was switched from ativan to xanax

[Guest [Ju...]]

But see i stopped the klonopin on sunday and the bad feels didnt hit me really till yesterday and i alreeady had gone on the higher dose of ativan per dr.......so im worried about stepping back in the klonopin.My pharmist said to take the 4 mgs of ativan a day but add in .5 klonopin in the am and in the evenning....with ryans way its taking both pills at the same time which i have always heard you should wait a few hours before taking then if doing both meds....do u think the pharmisits way is ok and im not seeing a dr im seeinga pshycolgist

 

sweetpea-

 

You stopped the Klonopin 4-5 days ago. What you are feeling, IMO, is normal as the Klonopin is leaving your system and your system is now, adjusting to the Ativan alone. You have to understand, at some point(right now, IMO), you are going to be on one benzo (you are now, why add another back in?), will need to stabilize on it (doesn't mean you will feel great) and then start your taper.

 

You are going round and round, trying to avoid w/d symptoms....stop trying to do this, we all have them, me included. You cannot get around them...you can accept them and find ways to deal with them.

 

Not to sound harsh, I am a straight forward person so I am going to ask, Do you even really want to get off benzo's? As I see it, you have found any and all reason to not taper yet; go back and look at this thread, see your many fears keeping you from moving forward. It is your decision if you want to stop taking benzo's, I am not forcing you off, just replying to your many ?'s.....I am out of answer's....this is all I have left to offer.

 

I hope you find the answer to what you need....IMO, acceptance, knowledge, supporting others, having perservearance and the desire to set a goal and go for it, are what works...fear...it does nothing but hold you back; step out of the fear....big changes will happen with that.

 

Just Breathe

[[sw...]]

thanks im going to a pshycologist today and im hopeful just scaed as how i feel..........yes i do want to get off the benzos and maybe its going to take me learnig someskills which i have never had before i can do it,,,,,,but i thank u for being here for me.........so u wouldnt add the klonopin baack in..i didnt want to because i just have to go off it again but im in a bad way

[Guest [Ju...]]

yes i do want to get off the benzos and maybe its going to take me learnig someskills which i have never had before i can do it

 

sweetpea-

 

That is the best comment I have read from you Now you are on to something. I hope the therapy session went well...keep going, it takes a while to get comforable with someone but it does help to have someone objective to talk to...and yes, I see a psycologist too...so thankful for that.

 

JB

[[sw...]]

So anyways the last thing my dr told me beore dropping me was to up to 1 mg ativan 4 times aday, and im doing 1/2 mg klonopin am and pm to fight the withdrawal till i see a new pshychtrist and im scared because i m gonna need to get off the klonopin still and after having withdrawsl coming of 2 mg on to ativan i just dont know how it will be done..i would thin 4 mf of ativan is alot and should cover me but its not...any thoguths

[Guest [Ju...]]

So anyways the last thing my dr told me beore dropping me was to up to 1 mg ativan 4 times aday, and im doing 1/2 mg klonopin am and pm to fight the withdrawal till i see a new pshychtrist and im scared because i m gonna need to get off the klonopin still and after having withdrawsl coming of 2 mg on to ativan i just dont know how it will be done..i would thin 4 mf of ativan is alot and should cover me but its not...any thoguths

 

sweetpea-

 

You are flip flopping so much it is hard to keep track. Are you now saying you are taking 1mg Ativan 4 times a day plus .5mg Klonopin in the AM & PM? Again, I stated this before, you are trying to avoid w/d symptoms and that isn't possible, we all deal with them to some extent. You have built up a tolerance to benzo's, that is why you are needing more to try and achieve the same feeling. You are going to feel somewhat uncomfortable during this process, we all do. I am out of suggestions and honestly, I don't think you are even reading my replies to you, just coming back to post more fears, going in circles.

 

Fear Is:

 

F-False

E-Evidence

A-Appearing

R-Real

 

That is all I have to offer you sweetpea. I hope your new doctor can get you stabilized and that you can eventually work through your fears and get off of benzo's. Wishing you the best.

 

Just Breathe

 

p.s. I went and looked at your first page of this thread. You started this in November of 2008 ....it is 15 months later and nothing has changed, you are still in on the same amount, actually more. Do you realize that with a sensible taper, courage, the will to want to get off and some coping tools, you could have completed your taper by now?

[[sw...]]

yes and thats what im hoping is to learn with coping skills how to handle for fear and maybe to figure it out.....i dont like taking the klonopin,,,i was off it from sunday till thursday and  i mean i was freaking..i dont know maybe the pharmist is wrong in having metaking it along with the ativan but as my dr dropped me right in  crisis i didnt know what else to do but call the pharmacy.....i know when tapering off a benzo somethimes they put u on another one..i want to be well and this has been a good advice i do read all my posts from others

[[sw...]]

How exactly did you lose your doctor? Did he/she relocate? Retire? Dismiss you as a patient? In short, what has happened to sever the physician-patient relationship?

