SSRI/ SNRI to cope with benzo withdrawl

[[Me...]]

I was taking Xanan and Valium 3 - 5 days a week for about a year. Went cold turkey 3 months ago and are going through hell. Insomnia, anxiety and severe depression. My was thinking about starting on SSRI or SNRI to lift my mood and get rid of the worst anxiety, but there is different advice depending on which doctor you are speaking to. So, what is your experience with withdrawl and starting SSRI/SNRI?  

[[Pa...]]

Hello @[Me...], welcome to BenzoBuddies,

I'm so sorry to hear you quit cold turkey, I did too and know how miserable you are.  

There are different opinions about antidepressants, starting them while your central nervous system is so sensitized can be problematic for some, others report it helps.  So as with everything else about this process, what helps one may hurt another and you have to experiment on yourself to find out which group you're in.

If I may ask, why were you prescribed the Xanax and Valium and at what doses?  Have you tried antidepressants before, do you know how you typically react?

Hopefully members who have used or are using them will stop by with their take on your question.

We're glad you're here and hope we can help you figure out what to do. 

[[Nu...]]

I had zero positive effect from any AD/AP. They weren't right for my system, but that doesn't mean they won't be right for someone else's.

Be careful with those meds. They can cause harm. I believe the best advice is to start low, go slow, and have a high index of suspicion to identify any adverse effects and be prepared to remove them from your treatment plan if they aren't proving beneficial. I don't feel there's anything inherently wrong with trying them. Just be careful with them.

[[Fi...]]

4 hours ago, [[M...] said:

I was taking Xanan and Valium 3 - 5 days a week for about a year. Went cold turkey 3 months ago and are going through hell. Insomnia, anxiety and severe depression. My was thinking about starting on SSRI or SNRI to lift my mood and get rid of the worst anxiety, but there is different advice depending on which doctor you are speaking to. So, what is your experience with withdrawl and starting SSRI/SNRI?  

Hi @[Me...]

Sorry to hear you're not feeling great. I can certainly relate. I was also in this predicament a couple of weeks ago. The doctor wrote a prescription for an antidepressant and I sat on it for a while because I really didn't want to put anything chemical in my system. But in a moment of desperation I got it made up and took it for 3 days. On the 3rd day I was reacting badly to them and my symptoms flared. I've found since I've been on benzos I am really sensitive to everything! I find some sort of comfort in knowing the symptoms are the drug, not me. I understand it can feel unbearable at times. Please be kind to yourself and trust that this will pass. I have found walking, sitting outside, guided meditations helpful. Also, putting up boundaries and expressing our limitations with others really takes the burden off trying to pretend we're okay all the time (that's just my experience). Sending you healing 

[[Me...]]

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

Hello @[Me...], welcome to BenzoBuddies,

I'm so sorry to hear you quit cold turkey, I did too and know how miserable you are.  

There are different opinions about antidepressants, starting them while your central nervous system is so sensitized can be problematic for some, others report it helps.  So as with everything else about this process, what helps one may hurt another and you have to experiment on yourself to find out which group you're in.

If I may ask, why were you prescribed the Xanax and Valium and at what doses?  Have you tried antidepressants before, do you know how you typically react?

Hopefully members who have used or are using them will stop by with their take on your question.

We're glad you're here and hope we can help you figure out what to do. 

Thanks a lot. I took Xanan and Valium due to anxiety and sleeping problems. I only went on them for a year and took 10 mg. once a day every 3 - 4 days. So why I´m having such a servere withdrawl, I cant´understand. The last dose I took was indeed 5 mg. of Valium in one go and that was it. I quitted. 

Before that, about 2,5 years ago I went off Oxy. I was on Oxy for 2 - 3 years, and then went cold turkey. It was a rough time for a couple of months, but nothing compared to this. 

[[Pa...]]

Benzodiazpine withdrawal is in a class of its own, we've heard from countless members who have withdrawn from legal and illegal substances, and you're right, nothing compares to the misery inflicted by this drug.

Since you don't seem to experience chronic depression, meaning what you're feeling is a result of the drug withdrawal I'm hopeful you can take others advice and avoid another medication but certainly, if you and your doctor feel it would be in your best interest then we'll support this.

As for suffering after only taking the drug PRN, we're seen members become dependent taking it this way. This is some information which may be applicable to your situation. Kindling - Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (benzoinfo.com)

[[Ma...]]

You might want to take a gene test to see which a/d is right for your system. And I agree with others-start at a microdose to see how you respond.

[[WU...]]

Personally I wouldn't touch an SSRI or anything else with a barge pole! OK that's just me but after this benzo experience I can't help thinking we should not be messing with our brain's neurochemistry at all.  

[[kn...]]

I took Venlafexine during the time I was taking benzos and have continued to do so during my taper.  I was able to lower the dosage of the SSRI some, but it was another 2 weeks of suffering on top of the BZ.  I have continued taking it throughout my taper.  I'm still working on that.  I've tried other types of add on meds since, but have eventually given them up and had to suffer through their WD as well.  So I've had the experience of add on drugs and am not a proponent of doing so.  If they don't work, you have to get off them.  It only adds pain and suffering to what you're already going through.   

[[Ka...]]

Hello @[Me...] My experience is that I reached a point where I had been on a vast amount of various psychotropics including a trial of sertraline. I decided to slowly come off each one - a detox. I was left with a benzo that was running for years in the background. Personally, I feel the CNS has enough to cope with and when we add more medication it can get overly complex. For this reason I would caution starting an SSRI/SNRI to combat WD symptoms. 

[[Ju...]]

 

Hello, I have been taking and am taking antidepressants. I have been doing very well for many years. They may be a good solution for you depending on the severity of your symptoms. If it is to stop smoking there are other medications. SSRIs- SNRIs can also cause withdrawal symptoms when you stop using them and it is not like benzos, where you can reintroduce them and they calm you down.
Additionally, the first weeks can increase anxiety, which is why they usually supplement them with benzos first.