Menstrual Support Group

[[Mi...]]

Hi all

I made a diazepam cut last Monday 8th August and I was doing great till Tuesday 9th August. It was a very small cut from 16mg to 15.75mg.

All my usual withdrawal symptoms have come rushing back in - no appetite, loss of sleep, no concentration, cant stop talking about myself, feelings of wanting to give up and not wanting to go outside. I cannot believe it as thought I was just doing a really small cut.

I also changed a progesterone patch.

Can you please advise?

a) how long is it normally till you feel a cut?

b) how do you talk yourself down from this high point of anxiety and doom?

Sorry and thank you MP

 

[[Mi...]]

Asking here in case anyone picks this up and can advise....

I am considering reducing the synthetic progesterone patch by 1/4 (I take it 2 weeks a month) but I am very concerned about it. I was put on the patches by the GP during lock down to raise low mood and not as intended hrt. I also have a synthetic prog bc pill as well.

I feel that the fluctuating hormone patches may be stopping me from reducing my diazepam more smoothly.

I am looking to hear from people who have any ideas on this.

At the moment I am stuck in a low place and need to start to make a plan to try to progress again.

Thank you

MP

[Guest [...]]

Hi Miss Piggy,

 

I’m sorry you’re suffering hormonally. This was/is my worst issue.

 

I tapered both progesterone (a couple of times) and estrogen during my very long taper. Of the two, estrogen was an absolute nightmare to taper both during and when benzo free. 

 

For me, I found it crucial to keep hormones flatlined as much as possible. Some of that can be achieved by keeping steady state dosage of progesterone and estrogen (No weeks off) with a dose high enough to stop the pituitary from signaling.  That is key.

 

But, how high that dosage should be will be different for everyone and Requires considerable knowledge and experience from a clinician.

 

Adding in low dosage estrogen and progesterone continues pituitary signaling and  the rise and fall of hormones creating continued pain cycles , And in my experience, making it very difficult to taper the benzodiazepine.

 

For me, the luteal phase was excruciating as hormones are dramatically shifting. I had to focus on tapering in follicular phase only.

 

I hope you’re able to find some improvements with hormones to continue with your tapering. Wishing you well.

[[Mi...]]

Hi Miss Piggy,

 

I’m sorry you’re suffering hormonally. This was/is my worst issue.

 

I tapered both progesterone (a couple of times) and estrogen during my very long taper. Of the two, estrogen was an absolute nightmare to taper both during and when benzo free. 

 

For me, I found it crucial to keep hormones flatlined as much as possible. Some of that can be achieved by keeping steady state dosage of progesterone and estrogen (No weeks off) with a dose high enough to stop the pituitary from signaling.  That is key.

 

But, how high that dosage should be will be different for everyone and Requires considerable knowledge and experience from a clinician.

 

Adding in low dosage estrogen and progesterone continues pituitary signaling and  the rise and fall of hormones creating continued pain cycles , And in my experience, making it very difficult to taper the benzodiazepine.

 

For me, the luteal phase was excruciating as hormones are dramatically shifting. I had to focus on tapering in follicular phase only.

 

I hope you’re able to find some improvements with hormones to continue with your tapering. Wishing you well.

 

Thank you nhs24

I am afraid I am a bit naive with all this stuff.

How did you taper off your estrogen and progesterone? I have patches

Even with that out the way I will still have a prog bc pill left.

 

I am not sure what you mean by flat lined. What does the pituitary do?

 

Did you attempt to taper in the estrogen part and taper in the estrogen part? Or I am getting mixed up?

 

Sorry if my questions are dumb

 

Thank you

MP

[[...]]

No one can hardly find this forum now. I feel like it has become pointless now.

[[Th...]]

Is it not showing up in the support group forums?

[[Tr...]]

I’m wondering if anyone has personal stories of when hormone symptoms let up after finishing their taper.

Pms and ovulation have been incredibly hard during tolerance and taper.

Now im off (only 11 days) and heading into day 13 of cycle.

 

Looking for some hope that my hormones will level out soon-ish?

Anyone?

 

 

[[Th...]]

Hey treelover

I remember someone coming back just to say that it got better. I've heard it from another forum as well. So it getting easier over time is defiantly a thing.

[[Fr...]]

Bumping this back to the top hopefully to gain more traction. Looking for support!

 

Almost 7 weeks from jumping and having my second cycle. This one feels a bit different and I am feeling very down with body pain.

 

Help!

[[gr...]]

Hi everyone --

hoping that more people begin to visit this site and post their experiences/questions and comments.

 

I am in the middle of my taper and perimenopause is wreaking havoc.  Cannot do hormones - so just swinging my way through it.  Agitation, intrusive thoughts, more obsessive/ruminative, dark depression, and burning skin are just a few of the lovelies that seem to find me around ovulation and then stick around up until my period.  my boobs also become like incredibly sensitive honeydew melons -- hurts to go without a bra! 

