Serepax information

[[Buddie]]

I’ve read that Covid mimics withdrawal symptoms, it attacks us neurologically just as benzo’s do so I’m not surprised you’ve been confused as to what is causing what but I’m glad to hear it may be lifting a bit. What you describe sounds miserable though, that screwdriver in the nose made me wince.

As for your doses, as long as you take your dose within that 24 hour time frame, you can dose at whatever time suits your needs.  Some will keep the night dose heavy to aid in sleep, others will take more in the morning to combat the horrible morning anxiety so no worries about your dose choices. 

I’m not familiar with Panadol and don’t know if you can build a tolerance to it but tapering off of it might not be a good idea while you’re recovering from Covid as well as tapering the Serapax.

[[Buddie]]

Hello, my blood pressure is up today 83/152.  My head was getting worse as the next dose was approaching.  Not too bad after a couple of hours.  I will have to keep monitoring it before I start reducing.  Can I please have information regarding just cutting only my afternoon dose and leaving the night one as is.  Is that possible or recommended to do it this way?
Thanking you

[[Buddie]]

I’ve read that Covid mimics withdrawal symptoms, it attacks us neurologically just as benzo’s do so I’m not surprised you’ve been confused as to what is causing what but I’m glad to hear it may be lifting a bit. What you describe sounds miserable though, that screwdriver in the nose made me wince.

As for your doses, as long as you take your dose within that 24 hour time frame, you can dose at whatever time suits your needs.  Some will keep the night dose heavy to aid in sleep, others will take more in the morning to combat the horrible morning anxiety so no worries about your dose choices. 

I’m not familiar with Panadol and don’t know if you can build a tolerance to it but tapering off of it might not be a good idea while you’re recovering from Covid as well as tapering the Serapax.

[...]: Panadol is just a paracetamol brand name, generally comes as 500mg tablets. Basic headache tablets. The Codeine in the Cipla tablet is an opioid (addictive), so I imagine it would probably be best to avoid trying to taper that one whilst also tapering Serapax.

[[Buddie]]

Hello, my blood pressure is up today 83/152.  My head was getting worse as the next dose was approaching.  Not too bad after a couple of hours.  I will have to keep monitoring it before I start reducing.  Can I please have information regarding just cutting only my afternoon dose and leaving the night one as is.  Is that possible or recommended to do it this way?
Thanking you

Hi [...]

Ive had a brief discussion with [...], and she felt that it was a good idea to share my own personal experience with Oxazepam.

So Oxazepam is a short half life benzo 3-25hrs, and what I found was that I would start experiencing inter-dose withdrawals within 4 hrs of dosing. After reading your thread, I get the sense that you are experiencing the onset of inter-dose withdrawals between doses. If I were in your position, I would avoid tapering away anymore of your daily dose, and start tapering your nightly dose, if you are feeling stabile enough to do so. It’s very difficult to gain or maintain stability through your taper if you are experiencing inter-dose withdrawals, as your blood serum levels of the medication are continually plunging between doses. The last thing I would want to see you do is taper your daily dose away completely and the experience terrible interdose withdrawals between one nightly dose until the next. You simply won’t remain stabile. I also think it may be worth thinking about splitting your doses so you are dosing 3 times per day to keep your blood serum levels more even throughout a 24 hr period. I’m actually tapering from Valium, but I chose to dose twice a day and my taper strategy is to taper 5% of my total daily dose, but I’m tapering both of my daily doses at the same time, so reducing 2.5% from each of my daily doses every 14 days. I don’t need to do this because it’s Valium and I could probably combine the doses and dose just once per day, but if I were tapering Oxazepam, personally, I would choose to dose several times per day and taper from all 3 at the same time to keep those blood serum levels even throughout the day. So if I were tapering at 5% every 14 days, I would reduce each or those doses by 1.666% to make up the 5%, and this way I avoid creating interdose withdrawals by tapering one dose too low, or altogether. If you want to discuss any of this further and have any questions, please go ahead. 

