Updosing Support Group

[[Buddie]]

Hi all   


I've started a support  as there's is quiet a few of us on here that have had to up-dosed or recently, or are seriously  considering it, and other than posting all over the forum there's no actual support for those of us who have actually done it, or want to try it. And  If you do post regarding up-dosing your more likely to get frighted off by  people who haven't tried it giving negative replies out of fear of what they've read with no actual personal experience, or they did it as a one off and it never worked.


Or they took a tiny insignificant dose that would never had worked as it was way too low to be of any help.  I up-dosed just over 10 weeks ago and am still cycling with symptoms. People also need to know that  as it can commonly  take anything  from a few weeks up to a few months to stabilise. Its not often you get relief in a matter of days, and most people don't hold the up-dose long enough for it to work, and some peole will actually feel worse before they feel better that's another common factor.


And sometimes you may feel your going backwards before you establish stability too, you have to have patience and hang in there. I've had some oh my God WTF !! days then the next, day has been really good, as  its not linear while you wait to stabilise, it still shocks me how things can turn around for no logical reason I can find anyway.


And you will still get waves  before you stabilise, that's another reason people think the updose has gone wrong as they expect instant stability or at the very  least 3 days then it should  work. That not true, in most cases it takes a longer time time, I was I a mess at  3.45mg and barely surviving  struggling to get under 4mg for the last 2 years and couldn't taper no more so up-dosed back to 5mg where I was last in January 2015, on November 19th 2016.



My original dose was 20mg and it took me along time to get down from there as I was also taken CT off other Benzos and high doses of all sorts of poly drugs. I'm having some good, bad, okay and hell days still so I'm not stabilised yet so will continue holding here, if I feel in a few months I need to updose again I will do so, If I feel I am able to cut then I will cut. I've been housebound in agony for most of the last two years, so I had to change tactics. I [...] this group will be of help to sort out the myths, repeated fear with no substance, except people who get scared to try anything different to help their self  by what they read.


 
I myself fell into that camp before I decided to be the master of my own fate and that if I didn't try I would never know what will or won't help me, there is no one size fits all or any guarantees about anything in life, and we can't gage ourselves by others. Everything and anything is maybe it will or won't work for us situation but only we can know that by trying it for ourselves.


I am not putting myself forward as some expert,  I no no more or less than anyone else I'm  just another soul trying to find their way out of the suffering we're all going through, and I've chosen to updose. I live alone with no help or support and if I can't function then I can't survive, I'm hoping for at least 30% better or more than I am now. I can cope with discomfort, but I can't cope with being physically and mentally disabled any longer and do nothing to try make it better, I know it takes time but it takes trying something too if you possibly can at anytime.

Love [...] xxx     

[[Buddie]]

[...], this is wonderful to have a Support Group, I want to post to some of the threads, but just do not want to read all of the flack that is going on, sometimes we need to remove ourselves from all the advise and branch out. I will tell you if I had not up dosed at times, I would not be doing as well as I am now, am I sx free, no but I just have blips of sx's that come and go, because I have given my body and Brain all the time it needs to recoup and yes it will take time, but it does and will help. One thing you said is so very true, out of fear buddies only up dose a very tiny amt and if having bad sx's this will not help, you need to go to the dosage where you felt better and stay there until things level out. Everyone here at [...] wants to be well, and we can be but sometimes we need to try our wings and not give in to Peer pressure this is our individual fight, we will waste time being sick, why not spend some time getting stable.

[[Buddie]]

Hi [...]

Thanks for starting this. Yes, I agree that it is something we need to talk about and get help and support from others for.

I updosed to 2mg from .33mg about 6 days ago now. In fact the day before I went to 2 mg I stupidly took 6mg as a one-off. Una at BAT tells me that updoses can take a while to work and to be patient but that is so hard when you are suffering. I am tempted to go higher to knock the symptoms right out but at the same time I am scared in case the higher dose doesn't work either? Any thoughts? I have 2 teenagers to manage too so to suddenly be non-functional again is not great

I don't think 2mg is even a therapeutic dose anymore....today feels worse than ever, can it get worse before it settles down.

Thanks again for listening.

[...] 

[[Buddie]]

Thanks [...],
This subject has been on my mind for a couple of weeks now, and i just havnt been able to quite decide... I think in the back of my mind i have set a date, if a few other complications dont abate...

