Post Benzo Freedom Withdrawal Support Group

I feel very fatigued every day and I am wondering if it is the melatonin.  I am groggy and anxious and the past few days have been feeling inexplicably terrible, just awful. I am going to try and do without tonight.In fact at the supermarket today I felt so nervy and bad I stopped at the pharmacy to get my blood pressure measured.  It was fine.  The pharmacist told me it was probably benzo w/d coupled with anxiety and I must try to deal with it.  She gave me some breathing exercises and recommended yoga. Where is the old me?  The one with endless energy and motivation?  Every day I drag myself out of bed to face another day like this. Yet am trying to live a normal life and socialise but it's difficult. I can't believe a few weeks ago I thought I was almost healed. Do you really think this is benzo w/ds? Mimi how do you feel on a day-to-day basis?  You are a little ahead of me.

Angel

 

Thanks so much Verti for your concerns and suggestions.

 

I agree that this stressful situation which is likely to continue for a while till my mother is settled and happy in her home (it won't be till about April or so till she moves in, it is not the original home but a nicer one and the lady will still take her dog - this is subject to a visit to Mum on 5 February).

 

I know that the benzos have weakened me though because I think the old me would have been able to deal with it better.

 

I have been feeling simply dreadful the last few days as you know.  Well, I decided not to take any melatonin last night and I still slept like a baby.  I didn't wake up groggy or foggy and am not so fatigued.  I had the teeth chattery morning anxiety but that wore off at lunch time, so just underlying nerves but have been working today so have not had much time to think about it.  Oh, and an early morning walk and catch up and coffee with some doggy walker friends totally took my mind off it.

 

So it is too early to say whether the melatonin has been having an adverse effect or not.  I am stopping it for now.  I don't believe it is necessary to taper.  We shall see.

 

Hope everyone's teeth problems settle - there is nothing worse than dental problems.  My poor husband has the most dreadful situation with his gums exacerbated and probably attributed to the fact he is a diabetic.  This will require surgery and all sorts of professional deep cleaning and extractions plus needless to say a lotta dosh!  I don't envy him

 

Angel

 

HI Verti

After a week I was sleeping "lighter" and so upped my dose to 1000mg of L tryptophan and back to fantastic sleep and increasingly upbeat and positive outlook.  My experience has been a slight increase each day in the overall sense of well being.  Which makes sense if my serotonin "reservoirs" are filling up!  I think if you are having a positive effect this early in it will continue...at least that is how it effected me.  After a few days you can try 1000mg and see if that works for you as well.  I was concerned I might be a bit groggy but I woke feeling wonderful. 

 

I thought I was sleeping well and sleep was not an issue during my taper but my experience since taking the L tryptophan gives me a newfound appreciation of the phrase, "sleeping like a baby".

 

HI Ibmom, Sorry for your tooth pain and new "ordeal" to overcome... Oh life life... you should settle down in a few days.  I agree with Vertigo that we are so sensitive (taxed) from the taper /wd that our body protests we add a "new guest to the party".  Just too much.  You have made it this far and having periods of wellness...it will continue.

 

Geezz Rocko...you have ONLY 5 LBS to go!  I wish.  I will look into the Pink Method as well.  I hear you about wanting to get fit and back into shape.  I used to love weightlifting but so far have avoided and real stressful workouts.  I am happy if I can tolerate my 1 mile bike ride 3 times a week!

 

Pan and Angel Hope you guys feel better SOON!  I know how discouraging it can be when you hit another wall of symptoms.

 

OK off for bike ride before the sun sets.  Another 70 degree January day in sunny California.  Pray for Rain!

Mimi

 

 

One more thing Verti

I take 500mg of Magnesium Citrate at about 10pm.  Are you taking any magnesium??

Mimi

Hi V and all other post taper buddies!

Again, thanks V for the heads up on the melatonin posts. I think you said you had a separate post on 'melatonin', or perhaps you meant  responses back to this post?

I looked through previous discussions here to try to get caught up. What I can say about melatonin usage (based on long term use with some breaks) is that it rarely caused me any issues. It is possible that towards the end of my valium taper that there were some issues that I started having with it, but since then, these have not happened again. I noticed some agitation that was brought on when I got down to a certain small dose of valium that did not seem like the kind I got from benzo w/d. I recall I stopped taking the melatonin and within a day or two the symptoms went away. Later on, I reinstated some melatonin to help with sleep after I cut from the valium taper. Since then, I have never noticed this same kind of agitation brought on by melatonin and it is not clear to me now just exactly what could have caused it. Who knows? Perhaps it was just another w/d symptom that went away and never came back!

