Help with tapering, please, panic /severe insomnia

[[Al...]]

Hi I'm new to the group, 42 years old. No previous med use. My doctor prescribed me Xanax on February 20th of this year after trying Ambien for a week for sleep issues and it not working well. I was taking one mg of Xanax for two and a half weeks. I learned more about Xanax and wanted to start tapering off when I cut down to .25 mg (maybe just over a week of time) I had 3 days of insomnia and panic. And then switched to valium 5 mg and did well for a week and began tapering that. I went down a quarter of a Valium every 4-5 days. Towards the end of the taper when I got to 1/2-1/4 valuim I developed 6 days of insomnia, intense panic, and tremors. I had two panic attacks in one night (like I've never experienced, screaming and convulsing) and had to take a whole 5 mg valuim again (actually the panic episodes started after I took the 5 mg valuim, I took it because the panic was starting to feel uncontrollable. Took the whole valuim at 9:30 p.m. and went into full panic around midnight) The last two nights I've been trying to go back to 1/4 but I'm having extreme anxiety, trembling, and insomnia.  Please help, I'm so scared and having really dark thoughts. This panic is unbearable 

Edited April 6 by [Al...]

[[Br...]]

Hello @[Al...] and welcome to BenzoBuddies!  We're glad you found us!

I know the symptoms you're having are really scary but you will get through this and we will help you. The symptoms you describe are very common benzo withdrawal symptoms.  You took benzos for a short time but it's possible for our bodies to develop dependency even over a short period of time.  When you say you have no previous med use I assume you mean you have not started and stopped a benzo previously.  Is that correct?  Are there any other meds you've stopped recently?

In many cases when a member has used a benzo for a short period we suggest a fairly quick taper.  But because you are suffering with severe symptom this doesn't seem to me to be the way to go.  If others disagree I hope they will give their input.  Please know I am not an expert on tapering.  My initial impression is that you need to return to a dose of Valium on which you feel reasonably stable, where you have some withdrawal symptoms but they're not completely intolerable.  Once you're stabilized you could begin a taper at a rate of 5-10% of your most recent dose ever 10-14 days.  

Do you have a prescriber who will continue to prescribe for the duration of your taper?

You will find a lot of good information here as well as support from others who understand what you're going through.

If you'd like, I suggest you start a thread on the Benzo Taper Strategies forum.

I also suggest you read Success Stories - this will give you encouragement and hope.  

We're glad you're here!

 

[[Al...]]

Thanks @[Br...] for your reply. Yes, I've never started or stopped a benzo before and have not recently stopped any medications (other than the Ambien he had me on for a week...or possibly 2. Oh also I tried prozac for 3 days and didn't like the way I felt so stopped, don't know if that counts since it was such a short time?)

I think my provider would continue to prescribe for the duration of the taper. He initially told me to just stop cold turkey, bit I decided to try and taper down.

 

[[Al...]]

 

Thanks for your thoughts. I have taken some of your advice and went back to the 5 mg diazepam, where I feel more stable.

My husband and I were contemplating doing a 2% a day taper after awhile. Has anybody tried something similar? Our thoughts were it would be more gradual than a larger dose at once. Does this seem too fast? Also we heard gabapentin can help withdrawal symptoms and we're wondering about using that when symptoms get bad. Any thoughts an that?

Thanks for your help, this is like a nightmare, as you all well know. I feel like I'm just not strong enough to get through this

 

Edited April 7 by [Al...]

[[Br...]]

Hi @[Al...] I've answered you on your thread on the Benzo Taper Strategies forum.

15 hours ago, [[A...] said:

I feel like I'm just not strong enough to get through this

I think we've all felt this way. Benzo withdrawal is more than any of us bargained for but I really believe you'll find strength in yourself you didn't realize you have.