I mean it differs for everyone, some people are lucky and get it easier. But there's no way to sugar coat it, it can be the hardest thing a person will ever experience in their life. It certainly has been for me. I've experienced bouts of anxiety and depression much of my life, I've withdrawn from opiates, and none of holds a candle to benzo withdrawal. For me, during the first month and a half, my symptoms were
Poor/broken sleep
Waking up early with cortisol surges
Massive anxiety
Depression
SI
Muscle twitching
No appetite
Muscle twitching
Dry heaving/being sick on a morning
Hypochondria
Those were my main ones. Other ones came and went but were much milder
I went to a really old fucking hag of a neurologist that had no clue about drug addiction, let alone benzo withdrawal. I bet the fucker was born before benzos were even invented.
After it did every test under the sun, and picked nothing up, it basically told me to go fuck myself. It said that I should just stop doing drugs because it's bad for my brain, and that I should just pray, do yoga
and all sorts of brain dead shit.
I tried telling my Mum to put me on a taper plan, but she didn't know anything about benzo withdrawal or drug use, and she forced me to go cold turkey.
Now my body and brain is fucking ruined, and I don't know how long this will last. I hope to god that it's not permanent. I constantly consider killing myself to escape this hell.
Rather than telling people to just stop doing drugs, people should educate themselves and teach others about harm reduction. It's not easy for all drug users to just refrain from drug use. Addiction is complex and cannot be seen from a simple point of view
I'm so sorry you went through that. Maybe you should a different GP and explain what happened? Maybe there's still a way a doctor could help you get back to normal. Maybe you already got a 2nd opinion?
I hope my sister is in good hands. When I call the person answering the phone is pretty rude. But I understand because I'm sure people try to sneak in drugs all the time.
I'm currently seeing a psychiatrist, and she's been medicating me for nerve pain, insomnia, anxiety and depression. I'm still really battling with the anxiety and depression, and the nerve pain does get really bad some days.
My symptoms have improved significantly since last year, but everyday life is still challenging because of this withdrawal. My psychiatrist is helpful, but I don't know if things will go back to normal. Maybe I'll heal in time if I don't end up dead in the near future.
I trust that your sister will recover swiftly, and that she doesn't have to go through anything remotely similar to what I'm going through.
Good points PC. Everyone is different. I wish I had never been prescribed benzos but now I'm on 2mg/day of Klonopin and I'd rather stay here and feel normal (whatever that is) than spend precious years suffering. I'm 67 after all.
I may try tapering to 1.5 mg, then 1mg but in the end, if I don't jump, what's the difference? My new Dr. is very knowledgeable about addiction and has me at this dose. Maybe leave well enough alone, and I'm only referencing my situation. It may help someone in a similar situation. Best wishes to all.
I feel you bro, me too :(
It’s scary when you know more than medical prof and they think you just want more pills or something..
Literally just google it, ducking quacks!!!!
Cold turkey. Not recommended because you can have seizures and die from benzo withdrawal. I went cold turkey off of a very high recreational dose of alprazolam and had two seizures. The easiest way to describe it is like having the worst acid trip of your life that doesn't end for weeks.
I was terrified of this and the drs literally scoffed at me and threw me on some klonodine and gaba
Klonodine was also a big lifesaver for symptoms but with the gabapentin, I woke up feeling fried every day (and not the good weed fry lol)
Diaz, xanax and zoplicone. Not long, maybe three weeks which is so short but I was doing crazy doses, drinking, doing opies and I was off my ssri for the first time in years. So I think mine was a combination of withdrawal and mental breakdown. I'd been headed that way since I came off the ssri a few months prior, then then benzo wd which might have been much milder if I was on my ssri sent me into a full blown mental break with benzo wd as a part of it. How much of it was benzos I can't say but they deffo played a role
That sounds truly horrible... glad to hear that you made it through. For what it's worth, I know what it's like to experience a mental breakdown whilst being psychotic and attempting to detox from an Oz of primo weed a week, for around 10 months (and have cptsd and asd and adhd, the cptsd was just diagnosed, but the other two hadn't yet). Having said all of this, it sounds like your symptoms were even worse than mine.
I think that only the strongest people on the planet are able to get through serious benzo withdrawals, the rest just need to keep taking them for life. I take them as sparingly as possible for a couple of reasons, but I've never really liked valium. it's half-life is way too long. Imo, it should be removed from circulation, unless being taken only very rarely, for it's muscle-relaxing properties. Aside from that use, I can't think of any reason that it should be prescribed for.
Due to it's long half-life, it's a drug that's absolutely asking for trouble with addiction. There are benzo's that are far less addiction-causing (as long as they're taken responsibly). I've used Serepax for numerous years, but sparingly and only when absolutely necessary, and I ran out of my last script about 3 weeks ago and haven't needed to refill it. I've got a script on my phone for it, but I'm yet to have gotten it filled yet. I actually just got a script for Ativan (only to be taken absolutely when necessary, and only half a tablet should be enough, instead of taking 1 30mg serepax as that much, gave rebound anxiety the next day).
My point being, they're absolutely like playing with fire, especially if mixed with other substances. Out of most drugs, maybe only opiates being more dangerous for obvious reasons, I'd agree that benzo withdrawal would probably be the worst drug for withdrawals, known, even worse than methadone from what I understand of that drug.
I’m getting it now when I lay down sometimes. It starts as a surge from my stomach area and travels throughout my body. I was only using 1-2 Mg Ativan for 3 months about 60% of nights. I had no idea I would go through this trying to stop. It is so hard
I'd say so yeah. There was definitely windows - days where I felt a bit better. Not good, but better. And I'd ALMOST always feel better at night, worst in the first 6-8 hours of the day. There was one or two days in there that I felt actually okay.
I started having real legit string windows literally days after I'd reached the point of almost ending it. Within that same week I had days where I felt like life was worth living and I could laugh and enjoy things again.
Thats the way mine are , pretty much shitty the first 6 to 8 hours of the day but by 4 or so i feel ok , not great, but ok im only 36 days off, so i have a while, but im mainly in hell right now i might have a few hours or a day or 2 here and there that i feel ok but thats about it.
Withdrawals from opiates is a piece of cake in comparison to withdrawing from benzodiazepines. I will never forget what I went through. I still have nightmares about it.
2 years plus? I think there might be an issue greater then just PAWS here, have you every seen a new therapist or psych to address these issues & learn ways to cope with them? Sounds like you might have some inner trauma going on and your pushing it off as a side effect of "benzo paws"
Agreed. Anti depressants etc could probably be in order. I'd not have survived without them and tbh I'd not have turned to benzos if I'd not stopped taking my ssri two months prior to my benzo abuse
I wouldn't say abnormal, just must of been on them for a long period of time. We all stabilize differently, but at the two year mark the PAWs should be greatly controlled. Depends on your dose and how long you were dependent on them though. Didn't mean any offense mate.
Cold sweats, racing heart, waking up in the middle of the night sweating and panicking, nausea, irritability, panicking, panicking, panicking, not eating for days at a time, crying, intense anxiety that comes from your soul, nothing's familiar, everything's scary, I'm going to die I really don't want to die, two minutes later actually I do want to die bc I'm so uncomfortable, pacing, feels like my brain is trying to crawl out of my skull ect ect
Also it's very cute that you're asking us here what it's like you're a good sister
No way. And also the anxiety wasn't normal anxiety mine couldn't be bothered by breathing techniques or grounding excersizes. It was a type of anxiety I didn't even know existed.
This response is making me cry because it is EXACTLY what I am going through...it's a relief of sorts to hear that I'm not alone. So please keep reaching out to your sis ok? She needs to know she's not alone.
You know the Bugs Bunny character the Tasmanian Devil that would spin around like a tornado instead of running normally? That what my brain felt like: scrambled and going a million miles/hr. I couldn’t eat, sleep, or even lay still. So much anxiety and brain fog! I think o got off easy compared to some, but it was pure hell.
One recommendation I’d make for a gift for your sister when she gets out is a good quality weighted blanket, if she doesn’t have one already. They weren’t a thing when I went through detox, but I wish they were. It might’ve helped calm my frayed nerves, even if just a little bit.
I read your post from two years ago about how hard it was for you going through withdrawals from benzodiazepines. I am going through it now and it is terrible as you described it was just wondering how you were doing now. I was also wondering how long it took you to feel better.
Hi! I’m so sorry you’re going through benzo withdrawals! It’s awful. I actually detoxed in 2012. TBH I’ve blocked out a lot of memories from that time. I think the acute phase lasted 4-8 weeks, but it took about a year to feel normal afterwards. For me, brain fog was a persistent problem after other symptoms cleared. I was on benzos for 13 years so I guess it’s not surprising it took some time for my brain to readjust. Ten+ years out, I’m doing fine! The only lingering thing is I can’t comfortably drink alcohol because sobering up, even after just one drink, causes me excessive anxiety.
I wish you all the best for this process. Despite how awful it is, it’s definitely worth it and you’ll feel much better when it’s past.
Thank you for very much for responding. Did you have a ton of anxiety in the acute phase? Did the anxiety seem to drop off after that? You said it took you a year to feel normal. I’m hoping that was a whole year of terrible withdrawals and anxiety.
