Pondering a solution.

[[se...]]

With all the talk about lithium on the forum and how it could work to desensitise glutamate receptors. After considering how the truly sensitive may not be able to take lithium while and or after tapering until they get a little better. What do you all think if someone took lithium along with a benzo until they no longer felt any effects from the lithium and then tapered slowly?

Would this be an interesting and possibly helpful approach or just a bunch of snake oil?

[[Na...]]

I wish I had taken lithium during my taper. It might have reduced the excitotoxicity that may be responsible for some of our problems.

As far as taking lithium until you no longer feel effects - I've never really been able to feel much effect. It's a subtle thing.

If I had it to do all over again, I'd start 5mg/day lithium orotate (maybe even 10mg/day) for maybe a month before starting the taper. I'd then keep taking it all the way down and for some time after completing the taper.  At least until I felt like I was past acute withdrawal.

Really wish I knew then what I know now.

 

[[se...]]

I don’t mean until you no longer feel the effects of the taper. I meant any negative effects of lithium itself as some people have bad reactions. So I feel that if taken before tapering you would not feel any negative effects. So you concur that taking 10mg per day for like a month or two before starting tapering would make tapering much better?

What added benefit if any would you think it would bring during tapering?

Also if you had to do it again is there any other things you would have done differently. 

[[Na...]]

As far as negative effects of lithium, I've never felt any.  But, you might get a short term worsening of symptoms I suppose since lithium acutely increases glutamate (which may worsen symptoms) but chronic administration should down regulate glutamate.  If that's a concern you should probably start with a very low dose (1mg/day maybe) and ramp up. I'm not sure that doing it before tapering would completely shield you from that effect as presumably you've got some sort of GABA/glutamate balance that might still be upset by the lithium. So, start low and ramp up.

The benefit during and after tapering is that it should tamp down your glutamate levels. Because you're removing a GABA Positive Allosteric Modulator, your GABA <-> Glutamate balance is very likely to shift towards excess glutamate. Excessive glutamate levels can cause excitotoxicity which can kill brain cells. So lithium is potentially a way to mitigate that issue.

I would definitely want to start something to reduce glutamate before or as I started the taper. Lithium, maybe gabapentin, maybe lamotrigine, something to keep glutamate under control. Gabapentin or lomotrigine - you're going to have to worry about tapering those drugs sometime after your benzo taper. So, that's a definite downside. Lithium on the other had probably isn't going to give you any trouble if you want to drop it later on. But, low doses of lithium seem to be protective of the brain in general. People that live in areas where the water supply has higher levels of lithium have lower rates of Alzheimer's and other neurodegeneratives diseases and mental health issues. So I plan on taking a low dose of lithium (about 2mg/day) ad infinitum.

Other than that, I wish I had taken Ashton's advice and crossed over to Valium. Tapering any short acting benzo or z-drug is going to be a problem. My last drug was zopiclone, which has a very short half life. Even before I started my taper, I was going through interdose withdrawal. Every afternoon I would start shaking and I'd feel horrible. That only got worse as I started cutting the dose. Much worse. That's going to happen to anyone that is already experiencing interdose withdrawal, and even if you're not there's a decent chance you'll start experiencing it as the dose declines.

That's my two wishes if I could do it over again - something to reduce glutamate and crossing over to a longer acting drug (Valium or maybe Librium).

If course, if anyone is granting me wishes then my wish is I'd never taken these horrible drugs to begin with.

Keep in mind I'd not a doctor so I may not know what I'm talking about, but that is how I would have done things differently knowing what I know now.

[[se...]]

Thanks for your reply, I understand the risks involved and yes ideally we'd have never taken them to begin with. So you think gabapentin is a good choice? Ive read that some people here have has a hard time with it. Im trying to come up with contingency plans to increase quality of life. I feel like my main issue now is glutamate related as im 2 years post jump from a slow valium taper. My worse symptom is paresthesia, did you get/have that? Is there anyway to deal with it? Lastly have you tried lavender essential oil, a few months ago I smelled some lavender car air freshness and I seemed to have been much more calmer, thing is these car air fresheners are pure chemical so im confused and unsure about essential oil, would it be better or worse. haha 

[[Na...]]

Taking any drug to ease withdrawal issues is controversial around here and rightly so - we're in this mess because of these sorts of drugs to begin with. But, I think during a taper and in the post withdrawal acute phase tamping down glutamate may be important. Personally, if it were me I don't think I'd start taking gabapentin two years out. I think you're probably past the point were excitotoxcity is likely to be the really damaging issue that it can being earlier on. But, you need to research that and come to your own conclusion. 

Yes, I had parasthesia on my hands and feet. My feet were the worse, to the point I could barely walk on them for at least 6 months and even today the sensation on the bottoms of my feet is altered and not normal - but its no longer painful.

I've tried lavender and never felt like it did much for me. The essential oil is going to be what you want if you're going to give it a trial. A lavender scented air freshener is likely to be some chemical that probably isn't going to have the same effect as the real thing. Spend some time investigating whatever lavender oil you buy - it seems there's a lot of counterfeit product out there so look for reputable sellers and good reviews.

[[se...]]

Sound advice, thanks Nathan!

[[Ki...]]

I am 9 years off,   Ugh.. after many decades on Benzos,

and for me it has been a learning journey re  what things  helps me,

and it  seems to depend at what stage of the healing process you try them, well it is/was for me.

I have tried lavender oil capsules 80mg ( Seremind) and the first two times (different brands)  way back earlier on when

I was desperately trying supplements etc to try and help my body heal,  it didnt seem to work,

however sadly we are all different with different damage or healing necessary,

so we must listen to our own bodies as we heal, and research  to find our own solutions often.

Now Lavender oil  works excellently for me morning and night.   

and I noticed it kicks in within 20minutes of taking it, however took 6 weeks approx to noticed it really worked for me.

as I was dubious after the first few trials, probably because  I didnt  taken it long enough to let it build up in the system.

We are all different as this forum shows .

Just sharing my experience with lavender oil which might help some people.

Good luck with researching and listening to your own body as that seems the only way through this.

[[se...]]

Thank you for sharing Kiwi, I'm glad you found something that has helped you. I just got some organic lavender essential oil, gonna try it one of these day. A bit terrified.