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Taper or stabilize


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I am in a horrible place and need guidance. I have long Covid and it’s made me very sick. I have lost a lot of weight, I’m weak, in pain, and the anxiety from having my autonomic nervous system not working is horrid. I’m locked in fight or flight. It has done a number on my brain and many of the meds I’ve taken for years I now can’t. My CNS feels shredded. I would never choose this time to taper. I’d heal some first, and then begin. My problem is that the anxiety from the long Covid is so severe that it mimics what tolerance would possibly feel like….at least that’s what I’ve heard from a member here also suffering long Covid. I don’t feel my K right now but my anxiety is extreme because physiologically my brain has been tormented. My physician, my counselor and my PT all tell me to increase .5, stabilize, give my CNS a little break and taper when I’ve healed some from this. I know updosing is very frowned upon, but I’m feeling frantic because I’m really not well. I want to do what’s smart. Can an admin give me some advice here? I thank you 
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I’m probably the last person you need to hear from since I didn’t taper but I agree with your team, you’re in rough shape!  I’m so sorry to hear about the long Covid, one of our administrators was dealing with it while tapering but I’m not sure what she did.  She’s not been around much because she has some personal commitments but I’m going to let her know you need to hear from someone who’s been there.

 

 

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Thank you so much, Pamster! It’s really a horrid situation. Long Covid mimics what I’m certain tolerance w/d would feel like as well so my brain is constantly toying with me. The virus entered our brains and the damage to our neurotransmitters is crazy.

I want to stay ahead of tolerance of there’s any way it’s a factor. I had zero issues with that prior to civid so I assume it’s long Covid.

Trying to get a firm grip on a tapering plan and torn between water and dry cut. If anyone has had success with one or the other or opinions I would love to hear.

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Thank you. I do understand. I have faith in my medical team on many issues. Unfortunately, benzos are NOT one of them. They think nothing of what dose I’m on and I know would give me 4 mg K per day if asked. My PT made the comment that if I went up 0.5 for awhile I could easily just drop that back to 1 mg in a week. So…..I agree I need CNS stability but trust in their handling of benzos I do NOT have. I get your point, however :)
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I'm certainly not an admin, but I have Long Covid and I can tell you my experience. It's gradually improving. Gradually. Mine is/was neurological, not respiratory and I've had it for 14 months. What's what's better is my fatigue, dizziness, breathlessness, and cog fog. I was in bed for a week at the beginning and seriously affected by LC after that for about 3 months. then things began slowwwwwwly to improve. I am not well, but I'm about 50% better. Don't know if that will help. I wish I have better news . . . but everyone's different and you may recover faster than I did/am. As for tapering a benzo, I would sure wait until my LC resolved a little more if I were you. Could I taper now? Yes. Could I have tapered 14 months ago? No.

 

Best to you and feel better,

 

Katz

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Thank you oregonkatz. I’m in an awful way here. My LC is entirely neurological as well. I’m on month 8 but rather than improving I’m consistently worsening in my most severe symptom which is tremor/vibrations. I’m now suffering a lot of GI distress as well. My fear is that the LC did such a number on my brain that my K has quit working. I can’t really call it tolerance or perhaps long Covid flipped me in to tolerance. I was absolutely great and handling my med with success prior to my infection, but immediately after I started suffering increased tremors in my head and vibrations, crying jags, anxiety, insomnia, etc.  All of this can also be part of LC so it’s been tough to differentiate what’s causing my symptoms but they are so bad im becoming terrified that if this is tolerance that I am getting close to getting myself to an ER due to the severe tremor and fear being taken off my benzo abruptly and I will absolutely not go through a cold turkey. There’s my dilemma. If it’s the benzo I need to go up or down. I hate up because it leaves me a longer taper time ahead and also I have no idea if an increase will help with my brain in this mess. If I slowwwwly decrease maybe I could actually get a little relief? I don’t know. My doc doesn’t know I would try to taper. I’m pretty frantic here at 3 am tremorimg in my bed and nauseated.
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I also had LC and I think* I've recovered from it. I cannot say for certain because like you said it's very much the same as benzo withdrawal. But I think what is left now is withdrawal symptoms only.

 

I had severe fatigue and neurological issues. My initial Covid infection was brutal, I was extremely sick and I just never recovered from it - I went straight into LC. A lot of people with LC recovered from their original infection and then suddenly relapse after a month or so. I never had that. I was just sick for months and months. Mine also got gradually better. Around the 10 month mark I felt like I had recovered from it.

 

After two months of my Covid infection and going into LC I started tapering. I figured I was feeling like *&^$^&$ anyway, so I might as well taper. I tapered very slowly (based on what was normal tapering for me) and I didn't feel the reductions. Maybe because the LC was so bad? Anyway, for me it was the right decision because I reduced and the LC got better. The reason I think I'm over the LC is because the fatigue is gone now. I still have the neurological stuff but I had all off that prior to Covid as well, it was just much worse during LC.

 

I do think the stress of this situation makes your symptoms worse. I'm done tapering and I'm recovering and I can feel when I'm stressed I'm going right back into a wave. So I think for you it must be so much worse. Please try not to overthink it and worry about what could possibly be such as tolerance. Just take it one day at a time. Your body is under enormous pressure. You just need to make a decision you feel is right for you, right now and then be kind to yourself. Trust yourself. I know it's difficult, but you do you best. And whatever you decide is not set in stone. You can choose a course of action/non-action for a period of time and then re-evaluate it again. You've got this and we've got you! :smitten:

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Jelly Baby you are the best! Thank you. Yes tolerance and LC mimic one another exactly and it becomes impossible to know what is causing what. I too have all the neurological symptoms. It’s just awful. I’m at 8 months so maybe there will be a light soon. I appreciate you. Now……I just need to get my brain to settle confidently into a taper plan. I loved the idea of water taker. I felt confident and like I could handle it and I could microtaper and go slowly if I wanted to even do 0.5 ml daily etc.  my concerns is those that say the pill doesn’t dissolve so I never know what I’m getting. Is there something to add besides alcohol to make it more of a home liquid preparation?

 

We bought a Gemini 20 scale. My husband will assist. We just are uncertain of this process. I believe we go off the weight of the pill and then file……I’m already lost  :( >

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I have the same dilemma. I'm at 0.5 ativan and have reached tolerance. I'm not sure if I should use a dry taper or a water taper. My psychiatrist is useless and said I could just go off the medication. I'm getting sicker every day from tolerance and have no idea where to go from here.
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Eura did you ever find an answer to your dilemma? Did you start a taper due to being in tolerance? Which taper method did you choose, if so. I’m hoping you are doing better?
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