 

Your reply has a very strong emphasis on the use of alcohol, of which apparently holds  great significance to you. What is your attraction to alcohol? Did you use alcohol to relieve tension? Do you miss alcohol because it was a strong component of your social life? Do others around you use alcohol, and do you feel left out as a result of not being able to drink? In short, what is symbolic about alcohol to you, and how do you currently feel given that you are unable to have any? How do you suppose you would feel if you were able to have some alcohol? The truth of the matter is, it can only worsen your condition.

 

17 years of Xanax use in combination with alcohol results in a multitude of issues, namely depression, tolerance and physical dependency with a worsening of your symptoms from baseline as a result. Alcohol is partially cross-tolerant with Xanax, and potentiates its effects. Both act on a certain brain chemical known as GABA. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system, and is responsible for regulating excitatory responses. Drugs that increase the utilization of GABA, such as alcohol and Xanax, initially produce a calming effect. Over a span of time, this calming effect diminishes due to tolerance, and more drug is required to produce the same calming effect. Once this occurs, sensitivity to GABA has been reduced. Increasing the amount of drug will temporarily reestablish the calming effect, while discontinuation of the drug will result in withdrawal symptoms and severe rebound anxiety.

 

Given your 17 year history of alcohol and Xanax use, you have likely formed a severe tolerance and physical dependence to the sedative/hypnotic class of drugs that are commonly employed in the treatment of anxiety. At this stage, such drugs are unlikely to provide a therapeutic benefit to you insofar as to relieving anxiety, but they will block the manifestations of withdrawal symptoms.

 

The goal here would be to implement a long-acting Benzodiazepine, such as Valium, at a dosage of  10 mg, q.i.d., followed by a very gradual downward titration over a span of several years. This would help to minimize further tolerance to sedative/hypnotics, and provide you the opportunity to gradually withdraw from their use entirely. Improvement after a span of 17 years will generally be slow, but is entirely possible. If you continue in a downward spiral, you will never recover, hence I would urge you to seek professional help for chemical dependency in addition to intense counseling to help you manage your dependent needs. Unfortunately, there is no cure in the form of a pill, and you have exhausted your resources from a pharmacologic standpoint. It is time to treat the dependency now, as well as the root cause of the problem, which, in my opinion, is beyond the scope of what medication alone can manage at this time.

 

Best regards,

 

Ryan

 

[[sw...]]

I need advice can you all read what this guy is saying to me? As Im getting a new pshychritrist and i have a counlser now....how would i ask my new dr aboout a valium taper.....what would they do taper me offf the ativan onto valium..Im desparte and dont knwo what to even say to me new dr,,,Does what this Ryan say makes any sense to you all here I have to make changees amd get well somehow..but i cant go in detox as i have heard its hell...Please any advice?

[[el...]]

Hi Sweetpea,

 

where did this post come from?? What 'reply' from you is he talking about? Is this a pm? If so, it's against the forum rules.

 

No, Ryan's taper advice does not make sense and is much too prescriptive.

[[sw...]]

No it was not a pm it was a post a guy sent me to my email froma question i had asked.Im so afraid  now.like there is no hope for me.You see back in dec i was put on klonopin and i had to go off last week due to the bad depression i told tehm it causes me.My dr said to go back on ativan or the oncall dr told me that,when i spoke to my dr she said up the ativan to 1 mg 4 times a day as needed..i dont know if im jusy freaking but my anxiety is the worst ever and my dr dropped me said she can help me no longer and so i have a new dri see on thursday i just dont know after this lettr from ryan what to do or even say to my new dr..i got a phycolgist that i saw on friday and will be working with him.....im also on 1/2 klonopin in am and pm to try to starve off the withdrawla i havr ben felingfrom the klonopin stopping....doyou have any ideas what i could do in the meantime till i see this new dr and what should i say....so you dont think a valium taper would work i feel so hopeless.

[[el...]]

How did he get your email?

 

His taper advise is, in my opinion, completely off-the-wall. And members should not be psycho-analyzing each other! 

 

Just put it out of your mind and go see your new doc.     

[[sw...]]

He is from medhelp forum and you have to give your emails.....im trying to be ok till i see new dr on tthursday..till then im on betwee 3  to 3 1/2 mg ativan and .5 klonopin in the am and pm...he scared me so bad like i will never get well..thanks for your commit..i have to beat this...in your opinion do you think im a loss cause i have to work monday thur wed and im so freaking cause of this guy telling me i need a valium taper and he even said i might need  detox program in another email,,,,.i have been scared about veing on ativan and klonopin but i try to tell myself if they had of tapred me i would still have been on both right!!!

[[el...]]

Oh, I assumed he was one of our members.

 

I once asked a question there. They did not respond to me by email, they responded on the forum. What you are saying doesn't seem ethical to me. Are you sure that is required? I understand giving your email to join the site, but they shouldn't be emailing you. Conversations should remain on the forum.

 

Anyway, if he is scaring you, maybe you should block him from you email and stay away from medhelp. I actually like medhelp, but his post is definitely disturbing. Is a doctor there, or just a member?

 

SP, you aren't a lost cause! I think your next step is to start with a clean slate and go see what your new doctor has to say about it all.

