tolerance withdrawal

[[sa...]]

How do I deal with tolerance withdrawal?  I have only been on Temazapam for almost 2 weeks, and I'm still at my regular dose and having pretty nasty evening withdrawals: aching, burning muscles, tingling, headaches, stomachaches, hot feeling, rapid heart rate.   

 

I need to taper, but I'm terrified about how much worse this could get.  Would a valium crossover prevent some of this?  I'm already so very ill.  Even before I took the benzo I was quite ill from months of insomnia and other issues.  How do I deal with this?

[[Be...]]

I hope you will talk this over with your doctor, sagemom.  In your signature you indicate that you were on and off a lot of psych drugs 2 weeks ago and you could be feeling the effects of that now rather than it being any kind of tolerance withdrawal from the Temazepam.  I've never heard of anyone becoming tolerant in just 2 weeks. 

[[sa...]]

I have before.  I became tolerant to Xanax in 2 weeks.  I CT'd after week three and had some of the worst possible withdrawals.  I just spoke to another bb here that had a similar experience with Ativan.  So I cannot assume that I'm not tolerant.  I could get extremely ill if I were to CT.  I went to doctor today and he agreed that it would be very dangerous to CT right now.  Because I'm having such bad tolerance withdrawals, he is allowing me to crossover to valium and taper from that.  I'm scared of the change, but I'm feeling pretty bad doing what I'm doing now. 

 

As for the other drugs, I agree that I'm probably still feeling the affects.  I still have terrible nausea which started with the Effexor.  It's very difficult to sort out what is doing what right now.  But I think it's probably safest to assume, given my history, that I am dependent on the Temazapam and that I shouldn't CT. 

[[...]]

I was put on 30mg of Temazepam in the hospital and became dependent on it quickly.  Previously,  I had been on a hideous amount of Ativan and had been off for six months.  I developed tolerance to temazepam, relatively quickly.  I tapered directly off of Temaze using water titration.  About a month into titration, I developed interdose withdrawal.  At a members suggestion, I dosed every 12 hours.  I titrated off without a hitch.  Beeper is right, many of the psych drugs affect the same receptors in the brain....You might ask your doctor about taking 1/2 the dose of Temaze every 12 hours as you go in to the taper.

 

Hang in there, this is doable.

[[sa...]]

I'm crossing over to valium because of the interdose withdrawals I'm already having, not even having begun to taper at all.  I know it's withdrawals because it gets so much worse towards evening when I'm supposed to take my dose.  I could do what you suggest, but I wouldn't sleep.  I know I'll stop sleeping eventually anyway, but I would like to get a few more days or even weeks in where I'm actually sleeping. 

 

I sure wish I knew how much last week's dosing escapade is still affecting me.  I sure feel sick.

[[...]]

when you cross over to valium, it usually involves taking a smaller dose of temazepam with valium for awhile until you are just on valium.  Valium seems to be much more sedating and has a longer half life.  I assume you have read the Ashton recommended cross over from 30mg of temazepam to valium.  If not, it is in my sig line.

Are you starting the cross over soon? 

[[sa...]]

when you cross over to valium, it usually involves taking a smaller dose of temazepam with valium for awhile until you are just on valium.  Valium seems to be much more sedating and has a longer half life.  I assume you have read the Ashton recommended cross over from 30mg of temazepam to valium.  If not, it is in my sig line.

Are you starting the cross over soon?

 

Yes I know.  I wrote out the Ashton method for crossing over from Temazapam to Valium.  Apparently, my 30 mgs of Temaz is equal to 15 mgs of Valium.  My doctor doesn't agree with the slow crossover method, but I'm going to do it anyway since I think Ashton knew more about it than him.  I'm pretty scared of becoming over sedated because I'm already so tired.  I don't know if I will try it tonight or tommorow night. 

 

Did you do a crossover?  If so, how did it go?

[[...]]

I have a crazy history and it would take forever to splain'  I tapered off temazepam directly.  I then stopped narcotics with a naturopathic doctor, who used valium to help with the withdrawals.  Read my blog someday when you are really bored. ( Skyy's the Limit)  I was on 40 mg of valium for 2 months, tapered down on my own and jumped off the valium at 5mg.  Of course, that was a little crazy, but that is what I did.

