Canadian Eh? Pre and post withdrawal support

Hi all, do any of you know a benzo wise doctor in ottawa?

Thanks.

 

Hi Mozzer,

 

I don't know one, I wish I did, but there were a couple good candidates. I will message you their names. One I tried to see but he wasn't taking patients and I think the other one mostly serves french patients at Montfort. I had never realized how crappy our healthcare system was until now

Just wanted to say hi - eh to my fellow Canadians. I know of a Benzo-wise doctor in Kingston, Ontario.

Just wanted to say hi - eh to my fellow Canadians. I know of a Benzo-wise doctor in Kingston, Ontario.

 

Hi Optimist,

 

I'm quite interested. I've had no luck in Ottawa. If you could PM me that would be awesome. Thanks. I raise my glass of maple syrup to thee

Just wanted to say hi - eh to my fellow Canadians. I know of a Benzo-wise doctor in Kingston, Ontario.

 

Hi Optimist,

 

I'm quite interested. I've had no luck in Ottawa. If you could PM me that would be awesome. Thanks. I raise my glass of maple syrup to thee

 

Sure, will do.  Anything for a fellow Canuck.

No miracles here unfortunately. 2 years... tried everything. What month is everyone in? Are you all working / functional?

 

Not much support here in Canada unfortunately....

 

Hope you all are doing well'ish.

No miracles here unfortunately. 2 years... tried everything. What month is everyone in? Are you all working / functional?

 

Not much support here in Canada unfortunately....

 

Hope you all are doing well'ish.

 

Hi Colley,

 

Not working for almost 10 months now. I hope to be again. I struggle with panic attacks. No there isn't much support - at least where I live. How are you doing?

Hi guys,

Fellow Canucks,

I'm here on the West Coast.  The only real support is someone who posts flyers about the dangers of benzos all over the place.  They are everywhere!

My doc is supportive but clueless.  I do appreciate her willingness to simply go along with whatever I am suggesting however.  thank you for that doc.

My pace has slowed down to slug slow, slower than a slug, glacial pace. 

So be it

Halloween!

Anyone else here sing at doors instead of saying trick or treat?  "Halloween apples --  Pennies for Unicef"  Whoa so dating myself here, but ...

:smitten:

SS

Hi guys,

Fellow Canucks,

I'm here on the West Coast.  The only real support is someone who posts flyers about the dangers of benzos all over the place.  They are everywhere!

My doc is supportive but clueless.  I do appreciate her willingness to simply go along with whatever I am suggesting however.  thank you for that doc.

My pace has slowed down to slug slow, slower than a slug, glacial pace. 

So be it

Halloween!

Anyone else here sing at doors instead of saying trick or treat?  "Halloween apples --  Pennies for Unicef"  Whoa so dating myself here, but ...

:smitten:

SS

 

What do the posters say? At least they are doing that!!

 

I remember when I was young they used t ask me to sing for my candy and I flat out refused LOL!

 

What are your symptoms in withdrawal - are you functional?

 

 

Hi guys,

Fellow Canucks,

I'm here on the West Coast.  The only real support is someone who posts flyers about the dangers of benzos all over the place.  They are everywhere!

My doc is supportive but clueless.  I do appreciate her willingness to simply go along with whatever I am suggesting however.  thank you for that doc.

My pace has slowed down to slug slow, slower than a slug, glacial pace. 

So be it

Halloween!

Anyone else here sing at doors instead of saying trick or treat?  "Halloween apples --  Pennies for Unicef"  Whoa so dating myself here, but ...

:smitten:

SS

 

What do the posters say? At least they are doing that!!

 

I remember when I was young they used t ask me to sing for my candy and I flat out refused LOL!

 

What are your symptoms in withdrawal - are you functional?

The posters are pretty amazing.  Talking about the dangers of benzo use, giving the Ashton website.  Quotes from docs saying they'd rather get 100 people off heroin than 1 off Xanax.  Describing z-drugs as benzos and stating that most doctors don't give that info.

