Tolerance withdrawal? Paradoxical Reaction? No Idea what to do - Advice needed

[[Fo...]]

Hi What....

Sorry no improvement yet

If you are confident to do so I would switch to valium and later restart your taper.

 

I have been slow to realise that what I thought was agitated depression was actually akathasia and I recommend you look it up on Google.  You can win!

 

Being vague and hyper at the same time is horrid

Best wishes

Dick

[[Ma...]]

I was in tolerance while tapering Ativan from the beginning til the end.

I made it. Others did, too.

 

I do not think you react paradoxical this would mean that the benzo is pushing you instead of sedating you. That happened to me under a z-drug and it s a different feeling. seems your body just has enough from the high dosages of benzo and does not react like one wants any more - this doesn't mean you are not able to taper. not at all.

 

You tried to switch to another benzo and it did not work, so I would stick to the benzo you were first on and choose the last dosage you could hold for a longer time. Then taper it - I would reduce the dosage 10% or less every month. You will not have a kind of taper in which you feel normal or stable, not much people have it anyway, but on such a high dosage it seems there is very often - no nice way to taper. BUT. You can learn to cope and just hold on. Doesn't sound nice, and I know your first thought will be "oh well but I will not be able to survive like that" - but lots of people felt like you are now, and they finished the taper. Go slowly, but do not take more. If you need more time, hold a dosage for a longer period, then continue. In the meantime learn how to cope while you feel soooooo bad.

 

I tapered only 1 mg of Ativan and needed 1,5 years and that taper (I had several meds to taper) was really challenging because it always felt like things would get worse with every day. This feeling, I know now, WAS withdrawal. It felt like panic non stop, intrusive thoughts, physical symptoms.. oh lord.

But when your body does not react any more on a benzo, like in your situation now , you dont have much a choice. You cannot updose and updose - in the end things get worse. Adding other meds is not an option either.

 

I just want to encourage you that, even when you feel you cannot do it and you are not able to make a taper with little "side effects" and instead walk right into hell, - you can do it. You can do it! I know so many people here who felt exactly like I did. You are lucky, you know the ashton protocol and that you need to go very slow - your body will profit from that, although you might first feel like you do the wrong thing. But that is only withdrawal. In the end, you will be happy.

 

Best wishes to you and all the warriors here who are still tapering!

Marigold

[[wh...]]

1) Well, technically its true, but it was NOT a hold in the sense its usually used here on BB.  My peak dosage of V was 15mg/day, and I started a C&H taper (.5mg/14 days)  Each cut was difficult, but at 9mg, it became impossible.  So I basically gave up and resigned myself to staying on benzos forever.  It was NOT an attempt to overcome the effects of tapering, it was just capitulation.  I am NOT in favor of long holds to recover from a to-fast taper.  IMO, if 7-10 days don't bring relief, then you need to updose.  And that's really what I did. I tried 3 times to go from 9mg down to 8.5mg, and each attempt was a disaster.  So I just went back to my last "comfortable" dose, and stayed there (until I learned about DLMT)

 

I wanted to take this quote from builder as a basis for what I tried today.

 

Today after more than 30 days of feeling constant overstimulation on the same dose, I tried A single updose of taking 2 tablets (54,8mg) instead of my usual 1,5 Tablets.

 

The symptoms of overstimulation mostly resolved & I felt more functional & normal than usual.

Does it mean I should now updose & taper from there?

 

Thanks

[[Fo...]]

I think the advice is if comfortable (glad about that) stay as you are for a week.

Please dont spoil your good work!!

Dickie

[[An...]]

Even tho you said the V did not work, what is the V equivalent to the amount of Flurazepam you are taking?

[[Ca...]]

Even tho you said the V did not work, what is the V equivalent to the amount of Flurazepam you are taking?

15-30 Fluraz = 10V

-as per..

 

https://www.benzo.org.uk/bzequiv.htm

 

***

Thanks Marigold,

Always nice to see your thoughts.. 

A realistic view imo, -fwiw..

 

 

[[wh...]]

1) Well, technically its true, but it was NOT a hold in the sense its usually used here on BB.  My peak dosage of V was 15mg/day, and I started a C&H taper (.5mg/14 days)  Each cut was difficult, but at 9mg, it became impossible.  So I basically gave up and resigned myself to staying on benzos forever.  It was NOT an attempt to overcome the effects of tapering, it was just capitulation.  I am NOT in favor of long holds to recover from a to-fast taper.  IMO, if 7-10 days don't bring relief, then you need to updose.  And that's really what I did. I tried 3 times to go from 9mg down to 8.5mg, and each attempt was a disaster.  So I just went back to my last "comfortable" dose, and stayed there (until I learned about DLMT)

 

I wanted to take this quote from builder as a basis for what I tried today.

 

Today after more than 30 days of feeling constant overstimulation on the same dose, I tried A single updose of taking 2 tablets (54,8mg) instead of my usual 1,5 Tablets.

 

The symptoms of overstimulation mostly resolved & I felt more functional & normal than usual.

Does it mean I should now updose & taper from there?

 

Thanks

 

OK forget about it... I only felt the Peak onset which is 2 hours for me.. it had No carryover effect the next morning even though it should due to it's Long half life. Feel too overstimulated again this morning. Paradoxical?

Will BE Back in my old Dose then and try to Figure Out how to taper again with 1/250 of my normal awareness.

[[Pl...]]

Following

 

[[wh...]]

1) Well, technically its true, but it was NOT a hold in the sense its usually used here on BB.  My peak dosage of V was 15mg/day, and I started a C&H taper (.5mg/14 days)  Each cut was difficult, but at 9mg, it became impossible.  So I basically gave up and resigned myself to staying on benzos forever.  It was NOT an attempt to overcome the effects of tapering, it was just capitulation.  I am NOT in favor of long holds to recover from a to-fast taper.  IMO, if 7-10 days don't bring relief, then you need to updose.  And that's really what I did. I tried 3 times to go from 9mg down to 8.5mg, and each attempt was a disaster.  So I just went back to my last "comfortable" dose, and stayed there (until I learned about DLMT)

 

I wanted to take this quote from builder as a basis for what I tried today.

 

Today after more than 30 days of feeling constant overstimulation on the same dose, I tried A single updose of taking 2 tablets (54,8mg) instead of my usual 1,5 Tablets.

 

The symptoms of overstimulation mostly resolved & I felt more functional & normal than usual.

Does it mean I should now updose & taper from there?

 

Thanks

 

OK forget about it... I only felt the Peak onset which is 2 hours for me.. it had No carryover effect the next morning even though it should due to it's Long half life. Feel too overstimulated again this morning. Paradoxical?

Will BE Back in my old Dose then and try to Figure Out how to taper again with 1/250 of my normal awareness.

 

Was sweating and couldn't fall asleep for more than 2 hours. This hasn't happened in 3 months...

[[wh...]]

Having sleep issues and too much

Overstimulation since I upped Dose that one day.

Any advice what to do now?