Detox plus rehab

[[Buddie]]

My psychiatrist today was trying to talk me into going into a rehab to get off clonazepam because I am not stabilizing doing slow taper.
I am down from 1.25mg to 1mg but has taken me over 2 months and still can't get out of bed and function and anxiety is unbelievable.
She currently also has me on mirtazapine 22mg (built tolerance so no help,  this is the third time on them and knew better than to get talked back into trying them but I am so desperate to eat I gave them another try with zero luck)
Propranolol 30mg.  and today she added gabapentin!
Since I can't stabilize and I'm in pretty rough shape should I do a 30 day rehab or try and keep tapering?

[[Buddie]]

Hey there, sorry for your mess!
Does your doc know that gabapentin acts on gaba receptors as well? Because if you add that, you will then have to do a withdrawal off gabapentin and it CAN be similar to benzo withdrawal.
A facility will typically rapid withdrawal in about 6 days, then they can offer other drugs for your symptoms. But you can always refuse other meds if you choose. I believe if someone must do a facility, the key is to ask questions before you go:
1. What is their plan for getting you off in 30 days?
2. Do they plan on giving more benzos?
3. What other meds will they advise?
4. Will you have a private room or shared room?
5. What other therapies will they offer and or expect you to do?
6. How many patients have they dealt with that have been extreme cases of withdrawal?
7. Do they think that withdrawal only lasts a few weeks?

Usually they rapid or CT within the first week and then it takes a bit for benzos to leave your system, and then by the time you are going home....is when more symptoms begin.
Now! That being said, it doesn't ALWAYS happen this way!!
This is just my experience, and many others .

But I understand feeling trapped not stabilizing. If it were me....
I would ask all those questions, and I would definitely be in charge of my own choices and my own care.

[[Buddie]]

Hey there, sorry for your mess!
Does your doc know that gabapentin acts on gaba receptors as well? Because if you add that, you will then have to do a withdrawal off gabapentin and it CAN be similar to benzo withdrawal.
A facility will typically rapid withdrawal in about 6 days, then they can offer other drugs for your symptoms. But you can always refuse other meds if you choose. I believe if someone must do a facility, the key is to ask questions before you go:
1. What is their plan for getting you off in 30 days?
2. Do they plan on giving more benzos?
3. What other meds will they advise?
4. Will you have a private room or shared room?
5. What other therapies will they offer and or expect you to do?
6. How many patients have they dealt with that have been extreme cases of withdrawal?
7. Do they think that withdrawal only lasts a few weeks?

Usually they rapid or CT within the first week and then it takes a bit for benzos to leave your system, and then by the time you are going home....is when more symptoms begin.
Now! That being said, it doesn't ALWAYS happen this way!!
This is just my experience, and many others .

But I understand feeling trapped not stabilizing. If it were me....
I would ask all those questions, and I would definitely be in charge of my own choices and my own care.

My psychiatrist is a witch, today will be my last visit with her and seeing a new one on the 17th hoping he has understanding of all this. She wanted me to taper at 20% every two weeks, keeps trying to put me on antipsychotics and I keep refusing which makes her mad.  Told her I think I've been in tolerance and withdrawing for over a year while still taking benzo and she said withdrawal can't last a year. Told her what I read on BB and she comes back with well maybe one of your benzo buddies can find you a new prescriber, lol
I'm just very weak and pretty much bedridden for over a year and when she suggested rehab I thought maybe, but then I read on here not to.
As for the gabapentin I know it will make wd longer but I think I need to get off propranolol and I need something to help since I still deal with debilitating anxiety so she told me gabapentin.I'd rather find something natural or non addictive if you have any suggestions?

[[Buddie]]

Please think really hard about the inpatient rehab. I have done it, and it was a horrible experience. I always advise others not to do it. I know you are hurting bad right now. I can almost feel the pain in your post. I was just like you in 2006 when klonopin decided that it no longer wanted to work in my brain anymore. When you get really sick from these drugs, the 1st thing most pdocs will do is try to push you into detox. They simply want to wash their hands of you at this point.  Mine did the same thing to me. He literally abandoned me at a time in my life when I needed him the most. I was so desperately ill during this time that I consented, and it was the biggest mistake of my life.

If you go to detox, here is what is going to happen. You are still taking one mg of K. They will probably give you 1 mg of K on day one plus start you on a cocktail of other meds that will in no way mitigate the effects of the bzd w/d. Day 2 and3, maybe .5 mgs of K. Day 4 and 5, .25 mg of K and then day 6, they take you off. The detox protocol these places use is essentially a CT IMO. Why go there, lose all control, and be confined when you could do the same thing at home if you wanted to? They do give you anti-seizure meds but you are already on gabapentin. If you could taper the K down some more and get her to write you a script for valium, start taking it, and give it enough time to build up in your sys, it could help like it did me (worth a shot IMO). It did work for me. As more days went by with no klonopin, the valium built up started to work more and more until I did finally stabilize. K is such a potent benzo. At first, I thought the Valium was not going to work bc I did not feel much relief right away, but as the klonopin left and the valium built up, I started feeling more and more relief. I am just relaying my personal experience on to you for you to consider.