As for now, I usually get by with 1.5mg melatonin at night along with 4mg remeron, which is a very small dose. In fact, for what it's worth, my doctor told me that a 'therapeutic' dosage of remeron is usually 30mg. He probably just thinks it's acting as a sugar pill for me with the way I take it.

As for L-Trytophan, I have used this before. In fact, I still have a bottle of it in my cupboard that I bought at the health food store. The problem I had taking that is that the dosage that the capsule is scored in (500mg) was much too strong for me causing me to have some dizziness and grogginess symptoms that I found too overwhelming. Perhaps by taking out small amounts of the powder from the capsule, I could take smaller doses that do the trick without the dizziness? For now, I rely on what I've used. It is my intention of stopping melatonin and eventually tapering off the remeron once my work/sleep schedule has stabilized. And, perhaps supplementing with L-Trytophan while tapering off remeron is a good idea that just might work. Remeron actually acts on 2 neurotransmitters: serotonin and nor-epinephrine, so I may need a different supplement to help with that.

Again, thanks. Sorry I can't add more to each reply I've read. This has been a hectic week for me with all the late night hours. The next 2 weeks, I'll be working a day shift. Now, I just have to readjust to sleeping earlier again. Such is life! Best wishes to everyone here and have a great rest of the weekend!

Pangelingua

HI Verti After a week I was sleeping "lighter" and so upped my dose to 1000mg of L tryptophan and back to fantastic sleep and increasingly upbeat and positive outlook.  My experience has been a slight increase each day in the overall sense of well being.  Which makes sense if my serotonin "reservoirs" are filling up!  I think if you are having a positive effect this early in it will continue...at least that is how it effected me.  After a few days you can try 1000mg and see if that works for you as well.  I was concerned I might be a bit groggy but I woke feeling wonderful.  I thought I was sleeping well and sleep was not an issue during my taper but my experience since taking the L tryptophan gives me a newfound appreciation of the phrase, "sleeping like a baby"...  OK off for bike ride before the sun sets.  Another 70 degree January day in sunny California.  Pray for Rain!

Mimi

 

Hi Mimi and post pepes.    Ok. It's 4:30AM.  Had two glasses of wine (one before dinner and one with dinner, then a couple of shared desserts with our friends which included some chocolate at around 9PM .  So despite the 500 L-Tryptophan pill before bed, I am up and about on the early side. I decided to take another 500MG of L-Tryptophan just now! I'm going to take the dog out preemptively in a minute and then see if I can get back to sleep, which normally might be a longshot but I'm going to give it a try.  Mimi, I hope the serotonin reserves are building and "filling up" as you said.  I had some pretty deep sleep for about 5 hours just now, but am going to give it a shot to get a few more now.

 

Will report back on the results of my experiment later, hopefully much later

 

Vertigo

Hi Vertigo..I wanted to tell you about something that is really helping me sleep much better...I am 16 months off benzos and down to 50mgs of Trazodone...it's not working so well but I can't taper yet as I just started a thyroid med (levothyroxine) and don't want to start a new med and taper one all in the same month....so anyway, I drink 1 cup of CALM (magnesium) and 300mgs of L-theanine..it works really good for sleep!

Thanks Sunny for the suggestions.  I'm actually sleeping pretty well 95% of the time, just not more than 6 hours which I think might help my overall health if I can reach 7 or even 8 hours.  I'll keep the theanine in mind.  Magnesium does not seem to agree with my GI system.  The last two nights, as reported in my previous posts, were not ideal.  Two nights ago, our dog, who has started a new medication for worms, woke me up at 4:50AM to go outside which I must admit was probably preferable to making a mess inside!

 

Last night, my wife and I went out with some friends and I consumed two glasses of wine which (as is often the case), led to an early wake up, which happened at 4:30AM .  I have been experimenting with L-Tryptophan and took a second 500MG pill at 5:00AM and tried to go back to sleep.  I managed to sleep for another 45 minutes or so, but only after tossing and turning for almost an hour .  Oh well, tonight is another night and I'm definitely laying off the vino!

