Short term benzo users

[[me...]]

Msdetermined,

 

Please know that while on xanax and or going through withdrawal, it causes anxiety.  After being on the xanax for about 7 weeks, I started having horrible anxiety, like I never had before.  Then it got even worse when I stopped the xanax.  Did not get better until about 5 weeks from my last dose.

 

Sniogra,

 

I still am dealing with some anxiety at times, but mild compared to what it was.  I also am worrying about a lot of things, but it also is has lessened.  Can't wait until I am 100%!

[[Ji...]]

Hi all, 

 

First time poster in the short term users board.

 

I basically started daily ativan use in late february due to strange anxiety symptoms due to work stress.  I was having alot of full body trembling at night and it used low doses to calm that down.  I tried an antidepressant in early April and had a horrible reaction to the med. anxiety went through the roof. Ativan use was increased for a few weeks to deal with this.  It was about then that i began to experience interdose withdrawals from the drug and began to feel awful.  I switched over to klonopin for tapering purposes over the course of a few days.  I have been on K .75 mg a day, sometimes a little more but never over 1 mg. my problem is that i am still getting interdose withdrawals from the K.  It takes about 6-8 hours for the symptoms to start after each dose  (i have divided the dose up to 3 a day - .25 mg per dose). I want to taper but i fear the interdose w/d will get worse as the dosages decrease.  Any short term users have experience with interdose w/d after short term use?  Did they go away as the dosages went down?  I want to get on with this but i get so freaked out by the w/d symptoms i get now that im kind of putting off the taper.

 

 

Jimmy

[[Bb...]]

Me! I started Ativan at the end of February due to a health condition. Originally I took it twice a day, but as I started to taper I had horrible inter dose withdrawals. I first went from dosing two to three times a day, but ultimately went to dosing four times a day. It's helped so much and allowed me to continue with my taper. Good luck to you!

[[he...]]

I was given klonopin for 4 1/2 Months for vaginal burning that resolved but exacerbated these symptoms throughout my entire body ,Long story short term ...

[[...]]

Hey guys. My history is in my sig. Just wanted to connect with other short term users and see how you're all doing.

 

Best wishes to you all

[[...]]

Hello, everyone. 

I statred taking Xanax last week in April.  After one month noticed high anxiety in the day time and pain/fullness in my ears.  I quit C/T and 2 days later ended up in Urgent Care.  Started back on .5 mg stabilize and cut my first doze to 3/4 on June 4.  The first few days wear hell.  Nausea, heart palpitation, anxiety.  Than statred having windows in the afternoon.  Cut to .25 on 06/14 Having sleeping problems and dizziness.  Still confused about how fast I should cut to the next doze.

[[sm...]]

I have been on Klonopin daily for the past 4 months or so. Never higher than 1 mg / day. i stayed at 0.5 for a month and was doing well. I am also on Zoloft 200mg for OCD, doing CBT, and talk therapy. I was hoping to start tapering off the K. I meet with my psych on Wednesday to get a plan from her. But since I have been feeling so good, I tried to step down myself - cut of 0.08. The first one was a breeze, second one not so much.

 

While I'm willing to deal with some suffering why my brain heals, I am just so discouraged by everything I read on here. It sounds like my life is going to be a living hell and nightmare even if I do a slow taper or switch over to Valium. I have been dealing with severe ear pain, neck pain, and headaches since last Saturday (I took the cut on Friday).

 

i've lived my entire life not on a benzo except for 4 months. Then I got a concussion and anxiety / panic went out of control. Now, because of this wave, I am starting to believe that my brain is damaged for real and I will never be able to come off this drug to be normal.

 

Just trying to keep it together and get through each day.

[[sn...]]

