Benzodiazepine Withdrawals

Hi Everyone,

I haven’t been posting as I’ve been struggling with bad benzo withdrawals and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Since February I have been tapering off benzos. For eleven years I have been on increasingly high doses. At the beginning of the year I was on the equivalent of 140 mg diazepam. This was all prescribed. I never abused it. I finally got fed up needing ridiculously high doses so I begun cutting my dose in February. Now I am down to 42.5 mg diazepam (=2 mg Clonazepam plus 2.5 mg diazepam). I take Clonazapam and use diazepam to make the small cuts - 1.25 mg of diazepam each cut) I hope this makes sense.

This has been a tough year, but the withdrawals are only worsening. I shake, have a racing hear, and get awful nerve pain and insomnia. My nerves are always on edge. The problem is it may take me another two years to get off this evil drug. I’m scared. It may only get worse from here. My new pdoc is very understanding, but there is little she can do. She wanted to have me on diazepam only but my dose is too high still as I would need 8.5 tablets a day(5 mg tablets). This relentless suffering is wearing me down. I’m trapped. Increasing my dose is not an option as I will only put myself in a worse position.

Has anyone else been through this? Any advice? I feel so alone. Staring at two more years of relentless suffering is daunting. I am worried I’ll break.

I went off Ativan cold turkey a few years ago. One day, I just dumped the whole bottle of pills in the toilet at Starbucks and that was that. Until I started shaking uncontrolibly . I couldn't sleep because of the shaking- it was really bad. (Well, not as bad as when I went toxic on lithium- that was REALLY bad!)

Hi Wander, I am currently weaning off Klonopin. I've been on it for 20+ years. It's not doing anything of benefit anymore, I'm on it only because my body is so dependent.

I have tried twice before to come off Klonopin. The first time I tried to withdraw within a month. That was disastrous. I was terribly weak and sick, as though I had a bad flu. The insomnia was terrible.

The next time I did a withdrawal over the period of 1 year. I normally take 2mgs/day. I managed to get down to 1mg, which was a huge accomplishment. Unfortunately, I hit into an especially difficult time in my life. So I decided to stop the withdrawal.

Now I have a pdoc who is gifted at her job. I've been seeing her for 3 years. We decided a month ago that I can start working toward stopping the Klonopin. Her suggestion was that I pick 1 night/week and cut just 1/4 off of my bedtime dose. A very conservative approach. I did that the first week, then decided I can probably manage cutting that tiny bit off twice per week.

So far, so good. If this week goes okay, next week I'll go to cutting my bedtime dose by half, twice per week. And so on. I expect this withdrawal to take as long as 2 years.

So the only advice I have is to taper very, very, very slowly. Eventually, the benzo will be history...even if it takes a couple of years.

Also, I'm quite sure I also have fibromyalgia. So that really figures into how to handle a benzo withdrawal.

In many interviews, Stevie Nicks has famously said that it was easier to get off of cocaine than klonopin. Unfortunately, when many of us were first prescribed benzos, we had no idea how dangerous they can be since the effects are so subtle--they do not make you feel high like alcohol, pot or opioids do. In my case, when I was first prescribed Xanax, I had a very stressful job in a call center and my family life had become very unhappy and full or conflict (I was coping as badly as anyone)--it would have been much better for me to go to therapy than to be given a drug to cope. Eight years later, I still use this benzo, though I have learned it works better when you do not use it daily. I was using it daily during the 3 weeks prior to my PET scan and mastectomy because I was so nervous about the upcoming events. I used the time I was on oxy (4 and a half days after my operation) to stop using it on a daily basis. Who knows how much damage it has done to my brain already? I do think that in order to get off benzos, going to other drugs (even if temporarily) can help. One option is Gabapentin because it has many of the same effects as benzos (but causes weight gain) but is easier to get off off. A neighbor was struggling with his increasing use of xanax to sleep and found that he was able to get off of it by using Pot instead. IMO, Pot (which has its own issues if you have problems with psychosis or want to be sober minded) is much easier to stop (once you get over the benzo withdrawal) than a benzo. I am not a doctor and these are just my opinions based on personal experience and a few anecdotes so using another drug to get off of benzos might not work for everyone. When I went inpatient one time, at that facility, they took away everyone's benzos and opioids (I went inpatient just after having a emergency thoracotomy and was prescribed opioids upon my release from the conventional hospital which released me to the mental hospital) away cold turkey, no matter how much we were suffering--there was no tapering there and some of the people were screaming and pleading for their medications around me. Addiction withdrawal can be terrible and dangerous if handled badly.

Hi Wander. I'm sorry you have to go through such a long and hard benzo withdrawal. I think it's terrible that you had a psychiatrist that would put you on such a high dose for so long. It's not right, and really shouldn't be done, anymore. I agree with others who recommend it just be done as slowly as needed to prevent too severe of withdrawal. Patience is hard, but worth it.

