HELLO BBs

[[xB...]]

HELLO ALL. JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. NAMES KARL BUT YOU ALL CAN CALL ME BUDZ IF YA WANT. BEEN READIN FOR A BIT AND IT SEEMS LIKE YOU GUYS GOT IT GOIN ON AND I WOULD BE HONORED TO BECOME A CONTRIBUTING MEMBER TO YOUR GROUP. GIMME A FEW TO EDUCATE MYSELF ON SOME TERMINOLOGY HERE AND I'LL BE COOL. BEEN KICKED FROM OTHER FORUMS JUST FOR TELLIN MY BENZO STORY SOOO.... YEA WHATEVER. JUST GONNA CUT TO THE CHASE. BEEN ON 1MG OF ATIVAN FOR 2 YEARS NOW AND I BELIEVE I NEED TO TAPER AS I FEEL MY WORLD HAS BECOME VERY SMALL DUE TO THE EFFECT OF BENZOS. I AM ALSO A PHYSIOLOGICAL MESS AND QUITE FRANKLY I'VE HAD ENUFF. SO I ASK FOR YOUR ACCEPTANCE AND GUIDANCE TO TAKE ME THROUGH THIS JOURNEY I AM ABOUT TO FACE. ANY ADVICE TO A NEWB WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. I WAS TAKEN OFF COLD TURKEY AFTER 2 MOS BY MY DR. WHO IS NO MORE AND LANDED IN THE ER ON NITE 13 THINKIN IT WAS MY TIME. UHG. SECOND TIME A YEAR LATER I FELT PRETTY GOOD AND HALFED MY DOSE, ON NITE THREE I WOKE UP CONVULSING AND LANDED IN TH ER AGAIN. SO LAY IT ON ME BBs. WHERE DO I START AND WHAT DO YOU THINK? THANKS IN ADVANCE.  BUDZcolor=blue][/color]

[[Th...]]

Hi, Budz,

 

I'm sorry to hear that you've been the victim of bad doctoring. But I'm glad to hear that you got rid of that doctor.

 

I take it that after the cold turkey and attempt at halving your dose, you just reinstated at 1 mg and the symptoms went away. Is that right?

 

I think you need a knowledgeable doctor. I think you may want to go on anticonvulsants as you taper, since you had seizures on your second attempt to get off. I would also recommend switching to Valium, which comes as a liquid and will enable you to make very small cuts. Do you think your current doctor is knowledgeable about benzos?

 

Welcome!

[[xB...]]

HEY THERESE

 

UMM... YEA I AM BACK TO .5 MGS TWICE A DAY. I HAVE NEVER ONCE UPPED A DOSE IN TWO YEARS. ALSO I AM ON MY 3RD DR. WHO WILL PROBABLY MANAGE ME ON THIS AND IM NOT TO SURE IF SHE IS SHALL WE SAY BENZO LITERATE ALTHOUGH I GAVE HER SOME INFORMATION ON THE ASHTON TAPER TO LOOK AT AS I WILL DISCUSS THIS WITH HER ON THE 25TH AFTER A PHYSICAL AND A STRESS TEST. SHE HAS COMMITED TO ME ON HEALING WHERE MY PSYCHIATRIST ONLY CONTINUES TO PERSCRIBE ME ATIVAN. MY GP MENTION A POSSIBLE SUBSTITUION WHICH I WILL INFORM YOU OF. I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION THIS IS A LOW DOSE?!?! I ALSO HAVE BEEN ALCOHOL FREE SINCE OCT. 04 BUT DRANK BEER PRETTY MUCH DAILY FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS. JUST THOUGHT ID THROW THAT IN THE MIX. ANTI CONVULSANT SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA. I WILL DISCUSS THIS WITH HER NEXT WEEK.

 

THANK YOU!

 

xBUDZx

[[xB...]]

ok... update on the dr. Q method. she doesnt want my to switch to V and proposes a .25 cut every two weeks coming straight off the ativan. this scares me abit but i am no expert so any thoughts ?

[[Co...]]

Hi Budx,

 

Welcome to the BenzoBuddies forum.

 

I think you will find us pretty laidback here, but like anywhere else we do have some rules. We've rarely have to ban members, and only do so if it becomes apparent that they are only here to create mayhem. Your history and how you feel are valid subjects for discussion here. Our rules tend to revolve around respect for other members and the forum as a whole.

