2nd success story at 12 months - life just gets better

genetics  can be done through 23andme.    the challenge is finding anyone who understands but dr yasko - who've i've mentioned has published a lot of free information about the most common gene mutations and what supplements are needed to address them.

 

i think you can order things like the OAT test yourself through websites.  spectra cell testing has to be ordered by a doctor - so you'd have to find someone who is willing to write the order.  but honestly - anyone going through withdrawal is going to have an impaired gut so all the fat soluble vitamins are low...... the list i provided is pretty good for trying to help the body deal with the horrors of withdrawal. 

 

it is a real shame that we have so few resources to help navigate this.  i hope some day the truth comes out about these meds.  i'm 2+ yrs out and doing amazing but i think all the different strategies i used got me here - i wasn't wiling to sit and wait because i was self employed and losing everything i had..... i'm back to an extremely intense executive job, renovated a house, rescued 2 puppies, dealt with a lot of typical tough life stuff and have had no set backs.  a lot of it comes down to mindset and then giving the body the proper tools to function as best it can.

 

hormone therapy seems to be a real trigger for many people.  really stinks that simple things that would normally help people seem to have the opposite effect for those in benzo withdrawal...... i'm 44 and navigating peri-menopause without being able to use any of the  standard tools.... but i'm doing ok!!!

 

best wishes for healing

genetics  can be done through 23andme.    the challenge is finding anyone who understands but dr yasko - who've i've mentioned has published a lot of free information about the most common gene mutations and what supplements are needed to address them.

 

i think you can order things like the OAT test yourself through websites.  spectra cell testing has to be ordered by a doctor - so you'd have to find someone who is willing to write the order.  but honestly - anyone going through withdrawal is going to have an impaired gut so all the fat soluble vitamins are low...... the list i provided is pretty good for trying to help the body deal with the horrors of withdrawal. 

 

it is a real shame that we have so few resources to help navigate this.  i hope some day the truth comes out about these meds.  i'm 2+ yrs out and doing amazing but i think all the different strategies i used got me here - i wasn't wiling to sit and wait because i was self employed and losing everything i had..... i'm back to an extremely intense executive job, renovated a house, rescued 2 puppies, dealt with a lot of typical tough life stuff and have had no set backs.  a lot of it comes down to mindset and then giving the body the proper tools to function as best it can.

 

hormone therapy seems to be a real trigger for many people.  really stinks that simple things that would normally help people seem to have the opposite effect for those in benzo withdrawal...... i'm 44 and navigating peri-menopause without being able to use any of the  standard tools.... but i'm doing ok!!!

 

best wishes for healing

Did you reply 100%?

not sure what else you are looking for?

someone recently asked me if i stopped my vitamins would i go back into withdrawal - the simple answer is no because none of the vitamins i take have anything to do with acting on GABA receptors.  also - as i mentioned i had my genetics done many years ago and as a result was taking many of these vitamins as a result of genetic deficits that i have.  when i stopped the vitamins i got much more ill - some people simply need vitamins to help their bodies function optimally.  that said - i've had to travel a lot and sometimes i forget my vitamins and absolutely nothing bad happens other than that i just don't have as much energy......

Thanks for the info. Your neuro-excitatory food list food list does not work. Could you send it again?

 

The link is not correct:

 

http://www.dramyyasko.com/wp-content/files_flutter/1279663001Neuroprovokers8.pdftry

 

Remove the last three letters "try" from the link and you will be taken to the list.

SSR,

 

This is great information.!! So glad you are doing well. I am in a bad wave again after having some GI issues but will come back to this thread.

 

Butterfly65

I think I was falsely diagnosed with Lyme after I tapered off a a med before this one.  I had band 41 showing a past infection,which was true, I had been treated for Lyme in the past successfully after I was bitten.

 

So I ended up treating Lyme again with herbs and homepathu.  Finally, I stopped, knowing I had to get off this benzo first. 

 

The recent Lyme treatment did weaken me but I'm trying very hard to get off this benzo.  The depression is the worst.  I have hair started walking around the block after being housebound last year from prior taper and maybe unneccesary Lymw treatment. 

