How many people HAVE to work while tapering

[[...]]

Where are all our working members!

 

Must be a busy as hell work week for everyone.

 

Tomorrow is Friday and I can't wait to get the $#@* out of here! 

 

Hope everyone is doing ok

[[et...]]

Hey Liz maybe everyone is in Christmas holiday mode already. I am so busy at work I am almost comatose when I get home lol. I am really looking forward to the break even if it will be busier than every other day at work.

How about everyone else. do you get a good break?

etown

[[Wi...]]

Hiya E and all

 

Just stopping by to see how all are doing.  And am hoping that with the holiday season upcoming everyone will have some down time

 

WWWI

[[Co...]]

Hi etown and eliz,

 

I will stick my head out of the sand and say hi. So, I started getting sick yesterday (10 days after my cut) and was feeling a bit down. Today I am feeling better than yesterday. Gives a soul a bit of hope. I have been overloaded at work also and it gets tough to carry on when you are sick.

 

But...I was off work today and went for my prescribing Dr. and for a complete physical. I need some input here. Physical went well. My r/x Dr. confused me. I was originally put on klonopin for a chronic and debilitating facial pain problem that took me 5 years to get a diagnosis. I have a traumatic neuroma in my face caused originally when a nerve was transected in my face. Fast forward to last year. I always had a pronounced thudding in my face. Even with the meds. Last year the thudding stopped. I waited 3 or 4 months and decided to d/c the klonopin. We all know what happened then. In the year since I have tapered and d/c'd the meds I have had no pain. It was amazing. I have been in denial. I started getting twinges a few weeks ago. It has gone from that to real pain--intermittent--for about 10 days. I am pretty scared. It goes away completely for hours sometimes. This is also the way it started many years ago. So I told my Dr. and asked--Is there any meds for neuropathic pain that are not narcotics and not benzos? She said yes. She told me--Gabapentin and gave me a new r/x. I came hme and googled it. I am not happy. I was on Wiki and I am always secure with their information. Gaba is Neurontin. And.. quote: 

 

'Gabapentin should not be discontinued abruptly after long term use. Abrupt or over rapid withdrawal may provoke a withdrawal syndrome reminiscent to alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal.'

 

Are you kidding? What part of this is hard to understand? Neuronton is an anti seizure med. Klonopin was billed to me as an anti seizure med that works well on neuropathic pain. It worked great but made me an addict. Can anyone weigh in on this? I will not take this medication. Am I wrong to think that the Dr. that has witnessed my downfall should know that this med results in w/d?

 

All she said was that it can make you feel sedated. Isn't this how it started for so many of us? Take this pill. Trust me. Not feeling very happy right now.

 

CC

[[et...]]

First hiiiiiiiiiii WW I have really missed you! I need to visit you and pm you more often.

 

CC - Your research is right. The Doc is selling you down the road again. I am pissed for you. Get to a Neurologist and at least let him/her figure this out. Is there anything you can do to help the situation without drugs?

 

etown

[[mr...]]

Hi etown and eliz,

 

I will stick my head out of the sand and say hi. So, I started getting sick yesterday (10 days after my cut) and was feeling a bit down. Today I am feeling better than yesterday. Gives a soul a bit of hope. I have been overloaded at work also and it gets tough to carry on when you are sick.

 

But...I was off work today and went for my prescribing Dr. and for a complete physical. I need some input here. Physical went well. My r/x Dr. confused me. I was originally put on klonopin for a chronic and debilitating facial pain problem that took me 5 years to get a diagnosis. I have a traumatic neuroma in my face caused originally when a nerve was transected in my face. Fast forward to last year. I always had a pronounced thudding in my face. Even with the meds. Last year the thudding stopped. I waited 3 or 4 months and decided to d/c the klonopin. We all know what happened then. In the year since I have tapered and d/c'd the meds I have had no pain. It was amazing. I have been in denial. I started getting twinges a few weeks ago. It has gone from that to real pain--intermittent--for about 10 days. I am pretty scared. It goes away completely for hours sometimes. This is also the way it started many years ago. So I told my Dr. and asked--Is there any meds for neuropathic pain that are not narcotics and not benzos? She said yes. She told me--Gabapentin and gave me a new r/x. I came hme and googled it. I am not happy. I was on Wiki and I am always secure with their information. Gaba is Neurontin. And.. quote: 

 

'Gabapentin should not be discontinued abruptly after long term use. Abrupt or over rapid withdrawal may provoke a withdrawal syndrome reminiscent to alcohol or benzodiazepine withdrawal.'