A compilation of info and support that isnt restricted by the fear of dosing up, instead of down is needed...
I myself, have been reluctant to suggest an updose to a buddy in trouble, when it has been glaringly obvious... -mostly because i am relativly new to benzo's...
But unfortiantly, I can assure, that i am not at all new to updosing another DOD (drug of dependence), during a long hard taper.... but it mostly failed as i had no info, support or structure...

[[Buddie]]

Well we clearly needed this thread -- thanks [...].  As you can see from my a profile I updosed many times in my long struggle to come off these drugs but I did make it in the end so maybe I will get an award for the longest prescribed Benzo user ever to get off it   

Updosing can and does work for some of us but it's time and patience that is the secret to success.  I do feel that people prescribed it for Anxiety suffer the most because it seems to rear its ugly head in that field in withdrawal, so for whatever reason we are given it in the first place it's my belief that those are the main symptoms that return in withdrawal especially if we cut too quickly and end up in the dilemma of having to decide whether or not to reinstate.  It's always a good idea to talk openly even if we disagree with someone else because in reality there is no definite right or wrong way and the choice is there for each of us to make for ourselves after much deliberation 

[[Buddie]]

Thanks for starting this group!

I updosed a week ago to .875mg from .75mg. Still feeling pretty horrific, and I keep seeing that I should have updosed to where I felt stable last but I've never been stable - I was intolerance when I started and it's been a fast and furious ride that has had many ups and downs, but I don't remember ever being stable.

I'm going to a DLMT from C&H ..... I'm not sure how long I should keep holding if I just keep getting worse every day.

[[Buddie]]

Dad, -if u think way back, were u ever stable??

In a similar hyperthetical situation, what are the options (in general)?
Does one either go way back to the last stable point?
Hold for an unknown time with fingers crossed?
Or push on down, in a c/t type style and [...] the body heals best with NO benzo in the system??
Are there other options to consider, like a c/o or support meds?

[[Buddie]]

Dad, -if u think way back, were u ever stable??

In a similar hyperthetical situation, what are the options (in general)?
Does one either go way back to the last stable point?
Hold for an unknown time with fingers crossed?
Or push on down, in a c/t type style and [...] the body heals best with NO benzo in the system??
Are there other options to consider, like a c/o or support meds?

Nope haven't been stable since I started psych drugs in 2/2014. It's been an uphill battle since.

My options right now: hold another week or two vs cutting Monday via DLMT.

No going back to starting... I feel like when I do long holds I get worse by the day. I did a month long hold in December and felt worse each passing week.

[[Buddie]]

Hi Dad

Having also done this whole thing before many years ago - and spoken to many Benzo specialists in the UK - the key seems to be to updose to where you think is a reasonable amount to help and then stay there till you stabilise. I think a common mistake is to updose -,only give it a few days, panic that things are not getting better, fiddle with different doses and then your poor brain does not know what to expect and when. I found the micro tapering daily with lots of holds worked well for me. But you must start from a point of relative stability. The support groups in the U.K. advise it can take up to 3 months to get stable from an updose or reinstatement. I know it is hard but my understanding is you need to give yourself time to settle at the new dose before making any other changes. I am having to do this myself right now which is very tricky as I was nearly done with the taper - but I became non-functional and knew I had to try and get out of the hole and updosing was the option I took.

I feel you need to give the updose more time to work and at least let your system settle. This is a marathon not a sprint and you want to finish strong.

Better days are ahead.

 

[[Buddie]]

Hi Dad

Having also done this whole thing before many years ago - and spoken to many Benzo specialists in the UK - the key seems to be to updose to where you think is a reasonable amount to help and then stay there till you stabilise. I think a common mistake is to updose -,only give it a few days, panic that things are not getting better, fiddle with different doses and then your poor brain does not know what to expect and when. I found the micro tapering daily with lots of holds worked well for me. But you must start from a point of relative stability. The support groups in the U.K. advise it can take up to 3 months to get stable from an updose or reinstatement. I know it is hard but my understanding is you need to give yourself time to settle at the new dose before making any other changes. I am having to do this myself right now which is very tricky as I was nearly done with the taper - but I became non-functional and knew I had to try and get out of the hole and updosing was the option I took.

I feel you need to give the updose more time to work and at least let your system settle. This is a marathon not a sprint and you want to finish strong.

Better days are ahead.

 

I could have not said it better.