HELP ME PLEASE

Please if anyone can help, im in great distress,

 

I started my withdrawal 5 weeks ago taper from 4,5mg bromazepam and im actually at 2,225mg ( equivalent 3,3mg Valium) at the end of 5th week.

 

I cut and hold for 2 weeks each time.

 

I had mild symptomes all the way and this week too , was feeling good until I woke up last night just after falling asleep being stomach sick belly sick and anxiety.

 

I didnt sleep one minute since then , and im feeling really bad like non stop huge anxiety i cant calm down , feeling like i've been HIT BY A TRUCK, really bad akathesia

 

This as been a day IN HELL and even trying to stay strong i dont know how i can wait and stabalise.

 

i know now i cut too fast...

 

SHOULD I GO BACK TO PREVIOUS DOSE ? please help me to find some hope a relief  :'(

 

So sorry...it’s just horrible, I know.

 

When was your last cut? If it was just a couple of days ago, you could go up and stabilize and figure out your cuts to go slower % wise as to not have such big step downs.  If your last cut was two weeks ago, if it were me, I would not reinstate and would just hold and ride it out and wait to stabilize and then continue with smaller % cuts moving forward.

 

I really screwed up at the begging of my taper and C/O from K- V and I felt like I was going to die.....I made it....

Marie

I agree that holding would be better than going back up in dose, but for sure, it's time to slow your taper down, cut less and hold longer.  Tapering quickly only increases your pain on the way down, it does not promote healing.  Your recovery after your last dose will take what it takes, we can't rush this process.

thank you

 

Yes I know i did a mistake, never ever .

 

Marie are you french? hopefully you made dont want to imagine C/T...  i hope i can cope too..it's horrible

 

My last cut was on monday 8th , i'm scared it's too late for any relief?

 

i know it's best to hold but can I handle it... i dont know

Carla, I've been where you are. I found that going back to the previous dose didn't help a bit.

 

Probably you are cutting too large an amount. If you are having bad s/x, maybe try 5% every 2 weeks.

 

I know it's awful, but just hang in there. Wait as long as you need to. When you start to feel better, then think about cutting again.

 

Best,

 

Katz

thank you Katz , i know it s different from people but how long can it take to feel better?

 

Im scared I cope too long 

Carla, when I was feeling most rotten, I had to hold for a month to get to feeling better again. Then I resumed my taper, but at a slower rate. It's different for everyone -- some need a short hold, some a longer one. Your body will tell you when you're ready.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Katz

Katz ok but the Hell days werent the whole month, right? it improved i guess

No, hell didn't last the whole month. Maybe a week of feeling terrible. Then things got gradually better. At the end of the month I figured I felt about the same as just before hell started. So I resumed my taper.

 

I think you should see gradual improvement but it may not be as fast as you'd like.  Patience! do what you can to distract yourself -- binge tv, play online games, read, do lots of laundry.

 

Best,

 

Katz

Hi Carla -

 

No I am not French...well I have a wee bit in me...lol.  I am using my middle name as not to give away me “identity” per the forum rules.

 

I think you are far enough out to not reinstate ...just hang on.  It is HELL, I totally understand, but it did get better for me, and for most of us, not necessarily great.  For instance I went two weeks without washing my hair ( I did shower) all I could do was stand in the shower, and barely soap.  I have long hair and washing it, and then conditioning and having to comb the conditioner so it’s not all knots after,  was literally too much to bare.  Also just getting my teeth brushed during this time, and the basics were overwhelming.  I hardly moved off the couch.  I didn’t eat much and I wasn’t’ eating right (that too wasn’t helping) I developed “migraines” because I didn’t C/O correctly from K to V and went too fast, and oh boy I was just in a world of hurt.  Things got better.  I did get a few windows.  But I still have had some pretty bad step downs and waves too, not nearly as bad as those first couple of months.  My body just needed time to stabilize and heal.

 

At this point you should just stabilize, and wait until you start to feel better before anymore stepping down.  It may take a couple weeks because you went pretty fast.  Then just resume the slower taper.  The good news is, this should start to resolve.  I have read some people have a pretty easy time with their taper if they take it slow and steady.  That doesn’t mean they are all with out SX, but they aren’t so bad. 

 

Hang in there, you CAN and WILL get through this 

 

Marie

Thank you all for your answers , it's so helpful!