[[Buddie]]

Hello,


I am feeling much better the bp is going down and my balance is almost normal.  I have long Covid now but because my nausea levels are not too bad I’m able to take my Chinese herbs for Covid.  After a week I have definitely improved, all my Covid symptoms are manageable.  I am not continuing my taper until Covid is out of my system.  My body cannot do 2 healings at a time.  I just have to be patient.  I finally managed to have my Christmas with my family, able to cook the food so I was grateful and pleased.

Thanks for your help

[[Buddie]]

You’re very welcome!

So glad to hear things have improved!

It’s very wise for you to hold while dealing with the long Covid, many others here have done, or are doing the very same. 

[[Buddie]]

Hello,
Thanks for all your help. Because I only took serepax at 10 at night for sleep, I thought the best thing is to taper backwards the same way.  Couldn’t maintain the first drastic cut back of course so added the morning and afternoon small amounts after 2-3 months later.  I thought because I had the one dose day for so many years the quicker I got to that point would be better.  So firstly combined the 2 daytime doses together then started reducing that one.  Still not sure of what to do.  Have others started this journey by taking only one a day like me and have had to spread their dose throughout the day for tapering?  The information from WinterSun suggests otherwise.  I’m just scared of the blackouts. I don’t want to risk another as it sets me back too much.  I’m frighten if I keep with what I’ve been doing I will not read the signs quick enough to make appropriate adjustments.  When I think back over October, just before my last taper I did notice my body change, maybe I should have held it at that point until I felt things settle.  Maybe it was my bp changing,  I don’t know, now I have a monitor I could check that out at least. 
My doctor doesn’t talk to me about the benzo stuff,  she initially wanted me to go on another drug at the same time which I am very reluctant to do.  I lean more towards
Chinese medicine as a preferred way to help keep my body and especially my organs maintained healthy.  Her father put me on the benzos years ago, and although I was in withdrawal and told her some symptoms, she didn’t say anything other we have to take more of it as the body gets used to it.  She was happy with the dose I was taking 30mg  to sleep and another 7 some mornings when I woke at 4 am. I go to my Chinese practitioner weekly.  He knew I took something to sleep for the pain but never talked about what it was or the quantities I was taking.  As you know it has taken 30 years of usage to get to this point so I felt I wasn’t abusing it or the awful repercussions of what it was doing.  Totally ignorant, like many people’s stories that I have read.  I only went to My doctor for serepax and painkillers renewal scripts.  I have tried to avoid western medications because I prefer the more natural remedies.  Of course neuropathic pain is something else entirely.  As I have said, I can cope in the day,  it night I need to sleep.  Have tried neuropathic pain medication and it reduced it moderately but I still needed extra to sleep.  Felt it wasn’t worth taking both.  Just learned to live in pain like many others.  We struggle with it and try to work our way through it all.
I see my doctor on Friday, have a bp chart happening so we’ll see what she has to say.
Thanks for listening
Thanks for listening

[[Buddie]]

Hello,
I still have long Covid so not able to start tapering again.
I have been put on Telmisartan 20mg for my blood pressure.  It was reading about 180 at its highest and averaging 160 which is a bit high.  I was wondering if this medication is affecting is the benzo withdrawal process.  I would really appreciate if anyone can help.
Thanks for your time

Shirley

[[Buddie]]

Have you checked for interactions between the oxazepam and telmisartan … as well as any other prescriptions medications, herbs, and supplements you are taking?

Drug Interactions Checker - For Drugs, Food & Alcohol
https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html
(includes interactions with food as well as a ‘Professional’ tab for in-depth information about the interaction.)

Drug Interaction Checker - DrugBank
https://go.drugbank.com/drug-interaction-checker
(includes citations to relevant literature)

[[Buddie]]

Hello again,
I want to try to cut down my nightly dose.  My 15 mg serepax tablet weighs 192gr, if I cut down to 191 gr, what % is that cut?   Sorry, not to good with my maths, can someone help please?  I would like to try to cut down my daily dose too from 57g to 56. Not sure if I can manage that on both. What would that daily dose cut be?  I would appreciate your input.  Thanks, shirley