Excellent and helpful replies, thank you all.
Yea hydroxyzine is prescription only but it has sedative and anxiolytic effects similar to benzos so it can help ease withdrawal symptoms. It wouldn't hurt to bring it up at your next appointment and see if you can get a prescription for the sake of getting off benzos. Your Dr would probably agree since it is a relatively mild and harmless drug with almost no potential for abuse. That's what I did and it helped me a good bit.My Dr also told me that cigarette smoking does not help anxiety, anyone heard of this as I smoke about 20 a day.
Is Hydroxezine a prescription only anti-histamine?
As for the cigs… Nicotene can definitely make anxiety worse (it also stimulates the release of adrenaline in your brain). 20 a day?! Imagine your lung condition in 20 years man… Are you thinking about quitting those at all? If you are I wouldn't suggest doing it at the same time as your benzo withdrawal. That's like hellx2.