Over 60 help and support.

[[or...]]

Has anyone tried medicinal cannabis to help with symptoms and sleep?

 

Yes quite a few of us have. I used it during my taper and it helped a lot -- with sleep. Nothing helped with s/x, but you might find it helpful there, too.

 

Aslong as you start small, I think it should be fine. Di yu have a card? Do you intend to use edibles,  or . . .? I made a tincture of an indica (THC). It was a little bit of trouble, but I researched the strains and got exactly what I needed. Some people find CBD to he helpful, but it never helped me. But everyone's different. You could hop over to the marijuana thread and do some reading there. Oh, the indica tincture I made helped a lot with nausea, too. I was so sick I lost a ton of weight. (I can send you my "recipe" if you like. As I said, it's a bit of trouble, though. Kind of like a chemistry experiment  ).

 

Hang in there, sunlit. Wow, dropping down from 5 mg once per week to .9 mgs a day must have been quite a shock to your system. You're one brave gal.

 

Best to you,

 

Katz

[[su...]]

Hey Katz, thanks. Do you think the drop is too radical. I couldn't work out what I should take and didn't want to take too much. It takes such a long time to get off. I'm afraid to tell hubby as he is going to think I'm really mad for taking it up again. I live in Australia and cannabis is difficult to get. You have to see your Doctor and then jump through a lot of hoops. They only have CBD isolate as far as I know which may not help and it is hundreds of dollars. The medical system here is pretty tyrannical. Can't get a lot of stuff here that you have in the USA, if that is where you are. Can't even get melatonin without a script and it is expensive so I get from iherb for next to nothing. Strange old world. If you have any suggestions please feel free to tell me. I am quite fearful of this messing with my brain. I also got sick with gadolinium poisoning from the MRI contrast. These can have lasting effects so I will never have another contrast again. Had 4 or 5 so far with contrast and so I think it has built up. Can't afford to be sick in this society and the medical system doesn't give a shit.

Sorry to sound so dramatic and depressing but this is hard going and I do really need lots of support. My hubby works away most of the time so I am on my own. Trouble is if you are really sick you just can't go out anywhere.

[[su...]]

Hi Katz again. The drop from 5mg per week to 0.9 per day works out to 6.3mg per week

 

Jan

[[or...]]

Jan, thanks for the math. I am a math idiot. 

 

I guess the main thing here is how you feel. As I understand it, your biggest s/x is nausea and weight loss. Hmm. Let me think of some other things I did before I discovered marijuana. Bummer that you can't get it in your country.

 

I suppose it's possible you might have to updose . . . but I'd ride this out for a bit. Your body probably needs to get used to daily dosing as opposed to weekly dosing. That's a new one on me!

 

Are you dry cutting? What is your reduction rate? You might consider a daily liquid microtaper. That made things easier for me -- reducing a tiny bit every day.

 

Keep posting, sun. We'll all try to help.

 

Katz

 

[[su...]]

Thanks Katz

 

I was able to get a liquid valium called diazapam elixir. So basically liquid valium equal to 1 mg = 1ml  solution. So I use a small syringe to measure out 0.9 and add it to a small amount of water and drink that. I also use a lot of magnesium (have for years) to help with relaxation etc. I am going to try L-Theanine to see if that helps calm the brain down. I have a very understanding holistic doctor so am lucky there. But he does not really know anything about getting off valium. Most of my help now and in the past has been Benzo Buddies. I think my main problem with w/ds was/is that I have not been consistent. Trying to go down too fast. I probably should have started at 1/4 of a tablet then taken it down from there. I do not want to up dose now, I will see if I can ride it out. When this all started I didn't realize it was the valium and I was getting woken up in the night with racing and pounding heart. So I asked my Doc for some beta blocker which is helping to calm everything down. This is only temporary and I will wean off that eventually. I already have a blood pressure problem - don't know why. Probably stress and overstimulation or something. I think my body is consistently in sympathetic mode. I also get diverticulitis and my right kidney has a kink in the ureter which causes infections, so my poor old gut doesn't get a chance to heal and I end up with all the bad bacteria there from the antibiotics. Need something more natural. I only weigh 45kg at the moment.

 

Jan

[[or...]]

sungirl, I have a little GERD. Probably gi distress left over from my taper. I drink alo juice. What a difference that has made! If you like I can send you the link to the amazon product.

 

Also, I drank a ton of ginger tea on my taper. It really helped with the nausea.

 

And as corny as it sounds, there's an acupressure product called Seabands (purchase from amazon also) that you wear on your wrists. They press on the trigger points for nausea and help keep it under control. They worked for me when I was at my worst!

 

I'll try to remember other things that worked for me. It was sure a miserable long slog. So glad it's over!

