Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

[Apradavra]

I think have seizured from coming off of xanies, or at least, benzos, I had one right when i woke up one morning (i wouldnt even had known i seizured, it felt like a bad dream, i woke up very agitated though), my girl brought me to the hospital where i had anotherseizure right beforethey discharged me.Right after I took my papergown off and my street clothes back on, i dropped into a second seizureright in front of the nurse who told me i was having night terrors.This meant I had to stay the night without insurance, I owe thousands for MRI's, EKG's, CatScans, ect.... When i went in there, they drug tested me and found "large amounts of opiates and THC" in my urine. They checked my arms for tracks, but i dont really use needles. The night before i ate sevral hundred mg's of mscontin or OC, i dont remember. But no benzos, well, after my second seizure i woke up strapped to a bed freaking out, like i was ina bad trip, machines boring down over my head, lights all over every crevice of a single white room, AND I WAS STRAPPED TO A BED,(i hate being held down)SO,I broke free from the bed i was strapped to, tore the IV out of my arm, and thenappearently a female nurse tried to strap me back down, i fucking cold cocked her......I remember none of this. I hate to fight, and i would never hit a female..it is just one thing i would never do. The way ifound outthis happendwas from eye witness accounts whichweretold to me after i regained consciences.The Dr's understood, they explained how guys get aggressive where women tend to get unresponsive from the disorientation after seizuring. It took four times the amount of Ativan (IV)to calm me down than it would have taken to knock out most men of my size, and i never lost conscienceness, i just mellowed a bit, the Docs couldnt figure out how my tolerance to benzos was so high....duh....They gave me one dose, it did nothing, gave me another, it did nothing, they then told my girl they were goin to sedate me, and the third "double dose" just calmed me. I was never told that the benzoscould ofpossibly beenthe cause of my seizures, although i never offered the info. Also, when i knew i had to go to the hospital, i grabbed several 10mg methadone i had around the house, that way i wasnt opiate withdrawling while in the hospital too... Either way, after all the ativan and anti-seizure meds, i didnt seizureany more in the hospital and haventsince then, and am still on Kepra (anti-siezure).I was initially put onDilantin, which is like the tylonol of siezure meds, it sucks, does not work well, but most people dont have adverse reactions and its cheap,as well asit lowers methadone levels worse thanmost any other meds on themarket. Glad I am nolonger on dilantinSo here i am, stilltakingKepra, it works really well, i cant feel it in my body, but it is pricey.($400 A MONTH!!!!)


My question is I am still using opiates and benzos. I plan to ween off the opes with methadone, such as i have done many times, but to get off the xanax, what should i do. Switch to a longer acting benzo? (Valium) or a shorter acting one such as Ativan, i have supplies to both..Any info, experiences, ideas, anything at all would help,


thanks much guys, this is the fourth time i had to write this, my comp wont let me copy it, and it doesnt want to be posted as a new thread, I hope it works this time...


Apradavra

[nooo]

listen man, ive been exactly what u went through. and ive seen addiction and read the studies. no meth man. thats a joke, and i dont reccomend it but the xanax, i went off that cold turkey after going through a binge where i ate my prescription, my moms and my dads in like 10 days.


cold turkey withdrawing from xanax is one of the most dangerous things, but honestly. if u are not risking death and going through the most painful withdrawal u can, u will most definetly go back to it.


Just bite the bullet man and stop everything, dont go to a any clinics, and dont do any 12 step bullshit, there is not a shred of evidence that 12 step works, the return rate is identical to those who just quit on their own.


just stop everything except marijuana, u will grow to love her.


THIS WILL BE EXTREMELY PAINFUL.

[nooo]

oh and i had a dystonic muscle reaction to the copezine that they gave me to stop my throwing up, try 4 hours of every volintary muscle in your body contracting as tightly and intensely as they can. i also didnt sleep for like 5 days. no one ever will understand how insane xanax withdrawal is unless they go through it. its one of three drugs that will kill you withdrawing, but hey like i was saying, without pain u arent gonna learn. i dont see how anyone could use again after going through a hardcore benzo withdrawal.

