The Long Hold Support Group

[[ly...]]

My theory about the intake of Carbs, Our Brain is comprised of Glucose to keep it going, and when we are going through wd things get wonky up there and it needs more Carbs to sustain itself...that is just what I think. and those who may suffer more are deleting too much from their diet.

 

Agree on the brain needing glucose during wd.  I read an article where benzo wd was compared to traumatic brain injury (due to both having a huge release of glutamate).  It was stated that brain injury patients are transfused huge amounts of glucose/fructose as it inhibits release of glutamate or processesit(?).  This is one of the reasons that I think those who advise limiting sugar/carbs during wd are dead wrong.

 

I think my craving was my brain requiring it.

[[be...]]

My theory about the intake of Carbs, Our Brain is comprised of Glucose to keep it going, and when we are going through wd things get wonky up there and it needs more Carbs to sustain itself...that is just what I think. and those who may suffer more are deleting too much from their diet.

 

Agree on the brain needing glucose during wd.  I read an article where benzo wd was compared to traumatic brain injury (due to both having a huge release of glutamate).  It was stated that brain injury patients are transfused huge amounts of glucose/fructose as it inhibits release of glutamate or processesit(?).  This is one of the reasons that I think those who advise limiting sugar/carbs during wd are dead wrong.

 

I think my craving was my brain requiring it.

Totally agree...too much restricting and our Brain suffers and thus we suffer.

[[sl...]]

My theory about the intake of Carbs, Our Brain is comprised of Glucose to keep it going, and when we are going through wd things get wonky up there and it needs more Carbs to sustain itself...that is just what I think. and those who may suffer more are deleting too much from their diet.

 

Agree on the brain needing glucose during wd.  I read an article where benzo wd was compared to traumatic brain injury (due to both having a huge release of glutamate).  It was stated that brain injury patients are transfused huge amounts of glucose/fructose as it inhibits release of glutamate or processesit(?).  This is one of the reasons that I think those who advise limiting sugar/carbs during wd are dead wrong.

 

I think my craving was my brain requiring it.

Totally agree...too much restricting and our Brain suffers and thus we suffer.

That seems exactly right.

That crossover from Nitrazepam was the worst in terms of w/d and that's when the cravings happened.

I've always had a good metabolism as well  Lynn apart from the Humpty Dumpty pregnancy.

I never heard people say to limit carbs/sugar whilst withdrawing but I don't think I could have during that Nitrazepam w/d.

Felt too ill...was just grateful when I did feel like eating anything, even though it was at night.

Was such a relief when my appetite went back to normal.

I've never listened to low carb or other diets, I don't think I would stick to eat so it would just mess up my metabolism I think.

Listening to your body seems to make sense in relation to food intake as well as w/d

 

[[ga...]]

I was put on valium for muscle spasms caused by a cyst in the central canal of my spinal cord.  I should have known immediately that valium was not for me.  I had a true paradoxical reaction to it in that it made me hyper rather than sedated.  I was hyper for a couple of years and then things went down hill and I started having all kinds of health issues which were benzo (and opiate) related.  After my life started to crater, I connected the dots by doing the research and knew I had to get off the drugs in spite of the pain.  I've found the pain to be much less since getting off opiates and tapering the valium.  I wish I could go back in time to the day when a college intern sat in on one of my appointments and said she had just studied my condition and I would need valium and oxycodone.  My doctor listened as it is rare (syringomyelia) and he had never heard of it before let alone treated it lol. That's it in a nutshell.  --V

 

Oh dear, V! Didn't know we had spinal cysts in common. (Or did I and space it out?) Very glad to hear you're doing better. Me, too. Mine are lower and caused by leakage of spinal fluid into the nerve roots. Wish we just had chickens in common. Oh, that's right, I don't have chickens. Landlord says no! :'(

 

Sorry to hear about your spinal problems Gard 

I feel humble because you and Valley are so cheerful and I got myself into a state obsessing about cutting just valium.

 

Obsessing about cutting drugs is a normal benzo hobby, Slowly! And the reason I am crazy, is to keep myself sane.

 

I have decided to make a scrapbook of the years I spent living in the country, raising my kids. It should be a better hobby than worrying about my taper except that I have discovered I have no artistic abilities. The scrapbook looks like something Spock would create.

 

Gard

[[ga...]]

This is NOT my peanut butter. This is BG's peanut butter!

http://www.bracpet.com/sites/default/files/o-PEANUT-BUTTER-facebook.jpg

 

I only eat:

http://demandware.edgesuite.net/sits_pod38/dw/image/v2/ABAQ_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Burpee/default/dwcf2bb834/Images/Product%20Images/prod099461/prod099461.jpg?sw=322&sh=380&sm=fit

[[sl...]]

