Valium/Diazepam Support Group

[[Su...]]

I like your expression just today!!!!  Your doing great.  Thank you

[[Ju...]]

I like your expression just today!!!!  Your doing great.  Thank you

 

Thank you 

[[Ja...]]

I am at 2.74 currently

I just feel l look so haggard from this whole process

I am working and seemingly normal

My Cns keeps getting set off and I feel like I go into shock over and over

This week is a good week

I know time frames aren't good but is it reasonable to get off this shit in 6 mos?

It's making me so sick

This whole process is

I wish I had just continued thru my fast taper though I thought I would have to be hospitalized

I kindled and don't know what lies ahead.

Builder- had u kindled or just smoothly went down? Also I wonder about Diaz Pam?

For those that kindled is a protracted experience guarenteed

One day one moment at a time

I got some Cbd oil I might try

Right now Symptoms are bearable I just feel like a bad bad version of me.

Praying

[[ar...]]

Jackson,

 

I was kindled in the beginning and I had a super rough time with a lot of ups and downs.  Now I feel about 90%+ healed and I can FEEL my CNS get stronger.  Keep tapering slow and listen to your body.  It is not true that kindling will result in protracted.  If you look at the protracted boards they're filled with rapid tapers and cold turkeys.  I rarely see a slow taper on the protracted boards if at all.  By the way don't go looking on those boards you'll scare yourself.

 

Taper slow and listen to your body.  You'll be OK . 

[[no...]]

Jackson,

 

I was kindled in the beginning and I had a super rough time with a lot of ups and downs.  Now I feel about 90%+ healed and I can FEEL my CNS get stronger.  Keep tapering slow and listen to your body.  It is not true that kindling will result in protracted.  If you look at the protracted boards they're filled with rapid tapers and cold turkeys.  I rarely see a slow taper on the protracted boards if at all.  By the way don't go looking on those boards you'll scare yourself.

 

Taper slow and listen to your body.  You'll be OK . 

 

Hi arcade  I observed the same as above that's why I'm nearly 5 months in to a 6 month hold and will hold longer if I'm still suffering hell like I am now. I've also been CT'd, kindled was in tolerance withdrawal on my prescribed dose for years, over 10 in fact. But no way am I going to rush of this drug after seeing the facts on the protracted board.

 

I also think that if you start out in tolerance at your prescribe dose pushing to get off is not a good idea as being too low in the dose level is the root of the problem and to drop it too rapidly would be even more problematic to an already over excited CNS in my personal opinion. As much as I want off this drug I really don't think that quicker is better even though I'm in absolute hell right now, but I had a wonderful window for a few hours may 29th it was amazing. Then It shut and I went back to  AARRGGHHHH!!    Bit some days, minutes, hours are better or a lot worse than others as you said up and down, a lot of down right now 

 

 

Love Nova xxx  :smitten:

[[Kg...]]

Nova:  I don't want to speak for Arcade but looking at what s/he said and the taper s/he did it appears that with one hold for about a month they tapered slowly off of the benzo and Arcade is now feeling better doing a slow taper. 

 

This is what I did as well.  So while I am glad that you are doing well in your long hold, many people here must start their tapers in 'tolerance'.  We also must continue our tapers having lots of ups and downs and push through the s/x of withdrawal (not tolerance).

 

Tolerance is when the therapeutic dose you are on stops working - at least that is the definition I have used.  It is not withdrawal because you are not tapering.  When you are 'in tolerance' you only have 2 choices either to go up on the dose or go down.  Many of us chose not to go up and began our tapers to get off the benzo because they no longer worked for us.  So we had to start our tapers 'in tolerance' and by doing a slow controlled taper as Arcade says we have been able to successfully get off of the benzo. 

 

There are also many of us that also do not do well with long holds because our bodies get used to the new dose of the drug and the s/x never abate or get worse and worse.  Therefore if we continue to do a slow taper - perhaps slowing down our speed, or the amount we cut - we end up feeling better because the benzo is out of our system. 