 

Rules: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/forum-and-site-policies/benzobuddies-forum-rules/0/

 

Forum and site policies: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/forum-and-site-policies/benzobuddies-general-information/0/

 

Your dose is not high, so even a cold-turkey withdrawal should not have caused convulsions. It may be the case that you are more susceptible to convulsions than most, and may it even be good idea to discus that with your doctor, just in case. You you should certainly discuss this issue if you are intending to withdraw again. My guess would be that unless you suffer convulsions anyway, a slow withdrawal should be fine, but you do need to discuss this with your doctor, and maybe even a specialist (neurologist). As Therese suggested, they may think it advisable that you take an anticonvulsant during withdrawal.

 

As a heads-up, DON'T USE CAPITOLS all the time! They are harder to read. Also, on the Net, they are usually used to denote shouting.

 

Take care, and again, glad to have you aboard.

[[Co...]]

ok... update on the dr. Q method. she doesnt want my to switch to V and proposes a .25 cut every two weeks coming straight off the ativan. this scares me abit but i am no expert so any thoughts ?

 

Ah, you you had already beat me with moderating the use of capitals.

[[xB...]]

sorry about the caps. i didnt have my reading glasses. i dont know if i can say that it was a convulsion by definition, but never having one it sure felt like i was. it was short lived, less than ten minutes but i was tremoring and shuddering out of a sound sleep and i couldnt get air. my bp shot straight up to 190/90, and i thought my chest was gonna split just like in the movie ALIEN. by the time that rescue showed up it had it somewhat under control but they decided i had better go. conclusion on the episode by the ER dr was w/d and rebound anxiety. as i said i have been reading alot and see that the integrity of your group is genuine and i appreciate that. so any of your views are valued.    thanks  xBUDZx

[[Co...]]

Yes, that does sound like an rebound anxiety attack. I was misdiagnosed with epilepsy for years, so I know a fair bit about it. This sounds much like extreme withdrawal symptoms.

[[xB...]]

well i guess my next question is do i just taper of the ativan at ,25 every 2 weeks or do you think i should switch to valium. and have the advantage of much smaller doses seeing that i am still sooo sensitive.

 

 

thanks colin!

 

xBUDZx

[[Co...]]

Substituting for Valium is an option - so is titration. By disolving the xanax in homogenised milk, and then discarding a proportion of the liquid, you can make small cuts in your Xanax. This method allows you to make very small reductions every day if you wish.

[[xB...]]

thank you so much colin. i was unclear on the definition of titration. im learning as i go here and will be much better prepared for my 2 apointments next week thanks to you guys. is there a certain volume of milk to be used? also any good reads on benzos and positive thinking/ cognitive would be great as i will use them as a tool to understand what is going on instead of fearing the worst and dwelling on my health.

[[Co...]]

As a heads-up, we use 'titration' to describe what we are doing - it will probably mean little to the doctor. All we mean is that we create a liquid either with water or milk. Homogenised mild has the advantage in the benzo particals tend to adhere to the fat globdules within the milk, and the fat in homogenised milk is evenly distributed. This means that we can more safely make cuts and be more sure of the actual cut we are making.

 

We will sort out proportions when you are ready to start. I have to dash now (I have some work I must complete), but will be back tomorrow. Others will be here of course!

[[Th...]]

Personally, I would recommend switching to Valium. I think its longer half-life will be more protective against seizures and that sort of thing, because Valium leaves the body much more gradually than Ativan. The other plus to the Valium is that it already comes as a liquid, so you don't have to make your own.

 

To make your own, you can use any amount of liquid, as long as it has been carefully measured. I think people use a measuring cup with ml marked on the side. Then you dissolve your tablet in the milk and throw out a little every day. To do this, you would need a small syringe, which people normally get from their pharmacist. We can talk specifics later, after you've been to your dr. appts. But I would really try to get the Valium liquid. We can keep the Ativan titration as a backup possibility if you can't find a doctor to help.

 

If you are able to switch to Valium and want to do a titration from that, we recommend starting at .05 mg daily cuts. It's very tiny, but it does add up.

 

I would not go with the .25 mg Ativan cuts every two weeks. If you cannot get the Valium, the daily cuts from an Ativan milk solution would be better. Have you considered looking for another doctor? I personally think that the Valium will be safer for you, since you have had seizures in the past.

