anyone else going through menopause and tapering benzos at the same time?

I have been on Ativan for 15+ years .I am 50 years old .Over the last few years have had menopause symtoms. As well, this seemed to have caused my anxiety to be worse and have found no relief from the ativan. It stopped working for me due to tolerence, and so instead of going up on the dose i have decided it's time to come off them. I have tapered from 1 mg twice daily down to currently .5 mg twice daily. Any one else going through taper and menopause and if so how are you doing?

I have been on Ativan for 15+ years .I am 50 years old .Over the last few years have had menopause symtoms. As well, this seemed to have caused my anxiety to be worse and have found no relief from the ativan. It stopped working for me due to tolerence, and so instead of going up on the dose i have decided it's time to come off them. I have tapered from 1 mg twice daily down to currently .5 mg twice daily. Any one else going through taper and menopause and if so how are you doing?

Im sure I am in peri Im 53 and periods are all over the place, skipped 6 months and back etc

It’s  hard bc benzos surely mess up our hormones. Example I’m having night sweats but are they from the change? Or WD? It’s SOOOOOOO similar & hard to tell the difference but I’m definitely in the “change”

 

 

Edit: Fixed Quote

Hi!

I'm off the medication, and I'm still having a lot of intensity with my worst symptom -- disequilibrium/floaty-boaty dizziness. At age 55, I'm really wondering if changing hormones might be playing a role in that. I'm still getting periods, but obviously, at 55, I'm in perimenopause.

 

One of the medical journal articles I read last year was querying the role of "gonadal hormones" on this particular type of dizziness (sometimes referred to as "Mal de Debarquement"), since it appears to affect mostly women (9:1 ratio of women to men in one of the surveys that was done, which is very high).

 

I'm not sure where this thread is located now, since it seems to have been moved from its original location. Is it in Support Groups? Or elsewhere?

I'm not going through menopause, but just weaned my daughter, and my hormones being all over the place has DEFINITELY made things harder. Our bodies are just super sensitive right. Praying for you for quick relief.

Yes- Our stories sound similar as I also knew it was not working and would not increase dose.

I'm almost 51 yrs old in a few months. Periods are strange but still having them.

 

I have been on Kolonopin for approx 12 years, once a day,  .50 mg. Never increased dose other than my Father and Sisters deaths, interviews, etc.

 

I tried a few years ago to come off and was only successful for a few weeks. Nonetheless, I never went back to full amount. So the reduction by 50 percent was still a win. I have been taking .25 mg once a day for approx 2.5 years.

Feb. 14th, 2019 - started a taper. I reduced and felt very sick but go through it at 0.12 mg, then next reduction was 0.06 mg. I held awhile and took little chips and did what i felt I could handle. I just jumped off completely May, 1st, 2019, and praying for strength.

 

I've tried to stop taking this about 11 times. 

 

Here are my thoughts

I have learned enough to realize that everyone's process is different as their health may be different, and the numbers of prescription drugs they are one, etc While a lot of information we can relate to while some things we ourselves may never experience. For instance, there was a lady who was on a Benzo for 30 year, off 2 years now and fine. She didn't go into detail about it being difficult.

Have a friend who came off a Benzo after 5 years, and she just said it was a fight but you can do it. (xanax 3-5mgs per day). She was in her 50s at the time too, also she said, her body was requiring more.

 

I've watched so many videos, read stories, research this drug, etc..so the more we  educated helps the process. Anything is a success heading towards the goal, even if it takes longer than what you thought. Each person is unique in managing the taper and body reactions. My taper was long by standards and didn't cut as slow but I still was able to handle.

Its what works for you!! We can only feel good about trying. One way up!!

 

I don't share the feelings of missing out on life as I kept living and this made me sleep for many years, while dealing with divorce, new jobs, moves, family members deaths, etc.