 

Thanks for the update Pangelingua. It sounds like the small dose of remeron with the low dose of melatonin is working for you while you still have to work those graveyard and late shifts. I agree that eventually it might be worthwhile tapering off the remeron and possibly trying the L-Tryptophan if you are not able to sleep as well.  I, along with Mimi, would recommend reading "The Mood Cure" if you are looking for ideas about how best to taper down the remeron and possibly replace with amino acids. Perhaps when you tried the L-Tryptophan before, you were also taking other medications?  If you taper down the remeron  and maybe stop the melatonin, perhaps the L-Tryptophan would not be too much for you.  L-Tryptophan converts to serotonin which eventually converts to melatonin, according to what I read. Anyway, some food for thought and might be worth asking your doctor about.

 

Vertigo

Hi Vertigo..I wanted to tell you about something that is really helping me sleep much better...I am 16 months off benzos and down to 50mgs of Trazodone...it's not working so well but I can't taper yet as I just started a thyroid med (levothyroxine) and don't want to start a new med and taper one all in the same month....so anyway, I drink 1 cup of CALM (magnesium) and 300mgs of L-theanine..it works really good for sleep!

 

Hi Sunny. One other thing.  How do you know the L-theanine really works so well if you are taking a prescription sleep aid (trazodone) with it?  Have you ever taken just the L-theanine and slept really well?  Perhaps all that we can really say is that the combination of the Trazodone with L-theanine works well for you.  Sorry, don't mean to be devil's advocate but I just wonder how effective a supplement can be judged if other medication that helps sleep is taken with it?  Perhaps you lowered the trazodone dose and couldn't sleep but were able to sleep when you added L-theanine?  Yet still, it would be helping you with the sleep aid.  Regardless, glad you are getting good sleep with the combination.  Do you sleep 8 consecutive hours? I must admit that Dr. Teitlebaum in his book "From Fatigued to Fantastic" does list traz as one of his top prescription sleep aids, if they are needed.  On the other hand, he also likes ambien and includes klonopin in his list for those who also have pain, so he may unaware about the many negatives of benzos and the Z meds in terms of addictiveness and long term issues, or at least in that older addition of the book that I own. 

 

Anyway,  I agree that it's probably a good idea to not taper off the trazodone while adding that new medication for thyroid .  Seems like a good idea to stabilize and see how that thyroid medication impacts you.

 

V

Hi Vertigo..I wanted to tell you about something that is really helping me sleep much better...I am 16 months off benzos and down to 50mgs of Trazodone...it's not working so well but I can't taper yet as I just started a thyroid med (levothyroxine) and don't want to start a new med and taper one all in the same month....so anyway, I drink 1 cup of CALM (magnesium) and 300mgs of L-theanine..it works really good for sleep!

 

Hi Sunny. One other thing.  How do you know the L-theanine really works so well if you are taking a prescription sleep aid (trazodone) with it?  Have you ever taken just the L-theanine and slept really well?  Perhaps all that we can really say is that the combination of the Trazodone with L-theanine works well for you.  Sorry, don't mean to be devil's advocate but I just wonder how effective a supplement can be judged if other medication that helps sleep is taken with it?  Perhaps you lowered the trazodone dose and couldn't sleep but were able to sleep when you added L-theanine?  Yet still, it would be helping you with the sleep aid.  Regardless, glad you are getting good sleep with the combination.  Do you sleep 8 consecutive hours? I must admit that Dr. Teitlebaum in his book "From Fatigued to Fantastic" does list traz as one of his top prescription sleep aids, if they are needed.  On the other hand, he also likes ambien and includes klonopin in his list for those who also have pain, so he may unaware about the many negatives of benzos and the Z meds in terms of addictiveness and long term issues, or at least in that older addition of the book that I own. 

 

Anyway,  I agree that it's probably a good idea to not taper off the trazodone while adding that new medication for thyroid .  Seems like a good idea to stabilize and see how that thyroid medication impacts you.

