Hello, just reinstated. Need advice!

[[Ph...]]

Hi, Im new here. Been reading the site for a while and have a few questions. I'll try to keep it brief, but the gist of it is that I had been off of klonopin after a 6 week taper from about .75 mg. I ended up jumping ship at 2.5 mg of valium after a crossover. During the 5th in 6th weeks the neurological, physical and psychiatric withdraw symptoms became so bad I felt like I had to reinstate, as I was getting further and further away from that 4 week mark that was mentioned in the Ashton manual. I reinstated at 3.75mg of Valium. The 1st day or 2 when reasonably well, With many of my symptoms decreasing significantly. In fact, yesterday I felt very close to normal. Unfortunately, this morning many of the psychiatric and neurological symptoms returned. I honestly felt like I had to reinstate, and now I feel like I need to commit to it. What I'm concerned about is whether starting at such a low dose was a mistake, and if I should continue to slowly work my way up in dose until I feel more stabilized, or just jump up to a much higher dose and work from there. I have no idea what to do. Please help! Thanks

[[me...]]

Welcome to the forum! We're glad  to have you as a new member.  It sounds like you did a fast taper, and fast tapers often result in strong symptom.  Do you want to reinstate and stay on benzos, or are you planning to do another, slower taper?

 

You'll find lots of information and support here.  Our members have been through all aspects of withdrawal, and you're likely to find  people who understand what you're going through.

 

For those who are starting a new taper, we suggest reducing no faster than 5-10% every 10-14 days at first, and then adjusting the taper rate to suit your own needs.  One exception: very short-term users of a few weeks or less may be able to taper faster.  Having some withdrawal symptoms is normal, especially near the end of a taper and for a few months after discontinuing the medication.  First/only withdrawals after a slow taper tend to be easier than multiple reinstatements/withdrawals over time, which may make symptoms worse and longer lasting. The most common symptoms are anxiety and insomnia, but there are many others. 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. Section III explains and describes symptoms, and there is also a section with suggested 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!

 

 

[[Ph...]]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I did a relatively fast taper. At the time, I was primarily concerned about seizures. Everything was going 'ok' until about 4 or 5 weeks out when all of the other neuro and psych symptoms started. I was slowly becoming less and less functional. I felt like I needed to make a decesion fast as things seemed to be getting worse and I felt like I was beganning to lose my mind. Also, I remember reading about how if you reinstate, that ideally it should be in the 4 week time frame. I was getting further and further away from that point.

 

I dont want to be on these meds long term, but if i have to do a slow 6-12 month taper, than thats ok. I just want to stabilize first and Im trying to figure out the best way to do that. I have no idea what dose to start back on. Trial an error? Thanks for your help.

 

Also. To complicate matters, Im about 3 months out from being off tramadol. A hellish withdrawal im itself, and I believe some of my symptoms might be from that, especially the depression. Its hard to tell what is what at this point.

[[Ph...]]

Also, I should say that I dont really regret reinstating at this point. It was beganning to feel necessary for me to survive. I suppose that at the very least I lost 6 weeks. But this is my life and I just want to make sure I make the best moves from here on out. Like if I should gradually increase unti I feel stabelized, or just bite the bullet and make a jump back up to 10-15mg valium.. about the dose equivalent I was on originally. Im not sure it makes a difference though. Obviously the lower I jump back on, the less tapering Ill have to do, but I feel like a partial stabilization would not be helpful. Another thing that i didnt originally consider is that tramadol was acting as an nmda antagonist, making this all the more difficult. Thanks again.