Do you guys think my short taper would be the cause for my long severe syptoms

[[Tr...]]

I just realized that my taper from xanax was a dry cut and by 50%. I this did before finding benzo buddies and didn't know anything about tapering, did not find ashton manual. I was prescribed Paxil CR 25MG and Xanax 0.5 MG once a day for panic attacks/anxiety in about 2005 (that how I remembered). In approximately around 2012-2013 I was having bad crying spells, more panic attacks. Doc tried to put me on other meds like Seroquel, zoloft, some other benzo I do not remember for just a few days, but got so bad side effects so he put me back on Paxil CR 25MG and Xanax 0.5 MG but 3 times per day for xanax. It stopped the panic attacks. In 2014-2015 I noticed having probably inter dose symptoms that i didn't even know,  i would need to take the dose early than the time that i need to, for example at night around 9pm, i would need to take early like 7pm, or would need to take one for social setting, stress, i notice something is wrong and i also want to have a baby soon so i want to get off these meds. I tried to taper in 2015 paxil CR 25MG to 12.5MG for like a year. I also taper xanax 0.5 3 times per day in 2015 to 2016 to 0.25mg per day. Then around sometime in Feb 2016 I tapered the 0.25mg to 0.12mg dry cut from 0.25 mg to 0. 12 for 2 weeks the 0.12mg to 0.06 for two weeks ( i took 0.25 every morning , noon, and night ...: so I would reduce each ,"night"'"noon" and "morning" like that, took about 3-4 months) , but before this I would reduce 0.5mg to 0.25 my for one year . Paxilcr mg 25 I reduce to Paxil from 12.5 for year but I thought Paxil was not bad I jumped from 12.5. I did this before finding benzo buddies of Ashton manual. Do you think I'm kindle ?  Do you guys think my taper was quick b/c of the 50% cut, and also i jumped from paxil cr 12.5 mg. I did know how i thought paxil cr 12.5 was low. Please let me know what you think.

 

My current syptoms : severe dizziness, heavy dp/dr, frequen panic attacks, headaches/head pressures, exhausted, chest pains. my most worse syptoms are dizziness , dp/dr, and panic attacks.

 

 

Tracy

[[Ma...]]

It can be. I think this is my problem too. I was on short time a low dosage but i tapper just 7 days and I do think that is reason for my very bad WD.

[[pa...]]

I'm sure it is.  I had a very short taper, 5 days and everyone tells me that was an extremely short taper.  I am currently 8 1/2 months off Xanax and still coping with withdrawal symptoms especially anxiety.

[[Ch...]]

It's impossible to know, Tracy.  I did a very reasonable taper from Xanax (with one bad cut near the end/reinstated and finished tapering to .0625mg) and still had lasting symptoms.

 

The important thing is that you have a lot of healing time under your belt at this point, even if it doesn't feel like it.  Personally, I would look for ways to continue to cope while healing is taking place.  Reinstating and tapering again is something most people regret.

 

You asked if you kindled.  Probably, but most of us who are here because tapering and recovery were so difficult for us do have some degree of kindling.  It is what it is… healing still happens, the symptoms are just more difficult.

 

[[Ma...]]

I have found a really great neurologist with whom I am working now----I started tapering off clonazepam, after having taken 2 mg per day for over 8 years--bad decision--

and I went from 2 mg to zero in about three months.  I thought maybe it was too fast as I now after 18  weeks at zero have vertigo that is horrible and has destroyed my life basically---I am trying to get through this.  I have had an MRI and am doing physical therapy not knowing if it will help.  I asked the neurologist if the fast taper could have caused such horrible vertigo and she says that even if I had tapered more slowly, I still would probably have had bad symptoms because once my body had become used to the clonazepam, taking it away caused my body to horribly react and have these issues---and tapering more slowing would most likely not have been any better---this is the hardest thing I have ever done and daily I don't think I will survive--I am only going forward because of the support of the neurologist, my regular doctor who unlike a lot of doctors totally gets benzo drug withdrawal as well as a physical therapist who is trying to help me and won't give up.  It is almost impossible to get through every day but at this point I have no other choice and I would never ever in any way take a benzo drug again for any reason. 

