Tips on what to avoid while tapering?

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If there is already a topic for this I'm sorry.

 

I begin my taper tomorrow and I was curious as to what to avoid while tapering , such as foods and things like that.

 

I already know no alcohol..that's gonna be a tough one. 

I do smoke cigs, and I dont think quiting during a taper is going to make me pleasant to be around..does nicotine interfere at all?

I know caffeine is a no brainer..I am down to one cup a day in the monring..not even every morning anymore since my anxiety got bad..

I do not do any illegal drugs anymore so that's not a problem..

 

ummm...what else?

any tips or suggestions? 

[[Th...]]

Hi Intox,

 

I smoke, sometimes it does get me a little jittery but I'm waiting to get off this benzo train before I quit. Should be a breeze compared to getting off benzos. I quit two times before and started again.  I drink decaf coffee in the morning or chamomile tea. I tend to crave foods with protein. I was making protein smoothies with some fresh fruit and an ensure. Sugar revs my w/d symptoms up sometimes, so I avoid it most of the time. I haven't had a beer since Dec 15  or a diet coke, my old choice of drink. Once in awhile, I'll have a caffeine free diet coke. I drink a lot more water than I ever had in my life, thirsty all the time.

 

Remember Colin can speed up your taper some if you are feeling okay. Good luck, smooth tapering!! 

 

T2

[[TP...]]

I had to quit smoking because it made me so tense I couldn't bear it. The only other thing I avoided was alcohol and stimulants like Adderall. Oh, and try to minimize your stress.  :thumbsup: That's a biggie.

[[el...]]

Now that I don't need one anymore, I finally found a doctor who understands benzos.  He explained to me how nicotine and caffeine interfere with the body's assimilation of benzos.  And he explained how caffeine competes with the benzos for the receptors.

 

He went on for about a half hour and I had no idea what he was talking about but it seemed to make sense at the time.  It turns out he's also an anesthesiologist so he probably really does understand it.  His recommendation was: no smoking, no drinking alcohol, no caffeine, exercise daily, eat healthy.  Amazing, a doctor recommending all natural lifestyle improvements rather than making me his own personal laboratory rat experiment. 

 

Best of luck to you,

Elwood

[[Gl...]]

tom, how did you manage to quit smoking (was it while you were tapering?) Did you feel less stressed after quitting? I know Apostacious said he felt pretty nerved out the first three weeks after quitting but then said he felt a lot better after quitting smoking.

 

Therese, did you drink much diet coke? I've tried to cut down on diet pepsi and I get really tired. How did you do it? Thanks!

 

Congrats on kicking so many unhealthy habits.

 

Gloria

[[hi...]]

 

You know, I think it is important to treat yourself well when you are tapering, so do things that are good for you and won't overstimulate you...exercise, eliminate sugars, no alcohol, no caffeine....

 

But it is progress not perfection. I made the error of having a glass of red wine during this taper. I am not a big drinker at all. I also had a gigantic steak and vegies. Walking back to the car, I noticed I felt a bit odd...kind of nauseated. I think this is was the wine.

 

 

[Guest [Pe...]]

Alcohol sets me off something fierce. I had a beer the other day and it really messed me up.

 

I went from: 

 

To: 

 

Within a matter of hours.

 

I try to avoid sugar when possible, but I have a mad crazy sweet tooth that is impossible to ignore and the more I attempt to ignore it, the more I want to snack on sweets (licorice allsorts be damned).

 

Caffeine is the worst, for me anyway. It makes me feel awful. I've never been huge on caffeinated drinks, so I think it's partially due to that, but the drugs don't help.

 

-Pete