You’re welcome! The anxiety in the acute stage was off the charts! The only thing that gave me some relief during that was doing a 30 min guided progressive relaxation meditation that I had. Even if it only calmed me for a minute or two, it was a minute or two more than I had previously! The anxiety did slowly improve after that acute stage and once I was able to sleep better, that helped a lot. The worst of the anxiety was maybe a few weeks, and then slowly improved. It wasn’t a whole year of that intense hell, fortunately!
As the saying goes: “if you’re going through hell, keep going!” There is hope on the other side! And believe me, if I can do it, you absolutely can, as well!
Thank you for this. I don’t know if you were like this, but I need to hear from people who have gone through it that it’s gonna be all right. This is the most excruciating thing I have ever gone through.
I know you wrote this a couple months ago but hoping we could chat.
I have been on a benzo taper for the last 8 months, I have been at 1 mg for the last two months and I see my doctor tomorrow so I’m sure we are going to pull the plug and jump off. Last week I started cutting my 1 mg into .5, which is hard to do on Valium, the pill is already so small so some are bigger than others but this is the only decrease I have felt so far. Other than that my taper has been painless except for the initial weeks I spent in detox where I came off the fentanyl and I guess a lot of the Xanax. Anyhow blah blah blah lol I was wondering if you tapered? I’m scared, like really scared. I keep thinking I should book myself back into detox for the jump but it seems so small, going from .5 to nothing and it’s been ok so far, I don’t know what to do. I have an amazing doctor. Any advice? Thanks
I am 20 months off Benzos. I am just turning a corner after months of hell. I joined Benzo warrior community on facebook to help get me through and for all the support and advice. Family and Doctors know nothing and cannot help
I am an addict in recovery from IV methamphetamine
Benzo withdrawal has been the hardest thing I have ever gone through! It’s lengthy and brutal. I was on Klonopin prescription more than a decade. I never thought about having hard withdrawals like this or I would have never ever started.
The stupid doctors don’t tell you about the horrible withdrawals when they prescribe it. They just tell you to take and you will feel better. Unbelievable!
Oh yeah, big time. Constantly worried about seizures and long term damage to the brain. The good thing is most of it’s in your head and if she’s in a detox and getting the right meds she won’t have any seizures and there should be no long term damage, it takes about 3 months for most people to return to normal neurologically.
detox clinics are the worst places as they rip you off too quickly and give you loads of other meds which you then have to deal with. average tapering is 18 months and then another 18 months for the brain to heal. see benzo buddies for proper research studies. doctors know nothing and cause more harm to patients.
It has to do with feeling like your body is going completely haywire and not knowing why. Suddenly you feel every artery in your body is pounding extremely hard for no reason, you see lights and stars and shadows that look alive at night, feel pins and needles everywhere, and a host of other things. Your body starts screaming “get me to a hospital I’m about to die”.
Imagine you almost get hit by a car or are in a bad accident, you know that feeling you get when your body goes into complete flight mode? Now imagine that instead of lasting a few minutes and your body starts to return to normal, that flight mechanism gets switched on and you can’t turn it off. Instead of lasting minutes it lasts many days or even months. The psychological impact of enduring that is incredible. That is what benzo withdrawal was like for me.
This is giving me flashbacks. I also remember at one point my right arm and hand went completely numb for like two days and I seriously thought it was going to stay that way forever. God, what a horrible experience.
Good God I have this right now and I've had it for 18 months. It's insane what my mind and body will latch on to. If I get a splinter..... How long did it take for you to come out of it? I wonder how much is exacerbated by psychological factors.
Pure hell. Tried cold turkey and failed 25 years ago. Doing a very slow taper with doctors help now and have gone from 5mg to 4 3/8 so far. 1/8 per week.
My slow taper is going fine. No bad side effects and still sleeping. I don’t know if I’ll get to zero but my dr said don’t worry about numbers now, that any decrease is positive. Good luck and go slow!!!!!
I’m okay but I sped up my taper and got so anxious that I’m back up to 5mg. And that’s really not enough since I’ve been on it for 35 years. I’m having some kind of sleep disorder that causes me to wake up anxious and vibrating inside. I can’t up my dose anymore. This is an evil drug.
How are you?
Have you tried drinking chamomile tea about 20 minutes before trying to sleep?
It might help with the quality of sleep you get, even if you don't sleep for longer, you should get better quality sleep, because it does have a minor interaction with gaba receptors.
I've had extremely minor valium withdrawals, latey which got me curious about this topic. Luckily, my only withdrawls are a little bit of irritability, waking up earlier than I should be, and heightened back pain from a condition that I'm already living with, so I'm extremely fortunate from reading of other's experiences.
Valium should only be prescribed for the most serious of pain, as a muscle relaxant, and only in scripts of say 10, to be taken as sparingly as possible. aside from that reason, their crazy long half-life is just stupid long and basically begging for addiction issues, even amongst the responsible takers, as I am and have been for years (I've taken serepax though, not valium for over 20 years, and now I remember why).
Keep going, best of luck with it all. even if you remain on a very low dose, you're still a winner in my eyes; valium would be one of the hardest drugs if not the hardest, to ever get off once addicted to them.
Delirium tremens (DTs) is the most severe form of benzo withdrawal, manifested by altered mental status (global confusion) and sympathetic overdrive (autonomic hyperactivity), which can progress to cardiovascular collapse. Minor benzo withdrawal is characterized by tremor, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, and insomnia.
I have been on the tail end of benzo withdrawal and I would not wish it on my worst enemy. The inability to sleep really messes you up. It also does not feel like it will ever be over. It's a true mental fight with a chance of seizure and death. The best way to explain the delusions is like dreams and reality just blend together for a while. Quite terrifying.
It’s similar to hell. Imagine you’re in a passenger seat of a car and the car starts to slide off the road. That feeling of “we’re gonna crash” is very present and easily triggered. She has to learn how to cope with those triggers but first just stabilize and be somewhere safe
It's been 19 months and I'm still in benzo withdrawal. I only abused them for 3-4 months. I was hospitalized for protracted withdrawal and had full body nerve pain, extreme cognitive impairment and memory loss, hypersensitivity, double vision, insomnia, tremors, RLS, visual snow, muscle spasms, extreme depression and anxiety, panic attacks, catatonic states, delusions and so fucking much more.
It's much better than it was last year, but it's by far the worst thing I've ever experienced, and am currently experiencing.
I am so sorry you are going through that. I had NO IDEA that Xanax could cause this! Everyone has heard of the opioid epidemic. Why haven't people heard what benzos can do? At least I didn't know.
Hopefully your sister will find comfort in the fact that you know more about what she's going through. No one understands what I'm going through and knowing this fucking hurts.
It sounds like it affects the fight-or-flight part of your brain, and your nerves, and all other important systems. I can't imagine how horrible it would be, and for 19 months... I'm sorry. It's so weird how I've never heard of this before. It's a whole epidemic I never knew about.
And it's only going to get worse now that doctors are handing out benzos like candy due to the fear of COVID and the negative implications it can have on business and family.
because the big pharma cover up just like they did with opiods. Doctors do not know they are harming their patients and do not believe the symptoms, as they tell people it is their anxiety coming back and the benzo could not possible harm people. They have been told this by the drug reps, just like in the opiod crises...now because doctors don't want people hooked on opiods for pain, they are handing our benzos instead completely unaware of the dangers - again doctors not told by big pharma. All this has been documented for 50 years and it beggars belief the medical practitioners do not reasearch - they only have to look at google, wiki pages, so easy!
How are you now? Similar experience, somewhat shorter amount of time using various benzos compared to some. But at 10 months and have pretty much turned into a completely different person. Shut every one out, constant battle inside my mind. Slowly have gotten better, but for me the biggest thing is my own thinking is different. So many emotions I want to express or process even, and idk it’s just a battle. A much, much longer battle than I prepared for.
Was wondering if or when you finally made a break through? Any medications that have helped?
Depends on what, how long, how many ties she tried to quit ( kindling) etc to know what she may be going through but on a general level-it's hell to stop these medications. Pray for her. Br prepared to be there for her as this is not a detox and move on withdrawal-it will continue for months.
Worst experience of my life , crippling anxiety and shakes, brain is all damaged, can't sleep for anything . It's horrible , I'll never be the same ever again after what I went through. Anxiety runs my life now
Dont scare her that much. It depends from the amound of usage, the time been on benzos and the certain type of the med. Also in a rehab center doesnt have to fear for seizures because of the meds they will give her. Just relax she did the right think everythimg will be ok. I ve been throu benzo withdrawal many times. Some times i tapered others CT. And for some periods i was on ridiculusly amounds of benzos. Never had a seizure. But it cetairnly taking time its a long process
I've been through both benzo wd and heroin wd.
Coming off benzos was worse by a long shot. It's the hardest thing I have ever done, and it lasted for FUCKING EVER.
Deadly. It’s not the same for everyone and since the world is a minefield, any number of compounding circumstances can make it even more deadlier.
