You will heal too!

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Thanks for sharing your wonderful story Cedar. They are much needed by all.

Congratualtions,

WO

Thank you whiteoak.  I love your name btw! 

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A dear friend is tapering off of Klonopin after taking it for 24 days and just halved her dose from 1 mg a day to .50 mgs a day.  It's really fast and she's feeling the effects, but again, she's only been on it for a fairly short time. She's also taking Ambien and has decided to get off of it after she gets off the K.

 

It makes me very angry that the doctors in the hospital (psych ward) would not let her leave unless she was taking these pills.  That should be illegal to force someone to take drugs that cause these kinds of problems.  She's taken Xanax in the past and I'm worried she'll have a harder time this time around. 

 

If anyone reads this I'd love to hear suggestions.  I'll stay by her until she's free from this.  No one should ever have to go this alone.......right?

[Guest [...]]

hey cedartree

 

how r u going lovely.  sorry to hear about your friend that is ridiculous why did they do that to her for i just dont understand it at all however i have certainly lived it.  Im glad she has a friend like you to help her through.  anyway good to see you back around again you are a healing presence on the forum and im so glad you helped me out in my real time of need.

 

Lizzyxxx

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Cedartree:

 

I am so glad she has you by her side.  Your past experience will be very helpful to her.  Just yesterday I heard of someone who had trouble with Ambien (nightly panic attacks) they told their doctor about the panic whose answer was to put them Klonopin.  They think they are better now (the K is working) and who knows maybe they are.  But, it frustrated me to think that doctors don't realize that Ambien CAN cause these problems in people and that people who are sensitive to RXs like this need to not be put on another powerful drug to solve the problem.  I hope this person does okay.  It makes me sad to know someone might end up going through this long, excruitiating journey when they don't have to.  And to think, it all starts in search of sleep.  So sad.  I just don't understand why the medical community won't acknowledge this problem and change how they treat patients 

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Hi Cedar....I am fairly new to Benzobuddies.....I just love your success story......thanks so much for posting it.

 

I am so sorry about your friend...I truly do not have anything nice to say about doctors who take these drugs lightly...it is just wrong and I am still trying to work through my own personal anger.  It is good you are there.

 

On another note....during your healing and after you had stopped the benzos did you drink occasionally?  How about coffee?  Other supplements to sleep?  I am so worried that I will necer heal....the tinnitus, gut probs and cognitive stuff is the worst...my list o sx are similat to what yours were.

 

Need some guidance dear.

 

BB.

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Lizzy, love you and thank you for always being so supportive!

 

TG, yeah I agree, Klonopin is not the answer for issues relating to Ambien.  Good grief!!!

 

Hi BB.  Thank you so much for the kind words.  I feel your anger.  It's normal to be pissed about this whole ordeal.  So sorry to hear you're suffering so greatly.  From what I understand you are off benzo's now as of May this year?  Tapering Klonopin is a bitch for so many people.  To me it was the beast of all benzo's.  I did not have a drink of alcohol until I was off for a year.  Too afraid to try it because I'd been so sick.  I wanted to give myself every fighting chance of full healing.  Had some coffee at about 6 months off I think and it made me feel rotten, so waited until several months later to try again.  Did okay with small amounts.  Have no problem with it now whatsoever.  I take no supplements for sleep.  I have a vigorous routine each day and night to promote the best possible sleep.  I posted it in the insomnia section of the forum.

It's absolutely normal to feel like you'll never heal, but you will.  This is all a matter of time and taking the best possible care of our bodies in the process.  Unfortunately when you're feeling so rotten that's not an easy task.  Would love to hear more about what you've gone through.

 

Hugs,

Cedar

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Hey Cedar....it is late in the eve where I am so please bear with me....I am exhausted but wired.

 

Yes, I am off of that horrible drug as of May....it is the alcohol that I am having a problem staying away from cuz I was drinking at night...usually one cosmo and later I would take my Klonopin.  I have gone from a nightly drink down to once or two glasses of wine on the weekend or if we go out for dinner.  It doesnt really ramp up any of my symptoms but I do want to heal so do you have any suggestions?  I have dropped one addiction and now I have to drop the other....this is so very hard.