 

We are all so different and as I said for some like you it seems that holding for a long time helps you.  If I held for 6 months I would be under a rock somewhere crying my eyes out in agony. It is only because I have continued to taper that I now feel better. It has taken me over 2 years to get here so it has been a long haul but I have consistently 'gone down' and as I have gone down I have felt better and better.  My body clearly does not like benzos and as they have left my body I have healed on the way down. I am on fumes right now- my taper will be over this Saturday - and I feel better now than I did when I started.

 

I hope this gives others hope that this can be done and  that there are many of us who have been where you are now,  Jackson, and we successfully  get off of our benzos and feel better. 

 

 

 

[[so...]]

Just checking in! I'm down to 7 mg from my original daily dose of 10 mg as of last July 1st. Still no bad side effects. I had a touch of panic a couple of times but it passed quickly and was easier than when I was on my full dose.

 

Did I mention that I'm working with a counselor online? I feel like that is really giving me strength and hope. Working on all my OTHER issues kind of keeps my mind off this, you know? I've just been trying to stay busy and productive.

 

Not much new to say... just still "keep on truckin'" over here, following the plan and hoping it stays this smooth all the way down. Same thing I said last time.

 

Sending love and strength and hope to all of you!

 

[[Ju...]]

Just checking in! I'm down to 7 mg from my original daily dose of 10 mg as of last July 1st. Still no bad side effects. I had a touch of panic a couple of times but it passed quickly and was easier than when I was on my full dose.

 

Did I mention that I'm working with a counselor online? I feel like that is really giving me strength and hope. Working on all my OTHER issues kind of keeps my mind off this, you know? I've just been trying to stay busy and productive.

 

Not much new to say... just still "keep on truckin'" over here, following the plan and hoping it stays this smooth all the way down. Same thing I said last time.

 

Sending love and strength and hope to all of you!

 

 

Yay!!!!! Well done You're doing so well Solace!

[[Ju...]]

Jackson,

 

I was kindled in the beginning and I had a super rough time with a lot of ups and downs.  Now I feel about 90%+ healed and I can FEEL my CNS get stronger.  Keep tapering slow and listen to your body.  It is not true that kindling will result in protracted.  If you look at the protracted boards they're filled with rapid tapers and cold turkeys.  I rarely see a slow taper on the protracted boards if at all.  By the way don't go looking on those boards you'll scare yourself.

 

Taper slow and listen to your body.  You'll be OK . 

 

What's "kindling" please?

[[mr...]]

Jackson,

 

I was kindled in the beginning and I had a super rough time with a lot of ups and downs.  Now I feel about 90%+ healed and I can FEEL my CNS get stronger.  Keep tapering slow and listen to your body.  It is not true that kindling will result in protracted.  If you look at the protracted boards they're filled with rapid tapers and cold turkeys.  I rarely see a slow taper on the protracted boards if at all.  By the way don't go looking on those boards you'll scare yourself.

 

Taper slow and listen to your body.  You'll be OK . 

 

What's "kindling" please?

Here is Wiki's definition

"Kindling due to substance withdrawal refers to the neurological condition which results from repeated withdrawal episodes from sedative-hypnotic drugs such as alcohol or benzodiazepines. Each withdrawal leads to more severe withdrawal symptoms than the previous withdrawal syndrome. Individuals who have had more withdrawal episodes are at an increased risk of very severe withdrawal symptoms, up to and including seizures. Withdrawal from GABAergic acting sedative-hypnotic drugs causes acute GABA-underactivity as well as glutamate overactivity which can lead to sensitization and hyper-excitability of the central nervous system, excito-neurotoxicity, and increasingly profound neuroadaptions."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindling_(sedative-hypnotic_withdrawal)

[[Ju...]]

I am at 2.74 currently

I just feel l look so haggard from this whole process

I am working and seemingly normal

My Cns keeps getting set off and I feel like I go into shock over and over

This week is a good week

I know time frames aren't good but is it reasonable to get off this shit in 6 mos?

