3 days clean after a long tapering

[[mt...]]

 

 

I feel so angry about the indiscriminate prescribing of Benzos without any real help or understanding of what to expect when you try to come off. 
My Ativan regimen was very modest and for only for a year.
So -  Day 3 clean (after a long taper) and I could tick at least 12 of these!

 

 

• abdominal cramps
• agoraphobia (fear of situations which feel difficult to escape)
• anxiety, including physical symptoms such as muscle tension, tight chest, fast heartbeat, sweating, trembling or shaking
• blurred vision
• concentration problems
• dizziness
• face and neck pain
• headaches
• increased sensitivity to light, noise, touch and smell
• loss of interest in sex
• loss of appetite
• mild to moderate depression
• nausea (feeling sick)
• nightmares
• panic attacks
• restlessness
• sleep problems
• sore eyes
• sore tongue and metallic taste
• tinnitus (ringing in your ears)
• tingling in the hands and feet (pins and needles)
• unsteady legs
• vomiting (being sick)
• weight loss.

 

 

[[...]]

Hi mtkin,

My heart goes out to you!  And I understand your anger. These drugs are so destructive to our bodies and lives.  It’s a massive undertaking to get off them and healing is a long process.  Congratulations on stepping off, though!! That’s huge!  

[[Th...]]

Unfortunately there is no guarantee that a slow taper will result in less symptoms and/or symptom intensity.  I've been on this forum a long time and have seen people get hit just as hard from a long, slow taper when compared to someone that did a CT.  I did a CT at my doctor's recommendation.  The main reason for not doing a CT is a risk of a seizure.  Almost all doctors in the US and perhaps around the world, do not recognize nor "believe" in Benzo withdrawal.  Or if they do, they think it lasts 2-4 weeks.  Hence, the over prescribing of Benzos.  Benzos should not be taken for more than 2-4 weeks consecutively, but most doctors don't care and keep people on them for years or decades.  

1mg of Ativan may seem like a "modest" amount, but it's actually a significant dose.  IMO, there is no such thing as a small dose as all Benzos down regulate GABA receptors.  A person taking .25mg of Ativan may have just as severe of a withdrawal as a person taking 1mg or more.  

Symptoms sloooowly fade over time, but are very UP and down.  The healing and recovery process is very non-linear and has no rhyme or reason and makes no sense at all.  Expect the unexpected until things even out.  Peace!

Edited February 17 by [Th...]

[[mt...]]

Thanks to both of you 

[[An...]]