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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Beckett on March 25, 2014, at 18:14:56
Anyone here withdraw from years of use? I would love to hear from you.
After 15 years I withdrew by barbituate in January. My long term use was relatively modest (0.5-1.5 daily Xanax), but I began to abuse temazepam for the last three months, and this resulted in blackouts, delirium, and exceeding prescribed dosage at amounts of which I no longer remember. I have no previous history of abuse and do not drink.
The misuse of temazepam coincided with a major hypomanic event--a two year plus year depression broke. I remember not being able to sleep.
This is the bare bones of a complicated picture.
I would like to know if anyone here has detoxed and what things were like in the aftermath.
Posted by rjlockhart37 on March 25, 2014, at 19:28:32
In reply to Any long term benzodiazapine withdrawal?, posted by Beckett on March 25, 2014, at 18:14:56
i was ripped off xanax....6mg's.....i had a withdrawl from the devil doctor himself...overridding medical ethics and discharging me in a withdrawl stage and sent me to a psych hospital...if i ever used black magick it would be on him, make his hair fall out and all the rest of the wicked dark magick will inflict...im serious.... stuff that can do....but anways nuerontin and other sedating antipsychotics are good for it.....they might not totally make all the withdrawl go away but they take away the anxiety agitation....paticulary haliparidol....[haldol] but they use that in usally severe cases of schizophrenia.....i don't why i said that....but yes it can help.....
even better....lyrica...will definetly help....
drinking wine i did for a while after xanax withdrawl....but that's starting another withdrawl substnace so not really an option.....for the quality of life being better....
Posted by Phillipa on March 25, 2014, at 21:33:29
In reply to Any long term benzodiazapine withdrawal?, posted by Beckett on March 25, 2014, at 18:14:56
Hi Beckett Xanax isn't a barbiturate. But a benzodiazepine which I feel was just a typo by you. Right now Gadchik is Withdrawing from her klonopin with a valium taper and doing well. There were times in my life when I just stopped taking benzos and did fine. If you do it slowly I feel you will be fine. Bipolar if not another med to allow for sleep if needed would be the problem I'd fore see. You are no longer on the temazepame correct? And if not did you have a problem stopping it? Phillipa
Posted by gadchik on March 26, 2014, at 7:21:37
In reply to Any long term benzodiazapine withdrawal?, posted by Beckett on March 25, 2014, at 18:14:56
Hi, Beckett, As you know, I have taken .5mg klonopin every day for over 5 1/2yrs. My diagnosis was gad, panic, major depression. I never had any problems with klonopin, until I tried to taper. So, as you also know, I c/o to 10mg valium in a step wise fashion, gradually over 2 weeks. Ive now been on 10mg valium for 3 weeks, with minimal issues during c/o. My pdoc rx 60-5mg valium pills for my c/o. Well,now that I want to go to 2mg pills to taper, her nurse tells me that I cant get an rx since I already have 5mg pills. I checked with my pharmacist and she said if my pdoc will call in the 2mg and state that its ok for me to fill, then I can do that. im so frustrated, the nurse said, "just cut to 7.5mg and then go to 5mg and you'll be fine" I don't want to go that fast, I want to go to 9mg then 8mg and so on. Im in no hurry. Sorry to unload, im just so mad. ive put in a call to speak directly with my pdoc and not the nurse. I wish the best for you, for us all. : )
Posted by Hugh on March 26, 2014, at 13:13:40
In reply to Any long term benzodiazapine withdrawal?, posted by Beckett on March 25, 2014, at 18:14:56
Could you give us some more details? I'm not quite sure what you're saying. Were you taking Xanax and temazepam simultaneously, and you used a barbiturate to withdraw in January? Or are you still on temazepam and want to withdraw?
Posted by Beckett on March 26, 2014, at 14:40:39
In reply to Re: Any long term benzodiazapine withdrawal? » Beckett, posted by Hugh on March 26, 2014, at 13:13:40
I guess my post is confusing....
Xanax was for the last 15 years.
Temazepam for the last 2.5 years or so, so both were simultaneous. The past say Sept-Dec I misused temazepam.
The hospital used barbituate to withdraw me. I discontinued both.
During the months preceding, I had blackouts. I had never had them before (no life precedent).
The c/o was uneventful and I haven't had physical withdrawal symptoms. I thought I was fine.
Now, three months after c/o, my cognitive functions have worsened. Episodic memory (right word?) is very impaired, and what was called unofficially, (and not without some affection), ADD, is terrible. I sometimes do things and retain no memory. Sometimes if prompted, I can recall. Other times I draw a blank.
I have new fears (driving, police)and a return of old (leaving the house).
Complicating this, I fear depression has returned. My experience of depression can include slowing down of everything.
I would like to hear from ex-benzodiazapine users or anyone who might help tease out this. I have never experienced anything like the past six months.
For instance, can drug induced blackouts create lasting damage, even of a few months duration? Prior to this, my benzodiazine use wss modest but of lasting duration.
Sorry to have gone on at length.
Posted by Hugh on March 27, 2014, at 11:10:12
In reply to Re: Any long term benzodiazapine withdrawal?, posted by Beckett on March 26, 2014, at 14:40:39
I took lorazepam for insomnia for three years. I increased my dosage twice because of tolerance (bad mistake). I started to suffer from terrible gastrointestinal problems, and it was only after a CT scan and a colonoscopy had ruled everything else out that I realized that my GI problems were caused by inter-dose withdrawal from lorazepam. It took me four months to taper off benzos. The first two months of my lorazepam withdrawal were hellish -- I couldn't find a doctor who would give me Valium. Then I finally got some Valium, did a crossover and tapered that for two months. For many months after I was benzo free, my nerves felt raw, on edge. And I suffered from brain fog a lot. Heather Ashton says that benzo withdrawal symptoms frequently last between six months and a year.
http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha03.htm
Some people find niacinamide helpful for benzo withdrawal.
http://jonathanprouskynd.com/uploads/Nicotinamide___Anxiety_-_Case_Report.pdf
This is the end of the thread.
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