 

Thanks for your inspiring story and for mentioning how you avoided the heavy metals and heavy detox path.  Its tempting to try and fix ourselves when the meds are clouding the picture.

 

i would expect GI issues to cause withdrawal like impacts - because many publications suggest 70-90% of the  neurotransmitter receptors are actually in the gut not the brain  -  i really believe the use of bentonite clay helped my healing tremendously - i had horrible GI issues the first few weeks and once i got on the clay things started to stabilize.  i still use the clay on and off at times - as it helps neutralize the body pH - some natural healers feel an acidic environment allows easier transmission of viruses and allow cancer cells to multiply - etc.,    i have actually not been sick once in the last 2 years while many people around me have picked up every bug going around..... as mentioned - if you decide to try clay - make sure its food grade as there is a lot of clay out there that is intended for external use - baths/masks, etc

 

as for other diagnoses - we've seen lots of angry posts from people who've come back and said they kept believing everything was withdrawal when in fact they needed to be treated for other things.  so - its hard to say.  i think if you were healthy before withdrawal - then its unlikely that things like mold, metals, candida, SIBO, lymes, etc are a concern...... if on the other hand you did have other medical issues before - then maybe you do have a long standing underlying condition.    i chased all these diagnoses for years before realizing that it was interpose withdrawal causing all my issues.  i wasted a lot of money on treatments that were never going to fix the problem and in fact made me much more ill because my body was so vulnerable from withdrawal......

 

i do think people in withdrawal can develop things like chronic fatigue, adrenal fatigue and POTS because the body is so worn down but they are probably not the answer to what is happening - they are a side effect / consequence.... and i think they will resolve as withdrawal conditions improve -that said - i did do things to treat POTS like ensuring my potassium and salt levels were properly maintained which made a huge improvement for me and i did use vitamins known to help adrenal issues - but many of the treatment protocols for these conditions involve using GABA acting supplements - which really should be avoided.....i went in circles thinking i had chronic lymes and that really wasn't the case.  i did have lymes years ago and the test was definitely positive - i was treated and healed - but when lymes like symptoms resurfaced - even though the test was not positive - i concluded it was chronic lymes..... i exposed myself to a ton of unnecessary antibiotics....

 

i continue to thrive 2+ yrs out and that is despite going through a lot of really stressful life events.  so healing is possible.  i know a lot of people think a cold turkey means life long suffering but i am living proof its not.  i will not have the chance to check this site much in the coming weeks as i will be traveling to Tokyo and Prague for work - so wishing everyone continued healing and lots of strength, faith and determination to get through this

i would expect GI issues to cause withdrawal like impacts - because many publications suggest 70-90% of the  neurotransmitter receptors are actually in the gut not the brain  -  i really believe the use of bentonite clay helped my healing tremendously - i had horrible GI issues the first few weeks and once i got on the clay things started to stabilize.  i still use the clay on and off at times - as it helps neutralize the body pH - some natural healers feel an acidic environment allows easier transmission of viruses and allow cancer cells to multiply - etc.,    i have actually not been sick once in the last 2 years while many people around me have picked up every bug going around..... as mentioned - if you decide to try clay - make sure its food grade as there is a lot of clay out there that is intended for external use - baths/masks, etc

 

as for other diagnoses - we've seen lots of angry posts from people who've come back and said they kept believing everything was withdrawal when in fact they needed to be treated for other things.  so - its hard to say.  i think if you were healthy before withdrawal - then its unlikely that things like mold, metals, candida, SIBO, lymes, etc are a concern...... if on the other hand you did have other medical issues before - then maybe you do have a long standing underlying condition.    i chased all these diagnoses for years before realizing that it was interpose withdrawal causing all my issues.  i wasted a lot of money on treatments that were never going to fix the problem and in fact made me much more ill because my body was so vulnerable from withdrawal......

