was switched from ativan to xanax

[[el...]]

Just wait til you talk with your new doctor.

[[pa...]]

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

 

With or without a good doctor you can get off. There are many coping skills posted on here that you can learn. Having a knowledgable understanding doctor is definitely a plus but your going to have to do this yourself. You've been going through this a long time, you know what you have to do. You just have to find and use the strength that you have inside. Your allowing the fear you have to rule your life, eventually you have to put your foot down and take your life back.

 

Amanda

[[sw...]]

Ok i saw the new pshychtrist today and he is nice but a very busy man first thing he told me is im addicted to benzos an have to get off he couldnt believe i was in klonopin and ativan...as the klonopin is low dose he said to stop it as for the ativan 1 mg 4 times a day he said way to much to try this week to only take as needed..i didnt have much time to talk he did all the talkingand question asing..put meon 750 mg of depakote er which i told him i had tried before and i freaked on it.....even though for years like 2000 to 2006 i was on it and did fine..so im going to try it again..he says he is very good about getting people offf benzos..and the depakote will help me...swears by it..i guess i have to trust...im so scared as i read my old post and thougth the depokote was making me more depressed i go back in a week to see him and in 5 days i go have depokote levels drawn,,,maybe i just freaked before about it  i hope he is right that i can stop the 1/2 mg klonopin in the am and pm,,,im going to be postive i will get off benzos

[[sw...]]

ok i think i need to get serious about the taper im on1 mg 3 times a day  of ativan,,,,it does not go good well with the new med depakote that the dr put me on and im worried about taking it as he says on a as needed basis

[[sw...]]

Any one want to help me with a ativan taper?

[[el...]]

Any one want to help me with a ativan taper?

 

Hi Sweetpea,

 

We have been trying to help you taper for over a year. I think you probably know how to do this by now!

But to recap, it's best to have the smallest dose ativan pill, which is 0.5mg. Cut it in quarters, and reduce by one quarter every week or two.

If you only can get 1mg pills, it's still doable, especially coming off 3mg. Whatever you have, just cut it in quarters and make a quarter pill cut every week or two.

[[sw...]]

so cut my 1mg pills into quaters and cut back 1/2 a week..thanks you i will be needing support big time andi also u know was on that 1/2 klonopin morning and night and dr said to just stop that...so im going to do that but scaredof withdrawal from that do u think i will

[[pa...]]

You want to cut 1/4 every 7-14 days not 1/2. You doctor wants you to stop klono? How long have you been taking that? Are you taking .5 or 1mg?

[[sw...]]

ok back in dec i went off the ativan onto klonopin,then on jan 3 i woke up in such a deep pit i called oncall dr and he said stop the klonopin and go back on the ativan i did but the ativan was a lower dose than the klonopin so on thursaday aftr that sunday my then dr told me to up the ativan to 1mg ativan 4 times a day and i was still freaking so my pharmist told me to go back on 1/2 mg klonopin am and pm with the ativan so on jan 7th i did that,when i saw my new dr on the 14th he said stop the klonopin and i should never have been put bak on it by a pharmisist and to go on depakote and take my ativan as needed...............thats where im at Paxton....does depakote hlpe benzo withdrawals i was reading a post somewhere on here and they said they insisted on getting on depakote for benzo withdrawals?

[[sw...]]

oops sorry for my spelling

[[Gm...]]

Hi Sweetwpea,

 

I'm just curious about after a year and a half on this board, you have not taken the steps to lower your dose(considering you are serious).  I kind of find it awkward and please don't take this the wrong way because I don't know your medical reasons or any failures you have had coming off.  Also, I would think you should be a pro at it by now being here this long, watching many people that tapered off. I don't find it rocket science following a 10% cut every few weeks.

 

Well, good luck with your plans anyway.

 

Gman

 

 

[[sw...]]

I have had this fear that if i go off them i would be worse now i know i am worse on them i need off........and im gonna get off....im just concerned with my dr saying to take the depakote and only take ativan as needed...when i know we must taper I think i would be a wreck if i did it as a as needed basis as long as i have been on...i guess as the depakote builds up the less u feel the need for ativan i just dont know..my dr was very quick and thorough with me I have to trust him...he said he has seen lots of people just like me and has got them off benzos,he said it horrible that drs would leave me on benzos 20 years.

[[Gm...]]

Sounds like too many decisions to make   and hopefully you can make up your mind and move forward with your plan.........

 

 

[[sw...]]

Thanks Im going to....was just asking for others thoughts....maybe someone on here has used depakote er

[[sw...]]