I was put on valium for muscle spasms caused by a cyst in the central canal of my spinal cord.  I should have known immediately that valium was not for me.  I had a true paradoxical reaction to it in that it made me hyper rather than sedated.  I was hyper for a couple of years and then things went down hill and I started having all kinds of health issues which were benzo (and opiate) related.  After my life started to crater, I connected the dots by doing the research and knew I had to get off the drugs in spite of the pain.  I've found the pain to be much less since getting off opiates and tapering the valium.  I wish I could go back in time to the day when a college intern sat in on one of my appointments and said she had just studied my condition and I would need valium and oxycodone.  My doctor listened as it is rare (syringomyelia) and he had never heard of it before let alone treated it lol. That's it in a nutshell.  --V

 

Oh dear, V! Didn't know we had spinal cysts in common. (Or did I and space it out?) Very glad to hear you're doing better. Me, too. Mine are lower and caused by leakage of spinal fluid into the nerve roots. Wish we just had chickens in common. Oh, that's right, I don't have chickens. Landlord says no! :'(

 

Sorry to hear about your spinal problems Gard 

I feel humble because you and Valley are so cheerful and I got myself into a state obsessing about cutting just valium.

 

Obsessing about cutting drugs is a normal benzo hobby, Slowly! And the reason I am crazy, is to keep myself sane.

 

I have decided to make a scrapbook of the years I spent living in the country, raising my kids. It should be a better hobby than worrying about my taper except that I have discovered I have no artistic abilities. The scrapbook looks like something Spock would create.

 

Gard

LOL you are so funny but crazy people are my favourites.

Yes I was obsessing terribly and it is still on my mind but am coping a bit better I think since I came here.

I daren't look at the other parts of the forum though...eek!

Everybody has some artistic abilities Gard.

You are probably ace at interior design or choosing clothes - it all counts.

A scrapbook is a brilliant idea especially if you put in some peanut butter, some carrots and some chickens 

[[sl...]]

This is NOT my peanut butter. This is BG's peanut butter!

http://www.bracpet.com/sites/default/files/o-PEANUT-BUTTER-facebook.jpg

 

I only eat:

http://demandware.edgesuite.net/sits_pod38/dw/image/v2/ABAQ_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-masterCatalog_Burpee/default/dwcf2bb834/Images/Product%20Images/prod099461/prod099461.jpg?sw=322&sh=380&sm=fit

Yeah rrright 

[[Ki...]]

EEEK the only way my weight stays stable is low carb. Otherwise I "menopause fatten up" big as a house. I dont seem to notice a huge difference but Im just KINDA low carb not atkins style crazy. Gotta have my cashew nut ice cream salted caramel stuff before bed.

[[Su...]]

My theory about the intake of Carbs, Our Brain is comprised of Glucose to keep it going, and when we are going through wd things get wonky up there and it needs more Carbs to sustain itself...that is just what I think. and those who may suffer more are deleting too much from their diet.

 

Agree on the brain needing glucose during wd.  I read an article where benzo wd was compared to traumatic brain injury (due to both having a huge release of glutamate).  It was stated that brain injury patients are transfused huge amounts of glucose/fructose as it inhibits release of glutamate or processesit(?).  This is one of the reasons that I think those who advise limiting sugar/carbs during wd are dead wrong.

 

I think my craving was my brain requiring it.

Totally agree...too much restricting and our Brain suffers and thus we suffer.

 

Interesting interesting!  Since I've started my taper I've lost about 20 lbs, mostly to simply having no appetite.  BUT every night I crave -- and give in to that craving -- a bowl of ice cream....  Yum!  I've never really been an ice cream fiend, and find that nights when I don't have ice cream I can  wake in the middle of the night with my body literally shaking.  Low blood sugar could account for that.  I've been limiting carbs other than than my nightly indulgent feast but may consider this idea of the brain needing glucose.

 

On another note, I've quit obsessing about how much I cut each week and am keeping my eye on the goal of being off....sometime  

[[Al...]]

I have night time food cravings also.

 

My nightly treat is a small bowel of mixed berries with yogurt on top. Then two squares of 72% dark chockolate.

 

My wright has been pretty much stable through this entire thing.

 

ATU 🙏🏻

[[He...]]

Hi all

 

How long do you need to hold to know if it's going to help me?

I've been tapering this second time since The end of March ....and only down to 3 mg of Ativan from 4.5.... my taper has been quite slow.

 

Doctor has no clue. Still dizzy

 

I'm on my own and am quite afraid.