It's making me so sick

This whole process is

I wish I had just continued thru my fast taper though I thought I would have to be hospitalized

I kindled and don't know what lies ahead.

Builder- had u kindled or just smoothly went down? Also I wonder about Diaz Pam?

For those that kindled is a protracted experience guarenteed

One day one moment at a time

I got some Cbd oil I might try

Right now Symptoms are bearable I just feel like a bad bad version of me.

Praying

 

Hi Jackson1, I feel like I nodded my head in agreement so many times when I read what you wrote because I am at quite a similar place to you right now: similar dose of V, similar symptom patterns and fears and frustrations but also finding it bearable enough, mostly, kind of, sometimes. And I also hope to be off this poison in about six months, but fear protracted withdrawl. We can do this, we've gotten this far. As cheesy and glib as that may sound.

 

One thing I have had to remind myself all the time lately is that (I hope) most of the fear and thoughts of doom I'm waking up with every single damn day is just benzo withdrawl. I really hope it's not my permanent brain being that way. Seems to ease, eight out of ten times at least, when I take my dose or even when I just take supplements like L-Theanine, Magnesium citrate, Omega fish oil capsules.  I still can't handle eating anything but bread bananas apples after 3 or 4pm but a lot of that is psychological.

 

Then much of the time I actually feel great. So good, that I dread the next wave when I lose that good feeling. But I guess that's a good thing, to have a positive feeling in the first place instead of feeling like crap the whole time. It's like having a window and enjoying the window but fearing the inevitable rocks that will get thrown through the window too. And fearing most of all that What If thought of what if I am like this even after I finish my taper and am always afraid and always anxious forever?

[[Ju...]]

Jackson,

 

I was kindled in the beginning and I had a super rough time with a lot of ups and downs.  Now I feel about 90%+ healed and I can FEEL my CNS get stronger.  Keep tapering slow and listen to your body.  It is not true that kindling will result in protracted.  If you look at the protracted boards they're filled with rapid tapers and cold turkeys.  I rarely see a slow taper on the protracted boards if at all.  By the way don't go looking on those boards you'll scare yourself.

 

Taper slow and listen to your body.  You'll be OK . 

 

What's "kindling" please?

Here is Wiki's definition

"Kindling due to substance withdrawal refers to the neurological condition which results from repeated withdrawal episodes from sedative-hypnotic drugs such as alcohol or benzodiazepines. Each withdrawal leads to more severe withdrawal symptoms than the previous withdrawal syndrome. Individuals who have had more withdrawal episodes are at an increased risk of very severe withdrawal symptoms, up to and including seizures. Withdrawal from GABAergic acting sedative-hypnotic drugs causes acute GABA-underactivity as well as glutamate overactivity which can lead to sensitization and hyper-excitability of the central nervous system, excito-neurotoxicity, and increasingly profound neuroadaptions."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindling_(sedative-hypnotic_withdrawal)

 

Oh, so a bit like an evil snowball effect? I wonder how much of that is physiological and how much is a psychological response, ie your brain getting defensive and agitated from each stressful withdrawl and going even more into fight and flight perhaps. That's how it feels anyway.

 

Thank you mrtmeo, and thank you Arcade for the reassurance that most protracted withdrawls are from fast reductions. God I hope that's the case becaue it's hell enough just tapering another six months let alone thinking this may go on for years after the last dose. I know a lot of people say to jump at 0.5mg valium but I'm one of the sensitive ones and think I may taper right down to the smallest titration I can do, like a super slow parachute. Fingers crossed that makes the withdrawls minimal after that last dose, I really hope so. Some say this gets easier the lower your dose, others say it gets super hard when you get under 2.5mg. That's my biggest fear.

[[ka...]]

Nova:  I don't want to speak for Arcade but looking at what s/he said and the taper s/he did it appears that with one hold for about a month they tapered slowly off of the benzo and Arcade is now feeling better doing a slow taper. 