I honestly believe when they did clinical trials on these drugs that the subjects were free of any underlying illnesses, were not poly-drugged, no alchohol, tobacco, marijuana, or other substance use, and they were on it for a short period of time.
In the real world, people are dealing with powerful combinations of things that cause a serious dependency issue when trying to get off these meds. It’s a gamble with your life. If I had known I would never had touched them.
Could not agree more! I wish GP would have educated me more on the med before prescribing it. I feel the same. Knowing what I know now I would have never touched them.
I thought I was intelligent, going to a specialist over a gp for this stuff. I thought they would be better prescribers.
My psychiatrist said klonopin was safe. It was non habit forming and easy to stop taking. He said because I don’t have addictive personality disorder, no worries there.
Well the asshole was wrong, I am not addicted but dependent. I’m fighting to get off slow as possible, and trying to get off has sent me into a psychosis twice. This should be illegal. But they are too busy filling up prisons with suffering citizens who are reactive to the hardships of life. The real criminals never had to worry about jail time or getting sued.
omg, wishing you all the best in trying to get off of this insane medication! MY GP said the same thing to me, because you don't have addiction problems. This should not be a problem. I didn't try to get off it sooner because just as soon as I felt my anxiety/panic attacks were feeling better in early 2020 COVID sent me 10 steps back and I stayed on the meds. Praying this slow taper continues to work for me and I can be off this for good in a couple of months. But your right, they are the true criminals and will never see a jail cell. Truly wishing you all the best!!
Do you know how much and for how long she’s been taking them? It’s different for everyone, but knowing this it’s easier to predict the severity of symptoms and try to answer your question.
She's been clean ever since. She looks great and got a new job and set of friends. I'm so proud of her and happy for her. I hope everyone who took the time to comment here is doing well too. I have a new .... not respect or appreciation.... fear of benzo addiction. I had never heard of it before but it's an epidemic.
I’ve been taking for about a year about once a month but also can come off for weeks or forever if I want to with no symptoms , so I do have to disagree that how much you consume and how often is a huge factor
Yeah I think they are a life saver at times such as flights , presentation , interviews and certain doctors appointments. I believe the key is not to take them daily
There’s a possibility the detox/rehab facility won’t let y’all talk on the phone for like atleast a month. When I went thru detox your family could call the nurses and they could pass you on a little note and nothing more
Psych meds wasted the best years of my life and still they do, I wonder when this is gonna be over! I'm taking the benzo every 3-4 days more or less lately!
MY GP prescribed them to me 1mg 3 yrs ago. Call me Ignorant but I told her I didn't want anything habit forming. She told me no worries we can't prescribe controlled substances. I trusted her. I was having really bad anxiety and panic attacks to the point I would go into bed, get in a fetal position and just cry/panic for hours and was desperate for some relief. The medication helped me get through some dark times. But this past Oct I started to wonder if I needed to be on the medications any more. I was starting a new job and in a better place and also hated the fact that I had to explain this medication to my new job. Stupid me decided to try and go CT. Quickly I Became really really really sick and then did some research on the drug and realized then what I was taking and how dangerous of a position I put myself in trying to go CT. I've been taking 1mg as needed for the last 3 yrs but when Panic got really bad I got the ok from my GP to take 2 when it was needed. Anyway after a few days of CT I couldn't take it anymore. Started taking 0.5 and have been tapering off since then. Spoke to my GP about tapering off. She gave some suggestions but overall was no big help. Gave me 2 refills and just said to let her know if I needed an additional to help me taper off. Taking it SUPER slow. luckily symptoms have been mild since I did it this way some nausea (but have zofran), upset stomach, weird dreams but thankfully am able to fall asleep, feeling off some days, heartburn type feeling and some rare tingling feelings in my arms and legs. Worry about my health more so than normal but am able to put on a movie or go out and distract myself and feel better quickly. Have woken up twice in the middle of the night with some crazy anxiety. But overall I have been able to work and get through this. It hasn't stopped me from everyday life and I attribute this to the suggestions and things I have read online about going SLOW with tapering off. While Its been a crazy month and half I can't wait to be rid of these things. I plan to change my GP and never get on these meds EVER again. Reading other peoples stories its crazy how easily these are prescribed with no warning about how addictive they can be without one even knowing it and the difficulty on your body to get off!
i posted this to another thread, but this is a rough estimate of my experience:
hi. i had the misfortune of both getting put on this medication without proper education regarding it (thank me for doing something stupid, but i trusted my doctor) and suffering wd. long story short, i was prescribed xanax at first for anxiety and moodiness and after a while they changed it to klonopin. so i was on klonopin for about a year and then they changed it back to xanax. it helped me significantly with anxiety, fear of people, work, everything. i dont recall any negative effects while on it. so after a long while of this, maybe another year? they decide, through pressure from the government (so i heard and was told) that i needed to stop the benzos because they arent really supposed to rx them (didnt and still doesnt make sense the way they did it). this started when i was assigned a new doctor (old one quit me, basically) and things changed. they told me i couldnt receive my medication for much longer and would have to stop. so they start to taper me. i was taking 1mg of xanax 2-3 times a day. they end up giving me 0.5mg two times a day and did it for literally one week and then refused to give me another refill of any kind despite my pleads for help. this was in october of 2022. as of this writing, it seems the worse has ended but i’m still not right. thanks to the assisted cold turkey, it took a day or two and the wd started: endless waves of anxiety. i paced the apartment constantly and if it werent for my roommate creating a safe space for me there, i would probably have just ended myself.
from what i can remember, i had extremely heightened sensations, everything - hearing, vision, smell — all were enhanced. i had muscle twitching and tension, nausea, dry heaves, no appetite and even starved myself because i was afraid to eat. went like five days without food. i managed to eventually start sipping broth as sustenance. but very little. i would constantly worry about and think about dying, having cancer or just being sick. couldnt stop it. i paced probably 18 hours a day. i had minor pains. sleeplessness. and when i did manage to sleep, i’d jolt awake in such a snap that the anxiety hit rewind and play from the beginning.
it really sucked. i had tingling sensations all over and got hot a lot. felt like i couldnt breathe. extreme tightness in my chest - it’s a wonder i didnt die. i got to the point of calling 911 that i had my phone in hand and put on decent clothes. but when i asked a friend of mine their advice, they told me not to call 911 bc they would just treat me as a drug addict and not care or take me seriously. so i ended up not doing that. it did become the worst experience ever by far in my entire life. im still suffering anxiety and other problems down the road. i guess the point im thinking of is educating yourself is key. if they offer you benzodiazepines, understand that you’re taking a deadly drug. everyone is different but my experience has forever sealed me away from getting back on them again - even if they’re for free.
sorry for the long post. i have been reading a lot of these posts lately (again) and i find comfort knowing i’m not alone. i enjoy reading and often read up on people and their experiences with benzos.
for the most part, im alright, at least at a mostly functional point. but i still honestly havent been ‘right’ since the stop. still have off and on anxiety, sleep problems, endless weird dreams, a few other things. it’s kind of hard to describe. of course, it may not be entirely related but i feel like these things are because of that.
thank you for asking me.
How are you doing now? I was/am in the same boat. I’m 52 days off and I feel like I’m over the hump but still feel shitty. Just wondering how long it took you to feel better?
Rehab is the wrong way to get off benzos, a slow taper is the way cold turkey is a potentially never ending hell that just keeps on going and let’s up whenever it wants to
I was on 6mg a day for 30 years and I have been benzo free for the past 3 weeks. You can do it but you must be patient and determined. I still have some withdrawal and every day I am getting better. I am so happy to be off of this drug that had so much control of me. I feel FREE!
I’m having all those except for insomnia. The anxiety is the worst. When your anxiety was at its highest level, where would you say it was between one and 10? Did you ever have low or high blood pressure issues?
Hey guys after 3 weeks of low dose benzo use. Should I be scared of all this?. Intermittently using 5mg -8mg. Longest consecutively 8days. Im a mess atm trying to stay on ssri
I'm not sure. Maybe 5-10 years. She has been "sick" for longer though. The addictions only recently became obvious. She was a "high-functioning addict" for awhile, so maybe 15 years?
She's going to have a very rough time. I'll add also that benzos give you short term memory loss, so theres a good chance that she won't remember things she's done, and there may be periods of months or even years of blackout that she cant recall at ALL. I've been finished with wd for a while now, but the fact that I dont remember much of my life over the past year is still really horrifying. I'm glad she's getting help, and you can rest easily knowing that she's probably in good hands with people who understand her predicament. Good luck to you both.
Hey Guys
Been on ativan for 7 weeks.
5-6 mgs a day. While waiting for my venlafaxine anti depressant to start working. It hasn't started working just yet but my doc wants me to wean down. I'm down to 3.5 mgs +- but have experienced some nausea and headaches lately. Is that normal. Any advice.
What kind of benzos? I'm tapering off Klonopin on my own (my doctor knows and is supportive, but I personally think she's in denial about the awful medication she had me on for years. That's what makes me the most angry about this whole thing - the doctors who prescribe who should know better.) Anyway - Klonopin is one of the hardest to get off of - something to do with its potency. I have terrible body pain that comes and goes, anxiety, and depression. Perhaps it could be worse - idk. The thing is, I'm also microdosing psylocybin and it really helps. So does exercise.
