Tips

Hi guys, so I'm still early in my taper.  You know when I decided I wanted off of benzos, I had no idea how difficult it would be nor how it would affect my family & my friends.  I guess when you're on benzos you don't really think clearly and get too confident.

 

Are there any tips that I need to apply to get through this and maybe even explain to my family?  I try to stay positive daily, I listen to positive messages, I'm trying to eat better and drink more water.

 

I know this is not going to be easy at all, doesn't matter what I do - because I have a few years under my belt with Klonopin.  I can motivate myself everyday but my family is scared, for obvious reasons (not gonna lie, I get terrified too).  I don't expect this to be over anytime soon and I just don't know what to tell them to help ease their panic.

 

Any tips are welcomed, honestly.  My wife is suffering much more than I expected.  I need to help ease her anxieties, but its tough to do when benzo withdrawal is literally stomping me to the ground everyday.  I'm like getting beat up and telling her that I'm fine.

 

Thank you guys.

I didn't taper, so can't really help much except go slow. No such thing as too slow. You'll have a better chance of an easier recovery post jump and you won't shock your CNS too much

I’m so scared / terrified too.  My wife is the same way - she is terrified herself and taking it hard.  Im so scared of losing my job.  I have two kids to support too.  If our income is cut in half, we will lose our house etc.  I feel horrendous in the mornings.  My therapist keeps saying one day at a time but it’s so hard not to think and worry about the future when so much is on the line

Normally this time of the year, me and my kids are getting excited for trout season right around the corner.  Don’t care this year - it’s like all the joy and happiness just got ate up by the Ativan.

I know it's difficult not to worry, it's all part of the fun. But you can do this. Make a small cut, and wait until you're stable. Then make another when you feel upto it. If you think your cuts are too big and suffer too much, make a smaller cut next time. If it takes you twice as long as you would like to come off, who cares if you're a functional. Most people taper off these drugs and are fine in a matter of weeks, so try not to worry. You'll do fine I'm sure.

 

I was totally unaware of what I was doing believing these drugs are "addictive"  and I wasn't addicted so would probably feel a bit off for a few weeks. How wrong could you be!

I made very small cuts and had horrible withdrawal.  I am not functional right now, that’s the problem - I’m not sleeping at night...

I’m barely functional. And fear that I will lose my Klonopin prescription soon. I’m trying to hang in there but this is getting to the point where the realism is taking over my hope. Jesus, I don’t want to lose my life doing this. I don’t even know what I’m doing to be honest. Just listening to my body but 1 hard cut and it devasted my body.

Hey, this is my first reply to someone’s post and I’m pretty new here. However, I believe our situations are somewhat similar despite our age differences. Take what you want from that and again I’m only 21 and not a professional at anything in that matter😂. But I have been struggling in the same way with my parents and friends. They all say, “just keep up good habits, make yourself get up even if you can’t sleep”. Which we all know is good for your health and a true statement but a lot easier said than done. I’ve found that Pamsters topic on “what is happening in your brain” ( http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=232042.0 )  is one of the if not best ways of explaining benzodiazepine withdrawals to people who have never experienced it or lack the knowledge to. It’s not that they don’t love and care for us. It’s just mentally impossible for them to even begin to contemplate  how much of a rollercoaster this process can be. I’ve been gathering quotes I’ve come across and keeping them in my notes. I’ll go and read them to myself when I’m feeling really down. I will include some below. Hope this helps!

 

 

QUOTES WITH MEANING

 

“There’s a sick poetry in how something being taken from you can give you so much”

 

“When you feel you’ve exhausted every option, remember you haven’t”

 

“So many of our limitations our self imposed”

 

“If if gonna fall, I wanna fall forward, not backward, this way I can see what I’m gonna hit.”

 

“There is no passion to be found playing small, and settling for a life that’s less than the one your capable of living”

 

“Don’t confuse movement with progress”

 

“Comparison is the thief of joy”

 

“Ones greatest asset is that of uniqueness”

 

“You will never see a U-haul behind a hearse” (meaning ones tangible items will never be as valuable as the relationships and experiences you have)

 

 

 

I am so sorry you had to join this club.  You have received some solid advice from others about taking it slow and increasing your dose down a little at a time to see how the body will react.  Fear is a HUGE part of withdrawal, try not to let it take you over.  I have been where you are.

 

Try to remember you will get through this and you will not die.  If you listen to your body and set the pace for your reductions you will get through this at a manageable pace.  Feel free to reach out as much as necessary with questions and concerns, much of us have been here a while and more than likely will have an answer to ease your mind.  Try not to dwell on how you are feeling and keep as busy as possible. 

 

Stay strong and remember this is temporary,  you will taper off eventually and things will get better.

I am so sorry you had to join this club.  You have received some solid advice from others about taking it slow and increasing your dose down a little at a time to see how the body will react.  Fear is a HUGE part of withdrawal, try not to let it take you over.  I have been where you are.

 

Try to remember you will get through this and you will not die.  If you listen to your body and set the pace for your reductions you will get through this at a manageable pace.  Feel free to reach out as much as necessary with questions and concerns, much of us have been here a while and more than likely will have an answer to ease your mind.  Try not to dwell on how you are feeling and keep as busy as possible. 

 

Stay strong and remember this is temporary,  you will taper off eventually and things will get better.

 

Thank you SeaSalt.  You are right, I get overwhelmed and consumed by this.  Its not strictly the withdrawal (that has 80% to do with it), I am going through a hell of time right now.

