Are most people able to get off benzos with no w/d?

I am curious and have been trying to find out what is the ratio of benzo w/d sufferers who suffer withdrawal when they stop benzos, compared to the other people on Benzos who have no trouble stopping them.  Is that possible - I mean, are there LOTS of people who can just stop taking them with no sx?  If we sufferers are the minority, then I can perhaps understand why the medical people don't pay alot of attention to us, but

if we are the majority, then I don't know why they wouldn't pay attention to what is going on with us.

    I do know one person who got off of 4mg of Klonopin with no trouble - but he had overdosed on them, had his stomach pumped and then

was put right on Lamictal.  I don't know if that substituted for what would have been W/D from Klonopin.  He is the only person I know who was

able to go off of K with no other problems.

      Everyone else I know is either still taking them or they are fellow-sufferers here on BB or FB.  Thanks to anyone who has any info to share.

When I get well from this, I swear I am going to do something about getting this out in public.  I have to so that all our suffering won't have been in vain. 

Hoping2BFree

Hello Hoping2Bfree

 

 

Mrs. Kettle has been practicing medicine in the US for over 20 years.

 

Not until I told her about what I had learned about Benzos on the internet did she ever hear about Benzo Being a big deal to get off.

 

When I was prescribed Benzos she was not happy about it. But did not put her foot down and stop me (wish she had).

 

I mean she knew that Benzos are BAD NEWS and rarely wrote a script for them. But the patients that she has had on Benzos over the years just seem to quit benzos like they do

so many other medicines with no problem.

 

Opiates are the major drug that people seem to have a consistent issue with getting free from.

 

 

Mrs,  Kettle had a pharmacist/patient ask her for Klonopin recently. Mrs. Kettle warned the pharmacist and upon the pharmacists insistence prescribed a small amount with no refills.

 

 

My opinion is that all drugs mess us up and we should only take what is absolutely necessary to stay alive. The side effects and damage are just not worth a little temporary relief.

 

 

 

Teakettle

 

 

Thanks for your input Tea - hard to believe that with so many people here on BB and on other support forums, that we are in the minority.

I wonder what the difference is - why some people have such a hard time.....is there something lacking or an overage of something in their brain?

Thank you for responding.....

Teakettle,

 

What causes some of us to have such a hard time getting off these drugs ?  I really don't understand.  I have taken this same medicine in the past and was able to stop it without any problem.  My doctors prescribed it for IBS, and it worked well in the past.  I only took it for a year before, and during that time was weaning off.   I think taking it longer this go around....may have been part of the problem.  Also, my doctor had me taking prozac for a year, then xanax for a few months (didn't like that one at all, so I tapered off).  While I took prozac and xanax, my doctor had me taking librax with it.  I don't think it is a good idea to mix drugs like this, but my doctor didn't seem to worry about it.  I went to a new doctor....and she had me C/T the librax to take Buspar....and things went downhill, fast.

 

So....I don't know how I got carried away here.

I agree with you.  All drugs have the potential to mess us up.....and we should only take what is necessary.  I wonder why doctors seem to write so many prescriptions where I live ?   In my experience, that seems to be all they want to do....is write prescriptions.

 

Hoping......My mother took Xanax for over 5 years, and is 80 years old.  She was able to stop taking it a few months ago, and just had a few nights where she didn't sleep well.  I don't understand !

 

Sunny girl

 

Hi Sunny Girl - that is amazing about your Mother......I wish I understood why it is so bad for some of us.  And why am I in the minority of people who have a hard time.....I mean, is something else wrong with my brain?  It worries me....there must be information out there but I have looked and really can't find much.

    thanks for your input - I appreciate it and just hope we can get through this intact and still healthy.

Love from Hoping2BFree

Hi,

 

I have seen various studies that stated 30 percent of people struggle with withdrawal....and other studies that say 50 percent and even a study or two that say 100 percent of people have some form of withdrawal...

 

I think to get out of this without any symptoms is probably not very probable for most....I do think quite often...people are having symptoms, but are told by their doctors that after 30 days there is no withdrawal so it "must" be something else and then are given various medicines for anxiety and other things that are actually withdrawal...I would be that happens to alot of people in withdrawal....as the medical community decides it must be something else...even if you never had that condition prior to benzo withdrawal...

 

TC

Hello Buddies

 

 

I have asked that question of Mrs. Kettle and some of her fellow drug dealers.

