Greetings fellow warriors

[[ha...]]

Hi to whomever reads this.

Im glad i found this forum.

I am not British, North American or European - the relevance of offering up this info is this - scouring the 'net'(in the good old company of 'critical thinking'), i am horrified at the arrogance and ignorance of this branch of 'medicine' we collectively know as psychiatry, or rather the psychiatric preparations that we pay out our butts for - these unsustainable psychoactive drugs.

Im in a country in 'transition' - a mix of the 'haves' and the 'have not's.

Im here because im sick of the amounts of money i have paid for the pleasure of being patronised by borderline sociopaths.Arrogant shlubs who pride themselves on how quick they

get one off these awful awful drugs.There has been irony at every turn - regarding the drugs and those peddling them.

As are all your stories, mine it long and painful.

I was on alprazolam 6mg a day - so, 2mg three times a day.

My reasons for coming off are obvious - you either increase your dose, or you remain at a certain dose to stave off aggressive withdrawal - think the 'bank scene' in 'leaving Las Vegas'.

Im on a host of other drugs.

One drug at a time, hey.

Without the assistance(well, that is true up until a week ago.i will explain in a moment) of any other benzo, on a slow - 'self-taylored' taper over several months. I am down to 0.65mg taken 3 times a day.

the closer to the end, the harder the withdrawal becomes.

The last two weeks have been violent panic attacks - no sleep.12 hour attacks.i lose control of my bowels and bladder.frozen in place(sorry, screw using caps.it breaks my rhythm...forgive me if this bothers you).i have attacks since i was a very young child.at 9yr old, i was on prozac.

okay, before this turns into a memoir length message - i want to know if anyone has started the schedule 1 of the ashton manual at a later stage - example - stage 9.it would be so demoralising to go back to 6mg again and then slowly substitute with valium.

what should i do?

i know it seems crazy...silly to start substituting this late in the game, but trust me ladies and gentlemen, i was very close to waving bye-bye to life.

these several months of withdrawal have been hell - but, im preaching to the choir, am i not?

i need to do this - withdrawal has gotten worse the closer i have gotten to the end - the more intolerable things have become.

living on the edge of an endless hungry chasm.

so, how shall i precede?

can one start at a later stage in the schedule 1 (substitution from alprazolam to diazepam.)?

sh@t......is this too long?

im not a spammer!

what?

i have never joined an internet forum?

if i click 'create ticket', will i lose the introduction?

[Guest [Le...]]

Hello, Hank  - welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

Congratulations on your decision to come off of alprazolam, and well done on tapering down so much already. The side effects you are having are typical and will ease up in time, although you may be able to reduce them with a more gradual reduction - but you've definitely come to the right place for support while you plan a more comfortable taper. 

 

I'm so glad you decided to join the forum - you'll find plenty of information and support here. Our members have gone through all aspects of benzodiazepine use and withdrawal, so you'll be able to connect with others who understand what you're going through and can tell you what has worked for them.

 

Please feel free to post your questions (from above) to any of the specialized boards, which can all be accessed from the BenzoBuddies Community Forum homepage. Based on the information provided in your introduction, the following link may be a good starting place for you.

 

  General Taper Plans

  Withdrawal Support During Your Taper

 

When you have a chance, we highly recommend that you take a look at The Ashton Manual, which is an authoritative source on what to expect during withdrawal and recovery, authored by Dr Heather Ashton, who is an expert in the field. It provides a great deal of information that can be very reassuring during any stage of this process, including a list of common symptoms with helpful explanations.

 

For those who are currently tapering, we suggest reducing no faster than 5-10% every 10-14 days, and some taper even slower than that. One exception: very short-term users of a few weeks or less may be able to taper faster than that. 

 

Please take the time to Create a Signature. This will allow members to see where you are in the process, so that they can better support you.

 

Again, welcome!

Leslie 

[[Ge...]]

Of course you can.. I went from Xanax to Ativan to Valium.. def helps with sleep and interdose withdrawl.  I am taking propranolol for the daytime anxiety.  Good luck and welcome.