Remeron to get off Valium quicker.

I need to hear ppl who have positive results from using Remeron.

Hi Hope, I am on Remeron and I c/t from Lorazepam 28 months ago. I do believe that Remeron helped me a lot. I do have withdrawal but I can tell you since I c/t it would probably have been worse if I wasn’t taking Remeron. I can say this because I took a benzo before and tapered over 2 years and suffered horrendous withdrawal and I wasn’t on Remeron for that taper so I know the difference. I do want to caution you and say that I will still need to taper the Remeron. I may have an easier time or I may not. I think it is key to taper one drug at a time and to get through that withdrawal before attempting another drug taper but that is just my personal opinion. I wish you well with whatever you do.

 

Jackie  :smitten:

 

 

Thank you sooooo much Jackie. 

 

  The reason I asked is bcuz I'm having a terrible time even with 5% taper and I cannot see myself doing this for FOUR YEARS!  It's ridiculous!  And I'm at 10mg.  So I'm seriously thinking of starting on a low dose of Remeron to see if it helps me and then I can taper faster.  Say 10% or more hopefully.  I'm 70 years old and it's just destroying my life.  I'm tired of all the sxs.  Remeron cannot be worse than the sxs of this Valium. 

 

 

I tapered Valium the first time for over 2 years. When I got to 10 mg I took 5mg Am and 5mgPm for 10 days then cut to 9.5mg for 10 days. I cut that way all the way down to 2.5 then 2.25, 2, 1.75, 1.5, 1.25, 1, .75, .5, .25 but I held longer like 14 days. I wasn’t taking Remeron then.

 

:smitten:

My thinking is you have to do what is best for you. I have no way of knowing if the Remeron taper will be bad.

Thanks again Jackie.

 

  Your withdrawal was fast.  I was fast for the first 20 mg ..  2mg a week .....every week till I got down to 10mg then I hit the wall.  I just went off too fast.  This is why I'm doing 5% taper till I'm able to taper faster IF I can that is.  I considered Remeron bcuz I am having such a hard time right now.  I don't know if it was bcuz I tapered too fast or if it's my age or what.  All I know is that my CNS is like super sensitive now. 

 

  But I read all the sxs of Remeron and I don't want to risk it at my age and I am severely allergic to dyes on pills.  Have gone into Anaphalactic shock from dyes on pills.  So that's not an option for me since they all have dyes in them.  And I worry about tapering off the Remeron or any AD.

 

  I did find a doctor who will back me up if my GP lets me down.....thank God.  Thanks so much for sharing this info with me, so important to help me decide.

 

 

Hi Hope, I certainly understand where you are coming from. I hope you can get stable and be able to finish your taper at your own pace. I’m sure I will see you around here. Let me know if you need an ear. It helps to know that there are others who know what you are going through. Hugs my friend.

 

Jackie  :smitten:

Hey Jackie,

 

    I found this website ...you probably already know about it but it has great resources in dealing with all the sxs of tapering off benzos.

 

  http://www.benzosupport.org/index.htm

 

  I found it so very helpful already.

 

  Thanks for being a good friend.  :smitten:

Hope - I thought about Remeron too for sleep (a friend says it really helps him sleep at a low dose). But then I read the Remeron support group thread - I saw you on there Jackie B - and I chickened out as some people have problems tapering Remeron.

 

I did not want to add another drug to the mix but decided to try Trazadone last night - I took 12.5mg before bed and another 12.5mg when I woke up and I slept longer than I have in months. And today I was a little lethargic but not dizzy or other s/x I had read about. I am only going to take low doses of Trazadone as needed. I was waking up at 2:30am or 4am for too long to not try and get some sleep - I was desperate. I am not advocating Trazadone at all and everyone reacts differently to various drugs - I just had to try something to sleep as awful sleep was making me feel worse. Remeron really works for my friend though and it worked for Jackie too.

 

Let us know what you decide to do and how it works out.

Thanks for thinking of me Sober.

 

  That is also an AD isn't it?  So I am severely allergic to dyes.  I've gone into Anaphalactic Shock FIVE times bcuz of dyes in meds.  Everytime I look these meds up they have dyes in them.  So I cannot chance any of them unfortunately. But thanks much for trying to help me out.  I was taking an antihistamine but it has given me a horrific headache that I'm still suffering with since this morning.

I don't know much about dyes Hope but yes, please stay away from them. The Trazadone tablets I have are white so not sure if there is still dye in them. I do feel a little off tonight so maybe that is the Trazadone...but the sleep was much needed. And also I didn't wake up in a jolt with chemical anxiety which was a relief - a trade off I guess.

 

Hope your headache eases up. I've heard a lot that Tylenol is OK to take while tapering.

Thanks for the website Hope and I hope you feel better soon and get relief from your headache. My husband and two of my children get bad headaches. They use Extra Strength Excedrin for it. I’ll be thinking of you.

 

Hi Sober! Yes the Remeron support group can be scary to read. I’m just hoping I’ll be lucky and not have that awful of a time coming off from it.  I don’t regret taking it because at the time I was so close to being put on a feeding tube. I couldn’t tolerate any food at all. We have to do what is best for us. I think as long as you use your Trazadone sparingly you will be ok. I couldn’t take Trazadone. We are all so unique and precious. All my best to you.

 

Jackie  :smitten:

Thanks Jackie Brown (love that movie!).