 

"Why do you guys prescribe this stuff if it causes so much suffering"?

 

The answer went something like " Benzos like most drugs prescribed do more good than harm, its a cost benefit thing", "Most people seem to quit all kinds of drugs with few or no issues", "Often patients will

hear only what they want to when given warnings about drugs and insist on a script for the drug they want", "If the drug is not totally inappropriate the patient often gets what they insist on".

 

Most family practice Doctors know that Benzos are BAD NEWS. Seems like the Shrinks are the most guilty of pushing the Benzos on patients (what else do they have to offer except DRUGS?).

 

 

Teakettle

 

Teakettle,

 

Mrs. Kettle and some of her fellow drug dealers !!    She will clobber you for that.

This is sad....but do you know that I have never had a doctor to warn me about a drug....nor explain side effects.  I didn't even know that librax had benzo in it, until a few years ago.  When I took Cipro, my doctor never warned me about it....and when it messed up my stomach....he said I had IBS. 

 

TC.......I think you are right.  When withdrawal symptoms last, doctors want to blame it on anxiety, etc....and then prescribe more benzo's or AD's.  That is exactly what happened to me.  After the cold turkey....I was prescribed Zoloft, Trazadone, Lunesta, and offered Xanax.  I couldn't take any of these drugs....because they made my withdrawal symptoms unbearable.  I started thinking that the doctors were trying to kill me.    One nurse practioner gave me 3 months supply of Cymbalta, and told me that she could give me all the samples I needed.    After I read the side effects, I returned them to her office.  Forgot about all the PPI's they kept prescribing, that made me even sicker. 

I am so thankful that I stopped going to doctors for help....and started researching about all these different medicines.  You better believe.....I was shocked.  I was so glad to find a place like BB.....where others were going through withdrawal like me.

 

Sunny girl

Hello Buddies

 

I have heard it said by Doctors that patients fall into one of two categories: 1) Not enough Drugs or 2) Too much Drugs.

 

 

Teakettle

Even my doctor, who admittedly knows nothing about benzo withdrawal and never really prescribes them, at least recognizes the most basic form of withdrawal: anyone he has seen who misses a dose will complain of problems.

 

I tend to believe the 50% level of people have significant withdrawal, but pretty much everyone has withdrawal of some kind. I mean, even Tylenol has a withdrawal.

 

I mean, are there LOTS of people who can just stop taking them with no sx?

 

Very good question...I was just thinking about this the other day. Thirty years ago when my thyroid went overboard I was very sick. Until they found that this is what I had I was put on 10 mg of valium 4 x a day, a anti depressant, beta blocker and sleeping pills...the old fashion knock you out kind. I had lost down to 90 lbs from the hyper thyroid and they were trying to slow everything down, didn't even work I was awake at 3 am when nurses came in to check me. After my treatment several months later, I was taken off all of the meds at the same time and never had any problem just stopping them. However at that time I didn't know any were addictive either. Was it because I didn't know they were addictive? I have no clue but it sure wasn't that way with Klonopin, that was pure hell. Really does make me wonder how it could be so different. I know lots of people who take benzo's and eat klonopin like candy and just stop when they can't get them. I don't understand!!

 

M

This is what I wonder about - if it is a physiological reason why we have withdrawal - that our neurotransmitters stop working due to taking the benzo, and then after withdrawal, the brain needs time for the neurotransmitters to start accepting the GABA again to help us calm down on our own......wouldn't that be the same physiological reaction in EVERY brain?  Why would just some people react that way.......I am wondering if there is something else going on in the brain - too much dopamin, for example or not enough of something else. 

    haven't there been any kinds of studies on this?

Hoping2BFree

 

Of course it wouldn't be the same for everyone..we don't all share the same brain...

 

I hope you don't think withdrawal in just all "in our heads"..I don't think you are implying that..but if you are....there is enough scientific evidence on how benzos work and what happens when we withdrawal to totally dispute that statement...

 

If we all had the same make up...we would be clones..we all have different things about us that make us different......I think we are all "hard wired" differently..if everyone was the same..we'd all be Peyton Manning throwing touchdowns at will....sure would make sports boring..if we all had the same abilities...

 

TC

I understand what you are saying Hope.  With the action of the benzos physically down regulating the GABA receptors on our nerves(this is how benzos work).  Why would some peoples' GABA "immediately" pop back up to do their normal job when that person stops taking a benzo and they not suffer withdrawal, while other people (like me) take forever for the body to do this?