Tapering off after 15 years of using

[[er...]]

Hi, I was searching so long to find a supportive community, I just need some encouragement or maybe someone with similar experience. I was prescribed bromazepam a long time ago for insomnia, kept using it through years and gradually increasing dosage on my own. I became dependant but was unaware of it. Also, I am diagnosed with depression, and recently GAD. 

Beside benzo, I am taking Zoloft and my doctor prescribed me with pregabalin and Welaflax to help tapering off of benzo.

So far, 3rd month, im still very symptomatic, unable to work and feel like functioning individual.  I wonder if my Dr gave me too much medicine?

How long this lasts? Every day is such a struggle. 

 

[[de...]]

Welcome to Benzo Buddies!   You are in the right place, and we will be glad to help with whatever we can.   You will find lots of support here.  Let's talk about the benzo first.  Three months is relatively early in the process.    It can take several months for your body to start to settle down.   Benzo withdrawal is unlike other drugs where the recovery is pretty quick.  It is hard to say exactly how long it will last, but in time you will begin to feel better.   It is important to remember that healing is not linear.   You will have some good days and then all of the sudden you will begin to have bad days.  Your symptoms will wax and wane.   

The depression and GAD diagnoses could have come about because you were experiencing tolerance withdrawal.   Tolerance withdrawal can happen when you are still taking the benzo.  You would have the same symptoms as if you had completely withdrawn from the drug.   Many doctors do not understand this and if you tell them you are anxious or depressed they will look at that like a new diagnosis that requires medication.   

I am familiar with pregabalin, but not with Welaflax.   Hopefully those will help with your withdrawal symptoms.   When you are ready to stop taking the pregabalin you will need to taper off.

Hope this helps.   Others will chime in as well.

 

[[er...]]

Thank you for your kind words 🙏 My depression diagnosis though came along with insomnia, but anxiety is relatively new and "occured" while abusing bromazepam.

I feel so alone in this fight, like, there's addiction, but there's also a mental illness, and some OCD, and now on top a withdrawal. Like a vicious cycle of neverending inside battle. 

 

I'm glad I found this community.

 

[[de...]]

Try to just take one thing at a time, focusing on healing from the withdrawal of the bromazepam.   

Many of us have felt alone in our journey, but you have lots of people here who want to help, and will encourage and support you through this season.

 

[[er...]]

13 minutes ago, [[d...] said:

GAD diagnoses could have come about because you were experiencing tolerance withdrawal.   Tolerance withdrawal can happen when you are still taking the benzo.  You would have the same symptoms as if you had completely withdrawn from the drug.   Many doctors do not understand this and if you tell them you are anxious or depressed they will look at that like a new diagnosis that requires medication.   

 

Now that I think about it, it seems very much true. Thanks you for this insight. 

[[Ri...]]

Tomorrow will be exactly one year since I became aware that Temazepam was a problem. I was noticing that by mid afternoon I was feeling anxious and irritated. I went to my doctor and all they did was tell me to find a benzo friendly doctor. I did not understand what she was saying. It became clear when she restricted my dose from 60mg to 30 mg. I could not function. Fortunately I told my daughter about this because I was incapable of researching what was going on by myself. She dug up "The Ashton Manual" I fired the mean doctor and presented this manual to my previous doctor, 180 miles away. He was skeptical at first, but the line from Herbert Spenser "contempt prior to investigation" was initiated. He agreed to follow the slow titration methods this good doctor Heather Ashton has laid out from her practical experience with benzo addicts.

 The first month I had to scramble to mix 30 mg of temazepam with 5 mg ambien because the system would not agree to 45 mg of temazepam. This was the worst hangover of my life that lasted a whole month. Getting to my first appointment was pure hell, driving through a whiteout to get there, but by the grace of God I made it. Initially that was way too much of a reduction at once. Not very many doctors know exactly how to titrate from this evil monster drug.

  However once we got on a schedule to begin a  known titration method I'm now down to 5mg of valium per day, after one year. Each time I cut back, about 1mg per month I experience a week of adjustment. It's not as rough as I could have imagined and do look forward to being rid of this entirely. This is a very mean drug and I pray that anyone trying to get off this gets some help from a doctor that actually knows how. You may have to sponsor your doctor. I refused any additional medication. I'm now 71 years old and just want to experience "normal"

  I'm eating a lot of protein and am walking over six miles a day. My doctor now trusts me and prescribes two months in advance. This journey is not as difficult as our minds can make it out to be, as long as the desire to be free from the bondage of dope and self are addressed. I've been also attending a minimum of three AA meetings a week, learning how to live life without the aid of chemical peace of mind. There does not exist chemical peace of mind.

  I still have a ways to go, however it's not as intense as it once was. Slow and steady wins the race.

[[je...]]

Hi @[Ri...]

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

Thanks for sharing your experience. Please feel free to start your own thread for support if you need to. 

[[...]]

You'll be happy you found BBs if you have some troubles. You can easily figure out you are not crazy or dying.

I heard in the old days people would just be allowed to take 3 to 6 months off for depression.And it worked.Not be given chemicals.

Anyway good luck to you, don't worry.