 

I know hormones are kicking WD into high gear but every month I get surprised by it

 

anyone else? 

[[St...]]

I'll be hanging out here.  A lot of my "issues" really ramped up with peri menopause, dismissed by my doctors.  I am seeing a new GYN this week to discuss HRT as suggested by my Psychiatrist. (benzos were prescribed by GP).  I read all of another thread I found somewhere that had a lot of info on hormones, etc.    Thank you for bringing more attention to this thread.  It is very important. 

[[gr...]]

Hi Sting,

Welcome - yes, hormones certainly do make this a much more bumpy ride for so many of us.  I wish you the best of luck with the hormones.  I know you will hear people for and against them -- as always in this we have to just trust what we think is best for us.  Keep us posted.  What symptoms tend to amp up for you with your perimenopause?

[[Ma...]]

I am new on this thread as I think I may be experiencing the beginning of peri menopause. How did you know it was peri menopause? Did you do a blood test?

Thanks

[[St...]]

My psych treating me for major depression (not my benzo prescriber) suggested I get my hormones checked and consider HRT.  I did and confirmed I'm post meno.

 

I was put on a .1 estrogen patch and 200mg micronized Progesterone pill.

 

I woke up this morning with heart palps, worse anxiety, tinnitus, dry mouth - basically everything I've come to know as benzo withdrawal.

 

For now I removed the patch and won't take the progesterone again.  I would like to know if HRT could be beneficial and its the benzo getting in the way?  And who is the utmost authority in the medical world on managing hormones AND benzos?  I know I feel burned about being in this situation (benzo w/d) and yet I would like to find a Dr. that can still help with all of this!

 

If anyone has any information or have tried HRT and had anything similar happen or have any advice I'd really appreciate hearing about it.

[[Mi...]]

Stingrae

I am also looking for a specialist in both but have never found one.

I accepted the hrt and did not know it worked on the gaba so I am now too scared to come off it all.

Its quite a tricky one I think.

 

My psych treating me for major depression (not my benzo prescriber) suggested I get my hormones checked and consider HRT.  I did and confirmed I'm post meno.

 

I was put on a .1 estrogen patch and 200mg micronized Progesterone pill.

 

I woke up this morning with heart palps, worse anxiety, tinnitus, dry mouth - basically everything I've come to know as benzo withdrawal.

 

For now I removed the patch and won't take the progesterone again.  I would like to know if HRT could be beneficial and its the benzo getting in the way?  And who is the utmost authority in the medical world on managing hormones AND benzos?  I know I feel burned about being in this situation (benzo w/d) and yet I would like to find a Dr. that can still help with all of this!

 

If anyone has any information or have tried HRT and had anything similar happen or have any advice I'd really appreciate hearing about it.

 

[[St...]]

The only thing I know to do is call my GYN tomorrow.  I hate to blame every single thing on benzo.  But the feeling I have this morning is eerily similar to when I didn't know any better and just stopped taking clonazepam.    I have a suspicion this has to do with the progesterone.  But progesterone is supposed to be calming.  Maybe it is because the benzo caused damage and the progesterone can not work as its supposed to.  I really really hope there is some doctor somewhere (what kind???) that can get this straight. 

[[Co...]]

Progesterone seems to interact with benzos/GABA receptors so I would either not start any kind of hormonal treatment if you're not on it yet or very slowly taper your progesterone treatment later on if you already are. As far as knowledgeable doctors are concerned, I assume an endocrinologist would be the best bet. Although where I live no one is benzo wise, also not the endocrinologists but in the US you might have a chance 

[[Co...]]

It also seems to explain worse symptoms before menstruation etc.

[[St...]]

Hi Coco,

 

Thanks for the advice.  After just 2 days of my attempt I could tell something was interfering with my taper.  I am going to talk to the GYN.  I'm also going to look for an endocrinologist.  It seems like so many various doctors prescribe HRT, I assumed a GYN would be an expert in womens hormones.  I'm also seriously considering not trying this again until I'm off the benzo.  Thanks

[[Tr...]]

Bumping this up.

 

I didn't know about benzos and benzo withdrawal until recently. I had a 12-day hellish ordeal that started off with me having a rage outburst towards loved ones. I don't really know if I should use "psychotic" but I felt CRAZY rage and thought of murder etc. So very scary now when I think about it. It then progressed to internal shaking and akathisia-like symptoms.

 

And magically it all stopped right when I had my 1st day of period.

 

I do not know when I officially stopped taking. I just know I tried to stretch my 1 month benzo supply after firing my evil psychiatrist. Maybe for four months. All the while, I was getting very sick every now and then, I blamed it on Covid not knowing it was withdrawals.

 

Now I think the other very sick episodes I had kinda aligned with my cycle.

 

I am so very scared that I will experience horrible waves like the last one every month. I wish we get more reports of this levelling out, normalizing and healing.