 

We used to get people to come to the door by singing, not on demand -- we were the demanding ones    Halloween was fun!

 

My sxs are mainly physical -- I am mostly functional -- for months I was not, but I slowed things down.

Although any tiny cuts can wipe me out.  bad chest pain, fatigue, cog fog etc.  Only lasts for a day but I am only cutting the tiniest of amounts at this point.

You? How is your taper going?  Or are you off and in recovery mode?

 

Hi guys,

Fellow Canucks,

I'm here on the West Coast.  The only real support is someone who posts flyers about the dangers of benzos all over the place.  They are everywhere!

 

These are probably from either the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition or World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day (W-BAD)

 

http://benzoinfo.com/about/

 

http://w-bad.org/about/

 

Do any of these handouts look familiar? http://w-bad.org/handouts/

Or do the posters and stickers look like this? 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=165785.0

Or do the posters and stickers look like this? 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=165785.0

 

Nice benzohno! Those seem appropriately scary

Thanks Data_Guy! 

 

They're looking more like this now-- without the face and with "benzoinfo.com" on the bottom.  This is page 4 of that thread and scroll down:  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=165785.30

 

SS, I'm on the West Coast too.

 

Happy Halloween Canadian friends.

Thanks Data_Guy! 

 

They're looking more like this now-- without the face and with "benzoinfo.com" on the bottom.  This is page 4 of that thread and scroll down:  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=165785.30

 

SS, I'm on the West Coast too.

 

Happy Halloween Canadian friends.

 

with all those posters around that I see we're probably neighbours! 

SS

Thank you for all the nice things you said about the posters before I came on SS and for bumping up the thread in Chewing the Fat.  I'm thrilled and feel even more motivated, knowing they are being seen.  I really have put up a lot in this 'hood.  I get a bit obsessive about it.  Do all BBs from this West Coast live in the same neighbourhood?  LOL 

Thank you for all the nice things you said about the posters before I came on SS and for bumping up the thread in Chewing the Fat.  I'm thrilled and feel even more motivated, knowing they are being seen.  I really have put up a lot in this 'hood.  I get a bit obsessive about it.  Do all BBs from this West Coast live in the same neighbourhood?  LOL 

 

 

Omygoodness, it is such a small world, that is so cool you guys are basically neighbors 

 

Perhaps we should all start distributing posters - get people talking Anybody live near a major news outlet?

I think that's a very good idea.  In fact I have put them up around the CBC station and one outside of Global News offices. 

 

Yes, small world.   I was saying on the other thread, there is someone else on BB who also is in this neighbourhood.  I also saw him mention the posters and asked him where he'd seen them and he named the streets.  I just thought and hoped someone else was postering in another part of the world, but it was here and mine. 

I think that's a very good idea.  In fact I have put them up around the CBC station and one outside of Global News offices. 

 

Yes, small world.   I was saying on the other thread, there is someone else on BB who also is in this neighbourhood.  I also saw him mention the posters and asked him where he'd seen them and he named the streets.  I just thought and hoped someone else was postering in another part of the world, but it was here and mine. 

Dare I ask what streets? 

I'm not sure I should say publicly on this thread.  We were in the protracted section.  How about this, I'll say there is a library there and a Shoppers.  One street starts with an "S" and the other an "H"-- My "stomping grounds".  Familiar?

I'm not sure I should say publicly on this thread.  We were in the protracted section.  How about this, I'll say there is a library there and a Shoppers.  One street starts with an "S" and the other an "H"-- My "stomping grounds".  Familiar?

Not too great... worst week yet I think. Suffering a lot of depression and fatigue... Tinnitus is blaring today. I think I'm just sitting around waiting to die at this point however hopeless and negative that sounds. I've been doing this (nothing) for a long time. I was still somewhat hopeful at 10 months though so hang in there... things could get better for you sooner than later.

Hi fellow Canucks,

 

How is everyone doing? SS, Optimist, colley, Sam, Mozzer, benzohno? Just thought I'd check in on your guys.

