How to access a benzo wise doctor in the UK?

[[Co...]]

Dido, try to plead with that friend directly and personally stating your case. I'm sure you could convince him.

[[di...]]

I could WS! I will get her to ask him. I just pray to God he doesn't let me down on the 24th!!

[[di...]]

All I can do is try, coco!! I just hope to god he's still giving me them on the 24th or I'm done for!!

[Guest [...]]

I could WS! I will get her to ask him. I just pray to God he doesn't let me down on the 24th!!

 

Fingers crossed, but don’t panic, it won’t help your symptoms stabilise. 

[[di...]]

WS, I haven't had any brain burning for 2 days!! I hope I don't jinx myself! I still have the head pressure that can get intense. I still get the buzzing fuzzing brain which can get really intense depending on how much tension is in my neck and shoulders! There definitely seems to be a link!  I'm really worried about my legs though! They feel like rubber when I try to stand up. I can't even walk a cross the room. My coordination in my legs feels really strange too!

[Guest [...]]

WS, I haven't had any brain burning for 2 days!! I hope I don't jinx myself! I still have the head pressure that can get intense. I still get the buzzing fuzzing brain which can get really intense depending on how much tension is in my neck and shoulders! There definitely seems to be a link!  I'm really worried about my legs though! They feel like rubber when I try to stand up. I can't even walk a cross the room. My coordination in my legs feels really strange too!

 

Try and focus on the symptom which seems to have resolved. We often urge members to write each of their symptoms down every day and rate each one on a scale of 1 to 10. Often we don’t notice when certain symptoms are disappearing because the remaining symptoms are either so many or so severe, or both, and all of our focus is on the remaining symptoms. If we write the symptoms down, rate them, and notice when 1 or 2 have disappeared, this can not only help us realise that there is slow improvement occurring, but also help calm our CNS because evidence helps us develop trust in the stabilisation process. Other symptoms may still appear extremely intense, whilst other symptoms resolve. I think we sometimes expect that the severity of all symptoms decreases across the board all at the same time, but that’s often not how this process goes.

[[di...]]

I've documented this journey from day one on my phone, WS. It's all written down how I feel from day to day hour to hour and how intense etc. The main thing that scares me is my legs. The lack of mobility and knowing that the longer I'm immobile the weaker my legs will get😕

[Guest [...]]

I've documented this journey from day one on my phone, WS. It's all written down how I feel from day to day hour to hour and how intense etc. The main thing that scares me is my legs. The lack of mobility and knowing that the longer I'm immobile the weaker my legs will get😕

 

Is there some way you can set yourself a small amount of leg work each day, or every other day. It doesn’t have to be much, just enough to feel that your legs have done something. The good thing is that you don’t really have much longer to taper, and then you can start your recovery, and it’s possible you’ll experience improvement in this area once off the benzo and in recovery. I’m sure you could even find a way to work your legs a little on the floor. Let’s just see how things play out with your family friend, after which you may have more time to stabilise.

[[di...]]

I'm working my legs yes WS. Like raising myself a couple of inches off the chair then sit, then raise and sit. Like a squat kind of. My legs feel very strange like they are detached from me.it also feels like if I take a step it's bouncy!

[[di...]]

Why is it that my head symptoms are SO BAD! on waking from sleep, whether it be my night sleep or a nap?? Its always that bad! That I feel like I just can't take it anymore!!!! Seriously!!!

[Guest [...]]

Can you explain your head symptoms, Diana?

 

Are we talking about pressure in the head, or dizziness, balance and vertigo type symptoms?

 

Also, are you drinking enough water to keep you hydrated? 95% or so of the population are in an almost constant state of dehydration, which causes all sorts of symptoms, and in my experience, it’s even worse for those of us who are either tapering benzodiazepines, or in recovery. So if you’re not… make sure you’re hydrating.

[[di...]]

Hi WS..... On waking whether it be the little sleep I get in the night, or when I nap, the head pressure is more intense, my brain feels like it's fuzzing and BUZZING And  A feeling of being drunk, disorientated.  It truly is horrible to wake up feeling that way every time I wake up!! I really haven't been drinking much water due to the nausea ugh

[Guest [...]]

Try and drink more water, Diana. I know the nausea is horrible, but don’t allow it to dehydrate you. Try and drink at least a 1.5 Litres a day. Dehydration causes terrible headaches and increases symptoms. It could possibly take days to rehydrate, so don’t fall into the trap of thinking that if you drink 1.5 Litres today, you’ll feel much better. We also gradually rehydrate by keeping water close by and consistently taking a drink, not drinking it all in one go, because we pee most of it out.

[[di...]]

Will do, WS. I do always have a water bottle by me but the nausea  is terrible so I've felt too sick to drink much.

 

I'll make sure I do!!

 

Thank you!!!

[Guest [...]]

You’re welcome, Diana. 

