Benzos Advice needed. Is my Benzodiazepine dose too high?

[Rocket Girl]

Hi, I’m new and this is my first post. Am diagnosed C - PTSD (33 year marriage to ex husband who was diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder). Also learning to live with chronic pain. (Fractured spine and neck in horseback riding accident).

Am working with an excellent MD. I respect her very much. Currently take: Alprazalam 1mg each night and Valium 10mg daily. Am on Gabapentin 1200mg daily. This winter I fell on ice and hit my head and was diagnosed with concussion. During the diagnostic work-up, the ER physician noted a new, well-calcified, healing fracture at C-1. Neck is fused from C-3 to C-6.

Since the concussion, have episodic headaches that are severe. My physician will not give me meds to manage pain because she’s concerned about my Benzodiazepine doses. (All prescribed by a prescribing psychiatrist for C - PTSD).

Any and all input is greatly appreciated. These intermittent headaches are horrible and I wish there was a safe pain med to help.

 

[Rocket Girl]

Correction:
Clonazapam 1 mg at bedtime. (No Alprazolam)

 

[kleinerkiffer]

First of all, welcome to Bluelight

What kind of headach do you think it is? Headaches can be broadly divided into primary and secondary. With primary divided into migraine, tension headache, cluster headach and others, and secondary caused by trauma, head injury etc, as well as neuropathy and others.

I know this may sound stupid, but have you tried NSAIDs for the headach? Sometimes things like ibuprofen or even acetaminophen (paracetamol) can be superior to opioids.
Your benzo dosages aren't extremely high, but imo taking benzos for longer than a week or two is most of the time a bad idea. Some people get away with taking them for life, but they can mess with your memory and might increase anxiety in the long run.
Have you tried CBT?
Btw, if you're not interested in lowering your benzo dosage I'd completely understand, I just wanted to give you my opinion

 

[Rocket Girl]

Thank you so much for your message! The headaches have been diagnosed as “post concussion headaches”. Ibuprofen is often helpful however there are times these darn headaches are very painful and last 4 - 5 days straight. My physician is awesome and doesn’t want to prescribe pain meds because I’m on the Benzodiazepines. I’m working with a therapist and tapering off Valium. Will probably need Clonazamam 1mg at bedtime for a while longer. Thank you again!

 

[Papadoc]

Rocket Girl as a suggestion, ask your doctor about Mirtazapine if you have trouble getting to sleep or staying a sleep or maintaining a regular sleep cycle. It's a lot safer and very effective at putting you into a deep relaxing sleep (usually within an hour of taking) and helps you keep a normal sleep cycle, but it can be a bit sedating into the next day..some people say Mirtzazapine has some pain-relief properties too as acts mildly on opioid receptor in brain, but I think this is very subjective. The side-effects are tolerable, except the increased appetite and the urge to eat a lot. I've been taking it for 5 months now to regulate my sleep cycle.

I can't imagine why on earth a doctor would prescribe benzodiazepines for sleep for longer than a month.. in the long run, same as when given for more than 2-3 weeks for ongoing anxiety conditions, it just compounds the problem and you end up with rebound anxiety or rebound insomnia much worse than before you started. That's the paradoxical thing about benzodiazepines. However they do literally alter your brains GABA receptors if used for a long period.. when they are withdrawn you can experience a whole range of problems, from memory problems, cognitive impairment, headaches, aches and pains, on top of the rebound anxiety, shakes, racing heat beat, cold and hot sweats, nightmares and depression.

 

[ac360]

The Valium and Gabapentin seems fine, considering it was prescribed and you went through 33 years of abuse. The Klonopin for sleep is not good though, and I don't know why they gave you that. I've been prescribed 100mg Trazodone initially but it made me too groggy in the morning so now I take 25mg Seroquel as needed for sleep. Neither of the two are addictive either.