[Micklemouse]

DO NOT COLD TURKEY ON BENZO'S! Sorry for shouting, but this is important. Find a sympathetic doc, or better still an Addiction unit, and do it properly. Benzo's should be withdrawn gradually if they've been used regularly and at high doses - a reducing regime is the safest way to do it. It takes time, but if you're truly ready to kick it you will, but support is vital.

I hear what you're saying about the 12 Steps Nooo, but there are many factors involved in the cycle of addiction and relapse, the main ones being the readiness of the individual to quit, the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal(if someones going to NA just as part of their probation or to get family off their back then there's a good chance that they'll relapse; if they're doing it to genuinely change then their chances of success are better); their general life and social circumstances(has the individual widened their circle of 'friends' to include non-users? has the individual addressed the issues that led to the addiction in the first place?); the list of variables goes on... For many people the support that comes with 12 Step programmes is vital to their recovery, and although I have a problem with some of the philosophy and the religious slant, if it works, it works!

On a side note, sorry to hear about the dystonia - sucks, doesn't it? The prescription of old school antipsychotics in a non-clinical setting and without access to an anti-cholinergic such as Procyclidine or Benxhexol is such bad practice, especially if the patient is new to antipsychotics - EPSE's are extremely uncomfortable, and potentially very dangerous. The maxim 'Know your drug' stands equally with pharms, and there is a dual responsibility between the doctor and patient to check the suitability of the med to the patient, and potential 'side-effects' and how to deal with them. Make your doctor do his/her job properly!

[purplehaze]

I know for a fact that coming off xanex can cause seizures my mother has them all the time she needs to either stay on them or off and she has been to the hospital and they tryed to say shes eptileptic or whatever i know shes not because when they wrote her phenobarbital she took it and totally triped out and if u were eptileptic (sp?) it would just fix the amount of something in your brain. forgot what its called. anyways, payce.

[Gahaba22]

Micklemouse said it correctly. If you feel you can't go to an addiction doctor, then the best way to wean yourself off xanax (mid-acting) benzo is to switch to valium (long-acting) benzo. The same principle that is used for heroin (short) and methadone (long). I would suggest seeing a doctor for the correct stepdown dosages

geeb

[Apradavra]

thanks Gahaba22,


I am switching to Valuim, and as i said, i am on an anti-seizure med, I dont want to cross tolerance myself, so i am not taking any Valium until I am out of the Xanies. Its sad i just cant quit til theyre all gone, but i guess accepting addiction is step number one to ending it. But the 12 step program is a bit to religious based for myself as well. Religion is a great and powerful part of millions of people's lifes, but its just not for me, not at this moment in my life, maybe sometime, not now...who knows? I never thought i would be addicted to benzos and Opiates three years ago...life sure is teaching myself a few reality lessons.....


Micklemouse,


Your commentsare taken very seriouslyby myself, you have large amounts of knowledge to share, and i thank you for your willing to share of thisknowledge. Would Ativan be of any help, i just feel as though Xanax has the worst DW's for me, and they seem to build tolerance more quickly than any other benzo. But damn i love Aprozolam with my Opiates....man i suck.... Either way, my weaining period will be in several days, I will first lower my Xanies dose, til they are gone, then switch to valium, i have cold turkeyed of huge amounts of valium before, and didnt have many side effects (I didnt seizure) So i think that is my best plan. I cant go to inpatient, or outpatient, I am still in the clostet pretty well, and coming out wuoldnt be to good of an idea as of now, if i can do this without many people knowing i had been/am addicted, the better....any more info would be much much appreciated....


thanks so much guys, you literally are life savers.....


Apradavra

[Benzhead]

Yeah, cold turkey off benzos is definitely dangerous.


If I was in your position, I'd find a sympathetic p-doc(psychiatrist). P-docs are often the reason people get addicted/dependent on benzos..it's called 'iatrogenic addiction' when a member of the medical establishment provides the chemicalmeansfor the addiction. Now that in and of itself isn't very helpful, but a good P-doc should be able to assess your particular needs better than any other clinician. In my case, a merely therapeutic dose turned into the benzo monkey currently hitching a ride. *sigh*


I'm honest with myself....I definitely have a habituation/dependency/addiction issue. This is due to the prescribing of Clonazepam for long term therapy in a 'contra-indicated' person(I have a prediliction for addiction which was known over a decade ago) *rolls eyes*


Nevertheless, I was put on Clonazepam for panic - along with Sertraline(Zoloft) for recurrent major-depression. My particular situation was one where I only achieved minimal relief from my anxiety disorder form an SSRI. I only offer this as historical data.


