How to taper a Benzo while on Birth Control Pills or Progesterone

[[Wi...]]

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/Vitex.htm

 

What about this?

 

That wasn't the link I meant to post...there was a much better one and now i have to find it...it talked about "Vitex" ability to help our body produce it's own progesterone...I will post it when i find it.

To be candid, it appears in a good percentage of the cases in this situation, adding more progesterone is the equivialant of adding more gaba during w/d.  Since it's the receptors that have been theorized is where the problem is occuring I'm not sure this is an overall solution. In some of the links it appears that for women during PMS or with post partum, a paradoxical situation occurs where progesterone is actually higher and at the same time it appears that a tolerance may occur and the receptors don't metabolize? utilize? the added progesterone.

 

So in this case the question is what causes the additional progesterone, in other words what process is going on in the body for these women that causes the body to generate more progesterone and the lack of it's utility in the receptors?

 

So I'm not dismissing that Vitex may (or may not) offer some benefit to some women, although the side effects do cause me some concern and the idea of adding another unknown to a situation that is far from clear to begin with, may not be a prudent choice.  Just IMHO.

[[Su...]]

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/Vitex.htm

 

What about this?

 

That wasn't the link I meant to post...there was a much better one and now i have to find it...it talked about "Vitex" ability to help our body produce it's own progesterone...I will post it when i find it.

To be candid, it appears in a good percentage of the cases in this situation, adding more progesterone is the equivialant of adding more gaba during w/d.  Since it's the receptors that have been theorized is where the problem is occuring I'm not sure this is an overall solution. In some of the links it appears that for women during PMS or with post partum, a paradoxical situation occurs where progesterone is actually higher and at the same time it appears that a tolerance may occur and the receptors don't metabolize? utilize? the added progesterone.

 

So in this case the question is what causes the additional progesterone, in other words what process is going on in the body for these women that causes the body to generate more progesterone and the lack of it's utility in the receptors?

 

So I'm not dismissing that Vitex may (or may not) offer some benefit to some women, although the side effects do cause me some concern and the idea of adding another unknown to a situation that is far from clear to begin with, may not be a prudent choice.  Just IMHO.

 

I get what your saying...but I have had my hormones tested extensively and I have very very low progesterone all throughout the month...my naturopath thinks it's because of the anxiety/stress/insomnia that benzo w/d caused, it has exhausted my adrenal glands..progesterone is a precurssor for coritisol and so any progesterone I made, my body turned it into cortisol..hence the deficiency and hence why my adrenal glands are pooped out...

 

So..for me in particular, the problem is definitely not that my body is generating more progesterone than it should...just the opposite.

[[Wi...]]

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/Vitex.htm

 

What about this?

 

That wasn't the link I meant to post...there was a much better one and now i have to find it...it talked about "Vitex" ability to help our body produce it's own progesterone...I will post it when i find it.

To be candid, it appears in a good percentage of the cases in this situation, adding more progesterone is the equivialant of adding more gaba during w/d.  Since it's the receptors that have been theorized is where the problem is occuring I'm not sure this is an overall solution. In some of the links it appears that for women during PMS or with post partum, a paradoxical situation occurs where progesterone is actually higher and at the same time it appears that a tolerance may occur and the receptors don't metabolize? utilize? the added progesterone.

 

So in this case the question is what causes the additional progesterone, in other words what process is going on in the body for these women that causes the body to generate more progesterone and the lack of it's utility in the receptors?

 

So I'm not dismissing that Vitex may (or may not) offer some benefit to some women, although the side effects do cause me some concern and the idea of adding another unknown to a situation that is far from clear to begin with, may not be a prudent choice.  Just IMHO.

 

I get what your saying...but I have had my hormones tested extensively and I have very very low progesterone all throughout the month...my naturopath thinks it's because of the anxiety/stress/insomnia that benzo w/d caused, it has exhausted my adrenal glands..progesterone is a precurssor for coritisol and so any progesterone I made, my body turned it into cortisol..hence the deficiency and hence why my adrenal glands are pooped out...

 

So..for me in particular, the problem is definitely not that my body is generating more progesterone than it should...just the opposite.

I think there are enough unknowns that IMO, it's a "best guess" what your naturopath thinks.  But, I support whatever works for you.  With anything in life, it's a matter of weighing the possible benefits against the possible consequenses.    So it is up to you to determine what's best for you. In the end your life is not mine nor your naturopaths, nor anyone elses to live. You and you alone will reap the benefits or conversely suffer the consequenses.

[[su...]]

Hi SummerMeadow,

I think after trying to digest all the info on this thread that I should probably just stay on the bio-identicals without any changes until I'm symptom free from the benzo WD and then think about what to do -- stay on or get off them.  Would you agree?

Thanks!

 

Hello Hope,

 

I am happy to see you read some more information posted here. Yes, that is what my conclusion is too. If we are already on hormones then stay on them until we are fully recovered or longer if you are taking them for other reasons like menopausal symptoms. If you are not already on hormones then it may be best to stay away from them due to the effects they have on our GABA receptors etc.

 

Love to you,

Summer

[[Su...]]

I do know for sure that I will not be doing the progesterone creams, bioidentical or otherwise...I think I will continue w/the Ashwaganda and anything else that helps support by adrenal glands...

