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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

stopping cold turkey

Kurt_Cobain

Kurt_Cobain

Bluelighter
Joined
Nov 30, 2009
Messages
46
Location
WA
well i just lost my insurance so i am forced to stop all my meds all at once so my Q is will the withdrawal be that bad, right now i am noticing a few like a pulse that goes from temple to temple at the front of my brain every 15-20mins every thing makes me want to cry and i can only sleep about 4 hours a night at best and i do have a history of seizures have had over 100 in my life time (age26) ive been off of them now for a little over a week and i do have alot of back stock of propranolol will that help any of the withdrawals

the meds i am stopping are
lexapro 40mg been on it for 2+ year
klonapin 2mg 1+ year
ambien 10mg 1+year
Lamotrigine half a year
 
Go to the ER. We can't help you more than that. You're in a critical situation, man, I don't understand how your insurance can cut your rights like that.

Stopping a benzodiazepine (clonazepam) PLUS some zolpidem one year around is going to give you some serious problems. Go to the ER now, they cannot refuse you stopping cold turkey like that.
 
The insurance is just no longer paying for the meds, and they can't afford to pay for them out of pocket.

As loulou said, you really need to get medical help. These drugs are not safe to stop abruptly, especially if you have a history of seizures. A hospital may be able to help you and give you a controlled taper or something. The propranolol should help somewhat but i would really try to get medical help if at all possible.
 
yeah this isnt stopping cold turkey, stopping cold turkey is what they call stopping abruptly from opiate use. Because you get goosebumps and goose-pimple flesh, which is similar to turkeys, and u get cold sweats, hense cold turkey... but yeah what your quitting is nothing like quitting opiates, the problems with benzo withdrawal can go on for months and months.
 
agreed with lou lou. you definately need to check into an ER if you have a history of seizures and have been taking benzos (especially clonazepam) for over a year.

the pain at your temples is a sign of a seizure. if the meds are now being cut, either you have to taper them off and withdraw appropriately, or very well may have a seizure, and could possibly die.
 
ok i just got back from the er (also had a bleeding ulcer i got wile i was taking two different antibiotics due to a spider bite) and the put me on a taper of lexapro so i hope that helps me
 
have they not put you on a taper of benzos?

you seriously need to talk to them about that - its what would cause the most concern in my opinion. if you have a history of seizures and you're coming off clonaz cold, its a long acting benzo, so you'll start to feel the convulsions perhaps 3-10 days after your last tablet. you really need to address that issue.
 
damn, did you explain to them about your insurance and benzo situation?

is there someone in your immediate circle of family/friends who can help out with covering your scripts until you once again have insurance coverage or afford to pay out of pocket?
 
I'm glad you went to the hospital, but that really surprises me that they just gave you Lexapro - an SSRI. Is that all they gave you? Did you tell them about the benzos, the seizure risk and the insomnia?

SSRIs may be helpful to treat the underlying anxiety or other symptoms that the benzodiazepine was was being used to treat in the first place, but SSRIs are not normally used to treat or reduce acute benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms. The only thing I can think of is that Lexapro may increase GABA in the brain, [source], which could potentially help a bit with benzo withdrawal. But sometimes SSRIs might even worsen some benzo withdrawal symptoms, if the SSRI is itself causing side-effects like insomnia, restlessness or nausea. Plus SSRIs usually take a long time to achieve a noticeable decrease in depression and anxiety, and can actually increase anxiety while the body adjusts to them, which makes them inappropriate drugs to begin during withdrawal from benzodiazepines - generally if an SSRI is used it is started 4-6 wks before the beginning of a gradual benzo taper.

I hope it helps, but please don't hesitate to go back to the hospital if you find you are still getting symptoms, you may get a better doctor who has more of an understanding of benzo withdrawal. You should really have been given a benzo taper in my opinion.

Would you like any advice about supplements or OTC drugs you can take to help or can you not afford those right now either?
 
Last edited:
Kurt_Cobain said:
well i just lost my insurance so i am forced to stop all my meds all at once so my Q is will the withdrawal be that bad, right now i am noticing a few like a pulse that goes from temple to temple at the front of my brain every 15-20mins every thing makes me want to cry and i can only sleep about 4 hours a night at best and i do have a history of seizures have had over 100 in my life time (age26) ive been off of them now for a little over a week and i do have alot of back stock of propranolol will that help any of the withdrawals

the meds i am stopping are
lexapro 40mg been on it for 2+ year
klonapin 2mg 1+ year
ambien 10mg 1+year
Lamotrigine half a year
Click to expand...
God do i feel for you.

The U.S medical system needs a serious revolution, this sounds like beyond a joke.
 
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