Over 60 help and support.

Just be sure to reduce slowly.  That was my commitment, but I got mixed up about the reduction, and cut too fast.  It's 5 to 10 percent reduction every 2 to 4 weeks.  You may need to hold since you took a big cut at the beginning, according to your signature.

 

Good luck to you.  You might try daily titration, dissolving Xanax in alcohol, just a bit, and then adding water.  There is a part of this site that will tell you how to do that.

So tis group been quiet...

just checking in.

 

Apparently I have more than usual withdrawal symptoms so not sure what to do

 

Hope others are well, at least.

I am 61. Today is a bad day for me. Anxiety in the throat. Seems like my throat is tighter this morning. I am crying. Head wants to hurt off and on. I need to go to town. Hope all this get better so I can make it. The trembles has not let up yet. Are any of you having thsee problems?

Hi Storm... welcome... I'm sort of new too.  I'm still struggling with getting off valium.  I crossed over to that from originally Lorazepam then Klonopin for anxiety attacks .. I didn't even know what an anxiety attack was .. (I thought I was having a heart attack)  or a benzo .  Wow .. what an education I've had and all my real and correct info came from this board.  I know exercise is the answer to so many things .. as I mentioned to Barbara earlier .. a mini trampoline is great .. cause when you are weak and tired ..you can just bounce. 

You can pay a little or a lot ... lots of different ones out there .  google benefits of rebounding and just look at that .  The very best and expensive one is bellicon .. which i don't have but they have a good ad showing you how to do it at www.bellicon.com.

Also --- go to youtube and search for Dr. Doug Lisle anxiety.  wealth of info.

 

Hope your day gets better.

 

 

 

 

Storm, yes.  I get trembles all the time and tightness mostly in my chest/solar plexus.  An anxiety/panic sort of thing.

 

Think you are normal for this stuff...    alas...

for those that can't sleep .. my pdoc prescribed buspirone (buspar) for anxiety ... I cannot take it... but .. i did for a few times and it puts me out for a 2 hr nap every time i took it.  Doc said it was not a narcotic and not addictive ... so might be an option to help eliminate something bad.  ??  just a thought  all imo of course.

I have also taken Buspar in the past.  When I was on it, less than a recommended dose, I slept soundly also.  I was a caregiver at the time, and everything was a strain.  But Buspar took the strain out of it. 

Is it antihistamine or what is it?

Is it antihistamine or what is it?

 

Bob 7 also uses it, has a whole thread.  Only uses it sparingly when really needs it.  And low dose .  You should research it Barbara or PM bob, he does great blogs and research. :smitten:  Mary

Sometimes. Not every day. But sometimes I think I'm just plain old fashioned nuts. And all this preoccupation with tapers and withdrawals and changing my life to a normal one is just one big delusion. I am a senior. I wanted to be fun and adventurous  after retiring. Instead I am a shaking leaf, or a zone out, or a drain on every single family member. I hope I am just being negative. I hope I come back to who I was. I hope that for us all.

I feel the same, Joy...  who could have imagined.

 

I will try to find Bob, but I am pretty sensitive to antihistmines so don't know.... Thanks, Mary

Well, I'm 45 months out as of yesterday and I can't say I feel much better than I did at 29 months.  Stress still gets to me big time.

So that is disappointing, huh?

Are you better than when on the drug, or when tapering off?

Here come the holidays. I am down to 12.5 mg valium from 40! Crossed over from horrid xanax 5 months ago. Having some nice windows. Learning to ride  the waves. Anyone know a good Omega 3 supplement?

Joyatlast51, this is such good news,I'm glad to hear you are doing much better.

 

Soup

Hi, I hope I’m not pushing my way in here about 60 and over posts but I’m 56 and identify more with your age group than others. I’ve been forced to go off clonzapam 1.5 it’s been 12 months of horror. I read other posts and relate to the fears of being older, the uncertainty and feeling so lost, helpless and isolated. There is not any dr where I live that will reinstate me I’m at the 30 day mark and am taking other meds to try to deal with benzo w/d. Thank you for letting me vent.

I'm 65 months off Klonopin and 51 months off Remeron.  My advice, if you can handle it, is do not reinstate. You will just be prolonging the agony.  Also, you may find that reinstating gives no relief and now you're having to get off it again

 

  If you can, try to get hold of some indica MJ. It'll get you through.  I used it for about 2-3 years and I'm not sure I could have handled the WD without it.  Nothing else helped me.  You may not have it available where you live, but if you can get some, go for it.  It must be indica, however, not sativa or a blend.

 

This journey is not for the faint of heart, but you can do it.  Hang in there.

 

I'm still having issues with anxiety, fog, dizziness,  and sleep, but I"m very functional.  I just saw a Functional medicine doctor after all these years.  I think that this is a good way to go, if you can afford it.  IT is not a cure-all but will ID what is missing in your body so you can supplement it.   

 

Good luck to you.  Don't give up.

 

BT

 

 

Anyone know a good Omega 3 supplement?

 

joyatlast, I use Nordic Naturals. I get it from Amazon.

 

People seem to like it pretty well! It gets good reviews. I've been taking it for years.

 

Katz

I'm 60 and seven months out.  I am very discouraged, lonely and sad.  I had made a beautiful life for myself with music, friends, exercise, etc., and lost it because I cant participate in the wonderful life I had.  Im stuck at home doing Inothing but watching netflix.  I think Ill give this a little while longer but if it doesnt get better, this life isnt worth the trouble.  I dont know how to start a subject here.  Sorry for butting in.