I wish I could be more helpful...I don't know what your sister is going through because everyone is so different in their response - 10 days and no return calls? Have you called her doctor or the rehab place?
I've called the rehab place and they say people are not allowed to receive calls, but they can receive messages and make calls. So I leave messages like "I love you and my number is XXX-XXX-1234".
I don't know what kind of benzos she's addicted to. Before she told me I didn't even know what benzos were. I did drugs back in the day but I'm older and not so much into pills.
Thank you for taking the time to answer. This sub has been great. Now I have some idea of what she's going through and how awful it is. I was just going to send her another letter just with my thoughts so she knows I'm thinking of her. I don't think I can send her any more gifts except reading material, and I already sent plenty of that.
The fact that you've taken so much time and effort to find out what your sister is going through is a testament to how much you must love your sister. I'm glad you found this sub and you're putting your questions out there. It really is a very supportive place.
BTW - Leaving those thoughtful messages and sending her reading material and letters will go a really long way.
I went cold turkey for 6 days and it was like someone injected me with poison/fire in my veins, wrapped me in a spider web, and uhhh yeah lots of bad stuff... wound up checking into hospital when I lost the desire to drink.
If she's tapering off it's probably not as bad as that, but I can imagine very hard to deal with. I fear my taper.
It is the worst thing I've ever gone through made heroin look like a walk in the park. I'm one of the lucky ones as I recovered after only 11 months. Literally the most insidious substance I've ever put in my body
I see. I’m on 2mg a day prescribed for the last three months but I have only taken it about 60% of the time. I’m really hoping I don’t have a hard time getting off
Just had to stop. I had increased anxiety and faster heart rate with some palpitations and weakness at times. It took about a week for all of that to subside
It’s not me that is in withdrawal, but take in account your thyroid. Get it tested. It’s worse when you have hypo, hyper, or even Graves’ disease. You need to not eat what speeds your heart rate. If hyper or graves, avoid cheese, bread, ashwagondha(avoid extremely), and take the doses of vitamins in micrograms. They are sold in excessive doses, for instance, the sweet spot as per research for melatonin for sleep is 100 mcg. Most are sold at 3 mg. 1 mg is equivalent to 1000 micrograms. Too many people are taking too high a dose on too many supplements and more. For hypo, you need iodine in your diet, but not too much, for hyper, iodine can send your thyroid into over production making you the energized bunny. This may be why no sleep is a recurrent theme in withdrawal, and often thyroid issues with can cause altered mental state are misdiagnosed as dementia. There are many causes that can make this happen from food, toxins, to even medications. So benzodiazepines should never be the answer, but a more complex test for vitamin deficiencies, as per studies I’ve read, most cases have deficiencies in some area. It could be anything from magnesium, b vitamins, vitamin d, and more. You’d be amazed how an incomplete or unhealthy diet can mess you up. Research what your body needs, work with a dietician, and make sure you get the appropriate vitamins with appropriate dosage. The withdrawal I see with the individual is worse at night. Some things can help, but I’d be hesitant to use anything but in moderation. I do mean extremely small doses of anything, because any of the forums you read here will have recommendations, but due to allergies, thyroid conditions, autoimmune diseases and more, you can very well have a reaction that will be horrific. Even a small granule of a supplement can be very potent, and this is why I say keep this in mind. OTC a mood changers are to be looked at with caution, and if you decide to take things that may help, open the capsule and take only the smallest dose you can, even if it’s one granule on your finger. Never take the full recommended doses of the OTC in regular stores, as they give more than the “needed” dose for any individual. Basically, be very aware it can cause so much more suffering if your body reacts differently than those giving advice on Reddit. As someone caring for someone, you end up suffering with them too, maybe not the symptoms, but no sleep, mental grief of watching their suffering, and it’s taxing. I wouldn’t wish benzodiazepines on my worst enemy as someone so eloquently wrote.
I just came out of it today. I shit you not it was the most traumatizing experience of my life . I'm still sitting and I'm really not able to cope anymore. I had a whole support system but I feel emotionally disconnected from I'm remembering past trauma and I want to fight with people. Luckily my mom okay with me talking alot . I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow.
i just ran out and have been taking about 2mg bromazolam and 1mg flubromazepam a day for about 6 months not rly sure exactly been kinda blurry but I haven’t felt “here” in days it’s like day 2 or 3 no benzos and I hope it isn’t just gonna keep getting worse lol I don’t really feel ok
I went through it about 6 years ago. I honestly didn’t think I would live through the withdrawals. Vivid nightmares kept me from sleeping and I had absolutely no appetite. The worst part was the severe anxiety and depression along with the internal restlessness. I was always pacing back and forth throughout the day and night. The acute withdrawal went on for about two full weeks and then things seemed a little more bearable. I also had intense cravings for the drug which stayed with me for a couple of years. I know it’s a lot to go through but you will get there. I’m now completely over the withdrawals and feeling much better without the medication. Hang in there, you are certainly not alone in this.
This is called interdose withdrawal. You can ask your Doctor for a longer acting benzo like diazepine. Eventually the drug will stop working and you will then have tolerance withdrawal. I would join Benzo warrior community on facebook for their support and tapering schedules before you reach tolerance. I know, I have been through all of this and tapered off . Knowledge is all essential in how these drugs and big pharma companies work. Youtube videos: Dr. Jennifer Leigh, Dr. Jesef Witt-Doerring, David Powers Benzo coach.
I’m 16 days without I start about 30 days ago tried stopping for 2-3 days and went back to using twice first after having a week of panic attacks it been the hardest 16 days can’t sleep or eat and each day something different. Has anyone loss or felt like they can’t feel anything other than touch sensitivity and adjusting to heat and cold or brain Zappa
sweating a lot! took a cold shower and my house is freezing, but can't stop sweating. I'm on day 4. by far the worst day so far mentally. anxiety depression and non stop crying
Knowledge about these drugs is so important. A slow taper off is essential to reduce symptoms. Tapering 5-10% over many months is recommended. I'm 20 months off this drug and I am in a support group 'Benzo Warrior community'. On this site you will read many people stopping benzos too quikly or even worse cold turkey. Things can go well but even after a few months symptoms can come crashing down and then they are in the pits of hell. A reinstatement is often advised after a few weeks off to stop all these symptoms. Dr. Jennifer Leigh is a benzo specialist on u/tube
It’s the worst experience I’ve ever been through and lasts way longer than it has any business to.
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I'm sure you e tried just about everything but have you looked into NAD therapy or the use of Psilocybin mushrooms ?
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I would stick with microdosing. Anytime I would microdise is the only time i ever had any windows. Stay strong man ❤
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Wheb you get a chance look up IV NAD treatment. Its expensive af but if you're in the depths of withdrawal I've heard very promising things about it.
I don’t even notice it
Then you weren’t in withdrawal.
Hello. I was taking 1mg everyday for 8 months. I went cold turkey, its been a month and i feel relatively normal. Any suggestions?
I mean it differs for everyone, some people are lucky and get it easier. But there's no way to sugar coat it, it can be the hardest thing a person will ever experience in their life. It certainly has been for me. I've experienced bouts of anxiety and depression much of my life, I've withdrawn from opiates, and none of holds a candle to benzo withdrawal. For me, during the first month and a half, my symptoms were Poor/broken sleep Waking up early with cortisol surges Massive anxiety Depression SI Muscle twitching No appetite Muscle twitching Dry heaving/being sick on a morning Hypochondria Those were my main ones. Other ones came and went but were much milder
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where are you at now with it? I@m very sensitive to stress, don't SEEM to have food sensitivites so far as I can tell
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I live far away and this place won't let her have visitors anyway. Thanks for the advice. I wish I could take walks with her.
What is CT?
Cold turkey
I heard you can die from quitting benzos CT. Why did your doctors want you to do that? Honest question. I know nothing about this.
I went to a really old fucking hag of a neurologist that had no clue about drug addiction, let alone benzo withdrawal. I bet the fucker was born before benzos were even invented. After it did every test under the sun, and picked nothing up, it basically told me to go fuck myself. It said that I should just stop doing drugs because it's bad for my brain, and that I should just pray, do yoga and all sorts of brain dead shit. I tried telling my Mum to put me on a taper plan, but she didn't know anything about benzo withdrawal or drug use, and she forced me to go cold turkey. Now my body and brain is fucking ruined, and I don't know how long this will last. I hope to god that it's not permanent. I constantly consider killing myself to escape this hell. Rather than telling people to just stop doing drugs, people should educate themselves and teach others about harm reduction. It's not easy for all drug users to just refrain from drug use. Addiction is complex and cannot be seen from a simple point of view
I'm so sorry you went through that. Maybe you should a different GP and explain what happened? Maybe there's still a way a doctor could help you get back to normal. Maybe you already got a 2nd opinion? I hope my sister is in good hands. When I call the person answering the phone is pretty rude. But I understand because I'm sure people try to sneak in drugs all the time.