 

So far, the worst thing symptom is nerves feel crawly but I can sleep when I can off and on since I'm not working so that is a huge blessing and not everyone can do that (thus another difference when comparing stories). Taking vitamins and eating well on the days you can is a huge one. Fish oil, multi, vitamin B's. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I went through menopause before and during clonazepam withdrawal. Perimenopause & Menopause are hard enough as it is (for most of us) and then adding benzodiazepines withdrawal to the mix is ridiculously difficult. But I had to do it and there is no putting off getting off benzodiazepines when your body & mind has had enough.

 

I suffered from mood swings and rushes of anger. My body would get flooded with cortisol. I went into my pantry (to hide this from spouse) and threw a plastic water bottle to the floor to release stress. It felt good to throw something that wouldn't break.

 

I cried furiously into my pillow and in the shower.

 

The hot flashes were intense. I would get them every twenty minutes or so. Flushing and burning skin. Drenched from head to toe. I wore only underwear in the house! I laid under ceiling fans as much as possible. I tried to cut out sugar and carbs as much as possible. That helped a bit, but not much. I suffered like this for years. I am currently 46 but went through perimenopause in my late 30's and menopause at 43.

 

I researched hormone therapy but after years of being on meds I was skeptical and did not want to become a guinea pig again. I had spent years trying new meds, adjusting the meds, doing the wait-and-see dance if they worked and it is an awful way to live. Since I had dedicated myself to getting off all meds, I was reluctant to get on hormones and spend time adjusting and readjusting hormones. Anyway, the hotflashes, mood swings, low libido, etc were just too much to bear and I asked my doctor about hormones. I was only 3 months out from the jump off point from clonazepam. I was still intensely shaking from withdrawal on her exam table!

 

She prescribed progesterone. Only progesterone and not a mix, I guess, to keep it simple. I can't remember the dose. After only a few days taking this hormone I had intrusive suicidal thoughts. I had thoughts that told me to "Just end this. Kill yourself." Literally, "kill yourself." Each day I continued to take the pill the thoughts worsened. I obviously was very concerned. I told my spouse and he was like, "get off those damn pills right now!!!" and so I did. I took the pills for 5 days. It was like in benzodiazepine-withdrawal and all this distress I couldn't even think for myself. I discontinued the progesterone and that day the suicidal thoughts stopped and have not returned.

 

I told the doctor what happened and she said "wow. You're body is so overwhelmed and in such distress from benzodiazepine withdrawal it literally told you to end your life." My system was so overwhelmed it was telling me to shut it down, just end it. Strange and weird but it made sense to me st the time. Does that make sense to you?

 

I am doing better dealing with menopause symptoms now but I take nothing. No supplements. I exercise as much as I have energy for, I eat as well as i can: organic and low-carb helps. I sleep under a ceiling fan and wear loose clothing. I don't always know what symptoms are from menopause and what symptoms are benzo-withdrawal related.

 

Anyway, my point is that going through this withdrawal AND menopause is like the hardest thing ever, but I don't know any differently. I just wake up each day and persevere.  I have heard from older women that they are still having hot flashes at 60 & 70 years of age!

And due to my nightmare experience with the progesterone, i would tread very lightly or not at all into hormone therapy. I think natural is best.

 

I hope you are having a better time than I have and am sending you happy and healthy healing thoughts.

 

All the best to you!

I have been on Clonazpam for 22 years and had tapered off slowly and went off my estrogen patch of 25mg and progesterone within the past three months.  I got completely off the Clonazapam for a few days when I was hit with a surge of menopause and Clonazapam withdrawal symptoms of anxiety, panic causing terrible insomnia.  I also have bipolar 2 and am on 1000 MG of Depakote. 

 

This was too much to bear.  I could not function effectively at work or with my family.  My days got worse and worse from the nighttime stress and insomnia.  My daughters college graduation is in 2 weeks.  I even put on 7 pounds.  Two days ago and I decided I was unable to stay off the clonazapam without more support and my psychopharmacologist said to go back on to 0.25 until I am ready to retaper.

 

I feel like a wimp but on the other hand I have to believe that I will be able to get off the 0.25MG of clonazapam at some point soon without unbearable suffering.  My anxiety/panic/insomnia is rooted in my early childhood trauma of 55 years ago and maternal neglect/abuse.  Clonazapam 0.25 is there for me at night and even though I don’t take more, I know I can rely on it.  My doctor feels that is more a psychological dependancy than addicition.

