Flumazenil for protracted withdrawal

I would like to know if there is anyone who tried Flumazenil for protracted withdrawals.  I have read the study and I know it is not a short cut or a sure thing.  My GP has been very helpful but doesn't know anything about this method. If you had this done can it be done in the doctors office?  Or should I look at detox centers?

 

A few things about me:  I was on 4mg Clonazepam for over 10 years.  I took Levaquin (quinolone) that threw me into tolerance, withdrawals for months.  I could not stabilize and just compounded the problem by going cold turkey on New Years day.  It's been just over 6 months and my symptoms are almost non stop.  I get a window maybe once or twice a week that last only maybe an hour or two.

 

Worst symptoms.  Loud tinnitus that when I'm in the shower I can't even hear the water.  My face feels like it's being pulled on the left side, when this happens my vision in my left eye is blurry.  My muscles contract and I feel like I am being pulled into a fetus position, this kills my back and makes walking very difficult.  

 

I feel I have been very patient and don't know how much longer I can take this.  I have come close to reinstating to see if that would pull me out of then and then taper off.  Before trying this I thought Flumazenil would be the better approach.

I have a friend who went to a detox center that used Flumazenil...

 

she called me a few days into it knowing it was  mistake...

 

I talked her through getting out of the detox...she finished it and was going to reinstate when she got out...

 

this is really bad...but she got out and committed suicide...

 

I hate passing this story on but as far as I know all forms of rapid detox are dangerous...

 

I'm sorry. I hate sharing that story...that was  horrible and devastating time for me.

Sorry to hear about your friend, what detox center did she go to.  But if you read my post I am not doing a detox.  I am over 6 months out.  I am trying to get through protracted withdrawals.

If you use the search function, you'll find many, many posts which address this issue. 

Thanks Pamster.  I did do a search.  I'm just trying to find out if this can be done in a few minutes at my doctors office.  He is clueless but willing to help.  And I want to know if any active members that have tried this for protracted withdrawals.

Kenneth,

 

Sorry about what you're going through.  It sounds truly awful.  I did a lot of research on this a few months ago and spoke to a couple of very knowledgeable doctors.  My discussion of this topic did not sit well with some of the moderators on this board, so don't take anything I am saying as advice.  I am just going to tell you what I learned.

 

First off, there is a big distinction between flumazenil for "rapid detox" and for protracted or "post-acute" withdrawal.  Giving this drug to someone who is still addicted to benzos is crazy and will usually make the person extremely sick.  I believe doctors who use this method to detox benzo-dependent patients are nuts.  Giving it to a person who is in protracted withdrawal but is no longer dependent on benzos is supposedly quite effective at reducing or eliminating symptoms.  There are also some doctors and patients who claim that continuous administration of flumazenil can help to "re-set" GABA receptors and reverse the withdrawal syndrome.  However, the main issue with the drug is that the half life is extremely short so it has to be administered constantly.  Once the drug wears off (in a few hours or maybe up to a day or two), the symptoms come right back.  Also, it has its own set of side effects, though it's supposedly a relatively safe drug.

 

I had a doctor who was ready and willing to administer this stuff to me and I finally decided against it, mainly because I feel like my withdrawal symptoms are not so severe that I can't cope.  I just decided it was best not to do anything to interrupt the natural process of healing because I can feel my symptoms getting less severe.  If I were in your shoes, having to CT off such a large dose, I'd probably give it some serious consideration before I would go back on benzos.  You can always take flumazenil and then go back on benzos.  I don't think you can do it the other way around.

 

-Ryan

A couple of other treatments you might want to research are  Imidazenil and Ganaxolone.  I think both are experimental at this point but I have read interesting things about them. 

Kenneth,

 

I realized that I never answered your question.  I had a doc in Texas who does it in office, so I know it can be done that way.  You'll need to find one who can do it repeatedly.  One dose won't give you more than a few hours of relief.

 

Ryan

  It's funny that I saw this post because I looked up benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms, just to revise some of my symptoms that I mught still have and some that have resided..... The makers of Clonazepam, Valium and a few other of these poisons... Advice that Flumazenil should not be used in Withdrawal circumstances.... But they could be wrong they are also the useless tools, that at first stated there meds were non addicting..... If you have a good doctor who is well versed, I say give it a try....

 

 

 

    Just my two cents, what did I know, LOL..

 

 

 

          GOD Bless...

 

 

 

          Nate(+)

 

There are a few members here and various forums that have tried this treatment for protracted withdrawal and I have yet to see one "success story."  I have seen a couple people say they had relief for a short period of time....a few hours.....or even a day..then it is right back to the same symptoms....I haven't seen any evidence that this would be a permanent fix..it if were..I bet it would be highly popular....

 

 

TC

 

There are a few members here and various forums that have tried this treatment for protracted withdrawal and I have yet to see one "success story."  I have seen a couple people say they had relief for a short period of time....a few hours.....or even a day..then it is right back to the same symptoms....I haven't seen any evidence that this would be a permanent fix..it if were..I bet it would be highly popular....

 

 

TC

 

I agree, TC.  On the other hand, taking benzos during withdrawal don't offer any more than a few hours of relief, then they leave one more dependent and feeling worse for days, weeks, or possibly months.  If I were in a situation of unbearable symptoms and was thinking about having to reinstate benzos to survive, I'd personally try flumazenil first. 

Ryan,

 

I understand what you are saying there...I think I would try anything...well nearly anything...before going back on benzos again......

 

TC

Is there anyone here that had a long-lasting or severe protracted withdrawal and tried flumazenil? I have been in benzo WD for over 9 years and while it has been healing, it is just extremely slow in my case. I was hit with WD bad and had the added injury of a fluoroquinolone while in CT withdrawal. I have a doctor that understands the biological/neurological basis for benzo WD and is not surprised that I've been stuck with all these symptoms for so long. He can't make any promises, but thinks there's a chance that an infusion of Flumazenil, repeated every few days for a month, might restore my GABA receptors to their pre-benzo, normal functioning state. It would be expensive for the treatments, but I would take out a loan for it if the probability of it helping me heal and regain functionality is high. It would pay for itself if it works. I am not interested in temporary relief of symptoms and improved functioning... I want my actual health and functioning back, I will not take anything to mask the GABA dysfunction. If the Flumazenil treatments would only result in temporary relief, I don't want it. I don't know of any cases where someone in protracted withdrawal tried repeated Flumazenil infusions, but I recall a study that showed partial success with a single infusion recommended further studies with multiple infusions for the possibility of a sustained or permanent normal functioning of the GABA receptors.

 

Has anyone here been in a similar protracted WD situation and tried flumazenil, either single or multiple infusions?

There are some actual studies done on the use of Flumazenil for protracted withdrawal syndrome that were done in Denmark. I think they largely reflect what was stated above regarding the effects being short term, but I have only read the abstract. In any case, you are considering this option with your doctor it might be worth looking at the study.

I have read the 2 studies I know of on Flumazenil for protracted wd in their entirety, a London study and a Swedish one. While they both report some success, they are small studies and limited to single infusions.

 

I would like to hear from people with personal experience, preferably utilising multiple infusions.

 

I have had 3 MDs recommend that I try experimental Flumazenil treatments for my condition.