Yes you will. You have a long winding road ahead of you, of which will lead you down various routes. Ultimately, you will travel down a route that works the best for you, and you'll get well. I personally want to see you get well. You state above that the drugs are making you sick, and that is correct. They are making you sicker than you could ever have imagined possible - sicker than any physician would ever admit to. That is precisely what the long-term use of high-potency, high-dose Benzodiazepines does to a person. They create sickness, all of them. Ativan, Klonopin and Xanax are the three worst offenders. This is one of the worst class of drugs, if not the worst class of drugs known to mankind when used improperly. Nobody - nobody requires Benzodiazepines to function. They are nothing more than a crutch. Such drugs can be very deceiving for those who have come to rely on them to cure all their ills, because frankly, they aren't very reliable. Eventually, they will cause depression, obsessive thinking, paranoia, severe unrelenting rebound anxiety and a slew of other conditions that simply were not present beforehand. The only way to relieve these symptoms is to discontinue the drugs under professional guidance. Once efficacy has been lost, things will only spiral downward. Increasing the dose is not the answer, transferring from one benzo to another is not the answer, as they are all cross-tolerant.

 

Depakote...isn't the answer. Sorry. This drug is an anticonvulsant that has absolutely no benefits to exert in your case. It is plagued by risks. When combined with Ativan, the clearance (elimination) of Ativan is reduced. This actually increases your Ativan level due to accumulation by a factor of 25%. Your 4 milligrams of Ativan would function much like 5 milligrams in the presence of Depakote. My biggest concern is the Klonopin, of which you are apparently still on. When Depakote is combined with Klonopin, there is a VERY high risk of absence status, that is, absence seizures that are prolonged in duration. The other major concern is liver function. When Depakote is used in isolation, it rarely induces liver failure. However, when combined with other anticonvulsants (such as Klonopin), there is an elevated risk of sudden liver failure, which can be fatal. These are two very serious risks, and you must never take Depakote and Klonopin together. This is a very nasty combination, as the two drugs compete and interact with each other. This is too hard on the liver, which metabolizes them. You need to let the physician know that you are still taking the Klonopin. Until you do, do not touch the Depakote.

 

Aside from the interactions noted above, There are several common misconceptions about the use of Depakote in psychiatry, including:

 

(1) Depakote will help to relieve anxiety. Only anxiety secondary to bipolar disorder.

 

(2) Depakote will help to prevent Benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms. This is a lie.

 

(3) Depakote will prevent Benzodiazepine-induced withdrawal seizures. This is a lie.

 

Depakote has three indications - As a mood stabilizer in bipolar disorder, as an anticonvulsant, and for prevention of migraines. It is not useful for anything else. One must also look at the seriousness of this drug - the potential side effects should not be taken lightly, and the drug should be reserved only for those cases that will clearly benefit from its use. Yours isn't one of them. The risks are abrupt liver failure, elevated ammonia levels in the brain, decreased platelet count with bleeding/bruising, ovarian cysts, abnormal periods, depression, massive weight gain, massive hair loss and stupidity.

 

The best thing I could suggest is to locate a major teaching hospital in your area. Once you have, dial information and ask for the behavioral health/psychiatry department. Once you are transfered over, ask them for the name, address and phone number of a psychopharmacologist (psychiatric medication manager). This branch of psychiatry deals exclusively with drugs and complex cases concerning drugs. This is your best option. The psychiatrist that you just saw on Thursday is an idiot, and if you follow his instructions, the gates of hell will be opened. His suggestion to take the Ativan only as-needed is scary enough, given the length of time you've been on benzos. Adding Depakote to the mix further serves to prove his incompetence. Don't let this person destroy your life, get a real second opinion. Make some phone calls. If you are unable to locate someone on your own, provide your general location and I will locate someone to help you.

 

Another major issue that I have seen from you is severe aversion to medication. If you are seriously terrified to try something new, then you cannot be trusted to comply. If you don't comply, you won't get well. In that case, you would do better as an inpatient where you would be monitored by nurses. Non-compliance wouldn't be an option in that setting. This is also something to consider.

 

 

Best regards,

 

Ryan

[[sw...]]

Just when i feel confindent about things this guy posts this to me...scares me to death what do u all think..post above

[[Gm...]]

Sweatpea

 

I have been following your thread for awhile. In my honest opinion of your search to get off of benzos, I think you are making it harder by second guessing, triple guessing, and getting too many opinions about which path is best for you. Some people have horrible tapers, some people have easy tapers and some people can't get off the benzo at all. You will never know how easy or hard it is till you try, nor can anyone tell you it will be hard or easy. Your body is the only thing that will tell you.