A psychiatrist that treats concomittant addiction with an underlying condition - should one be found to exist - could be your best hope.


If you think that this is a direction you may want to consider, try and get a referral.....This makes the initial 'feeling out' process a lot easier.


I have to run. I'll check back in a day or two.


(given my history, I knowp-docs aren't a cure-all, but they can be helpful when other medical practitioners are overwhelmed..If you find a good one)


Best of success!


T


On Edit: With me, my situation was pretty out of control until I received decent medical care. Ihave walkedmuch ofthe pathyou now find yourself walking. Edited by: benzhead

[aMorphius]

A tough part of slow benzo withdrawl is the last part when you are down
to just a small dose per day. Even Valium won't last untill the next dose
and the withdrawl symptoms will kick in each day. A really long lasting
benzo is clonazepam (Klonopin?). It will last through the day so you can
make that next small dose and slowly reduce the dose untill you are off
this shit for good. Just my humble persoanl experience. Good luck!

[formerfiend]

I dont know why but i quit benzos cold turkey and didnt notice any extreme withdrawl. I took1mg klonapin everyday for about 8 months, often taking as much as 4-6mg when i wanted to be even less anxiousif you know what i mean.The one thing i will sayis i may have been an as$hole to people for a week or 2, but no phsycial effects. I also take Ambien nowwhich i do notlike running out of. I quit benzos cold turkey and im much happier without it for the most part, i know theyre bad drugs.That being said i also quit crack cold turkey, well iwent to rehab for 2 weeksand smoked alot of pot but.....anyway is klonapin less addictive than other benzos b/c if thats as bad as the withdrawl was id compare it togoing without ciggarrettes for anylong period of time, just makes u on edge...

[Nicaine]

Benzo withdrawals vary from person to person, but with Klonopin it can take from 3 days to a week for symptoms even to start, because it's so long acting and blood levels get really high. It could theoretically take from a couple weeks to a month before symptoms get really bad, if they were going to. But some people have minimal or no withdrawal symptoms from Benzos, you're probably one of the lucky ones.

Just be aware, symptoms could start out of the blue and it could be very sudden, so I would keep something handy just in case (seizures are possible).

P.S. Ambien is very similar to benzos and there may be cross-tolerance...

While zolpidem is a hypnotic agent with a chemical structure unrelated to benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or other drugs with known hypnotic properties, it interacts with a GABA-BZ receptor complex and shares some of the pharmacological properties of the benzodiazepines.

that may be preventing withdrawal symptoms from the K. (but it's hard to tell).Edited by: Nicaine

[BlueMystic]

Count yourself luckyand in the fractional percentage of people if you don't experience any extremely negative withdrawal symptoms from quitting a benzo cold turkey. However, I would also like to reiterate the above advice about keeping something on hand. Since extreme and sudden withdrawal symptoms can manifest themselves a relativey long time after one stops taking benzo's. Good luck!

[skitz0frantic]

[skitz0frantic]

LIST OF WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS FROM BENZOS


DOUBLE VISION


TIRED EYES


BLURRED VISION


SCREWING UP OF THE EYES


TENSION BETWEEN THE EYES


RAPID BLINKING OF THE EYES


DIZZINESS


AGITATED SIGHT-LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE EYES


PUPILS IN THE EYES BECOME MINUTE


IRIS IN THE EYES CHANGE COLORS


WAVES, SPARKS AND FLASHES OF LIGHT


<A href="http://www.geocities.com/benzobusters/lights.htm" target="_blank">HYPERSENITIVITY TO LIGHT AND
SOUND AND SMELL</A>


