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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Paul Smith on November 22, 2004, at 3:55:33
I have been off for two months and want to know if re-instating the med will probably stabilize me. Some anti-benzo people claim that it will not seeing that I let out the withdrawals. I did do a taper, pretty slow.I have come off these drugs twice, once for a month, now for two months. The withdrawals are just too brutal. I have burning sensations, tight throat, major agoraphobia, vibrations/trembling, light sensitivity. I first ran into trouble with these meds when I tried to reduce my dose. My doc wanted me off of them. I have tried twice and the symptoms are experiences that were unknown to me before these meds. I had some anxiety but was plenty functional. Now life is horrible, and if my body needs this stuff now it may be best to take it...
Posted by ed_uk on November 22, 2004, at 5:25:16
In reply to can benzo be re-instated successfully?, posted by Paul Smith on November 22, 2004, at 3:55:33
Hi Paul,
Hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions! Hopefully then people here will be able to help!
Which benzo were you taking? What dose were you on? How was your anxiety when you were taking an adequate dose of the benzo? Did you have any problems apart from anxiety while you were still taking the benzo?
Regards,
Ed
Posted by Glydin on November 22, 2004, at 7:02:30
In reply to can benzo be re-instated successfully?, posted by Paul Smith on November 22, 2004, at 3:55:33
I have been off Klonopin for a week, two weeks, and up to 2 1/2 months in my 3 years of use. I have restarted without decreased effectiveness. After the longest break, it took about 2 weeks for full efects to be realized and drowsiness to wane - that was true for when I initially started. I did not require an increase dose from the top of my range of dosing.
Posted by Paul Smith on November 22, 2004, at 7:49:54
In reply to Re: can benzo be re-instated successfully?, posted by ed_uk on November 22, 2004, at 5:25:16
<<Which benzo were you taking? What dose were you on? How was your anxiety when you were taking an adequate dose of the benzo? Did you have any problems apart from anxiety while you were still taking the benzo?
Regards,
Ed>>Thanks for the reply. I was on Xanax then Valium. My anxiety was manageable on the benzo when on an adequate dose, say 20 mgs of Valium. But at times my anxiety was worse than my pre-benzo state. I had symptonms crop up like breathelessness, dry mouth, tremor, but more on the Xanax than the Valium. No, all my problems were anxiety related on the benzo, though again far more manageable than now. A few of the sympton though seem less common in anxiety states, such as electric zaps and flulie feelings. I am definitely dependant on these drugs. Just do not a long time to wait for this withdrawal syndrome to end, if it ever would fully.
Posted by ed_uk on November 22, 2004, at 10:07:08
In reply to Re: can benzo be re-instated successfully?, posted by Paul Smith on November 22, 2004, at 7:49:54
Hi Paul,
If your withdrawal symptoms are intolerable I think you should probably go back on the Valium (not Xanax). I get the impression that your quality of life is very poor without it. The main reason for not going back on the Valium would be if you were having serious side effects such as memory loss. Did you have any major side effects?
If you were to go back on a benzo, Valium would be a better choice than Xanax because Valium has a longer half life and is less likely to be associated with anxiety between doses.
If you restarted the Valium at a dose of 20mg/day your symptoms would not go away immediately, this is because it would take several weeks for the Valium to accumulate in your body to reach a steady level.
Although some people can control their anxiety by taking their Valium as a single daily dose this is not true for everyone, many people need to take their benzo several times a day to maintain a constant amount of drug in their blood stream. I would suggest that you could take 5mg Valium four times a day.
When someone has taken a benzo long term, fluctuations in the concentration of the drug in the blood can cause mini-withdrawals between doses. Because you said that your anxiety was sometimes worse than before you had ever taken a benzo I think this could have been a problem for you eg. the breathlessness etc. This is why I suggested that you take the Valium four times a day.
After your first dose of Valium, many of your current symptoms would probably improve, but you would not be 'back to normal' straight away. After several weeks on the Valium you would probably be feeling much better.
Regards,
Ed
Posted by Paul Smith on November 22, 2004, at 10:44:18
In reply to Re: can benzo be re-instated successfully?, posted by ed_uk on November 22, 2004, at 10:07:08
Ed,
Thanks for your time. No there were no serious side effects while taking benzos. And yes, the withdrawals are intolerable for someone like me that must function. I just do not have months and months to wait. My only concern is tolerance, needing more and more of the drug over time to attain the desired effect. Nonetheless, I am thinking strongly about putting the meds back in. It is a dilema.
Posted by JayDee on November 22, 2004, at 11:25:34
In reply to Re: can benzo be re-instated successfully?, posted by Paul Smith on November 22, 2004, at 10:44:18
Hi Paul,
Is your anxiety worse now then it was before ever starting a benzo?
Posted by Paul Smith on November 22, 2004, at 12:08:53
In reply to Re: can benzo be re-instated successfully?, posted by JayDee on November 22, 2004, at 11:25:34
<<Hi Paul,
Is your anxiety worse now then it was before ever starting a benzo?>>
I replied to you but it somehow did not go through. Yes, is your answer. 100 times worse. I have burning sensations, frequent shaking,tight throat, a slew of symptoms I never had before trying to come off these meds.
Posted by ed_uk on November 23, 2004, at 11:58:44
In reply to Re: can benzo be re-instated successfully?, posted by Paul Smith on November 22, 2004, at 12:08:53
Hi Paul,
Have you decided what you are going to do? Will you restart the Valium? Would be nice if you would keep us up to date on your progress (yes, I am confident that there will be progress!)
Regards,
Ed.
Posted by zero on November 24, 2004, at 1:28:17
In reply to can benzo be re-instated successfully?, posted by Paul Smith on November 22, 2004, at 3:55:33
I came off of Valium 20mg./day two different times: 1st time after 10 yrs. on it and a fairly slow taper (courtesy of anti-psch.-drug attitudes in AA); 2nd time in 3 wks. (due to benzophobic new pdoc). I also had to function esp. the 2nd time.
No help the 1st time (except self-medicating w. alcohol) and almost lost my career. So went back on V. after 3 yrs. What saved me the 2nd time, was yet another pdoc. who Rx'd me low dose Tegretol (no more than 400mg./day) - it stopped my withdrawal symptoms cold.
I eventually resumed benzos w. Xanax first, and then Klonopin (all this w. the "Tegretol" pdoc.).
I prefer Valium (lasts longest unlike X. which was "in and out", plus V. doesn't make me depressed like K. does).
Sorry you are going thru all this - I went through it too and it can be excruciating and can put one's life on total hold.
My opinion (and from 1st hand experience): if you go back to 20mg. Valium/day you should be fine in a couple of days.
Good luck to you.
z
Posted by Paul Smith on November 24, 2004, at 15:08:36
In reply to Re: A little message to Paul Smith » Paul Smith, posted by ed_uk on November 23, 2004, at 11:58:44
Hi Paul,
<<Have you decided what you are going to do? Will you restart the Valium? Would be nice if you would keep us up to date on your progress (yes, I am confident that there will be progress!)
Regards,
Ed.>>Thanks Ed. It helped. I went in a resturant like I owned the place and ate without a problem. My vision also cleared up. However, I am just afraid to go here with benzos. I was very dependant, had real tolerance issues. I`d like to learn to start going in resturants like I own the place without benzos, like I did before I got on these meds. They are good meds for some people. And they are certainly good for emergencies. They worked so well on my social phobia that that tells me a lot of the tolerance has been reversed in my two months of abstinence. I did not want to get myself back in the mess I was in before if I can help it. I am considering Paxil or Zoloft though.
This is the end of the thread.
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