50 and over club- withdrawal and recovery issues for the aged :-)

[[Ca...]]

Some of CAnada may be ok.  But don't move to calgary. I went for a walk today and there is still remnants of snow in the alley. Although tomorrow is supposed to be really warm ( 20 cel) I know we aren't done with the snow yet.

 

I'm going to pull out some shorts though and enjoy he sun:)

Carol

[[ga...]]

Do you mean Williams in California? great little town. up in the Trinity Alps. I went for a week last month. fresh clean air. If you like country living, the Trinity Alps is a good place to retire. watch out for mountain lions and bear.  Berkeley Hills is good. I like where I live. it was 90f today in clear view of the snow capped sierras. short drive to ski and in the other way, short drive to ocean.  only I think to move because it is really too noisey for me. I'm not sure yet if the WD is making me so sensitive to noise. it's constant. leaf blowers, freeway hiss in distance, helicopter police patrol, etc,,,visual it is a great place. nice homes but the noise to maintain these nice homes is driving me batty. but lots of you guys are keen on disney land so maybe the noise won't bother you. lol

[[ve...]]

Hi Garuda, How about Auburn, CA?  Or maybe California is out simply because of all the high costs (insurance, gas, fees, taxes...  not to mention earthquakes???)

 

Vertigo

[[ve...]]

[move] Joining the +50 club....."in tha house?" [/move]

Prescribed xanax in early 2008 due to panic disorder, & long term insomnia. Thought it was The most wonderful medication--stopped those pesky panic attacks in seconds and was in dreamland within a few moments after ingesting it. About a year later and clueless as too the effects of benzo usage, began to have what were thought to be heart attacks--anxiety, stomach aches--gallbladder issues, was in the ER dozens and dozens of time only to discover that "nothing was wrong"...anxiety based--was told many times to go home, take a pill(xanax) or was given a shot of vistaril which knocked me out for hours on end. In May 2010, xanax rebounded and no comfort was derived form using it at all--only misery. Thought I had lost my mind and allowed ER doc to put me in psych. hosp. for evaluation. Before I left, a male nurse came in and told me he had been hooked on klonazepam had managed to taper off of it. He also told me not to tell the drs. that he had talked to me.Stayed in psych. hosp. for a week of absolute hell-on-earth. Placed on clonazepam 2 mgs. per day and sertraline 200 mgs. per day. Made it thorugh the last six days of school--God was with me!!! Horrible withdrawals. Went to live with MOM for the summer and found BB on the internet. BB has been and continues to be an absolute God-send.

................T2

 

Welcome Teacher2.  That ER nurse must have been some kind of  .  Are you able to work through this still?  I came very close to my doc prescribing xanax back in 2008 and I am just glad he gave me valium instead.  I've heard about horrible withdrawals and the rebound anxiety seems out of this world!  Well, glad you found BB and are now well on your way to being on the mend.

 

Vertigo

[[ve...]]

Love reading all of your posts fellow 50+'ers ... I feel so "at home" here. Thnx for starting this thread, vertigo. I think it's a definite keeper. T

 

You're welcome T. I hope it stays here in withdrawal support. I think there are a large group of older buddies, some of whom might normally not post as much but might come out of the woodwork if they see a thread that resonates in this withdrawal support section. Hope it sticks.

 

V

[[ve...]]

With you as far as another 55 yr old member, but please - not "aged"! It's infinitely nicer to realize we're in "middle essence" and just starting to hit our stride on so many issues, including how to care for ourselves and get free from benzos!!!

 

Welcome Squirrley!

You're right, we're not getting older, we're aging like a fine wine, hitting our benzo free stride just in time .

 

Vertigo

[[De...]]

I've been to Cottonwood and Prescott.  Both are nice just didn't know if there is enough to do there.  I have felt very isolated for such a long time and it is not good for me.  I need to be around artists and the arts.  Never been to Bisbee although I know there is a turquoise mine there.  I love Jerome but not sure I'd want to live in such a small town 24/7.  Flag is too cold for me.  I've been to the Tuscon gem show a few times but it didn't look like a place I'd like to live.  There is probably way more to see than the area the show is in and I should explore it more.  Never been to Williams or Pinetop either so will have to check into them.  I spend most of my time in Chandler.  Have a relative there.  It has good weather but not sure about it.  I came very close to buying a house there last year and changed my mind.  I like Cave Creek area but not sure if it is too remote.  So what do I like.  I love the dry sunny weather as much as I can get.  Even gets cool in Sedona for me.  I love the beauty of the Red Rock Canyons.  I'd like to live in or walking distance of a small quaint town with lots to do.  Art galleries, shops, cafes,..........I want it all I am tired of having to drive everywhere.  I am a comfort zone kind of driver anyway so I don't hop on highways and drive for hours.  More into surface roads but walking would be nice too.  Years ago I was in St. George Utah and I remember it was nice but I think it gets too cold up there.  I have boxes still packed in my basement that say AZ on them   appreciate the input. 

