Tapering off Bromazepam: Seeking Advice and Support for a Safe Withdrawal Journey

[[Sa...]]

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well. I am seeking some advice and support from the community regarding tapering off Bromazepam. I have been taking this medication for approximately 12-13 months, and now I believe it's time for me to gradually reduce my dosage and eventually stop using it. However, I am aware that this process can be challenging, and I want to ensure I do it safely and responsibly. I would greatly appreciate any insights, experiences, or tips from those who have gone through a similar journey or have knowledge on the subject. And how much time will it take to fully taper down?

[[Pa...]]

Hello Saad Ur Rehman, welcome to BenzoBuddies,

You're wise to educate yourself before starting this journey, too rapid tapers can lead to more intense symptoms, proper planning is key. A question though, have you ever felt uncomfortable symptoms while taking this drug, particularly when late for a dose or perhaps missing one?  I ask because not everyone will suffer as we do, you may be one of the lucky ones.

As a general guide, we suggest reducing about 5-10% every couple of weeks but what seems to work better is using your symptoms as a guide, let your body determine what works.  Good record keeping and attention to symptoms and their severity is key.

Hopefully others will drop by with their experience, keep reaching out and when you're ready to talk about a taper plan, feel free to start a thread on the Taper Planning & Adjustment - BenzoBuddies Community Forum.

Pamster

[[Sa...]]

3 hours ago, [[P...] said:

Hello Saad Ur Rehman, welcome to BenzoBuddies,

You're wise to educate yourself before starting this journey, too rapid tapers can lead to more intense symptoms, proper planning is key. A question though, have you ever felt uncomfortable symptoms while taking this drug, particularly when late for a dose or perhaps missing one?  I ask because not everyone will suffer as we do, you may be one of the lucky ones.

As a general guide, we suggest reducing about 5-10% every couple of weeks but what seems to work better is using your symptoms as a guide, let your body determine what works.  Good record keeping and attention to symptoms and their severity is key.

Hopefully others will drop by with their experience, keep reaching out and when you're ready to talk about a taper plan, feel free to start a thread on the Taper Planning & Adjustment - BenzoBuddies Community Forum.

Pamster

Yes, I feel withdrawal symptoms like everyone.I only want to taper off Benzos because of the hangover effect next day. I went to my doctor and he cut down 3mg bromazepam to 1.5mg and gave extra medicines like Sertraline HCI and Olanzipine to minimize the effects of withdrawal symptoms. Is this the right approach

 

[[Pa...]]

Cutting your dose by 50% is likely to produce extreme symptoms, and we haven't found any adjunct medications to help with withdrawal symptoms that everyone can agree on, what helps one can harm another.  A better approach would be to taper slowly so you may not need medications which can add side effects of their own with a possible taper once you're off the benzodiazepine. 

This is a deprescribing guide which was written with medical professionals in mind, do you feel your doctor would be receptive?  Benzodiazepine Deprescribing Guidance (corxconsortium.org)

[[Sa...]]

10 hours ago, [[P...] said:

Cutting your dose by 50% is likely to produce extreme symptoms, and we haven't found any adjunct medications to help with withdrawal symptoms that everyone can agree on, what helps one can harm another.  A better approach would be to taper slowly so you may not need medications which can add side effects of their own with a possible taper once you're off the benzodiazepine. 

This is a deprescribing guide which was written with medical professionals in mind, do you feel your doctor would be receptive?  Benzodiazepine Deprescribing Guidance (corxconsortium.org)

Bro, my Next appointment is in next 20 days, unfortunately it's not possible to see doctor for next 20 days. BTW what do you recommend? Should I stop taking all other medicines?

[[Pa...]]

Are you saying you won't have enough supply if you try to taper slower, say 5-10% of your dose every week or two?  If this is the case then I'm sorry to hear you don't have the freedom of controlling your taper, this frustrates me because who better than you to understand what your body needs to stay functional?  We're all so different, one size doesn't fit all.  

I do not recommend stopping all other medicines, I don't know what you take and why.  For now, until you can either see your doctor or find another one, I suggest working with your current doctor, I cannot interfere in the doctor patient relationship. 

[[...]]

@[Sa...] A few things:

• Everyone's biochemistry is different so there is no way to know ahead of time how you will react to withdrawal. That said, you've been taking it regularly for a year, so you are likely very much dependent on it.
• My experience, at least in the US, is that general practitioners and psychiatrists I've spoken to really have no clue about how bad benzo withdrawal can be. It's a scary feeling learning that the people who "should know" like doctors actually can be fairly clueless.
• The safest, sanest thing is to go slow, slow, slow. Even if you aren't feeling many effects, still go slow, because those large cuts can catch up with you weeks later. As @[Pa...] said, 5% - 10% of your current dose every few weeks is a good starting point. This leads to a smooth reduction curve.
• Benzos are serious drugs and getting off them is serious business. Treat it seriously. This is not a sprint, it a marathon. Do not cold turkey (that is, eliminate all benzos at once). That will make things much worse.
• From a little googling, Bromazepam sounds like a short-acting benzo. Typical recommendation is to slowly migrate over to a longer-acting benzo (Diazepam) because its easier to taper from. I don't know if this is an option.
• The Ashton Manual is required reading for this: https://www.benzoinfo.com/ashtonmanual/

Anyone can get off benzos, but even with everything in your favor and careful planning, it can be a difficult journey. Don't lose heart!