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Here for support and am hopeful I will get better!


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Hi there,

 

I'm Miss Smith and decided to join this forum after reading a lot online regarding benzo withdrawal and GABA medications after a recent experience I've been going through.

 

Six months ago I started seeing a naturopathic doctor for overall wellness and health.  My only issue is that I was having trouble sleeping, so the doctor put me on a "non-habit forming" supplement called Kavinace Ultra PM. 4 months later I was feeling great and under the doctor's guidance stopped taking this supplement without a taper. I had no idea this supplement had Phenibut in it. To be clear, I used this supplement as directed by taking 1 capsule per night before bed and it most likely contains about 300mg of Phenibut per dose.

 

Phenibut is similar to benzos in that it acts on GABA receptors to induce a feeling of calm--only GABA B instead of GABA A like benzos do. Within a few days of stopping this supplement, I started feeling horrible withdrawal--dizziness, depsersonalization, insomnia, panic attacks, anxiety, hot skin, etc.. The doctor assured me this supplement was not causing this, but after doing some research I realized how wrong she most likely was and that Phenibut withdrawal is very similar to benzo withdrawal and that I wasn't imagining these symptoms. This culminated in a trip to the ER at a well-known metropolitan hospital where the teaching doctor there called the supplement "glorified melatonin" which horrified me.  I was diagnosed with "anxiety" and sent on my way.

 

Freaked out, I went to my regular GP the next day who put me on Klonopin to help stop the panic attacks and insomnia.  I didn't want to go on Klonopin, but I needed to stop the three weeks of non-stop panic attacks I had from stopping the Kavinace and thought I could taper off the Klonopin slowly and gradually to slowly to allow time for my GABA receptors to adjust and heal. I hope this was the right decision. I felt like I had no choice.

 

So I'm 2 weeks in on the Klonopin and am freaking out. I'm still feeling anxiety, but it's tolerable now and I'm on a steady dose of 0.25 mg of Klonopin at night. I refuse to go higher if possible. I have a follow-up with my GP in a few weeks but would like to start planning now to start my taper so I can get to a safe place free of GABA medications asap so my body can begin healing. I feel the less I am on this stuff while being smart about my taper, the better.

 

I'm just so disheartened with doctors at this point. I'm disappointed in the naturopath who started me on this dangerous journey. I'm pissed at the ER staff who didn't realize the gravity of withdrawal I was going through even after bringing in the medication bottle and an explanation of what it does. And I'm disappointed in my GP who seems to be treating me like I have generalized anxiety or panic disorder. I brought in information to him that explains phenibut withdrawal in hopes we could review together to devise the best treatment plan, but he told me to just stop reading things on the internet. I was perfectly fine before these meds and now I have extreme anxiety because of what I am feeling now and of what may lie ahead with the Klonopin. I don't like being treated as though my research is just "worry" when no one else seems to know what they are talking about. I'm more than disappointed--I'm pissed off. And most importantly, I'm angry at myself for allowing this to happen and it's made me very distrusting of doctors.

 

So any suggestions at this point would be appreciated. I've made an appointment with a therapist in two weeks to help me mentally prepare for what is ahead.

 

I'm not sure if anyone here has gone through phenibut withdrawal in addition to Klonopin, but it would be great to get advice and support on this and maybe as to when I should start tapering down on this Klonopin. I'm not sure if I should try a fast taper since I haven't been on it long, or if I should slowly taper in light of what happened when stopping Phenibut cold turkey.

 

I'm terrified I won't ever feel normal again or that it will take years. I need to work and I am so worried about how debilitating this will be. I need to get better and am so scared.

 

Thanks in advance for your support.

Miss Smith

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Welcome to the forum! We're glad  to have you as a new member.  We do have some other members who've had experience with phenibut, and the best place to find posts about this subject would be on Alternative Therapies & Supplements

or Other Medications     

 

You'll find lots of information and support here.  Our members have been through all aspects of withdrawal, and you're likely to find people who understand what you're going through.

 

For those who are starting a new taper, we suggest reducing no faster than 5-10% every 10-14 days at first, and then adjusting the taper rate to suit your own needs.  One exception: very short-term users of a few weeks or less may be able to taper faster.  Having some withdrawal symptoms is normal, especially near the end of a taper and for a few months after discontinuing the medication.  First/only withdrawals after a slow taper tend to be easier than multiple reinstatements/withdrawals over time, which may make symptoms worse and longer lasting. The most common symptoms are anxiety and insomnia, but there are many others. These are temporary and will go away in time.

 

Here are a few links you may find useful:

 

Withdrawal Support Board

 

The Ashton Manual is an authoritative source on what to expect in withdrawal and recovery.  Dr. Ashton is an expert in the field. Section III explains and describes symptoms, and there is also a section with suggested taper schedules.

 

Please take the time to Create a Signature.  This will allow others to see where you are in the process so they can better support you.

 

Again, welcome!

 

 

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Thanks for the warm welcome.  :-* After reading through the various boards and advice, I think since I have been on Klonopin for such a short period of time and on a lower dose,  it's in my best interest to begin tapering immediately to prevent building a tolerance and see how I do.

 

I reviewed the charts and will try tapering down from my half tablet (equal to .25mg) to 3/8 of a tablet starting tonight. Freaking out. . .

 

I'm terrified based on how I've felt the past month stopping the Kavinace, but the longer I allow this to simmer, the worse it will be in the long run!

 

I honestly thought I was going crazy and have never felt this way before. Doctors make me so mad. To my doctor's point, maybe we wouldn't need to get support from people online and do research on our own if they were better versed in these things. To suggest I would have generalized anxiety develop literally overnight without any history of it is ridiculous.

 

Yes, I blame the doctors, but I also blame our medical system which urges doctors to see as many patients as possible and to treat a symptom instead of the disease in the quickest way possible.

 

 

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