I'm on three different medications

Hi everyone,

 

A few weeks ago I had a really bad wave and my DR added Remeron 7.5 mg (for sleep) and Gabapentin 1200 mg (for anxiety).

I was feeling terrible so I started taking them. That episode has passed and I've been on the new meds for 8 weeks + 4 mg of Valium (my current dose down from 20 mg). I've been reading about the bad withdrawals for Remeron and G. I really don't want to have to work through my Valium journey (not knowing when it's going to end) and then have to deal with coming off two new meds afterwards. I'll be 52 this year and I'd like to have a few non-withdrawal years ahead of me!! I'm thinking about putting my Valium taper on hold and taper off the two new meds.  This is so frustrating. I'm going to go slow but of course I don't know how long its going to be before I can resume my Valium journey.  I was very proud of myself to get to 4 mg and now I have to wait (  Not sure if the extra time will help or cause more issues.

 

Just want to know if this is the right approach? I've been reading a lot of posts and one that made a lot of sense is that the fewer meds you're on helps you determine what's likely causing the issues that we're all dealing with. I think I need to come off the new meds first.

 

Thanks all!

Can anyone let me know what they think?

I started taking mirt. And gab. after I was taken off klonopin.  Did they help?  Yes, big time.  But now I am stuck with two drugs to withdraw from.  So I guess it really depends how bad off you are without them and then you have to decide if it’s worth it.  Some people can get off of them relatively easy and for others its a nightmare.

My two cents is to stay on the meds until you are fully done with benzo withdrawal.  They have apparently helped in your case.  If you are still on 4mg of Valium, you have some taper left. 

 

I know there are horror stories with people getting off other meds but based on personal experience and what my doc has told me, except in rare cases, getting off those other meds is a cakewalk compared to benzos if done correctly and with a sufficient taper. 

 

The one thing I will say about Remeron is that getting off of it WHILE IN BENZO WITHDRAWAL was indeed awful.  However, many years ago, before I took benzos, I took Remeron for about 18 months and got off of it with no problem and with essentially no taper.  If you are already going through benzo withdrawal and try to get off a medication that definitely helps, you may definitely run into a bad withdrawal. 

 

It’s your call though.  Maybe getting rid of 1 med instead of both is a safer approach?

I wouldn't have chosen to take the extra meds and wouldn't recommend to others. Those are useful drugs for occasional symptom relief, that's what I used them for, although doctors won't approve of this use. Mirtazapine does help with sleep... a lot... but tolerance issues can stop it working as well after a while. Used every now and then, perhaps every other week, you can get more sleep when you're desperate and it seems to make things go better. Gabapentin... that was almost recreational to me. It did help me loosen up, but it also loosened my tongue and that got me into some bother. 1200mg is not a huge dose but it's not tiny either. You might be able to cut that in half and still get a good effect, if you're not already dependent.

 

All of that said, if you've been on the meds a few weeks and you were in bad withdrawals from benzos before you started them, stopping might not be the best idea. I think I would try to settle on a lower dose of gabapentin so that you have less of a mountain to climb in the future. I agree with the comment that withdrawal from these drugs is usually a walk in the park compared to benzos, as long as you do it in an orderly fashion and at a sensible pace. If you can just drop them now and cope with the fallout (perhaps you're not dependent yet?) then that's my recommendation. CBD is more helpful and far healthier from my point of view and represents something you could try instead. Breathwork is more effective than substances with far less negative consequences... actually the side effects are positive, it makes you healthier.