 

I was put on Klonopin for insomnia and Fibro...ended up staying on it because I was being bullied at my job...first by my boss and then tag teamed by two other women when I stood up to my boss (which was their boss, too).  I eventually landed in the ER due to the stress put on me over nearly a decade....the following year I was convienently laid off after 20 yrs of service and lost my retirement benefits and pension as I was just 4 years shy of the allowable early retirement age and did not join the pension plan right away....long story short I was dx with PTSD from the daily repetitive trauma at work.  I was a single Mom with no child support on top of it so I was in fear daily of losing my job and was concerned about caring for my child.

 

That is some of my story in a nutshell....now this...dealing with the physical and mental probs caused by the Klonopin and alcohol.

 

BB.

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Hi BB.  If one or two glasses on the weekend is causing you trouble that would not surprise me as the CNS needs time to heal. Unfortunately even small amounts of alcohol can cause problems for many people. If you're doing okay with it then I wouldn't worry. It's not a great deal of alcohol at all.  Nightly use would seem problematic for sure.

 

So sorry to hear about your trouble with work etc. I was diagnosed with fibro too and later found out the root cause was gluten intolerance.  Have you had a doctor attempt to get to the bottom of why you're having fibro pain (other than benzo w/d symptoms)?  Fibro is not an actual diagnosis, but rather a way of saying we know you're in pain, but not sure why. Anyhow, that might be something to look into in the future.  I was so happy to find out what was causing all of my health issues.

 

I hope things get a lot better for you soon.

 

Hugs to you,

Cedar

 

 

[[be...]]

Hey Cedar.....I really dont see much diff....the sx are the same....tinnitus, gut probs, dizziness, insomnia,etc. whether I have a glass or not....did you drink alcohol during your recovery period...or so soon after stopping?

 

I have to schedule a GI visit and he wants to do the Colonoscopy along with an Endoscopy to rule out gluten sensitivies...I have many probs with the gut....right now severe slow motility.....before the Benzo tolerance it was IBD with D not C.

 

So many people have mentioned the gluten issue over the years....just as a second thought but no dx yet.  When I screw up the courage to call the GI and sched an appt I will ask him to do the second procedure for sure....

 

Was it hard to change the way you eat?

 

BB.

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Hey Cedar sorry that is IBS with D.....my figures are not awake yet....my Puppy woke me last night around 3 am cuz he was afraid of the storm.....

 

BB.

[[be...]]

OMG!!  i give up...that is My Fingers....lol....time for another cup of coffee....

 

BB.

[[ce...]]

Ha Ha Benzobetty! 

 

It's a great idea to get the endo done for intestinal biopsies that will show whether or not gluten is a problem for you.  The diet is very difficult at first, but there are so many fantasitc options out now that it's getting easier and easier all the time.  I have no problem with it whatsoever and love cooking and eating all kinds of foods. Gluten is problematic for millions of people and the majority of them don't know it.  They are generally diagnosed with IBS, Gerd, Fibro, etc.

 

I didn't touch alcohol until I was a full year off benzo's.  I knew I had been too damaged and I wasn't willing to risk it with how miserable I was.  Everyone is different and it's just something you have to gauge for yourself really.  Same thing with coffee or anything else.

 

Would love to hear how your GI app. goes.  I hope they are able to help you in some way.

 

Hugs to you,

Cedar

[[be...]]

Hi Cedar....well I am glad I made you chuckle a little.

 

I so want to get better and will keep an eye on the wine intake, coffee and so on.  Thanks for the support and concern.  Now I just have to screw up the courage to get the procedures done and move on....I have been procrasting for years now....apprx. Four years to be exact.

 

Will keep you posted for sure!!

 

Hugs.

 

BB.

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Hey Cedar....first of all congratulation on your recovery great job...

 

I am 21 months off unfortunetly CT...but I am managing lol it's a big mind trip...a lot of symptoms has disapeared except anxiety and some DP/DR, I don't know which one, but feeling unplugged from what arround, I know it will leave as it comes and goes...and I think it comes from my stomach or my Gut...it's still very sensetive specially from food...I love cooking aswell as you...I am even inventing some stuff...like I start to bake my own bread with cornmeal and flour Geluten Free and I am fine with those and eat only veggies along with them...tried nuts (walnuts and almonds) a week ago and it drived me nuts (probably too much fat) lol....did you had any food sensetivities and are these sensitivities gone...I can still feel pulse in my vagus nerve (upper stomach)...I think it's the one causing the acidity and bloating...does your completly gone...sometimes I think of my case all day, and sometimes WD doesn't cross my mind lol weird, thanks and good work you deserve it   it's just I adore food and wine

[[be...]]

