reinstate or not????

[[rs...]]

For the ones who have reinstated after a horrific experience with a taper or cold turkey. There seems to be some confusion about reinstatement for some people. The ashton manual says that "if a taper is done properly and slowly when most people finish they have little or no discomfort afterward. Some people carry a few pills just in case but find they never need them". I have read from the veterans of benzo w/d that a c/t can cause much worse w/d's and even lead to a dreadful post acute withdrawal syndrome. I have also heard of many people suffering very much after a loong taper. I personally did many things wrong in the throws of life threatening w/d's I wish I had not done, tramadol, ambien, alcohol,nyquil, sugar etc. Probably would have tried cat s**t if someone told me it would help!! Multiple drugs in the mix are very confusing to say the least because you don't know what drug is causing what. IMHO I think I made a mistake reinstating but  guess I will never know for sure. For me the mistakes I made led me to a double c/t. and I just decided to get it overwith whatever I was going to get. rstud

[[cd...]]

HI rstuds,

 

One day, there will be scientific studies that will serve to guide tapers in the future.  We are on the frontier of this, trailblazers.  What we learn now will be invaluable one day.  Until then, we are left to trial and error our way through this suffering.  I am happy to be on the journey with you, though.  Congrats on your benzo freedom.  Sorry you are still suffering.

 

cdawg

[[Kl...]]

Hi rstud,

 

Believe me, if there was a shred of credibility or better yet, scientific evidence that smoking cat pooh would take away withdrawals, all of us on BB who had cats with litter boxes would be scooping away!  Those of us without cats would be lining up at the Humane Society ready to adopt "kitty".   

 

The same holds true for any other "cure".  None of us wants to suffer!!  How human is this???  How many things have I tried in order to sleep despite hearing over and over again that "the only way out is through"??!!  I know this, but I don't want to suffer, damn it!

 

Professor Ashton in The Manual discusses people who have had multiple attempts to w/d from benzos who finally succeed.  She compares this experience to that of the smoker who attempts 6 or 7 times and is finally successful. She does not mention that someone with multiple attempts fares any worse than a first timer.

 

You did not make a mistake in reinstating.  You have had two attempts and are on your way to successfully getting off and staying off of benzos.  These two experiences have been of great value to you despite the pain.  You know what works for you and what does not. 

 

You are "getting over it".  One day at a time.  I am in awe over your courage and determination.  You are an incredible human being.

 

((((((((((((Hugs)))))))))), Laurie

 

 

[[rs...]]

laurie, how sweet r u ?? wow!!! rstud

[[Me...]]

Ya i'm someone who is on there 3rd attempt.  I think the best decision I made was crossing over to Valium.  For me its more psychological, I couldn't come off the K, so now its sort of new start new attempt.  Ya anytime I reinstated or even updosed always turned out to be for the worse. 

 

The dr. I'm most pissed off with is the one who put me BACK on K, when I was 3 months out.  I didn't know anything about w/d and he said I'm suffering from anxiety so I need benzo's. 

 

Which is insane, its like a telling a smoker who's quite for a week.  "well your clearly more agitated, I suggest you keep smoking"

 

Ya I guess were only the 2nd maybe the 3rd generation of people to go through this.  I guess its kinda neat to be one of 'trail blazers', and i'm sure they'll be a whole new wave of people behind us, and we'll be the ones they'll look for help and encouragement. 

 

Anyways.....much healing!

 

 

[Guest [Tu...]]

If you are off I have just three words of advice: DO NOT REINSTATE.

 

I tried a c/t in 2000 and reinstated. I tried several tapers but never could get below 5 mg. of Valium and eventually always updosed. So I tried another c/t in 2004. It lasted 23 days, just when the w/d symptoms kicked in as the Valium was leaving my system. I gave up, reinstated for seven long years and HATED being addicted to, and controlled by, a damn little pill. I lost my job in April and decided to c/t and managed to make it 47 days before reinstating. My c/t was a half-hearted attempt, which is why it was easy to reinstate. I was back on Valium for three months until I hit September and realized I began taking benzos in late September 1997 and now had been FOURTEEN YEARS since I'd become addicted.

 

I began a serious, motivated c/t on September 7. I am now on Day 56 and, while I am struggling, I think I have passed the point of no return and I should be able to deal with any symptoms that rise up in the weeks and months ahead. I had a strange epiphany on Monday night. I was really jittery all evening, so I went to be at 9 p.m., not to sleep but just to try and calm down. About 9:15 I had this huge feeling wash over me where I realized I was not CRAVING a pill. Until then, I felt like I was "faking it" and really could not live normally without a benzo in me. Every day was a struggle. Monday night I felt just like, whoa, I do not need a pill to get through my day, no matter how bad it is!

 

It's kind of like when I quit smoking in 1991. For the first few days I was crazy in craving a smoke, then for about 4 weeks or so I had constant cravings. One day I got up and went through the day and at night it struck me: I hadn't craved or even though about a cigarette all day! That's how I was about benzos on Monday night. Since then, I've had tough spots and anxiety, but none where I "felt" I "had" to have a pill. It was more about just pushing through the tough time.

 

Please don't reinstate. I did it three times and in the process wasted about 11 years of my life...

 

Tucsoon

 

Me on Day 56 of my final c/t:

[Guest [Si...]]

I would not reinstate.

 

It is your decision, but I wouldn't.

 

If I could go back to 2007 when I cold turkied Klonopin.. I would just have stayed off.

 

I would be healed today and four years out.

 

I had to reinstate though because of seizure activity.

 

Billy.

[[wh...]]

Hi rstud!

im sure I will be asking this same question a few months from now, I hope that everyone will say not to do it , just try 1 more day and then 1 more. just please tell me no.

so...no

from what I have read its harder to quit after you have re-instated

no

just try 1 hour and then 1 more hour

and then 1 more day.

after 48 days and all youve been through

no

[[it...]]

Ashton added some clarification regarding reinstating and updosing in her 2011 supplement/update.

 

Here is the link:

 

www.benzo.org.uk/ashsupp11.htm

[[fl...]]

If I read your sig correctly you are already 46 days off? If that's the case, I wouldn't do it. No way. You have made it so far already. Also I've read here on BB's that anyone off longer than a week or so that reinstates usually doesn't have much luck, or get any relief.

 

It's so different for everybody that it's really impossible to know what will happen. All I can tell you is what I would do, and after all the damage this evil pill has done to me, everyday further away from it is a victory. No matter how bad I feel, there is nothing that could ever make me take another benzo.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide. I hope you heal quickly and are on the road to recovery soon. 

 

Jeff M.