Oliver

[[Ol...]]

Hi there, I’ve just found this page. It’s incredible! Well done to whoever runs it. I’ve been dependant on benzos for approx 3 years, due to insomnia. I couldn’t fall asleep due to stress and not coping, I self medicated alchohol which worked for a few years prior, to this but eventually I needed a medical detox and have been sober for over 12 months(from alchohol). Things have been much better,until recently . I went from 20mg temaz to 30mg every night as my sleep is deteriorating. I’m functioning, but I have been getting random severe panic attacks which cause confusion, and unable to recover until I get to the evening. Could this be withdrawals? Thanks in advance 

[[Pa...]]

Hello Ollie, welcome to BenzoBuddies,

Oh my, you story sounds familiar, I too drank to sleep, well until I took it to the extreme, then many years later, started taking Klonopin for the same reason, and oh boy, was that a mistake.  Benzo’s are far and away more difficult to stop and recover from, I’m sorry to know you’re facing the same thing.

Benzodiazepines work on the same part of the brain as alcohol, in fact, many refer to alcohol as liquid benzo’s.  I knew when I took my first one I was in trouble, it felt just like that first drink, but I kept taking them, kidding myself it was okay.

What you’re dealing with is known as tolerance, your body has grown tolerant to your dose and needs more to achieve the same effect, sound familiar?  You have two choices now, one is to keep increasing your dose, providing you can find a doctor who will agree to this, or you can taper off the drug and recover from your use.

We suggest reducing your dose by about 5-10% every couple of weeks or whatever your symptoms will allow in order for you to stay functional, it’s important to let your symptoms guide this process.  I won’t lie, this will likely be the most challenging experience you’ve faced but it’s possible to get this done and recover.

Your previous alcohol experience could be playing a part as well, there is a theory called kindling I happen to agree with. https://www.benzoinfo.com/kindling/

I know what I’ve shared with you is a shock but I hope you’re the type of person who appreciates knowing what they may be facing so they can meet the challenge head on

Pamster

[[Ol...]]

Thanks Pam, it is a shock. Everything is so manageable when I’m on them. And life’s easy. But I’m terrified of ending up in the same situation that I did with alcohol. It almost killed me! I’m doing so great but my temazapam dose is up to 30-40mg. I’m even taking them in the daytime to feel relaxed at work and with the kids. Is it possible to switch benzos to suit these withdrawals during the day? And is it possible to get through life taking them? Or is it a one way road to disaster. And is my dose quite high in from your view or am I still in a fairly average range where tapering is possible without losing my mind. Cheers- oli. 

[[Th...]]

Ollie,  I too took 30mg of Temazepam along with 3-4mg of Klonopin nightly only to get an hour or two of sleep each night.  I decided to go CT (not recommended) and then my insomnia was severe for about 9-10 months.  My sleep slowly improved and 7 years later I sleep very well pretty much every night.  I had about 70 nights of zero or no perceived sleep and lots of nights of 1 - 2 hours or less for months and months.  It wasn't easy, but I got through it and you can too.  Many people cross-over to Valium (Diazepam) to taper off because of its much longer half life.

30mg of Temazepam is a "standard" or "normal" dose.  Don't look at the milligrams but the Benzo itself.  For example, 30mg of Temazepam is equivalent to about 15mg of Valium or 1mg of Xanax or Klonopin.  I'd highly consider tapering off as ALL Benzos are designed for short-term use only, which is 2-4 weeks maximum.  Good luck.

[[Pa...]]

Honestly @[Ol...], I know I mentioned you have two choices but I really only see one, for two reasons.  One is you’re already tolerant to your dose, you will need to raise it again and again to help you sleep but soon you won’t be able to take enough as @[Th...] experienced.  And you’ll need to continue taking it during the day as your panic attacks grow more severe and more often. What happens is, the drug begins to cause the issues we’re taking them to prevent.  

The second reason is your past dependence on alcohol, this drug is so similar to it, you’ve substituted one drug for another and this one in my opinion is much more difficult to recover from.