 

i do think people in withdrawal can develop things like chronic fatigue, adrenal fatigue and POTS because the body is so worn down but they are probably not the answer to what is happening - they are a side effect / consequence.... and i think they will resolve as withdrawal conditions improve -that said - i did do things to treat POTS like ensuring my potassium and salt levels were properly maintained which made a huge improvement for me and i did use vitamins known to help adrenal issues - but many of the treatment protocols for these conditions involve using GABA acting supplements - which really should be avoided.....i went in circles thinking i had chronic lymes and that really wasn't the case.  i did have lymes years ago and the test was definitely positive - i was treated and healed - but when lymes like symptoms resurfaced - even though the test was not positive - i concluded it was chronic lymes..... i exposed myself to a ton of unnecessary antibiotics....

 

i continue to thrive 2+ yrs out and that is despite going through a lot of really stressful life events.  so healing is possible.  i know a lot of people think a cold turkey means life long suffering but i am living proof its not.  i will not have the chance to check this site much in the coming weeks as i will be traveling to Tokyo and Prague for work - so wishing everyone continued healing and lots of strength, faith and determination to get through this

 

Thank you for response. 

 

I circle around the Lyme diagnosis whenever I get scared.  I was sick after my Lamictal withdrawal and so many of the symptoms; insomia, sweating, aching legs made some people think I had Lume.  I had two labs do tests and that band was the only one that showed up. All the other co infections were negative. 

 

So I have to have faith that once I'm off. I will be able to figure out where my health actually is at at that time.

 

I forgot, did you use the clay while you were tapering or once off. Never mind, I just remembered to did CT and used it from the beginning.  Would you recommend it during a taper?

 

Thanks for posting and answering. 

yes - i cold turkeyed so can't say for sure but i think the sooner one starts with taking the clay - the better - you can also take warm baths for 15-20 min - it helps pull out toxins - but doesnt do anything for repairing the gut the way clay capsules will.    if you do opt to take it during taper - make sure you take it 2 hours away from dosing your taper med because otherwise it may absorb it

yes - i cold turkeyed so can't say for sure but i think the sooner one starts with taking the clay - the better - you can also take warm baths for 15-20 min - it helps pull out toxins - but doesnt do anything for repairing the gut the way clay capsules will.    if you do opt to take it during taper - make sure you take it 2 hours away from dosing your taper med because otherwise it may absorb it

 

Okay, thanks again.  Wishing you continued good health. 

SSR - Loved your post!  So, I'm ten months off xanax.  Was doing great until a few weeks ago when I tried testosterone replacement therapy.  I have been doing about 100mg of magnesium every day in order to avoid PVCs.  I'm considering what you said about genetics and micro-nutrients.

UPDATE: I have made a conscious effort to take less Magnesium throughout the day.  I only swig about 25mg before sleep time.  That seems to work well, and my waking mind is a bit clearer. 

 

I was originally taking Mg for PVCs, but I recently came to an obvious conclusion: I have been drinking pure, reverse osmosis water for at least 20 years.  Guess what?  No electrolytes in purified water.  So, I found this electrolyte water at the grocery store, and I drink a few swigs throughout the day, and sometimes I'll add a dash of tap water to my pure water.  Been doing this routine for a month or two and haven't noticed the PVCs return.  So for, so good. 

 

I am in total awe.  How in the world did you ever do so much research??  I had brain fog for sooo long that some days I'd have difficulty spelling my own name. 

 

I agree with almost everything in your post.  I especially love the part about mindset and vitamins.  I've been saying up the potassium without even knowing why it worked for twitchies, I only know it worked like a charm for me.  Grapes and bananas mostly.  I also added a potassium/calcium/magnesium supplement when needed.  I'd read that for the magnesium to be absorbed correctly that it needed the calcium. 

 

As for the mindset.. science long ago proved that belief and expectations are a real thing.  Double blind experiments had to be developed when it became obvious that the expectations of the researchers had a real impact on results.  What we believe matters.

 

My question is about some supplements I take for blood pressure.  L carnitine and L arginine when taken together drop my blood pressure 20 points for the low number.  I had to go with this when the dang doctor put me on a beta blocker  WITHOUT mentioning that there was NO safe way to ever stop taking it.  It damages the adrenal system, for goodness' sakes!  I used my handy pill cutter and tapered the heck off of that poison.  This was the last straw.  I will NEVER EVER blindly trust a physician again.

 

I haven't had any issues with taking the herbs for blood pressure.  You see any, in terms of recovery from benzos?

