benzos for extreme anxiety after quitting years long use

[chelle216]

I have about two months free from 12 years of mostly daily prescribed benzo use. I've been kinda fortunate that I didn't get heavy withdrawal symptoms or PAWS following a 6 mo. taper from somewhere between 4mg-2mg per day klonopin. The two most unnerving symptoms that popped up were memory recall issues and feeling that I was looking through a telescope with a hazy lense. The memory is still somewhat off, however, I'm pretty much back to normal body/perception-wise.

The big issue I'm now faced with is the inability to allow myself to take a pill or a piece of one when necessary. Necessary as in can't finish tasks, anxiety has me shaking, unable to concentrate and welling up over a whole lotta nothing. In a situation such as this, the only thing holding me back is the notion that I'll suffer some detrimental setback in terms of withdrawal. Rational me doesn't think this will happen, or at least not in some overwhelming manner, reasonable me keeps interfering.

So, has anyone essentially prolonged or gone backwards in their benzo withdrawal from intermittently taking one pill for serious anxiety? Thanks.

 

[Raysu]

I was on clonazepam for over eight years and had a one month taper. My problem was I started using way more other stuff to compensate. Anxiety is the worst and when coupled with guilt or fear it takes it to a new level. Medications like these were designed for moments like that in the same way that a person who had a opioid addiction and required surgery sometimes needs to take it...I mean hypnosis only goes so far. I understand what you are dealing with and my suggestions are these 1)have someone responsible handle your dosing that can judge if you need it-someone that can see through manipulation and 2)tell yourself it is ok. Suffering does no one any good and starts to effect the other aspects of life. Anxiety starts to manifest in sleeplessness and muscle tension. Isn't one pill once in a while wiser than adding meds for the other issues that crop up. Deep down you will know when you a taking it and probably didn't need to. A two month break is plenty of time to drop tolerance and an occasional one will not cause physical dependence to return with a vengeance. Yes withdrawals worsen over time but it's based on how much and how long also. The hardest part IMO is giving up the control to someone else. Also find healthy coping skills to try when anxiety starts to ramp up. There we great lists online that give things you can do in seconds to minutes to start to calm down from incense to guided imagery. Find what works. Laughter is great I think. And the times when those skills don't work you know you tried well to avoid it. Clonazepam was my miracle drug and the only one to stop panic attacks. I knew when I got to the point that nothing else could end the shaking and impending doom and racing thoughts. Catch it early and give yourself a break.

 

[theGirlWithBlueHair]

Raysu, I have found that clonazepam was the only one the stop panic attacks for me as well. Did you need to take it prophylactic? Like regularly? Or could you take it PRN?

To the OP, it depends on how far you are passed in your withdrawal symptoms...given the progression in the time-line, I would say you would either not prolong nor tread backwards in your withdrawal progress just by taking a PRN.

 

[Raysu]

I took it regularly like 0.5mg twice a day to start....when my addiction took off years later I took it all the time and went days without use at points but 1mg railed stopped a panic attack in under five minutes for me generally at those points. In the beginning it let me fall asleep, stay asleep, kept me from horrible realistic nightmares like I would get, and kept me level throughout the day. By the end I was a polydrug user of uppers and downers (often at the same time) and my life was falling apart so I caused a lot of anxiety just by doing what I was doing but even though I didn't sleep much at all then, I could ease anxiety and panic still when I would take a dose.

 

[crazybollweevil]

I was twice your dose but half the duration, prescribed, and now I'll have acute wd symptoms from even 2 or 3 days of light use, something i've only done a few times a year since getting off them. They are relatively mild and short lived, nothing like full blown withdrawal, but enough to make me avoid benzo's entirely now. Fortunately i have made some dramatic lifestyle changes, got out of a dysfunctional marriage, and take care of my mental hygiene much more effectively than i use to, so i find my panic attacks to be rare to non-existent, and any GAD can be controlled with cannabis (as long as its not too crazy cerebral sativa.) I do understand how frustrating it would be to still have acute anxiety issues but unwilling to use benzos, that is a bit of a predicament, but really, chipping with benzos is not a sustainable thing for me.

 

[neozanoro]

I would be really carefull there man.i learned the hard way benzos are not a long term solution.espically if you've ben there before.around here doctors wont prescribe them anymore unless your over 50