Can you have withdrawal symptoms shortly after you begin your taper?

[[Ka...]]

21 minutes ago, [[J...] said:

Yea that kinda explains what’s been happening then,.just before the tapper I’d leave the house after a tablet and coffee and feel shit,.started the tapper  from 30 mg in January,and I’m literally down to 10 mg from 15mg just this last couple week,.and I feel ok in between doses,.after a dose though it’s the opposite,.I can only explain it like if you started a new medication and you new this isn’t right right away,.that’s how my daily dose has become untill it wears of like now and I’m not to bad sitting content,.I don’t feel the night dose as I’m asleep,but the afternoon dose feels bizarre 

There’s something else to consider. As we go down to a lower dose things can become worse. We notice new stuff we’ve not had before. There’s also a time lag when we make changes. Our system has to catch up & adjust. 

[[Md...]]

I think another thing that people and doctors may tend to overlook are external stressors, and they may be confused with withdrawal symptoms, or even exacerbate existing ones. 

After-all, many of us here were put on benzos to alleviate these external stressors, but perhaps through time we either forgot about them, or they became worse. Some of them are definitely obvious, but some I can't help but wonder if the lines get blurred.

Perhaps at times we put too much focus on our symptoms, as opposed to our own environment, or pre-existing conditions, if that makes sense.

Edited May 4 by [Md...]

[[Ca...]]

I went into horrible withdrawal as soon as I started lowering my dose of Valium. I tapered by microtaper starting Feb 2022 with 40 mgs of valium and 1.5 clonapin. I had agoraphobia almost immediately and extreme fatigue. I got down to 12.2 mgs of valium and started randomly updosing due to intensity of symptoms --none of which helped--so it was suggested I go up to 14 to stabilize. Well, one coach suggested that the other did not. I think the other was right. I have been holding at 14 for a while now; I have not stabilized and I have to get going on the taper. The only thing that changed was that I was not getting out of bed until 5 pm and now I get up by 3 to walk so that is good. But, I am too tired to even weight and cut!

[[Le...]]

36 minutes ago, [[C...] said:

I went into horrible withdrawal as soon as I started lowering my dose of Valium. I tapered by microtaper starting Feb 2022 with 40 mgs of valium and 1.5 clonapin. I had agoraphobia almost immediately and extreme fatigue. I got down to 12.2 mgs of valium and started randomly updosing due to intensity of symptoms --none of which helped--so it was suggested I go up to 14 to stabilize. Well, one coach suggested that the other did not. I think the other was right. I have been holding at 14 for a while now; I have not stabilized and I have to get going on the taper. The only thing that changed was that I was not getting out of bed until 5 pm and now I get up by 3 to walk so that is good. But, I am too tired to even weight and cut!

quite a story. 2 benzos and tapering. i am surprised noone has suggested getting onto a steady long acting benzo at a higher dose to start. I am hesitant to suggest klonopin because it seems to be the most troublesome one.  was hard on me. so complicated with two though. 

[[Ca...]]

I think I was not clear -- I was put on a higher dose of valium to start to convert for the Klonapin per the Ashton manual. So I have  been tapering Valium the entire time.

[[Le...]]

oh thats good. sounds like you are dealing with someone knowledgeable. you are lucky. 

[[Ca...]]

Yes I am lucky to have reliable coaches but they disagree on rate of taper and holding and I am actually feeling quite unglued because of it

[[Le...]]

your results will be good i think. there is no getting through this without discomfort but once you have for a while it is all blue skies. like waking from a dream and living again. 

[[Ca...]]

Thanks, Lee. Your mouth to God's ears.....

[[Md...]]

13 hours ago, [[C...] said:

Yes I am lucky to have reliable coaches but they disagree on rate of taper and holding and I am actually feeling quite unglued because of it

Coaches or psychiatrists?