Benzos Bad anxiety? benzo or bupe withdrawal?

[jjacobsen]

I am sorry if you all think the better prefix would have been bupe, but I really do not know what is happening to me, even after lots of research. I stopped a 5 year H habit (1g/day last 3 years) with Suboxone and have been tapering off the (perhaps too high but doctor was stupid) 12mg induction dose for 4 months. I have been stuck at .5 for four weeks (minus 2 days at .25 two weeks ago, before I realized need to reduce less percentage at a time) because all of a sudden new symptoms popped up and I was tying to do what so many recommend and ?stabilize?

My head and body few like electric current buzzing under it. Hot, elevated heartbeat, even when I am not thinking about anything negative. That is why I did not know it was anxiety until I did some research. But people report these symptoms BOTH when tapering off of bupe and when coming off of Benzos. Unfortunately, I spent two weeks in there (at 1 to .75 mg) taking 1mg Klonopin / clonazepam, usually once a day but a few times twice. After the aborted .25mg bupe attempt I could not sleep and after two days off of Benzos I took my new prescription of 1mg xanax at night for 3 nights. I stopped for 4 days, and the anxiety hasn?t let up. The reason I?m so at a loss is the anxiety started before I stopped taking Benzos and continued through after stopping. But if it is from bupe tapering, why didn?t I feel it until on .5 for a week? And why not along with the (significant, for me) withdrawal symptoms I felt tapering from 2 to 1mg bupe, or 1 to .5?

Which do you think is causing this anxiety? I just want the anxiety over as quick as possible because I cannot taper further and kick bupe while this anxious every waking hour! Thanks in advance.

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

That's a tough one to answer jj as people react differently to different substances and the cessation of those substances. Best guess would be that the bupe drop was too fast and the 2 weeks? of benzo's just exacerbated it a little. As much as it seems like going backwards, going back up to 3/4 or 1mg of Bupe to determine if that's truly the cause might be a good idea. If for nothing else than being a diagnostic tool as to why the electric anxiety is getting to you so bad. It might be the key to stabilizing for a couple weeks and then proceeding back down even slower sans benzos. At the very least try jumping up a little with the bupe for a few days to see if there is any improvement. Good Luck

 

[jjacobsen]

Thanks Jekyl. That was my first thought but I had got down to .5 before, had a bad week (mostly because of my life not related to tapering progression ) and went back up to 1 then .75, so I?m nervous to do it again.
If I do, do you think I could do it for only 4-5 days and if anxiety gone then do only 4-5 days each at .38 , .25, .125, skip, jump?

I ask because I am desperate not to be on too long making the withdrawal worse, but man everyone has such VASTLY different accounts (3 weeks min at each, no 1 day only, etc). It would help if people would say how long they?re on the bupe cuz everyone seems to be on for years or weeks, with few I have been able to find on 4 months (hopefully 5 total) like me.
Thanks!!!

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

I think the reason there are so many different and varied reports is that everyone responds a little bit differently to tapering. You can use other peoples experiences as a guide, but ultimately have to make changes to benefit yourself and what your body needs. I think 4-5 days might be okay, if it's enough to stop the electric anxiety that might end up jeopardizing your entire recovery. Staying a little bit higher for a little bit longer might be a decent compromise over trying to tolerate terrible symptoms.

I'm all for not dragging out W/D taper programs as I've been in MMT before and they preached how dropping your dose will lead to one's demise and staying on methadone forever is great. Screw that, but at the same time a balance has to be found that your impatient mind AND your upset body can agree with. I like the .38>.25>.125 idea, I think as long as you can sleep at night and not be in any sort of agony or undue stress than keep chopping away. Just be prepared to creep back up a little if you are freaking out, it dosen't have to be for long.

 

[jjacobsen]

That?s really helpful Jekyl thanks. It helps to think I could go back up and it won?t mean ( I hope ) that I have to then spend another two weeks stabilizing again once I go back down. I just do not want to go up and find the anxiety is the same because it?s ?rebound anxiety? from taking klonopin then Xanax for almost 3 weeks, so I?ll try to tough it out a few more days and see if staying off the Xanax finally returns me to normal suffering instead of this weird new hell!

Here?s hoping staying this long at .5 mg bupe will make the final jump easier because I?ve spent that much longer post H on even minimal maintenance and I?m that much further removed from those insane original 12 mg!

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Yeah 12mg is up there, ughh. If you continue to tough it out you might end up leveling out on the .5 as your body adjusts to the lower dose, but if you feel like the symptoms are going to break you and risk a relapse, then jump back up to 1mg or even higher if that will keep you on the program.
I do applaud your determination to get off all of it though, I just hope the strong will and motivation stick with you. If the anxiety doesn't go away with the small increase then maybe something like Gabapentin/ Lyrica might help, it could also be helpful with jumping off the Subs altogether. Going back to .125mg crumbs of Clonazepam should be a last resort, but still an option if you can't shake this. The rebound anxiety shouldn't be utter hell.