 

Are you kidding? What part of this is hard to understand? Neuronton is an anti seizure med. Klonopin was billed to me as an anti seizure med that works well on neuropathic pain. It worked great but made me an addict. Can anyone weigh in on this? I will not take this medication. Am I wrong to think that the Dr. that has witnessed my downfall should know that this med results in w/d?

 

All she said was that it can make you feel sedated. Isn't this how it started for so many of us? Take this pill. Trust me. Not feeling very happy right now.

 

CC

Gabapentin is just like benzo's.

I wonder if your nerve might be healing, since it comes and goes?

Nerves can heal if not completely severed.

The fact that it causes pain, sounds like either the nerve is alive or it is w/d.

However, you wouldn't know until u recover from benzo w/d.

My mom had horrible neuropathy pain that was helped by acupuncture, but not sure if that would help u.

All her neuropathic pain eventually went away, so not sure if it was all benzo w/d, quinolone floxing or the acupuncture.

 

[[...]]

CCE town is right there's a couple of threads on here with people on it having a hard time getting off gabapentin a neurologist is probably your best bet

[[Co...]]

etown...I saw 32 drs b4 I was diagnosed. I am just going to do a wait and see. HOWEVER...this is how it all began. When does the ignorance stop? I need to stew.I will not let this go this time. In fact, I need to calm down. I am furious. Thanks for the input.

[[et...]]

CC - sorry to come up with an idea that you have exhausted already. Hopefully you can get the Benzo out of your life and then re-group and deal with the other situation. I hope work calms for you too.

Keep it slow and steady

etown

[[Sm...]]

Yea CC Gabapentin and most of the anti-epileptics pretty much do a benzo like action: lots of gaba in and glutamate inhibition. Thats why benzos are sometimes used as anti epileptics. So it isn't surprising their withdrawals look the same. Sucks don't it

 

I don't have any answers for you face pain sorry. Maybe a neurologist might help. Maybe something like acupuncture is worth a go.

 

In any case Good luck

[[Co...]]

 

 

At the moment I am ok right regarding the pain. It is gone right now. It is nothing like it was before. It is there in the background though. Because of the huge deal it was in the past I think that I am just so scared that it will return. I have had acupuncture, biofeedback, neuromuscular massage, nerve blocks, countless meds. The oginal injury was a bad one. Because I am continually decreasing the meds. it is my hope that what remains there secondary to uncovering it again and this is all there is. It is a 1 on a scale of 10. Fingers crossed.

[[et...]]

Got an idea. What is/are your most irritating symptoms. Once we know maybe we can share tricks to help each other.

Happy Friday

etown

[[Rr...]]

Got an idea. What is/are your most irritating symptoms. Once we know maybe we can share tricks to help each other.

Happy Friday

etown

 

Hi Etown,

 

Got hit by a wave 2 days ago after feeling stable for almost a month. Holding now at .563 Ativan.

 

Worst symptom is nausea. I was d/x with gastroparesis. The gi doc says it might get better as my dose decreases.

 

I could use more suggestions about improving sleep, too.

 

Happy Friday to you too! My daughter's piano recital is tonight. So exciting! We've been practicing for this about 3 weeks.

[[...]]

River - good luck to your daughter at her recital!

 

CC my daughter was in a horrific traffic accident 3 1/2 years ago and one of her many injuries was a deep laceration on her forearm almost to the bone.  This severed a nerve that runs from the elbow to the thumb.  It never did grow all the way back and her thumb is still numb, but while it was growing, she experienced intermittent pain and tingles and twinges for about a year and a half until it finally stopped when the nerve stopped growing further.  She said it gradually faded away as time when on but on occasion for no reason she can determine, she will get a flare up of pain that lasts a day or so.  I know a nerve injury in the arm is much less of an issue than one in the face, but I do hope that your pain diminishes over time like hers did. 