 

Sweet dreams!!

I started taking remeron before I started taking benzos. I started the remeron because I had just been given a cancer diagnosis and the celexa wasn't carrying me through.

 

And wow did the remeron help! I was able to deal with the cancer treatment so much easier after that. I had 6 months of chemo and I'm still clear 3 years later.

 

I have not tapered off the remeron, still on the 45 mg dose. So I can't speak to that.

 

But I do sleep during my xanax taper. So it probably has helped in that regard.

Thank you Sober for the good wishes and advice.  I USED to take Excedrin before I took Benzos and it worked.  But it just makes me really hyper now.  And Tylenol NEVER worked for me, I do not know why.  I had the headache till 5 am this morning.  So I took my Aminos which I take every morning.  Alaskan Salmon Oil and Probiotics and L-Carnitine and Acetyl-Carnitine and I took a Phosphatidylserine and DRibose powder which really helped immensely.  Took the Headache away.  Cannot take PS at night though, you'll never sleep.  It really helped and I'm grateful for it.  I really suffered all night long awake with ice packs on my neck and head.  But I got to meditate during all that time so that part was productive.  Thanks for caring. :hug:

 

  And Jackie Brown, thank you so much again as always, you are so helpful just like Sober, you guys are my heroes.  I am so sorry you've gone through so much.  I'm so glad the Remeron is working for you.  I've read it depends on the individual as to whether it works or does not work.  I'm so glad it worked for you. 

 

HopeToDoTHIS, I am so sorry you've been through so much also.  Not FAIR!  I am so glad Remeron worked for you.  Again, depends on the individual.  Since I'm so allergic to dyes (Anaphalactic shock) I just cannot take the chance.  My daughter 42 also had Breast cancer.  We prayed for her and after many surgeries she beat it and we thank God for that. 

  I really wish I could take the ADs because I cannot sleep now and I'm on the 10mg.  I tapered off 11 milliters since 2/1/19.  I know it's slow but that's all I can handle.  And Still no sleep.  And nothing to take for it.  Unisom gives me headaches also.  So I am out of ideas of what to take. 

 

  Thanking Heaven for all of you angels and that is what you all are! :angel:

Hi Hopeforrecovery - hoping you're having a great day! Thinking of you and sending hugs 

:hug:

Even if you decide to take Remeron, start with a very low dose, even 3.75 mg can be enough for you (they will tell you the lowest dose is 15 mg, but even 7.5 mg was SUPER powerful for me). Also, don't take it for too long. Remeron is famous for people developing tolerance quickly and for the "poop out" effect. So it might stop working, yet withdrawal might be bad. It also makes you gain weight super fast. Also, Remeron messes up your deep and REM sleep. I had a sleep study done and it was looked all messed up and the neuro told me that it's because of the Remeron.

Yes, I am 70 years old.  I still look young but been on benzo since 2017.  But I lost 35 lbs in like a month.  So it has done a good job in hurting my good health in a short period of time.  And at my age, I don't want to chance it.  Had a brain scan and there is already some memory damage from the benzo.  Not a lot, still good cognitive ability and balance thus far, but I want my brain to heal and I do not want to do any more harm to it at my age.  Yet, the sleep issue is a concern for me.  It will wear me out fast at my age.  That is my concern.  You are not as resilient at my age ya know, you don't bounce back as well.

Thanks for thinking of me Sober.

 

  That is also an AD isn't it?

 

Yes, but at the low doses taken for sleep (7.5mg or less) there is no AD/anxiolytic effect.  The minimum dose for AD is 15mg, and 30 is usually the commonly  recommended dose.

Remeron is more sedating in lower doses, if you try it try 7.5mg first (half of the lowest dose)

I was on it in the psyche hospital, it helped but i ate to excess one day and vomited, so they switched me to trazadone which stopped working...now I'm on ambien 

Remeron is more sedating in lower doses, if you try it try 7.5mg first (half of the lowest dose)

I was on it in the psyche hospital, it helped but i ate to excess one day and vomited, so they switched me to trazadone which stopped working...now I'm on ambien 

 

I take ambien too, 10 mg. I'm always unsure if I should admit that here, especially while I'm tapering xanax. But it sure does help me sleep. I might taper down to 5 mg of ambien, but I am unsure if I will ever stop taking it completely, because my sleep has been horrible my entire adult life. I'm in my 50s now, and just started taking ambien 2-1/2 years ago. The ambien lets me go a full day without feeling like I need to nap.

Remeron is more sedating in lower doses, if you try it try 7.5mg first (half of the lowest dose)

I was on it in the psyche hospital, it helped but i ate to excess one day and vomited, so they switched me to trazadone which stopped working...now I'm on ambien 

 

I take ambien too, 10 mg. I'm always unsure if I should admit that here, especially while I'm tapering xanax. But it sure does help me sleep. I might taper down to 5 mg of ambien, but I am unsure if I will ever stop taking it completely, because my sleep has been horrible my entire adult life. I'm in my 50s now, and just started taking ambien 2-1/2 years ago. The ambien lets me go a full day without feeling like I need to nap.

 

I say, benzo first, ALWAYS.

I'm on a truckload of drugs, I'd like to CT them all of course, but obviously thats not going to work.

I'm on the CR and I really dont like it as much as when I used to take ambien 5mg. Gonna stick it out until I see my doc but if things dont seem better im gonna ask to try the immediate release ones