 

V

 

I don't really know if the L-Theanine would help me sleep w/out the Trazodone..I just know that when I got to the 50mgs of Trazodone it just didn't work so good..not consistently anyway...when I started the CALM drink w/the L-theanine I started sleeping on average 8 hrs per night... I am seeing a new doctor who is both hollistic and medical.. he told me that the combo of magnesium and L-theanine can stop a panic attack in it's tracks..I don't have panic "attacks" but I still get that horrendous nervousness sometimes... the first time I tried the combo of Mag and L-theanine I was SO calm in about 20 min..I even told my husband that I hadn't felt that kind of overwhelming calm since I took my first Klonopin 8 years ago!

 

I took L-theanine early in w/d after getting off benzos and did find it a bit calming..but as w/everything in w/d, they always poop out... so I kind of just forgot about it. But now I do really feel it helps me out consistently.

 

One thing I wanted to mention about the L-tryptophan is that I've read in numerous books that it should not be taken (as well as 5-HTP) if you are also taking an anti-depressant as you can get "seratonin syndrome"... the Trazodone is technically an anti-depressant as is Remeron (I think)..so might want to research it for those taking both.

Good to know, Sunny.  Yes, I have also read that one should consult one's doctor before adding amino acids such as L-Tryptophan if already taking antidepressants.  However, I also read that it might be helpful once one has tapered down to lower doses, to be able to add L-Tryptophan to help the body/brain start to produce it's own serotonin as the a/d is tapered down or off.  I am not a doctor, so I have no experience with this, but it might e something to ask a doctor if one wishes to taper off an a/d and perhaps have less side effects.  As for trazodone, I recall reading that it was originally used as an a/d but was not very effective and seemed to work better as a sleep aid/antihistamine.  I agree though that one should be careful about drug interactions with supplements while taking other prescription medications.

 

That's great that you are able to get eight consecutive hours of sleep.  That seems to be the magic number, according to Dr. Teitlebaum in his book.  I think he says that after about six to nine months of restoring the body with that kind of sleep, one can consider tapering off the a/d or supplements to see how one does in terms of fatigue and/or fibromyalgia.

 

Magnesium seems to help some with sleep, others have reported that it revs them up along with B vitamins.  So I suppose it's an individual thing. I remember I tried a B complex in the early months off valium and it did not agree with me.  Thank you for posting about your experience.  I think individuals can consider the experience of others and talk with their doctor about whether it makes sense to try something to deal with any ongoing post benzo s/x.

 

Have a great and sunny Sunday

 

Vertigo

Thanks Vertigo..I wanted to add that occasionally I do take L-tryptophan even though I am on Trazodone will no ill effects..but I was just pointing that out so that others would be careful.  My new doctor knows I am taking Trazodone but wanted me to take 5-HTP as well..he said it wouldn't hurt at the dose i am on of Trazodone..I saw no improvement with 5-htp so discontinued it.

Thanks Vertigo..I wanted to add that occasionally I do take L-tryptophan even though I am on Trazodone will no ill effects..but I was just pointing that out so that others would be careful.  My new doctor knows I am taking Trazodone but wanted me to take 5-HTP as well..he said it wouldn't hurt at the dose i am on of Trazodone..I saw no improvement with 5-htp so discontinued it.

 

Better to err on the side of caution, Sunny .  I'll try another 500MG L-Tryptophan this evening and see what happens.  I've heard 5-HTP is a little cheaper but from what I've read, L-Tryptophan is a better fit for me right now.

 

Vertigo

Monday morning and not a "perfect night" last night.  Woke up briefly at 2:00AM with some mild heartburn,  but fell back asleep after some tossing, without getting out of bed.  I read that stomach upset or heartburn can be a side effect of L-Tryptophan, but it could have been an anomaly.  I felt pretty energetic yesterday during the day, so it is possible those serotonin reserves are "filling up" as Mimi mentioned in an earlier post.  That being said, I slept about six total hours yesterday.  If I can't manage to sleep longer than six hours straight in the next couple of days, I will either move up to 1000MG of the L-Tryptophan or add 1mg of melatonin to the current 500MG of L-Tryptophan "experiment".  Also, I had been taking fish oil pills at various times in the last year but for some reason or another, stopped taking them!  I was also eating a fair amount of fish but seem to have slowed down on that in recent months. I recently read in a book by Dr. Andrew Weil that in addition to daily exercise, fish oil may be the most important supplement to take, for keeping one's mood up and fatigue at bay. 