 

etown - my symptoms are mostly limited to the afternoons.  I when the glutamate storm tries to build and if my tapering is too fast, I get pain and tightness between my shoulder blades.  On a bad day this could build to a burning pressure in my chest at my sternum.  This does not happen much anymore but the tightness between the shoulder blades is present at some small degree or another every day from about 2 - 6pm.  Mostly I can ignore it, but on bad days like Mondays, I put an ice pack underneath my bra band and lean back on it in a chair.  It does not make it go away, but somehow distracts my mind from it.

 

Also like River, any new ideas to improve falling and staying asleep are always welcome.  The usual suspects are not really helping anymore and I wonder if I should just stop all sleep aids and start trying to fall asleep on my own.  I get really sleepy and start yawning uncontrollably between 7 - 8pm but after that always seem to get a second wind and do not end up falling asleep until after 10:30pm.  I then usually wake around 2:30am, only getting around 4 hours of sleep.  A good day is 5 hours.......................   This is the case whether I am tapering fast, slow or holding.

 

 

[[et...]]

I am annoyed with dizziness the most. I take 50mg of Trazodone to sleep and as long as the taper is at the right speed I sleep well. Not a get up and take over the world sleep but sleep just the same. Before Trazodone I practiced good sleep hygiene....nothing to eat or drink 2 hours before bed, relaxation techniques, no tv 2 hours before bed etc. I also was successful with sleep deprivation therapy. I went to bed at 12 pm and learned to get by with less sleep. I still practice all of these things and its better.

etown

[[...]]

etown

I hope your dizziness will get better as you lower your dose.  I had balance issues until I got down below 3mg.  In fact I am a life long high heel wearer and had to put them in the back of my closet the entire summer because I was afraid I would fall if I wore them.  I am a naturally clumsy person anyway and the added balance issue from the valium made me fear a broken neck (or hip!)

 

Once I got down below 1mg I felt safe to start wearing them again.

[[Mr...]]

Hello everyone my worst symptom is my all day anxiety, it just stays wt me all day til

7 pm when I take 2mg dose. My sleep is about 4 to 5 hours, ok for me. I don't notice any physical

Signs..... Just anxiety and now depression. Sure makes for super long days.... Such a struggle. To

Be honest I'm on a list to go to the drug detox program here and then Meadow Creek rehab.... I'm just not trusting myself any more.... Was at the ER again two days ago...the Zolft I was taking for 3 days freaked me right out. Now I'm trying 5mg Cipralex. I know what ur all thinking.... But not to be a downer I just don't trust what I mite do to myself if this terror continues every day.

I have a past drug history years ago wt speed and ecstasy so it probably really sensitized my CNS making all this much harder I think. I've been clean for years... But this is too hard most days... I gotta make sure I live threw this.... I mite take the harder route but it may be the safest way for me.

 

Mr scared ... It's a sad day for me sorry

Everyone

 

 

 

 

[[dr...]]

Mr Scared,

 

You know what is best for you. We are here to support you in any decision(not harmful ones) . 

How mant times a day are you dosing?  I was doing 2x and I just added back in an early afternoon dose and it so far seems like a big help. Good luck!

 

Drew

[[Sm...]]

I'm really sorry to hear that Mr Scared

Hopefully some anti-deps help. Remeron have helped many with a taper because it is anxiolytic as well as helps sleep (though it does seem a bit hard to get off of but that isn't your main concern right now). Right now you have to look after you and find a way to get living satisfactorily. Sleeping that many hours will get your brain down that is for sure.

You've tried really hard with what you are doing. Oscar is in the same boat: doing everything right and still struggling. He is going to take a break from tapering for a while to stabilise and get his brain in a good spot again. You could try that too.

Good luck and Peace as always

Smiff

 

[[et...]]