 

First, I let my supply get low so I had to "taper" until I could get another refill.  That was horrid because I had no idea what to expect and it was too fast.  At the beginning of the year, I got involved in a construction start-up.  To put the icing on the cake, a close family member of mine had a mini-stroke 3 days ago.  They are fine now but the weight of everything, the depression that I'm getting from tapering, the worrying that my close family is doing and the fear of this taper is all crushing me.  But like you say, and like many people say, its all temporary.

 

I'm still new to this and am trying my best to absorb everyone's tips & go about this the right way.  So any help goes a long way - thank you very much.

AnxietyMostofTheTime,

 

The fear is the worst part of withdrawal.  Stay on top of your prescriptions and don't put yourself in a situation where you yoyo with the dosing, you will pay dearly for that.

 

I am so sorry for all the hardship you have been through, I hope it is behind you now and you can concentrate on yourself and being rid of the drug.  If you need anything throughout your taper, please feel free to reach out.

 

Take Care..

Yes, fear is the worst part of this, I so agree with the previous comment. 

 

I finished a 1.5 year long taper from 25 years of klonopin.  I’m about a year and 4 months out.  I’m doing really great. 

 

It might be good to look at all your fears and deal with each one.  For example, you are not in danger of dying from withdrawal.  Now, you might get high blood pressure for a while, but you can monitor that and if you need to take meds for that, that’s ok.  My doctor gave me propranolol and during my worst times in withdrawal, I would take a piece of one.  It might be smart to have that on hand. 

 

I would tell you doctors you want to increase you’re dosage.  Then hopefully you can stock up for your taper and not worry about it:  I tapered from a 2 mg pill the whole time.  I would get a gem scale from Amazon and start microtapering.  Dont get too caught up on the weights having to be too precise,  just continuing to move forward with a system and a plan is the important part.  Don’t fight the anxiety, just accept it and know it’s not forever.  You just need to go through it first.  The anxiety tells your brain to make more chemicals that you need.  The anxiety is just a part of the process.  Acknowledge it and then try to ignore it. 

At night when the thoughts race find a safe audio  book with a soothing voice and focus on what it says until you fall asleep.  Good Christian books are perfect for this, healing both body and soul.

 

Feel free to message me if you have any questions you think I might be able to help with.  I’m not on here very often anymore but want to help as I do remember how hard that time was.

Best wishes

Everyone thanks for the advice.  Fear is definitely the biggest factor for me too.  The what if’s start feeding the anxiety.  It is so hard to keep that in check.  My other big problem is sleep and cortisol.  My hpa axis is messed up I think.  Cortisol is so high at 3 to 4am wakes me straight up.  I have to immediately go exercise to bring it down some.  Is there anyway to keep the cortisol from being released so much it’s making me sick?

I completed a clonazepam (generic Klonopin) taper October 2020.  So, I am 4 months benzo free now.  It took me 14 months to get from .5 mgs to zero.  But that is okay.  It was still difficult, but going slow made it manageable and kept hope alive.  Try not to look into the future and despair at the time it takes.  Each time you reduce your dose, you are succeeding in your taper.  Make small reductions, wait until you feel better.  Not perfect.  Just better.  I understand how awful it can feel.  Symptoms doe ease up and you will feel better.

 

And imagine that once you are actually benzo free. you will feel good.  I feel really great at only 4 months post benzos.  Not everyone goes on and on suffering.  In fact, most do not.  Please do not let the stories here suggest you will have the same struggles.  And how bad you feel now is no indication of a long term struggle. 

 

Some of my reductions were so easy, some were so hard.  You can make it through them all. 

I admire you guys. Especially those of you who finished tapering. Just woke up today in despair. It’s very hard when my brain is being ravaged while I’m trying to figure out how to get better. I need to take control of this but I just don’t know how

I’m with you AnxietyMostOftheTime.  I’m tired and wake up extremely nauseous every morning...

I have this off and on as well, I had this especially in the beginning of my taper but it only comes and goes once in a while now for me.  Hang in there..

I think something is going on with my adrenal gland / cortisol production.  Does anyone know if there is a fix for this?

I think something is going on with my adrenal gland / cortisol production.  Does anyone know if there is a fix for this?

 

If it's WD (which it sounds like it is) it doesn't need fixing. It will pass, your body is just adjusting to life without the benzo. That's the point in a slow taper, it gives your body time to adjust. If there's something that you think is not WD related then it's worth getting it checked out by a doctor, but if you try to add more medications to treat every WD symptom you have, besides being a BIG bag of pills your body won't actually be returning to it's natural balance.

 

Try to remember that anxiety, and health anxiety are major symptoms in WD. People convince themselves they have brain tumors and everything. 99% of the time it's WD so try not to panic about every symptom.

The sleeping issues happened before I started the taper...

The sleeping issues happened before I started the taper...

 

Doesn't mean it not the benzo. But obviously if you're worried speak to a doctor, if nothing else it will put your mind at ease

Havingamare,  was CTing extremely bad when you did it?

Havingamare,  was CTing extremely bad when you did it?

 

Yes, I wasn't a good move. Didn't realize how bad it could be. Was under the impression they were "addictive", I knew I wasn't addicted because I didn't like taking them so stopped. Thought I'd be ok in a few weeks. Went to ER 8 weeks later because wasn't getting better and tried to reinstate but it was too late.

 

Biggest regret of my life....

Wow. So sorry that happened.  Thanks for sharing.  I’ve been thinking a lot lately about alot