What is meant by "tolerance withdrawal" ?

I have seen the term "tolerance withdrawal" used in this forum occasionally.  Could someone tell me exactly what is meant by this term?  Does Ashton talk about this in her manual?

Thanks for any help!

This is my unofficial definition … I understand it to mean that you're experiencing withdrawal symptoms WHILE you're still taking the medication (this is what happened to me). And so to feel better, you have to keep increasing the dose. #medicationsucks

"Benzodiazepine tolerance is considered to constitute an adaptive mechanism following chronic treatment."

What happens in tolerance withdrawal, that the medication no longer works on the prescribed dose. The body start experiencing symptoms of withdrawal (even though the patient never decreased the dose). Many people do not know they are experiencing tolerance withdrawal symptoms because they never thought it can ever happen as long they are taking their meds. Withdrawal symptoms confuses most doctors and patients because (again) the dosage never been cut. Symptoms can be increased anxiety, depression, panic attacks, vision problems, migraine, vertigo, tremors, nausea, sudden weight loss, insomnia, palpitation... the list is long. Some people goes from specialist to specialist getting unnecessary, expensive testing or treatment before realizing their medication is the culprit of the issue. Tolerance and withdrawal symptoms are based on the same compensatory mechanism of the body. The bottom line  is that there is not enough drug in the system. Either because the body is too used to it and needs more to work the same way as it did before or because the person started to take away (taper) the drug. You can call it tolerance withdrawal if the withdrawal symptoms are the result of developing tolerance (the prescribed amount no longer enough) or "just " withdrawal symptoms if the symptoms are the result of tapering, cutting back.

Thanks...helps a lot!

"Benzodiazepine tolerance is considered to constitute an adaptive mechanism following chronic treatment."

What happens in tolerance withdrawal, that the medication no longer works on the prescribed dose. The body start experiencing symptoms of withdrawal (even though the patient never decreased the dose). Many people do not know they are experiencing tolerance withdrawal symptoms because they never thought it can ever happen as long they are taking their meds. Withdrawal symptoms confuses most doctors and patients because (again) the dosage never been cut. Symptoms can be increased anxiety, depression, panic attacks, vision problems, migraine, vertigo, tremors, nausea, sudden weight loss, insomnia, palpitation... the list is long. Some people goes from specialist to specialist getting unnecessary, expensive testing or treatment before realizing their medication is the culprit of the issue. Tolerance and withdrawal symptoms are based on the same compensatory mechanism of the body. The bottom line  is that there is not enough drug in the system. Either because the body is too used to it and needs more to work the same way as it did before or because the person started to take away (taper) the drug. You can call it tolerance withdrawal if the withdrawal symptoms are the result of developing tolerance (the prescribed amount no longer enough) or "just " withdrawal symptoms if the symptoms are the result of tapering, cutting back.

 

Excellent post !!  I am going to copy it so I can use it also  :thumbsup:

This is my unofficial definition … I understand it to mean that you're experiencing withdrawal symptoms WHILE you're still taking the medication (this is what happened to me). And so to feel better, you have to keep increasing the dose. #medicationsucks

 

This was basically my "path" over the course of 10 years.

 

You do build up very fast and before you know it you're taking not only a lot more Benzodiazepines but other medication from antidepressants to antipsychotics and so on.

 

I believe this to be the fact that destroyed my cognitive skills, even more than the "normal" benzo usage.

 

To finalize, like you I would love to hear more about people that went through the same.

 

Peace!

i was on clonazepam and citalepram for anxiety and depression.  back in dec 2019 i felt my depression coming back so my psychiatrist switched me to a different AD called pristiq. unfortunately pristiq isnt working and i still feel extremely depress.  im wondering if my depression is due to tolerance withdraw rather than the old AD stopped working.  sign...life sux

 

 

Idonk

 

I think I am going thru the same thing.  I was on low dose AD for awhile and them my depression/anxiety became worse. I was given 8 mg of Ativan to control anxiety.  I have since tapered down to .125mg starting today but feel the depressive symptoms even though I am on 2 AD's now and have tried several during my course of tapering.  I am leaning on believing my depression in large part of the withdrawal I am going thru.  The last few cuts have been very tough.  I am looking forward to life on the other side of all this.  I hope to taper off the AD medicine as I start to feel better once off the Ativan.  Headaches; teeth tingling and negative thought are the worse.

 

Vivica

HI,

I WAS ON VALIUM FOR 10 YEASR PLUS.. MY DR. SWITCHED ME TO KLONOPIN ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO ( A LITTLE LESS) HAD HORRIBLE HORRIBLE WITHDRAWAL.  I DIDN'T TAPPER AND SWITCH.. GOT A LOT BETTER OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR BUT NOW I'M VERY STRESSED AND SYMPTOMS HAVE RETURNED BIG TIME... IS THAT POSSIBLE? STILL ON SAME AMOUNT OF KLONOPIN.. MORNIG HALF OF .05 NIGHT A FULL .05... HAS STRESS MADE MY SYMPTOMS COME BACK THEY THEY WERE ORIGINALLY ??  HELP!!!

This is my unofficial definition … I understand it to mean that you're experiencing withdrawal symptoms WHILE you're still taking the medication (this is what happened to me). And so to feel better, you have to keep increasing the dose. #medicationsucks

 

This was basically my "path" over the course of 10 years.

 

You do build up very fast and before you know it you're taking not only a lot more Benzodiazepines but other medication from antidepressants to antipsychotics and so on.

 

I believe this to be the fact that destroyed my cognitive skills, even more than the "normal" benzo usage.

 

To finalize, like you I would love to hear more about people that went through the same.

 

Peace!

 

Yep, it's a slippery slope and it can quickly spiral out of control. I sincerely believe that I developed tolerance withdrawal within 2 WEEKS of taking Ativan! And then, because my anxiety was getting worse and not better (bc of the tolerance withdrawal), my nurse practitioner kept telling me to increase the AD. Ugh!!! This is the path to how poor souls get polydrugged!

 

 

Idonk

 

I think I am going thru the same thing.  I was on low dose AD for awhile and them my depression/anxiety became worse. I was given 8 mg of Ativan to control anxiety.  I have since tapered down to .125mg starting today but feel the depressive symptoms even though I am on 2 AD's now and have tried several during my course of tapering.  I am leaning on believing my depression in large part of the withdrawal I am going thru.  The last few cuts have been very tough.  I am looking forward to life on the other side of all this.  I hope to taper off the AD medicine as I start to feel better once off the Ativan.  Headaches; teeth tingling and negative thought are the worse.

 

Vivica

 

which ADs are you on?  im so confuse at the moment.  im not sure if my AD isnt working or im still depress because im tapering off clonazepam.  ugh