 

The good news is I am healed from benzo withdrawal so hopefully my body will stop needing to take my progesterone and turn it into cortisol and maybe will start healing itself.

 

If I was still tapering or in benzo w/d I wouldn't add anything or take away...benzo w/d is enough...but if in another 10 months I'm still having issues w/low progesterone then I'm gonna have to reconsider my options and weigh the pros an cons carefully.

[[ho...]]

Thanks Summer --- love to you too.  Hope you have a good Thanksgiving.

[[Go...]]

I take prometrium 300mg and no way I am giving it up anytime soon.  My gyno said I could stay on it rest of my life if need be.

[[Su...]]

http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Vitex_RedMoonHerbs.htm

[[Li...]]

Hello Buddies-

 

Summermeadow informed me today on my blog that birth control pills can be cross-tolerant to benzos. I have been off ativan/klonopin for 8 months and am overall doing well, but am only 3 days off gabapentin as well and have suffered more in the last few months than I previously had been. Assumed from stress and gabapentin taper. My story is kind of complex but basically, I am wondering if my birth control pills are causing issues. I am doing a cold-turkey from 2 norco/hydrocodone per day next week (chronic pain patient) and still take one mild muscle relaxant at night to sleep, and the birth control, but otherwise I am off all meds. I would like to be off everything, especially after learning this about birth control (it was the only thing I had planned to stay on). Should I taper the BC pills, or just stop? I usually take them for 6-8 weeks solid at a time, then when I start to have spotting I will stop for a week and have a period, then resume. Periods are mild with some cramping, and I've noticed benzo w/d symptoms are worse in the last week or two before my period, but otherwise I have no reason to think I'll have a hard time stopping the birth control, if any of this makes any sense. Anyhow, very curious to get feedback! I've been having major mood swings lately and have been very irritable, headaches, acne, insomnia. And would like to get back to my normal, laid-back, stable self!!

 

Best-

 

Libby

[[Li...]]

So, Summer asked me to post to this thread about how I am doing now at 6 weeks off the birth control! I ended up just going off it all at once (cold-turkey) a few days after I posted here. Here is some of what I said to Summer in a PM from about five weeks ago:

 

"I was off benzos for almost 9 months when I went off birth control. I honestly don't feel any different, except BETTER. I've been under so much stress in my life, and was tapering gabapentin and norco (opiates) as well, and I was SO moody for awhile there. I don't know what was causing it- probably gabapentin taper and stress, I would think. But I thought, well, I'll just take a break from the BC and have a period, and then once I really thought about it I just decided to stay off them. I'm not sure if my pills had progesterone in them tho- it was generic ortho cyclen. I'm a little nervous to be off them because I have endometriosis. Once I realized the BC pills could be affecting me, I just wanted off them. I've been on them pretty much continually since I was 17, and I'm almost 32. That's probably way too long!"

 

I really felt pretty good for the most part, but it has been harder a little further out. I've had nausea, headaches, muscle spasms, fatigue, insomnia, all worse in the last two weeks. About a week ago I had my first hormone-free cycle, and I had pretty bad cramps, but that's to be expected as I have endometriosis. Overall, though, I feel I made the right choice for me in going off the birth control. Since I did it so closely to the gabapentin, it is so difficult to tell what is causing what. I have been in touch with Hollyms who is about two months ahead of me (has been off BC for about 3 months) and she had the same experience I did, where she really felt fine for the first month or so and then during her first hormone-free cycle things got worse for her as well. Or maybe it was the second cycle? Regardless, it was later in the game. She is now, I think, doing better though. I was glad to know that she had a bit of a hard time further out than you would maybe expect (3-4 weeks, at least, since the last birth control pill) as I never would have put the BC w/d and my symptoms together on my own, but I do think what I've experienced lately has been a result of going off the hormones. I also think that I thru the worst of it and that it will all continue to fade from here on out. The symptoms I've had lately were IDENTICAL to acute benzo w/d, but less intense and of course lasted not as long. I already feel like I am healing.

 

I hope others will continue to add to this thread if they can so that others who may come after us may have an idea of what to expect!

 

Best-

 

Libby

[[vi...]]

Hello Girl Buddies

I am 4 months since last dose of b/d, and the pre-menopause symptoms that started 3 years ago (before Ativan and the ghastly taper) have recently ramped up...new bloating and insomnia that feels different from the w/d insomnia....feels like new extra peri-menopause nasties.

 

The sleep was so appalling that I went to the doc in July,  who prescribed compounded bio-id  progesterone. I took a modest dose and it actually added some hours of sleep, however it changed and distorted the quality/nature of the sleep. I felt hungover and exhausted the next day, and after 2 weeks (and lowering the dose to almost nothing) have abandoned it altogether. (Plus got sore boobs and other stuff). Sleep overall was possibly even worse.

Then saw the threads posted on BB.

 

Does it make sense to you girls that adding in progesterone, 4 months post-taper finish, is too soon? Having read all the birth-control pill issues etc it seems like adding or subtracting hormones is a bad idea .

 

Anyone got any ideas?  And when oh-when can you start to add hormones in? A year out? 2 years out?Longer?

 

Cheers

Viking