will an anti depressant or alternative non benzo drug help

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hi there,

just wanted to know if taking an anti depressant or any non benzo anxiety drug have helped while withdrawing.

Wouldn't it make sense that those alternatives would be much easier to come off after going through the benzo withdrawals.

[Guest [ou...]]

You mentioned in another post that you had a history of seizures before you went cold turkey.

That's not a good combination.

 

There are basically 2 options depending on the severity of your symptoms;

coping with or without drugs.

 

Since I am not a doctor and I haven't been in your situation,

I can only provide information based on my research,

that you should discuss with your doctor before taking any drug.

 

Excerpts from the Ashton Manual regarding adjuncts:

 

1. There have been reports that certain anticonvulsants (e.g. gabapentin) help with anxiety in withdrawal.

However, it is not clear whether these drugs themselves cause withdrawal effects.

 

2. There is no medication which will substitute for a benzo, unless it is another benzo,

or a drug with benzodiazepine-like properties.

 

Notes on reinstatement:

 

Why are you CTing 20 mgm of valium instead of doing a proper taper? I read your intro and this is especially important since you have a history of seizures coming off other benzos.

 

IMO, you should consider reinstating, stabilizing a bit, and then doing a slow and consistent taper. Tapering is not guaranteed to take away all your symptoms, but they should be more manageable than going CT.

 

There doesn’t seem to be any scientific data to support reinstatement.

Prof. Ashton seems to believe that reinstatement is not pharmacologically rational.

However, if reinstatement is deemed necessary by your doctor,

Dr. Peart has suggested reinstating at 2mg diazepam until one feels better.

If you decide to reinstate, you could then consider reducing by .25mg every 2 weeks per Ashton's 10% 'rule'.

 

Hope this helped.

[[Ch...]]

You mentioned in another post that you had a history of seizures before you went cold turkey.

That's not a good combination.

 

There are basically 2 options depending on the severity of your symptoms;

coping with or without drugs.

 

Since I am not a doctor and I haven't been in your situation,

I can only provide information based on my research,

that you should discuss with your doctor before taking any drug.

 

Excerpts from the Ashton Manual regarding adjuncts:

 

1. There have been reports that certain anticonvulsants (e.g. gabapentin) help with anxiety in withdrawal.

However, it is not clear whether these drugs themselves cause withdrawal effects.

 

2. There is no medication which will substitute for a benzo, unless it is another benzo,

or a drug with benzodiazepine-like properties.

 

Notes on reinstatement:

 

Why are you CTing 20 mgm of valium instead of doing a proper taper? I read your intro and this is especially important since you have a history of seizures coming off other benzos.

 

IMO, you should consider reinstating, stabilizing a bit, and then doing a slow and consistent taper. Tapering is not guaranteed to take away all your symptoms, but they should be more manageable than going CT.

 

There doesn’t seem to be any scientific data to support reinstatement.

Prof. Ashton seems to believe that reinstatement is not pharmacologically rational.

However, if reinstatement is deemed necessary by your doctor,

Dr. Peart has suggested reinstating at 2mg diazepam until one feels better.

If you decide to reinstate, you could then consider reducing by .25mg every 2 weeks per Ashton's 10% 'rule'.

 

Hope this helped.

 

Outis,

 

In his introduction and in his signature, this member mentions seizures associated with c/t withdrawal from high doses of benzodiazepines.  No mention of pre-existing seizures. There is a world of difference.

 

This is where I find your tiptoeing-on-the brink-of-prescriptiveness very alarming.  Members who've been on the forum awhile can take this sort of stuff with a grain of salt, but new members are more vulnerable.

 

Open a Helpdesk ticket if you have a reply to this. 

 

Challis

[[...]]

thanks all for the well intentioned replies.