for long term unremitting protracted withdrawal why don't people try reinstating

[[Sh...]]

Hi Question,

 

for people with long term unremitting protracted withdrawals, say years why don't some people try reinstating to see if that makes their quality of life better if it is very debilitating? i know it is a gamble that it will work but does it work in some cases?

 

Sean

[[to...]]

I had such a hard time quitting to start with, that I'd die before taking another one of these evil benzos.  Perhaps there is another solution.  My doctor put me on Doxepin for sleep and it actually worked, which helped me through w/d from temazepam.  Don't give in!

[Guest [Pf...]]

I think some people do.  There are a couple of reasons

 

1)  There is some risk.  There are reports that for some people, reinstating does not relieve symptoms, or the relief is short-lived.  Now the person is on the drug and has symptoms, and may have to taper again.

 

2)  After going through so much to get off, to go back on seems backwards.

[[Ko...]]

I was sick while still on benzos (did not figure the reason at that time of course). I had interdose and tolerance withdrawal while on Xanax, and tolerance withdrawal while on Clonazepam. At 9 months off I feel about the same as during the time Xanax. So obviously reinstating is not an option. I fear it would only take me back to square one. 

[[Ho...]]

No way! If they reinstate, they will just have to do the entire thing over again! We cannot live forever on these drugs, they would kill us.

Plus, then they will have the kindling effect, which will make the next wd even HARDER.

[[am...]]

It is such an individual choice because we all respond so differently. For me, I was four months off and in the worst horrific hell. I just prayed for death - so I had nothing to lose - I'd tried everything but reinstating. I would have done it sooner but every doctor told me there was no possible way it could be withdrawal. So for me, there was nothing else to try - the only thing that helped was alcohol - and that wasn't a good solution. I had done my homework - reinstated and was able to function within an hour. It took four months to stabilize - then I began what I didn't know about doing before finding BB and some great books - been tapering now several months and all symptoms have diminshed and now having great windows - down to almost .125 from 3 mg of Ativan - have about 4 or 5 months to go. So I am just one of those examples where reinstating was better - wish I wouldn't of had to but was the only solution. But I know there are lots of people who were able to ride it out and were glad they did. Thanks for posting!

amb

[Guest [Tu...]]

I'm with Pfeff, who's a couple of comments above. I reinstated for 4.5 weeks in mid-January and although the Xanax eased the pain and my thoughts seemed clearer, beneath that was a constant feeling of failure, since when I reinstated I'd been almost five months out! So, I bit the bullet several weeks ago and resumed my c/t. Yes, I have horrible w/d sxs, just like when I first began my c/t back in early September, but I'm also proud of myself for not being dependent on a pill to function. OK, I don't function very well, but at least I am doing it without benzos... To me, that's the bottom line.

 

Tucson

 

[[su...]]

Hello Shift400,

 

I saw your comment about taking your benzo again to stop the symptoms. I put together some information that may be helpful.  I am the type of person who seeks to know what is happening and why, it brings comfort to me. I hope it does the same for you.

 

OVERVIEW OF PSYCHIATRIC DRUG WITHDRAWAL REACTIONS

 

"Your Drug May Be Your Problem, How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Medications." Fully revised and updated edition, by Peter Breggin, 2007.

 

Chapter 9: Withdrawal Reactions from Psychiatric Drugs

 

Overview of Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal Reactions

 

"In an authoritative 500 – page book focusing solely on adverse effects of psychiatric drugs, fewer than five pages are devoted to withdrawal effects associated with all categories of drugs. This finding reflects the inadequate level of psychiatric interest and knowledge in such reactions."

 

"Psychiatric drugs may induce a wide range of adverse effects when they are taken, and they may induce a wide range of adverse effects when they are withdrawn. Recognize withdrawal syndromes are a regular, common feature of the use of all psychiatric drugs. But as we have seen, doctors who prescribe these drugs too often they'll to warn the patients who take them."

 

"Because they produce unpleasant withdrawal reactions, psychiatric drugs must be considered drugs of dependence. In other words, at least some users will restart the drugs due to the withdrawal – induced discomfort. These individuals will continue their drug use simply in order to avoid withdrawal reactions. The countless first – person reports posted on the Internet by users of SSRI antidepressants, for example, provide unusually vivid evidence that this phenomenon occurs all too frequently. Unfortunately, when withdrawal reactions lead to prolonged drug use, the user risk experiencing more severe withdrawal reactions later."

