Treating Benzo withdrawal Symptom

I'd like to hear from people who have or are detoxing from benzos:

I am current detoxing for a 1/4 gram diazepam, and wondering if there are any other medications to treate the more severe symptoms. Carispiradol doesnt help the twitch, i have yet to try flexeril, and i KNOW phenobarbital works wonders, but is more addictive than the benzo itself. I know neurontin, and chloral hydrate have been used as well. Im not looking for so much a sleep aid, but rather something to deal with the physical twitching and discomfort. Any ex-benzo addicts have some insight that has helped them?

- negro

Hello
I was taking 20-25mg of xanax a day for 3 years, and when I came off the twitching and what not was horrible (probably nothing compared to what your going through) but flexeril did a fine job of helping. I actually used that in combination with heroin (I know you are kick dope too right?) so that won't be of much help. But anyway, I would give flexeril a go, it seemed to help quite a bit. Good luck....

when i was detoxing from benzos last december i usued CHLOPROTHIXEN, it's neuroleptic that was very good for sleep and a small dose of that helped during the day. the best substance for day was alcohol, works the best

Yes, now that I think about it I was consuming about 2-5 glasses of red wine a day when detoxing of the xanax. It definitely helps in combination with other meds. Good luck...

Best wishes


1. www.benzo.org.uk
2. exercise and diet

I also found this info that might be of some help; from www.mydr.com.au :

RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME



As many as one in 10 people may have trouble getting to sleep because they suffer from restless legs syndrome (RLS).

People with RLS report feeling unpleasant sensations in their legs. The symptoms are often described as general uneasiness or discomfort, with tingling, itching, burning, crawling, or twitching sensations. While these symptoms can be felt at any time, they seem to occur more often when trying to get to sleep. And because the unpleasant sensations are relieved by movement, people with RLS tend to move their legs around a lot.

What causes restless legs syndrome?
The cause of RLS is not known, although it sometimes occurs in the presence of a wide range of other medical conditions, including iron-deficiency anaemia, kidney disease, diabetes and arthritis. However, most people with RLS are otherwise healthy.

RLS is more common in women and older people. As many as one in 4 women experience RLS in pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester. The condition usually goes away after the baby is born.

Certain drugs, such as antipsychotics and antidepressants, can increase leg restlessness in some people.

How is restless legs syndrome treated?
The first steps your doctor will take in treating your RLS will be to make sure the diagnosis is accurate and address any factors that could possibly be causing the problem or making it worse. The symptoms of RLS need to be distinguished from arthritis pain, muscle cramps and the numbness associated with a peripheral neuropathy (a problem with the nerves). Discussion with your doctor will also help to determine whether any medications you are taking could be contributing to the symptoms of RLS.

People whose RLS is associated with iron-deficiency anaemia are often helped by iron supplements, although they also need to find out the cause of their anaemia.

Cutting out caffeine (found in coffee, tea, cola and chocolate), nicotine and alcohol may help improve RLS. Also, participating in exercise or doing crossword puzzles, can sometimes help to mask the symptoms of RLS at times of boredom.

If your symptoms are severe and persistent, there are a number of medications that might help. These include medications more commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease, as well as medications such as codeine, tramadol and clonazepam. None of these medicines are registered in Australia for treating RLS, so they should only be considered after careful discussion with your doctor, and taken under medical supervision.

Recently, a medication called ropinirole (brand name Repreve) was approved specifically for the treatment of RLS. This treatment is believed to be very effective, and has less severe side effects than some of the other RLS treatments, although it can cause nausea in some people.



myDr.com.au, 2005

Hey Negro, good to see a post from you, but sorry it has to be under these circumstances. Have you thought about or tried Glycine? It "acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, but unlike 5HTP which reacts in the brain, glycine works by inhibiting the nerve cells in the spinal cord. Research is showing that glycine deficiency results in jerky, exaggerated movement and sometimes even spasticity. All the movements you take for granted are suddenly uncoordinated and magnified during intense anxiety associated with benzo withdrawal. Glycine works by inhibiting the messages from the spinal cord that cause these abnormal responses."
http://lifehealthsolutions.com/calm/bz_formula.html

Best of luck to you, my man. Keep us posted.