 

It's business as usual here in Ottawa. Politicians are arguing and blaming each other for something or other, the Senators are playing what I would describe as a poor imitation of hockey, and the weather outside is...wintry, if not frightful.

 

I'm doing a bit better. I'm on about my 20th experimental intervention to get me out of this pit. This time I am trying intermittent fasting. Seems I've improved quite a bit with it (whether due to the fasting or not, who knows?). Since I started fasting, my sleep and energy have improved, consistently sleeping around 4.5 hours per night (up from around 3) and am able to walk for about an hour a day plus workout 2 or 3 times per week on top of that. I've also gained a few pounds, which is good because I lost a ton of weight during withdrawal (the benzo seemed to have caused a lot of damage to my digestive system). I have also started playing dodgeball consistently, which, wow, nothing has had a negative impact on me the next day like the first few times I played dodgeball. I felt like my nervous system was on fire for about 48 hours afterwards, but the next couple times I played it got more bearable. I think it's the fact that there is so much sensory input from all directions, combined with exercise and an unfamiliar environment.

 

Intermittent fasting is not as bad as it sounds. You basically just limit your food intake to a continuous 12 hour window in one day. If you want you can even do 8 hours. I tried to do one meal a day for a few days but abandoned it, because my digestive system is not quite healed enough to manage taking in over 2000 calories of a ketogenic diet in one meal. But I have been doing the 12 hour window, and stretching the fasting period to 16 hours when I can. It is supposedly neuroprotective and helps with body composition (more muscle mass). It also helps set your circadian rhythms.

 

I'm not sure whether you guys have reported your adverse effects to Health Canada, but I'd highly recommend that. Very few people actually do, so when a number of patients report they've had a severe, disabling withdrawal reaction or adverse event, it has a multiplier effect and they take notice. You can report it here, at the Canada Vigilance Program: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/medeffect-canada/canada-vigilance-program.html

 

Maybe if we combine our energies, we can actually get the regulators in this country to do their job and limit physicians' prescriptions to the maximum recommended time of 2-4 weeks. These reactions have been known about for something like 40 years, so there should be no excuse for physician ignorance on this issue. I think they just need a reminder from their oversight bodies

 

Please let us know how you're doing when you get the chance. We don't want to leave any Canadian buddies behind in withdrawal (or any buddies, for that matter).

 

 

This American just wanted to stop by and say Rush and Triumph rule, and thank you for them. Im a Rush fanatic, seen them over 30 times including the time machine show in cleveland that got filmed.

Bless all of you and hang in there!

Hi All,

Data Guy, thanks for posting that link and your report on intermittent fasting.  I'm so glad that it is allowing you to do more. 

I too -- like you --  have tried everything that I have come across to help with this whole ordeal.. Intermittent fasting interfered with my sleep much to my chagrin.  I know that there are so many health benefits to it and that it does wonders for some people.

 

I have been using a supplement that has been really helping me though -- Lithium orotate.  It's not available in Canada, but after all the reading and researching I did before starting the supplement, it is safe.  It's inexpensive too not like some of the other supplements I've purchased and is readily available in the US for about $8 a bottle.

 

This is not to be confused with lithium carbonate that is available by prescription only and is used for bi-polar disorder and as an adjunct to some anti-depressants.

 

Lithium rotate can get through the blood brain barrier and works directly with glutamate excitotoxicity.  I also works directly with the calcium channels that get confused through benzo use.

 

I've been using it for 2 weeks  and in that time I have been able to do my micro taper daily.  (Before this i was tapering for 3 days, holding for 3 days).  I am still tapering at a very conservative rate of 5% a month as I was so sick from tapering too quickly in the beginning.  But the addition of this supplement has made tapering relatively easy! 

 

PM me if you want any more info about it.  My doc is fine with me taking it and a pharmacist is looking up in their data base any research that may have been done and is available only to pharmacists.

 

I feel so relieved as I wasn't sure how I was ever going to get off this stuff!  Now I believe that continuing a sensible % micro taper I'll be off in a few years.    Sure is a lot better than never.

 

Really want to let people know about this.

SS