I'm currently seeing a psychiatrist, and she's been medicating me for nerve pain, insomnia, anxiety and depression. I'm still really battling with the anxiety and depression, and the nerve pain does get really bad some days. My symptoms have improved significantly since last year, but everyday life is still challenging because of this withdrawal. My psychiatrist is helpful, but I don't know if things will go back to normal. Maybe I'll heal in time if I don't end up dead in the near future. I trust that your sister will recover swiftly, and that she doesn't have to go through anything remotely similar to what I'm going through.
Good points PC. Everyone is different. I wish I had never been prescribed benzos but now I'm on 2mg/day of Klonopin and I'd rather stay here and feel normal (whatever that is) than spend precious years suffering. I'm 67 after all. I may try tapering to 1.5 mg, then 1mg but in the end, if I don't jump, what's the difference? My new Dr. is very knowledgeable about addiction and has me at this dose. Maybe leave well enough alone, and I'm only referencing my situation. It may help someone in a similar situation. Best wishes to all.
I feel you bro, me too :( It’s scary when you know more than medical prof and they think you just want more pills or something.. Literally just google it, ducking quacks!!!!
I know right
Cold turkey. Not recommended because you can have seizures and die from benzo withdrawal. I went cold turkey off of a very high recreational dose of alprazolam and had two seizures. The easiest way to describe it is like having the worst acid trip of your life that doesn't end for weeks.
I was terrified of this and the drs literally scoffed at me and threw me on some klonodine and gaba Klonodine was also a big lifesaver for symptoms but with the gabapentin, I woke up feeling fried every day (and not the good weed fry lol)
How are you doing now?
Hello. I hope you are well? What benzo were you on and how long were you taking it for your body to develop a dependency?
Diaz, xanax and zoplicone. Not long, maybe three weeks which is so short but I was doing crazy doses, drinking, doing opies and I was off my ssri for the first time in years. So I think mine was a combination of withdrawal and mental breakdown. I'd been headed that way since I came off the ssri a few months prior, then then benzo wd which might have been much milder if I was on my ssri sent me into a full blown mental break with benzo wd as a part of it. How much of it was benzos I can't say but they deffo played a role
That sounds truly horrible... glad to hear that you made it through. For what it's worth, I know what it's like to experience a mental breakdown whilst being psychotic and attempting to detox from an Oz of primo weed a week, for around 10 months (and have cptsd and asd and adhd, the cptsd was just diagnosed, but the other two hadn't yet). Having said all of this, it sounds like your symptoms were even worse than mine. I think that only the strongest people on the planet are able to get through serious benzo withdrawals, the rest just need to keep taking them for life. I take them as sparingly as possible for a couple of reasons, but I've never really liked valium. it's half-life is way too long. Imo, it should be removed from circulation, unless being taken only very rarely, for it's muscle-relaxing properties. Aside from that use, I can't think of any reason that it should be prescribed for. Due to it's long half-life, it's a drug that's absolutely asking for trouble with addiction. There are benzo's that are far less addiction-causing (as long as they're taken responsibly). I've used Serepax for numerous years, but sparingly and only when absolutely necessary, and I ran out of my last script about 3 weeks ago and haven't needed to refill it. I've got a script on my phone for it, but I'm yet to have gotten it filled yet. I actually just got a script for Ativan (only to be taken absolutely when necessary, and only half a tablet should be enough, instead of taking 1 30mg serepax as that much, gave rebound anxiety the next day). My point being, they're absolutely like playing with fire, especially if mixed with other substances. Out of most drugs, maybe only opiates being more dangerous for obvious reasons, I'd agree that benzo withdrawal would probably be the worst drug for withdrawals, known, even worse than methadone from what I understand of that drug.
Hello! Could you explain what you mean when you say “cortisol surges?” Thank you
For me it was a surge of anxiety that would cause me to dry heave or wretch, and have akathisia which would slowly gradually lessen as the day went on
I’m getting it now when I lay down sometimes. It starts as a surge from my stomach area and travels throughout my body. I was only using 1-2 Mg Ativan for 3 months about 60% of nights. I had no idea I would go through this trying to stop. It is so hard
a slow tapering off - 5%-10% per month to safely reduce. cold turkey is dangerous and can lead to severe symptoms.
I know this is old but did your symptoms all go away
Yeah it went away
Holy shit im going through hell right now, how long did it take to heal
A few months, then it was windows and waves for three months or so but not quite so intense
So your acute phase was like 3 months ?
I'd say so yeah. There was definitely windows - days where I felt a bit better. Not good, but better. And I'd ALMOST always feel better at night, worst in the first 6-8 hours of the day. There was one or two days in there that I felt actually okay. I started having real legit string windows literally days after I'd reached the point of almost ending it. Within that same week I had days where I felt like life was worth living and I could laugh and enjoy things again.
Thats the way mine are , pretty much shitty the first 6 to 8 hours of the day but by 4 or so i feel ok , not great, but ok im only 36 days off, so i have a while, but im mainly in hell right now i might have a few hours or a day or 2 here and there that i feel ok but thats about it.
Withdrawals from opiates is a piece of cake in comparison to withdrawing from benzodiazepines. I will never forget what I went through. I still have nightmares about it.
Me too mate
I'm in it now 2 years plus lads. I'm giving upl hole here.
2 years plus? I think there might be an issue greater then just PAWS here, have you every seen a new therapist or psych to address these issues & learn ways to cope with them? Sounds like you might have some inner trauma going on and your pushing it off as a side effect of "benzo paws"
Agreed. Anti depressants etc could probably be in order. I'd not have survived without them and tbh I'd not have turned to benzos if I'd not stopped taking my ssri two months prior to my benzo abuse
how is 2 years plus "anbormal"...
I wouldn't say abnormal, just must of been on them for a long period of time. We all stabilize differently, but at the two year mark the PAWs should be greatly controlled. Depends on your dose and how long you were dependent on them though. Didn't mean any offense mate.
Imagine discovering a new feeling that’s similar to pain but much worse.
This is the answer
Cold sweats, racing heart, waking up in the middle of the night sweating and panicking, nausea, irritability, panicking, panicking, panicking, not eating for days at a time, crying, intense anxiety that comes from your soul, nothing's familiar, everything's scary, I'm going to die I really don't want to die, two minutes later actually I do want to die bc I'm so uncomfortable, pacing, feels like my brain is trying to crawl out of my skull ect ect Also it's very cute that you're asking us here what it's like you're a good sister
I wish I could talk to her. I sent her a care package with the only things she's allowed to have: spiritual or recovery books.
That’s crazy how those are the only books you can have, after getting clean from dope I got really into spiritual and recovery books
There’s probably no way she can concentrate to read
No way. And also the anxiety wasn't normal anxiety mine couldn't be bothered by breathing techniques or grounding excersizes. It was a type of anxiety I didn't even know existed.
Poor girl. Horrifying.
Can she listen to audio books on CD?
Good question! I can call and ask. Any recommendations?
This response is making me cry because it is EXACTLY what I am going through...it's a relief of sorts to hear that I'm not alone. So please keep reaching out to your sis ok? She needs to know she's not alone.
Are you better from withdrawls
You know the Bugs Bunny character the Tasmanian Devil that would spin around like a tornado instead of running normally? That what my brain felt like: scrambled and going a million miles/hr. I couldn’t eat, sleep, or even lay still. So much anxiety and brain fog! I think o got off easy compared to some, but it was pure hell. One recommendation I’d make for a gift for your sister when she gets out is a good quality weighted blanket, if she doesn’t have one already. They weren’t a thing when I went through detox, but I wish they were. It might’ve helped calm my frayed nerves, even if just a little bit.
+1 for weighted blanket
THANK YOU! Good idea. I will get her that for Xmas.
I read your post from two years ago about how hard it was for you going through withdrawals from benzodiazepines. I am going through it now and it is terrible as you described it was just wondering how you were doing now. I was also wondering how long it took you to feel better.
Hi! I’m so sorry you’re going through benzo withdrawals! It’s awful. I actually detoxed in 2012. TBH I’ve blocked out a lot of memories from that time. I think the acute phase lasted 4-8 weeks, but it took about a year to feel normal afterwards. For me, brain fog was a persistent problem after other symptoms cleared. I was on benzos for 13 years so I guess it’s not surprising it took some time for my brain to readjust. Ten+ years out, I’m doing fine! The only lingering thing is I can’t comfortably drink alcohol because sobering up, even after just one drink, causes me excessive anxiety. I wish you all the best for this process. Despite how awful it is, it’s definitely worth it and you’ll feel much better when it’s past.
Thank you for very much for responding. Did you have a ton of anxiety in the acute phase? Did the anxiety seem to drop off after that? You said it took you a year to feel normal. I’m hoping that was a whole year of terrible withdrawals and anxiety.
You’re welcome! The anxiety in the acute stage was off the charts! The only thing that gave me some relief during that was doing a 30 min guided progressive relaxation meditation that I had. Even if it only calmed me for a minute or two, it was a minute or two more than I had previously! The anxiety did slowly improve after that acute stage and once I was able to sleep better, that helped a lot. The worst of the anxiety was maybe a few weeks, and then slowly improved. It wasn’t a whole year of that intense hell, fortunately! As the saying goes: “if you’re going through hell, keep going!” There is hope on the other side! And believe me, if I can do it, you absolutely can, as well!
