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Mental Health Father cold turkeyed benzos worried

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ChiliSuprise

Greenlighter
Joined
Feb 10, 2016
Messages
26
my father cold turkeyed his klonopin when I got him into a suboxone program. He was on methadone for failed back surgery for 12 years and klonopin 6mg for 10 years. Well he started having these weird mental symptoms and I dont know what to do about it. First he was sure the neighbors were out to get us, then I was doing stuff to him. He talks to himself for hours sometimes. One morning i got woken up out of a dead sleep because he was yelling at the tv the same word over and over again. He didnt want me handling his medication anymore because he was telling me that he talked to a doctor who said you cant take 70/30 mix insulin more then once a day and that whoever was doing it was trying to kill him. His blood sugar has been at 320 for a extended period of time. Now hes super worried hes tearing our family apart me and my brother. I told him to leave the sub under his tongue for 30 min and try not to talk so it can dissolve properly. I came down a hour later and hes siting there quiet and all and asked if me and my brother were messing with him because i left him there for a hour and never told him he could talk again...Any input would be appreciated on this subject because im really worried I cant get him to see a doctor about it. I had paramedics here once and they said since hes not violent they cant make him go.
 
Quitting benzos cold turkey is really dangerous and can be life threatening. Ideally, he should do a taper to get off them. Since your father has other medical conditions, he should quit benzos under medical supervision. If at all possible, get him to a doctor asap. You may want to have him start taking the klonopin again until he can discuss quitting them with a doctor.

To answer your question, yes, his psychological symptoms are normal for just stopping benzos. Expect them to get far worse before they get better if you do not seek medical intervention. Right now he is also at a high risk for siezures.

6 years ago I quit benzos cold turkey with medical supervision and it was 2 years of pure hell. If given the chance to do it again, I would have done a taper (didn't have the choice). Benzo withdrawal is not for the faint of heart, and is physically and mentally excruciating. I cannot emphasize this enough - your father needs to see a doctor.

Good luck!
 
If he goes back on his benzo will his mental state return to normal? or is he stuck like this?
 
He refuses to see a doctor because hes convinced its his blood sugar and nothing else. He keeps accusing me of being the mental one with sugar issues but my health is fine and im not even close to becoming diabetic. Last night after i posted this he was fighting with my brother at 5am because he kept talking down the hall and waking him up all night. He brought milk to my room while i was asleep at 5am because he said to my brother "your brothers upstairs dying from sugar issues and its all your fault!" He is able to keep his composure with other people but my brother was smart and recorded the whole thing on his phone. I'm going to have to look into a medical intervention like you suggested because this is starting to affect mine and my brothers health neither of us has slept more then 2-3 hours a night. I lost my job trying to take care of him thanks for the advice benzo_girl
 
He should go back to normal. If you do that and then start a slow taper the next week it shouldn't be as painful to get off them. Look up Ashton's Manual - it explains how to taper off benzos if you want to do it yourself.

ETA - even if he doesn't take anymore benzos this would not be permenant, however, depending on how long he's taken benzos it might last months. The brain will eventually recover, but quitting cold turkey is really not a good idea.
 
ChiliSuprise said:
He refuses to see a doctor because hes convinced its his blood sugar and nothing else. He keeps accusing me of being the mental one with sugar issues but my health is fine and im not even close to becoming diabetic. Last night after i posted this he was fighting with my brother at 5am because he kept talking down the hall and waking him up all night. He brought milk to my room while i was asleep at 5am because he said to my brother "your brothers upstairs dying from sugar issues and its all your fault!" He is able to keep his composure with other people but my brother was smart and recorded the whole thing on his phone. I'm going to have to look into a medical intervention like you suggested because this is starting to affect mine and my brothers health neither of us has slept more then 2-3 hours a night. I lost my job trying to take care of him thanks for the advice benzo_girl
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I'm sorry you are going through this - it's tough. If you start him back on the klonopin he should become much more rational and willing to discuss the situation. However, he may not remember the incidents you're referencing because benzos have bad effects on memory. There are things I did in early recovery from benzos that I have no recollection of, though I don't doubt that I did them. I was really paranoid during that time, and actually baracaded myself in my bathroom convinced someone had broken into my house. I had a standoff with my family and refused to come out because I thought different people were impersonating them, and that they weren't really my family. It was all due to benzo withdrawal. I was irrational like that for 4 months - not pleasant at all for either my family or myself. I was lucky to have a great support system, as is your Dad from the sounds of things. Doing a taper should prevent anymore episodes of the deep dark crazies lol.
 
I was planning on going with my brother to his doctor before his appointment and showing her the video so maybe she can help she runs the suboxone treatment clinic. Hes changes every day between scared apologetic to angry out to get me. he was on 6mg for about 10 years of klonpin and before that about a year of adivan i believe.
 
I got him into the hospital and they are taking care of him now they figured out within 10 minutes that they were gonna hold him for observation ugh
 
ChiliSuprise said:
I got him into the hospital and they are taking care of him now they figured out within 10 minutes that they were gonna hold him for observation ugh
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That's fantastic news! That's really the best thing for him right now. You did the right thing! Benzo withdrawal is nothinto play around with. They should be able to come up with a plan that makes it comfortable for him, and I turn for you and your brother. Your father is lucky to have you being so supportive! I hope you're able to get some decent sleep tonight.
 