 

"As noted, the relatively small quantity of published case reports describing withdrawal reactions cannot be taken as a valid indicator of the actual frequency of their occurrence. As a rule, withdrawal reactions from most psychiatric drugs have been ignored or simply not recognized as such. However, studies specifically designed to look for such reactions have found them in 60 – 80 percent of patients. A full 20% may undergo "severe" reactions."

 

"Doctors often focus on the physical consequences of withdrawal, such as nausea, tremors, or seizures, while feeling to identify the emotional withdrawal symptoms that so often contribute to the resumption of drugs. Emotional withdrawal reactions such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, confusion, and irritability can actually have a greater impact on patients than purely physical symptoms."

 

"The three main categories of emotional and behavioral withdrawal reactions are anxiety, depression, and psychosis. Anxiety reactions appear to be common upon withdrawal of central nervous system (CNS) depressants such as benzodiazepines and other tranquilizers, most of the antidepressants, antipsychotics, lithium and anticonvulsants used as mood stabilizers, and anti-Parkinsonians. Still, evidence from case reports and studies suggest that any psychiatric drug may produce any of these withdrawal reactions."

 

"In addition, over a dozen studies so far have implicated expectant mothers ’use of antidepressants during pregnancy with the appearance of the peculiar "neonatal abstinence syndrome." In one well – controlled study, a full 30 percent of 60 infants whose mothers took antidepressants for prolonged periods, including during the third trimester, developed the syndrome, which lasted up to four days; 13 percent of the infants had severe reactions. The most common symptoms were tremor, gastrointestinal problems, and abnormal increase in muscle tone (hypertonicity), sleep disturbances and high – pitched cries. None of the 60 infants without exposure to SSRIs develop the syndrome. There is some debate whether this represents an actual withdrawal reaction or a sign of direct drug toxicity in the serotonin system."

 

"Furthermore, clinicians and researchers do not always correctly describe2 the symptoms that occur upon withdrawal. In many cases, pro-drug bias and habitual resistance to acknowledging withdrawal effects lead them to use relatively neutral, ambiguous terms (such as agitation, restlessness, anxiety, and psychomotor retardation) in place of terms like psychosis."

 

Undoubtedly, many withdrawal reactions from all categories of drugs are mistakenly treated as "relapses" by prescribing physicians, thus moving the focus away from possible drug involvement and toward the patient’s "underlying disorder." Many researchers also approach the problem timidly, often failing to describe or emphasize withdrawal reactions. As a consequence, patients suffer, and the public is kept uninformed."

 

"Can provide truly informed consent for the drugs they are taking, doctors must fully describe withdrawal or discontinuation in terms of adverse reactions with a "frequent" probability of occurrence. It is the doctors’ duty to make sure that patients actually grasp and then remember the nature and likelihood of all important adverse reactions, including withdrawal reactions. Similarly, in their official drug monographs, drug manufacturers need to provide more accurate summaries of reports of withdrawal reactions, as well as detailed guidelines for tapering their products, just as they provide guidelines for how to initiate treatment."

 

"The best way to minimize the risk of severe withdrawal reactions is not to take psychiatric drugs in the first place. The second best approach is to plan a slow, gradual withdrawal involving close monitoring and a systematic, ongoing program of information, counseling, and reassurance. Unfortunately, however, abrupt withdrawal remains too common in clinical practice. Abrupt withdrawal is imprudent and may result in additional distress and disability. Except in emergencies, patients who are stopping their use of psychiatric drugs and the professionals who are assisting them should proceed gradually and maintain this gradual pace until complete cessation is accomplished, even if the early stages of withdrawal percent no difficulties."

 

 

I hope this is helpful,

 

Summer

[[li...]]

 

Like Kompata I was ill while still on benzo's. With the short half life types you are going in and out of withdrawal constantly and I for one didn't realise it.

 

No matter how hard it is I would rather have my fingernails individually plucked out and my appendages cut off with a rusty pair of shears than ever go back on that crap.

 

John

[[Ho...]]

 

Like Kompata I was ill while still on benzo's. With the short half life types you are going in and out of withdrawal constantly and I for one didn't realise it.

 

No matter how hard it is I would rather have my fingernails individually plucked out and my appendages cut off with a rusty pair of shears than ever go back on that crap.

 

John

 

AMEN!!!  I could have written this John, that was exactly my situation prior to jumping off benzos and that is exactly how I feel now.

[[Bi...]]

 

Like Kompata I was ill while still on benzo's. With the short half life types you are going in and out of withdrawal constantly and I for one didn't realise it.

No matter how hard it is I would rather have my fingernails individually plucked out and my appendages cut off with a rusty pair of shears than ever go back on that crap.

 

John

 

Exactly!

[[Wh...]]

