Help for Cancer Fighting Mother

[[Be...]]

I am looking for assistance with getting my mother tapered off of benzos after chemo and radiation for oral cancer. Her treatment was torture and she was prescribed Xanax, Ativan, and Haldol at different times during her treatment for different things. She starting suffering from full body tremors very soon after stopping her medications not knowing that she should not stop cold turkey. She does not sleep at all without taking 0.5 mg of Xanax and that only last about 4 hours. Talking to the doctors but thought I would get as much knowledge as possible from people who have been there. Need help! Thank you!

[[me...]]

Welcome to the forum!  We're glad to have you as a new member.  I'm so sorry your mother has gone through all this, and she is lucky to have you helping her through all this.

 

You'll find plenty of information and support here.  Our members have gone through all aspects of withdrawal, and you're likely to see  people who understand what you're going through and can tell you what has worked for them.  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.  Having some withdrawal symptoms is normal, especially near the end of a taper and for a month or so after discontinuing the medication.  The most common symptoms are anxiety and insomnia, but these are temporary and will go away in time.

 

Here are a few links you may find useful:

 

Withdrawal Support Board

 

The Ashton Manual is an authoritative source on what to expect in withdrawal and recovery.  Dr. Ashton is an expert in the field.  She describes and explains withdrawal symptoms in Chapter III, and there is also a section with withdrawal/taper schedules.

 

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

 

Again, welcome!