fb

 

Art and artists??  Bisbee!!  Sounds like you have a good take on AZ.  Lots of great places IMO! 

[[ve...]]

Utah and Bryce Canyon was gorgeous in the summer, but might be on the cold side in the winter.  On the other hand, not sure I could take 120 degree summers in AZ

 

V

[[Fl...]]

V. I love Utah.  I think that area you speak of Bryce and Zion is beautiful.  I did the narrows years ago with my then teenage kids and we tubed down the Virgin River.  It was not deep.  Incredible area but alas too cold in the winter.  It is I think my favorite state thus far.  I just feel healthier in every way in the desert dry sunny climate; hence AZ.

Desertwoman; Bisbee sounds like a place to explore!  I've never been there. Where is Williams?  What do you think of Lake Havasu?  Never been there either. Hubby likes ocean and while I love ocean I cannot stand the dampness and mold etc.  So I was think Lake Havasu might "fake him out" somewhat.

T2 glad you have joined us.  How are you doing? 

Pianogirl; wow on the bike ride!  You go girl!

Good morning to everyone.

fb

[[ve...]]

V. I love Utah.  I think that area you speak of Bryce and Zion is beautiful.  I did the narrows years ago with my then teenage kids and we tubed down the Virgin River.  It was not deep.  Incredible area but alas too cold in the winter.  It is I think my favorite state thus far.  I just feel healthier in every way in the desert dry sunny climate; hence AZ.

Desertwoman; Bisbee sounds like a place to explore!  I've never been there. Where is Williams?  What do you think of Lake Havasu?  Never been there either. Hubby likes ocean and while I love ocean I cannot stand the dampness and mold etc.  So I was think Lake Havasu might "fake him out" somewhat.

T2 glad you have joined us.  How are you doing? 

Pianogirl; wow on the bike ride!  You go girl!

Good morning to everyone.

fb

 

I agree that too close to the Pacific can be a problem.  I have a friend who lives in Santa Cruz and has had it with the fog and dampness.  She can't wait to move.  I agree that Utah is fabulous, wish it were a little warmer in the winter...  I've heard Phoenix gets some really bad sand storms that mess with respiration and can cause some type of phantom lung problem?  A Jeep guide told us that in Sedona two years ago, mabye he didn't want more people to move to Phoenix? who knows.  I wonder if that is the case in Tucson or other parts of Arizona?  I tend to like the dry sunny weather but my wife says it bothers her allergies. I don't like the humidity so that pretty much rules out Arizona and Florida for us .  Well, it's not for some fifteen years away anyway so a lot can happen. There's many a slip between the cup and the lip .  What about Auburn or some other parts of Northern Cal or Reno?

 

Vertigo

[[ve...]]

Already got the vacuuming and mowing done for the weekend so now it’s time for the good stuff. Filtered about a half gallon of iced coffee concentrate this morning and even tested it - very tasty. So glad I can drink coffee again after over two years.

 

Amazing Eli.  I can only handle decaf coffee once in a while.  Iced Tea is ok for me for some reason and I'm also about two years off.  I cheat on the java once in a while though.

 

After going to see a friend in the hospital, the plan is to work on making a hiking pole. (Something constructive to obsess over for now.) So far it’s just a little less than 7 feet - kind of like the one Charlton Heston carried in The Ten Commandments. I don’t think this one will do the snake thing though. Maybe after I sand, stain, and finish it. Never thought I’d feel human again after the first two years of this mess, so who knows.

 

Hope your friend in the hospital is well

 

Then some rest with a cup of iced tea or glass of iced coffee - probably some nice smooth jazz too. Maybe a nap? Maybe I’ll wake up and feel 58 instead of 98 - aches and pains like my whole body has arthritis...