^I have been interested in this stuff for a while, thanks for posting this. Any firsthand knowledge of the stuff? Anyone

Also, negro, I hope all is well with you, I know benzo withdrawls can be quite unpleasant.

No first-hand knowledge, but I wish I had been able to experiment with it during my last benzo withdrawl.... hellish, nightmarish experience. Makes opoid withdrawl feel like a walk in the park. The duration is what becomes intolerable... it just never seems to end... and then it does, but sometimes not until a year or so later. By then, you've almost become accustomed to the sensation of living with a ravaged body.

I detoxed last year around this time and finished up at the end of June.
Stayed off for 1 month and then started to use "recreationally" again. After that I would use them 2-4 times a week (usually to potentiate opioids) until recently. I am not really physically addicted now although I think my continued attempt to use recreationally may have me in protracted withdrawl. I know what you are going through. I tried several things. I would have to say that the best I have found so far is Flexeril or Amitriptyline (Flexeril is much better for me) I alternate them so I don't get used to them. I still have those twitches (not as bad). You are coming off a higher dose than I was( significantly).

Actually I was recently diagnosed with a sleep disorder which I think is a direct result of Benzos. Periodic Limb Movement Disorder which is essentially little myoclonic seizures will I'm sleeping that prevent me from getting restorative sleep.I think my GABA receptors may be permently screwed.

I was put on Remeron at first during my withdrawl and it helped minimally for a short time then I got used to it. I tried Trazadone and that stuff had me unconcious in about 15 minutes the first time I did it. Never worked as well again.

After getting tired of having muscle cramps everytime I worked out I am now trying to really give myself enough time off them to see if my GABA receptors recover or not. It does seem to be lessening now. I have used benzos twice in the last month (which is long for me). Flexeril works best for me as I mentioned. Right now I am alternating Flexeril and Amitriptyline. I also smoke weed daily now to help with sleep. (thats why this post is a bit disorganised)I haven't yet tried Gabapentin but I think it is on the right track. What I think the problem is that it is the nervous system is overexcited (due to F%^&ed up GABA receptors). I think the Amitriptyline is helping raise needed neurotransmitters and that the other aspect is essentially little seizures that would benefit from antiseizure meds. I asked for Gabapentin and now I have to go see a neurologist first.

It does end! Keep it going. You are doing fine. All this shit is what happens. I thought I was going to die doing mine. I worked through the whole thing too. Now that I think about it although I have some remenants hanging around things are much better now than during withdrawl.

Almost forgot to mention ...try Magnesium Citrate. get the powdered version ( I use NOW brand). Take 4-6 teaspoons a day and 1 before bed for a few days and see if it helps. It really did help me. Not a miracle but noticable.

Good Luck

The shorter version of what I was trying to say is that I think it is damage to the GABA receptor (huge surprise I know) and the key is to try different things to ease the symptom just don't use anything that acts in the same manner.

I have found muscle relaxers and Amytiptyline the most beneficial to me so far. I think Soma may act in a similar manner to benzos so be careful with that one. Flexeril is a tricyclic like Amytriptyline. I also find Norflex (an OTC muscle relaxer) somewhat helpful but would likely be to mild for you right now.

I think the antiseizure/mood stabilizers are a good bet as well. As I mentioned above, I want to try Neurotonin.

Phenobarbital is not TOO addictive - it's not exactly a pleasurable trip. You can handle it. As for Flexeril...you gotta fight it man...fight the drowsiness and groginess.