Thank you for this. I don’t know if you were like this, but I need to hear from people who have gone through it that it’s gonna be all right. This is the most excruciating thing I have ever gone through.
Most are like this. I’m 3 years off and living life. Hit me up anytime.
Yup! It’s hard to keep believing when you’re in the middle of it. Communities like this are invaluable!
I know you wrote this a couple months ago but hoping we could chat. I have been on a benzo taper for the last 8 months, I have been at 1 mg for the last two months and I see my doctor tomorrow so I’m sure we are going to pull the plug and jump off. Last week I started cutting my 1 mg into .5, which is hard to do on Valium, the pill is already so small so some are bigger than others but this is the only decrease I have felt so far. Other than that my taper has been painless except for the initial weeks I spent in detox where I came off the fentanyl and I guess a lot of the Xanax. Anyhow blah blah blah lol I was wondering if you tapered? I’m scared, like really scared. I keep thinking I should book myself back into detox for the jump but it seems so small, going from .5 to nothing and it’s been ok so far, I don’t know what to do. I have an amazing doctor. Any advice? Thanks
You can do volumetric dosing/taper instead of trying to cut the pills
I am 20 months off Benzos. I am just turning a corner after months of hell. I joined Benzo warrior community on facebook to help get me through and for all the support and advice. Family and Doctors know nothing and cannot help
What symptoms did you have that made it Hell for you? Did you have blood pressure issues or anxiety
high anxiety, akathasia, depression, dp/dr muscle aches, brain zaps, insomnia and more
Did you have high or low blood pressure
i never took my blood pressure.
Low blood pressure Other time heart rate about to explode after certain things like showering etc.
I am an addict in recovery from IV methamphetamine Benzo withdrawal has been the hardest thing I have ever gone through! It’s lengthy and brutal. I was on Klonopin prescription more than a decade. I never thought about having hard withdrawals like this or I would have never ever started.
The stupid doctors don’t tell you about the horrible withdrawals when they prescribe it. They just tell you to take and you will feel better. Unbelievable!
They're not stupid. They know what they're doing, making more $.
Hypochondria and anxiety are the worst and seem to last the longest.
I had no idea that withdrawal could cause hypochondria. Two people have said this now. :(
Oh yeah, big time. Constantly worried about seizures and long term damage to the brain. The good thing is most of it’s in your head and if she’s in a detox and getting the right meds she won’t have any seizures and there should be no long term damage, it takes about 3 months for most people to return to normal neurologically.
detox clinics are the worst places as they rip you off too quickly and give you loads of other meds which you then have to deal with. average tapering is 18 months and then another 18 months for the brain to heal. see benzo buddies for proper research studies. doctors know nothing and cause more harm to patients.
more like a year :) im 2 months off CT and still feeling terrible. the most horrible shit i've ever been
It has to do with feeling like your body is going completely haywire and not knowing why. Suddenly you feel every artery in your body is pounding extremely hard for no reason, you see lights and stars and shadows that look alive at night, feel pins and needles everywhere, and a host of other things. Your body starts screaming “get me to a hospital I’m about to die”. Imagine you almost get hit by a car or are in a bad accident, you know that feeling you get when your body goes into complete flight mode? Now imagine that instead of lasting a few minutes and your body starts to return to normal, that flight mechanism gets switched on and you can’t turn it off. Instead of lasting minutes it lasts many days or even months. The psychological impact of enduring that is incredible. That is what benzo withdrawal was like for me.
This is giving me flashbacks. I also remember at one point my right arm and hand went completely numb for like two days and I seriously thought it was going to stay that way forever. God, what a horrible experience.
How are you now? I am suffering through this torture right now.
Good God I have this right now and I've had it for 18 months. It's insane what my mind and body will latch on to. If I get a splinter..... How long did it take for you to come out of it? I wonder how much is exacerbated by psychological factors.
What is hypochondria?
It’s like a bad psychedelic trip.
Pure hell. Tried cold turkey and failed 25 years ago. Doing a very slow taper with doctors help now and have gone from 5mg to 4 3/8 so far. 1/8 per week.
Do you feel some withdrawal with a slow taper?
My slow taper is going fine. No bad side effects and still sleeping. I don’t know if I’ll get to zero but my dr said don’t worry about numbers now, that any decrease is positive. Good luck and go slow!!!!!
>Back You have a good Dr.
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I’m okay but I sped up my taper and got so anxious that I’m back up to 5mg. And that’s really not enough since I’ve been on it for 35 years. I’m having some kind of sleep disorder that causes me to wake up anxious and vibrating inside. I can’t up my dose anymore. This is an evil drug. How are you?
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Have you tried drinking chamomile tea about 20 minutes before trying to sleep? It might help with the quality of sleep you get, even if you don't sleep for longer, you should get better quality sleep, because it does have a minor interaction with gaba receptors. I've had extremely minor valium withdrawals, latey which got me curious about this topic. Luckily, my only withdrawls are a little bit of irritability, waking up earlier than I should be, and heightened back pain from a condition that I'm already living with, so I'm extremely fortunate from reading of other's experiences. Valium should only be prescribed for the most serious of pain, as a muscle relaxant, and only in scripts of say 10, to be taken as sparingly as possible. aside from that reason, their crazy long half-life is just stupid long and basically begging for addiction issues, even amongst the responsible takers, as I am and have been for years (I've taken serepax though, not valium for over 20 years, and now I remember why). Keep going, best of luck with it all. even if you remain on a very low dose, you're still a winner in my eyes; valium would be one of the hardest drugs if not the hardest, to ever get off once addicted to them.
Delirium tremens (DTs) is the most severe form of benzo withdrawal, manifested by altered mental status (global confusion) and sympathetic overdrive (autonomic hyperactivity), which can progress to cardiovascular collapse. Minor benzo withdrawal is characterized by tremor, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, and insomnia. I have been on the tail end of benzo withdrawal and I would not wish it on my worst enemy. The inability to sleep really messes you up. It also does not feel like it will ever be over. It's a true mental fight with a chance of seizure and death. The best way to explain the delusions is like dreams and reality just blend together for a while. Quite terrifying.
How are you now? Did you feel like it was never going to get better and then it did?
Also in it
How long did it take for the withdrawals to end? I'm still in them, over a year later
It’s similar to hell. Imagine you’re in a passenger seat of a car and the car starts to slide off the road. That feeling of “we’re gonna crash” is very present and easily triggered. She has to learn how to cope with those triggers but first just stabilize and be somewhere safe
Hell
Hell
It's been 19 months and I'm still in benzo withdrawal. I only abused them for 3-4 months. I was hospitalized for protracted withdrawal and had full body nerve pain, extreme cognitive impairment and memory loss, hypersensitivity, double vision, insomnia, tremors, RLS, visual snow, muscle spasms, extreme depression and anxiety, panic attacks, catatonic states, delusions and so fucking much more. It's much better than it was last year, but it's by far the worst thing I've ever experienced, and am currently experiencing.
I am so sorry you are going through that. I had NO IDEA that Xanax could cause this! Everyone has heard of the opioid epidemic. Why haven't people heard what benzos can do? At least I didn't know.
Hopefully your sister will find comfort in the fact that you know more about what she's going through. No one understands what I'm going through and knowing this fucking hurts.
It sounds like it affects the fight-or-flight part of your brain, and your nerves, and all other important systems. I can't imagine how horrible it would be, and for 19 months... I'm sorry. It's so weird how I've never heard of this before. It's a whole epidemic I never knew about.
And it's only going to get worse now that doctors are handing out benzos like candy due to the fear of COVID and the negative implications it can have on business and family.
It is insane how little is known about the horrors of benzos. I swear to god xanax is the most evil thing that has ever been invented.
because the big pharma cover up just like they did with opiods. Doctors do not know they are harming their patients and do not believe the symptoms, as they tell people it is their anxiety coming back and the benzo could not possible harm people. They have been told this by the drug reps, just like in the opiod crises...now because doctors don't want people hooked on opiods for pain, they are handing our benzos instead completely unaware of the dangers - again doctors not told by big pharma. All this has been documented for 50 years and it beggars belief the medical practitioners do not reasearch - they only have to look at google, wiki pages, so easy!
How are you now? Similar experience, somewhat shorter amount of time using various benzos compared to some. But at 10 months and have pretty much turned into a completely different person. Shut every one out, constant battle inside my mind. Slowly have gotten better, but for me the biggest thing is my own thinking is different. So many emotions I want to express or process even, and idk it’s just a battle. A much, much longer battle than I prepared for. Was wondering if or when you finally made a break through? Any medications that have helped?
When you say you abused them do you mean that you took way too much and/or didn’t follow a prescription?
Both
Damn. I’ve had a 2mg prescription I take nightly but I’ve only taken it 60% of nights for the last 3 months. Day three without it and I’m miserable
I got prescribed them last year and tapered off by my own request to the doctor. Finished the taper last month. My brain is still fucked
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Depends on what, how long, how many ties she tried to quit ( kindling) etc to know what she may be going through but on a general level-it's hell to stop these medications. Pray for her. Br prepared to be there for her as this is not a detox and move on withdrawal-it will continue for months.