 

Although I am not feeling quite 100% in terms of overall health,  I think I am on the right track now.  Just to be clear, I still feel over 90% on most days, the benzo beast is gone.  This is about tweaking things to go beyond the mood and health I experienced BEFORE benzos.  In other words, I took a benzo for a reason back in 2008 and some of those issues (anxiety, sleep troubles, intermittent low energy levels...) did not disappear, nor did I expect them to.  That being said, much progress has been made since then and particularly since my last post benzo wave a year ago.  When I was in the midst of that last (hopefully )  final wave,  I was feeling maybe 70 to 75%, from mid January to around mid February of 2011.  Things are most definitely greatly improved today.  I hope all of you post benzo pepes will not be discouraged by any of  my recent postings.  Please understand that they are about going beyond my pre benzo state, not catching up.

 

Vertigo

Hi V; Mimi; Angel; Pan and other viewing post benzo beeps:

 

V and Mimi; I hope the Tryptophan is the missing component to feeling your best every day.  I have read other articles by Julia Ross and her colleagues.  Years ago, before I understood interdosing withdrawals from the ativan, I tried some of her recommendations.  I didn't realize my symptoms were of the benzo nature. 

 

Angel; how have you been doing?  Have you stopped taking the melatonin?  I hope all goes well with your mum, and she is finally settled into the perfect place for her (and she can keep seeing her little dog). 

 

Pan; sorry to hear of your issues with the withdrawal symptoms.  It is definitely a ride of a lifetime, and we all want to be able to get off and stay off at some future point.  Please keep us posted on how you are faring. 

 

I made a HUGE mistake this week.  I had a glorious 16 day feel-good window (day and nite).  I decided to try taking some Vitamin C to see if the supplement would help with the head congestion that I have had since discontinuing the melatonin.  Day 1, took 500 mg. of vit C with breakfast.  Day 1 nite sleep went ok.  Day 2 - same - day 2 nite sleep began to feel hot and had the racing mind; but all resolved within two hours and I was able to get some sleep.  Day 3 - same dose - nite 3 sleep - felt hot with mind racing again.  Would heat up every hour and then be ok for awhile.  Slept for two broken hours with some nitemares and benzorrhea in the a.m.  This a.m., I feel as though I sabotaged my healing progress again. 

 

The vit C did help with the head congestion stuff, but is not worth the price of a full nite of WD sxs.  Dang it!  I have tried calcium, magnesium, fish oil, melatonin, and now Vit C -- all of this stuff makes my WD worse.  Before benzos, I was able to take 3,000 mg. of Vit. C, plus good doses of calcium and magnesium.  Now it's all a bust to my CNS and I crash. 

 

Back to the ole drawing board of my CNS -- only Synthroid for my thyroid and 1 Unisom tab at nite.  Funny thing is on the second nite of taking Vit. C, I tried to CT the Unisom.  I thought the nite symptoms were due to that.  I got up and took 1/2 Unisom and it calmed me down.  Last nite, I took two halves of the Unisom and nothing worked to calm down the nitetime symptoms.  I understand that vit C is another serotonin booster - so it appears that that's an issue with my CNS. 

 

Would love to hear others' thoughts on this and if anyone has tried taking Vit. C. 

 

Hoping to pull out of yet another benzo nite/day into another long window.

Rocko

Hi V; Mimi; Angel; Pan and other viewing post benzo beeps:

 

V and Mimi; I hope the Tryptophan is the missing component to feeling your best every day.  I have read other articles by Julia Ross and her colleagues.  Years ago, before I understood interdosing withdrawals from the ativan, I tried some of her recommendations.  I didn't realize my symptoms were of the benzo nature. 

 

Angel; how have you been doing?  Have you stopped taking the melatonin?  I hope all goes well with your mum, and she is finally settled into the perfect place for her (and she can keep seeing her little dog). 

 

Pan; sorry to hear of your issues with the withdrawal symptoms.  It is definitely a ride of a lifetime, and we all want to be able to get off and stay off at some future point.  Please keep us posted on how you are faring. 