[Guest [Na...]]

https://markhorowitz.org/

 

I think Mark is your guy. He is setting up a deprescribing clinic in the UK. He is working with Melanie Davis from REST. I will have her on my podcast end of this month.

 

Good luck,

Naf1983

 

Let’s see if anyone else can provide some options, as the forum starts to build up traffic over the next few hours.

 

Lib: Thank you!

[Guest [...]]

https://markhorowitz.org/

 

I think Mark is your guy. He is setting up a deprescribing clinic in the UK. He is working with Melanie Davis from REST. I will have her on my podcast end of this month.

 

Good luck,

Naf1983

 

Let’s see if anyone else can provide some options, as the forum starts to build up traffic over the next few hours.

 

Lib: Thank you!

 

Thanks so much for the information, Naf.

 

Much appreciated!

 

I hope you’re doing well!

[[di...]]

Hi naff...

 

I did contact Dr Horowitz quite a few weeks go before I even joined this forum but never got a reply. Also my friend Barry Haslam (ex chair of TRANX) contacted him on my behalf and actually forwarded emails of desperation  between Barry and myself to him. Barry received no reply either and still hasn't. Barry called for him to come forward and help me. But...... As I said. No reply.

 

Thanks so much for your contribution  Naff. Thank you.

 

Diana

[[di...]]

Hi WS I'd really like your opinion please. Its regarding my dose, and dosing times. This is going to sound really confusing so I hope you understand what I'm saying.

 

I reinstated to 2mg after rapidly going from 4.75 to zero in 7 days. Im currently at 1.75mg per day. I made my first cut from my morning dose which was 0.25mg.

 

Here iies the problem. I take my 0.75mg at around 10am, I don't lay down to sleep till 5am in the morning, so the other 1mg I split in to 2 x 0.50mg. I take one 0.50mg before sleep, then I take the other 0.50mg when I wake up after around 90 minutes of sleep, to help me to actually fall back to sleep.

 

The way I'm dosing means that I go from taking my first dose at 10am, right through till 5am before taking my second dose. So I'm going 19 hours between doses. Then taking both my morning, plus night doses within  3 to 4 hours of each other.

 

Do you understand what I'm meaning WS? And is there a problem with this?  It's very difficult to space out such a small total dosage of 1.75mg that can also help a little where it's needed ie getting to sleep, and falling back to sleep. With diazepam having such a long half life would you think my dosage times wouldn't be causing a problem?

 

Geez, I hope you understand what I'm meaning. I know it sounds confusing.

 

Thank you WS

 

Diana

 

[Guest [...]]

I understand.

 

It depends on how fast your body metabolises the drug. Many people can dose just once per day without incident, whereas some may possibly have to dose twice daily all depending on metabolism.

 

I dose twice daily, but I could probably dose just the once if I wanted to, but I choose to dose twice daily 12 hrs apart. I also (often) don’t get to sleep until between 6 to 8am, but dosing at 2am has no affect on what time I sleep. I’m quite comfortable getting to sleep 6 hrs after my dose. Because of the long half life and therapeutic effect of Valium, I don’t associate Valium with sleep.

 

You are dosing all within 5 hrs, so depending on your metabolism, spacing your doses out over the 24 hrs may or may not make a difference in your blood serum levels remaining more even throughout that period.

 

In theory, it could possibly make a difference if you took two doses 12 hrs apart. 

 

 

[[di...]]

It's such a small dose, that neither have a noticeable effect but I've carried on dosing that way since being on 2mg because that's what my body is used to. My sleep is shocking I have really bad insomnia  now but never did prior to being prescribed benzos. Would you think I'm OK just to leave my dosing as it is WS?

[Guest [...]]

I think if that’s what you feel more comfortable doing, then that’s probably exactly what you should do. 

[[di...]]

Ps...

 

WS, in the time you've been a part of the forum have you seen anything about insatiable hunger?? Its driving me nuts. I'm getting these constant hunger pangs above belly button area right in the top of the stomach. It's like no matter what I eat it's falling in to a bottomless pit. Blood sugars are fine.

[Guest [...]]

I think it’s in the list Ashton Manual Symptoms - “increased hunger, loss of hunger.” But don’t quote me on that! I think I’ve read it somewhere.

[[di...]]

I've ran a search on the forum but no results. I don't know if it's withdrawal related or related to taking propranolol! When the doctors refused to prescribe diazepam they gave me propranolol to take for Panic attacks which I do take. I also read on the forum that propranolol help with withdrawal symptoms.i know they also need to be tapered. I'm only tiny 5'2'' and barely 9 stones in weight but at this rate I'll end up looking like a baby elephant!! I know my dear friend Faith has the constant hunger pangs too, and she also takes propranolol.

 

I'm sure Faith told me that a certain doctor mentions it in regard to benzo withdrawal but it doesn't seem common. Lack of results in the forum search. Hmmmm

 

Also been drinking my water! 👍☺️