This is a good question.  I am in protracted.  For me it is because I have not fought this hard to reverse all the work I've done ... I would feel completely demoralized and full of self-loathing if I went back just like Tucsondeadhead reports.  At this point I am at least 70% recovered.  I never ever want to revisit the hell of tapering and early withdrawal.

 

Also when I tell my son "Why did I do this to myself?  I wasn't in pain while I was on the drugs."  He says "Mom, if you go back on our relationship will be over because it was very hard to be around you while you were on drugs.  I got you back when you went off them and I don't want to lose you again.  You are now a real person with real feelings.  I know you hurt like hell but it's worth it to be real and a part of the human race."

 

A month ago I ran into a lady who was completely out of control.  She appeared drunk, was very angry and self-pitying and not seeing reality for what it was at all.  I found out from her later that she had taken Ativan.  I don't know why people down play the harm that benzo's cause to ones psyche, behaviour and personality.  When I described her behaviour to my son he said "Mom, that was you at times."  These drugs are not harmless while you are on them ... they destroy relationships.

[[Ga...]]

A month ago I ran into a lady who was completely out of control.  She appeared drunk, was very angry and self-pitying and not seeing reality for what it was at all.  I found out from her later that she had taken Ativan.  I don't know why people down play the harm that benzo's cause to ones psyche, behaviour and personality.  When I described her behaviour to my son he said "Mom, that was you at times."  These drugs are not harmless while you are on them ... they destroy relationships.

 

I completely agree. At times while on Valium my behaviour was not good at all. I definitely owe a few apologies.

[[we...]]

John, I'm with you. I would prefer playing Russian roulette all day and then go back on these drugs. If I had stayed any longer on them they would've killed me.

[Guest [Pf...]]

Another thing is that most people who have withdrawn did so because they had one problem or another while on benzos, either tolerance withdrawal or the negative feeling of the benzos.  There are some exceptions.  Some people may have felt fine on the benzos, but decided not to stay on them, so then stopped.  I think in those cases, those people may be more likely to have gone cold-turkey because they weren't having any problems, so it seemed OK to just stop.  And they might be better off reinstating and then deciding what to do.

 

But, most were not well on the benzos.  I would rather not be well and be off the benzos.  It was a worse feeling to be on the drug and not be well, knowing that the only way to get better was to go through the ordeal of getting off.  Once off, the general thought is that everyone eventually improves as time goes forward.

[[sh...]]

"I know you hurt like hell but it's worth it to be real and a part of the human race."

 

Your son is wise beyond his years 

[[Wh...]]

"I know you hurt like hell but it's worth it to be real and a part of the human race."

 

Your son is wise beyond his years 

 

That is true Shane and he saved my life. 

[[ma...]]

That's what I did. Actually, I would take tiny amounts, pieces of a pill. Only every now and then. I'm pretty confident that if I continued to handle it that way it would not have been a big deal. I agree with the quality of life issue. I may want to be benzo-free for lots of reasons. But it won't be at the expense of my abitlity to handle my responsibilities.

[[re...]]

Since we know we all heal, why go back on?

 

I pray with my whole heart and soul I NEVER take another benzo. I have given this beast 17 months to date and still healing. There is NO WAY I will ever do this again.

 

 

[[GH...]]

some people define insanity as: doing something again and again and expecting a different result

 

I think that is appropriate here.

 

Maybe it is about belief. I believe  that benzos are the problem, not the solution.

 

When one thing does not work, it is time to try something else.

 

It seems pretty simple to me.

 

I took benzos for anxiety. They may have helped for a while. I do know that benzos made things worse. Why would i ever go back to taking them? Just asking

 

good healing

[[pa...]]

Because your life is ruined on them, and it ruins all your loved ones lives also.  Pattylu

[Guest [pu...]]

Because your life is ruined on them, and it ruins all your loved ones lives also.  Pattylu

 

Yeah...what she said. 

 

And also it would be a shame to give up when you are almost there.  It's just a matter of what you believe to be true about these drugs. I don't happen to think they are worth what my family has paid.  I hope to never see or hear about them ever again once we're totally through with this.

 

puffin

[[...]]

"I know you hurt like hell but it's worth it to be real and a part of the human race."

 

Your son is wise beyond his years 

 

That is true Shane and he saved my life. 

 

Yes, that's amazing. How old is he?

[Guest [wi...]]

I guess its for all those who had it bad on the benzos and would rather have it hard and live life without them that feel this way, right? Better to be free and in pain than be shackled and struggling to be free over and over again.

[[Ti...]]

I was under the impression that we will all eventually heal.  As long as you wait it out, you will eventually get better. Isn't that reason enough?