 

In my honest opinion ( I am not a doctor fwiw ) you should try a taper that is known to work like the 10% direct taper of whatever you are taking. This approach is known to work and you can even slow it down by cutting the taper to 5% or hold till you feel good enough to make a next cut. Your body is the only thing you should listen too during this ordeal. It will tell from my own experience..."YOU ARE CUTTING TOO MUCH, TOOOOO FAST".  Believe me, it will tell you this!!!!!! If this taper does not work for you, try the second type of taper that is known to work, crossover to valium (Ashton Method). If that taper does not work, then you can search up and down the planet for the miracle pill (depkote??)that will help you. Once you find it, tell BB about it, because nobody knows about it.

 

I'm going to get right to the point here because thats the way I was brought up. There is no miracle pill that can make your brain heal, and re learn all the functions that have been suppressed for so long. You can ask a million benzo users, ask a million doctors, and you will get 2 million opinions. The doctors that specialize in this, that is available to you and I, (not the ones celebrities use that they pay Thousands for) has you out the door in 14 days, detoxed and feeling like a train hit you.

 

Just do yourself a favor and KEEP IT SIMPLE

[[sw...]]

Im going to slow down on the taper as yesterday i only took 2 ativan and im feeling it today...i understand what u are saying i guess the depakote will help me in some ways as i read it in the ashton manuel where it is used....my counsler said it could take like 22 weeks or more for me to get off the ativan ...im just a very anxuios scared girl....and this has never been so bad except the last two years and i fell apart im so tired..i think the depakote makes me tired..but we need a dr right to help with a taper no matter which way we do it..at least im not stopping cold turkey like i did on xanax in 2007..

[[Gm...]]

The only advice I can give from my experience is to push forward with your plans and not look back. Look to the future and not the minute at hand.  Cut/Stabilize/Cut/Stabilize etc.....If you feel it's going to Fail, test the water longer and see if you stabilize.. Which you will , because I almost turned back and forced myself to see if the helplessness lifted with time and it did.

I promise to cheer you on every step of the way and remember there is no such thing as failure in this.   only trial and error...

 

 

[[sw...]]

so u agree do as dr says but try a slower taper...not as he is saying as needed..im scared of trying it that way unless the depakote makes me just feel like i dont need one//and then i wonder what just dont take it?

[[Gm...]]

I'm not a doctor, nor do I have faith in them as they are puppets to the pharmaceutical industry. I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you I used what works for the majority, mixed with how fast my body can handle re-adjusting (about 3-4 days on any cut I made) and I am not using a doctor for my taper. I am using my body as my tool to tell me when to move forward. It was also my body that told me to get off the stuff.

 

Keep in mind I am having a smooth taper. I am experiencing almost every WD symptom but they all leave quickly except for a few symptoms like tinnitus and weird feeling in my cheek that seem to linger. If I did a 6 month taper, I probably wouldn't experience any symptom, but I want off and my internal anxiety clock has no patience for a long taper.

 

With all that being said, keep one thing in the back of your head, listen to your doctor but listen to your body more. Your body will dictate your taper, and not the addition of other drugs, or some doctors schedule. Your Body will talk to you the whole time, each minute of every hour, of every day. It will tell you, less, more, slow down, make a cut, hold this level, this is working, this is not working, and so on..............

 

[[sw...]]

thank you so much.I got another post from that ryan and he says he found a dr in oh i forgot..but i had to laugh i looked him up and he is the same dr that i seen when i was put in the state mental hopital when i cold turkeyed off xanx 2 years ago...he was a QUACK..and i called his office he does not help people get off benzos and the place they told me to go was a impatient hospital where tehy detox u in 3 days or maybe a bit more.LOL I dont want that even though i want off this poison..so i will cut back as i can and take the depakote..who knows maybe he put meon it for other puposes as well....how long u been on benzos

[[Gm...]]

About a year and 4 months on klonopin.  Not very long compared to you. Your body will tell you which GABA receptors have been effected the most. As for me, it was my Auditory and Muscles in my left cheek. I now Think I understand why six months into using K, I was getting some slurred speech. I don't have slurred speech now, but I can feel where I was effected in my lower left jaw cheek area. Very weird.........

[[sw...]]

oh i just thought of something during the month of dec i  had stopped the ativan and went on klonopin 2 mgi believe then jan 3rd back on the ativan,so i got off the low dose of klonopin that i had stayed on with the ativan on thursday andnow its the ativan so i coud be having withdrawals from the klono also i dont know i guess the ativan by now would cover that...but im glad im off the klono as it dont go with depakote..hopethismakes sense

[[Gm...]]

Did you start today sweatpea? Do you have your plan from your doctor?

You can do it!