He belongs in a hospital while withdrawing from a 6mg kpin habit for 10 years..at least for a week,then at least a month taper..I've seen seizures from habits a lot smaller than that..who the fuck with a M.D license would take someone off benzo CT like that...stupid stupid stupid
 
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his doctor was getting flak from the office i think it was really insurance related but he cut him off and told him he would help him for a few weeks. He never gave me or my father a warning about the risk of stopping klopin. In his last visit my father told him he wanted to come off his medications and the doctor just remained silent. Hes in the hospital now I brought him yesterday with the help of the crisis outreach people his blood pressure was 190/90 and its been that high since i brought him yesterday. They are trying everything they can to get it down so they can stabilize him before he sees the hospitals psychiatrist again. The doctor who called me a hour ago said they gave him klonpin and expressed how bad it was for him to just stop taking klopin at that dose. I appreciate all the advice so far and thanks for the support I should have a update from the hospital by noon
 
ChiliSurprise - Google Ashton's Manual. I think you may want to educate yourself on he taper protocol so you can discuss it with the doctors. Unfortunately, some doctors are not very well versed when it comes to benzos and your father has been through enough. I don't recommend a quick taper. The slower the taper, the less painful it is for your father. Unless there is a pressing medical need to discontinue benzos, I would go with a slow taper. The slower the taper, the less intense the withdrawal symptoms are going to be, and he shorter duration your father will experience them.

I also recommend reading up on benzo withdrawal, as you dad may experience minor symptoms and depression when he does his taper. It shouldn't be nearly as bad as what he was going through cold turkey. You may also want to try to get a prescription for Indural for your father when he starts the taper and gets off Klonopin. It's a beta blocker used for blood pressure. I found it indespencable when I got off Xanax after taking it for 10 years. It helps with the anxiety which your father is going to experience for a few months after quitting.

Again, I am so glad he is in the hospital! Good luck!
 
they released him and hes back to doing it again.....his suboxone doc wont help with the benzos cause she doenst mix them. How the hell did they release him if hes still like this.
 
ChiliSuprise said:
they released him and hes back to doing it again.....his suboxone doc wont help with the benzos cause she doenst mix them. How the hell did they release him if hes still like this.
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What did they say when they released him? Did they give him a script for anything such as benzos, blood pressure meds, anti-siezure meds? Does he have any klonopin left? Does he have a regular general physician or is the suboxone doc the only doctor he's currently seeing?
 
they said they dont prescribe that kind of medicine and said that he was alert and normal. we got home and hes saying to my brother how he lied to get out
 
hes only seeing the suboxone doc atm and she will not mix the two im taking him to his old pain management doctor tomorrow morning to try to get him back on his klonpin and he only has 2mg of klonopin left. should i have him take it now or before bed?
 
ChiliSuprise said:
hes only seeing the suboxone doc atm and she will not mix the two im taking him to his old pain management doctor tomorrow morning to try to get him back on his klonpin and he only has 2mg of klonopin left. should i have him take it now or before bed?
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You have a serious situation on your hands. Is there anyway to get an emergency appointment with either a general physician or a psychiatrist? Explain your situation to them. You need more benzos or your father will be in the hospital again. Does he have anymore scripts for klonopin left?

You may want to call the office of the Doctor who was originally scripting the Klonopin and explain the situation and see if they can issue an emergency prescription. If they say no, try threatening with legal action as just suspending his klonopin script is leaving your father in a life threatening medical emergency. It could also be placing both you and your brother in harms way should he get violent. If they won't prescribe a benzo try getting him some blood pressure and anti-siezure meds. Unfortunately, he will probably have the extreme paranoia which may turn into something worse before it gets better. During this time he will not be rational, but at least his risk of seizure and cardiac issues should be lowered.

If none of the above work try contacting his pharmacy and explain the situation and see what they recommend.

While your working on getting him benzos, try calling the insurance company and explaining that them cutting off the benzos is not going to be cost effective as they will have to pay for the multiple trips to the emergency department if you can't get a hold of benzos, and see if they will make an exception and continue funding the benzos while he tapers.

Ideally, for a taper it would be much better to get a longer acting benzo than klonopin, or heaven forbid, Xanax (which could make it worse).

As for the 2mg of Klonopin you have left, I would use that as sparingly as possible. That is such a small amount. It's like trying to use a sandbag to stop flooding from a tidal wave.

Please keep us updated.

ETA - Sorry - just re-read your post and saw where you're taking him to his old pain management doc tomorrow. Will still leave the other recommendations in place in case it doesn't work. Try contacting the insurance company today. I would hold off as long as possible on giving him the remaining klonopin. Can you monitor his blood pressure between now and the appointment?
 
he has no insurance atm once he got hurt at work and went on disability they wanted him to pay cobra and he couldnt make the payments because at the time he had no income till i got him setup on SSD I think he has a script on file for blood pressure medication ill have to look into it
 
he has on file at the pharmacy

montelukast
lyrica 50mg caps
lisinopril 5 mg
atorvastatin 10mg
 
I would ask the pharmacist if the lisinopril would help with the benzo withdrawal. It's an ace-inhibitor, which I am not familiar with. The Indural is a beta blocker, so I'm guessing they have different modes of action and one may work better than the other. Medically, your father has a lot going on and I am not comfortable making specific recommendations, though I do know keeping blood pressure down during the withdrawal does help. Call the pharmacy and let them know what's going on, and let them know all the medications he's currently taking. They would know if there are any potentially dangerous interactions, and also of an ace inhibitor would be effective in this situation.

How's your Dad doing right now?
 
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