 

Katz

 

 

[[Ba...]]

I don't think can do this any more.  My body is just disintegrating in so many ways.

I posted over in sustitution tapers will see if anyone had ideas.  I just am so stuck and what I am doing, have done for years now not working.  Open to all ideas, experimental, way out there, whatever.  thx.

[[su...]]

Hi Katz

 

I am having trouble holding this 0.9mg. Some days are good and then I have a really bad night. General anxiety and some waves during the day. I was thinking of doing a weekly taper of 0.05 to see if this is better than trying to hold for 2 or 3 weeks. As I already have this liquid valium premixed I just put into water and drink. What do you think of daily tapering at 0.01 a day? I think I hit tolerance quite quickly. This is harder than when I went through it in 2011. Should never have used again, but then I had nothing for pain as pain meds don't work for my condition, whatever that is. Seems like no one can diagnose me with anything. Was thinking that maybe the vagus nerve is damaged and I get all this pain on the left side of neck, shoulders and chest. Have had this now for about 12 years. I think one of the chiropractors I went to was over zealous and did some damage. Lost my left jugular vein from this. Yes it disappeared. This was while I was in a lot of stress and going through menopause as well. I wonder if natural bio-identical progesterone would help me relax?

Jan

[[or...]]

What do you think of daily tapering at 0.01 a day?

 

I think that's very reasonable, sunlit. That was my taper rate when I got to the low numbers. Worked out fine.

 

Katz

[[or...]]

Barbara, you asked for radical ideas . . . well, here's mine.

 

I think it's way too hard to taper klon and valium at the same time. I've even forgotten why you are on both.

 

Why not roll them both into either klonopin or valium? Figure out the equivalency and combine both doses into one benzo. Will you feel better? Who knows? My choice would be valium.

 

Then, that ambien. Is it really helping you sleep? If not, why not figure out the equivalent valium dose and add it? That way, you'd be only tapering one drug -- valium.

 

I sure can't tell you what to do, but if it were me, I'd be up for making my life simple and doing something like what I've suggested. That might even get you unstuck.

 

Good luck.

 

Katz

[[pa...]]

I am 68 and recovering from 30 years of Klonopin

 

[[...]]

paw51,

 

I am so glad that you made it off the Klonopin. 30 years is a long time to be on it. I have been on over 20 years minus 4 months due to C/T.  How are you feeling? It gives me hope that I will hopefully be close to off at that age. I am 65 now. Anyway, welcome to the 60 and over group! There are many of us and many here have gotten off and are doing good.

[[su...]]

Doesn't seem to be many posts on this support group. I think it is harder for us oldsters as we may have other health issues to deal with as well. Thanks all for contributions

 

Jan

[[Ba...]]

Jan,

 

agree with you it is harder on oldsters.  Our health and stamina is just not the same as younger folks.  Sure wish had know about this, uh, decades ago... when nobody talked about it.  Could have avoided this entirely.  I know because at one point I did decide to taper off and did it ok... but was lethargic, blah, got back on.  That was before these boards and stuff.

 

And, of course, much harder now and all kinds of symptoms did not have then.  ack

[[CA...]]

Somewhere I read that it's not really harder on oldsters, but perhaps easier. Truthfully, I think we're tougher than the younger generation. I wish I could remember exactly what was posted.  I'm 70 and was on my benzo for 20 years and am still tapering. I think I'm doing pretty well with more good days than bad.  I keep physically busy, i.e. power washing house and whatever else that needs it, push mowing and lots of yard work (never ending), housework (also never ending), many other physical activities to help keep my mind off of what's going on in my body, and  walk two or three miles almost every day.  I live alone, so I don't have any support whatsoever except for benzo buddies, but I'm okay with that.

 

We all have different stories, some much more intent than others, but I think we all can do this.  I'm so ready to be totally off this poison. 

 

Cheers!

[[Fi...]]

I don't want to think that it's harder.  I was always healthy before meds in my mid 50s and even though I'm 60 and feeling withdrawal, I don't want to imagine I cant be med free and healthy again.  I'm scared and sad that I'm on this med again but i do have hope i will get off.

[[es...]]

Thank you, Final healing, for your post about healing. It was so encouraging to read that my healing did not depend on being able to do what I cannot do now. I would like to do all the good things like exercise,  but I am just barely surviving now and have been since I began this process. Esperanza

[[...]]

From reading all of the posts here, it is reaffirming to me that we are very resilient. Yes, we may have other health issues that we didn't have when younger, but we just keep trying and will succeed!

We are a lot tougher than most of the younger generation. We are survivalists! We also have more patience which this requires. A Lot.