 

And btw..  Thank you from moving on from the negative comment.  People in pain often say things they don't mean.  Please don't take it to heart.  The rest of us applaud your efforts.

 

Grandma Libble

Hi Libble -  good for you for also getting off the beta blocker - anything that is altering the brain - we really need to stop and think about it - society existed centuries before medicine and many of the tribal populations that have never been exposed to modern medicine - live well into the 90s and 100s- so modern medicine is not needed for health and longevity ......  early healers understood they needed to figure out "why" the body was malfunctioning and fix the root cause - not take a pill to mask the symptom.......  think about this - every drug commercial you see has that man with a low voice come on at the end and lists the potential side effects- these side effects come about because the pill isn't just hitting the intended target - its hitting the endocrine / organ system in many ways......

 

carnitine and arginine are great supplements .  i wouldn't have any concerns about them .  my mom takes a hawthorn berry supplement to lower her blood pressure and cholesterol - it does the trick - she had previously been taking multiple meds for this.    since our bodies are more sensitive in withdrawal - its always good to ease on to anything - when i resumed all my vitamins i cut the dose in half or quarters initially and then pushed my way back to full doses .

 

the body can and will heal itself with the right tools!

Hawthorn Berry?  Never heard of that... I'll have to look into that.  Thanks so much!  That's a great help!

Hi SSRI1975,

 

I did a 4 point saliva test and found my cortisol was very low in the morning, (was getting adrenaline surges)  and then higher at night (very hard to unwind and the doesn't help).

 

I found that adrenal cocktails really helped with the low cortisol in the morning.  The surges stopped and now I just have the usual anxiety from a sensitized nervous system in withdrawal. 

 

Have you heard of anything that works to lower cortisol at night? I tried phosphatidylserine and Seriphos but the results weren't that good.  I tolerate magnesium gylcinate and use it sometimes for sleep, along with L-tryptophan and a very low dose of melatonin. 

 

Just curious if you ever had the fight or flight issue and what you might have used. 

 

Thanks.

 

Final Healing

Just stopped back in to see if there were any immediate questions -

 

will try to answer them:

 

Gooner - yes - I believe an untreated brain injury could very well hinder recovery.  I will try to look it up but a Dr Nemechek out in Arizona has published quite a bit on brain injury and less than traditional healing modalities - he was about to publish something new - not sure if it's come out yet.  I imagine you will need to pursue some traditional physical therapy programs - i have a friend who slipped and fell on the ice this winter and got a concussion and is going through just about all the things i did and she is getting tons of PT / OT etc and insurance is of course covering it since a concussion is recognized as a medical issue - sadly - our situation is not

 

Pinky - i debated addressing many of the things you asked about but the post was already so long.  For anyone who knows me - they know i pretty much don't believe in modern medicine anymore after all i've witnessed in my 20 yr career - with the exception of hte developments going on in oncology - which is the only reason i remain in my career.  My doubts began 12 yrs ago when my 12 year old niece was born entirely normal and thriving until she received her millionth vaccine and suddenly became SEVEVERLY autistic- she was not born that way - it took $100,000 in non traditional healing modalities and she is recovered 100% and thriving.  Much of what recovered her was following Dr Amy Yasko's protocol - and an 18 month old has no ability to recover due to hte "placebo effect" - she went from being non verbal, non responsive, hitting herself in her stomach and banging her head against the wall back to a totally normal, thriving child. 

 

As mentioned - there are no published scientific studies on vitamins - and most of my doctors will say they do nothing.  I can only go off my own experience that i healed from several health crises using them where my labs were off the charts and then went back into the normal ranges without taking the "pills" the doctors wanted to use.    Any doctor under the age of 50 has only learned "you see this symptom - you give this pill" - by own endocrinologist didn't know what hte HPA axis was...... the reason I know is because oncologists understand it far more than endocrinologists.  In the end i found a functional medicine doc who is 74 - ex Navy trained MD - who has left traditional medicine and he said doctors his age all knew the dangers of valium and all understand how the body heals based on actual function - not in using pills..... one of my labs that went through the roof was IGF-1 during this - that was scary because when you read about high IGF-1 it can be from cancer - its most often caused by too much dairy or sugar but given i was consuming none - i knew that wasnt the cause - after enough research - i found that lycopene can reduce IGF-1.  I started it - within a month my number dropped from 260 to 215 and another month later it was 160.  i have another friend who also had high IGF-1 - she started on it and had the same results.  After resuming Vitamin C my cortisol levels dropped dramatically .  This is my own evidence - everyone can decide for themselves but given i had lab testing to show i was deficient - and major improvements occurred after going back on vitamins - that is all the evidence i need.