 

Thoughts?

 

I think it can be psychological but those of taking this more than a year regularly are physically dependent on it otherwise we would just stop.

 

3 years ago..i got down to a .025 mg. I also, could not take being off and went back on to attend a wedding in which i need to travel for.

 

In February. My taper was almost 3 months.  I think its better to do this, getting off the medicine, in such a way that you are not losing your life or missing out. There will be a time to tapper and quit.

 

You are so damn far form being a wimp. You are being strong and generous as you are wanting to be there for your family, daughter.

 

Hi Everyone,

I spent part of yesterday reading some of the entries in this blog about peri/menopause and "weird head symptoms", and it was fascinating! I have intense dizziness/disequilibrium -- a floaty-boaty, push-pull, swaying, off-balance sensation -- and it's quite likely that it's caused not just by my use of benzodiazepines and antidepressants, but also from my current hormonal changes. I'm still getting a period in my mid-50s, but I'm obviously in perimenopause at this age. I've been off the benzos and ADs for years now but I'm still intensely debilitated by the dizziness.

 

The women who have posted in the blog describe a range of symptoms, and those who have gone to doctors seeking help have mostly been told that it's just anxiety or depression. Some have done extensive testing, only to find that everything is "normal". Some have been given prescriptions for benzos or antidepressants or hormones, but very, very few seem to be helped by these meds. Suffice to say that I won't be trying any pharmaceuticals for my symptoms! Almost all of the women seem to be relieved to find out that they're not alone in suffering with "strange" or "weird" head sensations, and that the symptoms are likely caused by hormonal changes and not some dreaded disease.

 

I'll keep reading, since I'm only part-way through the entries. Clearly, hot flashes are but one of many, many symptoms that women can experience during peri/menopause.

 

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2451603/does-anyone-peri-have-this-weird-head-feeling

Hi Everyone,

I spent part of yesterday reading some of the entries in this blog about peri/menopause and "weird head symptoms", and it was fascinating! I have intense dizziness/disequilibrium -- a floaty-boaty, push-pull, swaying, off-balance sensation -- and it's quite likely that it's caused not just by my use of benzodiazepines and antidepressants, but also from my current hormonal changes. I'm still getting a period in my mid-50s, but I'm obviously in perimenopause at this age. I've been off the benzos and ADs for years now but I'm still intensely debilitated by the dizziness.

 

The women who have posted in the blog describe a range of symptoms, and those who have gone to doctors seeking help have mostly been told that it's just anxiety or depression. Some have done extensive testing, only to find that everything is "normal". Some have been given prescriptions for benzos or antidepressants or hormones, but very, very few seem to be helped by these meds. Suffice to say that I won't be trying any pharmaceuticals for my symptoms! Almost all of the women seem to be relieved to find out that they're not alone in suffering with "strange" or "weird" head sensations, and that the symptoms are likely caused by hormonal changes and not some dreaded disease.

 

I'll keep reading, since I'm only part-way through the entries. Clearly, hot flashes are but one of many, many symptoms that women can experience during peri/menopause.

 

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2451603/does-anyone-peri-have-this-weird-head-feeling

 

So glad you mentioned this. So many women are put on AD's and Benzos during perimenopause & menopause in an effort to minimize symptoms and alleviate the suffering but in the end, they just add to it! It doesn't truly help and then they are stuck being on one of these drugs.

 

When I have less of a headache I will read your attachment! Thanks for posting!

You're welcome, TaterTot (great name!). There are lots of interesting tidbits in the blog, although personally, I could do without the religiosity that shows up in there from time to time. Still, it's quite validating to see how many women over the years that this blog runs, which is quite a few, have similar "strange" symptoms that are generally dismissed by doctors or thought to be part of anxiety or depression. I strongly object to the prescribing of medication when doctors are unsure as to what's going on. It's such a cop-out, and yes, the meds likely add to the women's problems. Unacceptable.