 

Hope you'll get back down to 58 soon

 

eli

[[De...]]

V.Desertwoman; Bisbee sounds like a place to explore!  I've never been there. Where is Williams?  What do you think of Lake Havasu?  Never been there either. Hubby likes ocean and while I love ocean I cannot stand the dampness and mold etc.  So I was think Lake Havasu might "fake him out" somewhat.

fb

 

Williams is about 45 miles west of Flagstaff.  Small town that caters to old Route 66, and the Grand Canyon.  Lovely place to visit.  Don't think I would want to live there.  Don't know anything about Lake Havasu except what my sister tells me.  She lives in Phoenix, and her husband and she go up to Lake Havasu often.  They like it.  I'm not into extreme heat!  I live in the high desert.  Bisbee is an old mining town.  It turned into an artist town in the late 70's.  It is quaint, small, much like Jerome, but on a larger scale.  It has great happenings all the time and recently, like in the past 10 years, has really become more beautiful.  I love it.  One of my fav AZ towns for sure.

[[ve...]]

V.Desertwoman; Bisbee sounds like a place to explore!  I've never been there. Where is Williams?  What do you think of Lake Havasu?  Never been there either. Hubby likes ocean and while I love ocean I cannot stand the dampness and mold etc.  So I was think Lake Havasu might "fake him out" somewhat.

fb

 

Williams is about 45 miles west of Flagstaff.  Small town that caters to old Route 66, and the Grand Canyon.  Lovely place to visit.  Don't think I would want to live there.  Don't know anything about Lake Havasu except what my sister tells me.  She lives in Phoenix, and her husband and she go up to Lake Havasu often.  They like it.  I'm not into extreme heat!  I live in the high desert.  Bisbee is an old mining town.  It turned into an artist town in the late 70's.  It is quaint, small, much like Jerome, but on a larger scale.  It has great happenings all the time and recently, like in the past 10 years, has really become more beautiful.  I love it.  One of my fav AZ towns for sure.

 

Ever been to Palm Springs or Desert Hot Springs in CA?

 

V

[[Ra...]]

I am over 50 years! still titrating off Klonopin slow and easy. not doing to bad at this time because i go slow and listen to my body. going on a picnic this afternoon with family.

[[ve...]]

I am over 50 years! still titrating off Klonopin slow and easy. not doing to bad at this time because i go slow and listen to my body. going on a picnic this afternoon with family.

 

Welcome Stormyskies.

Turtles win the race .  Enjoy  your picnic

 

Vertigo

[[Ch...]]

                                                                http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy228/jade95_2010/LOL-Funny/Funny%20Pics/oie_image007.gif

 

Me! Me! I'm 50  51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 ...okay, 61.  About 11 years on Xanax, Temazepam before that, total of 31 years and now 2 weeks off and doing okay.  Some lingering stuff but tolerable.

 

Great thread!  Have just spent 20 minutes catching up with all the posts here.  I want to be on the geezer bus, too!

 

Challishttp://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo29/pigletmph/zadiffgrouphug.gif

 

[[St...]]

Guess I belong in here now that I am a few months away from turning 60. I reached out to a dude that has a blog here named Oscar on this board who is doing a Valium to Librium crossover/taper.

 

Here's my deal... I am looking for advice, accurate crossover calculators, similar experiences, recommendations, support, what the hell is going on with the psychiatric community answers . . .? 

 

You get the drift.... here is my current status:

 

Xanax user for 15+ years - 1mg - 4x/day.  04/10/12 - began crossover taper per Dr. instructions.  Moved to Librium - 25mg - 3x/day.  Librium taper expected to last 2 months.  Geez, sounds too fast ....... already feeling anxiety and unsure crossover dose from Xanax to Librium amount is accurate.  Comments are welcomed and appreciated!

 

Many thanks!

StevieInTexas

 

"That which doesn't kill us, probably should have . . ."

[[ve...]]

Guess I belong in here now that I am a few months away from turning 60. I reached out to a dude that has a blog here named Oscar on this board who is doing a Valium to Librium crossover/taper.

Here's my deal... I am looking for advice, accurate crossover calculators, similar experiences, recommendations, support, what the hell is going on with the psychiatric community answers . . .? 