 

This is what I did as well.  So while I am glad that you are doing well in your long hold, many people here must start their tapers in 'tolerance'.  We also must continue our tapers having lots of ups and downs and push through the s/x of withdrawal (not tolerance).

 

Tolerance is when the therapeutic dose you are on stops working - at least that is the definition I have used.  It is not withdrawal because you are not tapering.  When you are 'in tolerance' you only have 2 choices either to go up on the dose or go down.  Many of us chose not to go up and began our tapers to get off the benzo because they no longer worked for us.  So we had to start our tapers 'in tolerance' and by doing a slow controlled taper as Arcade says we have been able to successfully get off of the benzo. 

 

There are also many of us that also do not do well with long holds because our bodies get used to the new dose of the drug and the s/x never abate or get worse and worse.  Therefore if we continue to do a slow taper - perhaps slowing down our speed, or the amount we cut - we end up feeling better because the benzo is out of our system. 

 

We are all so different and as I said for some like you it seems that holding for a long time helps you.  If I held for 6 months I would be under a rock somewhere crying my eyes out in agony. It is only because I have continued to taper that I now feel better. It has taken me over 2 years to get here so it has been a long haul but I have consistently 'gone down' and as I have gone down I have felt better and better.  My body clearly does not like benzos and as they have left my body I have healed on the way down. I am on fumes right now- my taper will be over this Saturday - and I feel better now than I did when I started.

 

I hope this gives others hope that this can be done and  that there are many of us who have been where you are now,  Jackson, and we successfully  get off of our benzos and feel better.

 

Great post, 100% agree with you Kgirl. 

[[mr...]]

JustDoToday,

This 2nd time taper lasted far longer than the first taper.

My mom is 5.5 months off of a 30 month taper of valilum and is still mostly couch ridden.

Once off, never, never go back.

 

[[Kg...]]

I thought this was interesting. Colin put this link in to address some people in another thread but it speaks to his opinion on how to taper.

 

Thanks Kallie and so glad you are done. 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=72390.msg973423#msg973423

[[ka...]]

I thought this was interesting. Colin put this link in to address some people in another thread but it speaks to his opinion on how to taper.

 

Thanks Kallie and so glad you are done. 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=72390.msg973423#msg973423

 

Thanks Kgirl, that is a fantastic post by Colin, and I completely agree with his argument. I encourage everyone on BB to read it.  Thanks again for sharing.

[[ar...]]

I thought this was interesting. Colin put this link in to address some people in another thread but it speaks to his opinion on how to taper.

 

Thanks Kallie and so glad you are done. 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=72390.msg973423#msg973423

 

Thanks Kgirl, that is a fantastic post by Colin, and I completely agree with his argument. I encourage everyone on BB to read it.  Thanks again for sharing.

 

Diazepam had a good post in this thread:

 

"I certainly hope there aren't too many people who presume that a daily taper is the only smart way to go. The thing I have noticed, from a minority of people on both sides, is a "them and us" attitude. If someone has had a negative experience with one particular form of tapering, they can sometimes post quite a negative attitude towards that particular type of taper, which is very unhelpful and misleading to other people.

 

I personally didn't do well on the cut and hold method, but am doing extremely well on a daily reduction method, but I have never posted anything negative about cut and hold (other than explaining my own experience) - well at least I hope I haven't, because I fully understand that everyone's taper has to be individual. As long as your dose is reducing with some kind of regularity, and with as few s/x as possible, then that is the right taper."

I see Colin make a few comments about it being unnecessary to take more than 100 days to come off 1mg Valium.  Had I heeded this I would not be well right now.  There are so many strong opinions about different methods that people in the middle of withdrawal become paranoid about their current taper method.  My opinion will always be to try both methods and pick the one that keeps your symptoms to a minimum. 

 

Pam says this better then me.

[[no...]]

