The Easier Taper Support Group

[[...]]

Here is a good analogy;

 

A heroin addict lies in bed in withdraw.

Aching sweating and feeling like death.

He can hardly move the symptoms are so intense.

 

He gets a call on his mobile from his dealer to say he has heroin.

The addict leaps out of bed, gets dressed in seconds and runs down the street to score.

 

We mainly are not addicts. We were put on this stuff by Dr's.

But the same can happen.

People on this site report not being able to get out of bed for months due to symptoms.

 

I can appreciate their suffering it must be hell.

However I choose to get up and engage with life despite withdrawal.

 

Distraction from symptoms is my key to a manageable taper

Gardening

Painting watercolours

Cooking

Decorating

Walking and more walking

Sitting in front of light box on dull days

Meditating daily

Getting out and socialising.

Talking to other people gets me out of my own head and thoughts

 

Mostly and very importantly I avoid sitting and thinking about my symptoms!!!

 

[[ly...]]

 

 

I agree with jp 100%.  People handle crisis differently.  There is an entire spectrum from terror and panic to acceptance and optimism.  This difference is key.

[[fi...]]

My taper has definitely got easier at lower doses.

My physical symptoms have all but disappeared.

 

Mindfulness is my go to method on a daily basis to help overcome any anxiety. Acceptance of symptoms rather than fighting them.

 

I walk minimum 5 miles every day and have done so every day of my taper.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Great thread keep it going.

👍

 

 

Thank you for this!!!!

[[Ma...]]

My mornings. Wake up. Have half cup of coffee ,read horror stories on BB and have a fearful day.

 

This stopped today with the help of this thread and a therapy visit yesterday.  Therapist said.  every morning declare your emotional intention for the day.  Do whatever it takes to carry out that positive intention.

[[ly...]]

 

 

Yes, it's very important to "check yourself" when surfing BB.  Try to find supportive, encouraging and, yes(!), uplifting places to hang out.  I've been fortunate and have found a wonderful Buddie Blog with a terrific group of friends.  They welcomed me with open arms 5 or 6 months ago.  I hang there.

[[fi...]]

This thread and Magnolis's are where I plan to spend the bulk of my time from here on out - Reality is I feel GOOD - the sxs I have are so mild - and the anxiety I have, I don't even think is a symptom - I think its anxiety over what is to come - not that chemical terror I had when I tapered far too quickly - I am making a decision here to lean into it all, accept it and have a positive experience

 

It may get rough - I know - but why waste my energy on that now when for the most part - I feel well today.....

 

I think when we can exercise it does help SO much - When i was off last time - I didn't know it was withdrawal - I had tapered as My Dr told me (25% cut, hold for 3 weeks, %36 cut, hold for 3 weeks, 50% cut, hold for three weeks - then last cut zig zag every other day for 3 weeks) - 3 weeks POST my last dose - the sxs hit me like a truck - I had every symptom - but I didn't know what any of it was bc I had never researched - I just trusted my Dr - The cognitive issues were so bad that I wasnt able to realize it was the withdrawal - I spent 15 or 20K in Dr bills over the next 2 1/2 months - no one could tell me what was wrong with me and no one really understood just how bad i was on the inside - bc I couldnt articulate much - I was diagnosed with 3 auto immune, told I was nose diving into menopause (Dr told me this without even doing blood work) - etc - It wasnt until I ended up in the ER with sky high blood pressures and as I left the Dr gave me Ativan and said "This will help the BP Medicine and you seen pretty anxious" - I still never mentioned the taper to her bc I thought it was a moot point - I had been off the drug for 3 months.......I took it and EVERY SYMPTOM VANISHED - Anyway - my point here is that the one thing I did do during all of it - was exercise and I think it kept me alive.......

 

I am bound and determined to stay positive this time, go MUCH slower (I'm tapering 4.6% this next month and then 2.3% the following months) and get through this with a positive attitude - After all I didn't even know what was happening to me last time and while it was the worst thing I've ever been though I did survive and this time I have knowledge -

 

Thank you all for listening, reading and supporting - I'm here for anyone and will work on staying positive every day - No reason NOT TO at this point!

 

Sorry for typo's - on my PHONE!!

[[ed...]]

Dear Fight,

 

I love your post and I love your attitude! Keep it up! 

 

Best,

Ed

[[fi...]]

