TCAs or SSRIs for benzo withdrawal?

[FrogWarrior]

I got my college degree pretty much (just a couple of easy exams to repeat next month) but I had been polydrugging for this last year, mainly this last semester. The worst (most dangerous) one I'd been using were benzos, on and off. I'd be on them for a week or two, then off them for a week or two. One rough w/d symptom I have is this inner restlessness. I'm thinking of trying a TCA like amitryptiline, something that can suppress the symptoms for a couple of weeks, or better yet a month. I've never tried TCAs or SSRIs. I know TCAs are good for sleeping at night, so they look promising. Anyone here have any experience with using them to remedy benzo w/d symptoms?

 

[T. Calderone]

Amitriptyline would probably help with sleep but I couldn't recommend using it to combat benzo withdrawals. It's really best to speak with your doctor about this instead of self-medicating as withdrawal situations can be life threatening.

 

[paranoid android]

Tricyclics and to a lesser degree SSRI's can lower the seizure threshold so they are a definite no no during benzo wd. Talk to a doctor about tapering off the benzos as benzo wd can actually kill you. It's rare but full blown benzo wd's with seizures would make you wanna hang yourself anyway. A taper is the best and only safe way to get off benzos.

 

[FrogWarrior]

The akathisia is making me feel like offing myself as it is. Don't know what kinda mess I've gotten myself into this time, never been this bad before, amphetamines, benzos, cannabinoids, high dose nicotine, and occasionally opioids, baclofen, trazodone or mirtazapine (all of which pooped out on me, can't take them more than once a month), this is fairly insane. One class of substance I haven't abused are NMDA antagonists but my doc won't prescribe me memantine. Maybe he'll go for carbemazepine. I'll find a way to solve this issue. I'm gonna go to an acupuncturist, see if the needles help the agitation then get her to give me all the sedating herbs they have.

 

[Allein]

Really in all honesty and in my experience I would not use either.

I've taken a fair number of SSRis and I'm currently taking Amiltripyline for depression, I'm still not convinced its doing me any good but that somewhat irrelevant to this question..

I've tapered off Benzos 3 times, that doesn't qualify me as even close to an expert but I would recommend the Ashton Manual, it worked for me and in fairness given the mess *I was in the pain was limited.

Best Wishes