Nova:  I don't want to speak for Arcade but looking at what s/he said and the taper s/he did it appears that with one hold for about a month they tapered slowly off of the benzo and Arcade is now feeling better doing a slow taper. 

 

This is what I did as well.  So while I am glad that you are doing well in your long hold, many people here must start their tapers in 'tolerance'.  We also must continue our tapers having lots of ups and downs and push through the s/x of withdrawal (not tolerance).

 

Tolerance is when the therapeutic dose you are on stops working - at least that is the definition I have used.  It is not withdrawal because you are not tapering.  When you are 'in tolerance' you only have 2 choices either to go up on the dose or go down.  Many of us chose not to go up and began our tapers to get off the benzo because they no longer worked for us.  So we had to start our tapers 'in tolerance' and by doing a slow controlled taper as Arcade says we have been able to successfully get off of the benzo. 

 

There are also many of us that also do not do well with long holds because our bodies get used to the new dose of the drug and the s/x never abate or get worse and worse.  Therefore if we continue to do a slow taper - perhaps slowing down our speed, or the amount we cut - we end up feeling better because the benzo is out of our system. 

 

We are all so different and as I said for some like you it seems that holding for a long time helps you.  If I held for 6 months I would be under a rock somewhere crying my eyes out in agony. It is only because I have continued to taper that I now feel better. It has taken me over 2 years to get here so it has been a long haul but I have consistently 'gone down' and as I have gone down I have felt better and better.  My body clearly does not like benzos and as they have left my body I have healed on the way down. I am on fumes right now- my taper will be over this Saturday - and I feel better now than I did when I started.

 

I hope this gives others hope that this can be done and  that there are many of us who have been where you are now,  Jackson, and we successfully  get off of our benzos and feel better.

 

 

Hi Kgirl, RE:My post, it was not a recommendation that anyone should do what I'm doing , and as you stated 'We are all different'' I also emphasise this fact frequently, I agree with what you say , the same as my intention regarding my post's was to point out I also deeply agree with Arcade on the protracted issue and why is happens to so many people Not to tell people to do as I do but what I'm doing is also an ''option'' that I chose to take as we are all free to chose our own path ad methods of walking it

 

I spent a lot for time reading signatures, logs and posts of people on the protracted board and its  a really common denominator that people who did a rapid taper, CT, or tapered over  3 moths or so after many years on the drugs where the ones who suffered protracted more often. I also want to clear up  about the reference to"'Tolerance'' and I can see how that came about. 

 

After re-reading my post, about 'tolerance withdrawal'' and''tolerance'' being mentioned in my post, I simply forgot to put the word ''withdrawal'' in front of tolerance the second time I mentioned it while explaining my own'' personal situation' regarding ''tolerance withdrawal'''. And why ''I personally'' don't think its wise I that situation after many years of being in ''tolerance withdrawal'' to rush off the drug its a totally different scenario to plain ''tolerance'' which as you correctly said ''Tolerance is when the therapeutic dose you are on stops working''. This is my ''personal view'' and not one I am telling others to subscribe to  at any point in my post.

 

I was referring to ''Tolerance withdrawal' which is ''withdrawal symptoms while on the drug the same as some one tapering CT'd or off the drug completely''. I was CT'd off a massive does of Ativan a long time ago ( I have been on these drugs over 36 years) so still didn't connect or even remember while being so drugged for so long.  That my years of hell suffering and being consultants misdiagnosed by ''Consultants'' as Benzo withdrawal plus being poly drugged to hell it was practically impossible to know that plus I trusted to so called 'Experts'' knew their job .