[[ed...]]

I thought maybe it was too fast as I now after 18  weeks at zero have vertigo

that is horrible and has destroyed my life basically---

[in signature:] ...we agreed I should go off of this. I started around May 21--2.0/1.5

for  24 days--1.5 for 12 days--1.0 for 29 day--then 20 days at 1.0/.5--then

on Aug 21--ZERO-- my doctor is really good at this--he has worked with me

all this time--but he cannot help with what is going to happen.

Maricopa:

0.5mg of K is a small number, but it's equivalent to 8-10mg of Valium.

You indicate that a benzowise doctor knew when you started the "taper"; but it

was not a real taper, and you jumped to soon. A safe taper takes a very long time.

 

Steps down should be 10pct, even at lower doses; but your steps were 25,33,50,100.

Your benzodoc might want to learn about this and inform your neurologist

that taper steps and times are the key to avoiding long disability.

[[Te...]]

Edouard,

On another thread I posted about my too short taper, 4-5 weeks coming off 1 to 1.5 mg (inconsistent, at the end) of Klonopin. I didn't know it then, but I was already in tolerance withdrawal. I had quit alcohol about a month and a half before. I wish I had the luxury of a longer taper, but I had severe gastroparesis, nausea, weight loss, an ulcer, gastritis, reflux and diarrhea. The nausea and gastroparesis resolved within a month. The rest I'm still dealing with. I was given gabapentin to ease withdrawal, and I'm withdrawing from that too. Can you say "kindling"? Anyway, we don't always have the luxury of a longer taper, even if it's optimal.

[[Ma...]]

Thanksk Edouard for your input----I know for sure that my doc and my neurologist know exactly what they are doing and my doc has followed me very closely through all of these steps and my neurologist is a newer addition to my team but she has years of experience with benzos as well-----it is a horrible experience and they know it--but both of them and my physical therapist have all told me that I simply was on clonazepam for way too long---2 mg a day which is a lot as I now know----and it wreaked havoc on my body and now that I don't have it in my body these are the results-----I have to think that each day with no more in my body represents healing----I am doing everything possible to exercise and I do that alot----to eat right----to read, to do puzzles, music also plays a big role in healing-----I know I am lucky to have professionals who are very experienced and who are taking care of me the best way they can----very very lucky. 

[[La...]]

MaricopaMom, I think you're very lucky too! It sounds like you have great medical support, and very few around here too. I love the fact that your physical therapist "won't give up". Excellent! That's exactly what you need! Clonazepam/Klonopin is a strong medication, and like all the other benzos, acts as a "vestibular suppressant". Taking a vestibular suppressant for more than a few days can affect the vestibular system. I'm in the same boat as you are with terrible disequilibrium/dizziness, as are many others. Just keep up the exercise, stay strong and stay positive. You're doing all the right things.

[[Da...]]

Hi TracyNGLE, I have often wondered the same thing about my own WD I am now at 13 months. It is difficult to get through the holidays with all these problems, I have not seen a lot of my family until now and I find it difficult. I guess at the end of the day it does not matter what I did to get here, I cannot go back and change anything, so I have kind of let that go and just focus on getting through today and then tomorrow etc. It is just a matter of time now until I heal.

[[La...]]

I agree. Once you're done with the taper, it's best to put it behind you and move forward. None of us can know whether things would have been different for us had we tapered in a different way. Some cross over to diazepam, some don't. Some do micro-tapers, others don't. Some use liquid, others don't. The possibilities are many. I think it's crazy-making to spend a lot of time thinking about how to re-do something we cannot re-do.

 

I'd say focus on the here and now, and how to get through it the best you can. Take the best care of yourself that you can, and be kind to yourself.