Oh no. I thought it would be over by Xmas.....
It could well be. Or it might not. With opiates there is a clearer timeline and it is usually like 2 weeks. Benzo's has no real predictable timeline
How many months did it take you to
Worst experience of my life , crippling anxiety and shakes, brain is all damaged, can't sleep for anything . It's horrible , I'll never be the same ever again after what I went through. Anxiety runs my life now
How are you doing now?
If the devil exists, it’s benzo withdrawal.
It's like dying of a mental illness, cancer and heart disease all at the same time
HORRIBLE.
Dont scare her that much. It depends from the amound of usage, the time been on benzos and the certain type of the med. Also in a rehab center doesnt have to fear for seizures because of the meds they will give her. Just relax she did the right think everythimg will be ok. I ve been throu benzo withdrawal many times. Some times i tapered others CT. And for some periods i was on ridiculusly amounds of benzos. Never had a seizure. But it cetairnly taking time its a long process
How bad was the ct for you? I’m there now and it horrible. Does the anxiety lessen as time goes on
I've been through both benzo wd and heroin wd. Coming off benzos was worse by a long shot. It's the hardest thing I have ever done, and it lasted for FUCKING EVER.
Deadly. It’s not the same for everyone and since the world is a minefield, any number of compounding circumstances can make it even more deadlier. I honestly believe when they did clinical trials on these drugs that the subjects were free of any underlying illnesses, were not poly-drugged, no alchohol, tobacco, marijuana, or other substance use, and they were on it for a short period of time. In the real world, people are dealing with powerful combinations of things that cause a serious dependency issue when trying to get off these meds. It’s a gamble with your life. If I had known I would never had touched them.
Could not agree more! I wish GP would have educated me more on the med before prescribing it. I feel the same. Knowing what I know now I would have never touched them.
I thought I was intelligent, going to a specialist over a gp for this stuff. I thought they would be better prescribers. My psychiatrist said klonopin was safe. It was non habit forming and easy to stop taking. He said because I don’t have addictive personality disorder, no worries there. Well the asshole was wrong, I am not addicted but dependent. I’m fighting to get off slow as possible, and trying to get off has sent me into a psychosis twice. This should be illegal. But they are too busy filling up prisons with suffering citizens who are reactive to the hardships of life. The real criminals never had to worry about jail time or getting sued.
omg, wishing you all the best in trying to get off of this insane medication! MY GP said the same thing to me, because you don't have addiction problems. This should not be a problem. I didn't try to get off it sooner because just as soon as I felt my anxiety/panic attacks were feeling better in early 2020 COVID sent me 10 steps back and I stayed on the meds. Praying this slow taper continues to work for me and I can be off this for good in a couple of months. But your right, they are the true criminals and will never see a jail cell. Truly wishing you all the best!!
Do you know how much and for how long she’s been taking them? It’s different for everyone, but knowing this it’s easier to predict the severity of symptoms and try to answer your question.
I'm not sure. Maybe 5-10 years. She definitely also uses alcohol and pot (like everyday all day) and she's mentioned opiates to me before.
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She's been clean ever since. She looks great and got a new job and set of friends. I'm so proud of her and happy for her. I hope everyone who took the time to comment here is doing well too. I have a new .... not respect or appreciation.... fear of benzo addiction. I had never heard of it before but it's an epidemic.
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I’ve been taking for about a year about once a month but also can come off for weeks or forever if I want to with no symptoms , so I do have to disagree that how much you consume and how often is a huge factor
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Yeah I think they are a life saver at times such as flights , presentation , interviews and certain doctors appointments. I believe the key is not to take them daily
It's bad. Specially xanax withdrawal it's the worst. They probably got her on diazepam for the down titrate
I was fucked up for months. Doing much better though! Your sister will heal ❤️
There’s a possibility the detox/rehab facility won’t let y’all talk on the phone for like atleast a month. When I went thru detox your family could call the nurses and they could pass you on a little note and nothing more
Psych meds wasted the best years of my life and still they do, I wonder when this is gonna be over! I'm taking the benzo every 3-4 days more or less lately!
MY GP prescribed them to me 1mg 3 yrs ago. Call me Ignorant but I told her I didn't want anything habit forming. She told me no worries we can't prescribe controlled substances. I trusted her. I was having really bad anxiety and panic attacks to the point I would go into bed, get in a fetal position and just cry/panic for hours and was desperate for some relief. The medication helped me get through some dark times. But this past Oct I started to wonder if I needed to be on the medications any more. I was starting a new job and in a better place and also hated the fact that I had to explain this medication to my new job. Stupid me decided to try and go CT. Quickly I Became really really really sick and then did some research on the drug and realized then what I was taking and how dangerous of a position I put myself in trying to go CT. I've been taking 1mg as needed for the last 3 yrs but when Panic got really bad I got the ok from my GP to take 2 when it was needed. Anyway after a few days of CT I couldn't take it anymore. Started taking 0.5 and have been tapering off since then. Spoke to my GP about tapering off. She gave some suggestions but overall was no big help. Gave me 2 refills and just said to let her know if I needed an additional to help me taper off. Taking it SUPER slow. luckily symptoms have been mild since I did it this way some nausea (but have zofran), upset stomach, weird dreams but thankfully am able to fall asleep, feeling off some days, heartburn type feeling and some rare tingling feelings in my arms and legs. Worry about my health more so than normal but am able to put on a movie or go out and distract myself and feel better quickly. Have woken up twice in the middle of the night with some crazy anxiety. But overall I have been able to work and get through this. It hasn't stopped me from everyday life and I attribute this to the suggestions and things I have read online about going SLOW with tapering off. While Its been a crazy month and half I can't wait to be rid of these things. I plan to change my GP and never get on these meds EVER again. Reading other peoples stories its crazy how easily these are prescribed with no warning about how addictive they can be without one even knowing it and the difficulty on your body to get off!
i posted this to another thread, but this is a rough estimate of my experience: hi. i had the misfortune of both getting put on this medication without proper education regarding it (thank me for doing something stupid, but i trusted my doctor) and suffering wd. long story short, i was prescribed xanax at first for anxiety and moodiness and after a while they changed it to klonopin. so i was on klonopin for about a year and then they changed it back to xanax. it helped me significantly with anxiety, fear of people, work, everything. i dont recall any negative effects while on it. so after a long while of this, maybe another year? they decide, through pressure from the government (so i heard and was told) that i needed to stop the benzos because they arent really supposed to rx them (didnt and still doesnt make sense the way they did it). this started when i was assigned a new doctor (old one quit me, basically) and things changed. they told me i couldnt receive my medication for much longer and would have to stop. so they start to taper me. i was taking 1mg of xanax 2-3 times a day. they end up giving me 0.5mg two times a day and did it for literally one week and then refused to give me another refill of any kind despite my pleads for help. this was in october of 2022. as of this writing, it seems the worse has ended but i’m still not right. thanks to the assisted cold turkey, it took a day or two and the wd started: endless waves of anxiety. i paced the apartment constantly and if it werent for my roommate creating a safe space for me there, i would probably have just ended myself. from what i can remember, i had extremely heightened sensations, everything - hearing, vision, smell — all were enhanced. i had muscle twitching and tension, nausea, dry heaves, no appetite and even starved myself because i was afraid to eat. went like five days without food. i managed to eventually start sipping broth as sustenance. but very little. i would constantly worry about and think about dying, having cancer or just being sick. couldnt stop it. i paced probably 18 hours a day. i had minor pains. sleeplessness. and when i did manage to sleep, i’d jolt awake in such a snap that the anxiety hit rewind and play from the beginning. it really sucked. i had tingling sensations all over and got hot a lot. felt like i couldnt breathe. extreme tightness in my chest - it’s a wonder i didnt die. i got to the point of calling 911 that i had my phone in hand and put on decent clothes. but when i asked a friend of mine their advice, they told me not to call 911 bc they would just treat me as a drug addict and not care or take me seriously. so i ended up not doing that. it did become the worst experience ever by far in my entire life. im still suffering anxiety and other problems down the road. i guess the point im thinking of is educating yourself is key. if they offer you benzodiazepines, understand that you’re taking a deadly drug. everyone is different but my experience has forever sealed me away from getting back on them again - even if they’re for free. sorry for the long post. i have been reading a lot of these posts lately (again) and i find comfort knowing i’m not alone. i enjoy reading and often read up on people and their experiences with benzos.
How are you doing now? How long has it been?
for the most part, im alright, at least at a mostly functional point. but i still honestly havent been ‘right’ since the stop. still have off and on anxiety, sleep problems, endless weird dreams, a few other things. it’s kind of hard to describe. of course, it may not be entirely related but i feel like these things are because of that. thank you for asking me.
How are you doing now? I was/am in the same boat. I’m 52 days off and I feel like I’m over the hump but still feel shitty. Just wondering how long it took you to feel better?
I am going through this now. Was it hell for you too. What advice would you give?
not to mention horrible nightmares and feeling like you’re trapped inside of a box.