 

It was only when I decided I had enough of getting so sick I was told I was going to be bed bound and wheel chair bound as I already had been for years. That I was going to be like that for life and get rapidly worse, I got a PC learned how to use it and did a lot of research on the drugs I was on got off a myriad of drugs in every drug family believing what I actually had was ''Opioid induced hyperalgesia'' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opioid-induced_hyperalgesia 

 

As I was on massive dose of Opiate drugs and also injected with heroin in hospital ( Diamorphine http://patient.info/medicine/Diamorphine) as nothing was touching the agony I was in and a lot of stuff made it worse. And it was only more years spent researching as to why I was off everything except the last  one of the different benzos I'd been prescribed for years, I was till suffering and getting worse, like everyone else on BB I know why now   While I congratulate you on your post, I also felt what seems to be a misunderstanding of the reason I posted what I did to avoid any further confusion  Hakuna Matata ( "No worries" )

 

 

Love Nova xxx  :smitten:

 

 

**updated version**  below with  nothing but the elusive ''withdrawal'' word added   :smitten:

 

Hi arcade  I observed the same as above that's why I'm nearly 5 months in to a 6 month hold and will hold longer if I'm still suffering hell like I am now. I've also been CT'd, kindled was in** tolerance withdrawal** on my prescribed dose for years, over 10 in fact. But no way am I going to rush of this drug after seeing the facts on the protracted board.

 

I also think that if you start out in tolerance(withdrawal) at your prescribe dose pushing to get off is not a good idea as being too low in the dose level is the root of the problem and to drop it too rapidly would be even more problematic to an already over excited CNS in my personal opinion. As much as I want off this drug I really don't think that quicker is better even though I'm in absolute hell right now, but I had a wonderful window for a few hours may 29th it was amazing. Then It shut and I went back to  AARRGGHHHH!!    Bit some days, minutes, hours are better or a lot worse than others as you said up and down, a lot of down right now 

 

[[Kg...]]

Nova:  I always see confusion re the terms tolerance and tolerance withdrawal.  Some people say there is no such thing as tolerance withdrawal it is just 'withdrawal" when you start tapering the benzo.  To be honest I don't care what it is called since every way you look at it getting off of these drugs is its own kind of he#$. 

 

I am sorry to read about your long history of dealing with not only pain meds but 30+ years of benzos.  I think our own experiences also color our approach to how we taper. I was not on any drug other than a benzo and I had no s/x from being on it for 10+ years other than dry eyes.  I was also on the same low dose for all of these years and I never had to use more.  It was not until my doctor did a ridiculous taper for me that I had any s/x at all and that sent me into an awful spiral.  I actually did exactly what you recommend - that is I did a long hold after this experience and went back up to my original dose- I had never been off. I held for 6 months.  I felt fine the entire time of my hold. I had a full time job - traveled the world and again did not give anything a thought.  I started tapering again - much more slowly after this long hold and within a couple of weeks was back in he#$.  I did this 3 times - each time I felt better when I held for 6 months and each time I started to cut again - I went back to he#$.  In fact the last time I went into tolerance -that is the drug stopped working for me and I got the worst s/x I have ever had even though I was holding. 

 

 

So I did not heal at all - in fact it just prolonged the agony for me and it was not until I said - okay - I am going to keep going and slow my taper rate,  change my taper either using cut and hold or a micro taper - whatever works for me (not anyone else) and regardless of how slow I go I will abide by 2 rules: I will not up dose and I will try and keep going.  Using this method I  have been able to get off of the benzo- I had 2 years of he$# but what I noticed along the way is that as I went down my base line got better and better and as the drug left my body I felt better - never great - but better. So my conclusion is that I healed on the way down - and others do too.  As I said in my post I feel better on fumes of the benzo then I did at the beginning of this long journey.

 

So given what I experienced and I agree with you - we can only give advice based on our own experience -    I think people need to know that this is doable.  That you don't have to hold for long periods of time - that we do heal on the way down and that if we do a slow, taper that takes into account how we feel we can successfully get off of these benzos. 

 

I wish at the start of my journey off of benzos I had read Colin's post. Though I did a slower taper than he recommends had I read this before my doctor started me on her ridiculous taper perhaps I would have succeeded on my first try.  But I can't look back, only forward. 

 

My wish for everyone here is that we succeed on this journey - and get off of these awful drugs so we can heal and live full productive lives.  How we do that is for each of us to decide for ourselves.  :smitten:

 

[[...]]