Ottawa I was hoping that you would never go down this road. But, if you have to protect yourself so be it! As you know I have always been suspect of your starting dose. When I do the math or at least try to do the math it has always seemed to me that the doc who gave you 5mg after the circus before that should have started you around 10mg. You would then get a chance to start from a good dose and come down slowly from there. That starting dose is paramount to success. Especially with your past history. Anyway, you are like a brother to me buddy only a few hours down the road. I wish I could fix this but can only suggest stuff and you ultimately have to make a decision. Nobody wants to start over again but it may be as good as c/t and then heal in silence for 2 or 3 years anyway. Gut wrenching news man but I'm here for you as you know and want to see you successful.

This is maybe the most stressful post ever for me

etown

[[Mr...]]

Hello Etown..... Ur message really choked me up... Thank you....your many many support messages got me to be alive to see today. U got me on track for all the understanding about my taper. So even though I'm lost at the moment.... I still am alive and able to make decisions that I want to live.  If it wasn't for people here... I wouldn't still be alive. I realize it's a real struggle for everyone here and I'm trying to keep up the strong fight... Most of my support posts come from the Strength from other members. It's nice to hear everyone's struggles to make mine seem more bearable.

So Mr scared has hit a speed bump but I'm sure I will sort out all this pain soon and get help from me and others if I need it.

It's a long road but I'm glad I have a great friend like you on this highway too!!

 

Thanks for everything....

 

Mr scared

 

 

 

[[et...]]

This is no tea party Ottawa. There are many days where I don't know if I can go on too. We all get those days. But, I have a plan, started at the right dose, and have a plan for when the plan is not a good plan. As I have said before we have many options. If I had to go to a dose I could get right on I would regardless of what dose that is. We are all so reluctant to start all over because we feel like we have failed ourselves and family and friends. But it still is an option. I would also get to a comfortable dose and take a good long break if I had too. We have discussed many options. Your safety is the number 1 thing right now and these options and others along with some help from an institution may be the way for you. If you get a window where you can think straight you need to ponder these options carefully one at a time with someone you trust. Safety is still number 1. You have a lot of stuff that you still have to accomplish in life and this is just one of them. I hope you choose the right path and know I'm here for you buddy.

etown

[[ra...]]

Mr. Scared,

 

I try not to tell people what to do, unless that is what they want me to do, but I will share what I hope is helpful info.

 

Some people do go to an inpatient facility, but most of us do not.  Benzo wd is different from all other drug wd, and unless your inpatient facility is specifically designed for it, I would not go.

 

It is a very common symptom to think "I cannot do this.  I need someone to help me."  You can do it, and while others may give you support, sadly, no one can really help.

 

Our friends are time, and distraction which passes time.  I also take Remeron.  I never had an anxious bone in my body before this, but sometimes it is brutal even now, 15 months clean.  I am a lifelong insomniac, which is how I became addicted to Ativan in the first place.

 

No one here will judge you if you go inpatient, but I would not be a good member if I did not tell you that personally, I do not think it is a good idea.

 

Time.  Distraction.  Maybe Remeron.

 

Be well and good luck,

 

Ramcon1

[[Co...]]

mr scared...

 

I was so sorry to see how badly you are feeling. You are my friend and I wish I would help you. When we hit these bad bumps it is so hard to imagine that we will feel better. I hit a brick wall also. I thought I had made it past my last cut with just a day or so of being sick. Not so. I had to go to my work xmas party last night. 4 hours long. I was sick yesterday but thought I could make it through this ok. About 2 hrs into it I got nauseous and shaky. I could not hear and my vision was waving. It is now 7:15 a.m. here and I am not in a good place.

 

I also had hoped that you would not have to go to detox. I just want you to come out of this ok. I think we all are so tired. It is hard to feel badly for so long. Hang in there. I hope that your new plan will help. Keep us posted.

 

Hugging you hard from Colorado.

[[Rr...]]

Mr. Scared,

 

Many of your posts have been inspirational to me.

 

You will be in my prayers no matter what you choose to do.

 

Please be careful and consider all options. Maybe try updosing slightly and holding for awhile before you decide? Few inpatient facilities are equipped to handle benzo w/d.

 

Remeron has helped me, too. It takes the edge off the insomnia and depression.

 

Best of luck to you!

 

Rriver