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Over 60 years old and over 30years of use


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Hi everyone,

I thought I would try to start a new group for those of us that are older and have been these drugs most of our adult life. I had a small bout of insomnia at age 25 as I was starting a business. Got put on Ativan .5 and took them nightly for almost 40 years. Never thought twice about it. I moved to a new state in 1997 and had to meet new people, etc. I started to notice I couldn't pull up words, lose my ability to stay focused, memory was faulty,  forming sentences got hard. I never hit tolerance, never went up in dose. Started to research and thought, holy shit, this is from the Ativan. Tried cutting my dose in half in Sept 2019, and I got hit with symptoms. I quickly reinstated within 2 weeks. I thought, I am dependent on this. My exhaustive research began. My long term prescriber was going to retire in a few years. Through research it appeared that drs were pulling people off of this class of drugs. Honestly I got too scared to stay on them with dr. retiring.  I started my taper in March of 2020. I am at .16mg through a dry taper. I am hoping that a group of us can band together with this common thread of being older and on these drugs for this long. Help each other through the process. 

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I’m a short term user (5 months) & at 22 months off (cold turkey = not recommended) & nearly 49 I wanted to say you guys are amazing. Keep going. Tapering is definitely the way to go. Slow & steady.
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Hi Going Places

Me too! I’m 63 and was on xanax for over 32 years. Clean for almost three months. Withdrawals are kicking but love the feel. It’s great that I didn’t continue taking this crap into my golden years! Peace

Old Sal

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Hi everyone,

I thought I would try to start a new group for those of us that are older and have been these drugs most of our adult life. I had a small bout of insomnia at age 25 as I was starting a business. Got put on Ativan .5 and took them nightly for almost 40 years. Never thought twice about it. I moved to a new state in 1997 and had to meet new people, etc. I started to notice I couldn't pull up words, lose my ability to stay focused, memory was faulty,  forming sentences got hard. I never hit tolerance, never went up in dose. Started to research and thought, holy shit, this is from the Ativan. Tried cutting my dose in half in Sept 2019, and I got hit with symptoms. I quickly reinstated within 2 weeks. I thought, I am dependent on this. My exhaustive research began. My long term prescriber was going to retire in a few years. Through research it appeared that drs were pulling people off of this class of drugs. Honestly I got too scared to stay on them with dr. retiring.  I started my taper in March of 2020. I am at .16mg through a dry taper. I am hoping that a group of us can band together with this common thread of being older and on these drugs for this long. Help each other through the process.

 

The symptoms you described may or may not be due to the use of a benzodiazepine. The symptoms you described may be part of normal aging and they may be quite expected changes that occur in most biological organisms: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/how-memory-and-thinking-ability-change-with-age

 

Sincere Best Wishes as we make decisions that may affect our remaining quality of life.

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Hi Fi, can I ask why did you updose? Are you going to hold at your current dose for the future? Wishing you a happy, healthy life whatever!

 

I up-dosed to regain cognitive and physical functions which dramatically declined (essentially becoming nonfunctional) upon cessation and tapering of prescribed benzodiazepines. I have regained those functions to the levels they were prior to the cessation & tapering of the prescribed benzodiazepines. I am holding at the current prescribed dosage and I believe the benefits of doing that exceed the risks; i.e. as an adage that works well for me states: "If it isn't broken don't try to fix it."

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Well done Old Sal, congratulations, must be a great feeling to be free of the dreaded drug.

 

Thanks Hardy66

You have to get a congrats also as you were on higher doses and have come a long way. Keep going!

Peace

Old Sal

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Right there with you guys!  Prescribed them in 1998 for a few panic attacks after the birth of my son.  In hindsight, it was probably nothing more than hormones (and a husband who was of zero help).  Started out at .25 mgs 4 times per day, per doctors orders. This was prior to being able to Google everything under the sun.  I had never heard of Xanax and assumed that is was akin to a Zoloft or Paxil.  I stupidly never questioned it other than asking if it was addictive to which I got a firm "certainly not at this dose" which seemed logical to me since a tiny milligram seemed like nothing!  Ha!  What did I know. 