 

I made a HUGE mistake this week.  I had a glorious 16 day feel-good window (day and nite).  I decided to try taking some Vitamin C to see if the supplement would help with the head congestion that I have had since discontinuing the melatonin.  Day 1, took 500 mg. of vit C with breakfast.  Day 1 nite sleep went ok.  Day 2 - same - day 2 nite sleep began to feel hot and had the racing mind; but all resolved within two hours and I was able to get some sleep.  Day 3 - same dose - nite 3 sleep - felt hot with mind racing again.  Would heat up every hour and then be ok for awhile.  Slept for two broken hours with some nitemares and benzorrhea in the a.m.  This a.m., I feel as though I sabotaged my healing progress again. 

 

The vit C did help with the head congestion stuff, but is not worth the price of a full nite of WD sxs.  Dang it!  I have tried calcium, magnesium, fish oil, melatonin, and now Vit C -- all of this stuff makes my WD worse.  Before benzos, I was able to take 3,000 mg. of Vit. C, plus good doses of calcium and magnesium.  Now it's all a bust to my CNS and I crash. 

 

Back to the ole drawing board of my CNS -- only Synthroid for my thyroid and 1 Unisom tab at nite.  Funny thing is on the second nite of taking Vit. C, I tried to CT the Unisom.  I thought the nite symptoms were due to that.  I got up and took 1/2 Unisom and it calmed me down.  Last nite, I took two halves of the Unisom and nothing worked to calm down the nitetime symptoms.  I understand that vit C is another serotonin booster - so it appears that that's an issue with my CNS. 

 

Would love to hear others' thoughts on this and if anyone has tried taking Vit. C. 

 

Hoping to pull out of yet another benzo nite/day into another long window.

Rocko

 

If it's head "congestion" and not head pressure you may want to try Oregano oil..it's very good for congestion issues in the head..however, if you are talking about the common w/d sx of head pressure..well, only time cured that for me.

Thanks for the info Sunny -- it is mostly head/nasal congestion.  I do a daily nasal rinse every morning.  It worsened when I stopped taking melatonin.  Melatonin is a super anti oxidant germ killer.  And vit. C appears to rev up the immune system too.  Not a good thing for us post benzo peeps.

 

Hope you are enjoying great days and putting this experience well in the past.

 

Best to you,

Rocko

HI Rocko

I cannot tolerate Vit C as well.  Everytime I try and add it I experience alot of bladder burning and irritation.  I also was able to take it with no problem before my benzo taper.  I am able to tolerate magnesium now.  I am taking Magnesium glycinate as it is supposed to cause less intestinal issues.  (Verti I think in an earlier post to you I said Magnesium citrate and that was inaccurate).

 

I was also able to take some multi vitamins last week with no symptom spike.  Maybe getting close to the 1 year mark has allowed my CNS to get to a place where it can tolerate some supplements. 

 

On another note-I have come down with a cold.  A friend came over last week and was coughing up a storm.  I kept my distance but my husband came down with it and now it is my turn.  OH well the first real cold in 3 years.  I was so scared to get sick when I was tapering.  One of the benefits of limited "outside" exposure was less germs and less illness.  SO I guess this is a sign of me getting back out and into the world!

 

Still taking the 1000mg of L tryptophan.  Sleep is not as deep but I think it may be related to coming down with this virus.  The real benefit is my overall demeanor.  Much more positive, upbeat and resilient.  I will keep it up for a few weeks and maybe take a break to see how I feel.  The Tyrosine arrived but I will not introduce until I feel better so I can accurately assess my response.

 

Happy Monday!

Mimi

 

Angel; how have you been doing?  Have you stopped taking the melatonin?  I hope all goes well with your mum, and she is finally settled into the perfect place for her (and she can keep seeing her little dog). 

 

Hoping to pull out of yet another benzo nite/day into another long window.

Rocko

 

Hi Rocko

 

Sorry to hear about your wave.

 

I stopped taking Melatonin 3 days ago and can't honestly say I feel any major difference though I do feel less fatigued.  I am sleeping as well without it as I was with it funnily!  I have been in a dreadful wave the past 3 or 4 days where I graded myself 8 out of 10 on my log - DP was quite high - was not "with it" and felt really really bad.

 

I have had to increase my betablockers to 20mg a day to deal with the anxiety.  I do find it helps to a certain extent.

 

I was at lunch at my brother's yesterday and I could hardly function.  But today has been better although the morning anxiety was high - it lasted an hour so I took the dog a walk to the park and met up with a group of doggie walker friends and we were laughing and chatting and having a coffee after - it was pure distraction and since then the rest of the day has been good.  Maybe I have been doing too much or maybe the wave is passing.  But I am so up and down right now, who knows how I will be tomorrow?! I have no idea and also have no idea whether the melatonin has affected me or not.  I tend to think some people overreact to melatonin as I have found it quite harmless personally.