You get the drift.... here is my current status:

Xanax user for 15+ years - 1mg - 4x/day.  04/10/12 - began crossover taper per Dr. instructions.  Moved to Librium - 25mg - 3x/day.  Librium taper expected to last 2 months.  Geez, sounds too fast ....... already feeling anxiety and unsure crossover dose from Xanax to Librium amount is accurate.  Comments are welcomed and appreciated!

Many thanks!

StevieInTexas

"That which doesn't kill us, probably should have . . ."

 

Oscar is a good resource on librium tapering.  I forget how much is 75mg of librium in valium equivalancy?  I'm guessing that 2 months is quite rapid given that 4mg xanax is something like at least 40mg valium? or is it double that?  Have you posted this question in taper section of forum?  You might get some feedback here too but I think it would be something to post on it's own either by starting a new topic here in this withdrawal support section of forum or in taper section or both.  I would think you'd be looking at a minimum of six months to a year in order to have a smooth taper experience, as opposed to 2 months.  Is there some reason why your doctor wants you to be off in two months?

 

Hook em Horns,

 

Vertigo

[[De...]]

V.Desertwoman; Bisbee sounds like a place to explore!  I've never been there. Where is Williams?  What do you think of Lake Havasu?  Never been there either. Hubby likes ocean and while I love ocean I cannot stand the dampness and mold etc.  So I was think Lake Havasu might "fake him out" somewhat.

fb

 

Williams is about 45 miles west of Flagstaff.  Small town that caters to old Route 66, and the Grand Canyon.  Lovely place to visit.  Don't think I would want to live there.  Don't know anything about Lake Havasu except what my sister tells me.  She lives in Phoenix, and her husband and she go up to Lake Havasu often.  They like it.  I'm not into extreme heat!  I live in the high desert.  Bisbee is an old mining town.  It turned into an artist town in the late 70's.  It is quaint, small, much like Jerome, but on a larger scale.  It has great happenings all the time and recently, like in the past 10 years, has really become more beautiful.  I love it.  One of my fav AZ towns for sure.

 

Ever been to Palm Springs or Desert Hot Springs in CA?

 

V

 

No.  Been through but not stayed.  I lived in the San Berdo area in the early 70's.  Loved it.  Never loved the traffic!!

[[De...]]

I am over 50 years! still titrating off Klonopin slow and easy. not doing to bad at this time because i go slow and listen to my body. going on a picnic this afternoon with family.

 

I want to go on a picnic...that sounds like so much fun!  Dang drugs........   That's the key...listen to your body

[[Fl...]]

Challis, I love that picture.  Can I steal borrow it somehow?  I've never seen anything like it!  Too cute!

Desertwoman, thanks for all the great info.  Bisbee sounds cool.  Hubby says it is only 1 mile from the border and is there any issues with that.  He watches the news too much.

V. I've never been to Palm Springs and I hear it is great.  Would like to visit it; not sure I could afford to buy there?  I would imagine it is pricey.

wishing you all well,

fb

[[Ch...]]

Hi fb~~

 

I think if you click Quote, you can copy and paste it anywhere you want.  That's a picture of me from February til now!! 

 

 

Challishttp://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo29/pigletmph/zadiffgrouphug.gif

[[Mi...]]

Hey I'm way over 50, but I don't think I hold the record on this forum . . . . . yet.  "Geezer" is pretty much gender specific to the male of the species as is "coot" "gaffer" and "codger." Gotta think of an appropriate handle for the ladies.  I suggest "golden girls" in homage to four of the feistiest over 50 women ever on TV.  Okay then, I wouldn't mind belonging to this fine group of geezers and golden girls if you will have me.  I sure hope hazing the newbies is prohibited.  So everybody get on the benzo bus and head down here to sunny Florida where those in our age group reign supreme!

 

MiniMinnie

[[De...]]

Desertwoman[/b], thanks for all the great info.  Bisbee sounds cool.  Hubby says it is only 1 mile from the border and is there any issues with that.  He watches the news too much.

V. I've never been to Palm Springs and I hear it is great.  Would like to visit it; not sure I could afford to buy there?  I would imagine it is pricey.

wishing you all well,

fb

 

There are less issues on the border than there is inland!  I don't think people realize, when people cross the border, they want to get as far away, as fast as they can!  The news likes to ...ahhh, augment!! 

[[Fl...]]

Thanks DesertWoman, I don't even watch the news anymore as it is too depressing for me.

MiniMinnie, Welcome!  Love the Golden Girls!  I think we met on the micro tapering thread or it is really Valium but I snuk in