 

I did more today physically... but that isn't saying much ... lots of down time and sitting

[[bo...]]

Hi All ... I wanted to concur with those that talk about weight gain and sugar.. towards the end of my taper I put on weight . I literally craved sugary things .. chocolate etc.. it was awful and seemed to be more in the evening as others have said ..

Slowly these cravings are returning to normal ... I used to despaire when I read of people saying cut out sugar .. the more I did that the worse I felt !

[[ga...]]

Hi all

 

How long do you need to hold to know if it's going to help me?

I've been tapering this second time since The end of March ....and only down to 3 mg of Ativan from 4.5.... my taper has been quite slow.

 

Doctor has no clue. Still dizzy

 

I'm on my own and am quite afraid.

 

I did more today physically... but that isn't saying much ... lots of down time and sitting

 

But, Healing, aren't you also tapering V at the same time? That's a whole different ballgame. My math is fuzzy, but your taper doesn't seem unreasonably slow to me. Of course, I hang out with turtles and chickens and sloths. Maybe somebody can do the math and figure out your rate.

 

Anyway, if your symptoms are unbearable, you can choose to press on with your plan; or you can choose to only taper the A and leave the V; or you can try a hold. A long hold would be several months, at least. Sorry that I can't give you any guarantees.

 

This is a trial and error, twisty-turny road we're on. But it does lead to freedom!

 

Gard

[[...]]

Hi All ... I wanted to concur with those that talk about weight gain and sugar.. towards the end of my taper I put on weight . I literally craved sugary things .. chocolate etc.. it was awful and seemed to be more in the evening as others have said ..

Slowly these cravings are returning to normal ... I used to despaire when I read of people saying cut out sugar .. the more I did that the worse I felt !

 

Hi Bertie ..... May I ask why you went back to all Ativan and didn't choose to go the Valium route? I ask because I am having a lot of difficulty with Valium ,after switching from Clonazepam, which didn't agree with me either ,  thank you !

MiYu

[[He...]]

Gard

I've gone back to the Valium dose and would like to continue tapering Ativan but am afraid right now to do snything..... and the indecision is making me nuts and anxious. The Valium was given to me do I could sleep.... doesn't help much. I still wake up 2-3 times a night and at 4am

[[...]]

You guys are so great. Thank you so much BeGood, V, and Gard. Gard, you already made me laugh I'm sure you're right and my daughter will be fine, and my husband on his return trip on Friday. The stress of my family traveling has always caused anxiety for me. I think being extra sensitive to it now just makes everything worse.

 

I've been having 1 tsp of raw honey and MCT oil at bedtime to help me sleep. I have been sleeping more deeply but I was wondering if it might be the cause of the early morning symptoms coming back. I eat paleo so sandwhiches aren't on my menu &

OJ is way to many carbs for me. That would send my anxiety through the roof. Should I stick with the honey and MCT oil or try something else or maybe go back to doing nothing before bed which is what I was doing. No food for three hours before bed. I think I may try that tonight and see if it makes any difference. Thank you for the wonderful suggestion though.

 

This group is so amazing.

 

Hugs and healing everyone,

T

 

HI T ,

I too am getting the horrible morning cortisol surges, starting sometimes around 4 am , and then several after that .... They really are awful! I do eat a nut butter sandwich before I go to bed , I don't know if it helps , I also can't drink OJ , or tolerate any citrus ... I wonder if some vit C would help along with the sandwich.......

One thing that does help me , but only after the fact , is I have some phosphatydylserine...Jarrow formulas , called PS100. It helps regulate cortisol . It calms me down right away if I open the gelcap and squeeze out the contents straight into my mouth . I only do this if it's an early cortisol surge , otherwise it makes me too tired , ( more tired than I already feel!) .

They say you can take it at bedtime too , I haven't tried that and not sure how it works fro early morning surges .

I know mine will pass with holding as I've had them before and they did stop . Hope yours do soon !

I hope all goes well with the wedding too.

 

MiYu 

[[...]]

Just a question for anyone who feels like answering but don't any of you answer if you don't want to.

Did the benzos you were taking - Xanax, Valium, Klonopin  etc - do you good and make you feel better while you were on them?

I'm just curious.

I know some of you have had real physical issues like Cant but I mean if you went on benzos for anxiety/insomnia and things like that did they help?

I'm just musing but I think the experience of diazepam has been all negative for me even before withdrawal started.

Depression, weight gain and emotional numbness seems an odd way of helping to deal with losing my parents.

Interested to know other peoples' thoughts.