 

I also have been taking multivitamins which contain Vitamin C as well as iron tablets and noticed no ill-effects I don't think.

 

My Mum won't be able to go to the care home until at least April when there is a room ready for her.  I will be returning to Spain next week and come back in April and stay in London till she is settled and beyond.  That will be a really big test as my brother and I have to basically go north and "kidnap" her and the dog with some excuse, and drive her 4 hours to the care home.  That will no doubt be traumatic all round and even the thought of how we are going to accomplish it terrifies me.  But I have to remain strong even if I have the biggest wave ever, which is quite likely

 

Sorry you have been hit with a wave Rocko - I like reading your updates as you are a little ahead of me and I can't wait for you to say you are healed!  I don't think it matters how long or short a time one takes these benzos, the brain still needs time to recover and it has a lot to do with your sensitivity, age and other factors.  Everyone told me I would be healed in a few months ... but I think my brain had such a big shock, it is taking a long time.

 

All the best to Verti, Mimi, Sunny et al

 

Angel 

 

 

I have had to increase my betablockers to 20mg a day to deal with the anxiety.  I do find it helps to a certain extent.

All the best to Verti, Mimi, Sunny et al

Angel 

 

Hi Angel.

Dr. Schwartzbein on p. 375 (The Schwartzbein Principle II, A regeneration Process To Prevent And Reverse Accelerated Aging") on beta blockers-

 

"These medications block the action of adrenaline.  If you are insulin resistant or have burned out adrenal glands, these are not a good choice.  If you you are taking this class of medicines for heart disease, ask your physician if there is another drug that would work just as well for your condition.  Since adrenaline improves blood flow to your lungs and increases the release of neurotransmiters, beta-blockers can also make asthma worse and cause depression by blocking the action of adrenaline."

 

Beta blockers may also have such side effects as fatigue, depression, gi symptoms, weakness, cold hands and feet, trouble sleeping and others.

 

From Calmclinic.com site regarding beta blockers and anxiety-

 

...Beta blockers are therefore pharmacological discoveries for heart and hypertensive patients. Their efficacy helps regulate heart rate and only reduces anxiety-like symptoms. For this reason, they shouldn’t be used as first-line treatment for anxiety.

 

Other reasons why beta blockers shouldn’t be used to treat anxiety:

 

    High risk of inducing chemical dependency

    Not a real solution because it only diminishes the symptoms (not the condition)

    May cause hallucinations, nightmares and depression

    May disrupt the normal operation of the central nervous system

 

There are several natural alternatives you should explore while looking for a solution to your anxiety problems. You should only think of beta blockers as a last resort n one that you should use only when nothing else works in reducing your anxiety...

 

Just a thought it could be worth considering an alternative to beta blockers, Angel, if the primary use is for anxiety as opposed to a serious heart condition or perhaps out of control blood pressure that can not be stabilized via other methods.  Many medications have their side effects and interactions with other meds, which you undoubtedly are aware of.  It may be that this is the only course of action for you right now and like benzos, I've read that if you decide to try going without beta blockers down the road, I believe they are best tapered off slowly.  I think somebody started a thread a couple months ago on tapering beta blockers.  Might be worth having a look down the road.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=44902.msg610997#msg610997

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

Wow!  Vertigo, thanks SO much for looking out for me!  Yes, will taper off them.

 

 

Angel

Sorry meant to add am seeing my benzo doc back in Spain in next couple of weeks and will discuss taper with him.

Sorry meant to add am seeing my benzo doc back in Spain in next couple of weeks and will discuss taper with him.

 

Hi Angel. To be clear, I am not suggesting that you go off beta blockers, just that if your blood pressure or whatever reason you took them for is stable, and if you still have side effects, that perhaps your doctor and you might consider tapering at some point, not necessarily now. 

 

About  nine months after my valium taper ended, my blood pressure was elevated.  My doctor is a pill pusher and he advised that I go on beta blockers and increase my statin dose. I decided to lose weight and within a month (or less), my blood pressure and cholesterol were normal and I actually reduced the statin to 10mg.  I still take prilosec and the low statin dose for family cardiac history but hope one day to be medication free, or at least for the things that either natural or other remedies might help, including better nutrition and/or exercise. 