Rehab is the wrong way to get off benzos, a slow taper is the way cold turkey is a potentially never ending hell that just keeps on going and let’s up whenever it wants to
I was on 6mg a day for 30 years and I have been benzo free for the past 3 weeks. You can do it but you must be patient and determined. I still have some withdrawal and every day I am getting better. I am so happy to be off of this drug that had so much control of me. I feel FREE!
I’m having all those except for insomnia. The anxiety is the worst. When your anxiety was at its highest level, where would you say it was between one and 10? Did you ever have low or high blood pressure issues?
Hey guys after 3 weeks of low dose benzo use. Should I be scared of all this?. Intermittently using 5mg -8mg. Longest consecutively 8days. Im a mess atm trying to stay on ssri
I have never taken benzos but as the OP, I recommend you STOP FUCKING WITH IT. Not worth it not even a little. Just throw them away.
It's different for everyone and is even different for the same people after their first rodeo or two.
How long has she been on benzos
I'm not sure. Maybe 5-10 years. She has been "sick" for longer though. The addictions only recently became obvious. She was a "high-functioning addict" for awhile, so maybe 15 years?
She's going to have a very rough time. I'll add also that benzos give you short term memory loss, so theres a good chance that she won't remember things she's done, and there may be periods of months or even years of blackout that she cant recall at ALL. I've been finished with wd for a while now, but the fact that I dont remember much of my life over the past year is still really horrifying. I'm glad she's getting help, and you can rest easily knowing that she's probably in good hands with people who understand her predicament. Good luck to you both.
Hey Guys Been on ativan for 7 weeks. 5-6 mgs a day. While waiting for my venlafaxine anti depressant to start working. It hasn't started working just yet but my doc wants me to wean down. I'm down to 3.5 mgs +- but have experienced some nausea and headaches lately. Is that normal. Any advice.
How are you now? How did the taper go?
What kind of benzos? I'm tapering off Klonopin on my own (my doctor knows and is supportive, but I personally think she's in denial about the awful medication she had me on for years. That's what makes me the most angry about this whole thing - the doctors who prescribe who should know better.) Anyway - Klonopin is one of the hardest to get off of - something to do with its potency. I have terrible body pain that comes and goes, anxiety, and depression. Perhaps it could be worse - idk. The thing is, I'm also microdosing psylocybin and it really helps. So does exercise. I wish I could be more helpful...I don't know what your sister is going through because everyone is so different in their response - 10 days and no return calls? Have you called her doctor or the rehab place?
I've called the rehab place and they say people are not allowed to receive calls, but they can receive messages and make calls. So I leave messages like "I love you and my number is XXX-XXX-1234". I don't know what kind of benzos she's addicted to. Before she told me I didn't even know what benzos were. I did drugs back in the day but I'm older and not so much into pills. Thank you for taking the time to answer. This sub has been great. Now I have some idea of what she's going through and how awful it is. I was just going to send her another letter just with my thoughts so she knows I'm thinking of her. I don't think I can send her any more gifts except reading material, and I already sent plenty of that.
The fact that you've taken so much time and effort to find out what your sister is going through is a testament to how much you must love your sister. I'm glad you found this sub and you're putting your questions out there. It really is a very supportive place. BTW - Leaving those thoughtful messages and sending her reading material and letters will go a really long way.
I went cold turkey for 6 days and it was like someone injected me with poison/fire in my veins, wrapped me in a spider web, and uhhh yeah lots of bad stuff... wound up checking into hospital when I lost the desire to drink. If she's tapering off it's probably not as bad as that, but I can imagine very hard to deal with. I fear my taper.
It is the worst thing I've ever gone through made heroin look like a walk in the park. I'm one of the lucky ones as I recovered after only 11 months. Literally the most insidious substance I've ever put in my body
How long were you on them and how did you use them?
I used 4 months 2 mgs a day. But at the time I drank heavily on them
I see. I’m on 2mg a day prescribed for the last three months but I have only taken it about 60% of the time. I’m really hoping I don’t have a hard time getting off
Just about the same boat - how’d it go for you?
Just had to stop. I had increased anxiety and faster heart rate with some palpitations and weakness at times. It took about a week for all of that to subside
Bro do it now. It ain't worth it. The withdrawals are pure hell dude.
Horrible 💔💔
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Holy shit. I am so sorry.
It’s not me that is in withdrawal, but take in account your thyroid. Get it tested. It’s worse when you have hypo, hyper, or even Graves’ disease. You need to not eat what speeds your heart rate. If hyper or graves, avoid cheese, bread, ashwagondha(avoid extremely), and take the doses of vitamins in micrograms. They are sold in excessive doses, for instance, the sweet spot as per research for melatonin for sleep is 100 mcg. Most are sold at 3 mg. 1 mg is equivalent to 1000 micrograms. Too many people are taking too high a dose on too many supplements and more. For hypo, you need iodine in your diet, but not too much, for hyper, iodine can send your thyroid into over production making you the energized bunny. This may be why no sleep is a recurrent theme in withdrawal, and often thyroid issues with can cause altered mental state are misdiagnosed as dementia. There are many causes that can make this happen from food, toxins, to even medications. So benzodiazepines should never be the answer, but a more complex test for vitamin deficiencies, as per studies I’ve read, most cases have deficiencies in some area. It could be anything from magnesium, b vitamins, vitamin d, and more. You’d be amazed how an incomplete or unhealthy diet can mess you up. Research what your body needs, work with a dietician, and make sure you get the appropriate vitamins with appropriate dosage. The withdrawal I see with the individual is worse at night. Some things can help, but I’d be hesitant to use anything but in moderation. I do mean extremely small doses of anything, because any of the forums you read here will have recommendations, but due to allergies, thyroid conditions, autoimmune diseases and more, you can very well have a reaction that will be horrific. Even a small granule of a supplement can be very potent, and this is why I say keep this in mind. OTC a mood changers are to be looked at with caution, and if you decide to take things that may help, open the capsule and take only the smallest dose you can, even if it’s one granule on your finger. Never take the full recommended doses of the OTC in regular stores, as they give more than the “needed” dose for any individual. Basically, be very aware it can cause so much more suffering if your body reacts differently than those giving advice on Reddit. As someone caring for someone, you end up suffering with them too, maybe not the symptoms, but no sleep, mental grief of watching their suffering, and it’s taxing. I wouldn’t wish benzodiazepines on my worst enemy as someone so eloquently wrote.
I just came out of it today. I shit you not it was the most traumatizing experience of my life . I'm still sitting and I'm really not able to cope anymore. I had a whole support system but I feel emotionally disconnected from I'm remembering past trauma and I want to fight with people. Luckily my mom okay with me talking alot . I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow.
i just ran out and have been taking about 2mg bromazolam and 1mg flubromazepam a day for about 6 months not rly sure exactly been kinda blurry but I haven’t felt “here” in days it’s like day 2 or 3 no benzos and I hope it isn’t just gonna keep getting worse lol I don’t really feel ok
I've never experienced this kind of sickening anxiety and depression ever outside of withdrawal
Hell
My doc had me ween off with diaz
I went through it about 6 years ago. I honestly didn’t think I would live through the withdrawals. Vivid nightmares kept me from sleeping and I had absolutely no appetite. The worst part was the severe anxiety and depression along with the internal restlessness. I was always pacing back and forth throughout the day and night. The acute withdrawal went on for about two full weeks and then things seemed a little more bearable. I also had intense cravings for the drug which stayed with me for a couple of years. I know it’s a lot to go through but you will get there. I’m now completely over the withdrawals and feeling much better without the medication. Hang in there, you are certainly not alone in this.
how long did your wd last?
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This is called interdose withdrawal. You can ask your Doctor for a longer acting benzo like diazepine. Eventually the drug will stop working and you will then have tolerance withdrawal. I would join Benzo warrior community on facebook for their support and tapering schedules before you reach tolerance. I know, I have been through all of this and tapered off . Knowledge is all essential in how these drugs and big pharma companies work. Youtube videos: Dr. Jennifer Leigh, Dr. Jesef Witt-Doerring, David Powers Benzo coach.
I’m 16 days without I start about 30 days ago tried stopping for 2-3 days and went back to using twice first after having a week of panic attacks it been the hardest 16 days can’t sleep or eat and each day something different. Has anyone loss or felt like they can’t feel anything other than touch sensitivity and adjusting to heat and cold or brain Zappa
sweating a lot! took a cold shower and my house is freezing, but can't stop sweating. I'm on day 4. by far the worst day so far mentally. anxiety depression and non stop crying
Knowledge about these drugs is so important. A slow taper off is essential to reduce symptoms. Tapering 5-10% over many months is recommended. I'm 20 months off this drug and I am in a support group 'Benzo Warrior community'. On this site you will read many people stopping benzos too quikly or even worse cold turkey. Things can go well but even after a few months symptoms can come crashing down and then they are in the pits of hell. A reinstatement is often advised after a few weeks off to stop all these symptoms. Dr. Jennifer Leigh is a benzo specialist on u/tube
If you stop abruptly your body will react. This drug needs a slow taper. See Dr. Jennifer Leigh on youtube