 

Over the years it was increased.  For about 13 years it treated me well ... or so I thought!  I maxed out at a whopping 6 milligrams and started to question things.  Physically and mentally I was in the best shape of my life but kept feeling really unwell every 5-6 hours.  Could not make heads or tails of it! Started to research Xanax and .... you all know how that went.

 

Years later, here I am, 54 years old, still tapering and praying to be finished the 4 year journey soon!  I REALLY want to live again!

 

Fondly,

Lori

 

PS:  Please forgive my obnoxiously long signature.  It's been with me since day one and I'm keeping it until I jump.  After I do, I promise to shorten it up a bit!  LOL!

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Right there with you guys!  Prescribed them in 1998 for a few panic attacks after the birth of my son.  In hindsight, it was probably nothing more than hormones (and a husband who was of zero help).  Started out at .25 mgs 4 times per day, per doctors orders. This was prior to being able to Google everything under the sun.  I had never heard of Xanax and assumed that is was akin to a Zoloft or Paxil.  I stupidly never questioned it other than asking if it was addictive to which I got a firm "certainly not at this dose" which seemed logical to me since a tiny milligram seemed like nothing!  Ha!  What did I know. 

 

Over the years it was increased.  For about 13 years it treated me well ... or so I thought!  I maxed out at a whopping 6 milligrams and started to question things.  Physically and mentally I was in the best shape of my life but kept feeling really unwell every 5-6 hours.  Could not make heads or tails of it! Started to research Xanax and .... you all know how that went.

 

Years later, here I am, 54 years old, still tapering and praying to be finished the 4 year journey soon!  I REALLY want to live again!

 

Fondly,

Lori

 

PS:  Please forgive my obnoxiously long signature.  It's been with me since day one and I'm keeping it until I jump.  After I do, I promise to shorten it up a bit!  LOL!

 

Hey Lori

No worries about your name. Like you I was prescribed xanax for a panic attack. Started out at 0.25 as needed which to an addict is saying take as much as you want. I always didn’t exceed 2 mg a day. Why I have no clue but glad I did. I strongly feel that keeping myself at 2 mg was the cause of anxiety caused by withdrawal from intradosing.

Anyway, glad to see you doing so well and when you jump, you’ll feel a new life. It’ll be tough but keep yourself busy, active, eat right and you’ll be good.

Stay strong

Old Sal

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Hi everyone,

I thought I would try to start a new group for those of us that are older and have been these drugs most of our adult life. I had a small bout of insomnia at age 25 as I was starting a business. Got put on Ativan .5 and took them nightly for almost 40 years. Never thought twice about it. I moved to a new state in 1997 and had to meet new people, etc. I started to notice I couldn't pull up words, lose my ability to stay focused, memory was faulty,  forming sentences got hard. I never hit tolerance, never went up in dose. Started to research and thought, holy shit, this is from the Ativan. Tried cutting my dose in half in Sept 2019, and I got hit with symptoms. I quickly reinstated within 2 weeks. I thought, I am dependent on this. My exhaustive research began. My long term prescriber was going to retire in a few years. Through research it appeared that drs were pulling people off of this class of drugs. Honestly I got too scared to stay on them with dr. retiring.  I started my taper in March of 2020. I am at .16mg through a dry taper. I am hoping that a group of us can band together with this common thread of being older and on these drugs for this long. Help each other through the process.

 

Unlike others out there, I would bet that your symptoms and challenges improve in a great way once you're off this drug and healed. Don't rush it. Going too fast doesn't help anyone. Heal faster than you taper! Long-term use of this class of drugs is brutal on so many different levels. A whole new you is out there. Just drift over the finish line rather than sprinting, and you'll be rockin' on in a great way soon. I'm 61, a long-term user/taperer (27 years), and been off for about 7 months now. Still a ways to go, but SO much better. Bless you!!

