Benzos Psychiatrist Prescribed Cocktail for PTSD, GAD, Panic, and Suicidal thoughts (Benzo Taper Plan)

[liminal_j]

Hi everyone,

So I have been reaching out to the community in regards to a brutal experience trying to taper off of Valium (been taking for 2 1/2 Years tapered 3.5 mg over 7 months).

I am currently experiencing daily suicidal ideation and over 20 other withdrawal symptoms. I am currently taking Remeron 15mg, Buspar (does nothing), Valium 19mg in this state.

My psychiatrist has prescribed me Lamictal (on day 5 of 25mg, feel worse and better? I know it's early), bacloifyn, and gabapentin. I have been taking the baclofyn and Gabapentin only as needed as I am scared to add on more meds.

His logic is that I need these other meds in order to both stabilize and help me off of the main culprit of my deterioration (Valium) and then taper the other drugs one at a time over time.

He's a very nice person and he swears he can help me but I have to trust him and he is adamant about adding Lamictal, Baclofyn, and Gabapentin and that I need to take them daily and titrated to high daily doses and says I will be on those for a year or two with the eventual goal of being medication free in about 3 years total.

When I was at the appointment I was tremoring and could barely speak from the Benzo Withdrawal.

I am so traumatized and so scared of adding more medications but I feel like if I don't do something I am going to end up ending my life from the severity of the Benzo Withdrawal.

Thanks so much for your responses everyone, I'm in a really dark place right now and could use some encouragement if nothing else.

 

[negrogesic]

If you are going to go the gabapentin route you might suggest to him prescribe pregabalin instead. It is a better anxiolytic and has a bit of an antidepressant effect.

 

[liminal_j]

If you are going to go the gabapentin route you might suggest to him prescribe pregabalin instead. It is a better anxiolytic and has a bit of an antidepressant effect.

he said pregabalin is addictive and gabapentin is a “wonderful drug”.

 

[liminal_j]

Hey, I don't know anything about Lamictal however I do know about Baclofen and Gabapentin as I've been prescribed both. What are your doses for them?

You may want to reconsider taking them only as needed. Sounds like you have a good psychiatrist. Although I doubt you will need 3 years. I suggest you take your meds exactly as they're prescribed. This should help control withdrawal.

the gabapentin is 3 times a day 400 eventually going to around 3,000 or so and the baclofyn is 10mg 3 times a day i think that’s going to 60mg lamictal is supposed to go to 200-400. He says that having a steady stream of gabapentin will make it more effective but everyone seems to say tolerance builds and to take as needed. The baclofyn helps but makes me manic.

 

[negrogesic]

he said pregabalin is addictive and gabapentin is a “wonderful drug”.

Gabapentin is equally addictive as pregabalin (they are similar drugs) at least in a physical sense, though yes, pregabalin is more abusable.

Just keep in mind that if you start on Gabapentin you will eventually become physically addicted to it. And considering how hard of a time you have getting of low doses diazepam, you will almost surely have a hard time getting off of gabapentin.

 

[liminal_j]

Gabapentin is equally addictive as pregabalin (they are similar drugs) at least in a physical sense, though yes, pregabalin is more abusable.

Just keep in mind that if you start on Gabapentin you will eventually become physically addicted to it. And considering how hard of a time you have getting of low doses diazepam, you will almost surely have a hard time getting off of gabapentin.

yeah that’s what i’m afraid of.

 

[menidiatis]

OP, could you elaborate why can you not just very slowly taper the Valium?

Let's assume you take 19mg a day now, would it not be possible to, for example, take 18.75mg next week, then 18.5mg, then 18.25mg etc, so that in 1 month you reduce about 1mg?

Then in about a year and a half you could get rid of the Valium, and it would not take more time than what the current coctail would (if I read correctly we are talking about at least a 2 year process)

Or do you get horrible withdrawal symptoms if you take even 1mg less than what your current valium dose is? I always thought that it is possible to taper any drug as long as the taper is done slowly enough, but I have no experience with benzo addiction so what I just said might be completely stupid.

 

[liminal_j]

OP, could you elaborate why can you not just very slowly taper the Valium?

Let's assume you take 19mg a day now, would it not be possible to, for example, take 18.75mg next week, then 18.5mg, then 18.25mg etc, so that in 1 month you reduce about 1mg?

Then in about a year and a half you could get rid of the Valium, and it would not take more time than what the current coctail would (if I read correctly we are talking about at least a 2 year process)

Or do you get horrible withdrawal symptoms if you take even 1mg less than what your current valium dose is? I always thought that it is possible to taper any drug as long as the taper is done slowly enough, but I have no experience with benzo addiction so what I just said might be completely stupid.

all good man thanks for responding, the problem is i already developed tolerance to the drug so i have constant benzo withdrawal symptoms so even the slightest cut sends me from the 4th dimension of hell to the 9th. This was a prescribed medication for PTSD I only ever took as prescribed and it basically has ruined my life.

 

[menidiatis]

all good man thanks for responding, the problem is i already developed tolerance to the drug so i have constant benzo withdrawal symptoms so even the slightest cut sends me from the 4th dimension of hell to the 9th. This was a prescribed medication for PTSD I only ever took as prescribed and it basically has ruined my life.