Dear Fight,

 

I love your post and I love your attitude! Keep it up! 

 

Best,

Ed

 

Thank you Ed!! :smitten:

[[...]]

I'd say most people who don't have issues never even bother to think of a support group. Definitely sample bias going on here.

Edzo

Glad to see you have changed your mind about this thread👍

 

Thanks everyone for your comments on my post.

It is nice to have this thread.

 

[[Le...]]

Wow!!!!! I needed to read this soooooooooooo much1!

[[...]]

Hi Lemondrop

I have read your other threads.

I think it is very likely that you are getting withdrawal sxs on the day you don't take Ativan.

Others have suggested this too.

 

I had interdose withdrawal on Ativan.

That's why I switched to Valium. I immeadiately lost the interdose anxiety.

I think you may wel feel better if you could spread your dose and take it every day.

Then get stable and withdraw from there.

 

[[Le...]]

JP,

 

Thanks for responding. I know I have to make some decisions.  I am trying to gather information.  And calm myself down as I am terribly upset. I am trying to figure out a plan that I can understand. The calculations are very hard for me to wrap my head around.  And changing to valium is not an option for me.  My doc thinks I should take more not less. 

 

It is hard for me to commit to something if I don't fully understand the process.  And I am trying to ask good questions and get answers.

[[ly...]]

 

 

Lemondrop,

 

I read some of your posts.  Did you try doing .5mg every day?

[[fi...]]

LemonDrop - I have been on this board for over a month doing nothing but asking questions about tapering - For a year before I joined I stalked as well.......I have PM'd some of the people on this board so much, I'm surprised they haven't blocked me - I have STALKED this place and some of these sweet kind people - bc I knew I didn't have another failed taper in me........and I was SO foggy that I couldnt understand - seriously - not sure I do now - at least the calculations -

 

and so I got STABLE and am still working on my PLAN - I'm holding before I start my Daily Liquid Micro Taper which has taken me 30 days of asking, posting, researching to actually understand......now I have it in writing and I'm just staring at it and still asking questions before I actually begin - But I do believe you need to get stable........THEN do your homework - If you aren't stable you can't think clearly......at least I can't/couldn't

 

Hope that helps and doesn't sound preachy!

 

You will be ok!

[[Le...]]

Thank you...... I needed that!

[[fi...]]

[[Ma...]]

Hi all! I signed up here on Feb 2016. From all I read about benzos I figured I was in for a road to hell and back. I wanted to meticulously plan out my taper plan. I wanted to get support set up for what was about to come. I had been on 2mg of Klonopin (clonazepam) for 6 years. I had a sudden move happen in March so I put off my taper plan until things settled down.

 

I started seeing a new internal medicine doctor after my move. He told me that in his experience most people don't have much of a problem coming off benzos, though some people have a really hard time. He wanted me to go from 2mg a day to 1mg a day. I thought "whoa from what I have read this guy is nuts and he doesn't know what he is talking about." I figured lets try it, I live across the street from my doctors office and a hospital, if things get bad I will just walk over there and ask for help.

 

The first 10 days of going from 2mg to 1mg I had increased anxiety. I was just constantly worrying about what was going to hit me. Then one day I realized I was doing it to myself. I changed my thinking and for the next two months I really had no problems. Anxiety didn't increase. I didn't have any sleep problems. I think my CBT I did with a therapist for 14 months worked well for me.

 

Month three at 1mg a day my anxiety started to creep back up and I though oh this has been too good to be true. Went back to the doctor. We went over my antidepressant history and I told him I really didn't think the Zoloft (sertraline HCI) was doing much for my panic disorder. He switched me over to Paxil (paroxetine) which I had taken about six years ago and it worked pretty well for a few years before it seemed to stop working. He wanted me to stay at 1mg of klonopin until the med switch worked itself out.

 

Month four my switch from Zoloft to Paxil has smoothed out. I am sleeping a lot. I don't remember this happening when I was on Paxil before. Part of me thinks "could the klonopin have caused insomnia?" I just made a post about it here today. After all I have read I keep thinking to myself 'Why am I sleeping so much? This shouldn't be happening."