 

As far as positive thinking goes, one thing that really helped me was something I saw on this site, though I don't remember where. It said something like the mind does not recognize negatives, so if you say, "I don't want to feel scared," your brain actually thinks, "I want to feel scared" or something like that. So when I started getting anxious, I would say things like, "I want to feel calm" rather than "I don't want to feel anxious", and that helped me a great deal. I also continually reminded myself that things would get better. And they did get better. It is a night-and-day difference from when I started my taper. It seems impossible at the beginning, but things do change for the better.

[[xB...]]

Hi Therese

 

Im not at all comfortable with the idea of .25 ativan cut either. dunno if she will hook up the v but it sounds so much better. is it difficult to cross over? i remember when i got divorced and was stressin bad one day a friend gave me v 10mg and i was pretty high. i feel nothing at all after 2 years of the ativan @ 1 mg. funny you mention i was really anxious in the car and i did something along the lines of what you said. i spoke to myself out load and said im not gonna feel like this and it will pass it always does and it cant hurt me. so i acomplished my goals and continued back to work. but it seems when i have those kinda episodes they follow me throuh the day and it has been a rough one to say the least. really tired of it and i just want my life back. cant wait till next week. thanks again you guys i feel better already just being able to vent in here. i am single and generally deal with this crap alone still lookin for a good read. playin uno on my xbox with friends online aint cuttin it no more.

[[Th...]]

Budz, if you are not comfortable with that size of cut, then I honestly wouldn't do it. I would look for another doctor if necessary. This is your life, not hers, and she is not the one who will have to deal with withdrawal symptoms. You are.

 

Crossing over can get rocky, but it passes. I was on Klonopin before crossing over. I think I spent two weeks at half Klonopin/half Valium, then the next two weeks at all Valium. Then I started to cut. During the crossover, I did have some panic attacks and insomnia. But it passed. At first, I was scared because of the symptoms and wondered if I had made the right decision. As I look back, I see that I did. It was just part of withdrawal. If you're dependent on benzos, there is discomfort coming off, no matter how you do it. We can minimize the effects, but we can't get rid of them.

 

It's tough to do this alone...I know because I am doing it myself. Others here are, too. But it does get better.

[[xB...]]

thanks THERESE

i think i will ask her for 5mg v tablets as my equivelent to 1mg ativan is 10mg v and see how i do on the crossover if she agrees. at that piont she will wanna see me again in a few weeks to check on whats happenin and we can worry about the liquid from there. i hope my gp gives me a clean bill of health as well. i get on the treadmill on the 25th. i really wanna implement a vigorus training program to combat w/d but as of late i believe that my anxiety and or my exposure to benzos are really affecting me physically. i was an athelete for 15 yrs and still in great shape although i feel at times like my cardio and respiritory systems are failing me. can benzos effect your nervous system in a way that it could cause disrtess in these areas?

[[Co...]]

HI,

 

Just to say, try to get 2mg tablets, as they will allow you to make much smaller cuts!

[[Th...]]

When I went through this with my doctor, he first gave me enough Valium only for half my dose, because I crossed over in two steps. So I took half the Valium and half my previous benzo for two weeks. He wrote me a script for only enough Valium for these two weeks, then I came back. Then we did all Valium for two weeks, then I came back. Then we discussed a tentative taper plan. You can suggest frequent visits to your doctor if he's a little wary--it helps them keep an eye on you if they're nervous. Also, I think doctors in the States have a tendency to view anyone asking for Valium as being a potential drug abuser--so writing small-size scripts frequently helps them retain control of the situation.

 

I also printed out material from Ashton before I came. I printed out the page showing her credentials, plus the tapering schedule from her guide so that the doctor would have some numbers to look at and see where you get the equivalencies. I also printed out something she wrote called "Why Valium?" that describes why you switch to Valium and not another benzo (doctors in the states normally try to switch you to Klonopin, but Valium is preferable because its half-life is longer).

 

In short, three doctors said I was nuts. Then I found my current doctor, who was impressed with the research I did and agreed to try. Now that I am almost done, he has said to me that he likes this method and might use it on others who are "accidentally" chemically dependent on benzos from negligent doctors. So not all doctors are created equal.

 

Regarding exercise, a lot of people who are dependent find that vigorous exercise can increase their symptoms. But there are always exceptions. I think Patrick stayed very active during his entire taper. Most of us stick to light exercise, and it is important to get a little exercise every day. And yes, benzo w/d can affect your heart and respiratory systems. I know some people feel like they "forget" to breathe and have to tell themselves to breathe. And heart palpitations are common. These are just more w/d symptoms. If you are really concerned, get checked out by a doctor, but if your tests come back normal, you can rest assued that it's w/d.