Benzos Help! Afraid to follow my doctor's directions.

[rollinballs85]

I have very bad sleeping problems and was prescribed Temazepan 30 mg a night for about 8 months... it started losing it's effectivness so I started tapering and am now at about 10 mg diazepam (Valium a night)

I also have been taking Ritalin 40 mg per day, because I cannot stay awake.

Lastly my doctor put me on some SSRI's for anxiety, we started with 20mg Lexapro for three weeks then switched to Zoloft 50 mg (I have been on this for 2 weeks)

Today I could not function and I kept zoning out, my eyes would start wobbling and I could not concentrate. My doctor believes the combination of pills is causing bad side effects (which I agree with).

However, she would like me to stop taking the Valium and Zoloft cold turkey tonight, but continue with the Ritalin. This is really freaking me out, what is the chance I will have withdrawl symptoms from the Valium and Zoloft?

Thank you for your information and help.

 

[Titus]

As far as I know stopping zoloft will not cause withdrawls but was under the impression that people usually taper off this, at least if they are switching to another drug under the direction of a doctor. Valium withdrawl, it is my understanding, will cause anxiety type symptoms as it definitely is addictive and think it is much more comfortable to taper off this (i.e. going from 10mg to 5mg for a week or whatever, then 2.5mg for a week before going off it completely. Doctors usually know their stuff when it comes to meds and I would take the advice and info from a doctor over someone in an internet forum. When I initially took zoloft I experienced extreme lethargy for the first few weeks until I adjusted to it. Drug combo interactioins are tricky and doctors and pharmacists know much more than any random person would know from their own personal experience. If your only on 10mg of valium I doubt the withdrawl would be bad at all, your doctor would prescribe tapering off of it if this were the case but you can always raise this quesiton with him and tell him you would prefer to taper off this slowly unless there is some risk in doing so and see what he says.

 

[Mr.Hedges]

I wouldn't recommend ANYONE taking Zoloft or ANY SSRI's. They are the most worthless, greedy, class of drugs ever synthesized. They WILL NOT help your depression in the long run, they will only take your money and your mental stability. Look up documentaries on google about anti-depressants and the companies that make them. SSRI's are NO better at treating depression than a SUGAR PILL in their own scientific trials of the meds...and the cost???? Zoloft is like $200+ a month. Diazepam is like $20 a month, and a MUCH better anti-anxiety medication than ANY SSRI. Stick with the Valium and the Ritalin, if they work for you, but drop the Zoloft and anything else like this that they try and give you. They are just ROBBING you...

 

[Trigeminal]

^Sigh...you appear to take extra cautious of ssri's but you clearly know nothing about benzos. Try googling benzo withdrawal.

And then google long term effects of benzo usage

 

[DistyBoi]

I have very bad sleeping problems and was prescribed Temazepan 30 mg a night for about 8 months

Um ... wot? Thats a hell of a high dose and long time for any doctor to prescribe benzos for

Your likely going to find it hard to sleep for a long time naturally now until you get off the benzos.

Oh:

I also have been taking Ritalin 40 mg per day, because I cannot stay awake.

Probably because of the benzos!

My first advice is to speak to your doctor about any concerns you have, thats what they are there for. Also I'd ask for a second opinion from a different doctor and explain everything to them see what they think.

Stopping an SSRI after 4 weeks should not be too bad, if you want to stop just decrease the dosage over a few weeks by taking half doses or taking them every other day instead. If I were you I would continue with the valium but try to decrease it slowly, if you stop that cold turkey after using for 8 months whilst taking a stimulant like ritalin you are asking for bad rebound anxiety and lack of sleep, and possibly far worse. Just make sure that you always have a few valium handy from now on incase benzo withdrawals start to kick in hard. And if they do go straight back to your doctor.

 

[Mr.Hedges]

^Sigh...you appear to take extra cautious of ssri's but you clearly know nothing about benzos. Try googling benzo withdrawal.

And then google long term effects of benzo usage

I ABSOLUTELY know about benzo withdrawals, that is why I recommended KEEPING the valium and ditching the Zoloft. Benzo's are a wonderful thing, I could not survive without them even tho I do not take them every day, but that day that I need them, I NEED THEM. I tend to have to deal with STRONG episodes of wanting to kill myself, and if I didn't have some benzos on hand for those times, I would be dead. I was talking about how WORTHLESS of a medication SSRI's are...they are nothing but money makers for big pharmaceutical companies...and i've never met ONE person who was actually helped by Zoloft or Prozac or Lexapro or ANY OF THAT BULLSHIT. I was pretty much saying that it sounds like this persons Doctor is a QUACK!! Get a second opinion...DO NOT quit the benzos abruptly as that will make your life a TOTAL HELL. Benzo withdrawal is no joke, every bit as awful as heroin withdrawals, and I've been thru both...
I'm not ignorant, you just didn't understand the context of what I was saying....but it's all good. Peace in the middle east homeskillet...

 

[Trigeminal]

"benzos are a wonderful thing"

You still don't get it. Like I said, google long term effects of benzos and let me know if you still think they're wonderful once tolerance withdrawal sets in. They're not meant to be prescribed long term.

 

[DistyBoi]

They're not meant to be prescribed long term.

Thats why I was amazed that the OP has gotten 30mg temaz daily for 8 months! Could be libellous if stopping instantly from that and having a seizure ...

Tapering off the benzos with diazepam over a good few months as the doctor has recommended is what the OP definately should do, however. The less you use benzos the better, abrupt withdrawal from benzos really is absolute hell; but A well planned taper can be bearable as long as its done correctly.

