updosing to my last 2 mg is that I will likely develop tolerance and then need more and more.  If you can manage with 1 mg of Xanax per day and stay at that level -- I would say "why not?", especially given all you have been through and are going through physically.  The jury is out for me....  One thing I do know is that I don't feel like my normal self - and haven't since I began tapering in Oct '14. 

 

Most of the time, I write during windows -- and am more upbeat.  I could really use some encouragement today.  From any one who has been there and done that....that is successfully taper off.  Many thanks and sending best wishes for a happy and healthy new year to all.

Mana

[[bu...]]

Hello all,

 

I had read rockrimmon's original post in early Dec. about giving up trying to taper and about how her quality of life was so important to her....  I agree Roc!  But I am still planning to try a slow taper and see how it goes.  I am around your age and have a husband and grandbabies, as well as the desire to travel and generally enjoy life. This past summer, during the period I was still on 2 mg K per day...I was able to enjoy a wonderful, once (or more if lucky!) in a lifetime trip/cruise, etc with my husband.  I am down to 1.5 after tapering too quickly, IMO and the opinion of others here.  I have held for nearly 6 weeks before trying another cut - this time all my cuts will be .0625 or less.  But frankly, after just returning from a vacation (yes we are able to travel ) with him to celebrate a big birthday, I have to say that I found enjoying what I would normally enjoy difficult!  The laughter just wasn't there, there were days when I suffered my usual string of sxs (chest pain, difficulty catching my breath, head tight, etc as well as a lot of anxiety and the resulting depression from all the above). 

 

I just don't know....will discuss with my doctor tomorrow who generally is kind and will do almost anything I ask....a good thing, mostly, but sometimes I feel as though she isn't sure WHAT is best.  Wish I had a crystal ball to see how this will all go.  I too do not want to spend years in a physical/mental struggle.  On the other hand if I can taper slowly enough so it will just feel like normal life - or close to it - as I go down...then that will be OK.  The problem I see with staying on this level of K or even updosing to my last 2 mg is that I will likely develop tolerance and then need more and more.  If you can manage with 1 mg of Xanax per day and stay at that level -- I would say "why not?", especially given all you have been through and are going through physically.  The jury is out for me....  One thing I do know is that I don't feel like my normal self - and haven't since I began tapering in Oct '14. 

 

Most of the time, I write during windows -- and am more upbeat.  I could really use some encouragement today.  From any one who has been there and done that....that is successfully taper off.  Many thanks and sending best wishes for a happy and healthy new year to all.

Mana

I reached tolerance last few years after being on klonopin over 10 years, having increased dose a few times.

 

I never solved the anxiety that was underneath it all. I have health and pain issues and I am only 44, the anxiety about the pain and what I felt my family needed from me (going on vacations they wanted, etc.)

 

I have been in counseling most of my life, but it wasn't until I qdmitted I was not living for myself that I had not only the resolve to wean from klonopin but to live in joy with what I can do and can enjoy.

 

I hope this helps a bit? your family may ha to accept that you don't smile as often, I know I don't but I am trying to remember to do so when I feel that I can, I am also asking them to support my decision as the best thing for me in the long run as I do not want to imagine a life in which I have to increase more and moron these drugs.

 

Also cautionary tale, my gran lived to be 99 and she was a serious drug addict from building intolerance to pain mess, depression mess etc. they yanked her off some of them shortly before she died and it was rather cruel!

 

 

 

[[my...]]

Thanks, Butterfly, for sharing your story.  I particularly noted the 'cautionary tale'....a sobering thought.

 

I'm feeling better now than I was earlier this evening.  Really fine, in fact, just quiet...  Again I do plan to begin my next taper the day after the new year begins:  .0625 every 7-14 days depending on how I feel.  It will take a while to get off this drug...a year or more....but I believe if I go slowly, I will make it.  I have the total support of my husband, no one else in my family knows what is going on with me and at this point it's not necessary to share it.  Maybe it will be at some point, but for now I am blessed with a few good friends in addition to my husband who know and are supportive. Plus my doctor/therapist.  BTW, I've been in therapy my entire adult life.  It has saved me.  I had a successful career and have completed a number of creative projects including a novel which I mentioned in a different thread (Hi Clona!).  Never could have done any of those things the way I am feeling during this taper....but at least I did do them!  And I credit therapy, my marriage and strength (that I must learn to draw on now) that my dad used to tell me I had, when he was alive. 

Thanks again, Butterfly...you are almost done!!  Good for you 

[[be...]]

wishing you the best of luck!

[[bu...]]

My mana- oh how I wish I was almost done! I am so sensitive I can only do 5-6% cuts at a time plus I keep holding for life stuff, which I am glad I did. I had my daughter in a ton of stuff last year while she finished high school. So I do think we can and should hold at times, for ourselves or others. But if I held for every little thing my family wants, I would really never get off!

 

I have told my daughter first so that she would know why my brain is so goofy and I say I am sick so much. But the other day we got to talk about effects of benzos when she was given one for a root canal! I am glad she got to experience that and can connect it with how it has made me sick over time to stay on klonopin! She gets that we need benzos and pain meds for rare things and if we stay on them, they won't work in an emergency.

[[ro...]]

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year, BTW...I think someone in my family is posting under my name. I have to investigate the situation and see who has been using m computer. I apologize if anybody has been offended by this person. Another thing I don't speak Spanish.

  R