SEEING SPOTS


TOTAL LOSS OF CONFIDENCE


FEAR OF BEING ALONE


THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS THAT YOU ARE DYING


RAPID MOOD CHANGES


INSOMNIA


LOSS OF CONCENTRATION


LOSS OF INTEREST IN PEOPLE AND THINGS


INABILITY TO READ


DYSPHORIA


FEELING OF VULNERABILITY


REPETITIVE THOUGHTS


A FEAR OF INSANITY


A FEELING OF IMPENDING DOOM


DEMENTED AND MURDEROUS THOUGHTS


IRRATIONAL RAGE


LOSS OF SELF RESPECT


DEPRESSION


ANXIETY


PARANOIA


UNUSUALLY DISTURBED AND SENSITIVE


PHOBIAS


FEAR OF LOSING CONTROL


DE-REALISATION


SPEECH DIFFICULTIES


DIFFICULTY IN WRITING SLOWLY


INABILITY TO WRITE


DISORIENTATION


INABILITY TO COMPHREHEND THE SIMPLEST OF THINGS


OBSESSIVE BEHAVIOUR


FEAR OF WATER


HYSTERICAL AND INNAPPROPRIATE LAUGHTER


NIGHTMARES


LOSS OF MEMORY


<A href="http://www.geocities.com/benzobusters/spirit.htm" target="_blank">FEELINGS OF THE SPIRIT BEING OUT
OF SYNCHRONISATION WITH THE BODY</A>


SUICIDAL FEELINGS


AGORAPHOBIA


DEPERSONALISATION


BRAIN MOVING WITHIN THE SKULL


INABILITY TO COPE WITH A LOT OF INFORMATION


HALLUCINATIONS


VERTIGO


TIREDNESS


LEGS, ARMS AND HEAD VERY HEAVY


PARESTHESIA


EXERCISE INTOLERANCE


SEVERE MUSCULAR RIDGIDITY ALL OVER


MUSCULAR WEAKNESS


MUSCLE WASTAGE


ACHING JOINTS AND MUSCLES


RESTLESSNESS


RESTLESS LEGS IN BED AT NIGHT


SEVERE CRAMPING IN THE STOMACH


ELECTRIC SHOCK AND MUSCULAR SPASMS


UNABLE TO WALK


ARMS AND LEGS FEEL DETACHED FROM BODY


GRINDING TEETH


INTENSE JAW PAIN


JAWS CLAMPED TOGETHER


NEURALGIA


PAINS IN THE NECK TO THE SHOULDER BLADES


TICKLING AND ITCHING FEELING OVER THE WHOLE BODY


NUMBNESS, PAIN, PINS AND NEEDLES


SHARP THROBBING PAIN IN THE WRISTS


CLUMSINESS


LACK OF CO-ORDINATION


BUILDINGS APPEAR TO BE LEANING


LEGS FEEL LIKE JELLY


SWEATING


FEELING OF EXTREME COLD


NAUSEA


FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS


TIGHT BAND AROUND THE HEAD


INTENSE FUZZY FEELING IN THE HEAD


TINNITUS


EARACHE


SINUS PROBLEMS


TWITCHING OF THE HEAD


FEELINGS OF WORMS UNDER THE SCALP


SEIZURES


PAINS IN THE TEMPLE


SEVERE HEADACHES


EXTREMELY NERVOUS AND JUMPY


HYPERACTVITY


PANIC ATTACKS


FEELINGS OF SHAKING INSIDE AND OUT


HEAVY POUNDING OF THE HEART WHEN CLIMBING STAIRS


BREATHLESSNESS


OVER BREATHING


HEARTBURN


PAINS IN THE LUNGS


MISSED HEARTBEATS


MILD HYPERTENSION


PAINS IN THE CHEST


IMPOTENCY


HAIR LOSS


PROBLEMS OF DECAYING TEETH AND GUMS


CRACKED AND SORE LIPS


ALLERGIES TO FOOD


SENSITIVE TO CHEMICALS AND ODORS


METALLIC TASTE IN MOUTH


EXTREME THIRST


SWALLOWING DIFFICULTIES


DRY MOUTH


FEELING BLOATED


DIAHORREA


CONSTIPATION


<A href="http://www.geocities.com/benzobusters/rashes.htm" target="_blank">RASHES,BLOTCHES AND
BURNING SENSATIONS ON THE SKIN</A>


TOE AND FINGERNAILS CHANGE COLOR
FROM PINK TO GREY


SALIVA RUNNING FROM MOUTH WHILE SLEEPING


CUTS AND ABRASIONS TAKE WEEKS TO HEAL


SPEECH APPEARS TO BE TWO FEET IN FRONT
OF YOU WHEN SPEAKING


FLASHBACKS


BURNING SPINE





http://www.geocities.com/benzobusters/symptoms.htm

Reputation Comments on this post:

Nice list, thanks

[markdahman]

hooolllaaayyyy! Sounds like fun!