 

Two weeks ago I had to go pick up a prescription. The hospital across the street has a pharmacy which is a blessing for someone with Agoraphobia. Even that walk across the street and through the huge parking lot has set off my agoraphobia more than once since I moved here. This time was different though. Zero anxiety, zero panic, and zero urge to run back home. This got me wondering "Why am I not freaking out?" Then I start to wonder if my Klonopin could have been causing anxiety this whole time? Is the Paxil really working that well? I should probably stop questioning it and just enjoy it. But hey, worry is my middle name.

 

Four days ago I went back to my doctor. We both agree we are going to try to go from 1mg a day to 0.5mg a day. Again part of me thinks this is way too fast and way too big of a jump. But I did pretty awesome with the 2mg to 1mg jump. If things go bad he says we will just go back up to 1mg and make a new plan. Part of me thinks this will go awesome. Part of me thinks hell is about to hit me. I am just going to take it one day at a time and listen to my body.

 

I have thought about this site a lot the last four months and I have been scared to post. So many people are suffering through so much here. I didn't want to think I am belittling them with my story. I don't want people to hate me because it has been easy for me. I don't know if they will inspire anyone. Maybe if you are new here you will win the benzo withdrawal lotto like I did and not have much of a hard time with it.

[[Ma...]]

Mavanis,

 

Thank You, Thank You,  ;)Thank You. 

 

Please keep us posted  We need posts like yours  (so Much) on this forum. : 

 

The suffering we read here daily  is unfathomable.

But that cannot be 100% of the benzo taperers.

There are more lucky people out there like you.  We need them to post on this thread.

 

It can make all the difference.

[[ed...]]

Mavanis,

 

It's great that you've had such a reasonable taper!  Thank you for not only posting, but working up the courage to do so. 

 

All the best,

Ed

[[...]]

Below is paragraph from the Ashton Manual,

Quote

Thus there are good reasons for long-term users to stop their benzodiazepines if they feel unhappy about the medication. Many people are frightened of withdrawal, but reports of having to "go through hell" can be greatly exaggerated. With a sufficiently gradual and individualised tapering schedule, as outlined below, withdrawal can be quite tolerable, even easy, especially when the user understands the cause and nature of any symptoms that do arise and is therefore not afraid. Many "withdrawal symptoms" are simply due to fear of withdrawal (or even fear of that fear). People who have had bad experiences have usually been withdrawn too quickly (often by doctors!) and without any explanation of the symptoms. At the other extreme, some people can stop their benzodiazepines with no symptoms at all: according to some authorities, this figure may be as high as 50% even after a year of chronic usage. Even if this figure is correct (which is arguable) it is unwise to stop benzodiazepines suddenly. End quote......

 

Welcome Mavanis.

Great news fingers crossed that you are one of the lucky ones.

You should have no guilt posting👍

 

Above post pretty much covers why some suffer and others do not.

I get what I would describe as benzo related neuro emotions.

 

As I have said before my taper has not been sxs free.

But at lower dose (currently 2.2 mgs Valium) I feel so much better than earlier in my taper.

 

Sometimes I just feel plain unwell and get the "what if thoughts"

At this point I have pretty much worked out that I need to do one of two things.

Rather than dwell on emotion which is being caused by my brain rewiring and going it a spiral of fear thoughts.

1. mindfulness meditation

2. Do something to distract myself from how I feel

 

This morning had a couple of what if thoughts.

Home alone!

 

Went into city with 12 other artists and did an oil painting.

Had lunch with above and at one point had a deep long belly laugh which felt better than any drug.

During this 4 hours I did not have one single thought about myself.

I felt entirely normal😳

 

[[Ma...]]

This post is a gift from you to me.  Thankyou

[[...]]

:thumbsup:

 

[[fi...]]

JP - thank you for the post! - the Ashton Quote!!

 

 

[[...]]

No problem😀

Maybe worth saying that if you Google Ashton Manual it is available free online.

It is well worth a read, from start to finish.

 

It is accepted that her taper rates were a little aggressive.

She does say though at the beginning of the Manual that taper rate should be patient led.

 

[[fi...]]

I have it (Ashton) - of course, I was just focusing on the negative - Bc I did get off and then reinstated - I'm terrified of a worse outcome this time - AKA.... Kindling - but I'm trying to stay positive.........the brain is a powerful thing - Healing thoughts and a great attitude - My husband lives his life this way - always has - he has the most insane luck of anyone I know........i watch it work in his life every single day.......

 

the symptoms i have today are mild - I'm FINE