 

I found the valium sedating (40mg) for several days (5-6), but at least I was sleeping well.  I have been off for almost 5 months.  This time around, my symptoms were about the same initially, but I feel better OFF the valium and the psychological stuff gets better every week.  I really found the interdose withdrawal on the temazepam very disconcerting and uncomfortable.  I can't stress enough that I honestly believe, that once you are off, after a period of time, you will feel better.  Since you were not on this for years, your healing should come relatively quickly.

Skyy

[[sa...]]

I have a crazy history and it would take forever to splain'  I tapered off temazepam directly.  I then stopped narcotics with a naturopathic doctor, who used valium to help with the withdrawals.  Read my blog someday when you are really bored. ( Skyy's the Limit)  I was on 40 mg of valium for 2 months, tapered down on my own and jumped off the valium at 5mg.  Of course, that was a little crazy, but that is what I did.

 

I found the valium sedating (40mg) for several days (5-6), but at least I was sleeping well.  I have been off for almost 5 months.  This time around, my symptoms were about the same initially, but I feel better OFF the valium and the psychological stuff gets better every week.  I really found the interdose withdrawal on the temazepam very disconcerting and uncomfortable.  I can't stress enough that I honestly believe, that once you are off, after a period of time, you will feel better.  Since you were not on this for years, your healing should come relatively quickly.

Skyy

 

Okay, that makes me feel better.  I hear all this stuff about liquid titration and microdosing and it sends my anxiety sky high.  I don't have the mental capacity right now to design a taper like that.  I'm not going to be taking anywhere near the dose you were at orginally.  I hope healing comes quickly.  It took quite a while after my Xanax CT, but after about 8 months I was feeling much more human, and almost normal after one year.  I hope this is better since I won't be CTing this time.  Doctor has me going down pretty quickly though, 2.5 mgs per week.  I'm really scared that it's going to catch up with me later and hit me really hard.  But then again, I've only been on for 2 weeks.  I hope that makes a difference.

[[...]]

  2.5mg per week sounds ok.  Communicate with the doc how you are doing, just keep pushing your way down.  I really had to commit to stress management and therapy for depression while working my way off the junk.  The P-Doc always wanted me to try yet another drug.  I said nah..... When I found the naturopath, He totally got that I didn't want any more drugs.....I still see a therapist once a month.

 

Keep me posted  XO

[[sa...]]

I'll eventually be seeing a counselor too, but it will be another couple weeks.  Hope it helps.  No matter what I'm going to be feeling symptoms because I can't be on a benzo without feeling tolerance.  So I just need to get off.  Hopefully without nearly killing myself this time.

[[Be...]]

I have before.  I became tolerant to Xanax in 2 weeks.  I CT'd after week three and had some of the worst possible withdrawals.  I just spoke to another bb here that had a similar experience with Ativan.  So I cannot assume that I'm not tolerant.  I could get extremely ill if I were to CT.  I went to doctor today and he agreed that it would be very dangerous to CT right now.  Because I'm having such bad tolerance withdrawals, he is allowing me to crossover to valium and taper from that.  I'm scared of the change, but I'm feeling pretty bad doing what I'm doing now. 

 

As for the other drugs, I agree that I'm probably still feeling the affects.  I still have terrible nausea which started with the Effexor.  It's very difficult to sort out what is doing what right now.  But I think it's probably safest to assume, given my history, that I am dependent on the Temazapam and that I shouldn't CT.

 

I guess it could be just a difference in terminology.  I'm thinking you could just be having a bad reaction to the benzos that you don't feel instantly.  I have heard of some people getting a "paradoxical effect" which is when the benzo causes the very symptoms it's supposed to treat.  Regardless of what it is in your case, you are right: you need to get the benzos out of your system and heal.  Best of luck to you.  I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. 

[[sa...]]

Thanks Beeper.  Whatever is going on, I'm very sick.  The only benefit I've gotten is some sleep.  I hope I can do this.