But I have a secret for you. Go to your psych (or somehow acquire) Doxepin [brand names Sinequan and Adapin]). Wake up, take 25 mg [it's quite sedating but you can fight it considering your 250mg diazepam addiction), and then take 15 mg capsules whenever you have urges. It helped me...and it has helped others [sorry, too lazy to link to articles online - i read my articles in libraries in databases]. You can consume about 100mg a day and go up to 250 or whatever your doctor says. It will help you sleep very soundly, and above 150mg will even start to act as an anti-depressant (which can't hurt during withdrawal).

Another miracle drug I always recommend to the world: Vistaril! generic name Hydroxyzine HCl or Hydroxyzine Pamoate [the former is better, more calming]. You can take 25-50mg for mild sedation and discomfort; it has mild anxiolytic properties. And then take more during the day [your doctor will tell you how much is allowed]. It is also a sedative and will and in sleep.

Augment with 20mg propranolol daily to get rid of tremors...you'll be fine as wine. It will go away as easily as it came. I wish you the best

jjj

With your intake of benzos, Negro, you need to just start a proper wean, there's no two ways around that part. Although some things that would definitely help, would be to have a short acting barbiturate (IM injecation) on hand (like Seconal, or Nembutal if you can get that), for emergency seizure use ONLY. Then maybe some phenobarb on hand when you get lower into your taper- just in case.

If I were you I wouldn't try to kick methadone/opiates at the same time as attempting heavy benzo W/D, as lacking opiates would ramp your CNS activity up also. Kick the benzos first and then work on at least lowering your opiate tolerance by tapering slowly from methadone. At least get your tolerance down there to it, you don't have to have your sights set on getting completely off of it, just lower it to where you feel just barely comfortable, for now. I'm sure you have contemplated and realized all of this, but that's what I'd attempt for at least the immediate future. Hope that helped 'ya...

W/D from very high dose benzo use is no fucking walk in the park, believe me people...I feel for you Negro... 8(

^^ Not true, there was a recent thread where it was said correctly that there are "recreational" sedatives (benzos, barbituiates, qualones,...), and others (most others) which have no recreational and addictive potential. Both doxepine (a tricyclic antidepressant) and hydroxyzine are non-addictive.

fyi; negro has weened himself to roughly half of his previous intake. it's the side effects of weening that are driving him up the wall.

most of the people posting here have no idea what he is coming down from, and the fact that he's cut that in half is amazing in and of itself. still, at half of what he used to be doing, most of the people here would be asleep 24/7 if they were taking it. no walk in the park to be sure.

soundphaRm, you always have good info.

i'd say good luck, negro, but then again, i think congratulations is in order. i hope you can get rid of the t-t-t-t-t-twitching.

Doxepin is a tricyclic like Flexeril and Amitriptyline. It likely is useful although I haven't tried it personally.

The Barbituates are very dangerous for people with a propensity for sedative drugs. Not to mention relatively hard to get presribed these days.

It is a readjustment of the GABA receptors. read the protracted (and acute) withdrawl symptoms on benzo.org(I'm pretty sure you have but just in case).

I am convinced that only time and abstinence after a slow taper is the only thing that will end this hell . Like I mentioned I used occassionally to deal with insomnia and potentiate opioids after I withdrew and no longer got electric shocks and all that if I didn't dose regularily and think I have acquired some protracted withdrawl symptoms for my trouble.

Its been almost a year for me since daily use and I still have a messed up nervous system. Now I find that if I do use one day then my symptoms increase again for a while. I am becoming convinced that I will never be able to use them in any capacity again.

batailleseyes, you are so right. The duration of the benzo wd is sooooo long, especially with a long taper from high doses. It can be bareable when treated with apropriate drugs and taken slowly, but feeling that low for so many months got me. I just got back on valium.....at least I've cut down my opiates, hash and alcohol a LOT after getting back on.

Negro, I've been watching your posts for a long time and I'm glad you're finally getting off diazepam. Congratulations on getting your dose so low already. Good luck.


love
mettray

congratlulations, all the best negro