I may not have the option to quit medication.

[Guest [Ma...]]

 

 

What would you do if you had a medical condition which wasn't resolved by any other medication?

 

 

If I had a medical condition that was relieved by taking medication, I would take the prescribed medication.  Without question.

 

Even benzos? I hate the fact that I'm clearly seriously addicted. I hate that I am treated literally like a criminal for trying to pick the medication up at the pharmacy, and called a drug addict by the ER. I hate that doctors continue to cold turkey me off medication randomly leaving me with horrible withdrawals. I am having a lot of emotions about this. Maybe I can just take them at night, although I think I'll still wind up addicted and having daytime withdrawals.

 

I feel beyond between a rock and a hard place and feel totally desperate right now. I feel in a state of sheer terror.

 

I already take another needed medication. It is psychologically difficult for me to have to take it. I have never adjusted to the idea that if I stop taking it, I will die.

 

Yes, even benzos. 

[Guest [Ma...]]

What would you do if you had a medical condition which wasn't resolved by any other medication?

 

 

Personally, I'd be open minded to continuing to take benzos. It is appropriate long term in a small number of cases.

 

I'm with spengler!

[Guest [Ma...]]

If you have to take medication to live a better quality of life then go for it. All meds aren't bad. Benzos have both helped and hurt people. It just depends on the person and the situation. If you have to take benzos then you have to take them. Theres no shame in it. This isn't about what other people think about you in real life or on this forum. Its about you!! Try to remain as functional as possible. Hope this all works out for you and you get some peace and relaxation in your life soon.

 

Rock

 

Rock on, Kwood.

 

or

 

Right on, KRock

[[bl...]]

Thanks Martha and Spengler and Krock!

 

I am really thinking to try to take a low dose and only at bedtime. I'm going to definitely discuss it with a doctor. I'm also considering switching to something like Valium or Klonopin that is simply a once-per-day, longer lasting medication.

 

Liberty, I believe polymyoclonus although I'm not sure. The online explanations all confuse me. Thus I really need to see the doctor again. The diagnosis was so long ago. I haven't given it a thought for years and years since it's been controlled.

 

cedartree, it's in no way caused by taking benzos. It began well before I took benzos, something like six months and then just kept getting worse.

 

I'm still tapering down slowly for now, although I've been holding to stabilize at this dose anyways. It's impossible to speak to a neurologist over the weekend. Honestly, it will probably be weeks to months before I can see one besides, and then weeks to months to have tests after that.

[[ce...]]

 

cedartree, it's in no way caused by taking benzos. It began well before I took benzos, something like six months and then just kept getting worse.

 

I'm not sure why you're being so hostile to me.  I didn't realize you'd suffered from this for over 16 years.  Even so, it's not completely absurd to think that Myoclonus can be caused by benzo's.  I took time researching it because it was interesting to me as I also suffered from this and now it's gone since I've been off all psych drugs. I have a printout of something I found online that says the A-Z of benzo symptoms and Myoclonus was under the "M" section of symptoms.    :'(

[[bl...]]

I wasn't being hostile? I'm sorry if you took it that way! Not in the least. I'm not sure why you read that as hostile, very sorry.

[[He...]]

Hi Blue,

 

Its been a while since ou posted this, sorry I never saw it before.

 

Like Cedar, I have been suffering Myoclonus in tapering also, for about a year now on and off. Started with too rapid a taper last year, when I would jerk about constantly, day and night, then it went away for a while, only to return when I hit a wall in my taper several months ago.

 

I take it this was a condition you had before Benzos? To me it seems like the waters are kind of muddied here though, as it is definitely a known withdrawal effect from benzos, as far as I see it the problem may be simply related to your withdrawal, and to nothing else, it may well clear up itself in time with withdrawal completion.

 

I have it only in the mornings now, I dont know why, I can sleep without it, but when I awaken, if I lie in bed for any length of time I jerk about, arms, legs, belly, head, funny thing is sometimes I have a mini dream, and dream of throwing a ball, or domething like that, and then my arm shoots out like I actually have thrown a ball. It's not sore, but it quite disturbing.

 

If I were you, (if you can tolerate it) as it must be so difficult with it interfering with your sleep so much (had that too, but as I said it passed) I would ride it out as long as you can. As it is a known w/d symptom, it may be just that that is affecting you. No judgement here other, you got to do what you got to do, but if there was any chance it may not be a lingering disorder, but may just be the w/d itself I would try to tough it out as long as possible to see if it fades with other symptoms rather than reinstate on a benzo.

 

So sorry you have this going on, it is so tough, I wish you well and hope things work out the best for you.

 

Very best wishes,

 

Henryk.

[[...]]

BOL: There are movement disorder specialists at university hospitals if you are in the US. They are usually up to date on the latest as well as participating in various clinical trials. I suppose something similar exists in Europe. Also, the NIH lists ongoing clinical trials on their website. So sorry to hear of your frustrating situation.

[[Wa...]]

I never had myoclonus until I took Paxil many years ago.  It went away but left me sensitive and the benzo withdrawal reactivated it. The only way to deal with it was by taking gabapentin and after I got off that some oxycodone reactivated it again. Back on gabapentin but once again it settled down but this was after the benzos finished. It was impossible to sleep with violent thrashing and even in the day limbs would twitch. My sensitivity remains though.