 

I reference the Secret and Power because they are easily accessible and understandable.  Major oncology institutions like MD Anderson and Dana Farber recommend them.  They are an easy read .  I had some hesitation because the books basically say we are all responsible for our current situation and that could upset people - it also says - shit happens - and its how you respond to it that matters..... either way - reading them changed my life - perhaps because i read far too much heavy science all day long - something simple appealed to me

 

As for the german joke - i've heard the same one and there is a different answer to it - "zero - because it was engineered so efficiently it will last forever" ......  my parents were both born and raised in germany and i have many german friends and we all get a good laugh over our toughness , rigidity, etc,  we have a sense of humor about it- we all say its the source of our success and failures.....

Black eye rim, when does head symptom disappear?

 

 

hi jerry - the dark circles lasted several months - i think my combination of vitamins helped resolve it sooner than it might have - things like the bamboo extract which boosts collagen / keratin levels - the skin takes a real beating during withdrawal.

 

adrenal cocktails need to be carefully examined - i didn't take any of those because almost all of them contain either ashwagandha, holy basil or other GABA acting substances...... i healed my adrenals by using the vitamins most holistic/ functional med docs recommend which is B5 in the form of pantethine (form is very important), Vitamin E (400IU) and vitamin C is key - i took 500mg at night to stop the high cortisol at night and morning adrenaline surges - it worked very quickly for me once i started it.  Twin  Labs crystalline 500mg vitamin C caps is what i took - i think the brand and type are very important - most vitamin C comes in hard tablets which are really hard for a weak body to break down and the type they use doesn't increase histamine levels.  my adrenals were destroyed once before from lymes disease and i took Thorne brand Cortex capsules which is bovine adrenal gland - i think that helped a lot too. 

 

i avoided magnesium - it threw me right back into withdrawal but i also had the meds go paradoxical on me so i guess anything that acts on GABA may have a bad effect for me regardless......

 

best wishes for continued healing - its a slow and difficult process but i firmly believe getting off all meds is the best path forward for real health - i'm thriving 2+ yrs later in a way i never imagined possible after these meds stole so many years of my life!!

 

about a year after i was healed i had some lab testing done that showed i was extremely deplete in taurine which is a very important amino acid.  so i took 500mg of taurine for a few months till my levels came up - it did wonders but i am not sure if it is safe to use earlier before healed because it is a "precursor" or "building block" to make GABA - however it does not act on Gaba receptors..... so just sharing that as well in case it's helpful to anyone

Thank you.

 

The adrenal cocktail I mentioned is 1/2 cup oj. 1/4 teaspoon seasonal and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (for the potassium).

It's down wonders for the morning but as Insaid, it's the night I need help with. 

 

I will look into the  C you mention and also maybe a liquid version.

 

I'm also using some homepathic and auricular acupuncture to help keep me stable.  I think its helping as much as it can.

 

Thanks again for such a detailed response and I'm so glad you are feeling well. 

 

 

 

 

hi jerry - the dark circles lasted several months - i think my combination of vitamins helped resolve it sooner than it might have - things like the bamboo extract which boosts collagen / keratin levels - the skin takes a real beating during withdrawal.

 

adrenal cocktails need to be carefully examined - i didn't take any of those because almost all of them contain either ashwagandha, holy basil or other GABA acting substances...... i healed my adrenals by using the vitamins most holistic/ functional med docs recommend which is B5 in the form of pantethine (form is very important), Vitamin E (400IU) and vitamin C is key - i took 500mg at night to stop the high cortisol at night and morning adrenaline surges - it worked very quickly for me once i started it.  Twin  Labs crystalline 500mg vitamin C caps is what i took - i think the brand and type are very important - most vitamin C comes in hard tablets which are really hard for a weak body to break down and the type they use doesn't increase histamine levels.  my adrenals were destroyed once before from lymes disease and i took Thorne brand Cortex capsules which is bovine adrenal gland - i think that helped a lot too. 

