Need advice on benzo detoxing

[dbrinkley3]

I'm in a pretty messed up situation, as my old psychiatrist had me on benzos for a little over a year, before I switched doctors, and my new doctor didn't want to risk a sudden change in my meds due to me being on them for so long.

I initially was taking xanax for about 8 months before I started to notice withdraw symptoms(shaking, increased anxiety, nausea, and slight pains) within about 3-4 hours after my last dose, leading me to on numerous times run out a week before my next refill. I then had my doctor at the time switch me to a longer lasting benzo, so she put on me klonopins. I've been taking those now for about 8 months. I'm now starting to notice the same quick onset of withdraw symptoms as I did with the xanax. And I've been noticing serious cognitive issues the past few months.

So I basically want to get off them, but I'm afraid that even with a proper taper, that I'd still go through hell for the months it takes to fully detox. The pain and shaking is mainly the worst part. My main question is, should I just go ahead and begin the tapering now and just suck up the horrible pain? Or should I just hold out for when medical marijuana gets passed here in my state(it's on the ballot for this November, and it's receiving so much support that there's a projected 70-80% chance that it'll pass), and then work my doc to taper off with the help of medical marijuana? Since I'm afraid the taper will just make life harder for me than it would be if I just kept taking them until I can get the medical marijuana, since I can't afford to buy the marijuana off the streets. What would you guys recommend?

Also, I take the benzos for anxiety and panic attacks.

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

How much are you on?

 

[dbrinkley3]

How much are you on?

When I was on the xanax, I was prescribed three 1mg a day towards the end of me being on them. I tapered down to the 1mg klonopins twice a day that I'm now taking. I've been on the benzos for around 16 or 17 months total now.

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

2mg clonazepam is a much bigger habit than 3mg alprazolam really, taking in to account half lives etc.

Have a look at these withdrawal schedules, and this manual in general. It's called the Ashton Manual and is basically the gold standard for benzo withdrawal in western medicine, discuss it with your doctor.

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm

 

[dbrinkley3]

Alright. I'll bring that up the next time I see my doctor. I'm just worried about the withdraw, because I've been on them for so long, even with my current dosage I start to get shaky and feel like I have a mild flu, with the pain and nausea. Also a feeling of depression. I need to get off the stuff, but I know that once lowered, I'll be suffering a pretty moderate state of withdraw symptoms for, from what I've read, a couple months. And it's literally hell, even at moderate levels. And taking pain killers for the pain could make the symptoms worse, and even possibly start another addiction. And from what I've read, alcohol to ease the pain, only makes it worse in the end.

Would you recommend using marijuana to help ease the withdraw? I've smoked before in between doses and I noticed it took the pain away and took the depression away that I tend to experience between doses, without any sort of anxiety. So I'm wondering if it would help my tapering, or if it may actually, over time, make the withdraw worse.

 

[THCisgod]

Hm, all I can say is youll wanna have at least month where you can not work or anything. I was coming off 6mg xanax a day for the past 3ish years in rehab and ive never experienced anything like that its been 50 days and I still get badd anxiety but overall id say i feel better. Defiantly have a doctor help you or don't bother, even with care I passed out one time had multiple seizures and paranoia out the ass thinking everyone is right next to me and can hear me no matter how far they were. Tread with caution but make sure to do it asap xanax is the devil.


P.S. Ive never tapered, so I can't say but im sure its the best way, I had a doctor who was "meant" to taper me off but she continued to perscribe me my 3 bars a day for a year.

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

Benzo withdrawal is the worst because at least with opiates you can have benzos and plenty of other stuff to ease the pain but with benzos there's basically fuck all you can do.

 

[dbrinkley3]

Benzo withdrawal is the worst because at least with opiates you can have benzos and plenty of other stuff to ease the pain but with benzos there's basically fuck all you can do.

Well, while I know its a controversial source, the official wikipedia page for benzodiazepine withdraw syndrome, states that the withdraw from benzos is far worse than opiate withdraw, due to the worse amount of symptoms from the withdraw. And growing up, I always thought that opiate withdraw, especially from heroin, was the worst withdraw experience. While I have abused opiates before, the worst withdraw I got was just a depressed, sick to my stomach feeling that only lasted like 5 days max. I've gone without benzos for 10 days before, and it was hell. Water made me wanna puke, no appetite, constant auditoy hallucinations, visual hallucinations(especially when driving, seeing shadows run in front of my car every 10 minutes or so, making my racing heart even worse), horrendous muscle pains and trembling, plus horrible anxiety. And the DTs, omg. And now, I notice the pain, trembling, increased anxiety, between the doses of the klonopins I'm prescribed. Plus trouble thinking normally. Last time I had my iq tested, it was 136. Now, I feel like my iq is half that. Not only is memory hard, but even trying to do simple math or problem solving becomes difficult and confusing. I never had this issue in my life. I know rapid withdraw can cause brain damage, but I'm afraid if I'm on these for much longer, I might get brain damage anyways.

I'm currently unemployed, so that isn't an issue with tapering, but I have other responsibilities that I'm scared it'll affect worse than it currently already is. I want to start college, seeing as I'm almost 21 and haven't done really anything with my life since I graduated. But this cognitive issue and anxiety makes that very hard. I was started on the xanax a few months before I graduated, and I didn't have much of a mental issue with it until about 8 months after being prescribed it.

 

[T. Calderone]

I agree with you on that, I was always under the impression opiate withdrawal was pure hell. Then one time I experienced benzo withdrawals which made the former seem like a cake walk. Smoking marijuana may ease the nausea and some discomfort I imagine but I've never used it that way. Maybe someone else here has some personal experience.

I've seen people here post about the Ashton Method of tapering benzos. Perhaps you can check it out and discuss with your doctor. If he would be open to that or something similar you wouldn't have such harsh symptoms. But to me it seems very long and drawn out so you would want to weigh the pros and cons.

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

It's pretty hard for your doc to argue with the Ashton manual, it's written by the world's preeminent expert of benzo addiction/withdrawal. It's essentially certain they don't know even half what she does on the subject.

I'm 19 days out from cold turkey from 24mg bupe and I'm still not right, I fear the way to freedom from 25mg diazepam more though.