Hey Cedar and Tommy.....

 

Tommy interesting that you ref the almonds as a trigger to your DP/DR.....I just started putting them on my cereal every morning and my DP/DR is off the charts!!  I used to eat them without any probs....do you think there is a connection?

 

Oh....I also had to take some Nyquil the other night....maybe that?

 

Just curious....I don't want to get crazy over every little thing I eat and drink.....if I don't have to.

 

BB.

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Hi Tommy.  So glad to hear you're doing well most of the time. Gluten is something I have to avoid due to Celiac disease, but I also avoid lactose as much as possible too because it does bother me a lot.  I love food too.  That's interesting about nuts.  Hope that gets better for you.

 

I agree with Benzobetty to be aware of what hurts you, but to not let it consume you everyday. 

 

BB, I think that Nyquil has alcohol in it and maybe that bothered you a little?  Not sure. Hope you're doing okay today!

 

[[be...]]

Hi Cedar....you are correct....it was prob the combo of alcohol and decongestant for sure.  I will not be taking that again too soon.

 

Hanging in there...today was the same as yesterday but to a lesser degree...hope you are well, too.

 

Love reading your posts.....I am truly interested in treating myself as wholistically as possible...no more drugs!!

 

Peace,

 

BB.

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Hi benzobetty, we are so different in WD so as drugs hits people different ways so if food I read that nuts in general are so hard to digest, and as our digestive system is still messed up it can cause more irritability in digestion which is the thing we want to avoid in the stage I would recommend eating stuff easily digested and not overworking your digestive track and healthy at the same time this is from my own experience Till your GI track settles

[[be...]]

Thanks Tommy....that makes total sense...do you have any suggestions on easily digestible foods or recipes to keep me going through this horrible period?

 

I want to eat has healthy as possible....less to no processed food, diverse menu and the most potent in healing.

 

BB.

[[to...]]

I will talk about myself...my diet is kind of boring but it's ok with me keeps the sxs at bay...specially my stomach..

I have been eating zucchini (summer squash with celery and parsley) boiled with bread and flour is GF and some times I add some carrots and some mushrooms to the mix...tried nuts and rice and pasta and they are not doable for me yet...try veggies and fruits...if you can tolerate...like I said everyone reacts diffrent in WD to certain things....like I don't react to stress as much as food

[[ce...]]

Many grains are difficult to digest. I ate lots of whole fruits and veggies, nuts (did okay with them), cranberries or any berries, greek yogurt, soups, stews, jello, popcycles, gf toast with jelly (or nutella), eggs, chicken and rice, potatoes with veggies, etc.  Of course many people are simply too ill to prepare food when going through w/d.  I was one of those people for a very long time and had to depend on others when possible. It's not easy, but eating whole food does wonders for healing. 

[[be...]]

Hi Cedar and Tommy:

 

Thanks for the ideas....I am not there yet with the GF diet....working on it.

 

Just too tired to prepare things....even the simple lunch or breakfast....Hubby likes to cook dinners so I am good with that....just hate that he has to pull the weight in that dept.  Not in a good place right now...emotionally, physically and financially....just riding it out as it comes.  From what I have heard it gets worse before it gets better.

 

I will just have to watch what I eat....just not into eating much at all...not passionate about it....just numb in that area of my body.

 

BB.

[[ce...]]

Hi BB. Yes, make sure you eat something even when you don't feel like it.  Very important to stay hydrated too, so drink lots of water. 

 

Not everyone gets worse before they get better.  You could do okay BB.  Try to speak out positive things and it will help more than eating right or exercising or anything else will. 

 

Hoping you're doing okay today!

 

[[be...]]

Hi Cedar...bit of a downer today....bad night....tossed with horrible insomnia, tinnitus and my skin hurt all over.

 

I will try to think and speak of more positive things....it is difficult at times.  Wanted to head to the beach today but not a good idea....dizzy and exhausted so prob should not drive.

 

Anyway.....stay in touch and blessings.

 

BB.

[[ce...]]

Hey BB, how are you doing lately? I'm so sorry you're having such a rough time of it recently.  I know this is so hard when you are going through it, it's hard to be positive.  One day at a time until you're free of benzo's.....okay?