 

i avoided magnesium - it threw me right back into withdrawal but i also had the meds go paradoxical on me so i guess anything that acts on GABA may have a bad effect for me regardless......

 

best wishes for continued healing - its a slow and difficult process but i firmly believe getting off all meds is the best path forward for real health - i'm thriving 2+ yrs later in a way i never imagined possible after these meds stole so many years of my life!!

 

about a year after i was healed i had some lab testing done that showed i was extremely deplete in taurine which is a very important amino acid.  so i took 500mg of taurine for a few months till my levels came up - it did wonders but i am not sure if it is safe to use earlier before healed because it is a "precursor" or "building block" to make GABA - however it does not act on Gaba receptors..... so just sharing that as well in case it's helpful to anyone

Thank you very much, I am very afraid, excuse me, exercise intolerance and head symptoms will disappear?

Forehead, head tightening, numbness. Terrible!

Hello, I am new to the forum.

 

I want to thank you for your exhaustive, golden information and on your withdrawal and the fantastic advice that comes out of it.

 

After just three months of Xanax use and 5 month taper following medical advice I have developed bilateral tinnitus and sound sensibility that has been a constant since the beginning of my taper and still today 7 months off the drug.

 

I wanted to ask you if your tinnitus, which was also constant for 11 months and almost gone right after that, is completely gone.

Many people has had theirs gone and some others claim that they still have it. What do you think? Baylissa says she has seen it go for all the cases she has supported, some lingering more than others.

 

Did you notice any effect on your tinnitus with certain foods? I am avoiding caffeine, alcohol, sugar, dairy and as much gluten as possible, knowing that glutamate excess is the main cause of our benzo brain malfunctions.

 

Given your fantastic scientific knowledge, do you think supplements like Ginkgo Biloba or Lipoflavinoids really help?

 

I hope you are feeling as good and fantastic as ever.

 

Thanks a million.

Hi healing 2020 - sending you lots of healing light and energy!  my tinnitus was truly awful- as i mentioned it was a very high pitch and in both ears - never let up once - until between month 11 and 12 - i started to notice short periods where it was gone.  then after month 12 is was mostly gone - i'm now 2.5 yrs out - the tinnitus thankfully stays away unless i am experiencing a period of really high stress - which i've had a few really stressful situations occur during that time.  the tinnitus will suddenly be back but then it drifts off and is gone.  it seems to be the only symptom that i get short spurts of during high stress.

 

i did try ginkgo and the bioflavonoids and i have to say they did ZERO to help - although i don't think they did any harm.  but i stayed on them for a few months with no results.  i was no longer on them when the tinnitus stppped so  i don't think it had anything to do with helping or harming.  ginkgo is good for the brain in general - so no harm in trying it.  there are plenty of people - outside those injured from benzos - who have had success with ginkgo reducing tinnitus - just not sure in a benzo damaged brain its the answer.

 

best wishes for reaching more and more healing!  definitely such a tough process with it not being linear- the set backs will feel like all is lost but just know that it is just one of many signs that healing actually is happening - despite how devastating it feels

Wow, just amazed.  I m in need of some cheaper alternative vitamins.  Do you know of any? The b5 the c and the E.  I want to fix my body but I can't eat much.  I m highly nauseated.  I m suffering obviously but not taking my Vitamins is prolonging it I believe.  I suffer as if it was day one.  Well some healing as I m able to do my smoothies 2 x a day with almond milk, kale or spinach, banana, handful fresh blueberries (helps a little with nausea)steel oats, celery sticks.  Fresh spinach for dinner, I have lost alot of weight so doctor has me drinking 1 ensure a day.  Peanut butter as much as I can stomach.  Also steel oats 1 a day, and home made yogurt as I have a ulcer and it is keeping it at bay for now.  I m force feeding myself.