Olivia, you're only 7 months out. IMO, the best is yet to come. At 7 months I did not feel very darned much better. Some, but not a whole lot. After a year, yes. And in the 2nd year, definitely.

 

I think it just takes time. And the older we are (alas) the harder it is. At least that's been my observation. Buddies I "hung" with during my taper were all a lot younger than me and recovered faster.

 

Just to give you hope -- I am a novelist and totally lost my ability to write during my taper. Now, my new book is published and I am at work on the next one. I never thought I would even READ again, let alone be able to take up my writing career.

 

So don't despair. Give things a little longer.

 

As for me, once I began to feel a bit better, I pushed myself. A little more, a little more . . . and pretty soon I was back to doing something other than hiding in my studio bingeing on reruns of old SF series. So, can you push yourself a little? Pick out something you used to do and do a bit of it? I used to love to go to bookstores and browse and I lost the ability to do that, but when I began to feel a bit better, I started again . . . at first I just went inside. Then the next week I went inside and looked at one book. Then I went inside, looked at one book, bought a coffee and ran out. And so on. Does this make any sense? Also, I had to give up participation in my beloved tai chi circle, but I got back to it. Just recently. In small increments. It's such good exercise, and I loved the people in my group. Well, I'm back there.

 

It's almost a cliché on here that time is the great healer, but I found it to be true. I had a hellish taper, but I would say that I am 99.9% healed.

 

Patience, my friend! I believe you'll get there.

 

Sending good thoughts your way. 

 

Katz

Indian61, I'm with you.

Apparently I got CT without CT the benzo, from the mirtaz.  Now am stuck and still on 3 val, about 10 ambien

Nothing I do helps.

 

Writing from bed.

 

I have lost hope that I had 2 years ago when this began.

...you're only 7 months out. IMO, the best is yet to come. At 7 months I did not feel very darned much better. Some, but not a whole lot. After a year, yes. And in the 2nd year, definitely.

 

Just to give you hope -- I am a novelist and totally lost my ability to write during my taper. Now, my new book is published and I am at work on the next one. I never thought I would even READ again, let alone be able to take up my writing career.

 

So don't despair. Give things a little longer.

 

As for me, once I began to feel a bit better, I pushed myself. A little more, a little more . . . and pretty soon I was back to doing something other than hiding in my studio bingeing on reruns of old SF series. So, can you push yourself a little? Pick out something you used to do and do a bit of it? I used to love to go to bookstores and browse and I lost the ability to do that, but when I began to feel a bit better, I started again . . . at first I just went inside. Then the next week I went inside and looked at one book. Then I went inside, looked at one book, bought a coffee and ran out. And so on. Does this make any sense? Also, I had to give up participation in my beloved tai chi circle, but I got back to it. Just recently. In small increments. It's such good exercise, and I loved the people in my group. Well, I'm back there.

 

It's almost a cliché on here that time is the great healer, but I found it to be true. I had a hellish taper, but I would say that I am 99.9% healed.

 

Patience, my friend! I believe you'll get there.

 

Sending good thoughts your way. 

 

Katz

 

I'm not in this age group, so apologies for butting in. Just wanted to say thank you so much for this post! I'm truly living in a nightmare right now (7 months off Ativan), and your story helped me greatly this morning. I used to write professionally, too - can no longer read nor write. In fact, I've lost all ability to do almost anything - I am disabled by mental symptoms right now. The despair (and grief) is hard to put into words...

 

So, thank you again, Katz. (You sound delightful!)

 

Warmly,

Lara ♥

We were all professional writers??

wow.

 

Must be the same crazy gene that makes us benzo intolerant 

Olivia, you're only 7 months out. IMO, the best is yet to come. At 7 months I did not feel very darned much better. Some, but not a whole lot. After a year, yes. And in the 2nd year, definitely.

 

I think it just takes time. And the older we are (alas) the harder it is. At least that's been my observation. Buddies I "hung" with during my taper were all a lot younger than me and recovered faster.

 

Just to give you hope -- I am a novelist and totally lost my ability to write during my taper. Now, my new book is published and I am at work on the next one. I never thought I would even READ again, let alone be able to take up my writing career.

 

So don't despair. Give things a little longer.

 

As for me, once I began to feel a bit better, I pushed myself. A little more, a little more . . . and pretty soon I was back to doing something other than hiding in my studio bingeing on reruns of old SF series. So, can you push yourself a little? Pick out something you used to do and do a bit of it? I used to love to go to bookstores and browse and I lost the ability to do that, but when I began to feel a bit better, I started again . . . at first I just went inside. Then the next week I went inside and looked at one book. Then I went inside, looked at one book, bought a coffee and ran out. And so on. Does this make any sense? Also, I had to give up participation in my beloved tai chi circle, but I got back to it. Just recently. In small increments. It's such good exercise, and I loved the people in my group. Well, I'm back there.

 

It's almost a cliché on here that time is the great healer, but I found it to be true. I had a hellish taper, but I would say that I am 99.9% healed.

 

Patience, my friend! I believe you'll get there.

 

Sending good thoughts your way. 

 

Katz

Great post Katz, Mary ☮️💜🙏