Benzo & GABA deficient

Hi all,

 

I am almost finished with a micro-taper of liquid Librium and I am feeling horrible. My entire nervous system is in extreme

over-excitation.  Have I reached a point in my taper where I could be benzo and GABA deficient?? I am holding my current dose of .56, low I am told, and can not continue forward with even the smallest cut of .002. Could it be possible that my dose is so low that my body doesn't recognize it, yet I am not healed enough to start producing GABA on Thanks,

my own?

 

Perhaps I should post the question to the Titration Taper Board? Not too sure. Any sugestions???

 

Thanks,

DF

 

 

 

 

 

Hi there:

 

You don't have a signature so I can't tell. And yes, you might to check out the Titration board.. ~ Bets

It's my understanding we aren't really GABA deficient...the GABA receptors are unable yet to attract the GABA that is always present.  Perhaps GABA receptors begin to up-regulate during a slow taper, I'm not sure whether anyone knows this for certain yet. 

 

However, once we're completely benzo free the healing begins for certain.  The length of time it takes for the GABA receptors and central nervous system to heal varies greatly from person to person.

Hi Challis99,

 

Thanks for the much needed info. It was my understanding that once we substitute the GABA for our own GABA, our body automatically stops producing what is need to balance us. Not that anything has been proven as of yet. So in any event, the healing doesn't truly start until we are completely benzo free. I know that we do heal as we taper, but you are saying true consistent healing. Ok, so then I may want to consider jumping at this point. You had mentioned in a previous post of mine that I probably wouldn't feel a great difference if I were off at 0.56, and that was my thinking as well.

 

Much appreciated,

DF

I did the equivalents for Xanax and Librium to see what sort of dose you were on and .56 seems very low.  Don't jump on my advice though... that should be your call.    My thoughts were that you are probably going to be feeling pretty much the same symptoms whether you're on or off at this point, but you're the only one who knows what happens when you cut your dose. 

 

If you're still having heightened w/d symptoms with each cut, I'd keep cutting rather than jump, I guess, even tho the dose is so small. 

 

 

i was always under the impression that healing immediately begins to take place once you begin a taper of any kind; be it cut & hold or daily/micro. that was what i was taught when i first joined. 

i was always under the impression that healing immediately begins to take place once you begin a taper of any kind; be it cut & hold or daily/micro. that was what i was taught when i first joined.

 

Hi, I don't think any definitive research has been done on this, and I really don't know for sure when healing begins.  However, I think most "old timers" like me tend to think that one has to be off benzos completely for real healing to start.  When I first joined this group 2.5 years ago, that was the general consensus...and of course, it may vary from person to person as so many things in benzo withdrawal do!

 

ty Megan, if that's the case i just might consider jumping off where i'm at right now. i mean if you consider you might still have paws to deal with, what's the point in tapering? thanks again, bjunk.

If we didn't heal as we taper, what would be the reason to taper?

ty Megan, if that's the case i just might consider jumping off where i'm at right now. i mean if you consider you might still have paws to deal with, what's the point in tapering? thanks again, bjunk.

 

If we didn't heal as we taper, what would be the reason to taper?

 

For me, the point in tapering was simply that tapering creates milder withdrawal symptoms than going off cold turkey, and tapering usually prevents seizures--and I had done a cold turkey previously from Xanax in 2009, and suffered absolutely hellish w/d symptoms from that, so I knew how awful those symptoms can be....

ok, i am thoroughly and completely lost. i'm not a masochist but i think a few weeks of pain might beat 6 more months of tapering.

ok, i am thoroughly and completely lost. i'm not a masochist but i think a few weeks of pain might beat 6 more months of tapering.

 

A few weeks of pain?!  You're kidding, right? My advice is to take a look at some of the stories on the "cold turkey" board before you consider doing a c/t!

hi Megan, you said everyone is different when it comes to all aspects of this...i might be one of the lucky ones....only one way to find out!

tc, bjunk

 

 

Hi Challis99...I welcome any advice, but I can assure you that I wouldn't consider jumping unless it was in my best interest to do so. I need to weigh all of my options before making such a huge decision. However, I agree that I probably wont be feeling any worse if I do jump at this point. I was hoping as I rode this out, I would be feeling pretty good the closer I got to zero. Unfortunately, I think that because I was in tolerance withdrawal for years prior to tapering, I'm never really going to feel good. I do think that if I can get to the other side safely and quickly, I'll be feeling better once I dump this crap. Let's hope!

 

Thanks,

DF

ty Megan, if that's the case i just might consider jumping off where i'm at right now. i mean if you consider you might still have paws to deal with, what's the point in tapering? thanks again, bjunk.

 

If we didn't heal as we taper, what would be the reason to taper?

For me, the point in tapering was simply that tapering creates milder withdrawal symptoms than going off cold turkey, and tapering usually prevents seizures--and I had done a cold turkey previously from Xanax in 2009, and suffered absolutely hellish w/d symptoms from that, so I knew how awful those symptoms can be....

 

And why do you suppose "...tapering creates milder withdrawal symptoms"?

 

Answer:  Because we are recovering (healing) as we slowly reduce ("taper") our dosage.

Hey builder....I as well have been told that true healing didn't start until we no longer have any of the drug flowing through our veins. Contrary to what I have been told, there is no doubt in my mind that we do heal as we taper. Although I am still struggling, there has been mammoth improvements in my cognitive clarity. My symptoms may still be horrific, but not as relentless. I recover quicker. However, I don't want to underestimate the validity that once we no longer have the drug doing the job, our body will resume it's normal function. There is also an immense mental dividend in knowing that we are no longer a prisoner to these drugs.

 

It is my hope that once my brain begins to heal that my body will follow suit; the muscle tone, hair, skin and the many systems that encompass the body will begin to correct itself. I wonder if we will ever be what we once were mentally and physically, prior to withdrawal? Let's hope!!

 

DF