Does someone know where to find Diaz-pam's taper guide?

[[no...]]

Does someone know where to find Diaz-pam's taper guide?

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=97511.msg1248599#msg1248599

[[mr...]]

Arcade, Congrats on .02mg Valium!!

I just noticed you are almost off, woo hoo!

 

[[ka...]]

Nova:  I always see confusion re the terms tolerance and tolerance withdrawal.  Some people say there is no such thing as tolerance withdrawal it is just 'withdrawal" when you start tapering the benzo.  To be honest I don't care what it is called since every way you look at it getting off of these drugs is its own kind of he#$. 

 

I am sorry to read about your long history of dealing with not only pain meds but 30+ years of benzos.  I think our own experiences also color our approach to how we taper. I was not on any drug other than a benzo and I had no s/x from being on it for 10+ years other than dry eyes.  I was also on the same low dose for all of these years and I never had to use more.  It was not until my doctor did a ridiculous taper for me that I had any s/x at all and that sent me into an awful spiral.  I actually did exactly what you recommend - that is I did a long hold after this experience and went back up to my original dose- I had never been off. I held for 6 months.  I felt fine the entire time of my hold. I had a full time job - traveled the world and again did not give anything a thought.  I started tapering again - much more slowly after this long hold and within a couple of weeks was back in he#$.  I did this 3 times - each time I felt better when I held for 6 months and each time I started to cut again - I went back to he#$.  In fact the last time I went into tolerance -that is the drug stopped working for me and I got the worst s/x I have ever had even though I was holding. 

 

 

So I did not heal at all - in fact it just prolonged the agony for me and it was not until I said - okay - I am going to keep going and slow my taper rate,  change my taper either using cut and hold or a micro taper - whatever works for me (not anyone else) and regardless of how slow I go I will abide by 2 rules: I will not up dose and I will try and keep going.  Using this method I  have been able to get off of the benzo- I had 2 years of he$# but what I noticed along the way is that as I went down my base line got better and better and as the drug left my body I felt better - never great - but better. So my conclusion is that I healed on the way down - and others do too.  As I said in my post I feel better on fumes of the benzo then I did at the beginning of this long journey.

 

So given what I experienced and I agree with you - we can only give advice based on our own experience -    I think people need to know that this is doable.  That you don't have to hold for long periods of time - that we do heal on the way down and that if we do a slow, taper that takes into account how we feel we can successfully get off of these benzos. 

 

I wish at the start of my journey off of benzos I had read Colin's post. Though I did a slower taper than he recommends had I read this before my doctor started me on her ridiculous taper perhaps I would have succeeded on my first try.  But I can't look back, only forward. 

 

My wish for everyone here is that we succeed on this journey - and get off of these awful drugs so we can heal and live full productive lives.  How we do that is for each of us to decide for ourselves.  :smitten:

 

[[so...]]

Thank you JustDoToday!

 

Still doing well. Today, the temple pulsing returned (no pain, but a physical pulsing that you can feel with your fingertips) as well as muscle spasms in my right leg (also not painful).

 

Serious question -- I understand the muscle spasms, but what's with the temple pulsing? Is that a muscle too? I tend to perceive it as a vein pulsing but I guess that may indeed be a muscle... this one symptom just puzzles me and I had it on my Ativan taper too.

 

(seems appropriate!)

[[mr...]]

Thank you JustDoToday!

 

Still doing well. Today, the temple pulsing returned (no pain, but a physical pulsing that you can feel with your fingertips) as well as muscle spasms in my right leg (also not painful).

 

Serious question -- I understand the muscle spasms, but what's with the temple pulsing? Is that a muscle too? I tend to perceive it as a vein pulsing but I guess that may indeed be a muscle... this one symptom just puzzles me and I had it on my Ativan taper too.

 

(seems appropriate!)

Hi Solace,

My mom had that temple pulse and sometimes jolts too.

It is definitely and Ativan thing.