Hey all -

 

Just wanted to give some encouragement to other short term users and let you know it will get better!!! The end of this month will mark 6 months benzo free, and yes it's has been a roller coaster ride (especially the first three months), but you will make it out feeling so much better than you ever have before! My sleep has finally returned to normal. I still have a few off nights but that's to be expected.  As you know, lack of sleep exacerbates all the other benzo symptoms so as you start sleeping better your body will begin to heal quicker.  It did take, and still does, a lot of effort to keep moving in the right direction.  I believe changing my diet, exercise, and mindfulness helped with recovery. 

 

I don't think about benzos much any more but I do think about all the people struggling with the horrible side effects.  I know how awful it is.  Keep fighting everyone and I wish you all the best through this whole process. 

[[al...]]

hi guys..

 

i don't want to scare anyone but i took ativan for 6 weeks .5mgs or less a day and c/ted dec31/13 and i'm still suffering.. although things have lessoned in intensity i still have everything... my personality has gone and my d/p is bad.. i'm now starting my 19th month...

[[Co...]]

hi guys..

 

i don't want to scare anyone but i took ativan for 6 weeks .5mgs or less a day and c/ted dec31/13 and i'm still suffering.. although things have lessoned in intensity i still have everything... my personality has gone and my d/p is bad.. i'm now starting my 19th month...

 

Big hug.

[[Tr...]]

Wanted to post an update that I'm 2 months benzo free after using Klonopin off and on for many years and daily for a month or so. I feel so much better after getting rid of the meds that i now realize what an effect they had even though I was taking a small amount occasionally. I wish everyone the best of luck!

[[...]]

Confused has your tinnitus decreased?

[[Lo...]]

I feel like I can post here...I had Xanax for around 8 months before I started my taper.  In the beginning it was .5mg as needed and some months I only took it maybe 5-6 times.  The last 2 weeks before I started my taper I was taking 1mg daily.  I was put on an incorrect and very rapid taper of Librium to start 4x25mg for 3 days, 3x25 for 3 days, 2x25 for 3 days then once daily for 3 days.  You'll notice I was put on double what I was taking, at the time I hadn't researched much and didn't know the difference and felt pretty good during the taper but once it was over...wow terrible feelings.  5 days later I seen the doctor again and resumed the taper at 3x5mg for 7 days, then 2x5 for 7 days, at this time the insomnia stated and I seen the doctor again who will not follow the Ashton taper but I did havea leftover 25 that I was able to titrate for 5 days of 5mg.  I just finished 8 days of 2.5 last night and I have enough for 10 days at 1mg but I think I have decided to just stop tonight along with the Buspar as it makes me feel like garbage most of the morning.

 

So I've been tapering for about 6 weeks, also started and quit Lexapro in that time.  Insomnia has been steady since the drop from 15 to 10, most nights I sleep 3-4 hours before waking up and then in-out of sleep until 6am when I get up for work.

 

From what I've read, most of the symptom timelines include the time you are tapering so I am hopefully 1.5 months out right now.  Also I see that all the tapers stop around 2.5mg Librium so that is why I have decided to quit tonight.

 

Has anyone experienced the same type of insomnia I have and gotten worse or can I just expect it to start getting better.  I'm 24, live on my own, still working and no options for extended time off but boss is understanding, and all of my family are 3 hours away so any encouragement would be great.

[[me...]]

Travis, congrats on the 2 month mark!  I wish you all the best and continued healing.

 

Meggie 

[[ar...]]

Hi all,

 

I am a short time user stuck in a long taper.  I was tapering rapidly since I was a short time user but it got really brutal when I hit 4mg.  I slowed down since.  Symptoms have been manageable since I changed over to liquid.  In a nasty wave this week so I am holding.  I hope this long taper doesn't work against me in the long run for being a short time user.  We are all different I guess.

[[Li...]]

Hey. Just wanted to present myself as an example. 2 months 1mg klonopin daily for sleep. C/t.

80 days off, still have cog fog and awful fatigue. Will keep u guys updated if i see any improvement. At this point, i think itll take years :[

[[sn...]]

