Short term benzo users

[[an...]]

@eiledon - benzo flu literally feels like the flu without the fever - at least for me: nausea, sweats, body aches, headache, dizziness and ringing in ears- it sucks, but it is easing up on me, it was really bad in the beginning- I could not get out of bed...

[[Tr...]]

How is everyone? I'm at least getting regular sleep but have been pretty depressed these past few days. Not sure if the .125 mg K is holding me back from full recovery after short term use. Thinking i may jump tomorrow.

[[Je...]]

I've been on them for just about going on 5 months. At first, I was on much more, so I tapered down before even knowing what a taper was. If you want to see what I'm doing now, please check my signature.

[[sn...]]

TravisP- I was severely depressed when I was on Klonopin.  As soon as I stopped taking it- depression GONE. It was like a cloud had lifted.  Dealing with other w/d symptoms, but the depression has lifted and that in itself is worth it.

[[Tr...]]

sniagora,

 

Thanks for the info. I've been wondering how much the K contributed to my depression. I had issues in February and I think I made them worse by taking K. Now I just need to find some stability.

[[me...]]

Does anyone here wake up after a few hours of sleep and feel wide awake?  Like your cortisol or adrenaline are elevated?  When I was still on xanax, I had a saliva cortisol test done and  my cortisol was out of range high by morning so sometime during the night it spikes.

[[Tr...]]

I had those cortisol spikes after quitting Klonopin CT. They lasted a few nights, along with bad insomnia. It's why I went back to a regular, low dosage and taper schedule. The insomnia went away, as did the adrenalin surges. We'll see what happens now that I've jumped.

[[me...]]

Travis, should you do a taper instead of c/t?  Also, the singer Stevie Nicks was on Klonopin for 8 yrs.  It definitely caused depression for her.  Here is her testimony if you want to read it:  http://www.benzo.org.uk/nicks.htm

[[Tr...]]

Thanks for the link. It seems like Stevie lost 8 years of her life, and thats a problem a lot of members of this board have had too.

 

I'm hoping jumping off at .125 won't be too hard. I did a quick mini-taper. We'll see...

[[ei...]]

My pdoc told me today i need to be on the clonazepam til i my antidepressant meds reach six months. Now on third month on antidep.

 

Does this make sense? Any psychiatrist here?

[[Tr...]]

eiledon,

 

As I understand it, AD meds should be fully functioning by 3 months, if not sooner. But I'm no doctor

[[ei...]]

Yeah but he says six months. Maybe im having hard time tolerating the side effects hence the clonazepam add-on.

 

He says i wont get addicted in such a short time on 0.5mg dose per night.

 

 

I think ill get a second opinion too....

 

[[Tr...]]

My doc said the same thing about taking .5mg of K. He said it was the equivalent of a glass of wine. So i stopped after 2 weeks and had the worst insomnia and adrenaline surge panic attacks 3 days out. That's why i started tapering.

[[sn...]]

My doc also said .5 was nothing.  That's ridiculous.  Tapering is definitely the way to go...even with .5. 

[[Co...]]

Because of the flu i upped my dose of trazodone back to 50mgs again. I needed it :/

This is all such a mess.

[[sn...]]

Corsair- what do you need the trazadone for? Sleep?

[[Co...]]

Yes, both the seroquel and the trazodone are for sleep. I was actually tapering it. But flu hit me hard, and had no sleep. I couldn't handle it. I'm hoping i can taper it again.

[[Si...]]

Same exact thing happened to me. Flu absolutely fubared my progress. Just now at 6 weeks from getting it, starting to feel a little better. I was sleeping great until this hit. Next time some asshole even coughs near me, I'm going to lay them out. 

[[sn...]]

Corsair- you gotta do what you can to get rest...especially from the flu! Trazadone didn't help me w/ sleep at all.  Maybe I didnt take it long enough. Anyways- now I only take benedryl when needed, but try to go med free most nights.  Overall I am making progress...just want my brain to start functioning correctly again.

 

I'm 3.5 months out and feeling so much better despite the lack of sleep and a few other annoying symptoms.  How about everyone else?

[[Tr...]]

Glad to hear you're OK, sniogra. Must be nice to be over the hump.

 

I'm doing OK. I've been feeling a bit jittery, kinda nervous, but nothing too bad. I can definitely feel the effects of reducing my dosage last week, but it's not nearly as bad as when I just stopped CT a few weeks ago. I've been sleeping pretty well throughout taper.

[[me...]]

Well it will be 1 month tomorrow since going C/T.  The first 3 weeks were the worst, what a trial this has been.  I can finally drive again, and went back to church after missing 2 months.  Sleep is still not the best, and I still have vibrations in the bottom of my feet.  I am starting to feel almost normal again, but I know I am not totally healed. Grateful for the improvements though.

[[sn...]]

Good to hear you are making progress meggiemay. One of the big improvements I've seen are the bouts of unexplained anxiety are getting spaced out further and further apart. At first, it would happen every day- multiple times a day. Then about every other day, now just once a week or so.  There is no rhyme or reason when it hits me...it's so bizarre.

 

I still have tingly, burning skin off and on, but I'm attributing that to other health issues I have going on. I know the benzo exacerbated that symptom for sure so who really knows what's going on w/ that. 

 

Now just dealing with a  tight band of pressure around my head, dull headache and poor sleep quality.  Overall my disposition has been pretty mellow which is a far cry from where I was when I started klonopin, taper, and 3 months out.  Things are looking up I hope.

[[an...]]

One month benzo free today- it was quite the ride but symptoms seem to improve. Tinnitus, nausea and lightheaded ness seem to be the worst, also feel nerve pain and have foot and leg cramps. My beta blocker seems to also take care of the anxiety and palpitations!

Windows are getting longer !!!!

Wishing the best to all of you - we can do this!!!!

[[Co...]]

Feeling so depressed lately. Still having a tough time because of flu. I feel like it's not fair. I'm bed bound. I'm so freakin lonely. There's so much i would like to do, but i am not able to.

I feel extremely tired, have pain in my legs and my respiratory tract is feeling very dry and irritated. I think it's probably better than acute. But i'm still so freakin depressed. I don't feel like i will recover. ( i have some real health issues and i can't start working on them because of this hell hole i'm in) It's not fair  :'( I have had enough misery now for a life time. And for what purpose? I know i have a lot of life experience and wisdom, but i feel at this point i would rather be ignorant and be happy than what i'm going through.

[[Si...]]

Feeling so depressed lately. Still having a tough time because of flu. I feel like it's not fair. I'm bed bound. I'm so freakin lonely. There's so much i would like to do, but i am not able to.

I feel extremely tired, have pain in my legs and my respiratory tract is feeling very dry and irritated. I think it's probably better than acute. But i'm still so freakin depressed. I don't feel like i will recover. ( i have some real health issues and i can't start working on them because of this hell hole i'm in) It's not fair  :'( I have had enough misery now for a life time. And for what purpose? I know i have a lot of life experience and wisdom, but i feel at this point i would rather be ignorant and be happy than what i'm going through.

 

I'm sorry you're going through this too. I'm just slightly starting to feel better 5 weeks after getting the flu. It was a really strong strain. A bunch of people I work with got it, even though they had the flu shot. We're in Atlanta so some of them contacted the CDC. Apparently it was a strain of flu that wasn't covered by the flu shot. Some people here even came down with Bronchitis it was so bad. Luckily I didn't. Just do what you can to make yourself as comfortable as possible (I know difficult for sure). It will eventually pass. Do you know anyone with a humidifier? It may help to keep your airways from getting dry.