[[sw...]]

No he is not a dr...........I just dont know where i should start and what all i should tell him,i want to get better and from what this ryan said im not gonna get better with out a special kind of dr....do u have any ideas where i should even start with telling things to the new dr

[[Gm...]]

If I was in your shoes, I would tell the doctor I want to do a 9 month taper program off my meds. I would Use the tools you find on this website ex: the support, and water titration schedule.

 

If you really want off the meds, determination will be stronger then the Benzos.

[[sw...]]

i have such anxiety i need coping skills even if the benzos are making me ill how will i cope with the anxiety i have had for twenty years without skills? And i have like the perfect life yet im so empty and i feel like im not going to make this one

[[sw...]]

and i think even on this low dose of klonopin added back in its bringing me down wonder if im stable enough on the 1 mg of ativan 4 times a day to drop at least 1/ of the klonopin that would nmake me on just 1/2 mg...what do u guys think

 

[[el...]]

.so you dont think a valium taper would work i feel so hopeless.

 

I realized I didn't answer this question yesterday. Changing over to valium is an option for some people. Maybe I'm mistaken, but hadn't you tried valium in the past and it didn't agree with you?

 

For some people, valium can be very sedating and depressing. For others, it works great.

 

As for this Ryan person's advice, My disagreement with him is not with valium, it's with him saying it will take you several years to do a taper! Also, I believe taking long acting valium 4 times a day is extreme and unnecessary.  

 

When is your appt with your new doctor?

 

I think you need to discuss this with him. Explain that you would like to do a reasonable taper of about 10% every week or two. It's for you and him to discuss and decide together what benzo you should use.  

[[sw...]]

No i had never been on valium before i treid tranxene..it was bad....imnot seeing where he is saying valium 4 times a day...a fewposts back i placed another response fromhim concenring my getting off the klonopin and back on the ativan.i have to work this week monday thru wed and see the dr on thurs,im on the 1 mg ativan  4 times a day per my dr that tehndropped me and 1/mh klonopin twice daileey per pharmist trying to help me with the withdrawals from the klonopin...i stopped it a week ago and was on lower dose ofa tivan andlikeon thursday  i freaked so pharmacy said to add klonopin in to maybe help with the added axiety fromnot doing a taper and now i want to go ahead and stop the klnopin as i feel it brringing me down,just wondering if im stabilized on the 1 mg ativan 4 times a day to drop the klonopin

[Guest [Ju...]]

No i had never been on valium before i treid tranxene..it was bad....imnot seeing where he is saying valium 4 times a day...a fewposts back i placed another response fromhim concenring my getting off the klonopin and back on the ativan.i have to work this week monday thru wed and see the dr on thurs,im on the 1 mg ativan  4 times a day per my dr that tehndropped me and 1/mh klonopin twice daileey per pharmist trying to help me with the withdrawals from the klonopin...i stopped it a week ago and was on lower dose ofa tivan andlikeon thursday  i freaked so pharmacy said to add klonopin in to maybe help with the added axiety fromnot doing a taper and now i want to go ahead and stop the klnopin as i feel it brringing me down,just wondering if im stabilized on the 1 mg ativan 4 times a day to drop the klonopin

 

sweetpea-

 

You cannot "drop the Klonopin", you will need to taper off it slowly and sensibly and not increase your Ativan dose while doing so. Maybe best to wait until Thursday when you see your doctor and discuss this at that time.

 

Just Breathe

[[sw...]]

ok so stay on 1/2 klonopin am and pm along with my 1 mg ativan 4 tims a day till seeing dr...i was just gonna try cutting it back likea 1/4 a pill

[[el...]]

No i had never been on valium before i treid tranxene..it was bad....imnot seeing where he is saying valium 4 times a day

 

Ryan said 10mg valium Q.I.D. which is medical terminology for 4 times a day.

 

 

[[sw...]]

well im not going to ask for valium,,,unless there is no other option.....the posts ryan made to me scard me so..talking about how i damged myself after being on xanax so long and drinking with it....i drank with xanx for about 6 years adn the funny thing is back then i was so much better than i am now 2 years after stopping...what a mess

[[sw...]]

So I think i finally get it after all these years on benzos thats whats wrong with me ,my depression,my lack of energy mu whole life falling apartit sfrom these drugs and Imstill on them and so afraid Im hopeless in gettig off,,,do u think with a good dr it may be possible for me  to get offf theni know i need copin skills to help my anxiety i just dont know what all to say to this new dr on thursday

[[sw...]]

Ok i have been on between 1 amd 4 pills of ativan 1 mg for about 1 week now plus 1/2mg klonopin in am and pm the worsning of the depression from the klonopin is making me ill...i want to cut the klonopin out...does anyone know if it would hurt to take a half of a half pill of the klonopon i think thtas .25 mg....my pharmist had just told me last week to go back on some klonopin to help with the withdrawals..now i have been on the ativan a week i dont see the need for klonopin as i wanted off it in the fiorst place and back on ativan due to the worsening of depression on the klonopin........i see my dr finally tommorow but would like to cut back on the klonopin now