akuma4u

how did you do it? whats the easiest way?

tanyapmc

Don't do this on your own. Go to a doctor and have a medical detox. Benzo withdrawal can be deadly. Good luck and keep us posted.

akuma4u

doctors know nothing about benzo withdrawal, they are very uneducated in benzo withdrawal. the only place that does it here, keeps you in the hospital for a week, and then sends you off. i know the tapering should be done VERY very slowly. Im trying to taper but , im still feeling so much pain even with the smallest cuts.
im wondering , for those here who successfully came off, how did you do it?

Rowan

Hi akuma and michael - welcome. I've been off benzos for 5 years. Used them while drinking, and then in sobriety. I weaned off them very quickly - I had no choice - I had but a handful left - I had been eating them like candy when things went spiraling out of control. I was uneducated about benzo withdrawal and should have been supervised. I did not sleep for 7-10 days more than an hour here or there - my gums were bleeding because I was grinding my teeth - and I was having hallucinations every time I closed my eyes. Also, I was uncoordinated and clumsy, and quite dizzy.
If you can, talk to your doctor and have them help you wean off them the right way. If you're lucky, you'll just have the side effects I mentioned.

Keep posting - and let us know how it goes.

Stubborn1

I highly agree that you need to go VERY slow when coming off of these. An aquantance of mine did pass away. However, she was taking large amounts to the point of abuse and just stopped because she ran out. It was out of the blue. Please see your dr. Do NOT try this on your own. You should see an physcologist.

Morning Glory

akuma4u

You might want to post your question on the substance abuse forum. There are many members there who have been through what you're going through.

Substance Abuse - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

RalphSavage

This was very helpful. I weaned but still feel very very knarly at 4 days out. I am hoping this gets better. I weaned from .75 mg to .125 mg over 6 weeks but AFTER over 5 years of daily usage for sleep.

I hear many stories here--all I want to get is a range of time for how long this might take to feel myself. I would love to know this will work out in a week or two. I don't want to go back on medications. I also stopped antidepressants a few weeks earlier. Yeah in for a penny in for a pound...
I'm sober 20 years in AA but life and all it's blessings (facetious) were hard--a young child, a full time job, graduate school (all at once). I haven't lost everything--like i did when I got sober but alas these feelings of anxiety suck.

Rebecca4

I was addicted egally to clonaepam (not sure what that drug nae is in the states) for a sleeping disorder. It was legal in that this was the only drug I could take to hep me sleep and the doctors were happy to prescribe as I would have been worse without.
I wanted to come off it for fertility reasons. I took a week off work and went cold turkey. The first few days I had bad brain fog. The only way I can describe is making a cup of tea, but could not go through the logical steps to do that, ie, get a cup, boil kettle, get tea, get mik. I spent a long tim in bed, but after about four days this lifted.
I am not wanting to give med advice just my own persona experience. If you visit our Doctore he will probably advive tapering off. So if you are o two tabs go to one and a half, then one, then half, the quarter.

It was not the hardest thing I have evr done but it was not easy!!

Good Luck

B
x

4dogsandakid

Yes, and it was very hard. Much hard than detoxing alcohol I thought. During the detox process I was having panic attacks and anxiety attacks daily for weeks. It was a nightmare.

I got Ativan (I was addicted to Xanax, but only for less than 2 months) from my doc and tapered the dose down for 3 weeks. I wish I had done it slower or had a more knowledgable doc, but that's what I did. Toughed it out.

Didn't last. Starting using again (pain meds and alcohol this time) within a week.

I've detoxed so many times I wonder if I'm not a detox addict....

life

How much lorazepam were you guys taking. If I were taking heavy does of lorazepam (10-16mg)/day for one -two weeks would that casue a major problem???

Mattcake

Quote:

Originally Posted by life

How much lorazepam were you guys taking. If I were taking heavy does of lorazepam (10-16mg)/day for one -two weeks would that casue a major problem???

That is a very high dose of lorazepam. Have you checked with a doctor?

For what it's worth, I've come off benzos several times. Using the slow, flexible taper schedule that my pdoc recommended, I had few problems, if any (a bit of insomnia). But we're all different, some people find benzo withdrawal incredibly hard. Sadly, some pdocs are just clueless. The key is to do it under *competent* medical supervision.

LennyandCarl

I've been taking benzo's for 9 years now for my anxiety, no body told me at the start that they are only supposed to be taken for a short period of time, my doctors just kept handing them to me and sending me on my merry way. I've had accute anxiety now for 9 year. I've tried many times to come off the benzo's but get to about 4-5 days and start having severe panic attacks. I did discuss with the doctor before hand and we decided the best way to do this. Going from 10mg of valium cutting in half after a 2 weeks and so on. It can be very hard, I feel very dependant on them now since im taking them such a long time. I feel i need them. I could speak all day about this

Anyway that's enough for now, if anyone wants to ask me anything go ahead:ghug

Swampfox1963

Do not take this as medical advice...but with Xanex the taper is 1/4 mg a week.

Midlifecrisis

Yes.

Coming off Valium was the worst time of my life. Don't do it cold turkey. Consult a doctor. I'm
Back on them now and terrified of when I'll eventually have to withdraw again.

InParticular

My doctor prescribed me clonazepam fully knowing my addictive personality, he just told me "be careful, these are habit forming," but gave them to me anyway. What an ***hole. I took myself off them because they spiked my anxiety and it was hell. Horrible panic attacks coming off them where I thought I was losing my mind. Never, EVER will I go on benzos again. What a crock. Sorry but it makes me mad that doctors prescribe these things. My advice is to have a good doctor and taper carefully. Good luck.

Swampfox1963

I tapered off 8mg in the early part of 2002. I was given ativan which was nothing. It was a nightmare. I had dreams so vivid every night that I would
wake up thinking they were real. I had to get back on it and have been since.
I too dread the time I may have to taper off them again.

sailor1960

I was only on .75mg a day but this went on for ten years, and the psych who put me on them refused to help me come off of them. I tapered off by cutting about .125mg per week. It was done at the same time as Celexa taper so it was not fun. My internist and pharmacist were helpful.

Ilovetea

Hey guys,

I was on Valium for about a year. I came off them. I started taking them for a back problem as its a Muscle relaxant but I had issues with anxiety anyways as I have been a carer for my mum for 4 yrs and I didn't know if she was going to survive and I was scared and suffering a lot emotionally.

Anyways I started on 2.5mg of Valium and then built a tolerance and ended up on about 45mg a day, I tappers down off the, myself, and the only withdrawl I had was bad as night sweats and weird dreams sleep was a little disturbed. Apparently benzo very hard to come off. I did it somewhat easy, but make sure u speak to a dr as you can have fits when coming down off them. Always be safe and see a dr.

Goodluck hope I helped if u wanna ask anymore questions go for it

Oh and I haven't and haven't even felt the need to even have a Valium since I got off them, not the slightest craving, it's great Goodluck x