I have been listening to Woodstock on Sirius XM. I can't believe it has been 50 years! Unfortunately, I couldn't go, but I was 15 and lived in Hawaii at the time. My father used to just shake his head when I mentioned wanting to go! Poor man! LOL!

I think if we take our time and let our brains heal according to our taper rate, we will be fine. It may take a long time and I am speaking for myself, but that is alright. I want to be Benzo free and I will!

We all will!

 

[[...]]

I don't want to think that it's harder.  I was always healthy before meds in my mid 50s and even though I'm 60 not and feeling withdrawal, I don't want to imagine i cant be med free and healthy again.  I'm scared and sad that I'm on this med again but i do have hope i will get off.

 

FH,

We don't have to think it is harder. I too, was very healthy before I was put on this drug at 44 for no good reason. Anger arising. .  We can imagine being med free and healthy. The only thing that I really have to worry about is my stomach, as I have had 2 gastric ulcers, which run in my  family. I have to be careful with what I eat, stress etc. Withdrawal does put a big stress on the body, but if we take it easy with the taper, we can minimize it. I have stress in my life. Not bad stress, but my Mom is 91 and I had to move her to an Independent Living Facility back in Feb. It was time to move her from her home 3 hours away. I was going non-stop from last Oct-May, when I got her house sold. That was a lot of stress. Now, she is 20 minutes away and I take her shopping, hair appt. etc. I love having her up here with me. It seems like I am on the road a lot, but the drive is not bad. My husband is retired, so he stays busy with projects, but needs my attention also. I don't have a lot of me time, which I need. I have to be able to function and want to. There are days when I don't know how I am going to get through them, but I always do.

I feel sad at times that I am still on this drug, but the C/T almost killed me. I am hopeful because I didn't think anyone would attempt to come off at our age and there are a lot of us!

Just know that you will make it off in the time that is meant for you!

[[bo...]]

Hi everyone

I’ve been off for a while , but experience, horrible so at the moment in a real wave. Hard to sleep and when I do dreaming vividly .. last night experienced sleep paralysis which was a horrific experience.. not much one can do about it but so wish this was all over ! Hang in there everyone .. bozo

[[Ba...]]

Ys have seen someone post they think it is easier older.

For me that is totally not true.

 

Today was a day could hardly get out of bed what with fatigue and and no sleep.  Years of this withdrawal affect all of my body.

 

And actually taking the drug for decades, I was ok on it.  I have felt like this since the mirtazqpine/  zithromax.  I don't know what did what.

 

But it is in withdrawal I am a mess... not while on the benzos, if that makes sense.  But the mirtaz seemed to make me feel very immediately ill.

 

I realize some people the benzos made them feel immediately ill-- and knew they had to get off it.

 

Just saying in my case I felt that with mirtazapine... as if it were toxic to me.

[[Ba...]]

Bozo, you are feeling this way and you are off???  wah.

 

Sorry about that.  Is it as bad as when you tapered?

[[su...]]

Thanks all. I have been having the occassional good day and think I am getting better. The trouble is I have been poison by the MRIcontrast so I don't know what's doing what. I don't have good genetics and I have other health problems, even though I eat no processed food, all home made and cooked. I am a stressful person and can get nervy very easily. So I guess this is doubley hard for me. But I did have a good day on Sunday and a good sleep Saturday. I don't truly know what is waking me at night, feels like am adrenal rush and then I get pain in my body. I think I am stuck in sympathetic mode. Anyway, the fact that I am some good days brings hope. The nausea is a lot better. If anyone here has to have an MRI, PLEASE don't have the contrast, it is toxic.

 

Thanks everyone, will keep you posted. Down to 0.79 mg valium now.

 

Jan

[[Li...]]

Hello, sungirl.  I’m sorry to learn about your negative experience with an MRI contrast agent.  FYI  Lapis2 and I recently discussed this issue on the Benzos in the News board.  She shared the latest guidelines from Canada and I shared those from the U.S.  Here’s the name of the thread and a link:

 

Drug given to enhance MRI images under scrutiny over side-effects

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=227163.0

[[su...]]

Well I am feeling nasty again. Had some good days last week. I am down to 0.8 now but had to take antibiotics for kidney infection. Hope this is not interfering with taper. Feel really anxious and get woken up at night with waves and then heart pounding. The days are awful. Don't know how long I can put up with this. Hard to be in a social situation. I have a birthday to go to tomorrow and feel nervous about that. Don't know what to do with myself. Agitation is really what I feel at the moment. Has anyone else had antibiotics here affect them. Took Augment at first but that didn't work, so now taking macrodantin. I don't want to end up in hospital with all this going on, feel all too much. This is all too much for me as I have had other health issues and now this on top. I all happened so suddenly after getting MRI.

 

Jan