[Nicaine]

Dunno, benzobusters looks like one of those hysterical, paranoid anti-benzo sites, that make benzos sound worse than the sludge inside a nuclear power plant.

Bunch of crap if you ask me, all it takes to get off benzos (even in worst-case addictions) is caution, logical/rational thinking and maybe another substance. Opiates may help, and their withdrawal symptoms are unpleasant but rarely dangerous. Or an anti-seizure med like Tegretol or Neurontin. There are always ways to sanely kick any substance.

Keep in mind most people on benzos have severe anxiety disorders. That sure is obvious from most of those anti-benzo websites floating around. Very long on fear-mongering and short on rationality.

When used wisely, benzos are good things. They prevent a lot of misery/suffering and help a lot of people live better and happier lives. From personal experience, I'd say abusing 'em is a bad idea though.Edited by: Nicaine

[daveman]

from what ive read about phenobarb the withdraws can cause siezures,
but who knows people are so biased when they post things sometimes.

[mark_v]

I took Lorazepam for about 5 months daily at dosages from 2.5 up to 10 mg.

But then i ran out of them and couldn't find or buy anymore, so i had to go cold turkey.

Pure hell, i tell ya !



After a week i felt that sic, i went to see a doctor and confessed him my selfmedication. Best thing I ever did.

So now i'm on a low dose of Valium and Dolmatil, and every 2 weeks my doctor lowers the dose.



I never thought i'd fall so deep and got addicted to those 'happy pills', but noone to blame but my own.



All i take now are my prescribed meds and sometimes a Zopiclone or some tramadol...

[Red_Baran]

i was eating up to 15 or more 10Mg Valiums, for about 7 months and quit cold turkey with min sideffects such as anger anda little depression. I also did the same thing with Xanax

[RemyLeBeau]

i took 8 ambien over the course of one night and i felt like di=ying for the next week, i'll never do it again my god the worst depression ever

[Chrislaub]

I know Xanax is big in Texas and a friend of my roommate took 20mg one night and hada seizure the next day from the withdrawls, but if your ass is dumb enough to take 20mg u deservea seizure.

[kuplo]

Well I hope I never have the need to up my dose to 20mg a day, Im at 10mg now, was just upped by my doctor from 6mg. Was told by a classmate in college that 10 and your like a zombie, I assume that means 10mg at one time (not going to happen to me, the most I take at one time is 4mg when I wake up), then 1mg after lunch, then 4mg in the evening. I talked to my doctor and told him that withi his current prescription of 3 or 4 a day I really wanted a drink at night, but have abstained (after drinking 750ml of whiskery almost every night for the past 3 years), as soon as I started to take the xanax I didnt want to drink anymore, for a while, now that he upped the dose of xanax to 10mg, the craving for a drink is gone again, been on them for 3 months now.

[tinogsx]

I never had a problem quiting benzos, opiates on the hand are another story.

[Yeahsme]

I've been on benzo's daily for the past 5 or 6 months and I can take 12mg(thats right 12mg) of xanax in about 5 or 6 hours or so and not feel a thing except further anxiety. I was taking 6mg of clonazepam every 4 hours about a week ago and somehow its fucked up my brain to this point. It was a very quick progression. It is a living nightmare and it seems like just yesterday that I was taking them once or twice a week. I'm telling you guys these drugs are from the devil himself...........Please don't move this thread to detox and recovery cause people need to know who are in active use.

Also in spring of '04 I had a grand mal seizure, quit breathing for 2 minutes, and almost had brain damage from about a 8mg a day habit of xanax. It took me hours after it happened to remember my name.

And I started in '04 taking .5mg of xanax once in a blue moon. These drugs(like all controlled substances) sneak up on you and take over your life. THEY ARE NOT CONTROLLED FOR NOTHING. And I'm a 28 year old man, and was not naive to the facts of what could happen if I used these drugs too often...............

Reputation Comments on this post:

great post

[Pinkavvy]

this is an example of why people need to do their research and learn the safe way to use and not abuse certain substances. Research, knowledge, moderation is the key to successful and safe drug use.