 

[coojibug]

DO NOT stop a long-term benzo habit cold turkey. Eight months is long enough to require a taper and from what OP said, the Dr. wanted him to just stop taking the Valium C/T. If you can see this Dr. again talk to her about the Ashton Manual and that you are scared for your safety based on the research you have done. She took an oath to do no harm to her patients. If she won't give you time to taper, do what you can with any remaining pills. If you feel like you going to have a seizure, go to the ER and tell them your situation.
I'm not saying stay on the Valium; only that it is better and much safer to taper SLOWLY if possible. I speak from experience and wish I had educated myself much earlier. Harm Reduction forums didn't exist back the though.

 

[sekio]

Stop the Zoloft ASAP. That's what's probably causing the bad side effects. Continue to taper your Valium - do not discontinue it until you're at a dose of below 5mg a day. As others have said, discontinuing a benzodiazepine cold turkey can be hazardous.

Give serious thought to reducing your Ritalin dosage; it is likely making your benzo withdrawal worse.

 

[rollinballs85]

Yes, I think the issue is with the SSRI's... I hate them. I already have told my doctor about the Ashton Manual and I do have quite a bit of Valium left and could continue to taper against her directions... she was just so adamant that I stop taking both. I have Narcolepsy which is why the Temazepam was perscibed to me for so long, I asked to be tapered because it was no longer affective. I cannot reduce the Ritalin it is the only way I can function. I did not take any Valium or Zoloft today and so far have not had any bad symptoms. How long does it take for withdrawl symptoms to kick in? Maybe I will be lucky and not have any...

 

[CrackAndScrabble]

Odd, you have problems going to sleep at night but you have problems with staying awake during the day?

The danks got me seeing the irony.

I'm with the crowd that says to get off the SSRI's but to each their own.

With the benzos i'd agree with sekio, once your down to about 5mg of valium the withdrawal isn't that accute or horrendous. I wouldn't worry about having to taper even lower than 5mg of valium.

And your ritalin dosage is crazy.

 

[buriedlies]

God, I fucking hate psychiatrists for this very reason. They don't know shit about what they're prescribing, for the most part. Mine fucked me over, anyway. I was also put on anti-depressants for my anxiety, note: I was NOT in any way depressed at all. Ever since then, I've never been the same AND now Im stuck on this shit forever. Tried tapering off it and failed miserably at least 5 times now. I highly recommend not using SSRIs for anxiety.. I now am depressed and have bi-polar disorder.

I had been on my anti-depressants for a year before I decided to get off that shit, so I could be different than you, but in no way is tapering off SSRIs an easy task. Each time I tried, I was sent to the hospital. Since you've only been on it for 2 weeks, Im sure you'll be fine though. Imo, do it while you still can.

As for the benzo.. Depends on how long you've been on it. Im not familiar with valium very much nor the dosages.

I agree with everyone else, long tern benzo use is a TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE thing. DO NOT abuse that shit, DO NOT trust everything your doctor says because most, in my experience, don't know shit.

 

[DistyBoi]

How long does it take for withdrawl symptoms to kick in?

It depends on how much you have been taking and for how long, for diazepam it should start 3-4 days after not using it.

 

[sekio]

It's interesting to note that a small fraction of the population can detox off benzos without much pain at all. The reason a taper is strongly advised, though, is because it's impossible to tell who those individuals are that will react badly to wd ahead of time.

 

[DistyBoi]

it's impossible to tell who those individuals are that will react badly to wd ahead of time.

Interesting. How impossible is this though?

I can imagine that a very select few of the general population that never suffer from any sort of general anxiety related thought processes would not have many anxiety related symptoms for benzo withdrawal to exacerbate so might not get much psychological discomfort from withdrawl, so also possibly less psychosomatic physical withdrawal symptoms. I find this hard to explain very long term users not getting withdrawals however.

Do you have any literature or case studies I could look at relating to this?

 

[sekio]

It's totally impossible as far as I know. My evidence is entirely anecdotal and I do not encourage "trying it out", but if you do, at least have the presence of mind to inform someone you trust of your "experiment" in case you go into an epileptic state.

I would say 95% of people who w/d from anything more than a mild benzo habit will feel at least some discomfort though.

 

[DistyBoi]

Don't worry im not going to try it (having suffered from mild benzo withdrawals before) but the notion that a select few people can get through benzo withdrawal without much pain seems fascinating to me.

To the OP, keep us updated You will get good advice here.

 

[rollinballs85]

Odd, you have problems going to sleep at night but you have problems with staying awake during the day?

The danks got me seeing the irony.

Yeah Narcolepsy is caused by a deficiency of hypocretin (peptide in the brain) which controls sleep... so the problem isn't really that I can't fall asleep, the problem is that I wake up 20 min. later... this happens over and over thoughout the night leading to exhaustion and depriving me of the deeper stages of sleep. This cycle has continued for years... basically if I feel like I am going to black out and die every morning before the Ritalin kicks in. It's a wonderful condition.

Anyways.. day 2 and I have had no problems so far.

 

[rollinballs85]

Sooo. I figured I would just keep tapering off my valium.. I even had refills left.. small problem I apparently can't refill the bottle yet. Haven't had any valium in like a week and really didn't have any problems until the last two nights ... I keep getting these awful tremors/shaking which prevents me from sleeping then I feel nauseous all day. I called my doctor and she refuses to give me any valium on the basis that she thinks it's causing a bad reaction with my Ritalin. The symptoms seem to come and go... so I would feel sort of ridiculous going to a hospital or something when I only feel somewhat shitty right now and am not currently having the shakes.... Should I be worried about the shaking/tremors? Will they go away soon(they seem to be worse at night, when I want to sleep)?