 

Slowly, I don't think I've ever felt good on any benzo , and Valium seems worse for me than the others ....but I'm on it and don't really want to mess around with another switch now .....I took benzos for trauma and post steroid cold turkey .....Xanax did take the edge off , but I was still really really sick... It was hard fro me to know what was what.....

[[...]]

I was put on valium for muscle spasms caused by a cyst in the central canal of my spinal cord.  I should have known immediately that valium was not for me.  I had a true paradoxical reaction to it in that it made me hyper rather than sedated.  I was hyper for a couple of years and then things went down hill and I started having all kinds of health issues which were benzo (and opiate) related.  After my life started to crater, I connected the dots by doing the research and knew I had to get off the drugs in spite of the pain.  I've found the pain to be much less since getting off opiates and tapering the valium.  I wish I could go back in time to the day when a college intern sat in on one of my appointments and said she had just studied my condition and I would need valium and oxycodone.  My doctor listened as it is rare (syringomyelia) and he had never heard of it before let alone treated it lol. That's it in a nutshell.  --V

 

Oh dear, V! Didn't know we had spinal cysts in common. (Or did I and space it out?) Very glad to hear you're doing better. Me, too. Mine are lower and caused by leakage of spinal fluid into the nerve roots. Wish we just had chickens in common. Oh, that's right, I don't have chickens. Landlord says no! :'(

 

But I do have virtual [glow=red,2,300]Cookie[/glow] !

http://i.imgur.com/hiO2vTK.gif

Sorry to hear about your spinal problems Gard 

I feel humble because you and Valley are so cheerful and I got myself into a state obsessing about cutting just valium.

 

V and Gard , you both have spinal cysts? I'm sorry you've had to deal with that .....

Valley , I never knew you had a paradoxical reaction to Valium ... And you stayed on it and have tapered ..... You must have a very strong will and constitution!

 

I don't have a paradoxical reaction to Valium , but I do feel afraid that it's making me sick , I don't feel well at all, ever  really since being on it .

Hard to sort out the WDs from the side effects . I think I'm experiencing both at the moment .

I spoke too soon on the walking... I've been really sick the last 3 days ... Seems like my WDs build over a period of weeks , a Valium gift I think , of metabolites .

I was hoping  to get off a little more lightly from my June taper , seems not . 

 

Anyway , I'm holding again as the alternative ( cutting) is not a good idea . Just hoping I will bounce back a bit more quickly this time . We'll see . I kinda wish I was ignorant and could make a big cut , and then hold for a long time! I know too much now , so small cuts and long holds for me .

I may have to do a really long one to test it out , no reducing at all, just to see what's what.

Ugh......

 

I know I'll feel better with a hold as far as WDs go, so I'm glad of that , just don't know that I'll ever feel ' good' on Valium ....and I'm pretty sure I'll feel a lot better at a lower dose .

 

 

We'll all get ther one day ..... Hope very one is hanging in there with whatever is happening ....Or better than that .

Love, MiYu 

 

[[ga...]]

Gard

I've gone back to the Valium dose and would like to continue tapering Ativan but am afraid right now to do snything..... and the indecision is making me nuts and anxious. The Valium was given to me do I could sleep.... doesn't help much. I still wake up 2-3 times a night and at 4am

 

So, you're holding the V and have been slowly tapering the A, right? Your signature is a bit confusing. It looks like you have reduced your V. Could you make sure it's accurate?

 

Worrying and indecision are magnified by w/d. Can you give yourself permission to do nothing for a week or two? Not try to force a decision?

 

Can somebody look at Healing's signature and figure out what her taper rate has been? My brain does not do math right now.

 

Gard

[[He...]]

Thank you everyone. I will correct my signature reflecting going back up on the Valium.

[[...]]

My theory about the intake of Carbs, Our Brain is comprised of Glucose to keep it going, and when we are going through wd things get wonky up there and it needs more Carbs to sustain itself...that is just what I think. and those who may suffer more are deleting too much from their diet.

 

Agree on the brain needing glucose during wd.  I read an article where benzo wd was compared to traumatic brain injury (due to both having a huge release of glutamate).  It was stated that brain injury patients are transfused huge amounts of glucose/fructose as it inhibits release of glutamate or processesit(?).  This is one of the reasons that I think those who advise limiting sugar/carbs during wd are dead wrong.

 

I think my craving was my brain requiring it.

 

Hmm , so interesting... I've lost about 8 lbs , maybe that's my problem , I'm not eating enough ! I've been the same weight since I was 16, then when I was on the steroids I put on 20lbs , as soon as I stopped the weight just dropped off again . Since this taper I never know what to eat , and rarely feel hungry , I actually crave salty foods more . I feel like I just eat because I have to .