 

I have been able to have normal sleep last night and woke up way more calmer , OH GOD THANK YOU. Life seems so beautiful after that .

 

Akathesia is the worst thing on earth.

 

Also im close to my periods and a little fight with my boyfriend maybe triggered all this ( i'm learning more about WD everyday)

 

I hope it is a good sign that i feel better...going to stay away from stress

 

thank you so much for your support 

I love this thread so much. I feel so sorry for your pain I know it too well...but akathisia is the pits!!!

You really do appreciate life when akathisia lifts a little... 🧡

Sorry AussieGal...

 

did you find any technique to cope?

 

hope we all feal better soon

What I've read on anti-akathisia drugs is this. Taking diphenhydramine before sleep could help. In the morning, low-dose (5-10 mg) propanolol might help. If nothing helps, memantine, or amantidine might help. The last three are prescription-only in the US.

Nothing brings me out of that state so I’ve just recently tried to change my thought process instead and say...”this is how I feel today” and just try my best to accept it. Everyday is different, more or less intense. Distraction helps some people. Gardening, craft, tv. I find placing cold packs on my legs helps me sometimes when I have bad movements as well. I think for me this is the most distressing w/d symptom and scares the crap out of me when it’s really intense and lasts for a long time. It stops me from functioning, connecting with people, working. All the important stuff that keeps us motivated. It does lessen, it’s just not knowing when that is so frustrating. Since joining BB, I don’t feel so alone, alot of people suffer from it.

I’m so glad you had a better day today... 🤗

Pacenik, hi there... have you tried any of theses meds you’ve suggested? Any feedback would be most appreciated.

Pacenik, hi there... have you tried any of theses meds you’ve suggested? Any feedback would be most appreciated.

Yes, everything except amantidine. Diphenhydramine is first-generation antihistamine and should be pretty benign. Propanolol is a beta blocker, it can lower blood pressure at high doses. Memantine is dissociative drug and I would avoid it unless absolutely necessery.

Thanks for your reply Pacenik. I’m too nervous about trying any new meds. Too many bad experiences but it’s good to know there are options.

Hi ,

 

Does this wave going to pass? im in fear it wont , i have so much anxiety with all the struggles i read on the forums .

 

Please tell me im going to stabalize ,some french forums tell me it's not sure , im scared !!!

 

Thank you

You ARE going to stabilize. Your body/brain is seeking homeostasis --  it's desperately trying to adapt to your latest cut. That's why you feel bad -- your body/brain is struggling. It will settle down. You just have to give it time. How much time? No one knows. Can you do something to distract yourself? I  found that helped me -- reading, binge watching tv programs.

 

I also kept a journal about my individual s/x and a rating scale 1 to 10. Headaches, akisthisia, nausea, dizziness, anxiety. That really helped me see that yes, day by day I did feel better as those s/x subsided a bit.  Maybe that will help you.

 

Best to you and as the French say courage, mon vieux

 

Katz

Thank you chère Katz,

 

I have issues focusing on something else , and thinking about WD 24H , fear that i will never get better . it's not easy to sty confident in this state as it's new to me

 

but maybe i should try to focus on something else to get me out of the loop...

 

bisous

 

How did you deal with lost of appetite ? will it lift?

 

Im already super skinny , i force myself to eat some fruits and almonds...but it's not enough

 

<3

It sounds like you need to be forcing more food besides fruits and nuts.  I had a lot of nausea and my go to was peanut butter, please consider eating more, you need to keep your strength up.

 

Remember that distraction is key to getting through this, I kept as busy as I could doing anything to take my mind off of my symptoms.  I made lists of things I could do to keep me busy and when I could actually accomplish them and cross them off my list, I felt better.  Even if you can distract for only a moment at a time, its still helps you. 

Pamster thank you, going to follow what you say. Even if my focus is bad and losing memory , typing the wrong words... :'(

 

Will I experience bad waves like this even even i go very slowly with titration ?

 

im lost because there is so many people with distressing symptomes.

 

thank you again to answer my questions dont want to spend hours looking for the forum anymore.

 

 

Pamster :Also concerned I cut way too much 50% of my dose in 6 weeks ( not a long life benzo)

and so im going to be stuck like this for months  :'(

 

what do you think