Life is crazy- a lot of people have a turning point at around three months and now that I'm a little over seven months out I'm doing much better.  The only thing I think the benzos severely impaired is the quality of my sleep.  I worry that my sleep will never be the same.  I am gradually improving though and at least some sleep is better than none. 

 

For me eating healthy and lots of detox have helped w/ cog fog and fatigue. Best of luck!

[[me...]]

Hi Sniogra,

 

I was just thinking about you and wondering how you were.  I am at almost 5 months since my c/t withdrawal. My sleep is better, but not great.  I actually feel tired at bedtime, and I am yawning again!  I do wake up several times a night, though.  Once in a while I wake from a dream and my heart will be pounding, probably from a cortisol/adrenaline surge.  I am still dealing with some anxiety, and leaps or butterflies in my stomach for no reason.  It is just unbelievable that taking something nightly for 3 months can wreck so much havoc.  Can't wait til the day I can write my success story.  keep in touch!

[[sn...]]

Meggiemay! So glad to hear you are feeling better.  Same here w/ the sleep. I get tired now at bedtime but still wake up at 2:30 on the dot.  Sometimes I can go back to sleep easily, other times it feels like I lie there for the rest of night. I have to work hard at keeping my stress levels down, because my sleep is so sensitive and anything can set it off.  I also have to remind myself it is still better than no sleep at all.  I'm wondering if I need to address my adrenals as it seems it is related to adrenal fatigue, the constant night wakenings. 

 

One thing that has helped my anxiety is fixing my gut health. Lots of probiotics and "friendly" bacteria- kefir, kombucha, etc.

 

Hope you continue to make improvements!

[[Co...]]

Meggiemay! So glad to hear you are feeling better.  Same here w/ the sleep. I get tired now at bedtime but still wake up at 2:30 on the dot.  Sometimes I can go back to sleep easily, other times it feels like I lie there for the rest of night. I have to work hard at keeping my stress levels down, because my sleep is so sensitive and anything can set it off.  I also have to remind myself it is still better than no sleep at all.  I'm wondering if I need to address my adrenals as it seems it is related to adrenal fatigue, the constant night wakenings. 

 

One thing that has helped my anxiety is fixing my gut health. Lots of probiotics and "friendly" bacteria- kefir, kombucha, etc.

 

Hope you continue to make improvements!

 

I'm scared to try the kefir and kombucha because of the small amount of alcohol, so it does not rev you up?

[[Si...]]

Hi Corsair, I've had plenty of kefir and it didn't bother me at all.

[[Co...]]

I'm in a bad wave right now so I'll try it in a window.

I feel really bad. I have a health issue with sciatica and joints and etc, and I'm in doubt if it's withdrawal or withdrawal enhanced (because pre- existing benzo's). It's so hard making the righ decisions in these

conditions. I feel awful.

[[Si...]]

I'm in a bad wave right now so I'll try it in a window.

I feel really bad. I have a health issue with sciatica and joints and etc, and I'm in doubt if it's withdrawal or withdrawal enhanced (because pre- existing benzo's). It's so hard making the righ decisions in these

conditions. I feel awful.

 

Yeah I understand waiting to try something new. So sorry you're feeling bad. I've been in the trenches the last 10 days or so too. Hope you feel better soon buddie.

[[sn...]]

Corsair- no it doesn't rev me up but I don't drink tons of it.  Probiotics have helped more than anything.  Also detoxing my body and getting all the neurotoxins out have helped- I do Epsom salt and mustard foot baths.

 

What other health issues do you have? Do you think it's all from benzo w/d? Sorry to hear it's been rough.  Going through another rough patch myself 😕

[[Co...]]

Corsair- no it doesn't rev me up but I don't drink tons of it.  Probiotics have helped more than anything.  Also detoxing my body and getting all the neurotoxins out have helped- I do Epsom salt and mustard foot baths.

 

What other health issues do you have? Do you think it's all from benzo w/d? Sorry to hear it's been rough.  Going through another rough patch myself 😕

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I'll pm you because it's still a public board here.