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Happy to find this thread!  I am soon to be 61...Was prescribed Ambien at around 48 year old for insomnia due to menopause and stressful career.  Had NO IDEA what it was able to to do to the human body.  I tapered pretty fast (5 weeks) because I was suffering such awful interdose withdrawal. 

 

So many days I would awake and my coffee tasted off, I would be unable to choose the right words, I should have realized what a profound effect it was having in my brain.  I'm improving but it is an agonizing slow recovery and by the time I'm there I'm pretty sure my age will render me never the same.

 

Acceptance is key for coping.

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[5b...]

Great group idea!

 

I'm a 50 year young professional person who was prescribed Clonazepam to help with sleep after a major surgery and cancer scare in my early 30's. It helped and I never thought twice about taking it because I really trusted my doctor.  And, I slept better which was a great relief.  I started with .5MG and it grew to 2MG over time.  I do recall realizing that I was dependent on it when my prescription ran out and I made a mental note to never let that happen.  I also recall being extremely tired about 6 years ago and having no idea why.  I even spoke to friends about it because I just never felt rested.  We all thought that it must be because I'm a busy Mom...it was tolerance I had I no idea!

 

I wish I could go back in time to tell myself what I know now.  Never once did a doctor tell me this shouldn't be taken for long term use.  I was always upfront with any provider what I was taking and was never advised to consider stopping. To be clear, I do take full responsibility for not studying the drug that I took but I'm still surprised that there wasn't a conversation at any point. In June 2019, the same doctor who prescribed me mentioned that the government was making her report who was on this class of drugs.  I wondered why and thus started my journey to knowledge.  I started my taper in Dec 2019. 

 

Nice to meet all of you going through the same journey!

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Hi Rogerthat

Happy to see you making the decrease. I’m off for almost three months. Stay strong and keep going. You’ll be all good.

Peace and stay safe.

Old Sal

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You know for those of us on these for over 30 years , I am just curious, did everyone have the same prescribing dr? And then they retired? I am so glad I stockpiled Ativan and didn't tell him I was tapering. I only took this for sleep, never imagining it would cause any issues. I can hardly take ANY kind of stress...My heart starts racing, etc. What about everyone else? Where are you in your taper?
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Actually my doctor lives around the corner from me. He’s still in practice. I sometimes email him links about this issue of benzo withdrawal off YouTube. He probably doesn’t get it. I hold no I’ll will with him. Yes, he prescribed it but I was the one who kept taking it with my current doctor prescribing it. No one held a gun to me and told me to take it so the issue is on me. I do though dislike the pharma industry. My Angel with them is to mention to as many people who will listen that benzos are a dangerous drug and to NEVER take them. If you tell enough people, it’s a way to beat the pharma companies to their own game. I am pleased that I stopped and we can all do it!

Peace

Old Sal

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[5b...]

You know for those of us on these for over 30 years , I am just curious, did everyone have the same prescribing dr? And then they retired? I am so glad I stockpiled Ativan and didn't tell him I was tapering. I only took this for sleep, never imagining it would cause any issues. I can hardly take ANY kind of stress...My heart starts racing, etc. What about everyone else? Where are you in your taper?

 

I am close to the end of my taper after 2 years.  I was feeling exactly as you described above and I was freaking out.  My baseline anxiety was so high that I had trouble functioning and could not handle any stress whatsoever.  Nothing.  If someone raised their voice I had to go lie down for a half hour to calm myself and heart racing all the time.  I could not properly function and decided to go on an SSRI.  It helped me tremendously and lowered my anxiety by 60-70%.  I hate that I'm on anything else but for me it was a good decision. 