 

Maybe your doctor will suggest you stay on beta blockers which might be the right choice for you now, given your whole medical history which I am not fully aware of. I was only suggesting that you consider all options and be aware of potential side effects of beta blockers, particularly if still feeling fatigued, depressed and/or anxious.  Remember, you are also taking an a/d which can also have side effects and interactions with beta blockers, so be sure to talk with your doctor about all issues, including the enhanced stress you are currently under regarding your mother's illness.

 

Best ,

 

Vertigo

Vertigo...I was wondering...I am going to be flying soon and I am absolutely terrified of flying. In the past I just popped a Klonopin and all was well. Obviously that is not an option anymore..do you think 1 dose of a beta blocker would help me w/the anxiety for the flight or do you think I should just grit my teeth and bear it? I'm afraid I will get myself so worked up that I will be sick my whole vacation.

Vertigo...I was wondering...I am going to be flying soon and I am absolutely terrified of flying. In the past I just popped a Klonopin and all was well. Obviously that is not an option anymore..do you think 1 dose of a beta blocker would help me w/the anxiety for the flight or do you think I should just grit my teeth and bear it? I'm afraid I will get myself so worked up that I will be sick my whole vacation.

 

Hi Sunny.  How long is the flight going to be?  Are you currently taking a beta blocker?  If you have not already done so, check out the "Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety". There are some good exercises to help get a hold of panic thoughts and defuse them.  If you absolutely feel that you "need" a back up plan in terms of a supplement or medication, check with your doctor.  You might ask him about Kava or perhaps one of the other so called "relaxing" herbs.  If it were me, I would try one of them several weeks BEFORE the flight to see how you react to it and use only as a last resort and after discussing with your doctor.  As far as beta blockers, I am not a doctor so I can not say how many doses would be appropriate for a flight or circumstance where you anticipate rapid heartbeat... However, I can say that mindfulness and working on relaxed breathing can help.

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

Sorry meant to add am seeing my benzo doc back in Spain in next couple of weeks and will discuss taper with him.

 

Hi Angel. To be clear, I am not suggesting that you go off beta blockers, just that if your blood pressure or whatever reason you took them for is stable, and if you still have side effects, that perhaps your doctor and you might consider tapering at some point, not necessarily now. 

 

About  nine months after my valium taper ended, my blood pressure was elevated.  My doctor is a pill pusher and he advised that I go on beta blockers and increase my statin dose. I decided to lose weight and within a month (or less), my blood pressure and cholesterol were normal and I actually reduced the statin to 10mg.  I still take prilosec and the low statin dose for family cardiac history but hope one day to be medication free, or at least for the things that either natural or other remedies might help, including better nutrition and/or exercise. 

 

Maybe your doctor will suggest you stay on beta blockers which might be the right choice for you now, given your whole medical history which I am not fully aware of. I was only suggesting that you consider all options and be aware of potential side effects of beta blockers, particularly if still feeling fatigued, depressed and/or anxious.  Remember, you are also taking an a/d which can also have side effects and interactions with beta blockers, so be sure to talk with your doctor about all issues, including the enhanced stress you are currently under regarding your mother's illness.

 

Best ,

 

Vertigo

 

Hi Verti

 

My Spanish benzowise doctor put me on them immediately at the beginning of my w/ds for the benzo anxiety.  At that time I was on 40mg/day.  I have been up and down on them according to waves and when my body told me I needed to higher or lower them.  I am in a particular bad anxiety wave right now and I actually tried to do without my morning dose but I felt so ill and cr*ppy so I took it and immediately felt better.  They have been a lifesaver.

 

I just saw my London doctor as I did not bring enough beta blockers with me and needed a rx for more.  He told me it was good I was taking them and to take 2 x 10mg/daily as needed.  He also said, like my Spanish doc, they are not addictive and I can reduce by taking every 5 days, every 3 days, once a week then stop, with no withdrawals which is what my Spanish doc said.

 

Thanks for the info. You didn't influence me. When I feel better I will reduce to 10mg/day again but I can't see that happening in the immediate future.  I think beta blockers have their uses.

 

Angel