Benzos Back on bluelight... another attempt to finally get off them.

[Crampz]

So I have been on benzos for years, and I guess coming back on this site reminded me I kind of need to get off them.

I have been taking very low doses or these past few months 2.5mg to 1.25mg per day but previously was taking 30mg a day for about 2 years, How would you go about tapering off this amount?

Thanks

 

[keeping]

work your way down to 1mg for about two weeks, then try the jump to quitting for good. if you can't handle that go back to 1mg again for another 2 weeks and try and work your way down to 0.5mgs, and then try stopping again. rinse and repeat from this point really, you've done well to get this far and maintain so i'm pretty confident you'll be able to do it one way or the other.

 

[CosmicG]

I too right now am I struggling getting off of benzos. Withdrawal has been horrible these last few days and sometimes unbearable. I was not prepared for this my taper was too sudden and I have felt intense rebound anxiety between doses of xanax and at times a racing, pounding heart. I just hope my body adjusts soon because it has been about three days now using about two mgs of xanax a day without any etizolam at all. Cutting the etizolam cold turkey is where I messed up foolishly thinking my xanax prescription would cancel out the etizolam withdrawal. I realize etizolam is not exactly a benzo but it may as well be and the withdrawal is just as bad as xanax withdrawal imo.

 

[keeping]

etizolam w/d was the worst of them all for me mate. it subsided after the forth day so you're so close! don't give up now!

 

[XANAX XR]

etizolam w/d was the worst of them all for me mate. it subsided after the forth day so you're so close! don't give up now!

Agreeing to this. Etizolam was a horrendous (mental) w/d, not so much physical like clonazepam gave me.

I agree with the first post.. taper down, slowly. I have never had the luxury to be able to taper down, I've CTed every time I had to quit. Dangerous, I know.

 

[pinpoint]

So I have been on benzos for years, and I guess coming back on this site reminded me I kind of need to get off them.

I have been taking very low doses or these past few months 2.5mg to 1.25mg per day but previously was taking 30mg a day for about 2 years, How would you go about tapering off this amount?

Thanks

Kind of a big deal here - what are you actually talking about? You are taking a dose of something more specific than 'benzos' I'm sure.

 

[Wonka]

I understand kicking a habit such as benzos to any degree over years is hard....first of find out why you took the benzos so you can understand that you dont need them...and the taper needs to be slow as you can go but you need to take it serious....it will be a process but in the long run u will be proud of yourself....best of luck

 

[Crampz]

Oops sorry. I'm talking about diazepam, can't believe I forgot to say!

 

[speedballs_over]

Diazepam? Good! You're almost there, just continue to step down. Check the Ashton Manual, it's a UK publication, for a schedule if you want one, you can get liquid diazepam if you need to taper into the sub milligram level b/f you jump. I don't know what dose jumping off at is reasonable. I think it's varies a good deal person to person once you get to the low level. You're length of use may require a little longer at the low levels. Or not.

You're just about there in any case... Good work.

 

[DubbyCee]

The best advice I can give you (if you have insurance) is to go to a 7 day detox center. They will taper you down and get you off for good.

Best of luck!
DC

 

[Crampz]

Thanks Speedballs... I think over the next 2 weeks I will take exclusively 1.25mg then try going 1.25mg every two days then jump off after a couple weeks as the 5mg pills i have are the smallest dose pills i am able to get.

 

[I B Profane]

Thanks Speedballs... I think over the next 2 weeks I will take exclusively 1.25mg then try going 1.25mg every two days then jump off after a couple weeks as the 5mg pills i have are the smallest dose pills i am able to get.

I know they make 2mg pills, any way you could try and get some of those? Then you'd only be jumping .5mg each time. Half a mg of diazepam? That's nothin' :D

OP congrats on getting this far, and you're so, so close! Just stick to your taper, the hardest part is hopping off completely so when that happens maybe try and have some comfort meds at the ready (gabapentin, lyrica, phenibut, tianeptine, baclofen, kratom, etc) they should help immensely when you hop off for good but try to not substitute one addiction for another, take them only on an as needed basis. You got this dude!

 

[keeping]

Oops sorry. I'm talking about diazepam, can't believe I forgot to say!

woah holy shit man you're basically there! for some reason i thought you were talking about etiz.
you got this, and yeah i would see if you can get the 2mg diazepam and split those in half - or even quarter them?
best of luck!

 

[MagickalKat777]

Thanks Speedballs... I think over the next 2 weeks I will take exclusively 1.25mg then try going 1.25mg every two days then jump off after a couple weeks as the 5mg pills i have are the smallest dose pills i am able to get.

You're doing much better than me man, I'm still at it... Hit a wall at 10mg and just can't seem to step down. You're running that home stretch, you can do it!

 

[Crampz]

^^ thanks! which pills do you have now? how are you dividing your doses? I found one thing that really helped me below 10mg has been to go for a few weeks taking 1.25mg less every other day.... so for instance going from 10mg to 8.75mg was like:

10mg
8.75mg
10mg
8.75mg
10mg
8.75mg etc etc for a few weeks before cutting it to 8.75mg everyday

I wish I could get off antidepressants too... being on them... I hate it.... ive been on 30mg a day of mirtazapine for so long now (maybe 18months-2 years?) and i really wanna find a way to get off those too

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

You were taking a high dose, but not as much as some people. Only a taper with a doctor's direction can be good for you. You risk real damage if you aren't tapering via professional opinion. Good Luck.

 

[Wonka]

Your doing good crampz

 

[Crampz]

⬆⬆ do you mean in relation to the mirtazapine or diazepam?

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Me?

Both, really. But benzodiazepines are known to cause damage if withdrawn from too fast, in particular.

 

[MagickalKat777]

^^ thanks! which pills do you have now? how are you dividing your doses? I found one thing that really helped me below 10mg has been to go for a few weeks taking 1.25mg less every other day.... so for instance going from 10mg to 8.75mg was like:

10mg
8.75mg
10mg
8.75mg
10mg
8.75mg etc etc for a few weeks before cutting it to 8.75mg everyday

I wish I could get off antidepressants too... being on them... I hate it.... ive been on 30mg a day of mirtazapine for so long now (maybe 18months-2 years?) and i really wanna find a way to get off those too

I picked up a bunch of 5mg pills and fired my psychiatrist who kept insisting on putting me on new meds which set back my taper constantly. I will probably start cutting them into quarters here soon, I am taking 5mg morning and 5mg night. I think knowing I have extra available gives me comfort. I had been alternating by 2.5mg and that just seems to be too much of a cut for me. It is crazy to think it is taking so long to come off 20mg for me but I think the constant benzodiazepines since 2004 is more the factor than the dose.

Once you kick the benzos mirtazapine will be a breeze. If you need help sleeping in the transition off of it, take trazodone - that one is not addictive or associated with a withdrawal generally. Mirtazapine itself has much less discontinuation issues than most antidepressants. Citalopram messed me up for months but mirtazapine was easy.