randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
I amfinishedtaking ativan. icut the .5 in halfforseveral weeks and said that's enough andjus quit.
am having insomnia but I can deal with that.
I would not recommend anybody gon on benzos. personal opinionis that drs do a great disservice to patients by putting them on these drugs.
that's whyi won't take the lorazepam the Dr wants and why I won't take statins. withdrawal is no joke. can't believe my sister has been on paxil and ativan for 16 years.
jus take time to research, get support, and you'll be ok.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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posted
I'm still trying to come off klonopin. Struggling so much with lyme right now, I can't handle withdrawal on top. I don't think Dr.'s think the withdrawal is as bad as it is. Posts: 798 | From Cincinnati, OH | Registered: Jul 2016
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Congratulations. Here's hoping for smoother sailing ahead. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
drs don't have any idea. add lyme in and some days I think I'm going crazy.
I have yet to find a Dr who believes in lyme. I never mention it to any medical personnel. didn't mention it when I was hospitalized with hypertensive emergency either.
I was on 1 mg, then cut to .5, and that was tough. I was on it for, oh, over a year I guess. and the cut to .25 was hard too. maybe I cut too fast but I ain't going back on it no way.
I have other family problems and I jus could not deal with crappy drs, husband, sisters, then add lyme.
I know, believe me, what you are going through.
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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klutzo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5701
posted
Congrats!!! I am happy for you and glad you are spreading the message of just how addictive benzos are.
I am in month 19 of tapered withdrawal from xanax, which I've been on for 33 years for muscle spasms due to "Fibro", which was Lyme.
I have at least 3 months more to go, and have not had a decent night's sleep in 2 yrs., since I was in tolerance withdrawal for 6 mos. before starting to taper, against my doc's advice. I just could not bear to ask for another dosage increase.
He said it would kill me, after all this time, at my age, and as sick as I am. He's right, it almost has, and in a hard life, I've never done anything as hard as this. I said I was afraid something might happen to him, and most docs refuse to prescribe them. He died right after that and I never saw him again, proving my point!
I wanted off before I was forcibly taken off too fast, as I have seen done to some, and many have died from that. I see the writing on the wall. Docs are afraid of the DEA and are taking benzos and opiods away, cold turkey.
I had to go pay a therapist on a monthly basis to wean me off properly, and I was lucky to get in. Out of 5 pages of listings, only one was taking new patients.
If you can do this, you can handle anything. Be prepared for massive overwhelm and have people to handle things for you while you go through it. I can't go anywhere or do anything, and the loneliness has been even harder than the physical withdrawal.
Supplements and non-addictive drugs were a necessity for me to do this... Seriphos 3 x during the night to lower night time cortisol so I could get a little sleep,
clonidine to help ease huge spikes in blood pressure,
verapamil for dangerous spikes in pulse,
small doses of melatonin at bedtime,
tryptophan every time I woke up at night, along with more seriphos,
plus plenty of Natural Calm Mg drink.
Theanine and CBD help some people, but did not help me.
Avoid Passionflower, as it acts on the same GABA receptors and just causes another addiction.
Blessings and prayers for all who are going through this. Be aware withdrawal can last beyond when you stop taking them and may even be worse for awhile.
Posts: 1269 | From Clearwater, Florida, USA | Registered: May 2004
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posted
Good job, klutzo!! I understand it is very hard to do!!!
I was taking 25 mg about 4 -5 nights a week for awhile and then it turned on me. I knew right away I needed to just stop it. Thankfully, I was able to.
I'm not sure I can even take it in an emergency.
What is seriphos?? I have a friend trying to get off of ativan.
Randi .. statins are awful, but they are not addictive.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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