I have experienced withdrawal symptoms from Ativan (lorazepam) in the past. There was a time when I took it daily for about three years, while also taking a small dose of Klonopin. Like BethRags, my Klonopin is still basically just to prevent withdrawals. It doesn't do a thing. The Ativan I used to take was initially for PRN anxiety relief, but then became an anti-akathisia medication. I had the akathisia from Geodon, which I was very slowly weaned off of. Dang! Geodon was a terrible medication in terms of withdrawal symptoms. Then, after the akathisia from the Geodon subsided, I had to slowly go off the Ativan. I'm sure my withdrawals were not as severe as yours, and the time to withdrawal was a little quicker (since my dose was comparatively lower), but the combo of the Geodon and Ativan withdrawals made it seem like forever. But, I did eventually get off of both.

I would love to get rid of my small dose of Klonopin. I've been on that for 10+ years. My psychiatrist has refused to touch it, especially since I'm soon to move abroad. I call it "Klonopin Jail". It is. However, someday I will try.

Hi Wander-
I am so sorry you’re going through this terrible suffering - it sounds awful!! I know what it’s like to feel trapped and alone... my heart goes out to you. I will be thinking about you & sending you strength 💫
Know that you aren’t alone through this 💛
Keep us posted 💛

Soupe du jour

"Klonopin jail" - perfect!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TunedOut In many interviews, Stevie Nicks has famously said that it was easier to get off of cocaine than klonopin.....

She had or has a page online about her Klonopin dependency.

I have known junkies who said that Klonopin was harder to get off of, and more dangerous, than heroin.

I too quit cold turkey. Was intense and I had seizures a couple times but it was all over within a week. Every time a pdoc has brought them up since I say no. Not worth it.

I have such a bad Xanax addiction and that is the one thing I won’t reveal to anyone because I just cannot go without it. I just can’t do it. I wish I had never gone on it in the first place. I’m moving 3 hours away in May and I plan on keeping my Pdoc even though I’ll have to drive 3 hours each way to see him. Because he prescribes Xanax with no questions asked. That is the only reason I will still see him even though he will be so far away. Like I have a really bad problem.

I sure had a hellish time getting off of geodon.I went inpatient for that.
very nervous about the klonipin.my prescriber did not refill my RX on the 23 of november. I did not discover this until I went to fill up my pill box and I was almost out of them. I called today to ask for a refill and she called me back and said that she would call them in today, and she did so I was happy about that.
I talk with her on the 8th of dec. on the phone using face time. I will ask her why she does not allow for refills on the klonipin?
I have been on it for a long time. My old pdoc took it off my scheduling and made me take a lot of melatonin and hydroxyzine, I did not sleep well and took forever to sleep. Had to wear ear plugs to sleep because hubby was a noisy sleeper, not snoring but close to that heavy breathing.

New pdoc back on klonipin again and happy.
when my old pdoc took me off klonipin because I drink it was a quick DC. like a few weeks.Though I was only on .5mg.now am on 1mg.

There is a whole websight on benzo with drawl.: benzo buddies.
Using the sinclair method of reduction.

I feel for you wander and everyone else trying to get off benzos. I can't sleep well unless I have mine. hopefully for many years to come.
bizi

Here is the link to the website Wander
Access denied
bizi
even though it says access denied it still takes you to the site.
weird!

Thank you so much everyone. It is a comfort to have your support. Last night I made another cut of 1.25 mg of diazepam bringing my daily dose down to 41.25 mg. I feel awful already. My whole body is shaking. It will most likely worsen for a few days before easing. Then I cut again. It is relentless suffering, and I most likely have years of it left.

Today I have plans to visit a friend but now I’m not sure if I feel up to it. I rarely see friends so I hate to have to cancel. My whole life is on hold because of this and the Chronic Fatigue. Thankfully, I am not depressed or manic or mixed or I would be in danger. I have been psychologically stable all year. One positive.
I’m trying to be zen about this situation. Meditation helps. I’m prepared for a marathon. What is another two years of suffering when you have been suffering for 37 years already. My freedom is in my sights. Two years away.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wander Thank you so much everyone. It is a comfort to have your support. Last night I made another cut of 1.25 mg of diazepam bringing my daily dose down to 41.25 mg. I feel awful already. My whole body is shaking. It will most likely worsen for a few days before easing. Then I cut again. It is relentless suffering, and I most likely have years of it left. Today I have plans to visit a friend but now I’m not sure if I feel up to it. I rarely see friends so I hate to have to cancel. My whole life is on hold because of this and the Chronic Fatigue. Thankfully, I am not depressed or manic or mixed or I would be in danger. I have been psychologically stable all year. One positive. I’m trying to be zen about this situation. Meditation helps. I’m prepared for a marathon. What is another two years of suffering when you have been suffering for 37 years already. My freedom is in my sights. Two years away.

Beautiful post.