 

I tried the keto diet , ugh , no way could I handle all that fat.

So now I like corn chips to snack on and nut butter sandwiches are good  but I'm loosing weight and I'm barely excercising .... Think I'll try more carbs ....

[[bo...]]

@[...]

I tried Valium twice.. it increased my dizziness by 100%, and it also impacted severely on my mood . Became really low and lethargic.. the first time I thought it was a coincidence . The second time I tried it happened again.. my doctor agreed to stay with the Ativan .. I was a 40 year plus user and at nearly three months out am having relatively little issues .. I am very lucky ... I still get a little spacey ,and dizziness but nothing like during the taper. Also get that disorientation feeling , and a horrible feeling like my legs are going to give way .. I do believe if I had kept on with the Valium I would still be tapering ... for some it works well but for me it didn't ...

I also can't see the point of introducing a new drug to the mix.. I know about the half lives etc , but interesting enough ( my theory) those that I know that have tapered Ativan direct have had a less difficult post withdrawal time than those that switched to Valium. Rash statement I know but my conclusion with those I know ... hope this helps ? BB x

[[...]]

@Miyu

I tried Valium twice.. it increased my dizziness by 100%, and it also impacted severely on my mood . Became really low and lethargic.. the first time I thought it was a coincidence . The second time I tried it happened again.. my doctor agreed to stay with the Ativan .. I was a 40 year plus user and at nearly three months out am having relatively little issues .. I am very lucky ... I still get a little spacey ,and dizziness but nothing like during the taper. Also get that disorientation feeling , and a horrible feeling like my legs are going to give way .. I do believe if I had kept on with the Valium I would still be tapering ... for some it works well but for me it didn't ...

I also can't see the point of introducing a new drug to the mix.. I know about the half lives etc , but interesting enough ( my theory) those that I know that have tapered Ativan direct have had a less difficult post withdrawal time than those that switched to Valium. Rash statement I know but my conclusion with those I know ... hope this helps ? BB x

 

Thanks BB , glad you are doing ok , that's great! I do worry about all the metabolites with Valium , I was on Ativan for a short time and I would say it was the most tolerable of all benzos did you multiple dose a day? I've actually tried all except Librium at different times ...Xanax, Ativan , klonopin , and now Valium which I had hoped would make tapering easier .... Hasnt for me so far though . But then I never tried to taper the others either . I did stop .125 mgs Xanax ct when I didn't know any better and WDs were intense ! I ended up replacing that with .125 mgs K .

Thanks for answering my questions ,

Love, MiYu

[[be...]]

Hi All ... I wanted to concur with those that talk about weight gain and sugar.. towards the end of my taper I put on weight . I literally craved sugary things .. chocolate etc.. it was awful and seemed to be more in the evening as others have said ..

Slowly these cravings are returning to normal ... I used to despaire when I read of people saying cut out sugar .. the more I did that the worse I felt !

I agree with you about so many cutting out sugar, simple carbs. I have a Friend that would drink a cup of Hot Chocolate each morning at work, he would be anxious and one morning really feeling badly went to Coffee machine and decided to have a cup of Hot Chocolate, he felt better right away he continued drinking it each morning. We may be starving our Brain of the Glucose it needs,  I know some get ramped up on sugar, but I feel that exclusion is not good. v

[[Ca...]]

Hi All ... I wanted to concur with those that talk about weight gain and sugar.. towards the end of my taper I put on weight . I literally craved sugary things .. chocolate etc.. it was awful and seemed to be more in the evening as others have said ..

Slowly these cravings are returning to normal ... I used to despaire when I read of people saying cut out sugar .. the more I did that the worse I felt !

I agree with you about so many cutting out sugar, simple carbs. I have a Friend that would drink a cup of Hot Chocolate each morning at work, he would be anxious and one morning really feeling badly went to Coffee machine and decided to have a cup of Hot Chocolate, he felt better right away he continued drinking it each morning. We may be starving our Brain of the Glucose it needs,  I know some get ramped up on sugar, but I feel that exclusion is not good. v

Tis tru 4 me too... and not just this taper... my brain screams for sugar through the night...

 

To go back... I think MiYu started the carrot discussion??

Was a way to stop eating crap through the night and good fibre stuff for my GI...

-down to about 2kg week now, but have lost that crazy NEED to eat till I exploded...

Hope i hit the cant eat phase for a while...

 

Healing, the V component is way faster than some (me) yet fine for some... thats why comparisons are dangerous... Best to know your own set of SX, ever changing as they are...

 

Must run.. sorry..