I am so sorry to hear about this man. 19mg of diazepam does not even cross to the recreational dose, it is insane that you have to suffer like this for using a medicine therapeutically.

To me it sounds even stranger because I use benzos daily (5-10mg of temazepam or 0.75mg of etizolam) for months now, or drink liters of beer, and I can skip them any day without consequences (other than the severe anxiety that I have which led me to using these substances to begin with). Which makes me suspect, could you have some genetic abnormality? You mention that you did tests on this, did you exhaust all the possible tests?

All I can say is, I think your best option at this point is to trust your doctor. It certainly doesn't hurt to ask the opinion of benzo veterans on this forum who have been through the WDs, but I think trusting your doctor is what will make you feel the most safe, and right now I am sure you need to feel safe.

My prayers go to you, I wish I could have had a more useful answer. Please keep us updated!

 

[liminal_j]

I am so sorry to hear about this man. 19mg of diazepam does not even cross to the recreational dose, it is insane that you have to suffer like this for using a medicine therapeutically.

To me it sounds even stranger because I use benzos daily (5-10mg of temazepam or 0.75mg of etizolam) for months now, or drink liters of beer, and I can skip them any day without consequences (other than the severe anxiety that I have which led me to using these substances to begin with). Which makes me suspect, could you have some genetic abnormality? You mention that you did tests on this, did you exhaust all the possible tests?

All I can say is, I think your best option at this point is to trust your doctor. It certainly doesn't hurt to ask the opinion of benzo veterans on this forum who have been through the WDs, but I think trusting your doctor is what will make you feel the most safe, and right now I am sure you need to feel safe.

My prayers go to you, I wish I could have had a more useful answer. Please keep us updated!

thanks so much man. i did gene site, are there any other types of genetic testing? i’m half wondering if i should get a brain scan or something.

 

[menidiatis]

thanks so much man. i did gene site, are there any other types of genetic testing? i’m half wondering if i should get a brain scan or something.

I am really ignorant in these matters man, I am so sorry. Best to do here is to talk with an expert, then can give you a lot of info in a very short amount of time as well as recommend you the best plan of action, I strongly encourage you to do this! Talk with psychiatrists/neurologists, ask them if brain scan is useful, or if there is gene testing, or maybe even something else that you don't even know/have never heard about.

And again I would say trust your doctor. This process needs faith and you need to believe that you can make it, you need to believe that the doctor can help you, because if you believe you are never going to make it then you will make that come true. Try to focus on your instinct as to whether that doctor seems like someone you can trust (we have an instinct as to whether we like someone or not, and whether we think that they are competent to help us) but NOT on the automatic negative thoughts that tell you that not a single doctor can help you. If you make this distinction in my opinion you can get an accurate impression of whether you can trust your doctor. And then you must trust him/her, and have faith in the process!

 

[liminal_j]

I am really ignorant in these matters man, I am so sorry. Best to do here is to talk with an expert, then can give you a lot of info in a very short amount of time as well as recommend you the best plan of action, I strongly encourage you to do this! Talk with psychiatrists/neurologists, ask them if brain scan is useful, or if there is gene testing, or maybe even something else that you don't even know/have never heard about.

And again I would say trust your doctor. This process needs faith and you need to believe that you can make it, you need to believe that the doctor can help you, because if you believe you are never going to make it then you will make that come true. Try to focus on your instinct as to whether that doctor seems like someone you can trust (we have an instinct as to whether we like someone or not, and whether we think that they are competent to help us) but NOT on the automatic negative thoughts that tell you that not a single doctor can help you. If you make this distinction in my opinion you can get an accurate impression of whether you can trust your doctor. And then you must trust him/her, and have faith in the process!

thanks so much i think that last part is key about trust, it comes down to that and that is the part i am torn on. Regardless your words of encouragement mean a lot.

 

[neversickanymore]

Lamictal, big thumbs up on this and I hope helps you. It’s very efficient at stabilizing areas and processes in the brain that are going to be destabilized and causing PAWs. Sounds like a really good Doc.

I used this very successfully detoxing methadone and alprazolam almost nine years ago. I’m glad to see people are starting to try this as I figured it out and had to go to a psychiatrist and pretend to be bipolar. I saw significant results in less then 30 days and stayed on it for about two and a half months with a pretty standard start dose and gradually increased to a therapeutic dose.

Please continue to post your personal results and experience!!

 

[liminal_j]

Lamictal, big thumbs up on this and I hope helps you. It’s very efficient at stabilizing areas and processes in the brain that are going to be destabilized and causing PAWs. Sounds like a really good Doc.

I used this very successfully detoxing methadone and alprazolam almost nine years ago. I’m glad to see people are starting to try this as I figured it out and had to go to a psychiatrist and pretend to be bipolar. I saw significant results in less then 30 days and stayed on it for about two and a half months with a pretty standard start dose and gradually increased to a therapeutic dose.

Please continue to post your personal results and experience!!

i will thanks for giving me a thumbs up on the lamictal, it’s weird, like you saying positive things about lamictal is changing my brain to feeling better about taking it. I am always thinking worst case scenario with meds and projecting gabapentin withdrawal horror before i’ve even taken a pill etc., so thanks, the mind is a powerful thing.