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Hi Rodgerthat, yep, know what you mean. After I had been on low dose Lorazepam for about 20 years(!) I started to get episodes of such awful black black depression and fatigue for no apparent reason. I would go to bed for days, non functioning and in great distress. Took me a while to work out that it had to be the Lorazepam  causing this. Started on Venlafaxine, helped a bit……then Mirtazipine, helped a bit but big weight gain. I’m fighting back now and hope to be slim and happy before I die! I am so impressed by everyone who is withdrawing after many years, we must do whatever it takes. Wishing everyone a better day tomorrow.
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Hi everyone

I feel like I need to join in this group.  I’ll be 60 in February.  You can read my signature below.  It has not been pretty these last 10 plus months.  I’m over 4 months off and 6 days ago I got the third Covid booster.  Besides my lymph nodes swelling up huge under my left arm and collarbone it has set me back to the beginning it feels like.  I felt like I was doing a bit better before the vaccine.  Was it the vaccine or was it going to happen anyway idk? A feeling of terror that attaches to real life things that I fear is my very worst symptom and burning of course.  Lots of other symptoms too but hoping I can get back to pre vaccine soon.  This is really hard guys!! I’ve had a few windows where nothing bothers me at all so I know that is what life can feel like. 

Are we old… sheesh I guess so. 

Feelingfire

 

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Hi everyone,

I am getting ready for a cut to .15mg of Ativan. I sure hope that this pace that I am going will help me in the end get off of this. I am still weighing and filing. The percentages of the cuts are getting higher, so I am concerned. I was wondering how everyone is tapering. And for those us in the group, is everyone going super slow? I am using Medical Marijuana at night to help with sleep. It is helping I believe. I will be 65 this March.

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You know for those of us on these for over 30 years , I am just curious, did everyone have the same prescribing dr? And then they retired? I am so glad I stockpiled Ativan and didn't tell him I was tapering. I only took this for sleep, never imagining it would cause any issues. I can hardly take ANY kind of stress...My heart starts racing, etc. What about everyone else? Where are you in your taper?

 

I had to change docs after 15 yrs or so because I moved out-of-state, but I started tapering at year 21 or so and didn't tell the doc. I too stockpiled to a point and then quit going to the doc once I knew I had plenty to taper with. The taper was almost 6 years and it stunk. The stress, racing heart, etc. that you mention was a brutal thing at my end too. I'm about 7-8 months off now, and things in that area have improved so much. Keep pushing...calmness is out there for you!

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Hi everyone,

I thought I would try to start a new group for those of us that are older and have been these drugs most of our adult life. I had a small bout of insomnia at age 25 as I was starting a business. Got put on Ativan .5 and took them nightly for almost 40 years. Never thought twice about it. I moved to a new state in 1997 and had to meet new people, etc. I started to notice I couldn't pull up words, lose my ability to stay focused, memory was faulty,  forming sentences got hard. I never hit tolerance, never went up in dose. Started to research and thought, holy shit, this is from the Ativan. Tried cutting my dose in half in Sept 2019, and I got hit with symptoms. I quickly reinstated within 2 weeks. I thought, I am dependent on this. My exhaustive research began. My long term prescriber was going to retire in a few years. Through research it appeared that drs were pulling people off of this class of drugs. Honestly I got too scared to stay on them with dr. retiring.  I started my taper in March of 2020. I am at .16mg through a dry taper. I am hoping that a group of us can band together with this common thread of being older and on these drugs for this long. Help each other through the process.

Thanks for starting this group!  I turned 60 in July.  Was prescribed Klonopin in 1994 after having a baby, developing insomnia and being diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  About 4 years ago a doctor casually mentioned that I should think about getting off them…but no advice on how to do it or warnings about what could happen.  2 years of hell ensued as I haphazardly cut my doses and developed multiple illnesses that no one realized were due to benzos.  Anyhow, just finished my second, longer, slower taper and hoping to feel better soon!

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[5b...]

 

Anyhow, just finished my second, longer, slower taper and hoping to feel better soon!

 

I see that you just went benzo free! Congratulations!! How are you feeling?

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