[[Buddie]]

Please think really hard about the inpatient rehab. I have done it, and it was a horrible experience. I always advise others not to do it. I know you are hurting bad right now. I can almost feel the pain in your post. I was just like you in 2006 when klonopin decided that it no longer wanted to work in my brain anymore. When you get really sick from these drugs, the 1st thing most pdocs will do is try to push you into detox. They simply want to wash their hands of you at this point.  Mine did the same thing to me. He literally abandoned me at a time in my life when I needed him the most. I was so desperately ill during this time that I consented, and it was the biggest mistake of my life.

If you go to detox, here is what is going to happen. You are still taking one mg of K. They will probably give you 1 mg of K on day one plus start you on a cocktail of other meds that will in no way mitigate the effects of the bzd w/d. Day 2 and3, maybe .5 mgs of K. Day 4 and 5, .25 mg of K and then day 6, they take you off. The detox protocol these places use is essentially a CT IMO. Why go there, lose all control, and be confined when you could do the same thing at home if you wanted to? They do give you anti-seizure meds but you are already on gabapentin. If you could taper the K down some more and get her to write you a script for valium, start taking it, and give it enough time to build up in your sys, it could help like it did me (worth a shot IMO). It did work for me. As more days went by with no klonopin, the valium built up started to work more and more until I did finally stabilize. K is such a potent benzo. At first, I thought the Valium was not going to work bc I did not feel much relief right away, but as the klonopin left and the valium built up, I started feeling more and more relief. I am just relaying my personal experience on to you for you to consider.

I am keeping the whole 30 day detox in the back of my mind as a last resort. I am thinking about trying the crossover to Valium. I tried a direct switch last summer and it didn't go well but maybe a crossover will. See new psych on the 17th and am praying he knows something about benzo taper. If not I will look for another until I find one. Really hard getting in to see a psych since pandemic started.
So by switching did you finally get any relief from  anxiety or sleep? 

[[Buddie]]

I'm not sure if your new doctor will be receptive but this document is short and sweet and may help educate him if he's not well versed in our plight.  Colorado Consortium Benzodiazepine Deprescribing Guidelines

[[Buddie]]

Detox facilities are not benzo wise - you will most likely be introduced to another cocktail of meds.
You're getting low on your taper and ppl don't always level out and it can be really rough bc your body is prob getting into wd already.
Know that you will need to taper off of gabapentin too if you continue with it - most providers are not aware of this. You'll have to taper off the other one too eventually.

At this stage you might not find relief, but the only way out is through. You can do this. Look at my signature. Its been rough but I'm off of everything.
I was actually doing pretty good until I had a bit of a med setback. But I'm making progress again:)
Please keep pushing through on your own.

[[Buddie]]

Please think really hard about the inpatient rehab. I have done it, and it was a horrible experience. I always advise others not to do it. I know you are hurting bad right now. I can almost feel the pain in your post. I was just like you in 2006 when klonopin decided that it no longer wanted to work in my brain anymore. When you get really sick from these drugs, the 1st thing most pdocs will do is try to push you into detox. They simply want to wash their hands of you at this point.  Mine did the same thing to me. He literally abandoned me at a time in my life when I needed him the most. I was so desperately ill during this time that I consented, and it was the biggest mistake of my life.

If you go to detox, here is what is going to happen. You are still taking one mg of K. They will probably give you 1 mg of K on day one plus start you on a cocktail of other meds that will in no way mitigate the effects of the bzd w/d. Day 2 and3, maybe .5 mgs of K. Day 4 and 5, .25 mg of K and then day 6, they take you off. The detox protocol these places use is essentially a CT IMO. Why go there, lose all control, and be confined when you could do the same thing at home if you wanted to? They do give you anti-seizure meds but you are already on gabapentin. If you could taper the K down some more and get her to write you a script for valium, start taking it, and give it enough time to build up in your sys, it could help like it did me (worth a shot IMO). It did work for me. As more days went by with no klonopin, the valium built up started to work more and more until I did finally stabilize. K is such a potent benzo. At first, I thought the Valium was not going to work bc I did not feel much relief right away, but as the klonopin left and the valium built up, I started feeling more and more relief. I am just relaying my personal experience on to you for you to consider.

Did you take the klonopin and Valium together until the Valium built up in your system? Did you use the Aston way? I am getting no relief whatsoever from the clonazepam, if I do switch do you feel I will get some relief from the Valium for my anxiety and sleep?
Thank you for your input about detox, don't want to go that route but I thought detox and then 30 day rehab might get this over with quicker because I've been in tolerance withdraw for over a year being totally non functional and not being able to deal with the anxiety anymore I just started spending more and more time in bed to where now almost two years later I barely can get out of bed, it has become my safe place but I know it's also avoidance of life which is not good. This is starting to effect my marriage after 40 years together this pill is running everything. My husband is tired of seeing me like this when I used to be so energetic and doing things and now I can't even leave the house without freaking. I am almost 61 and my husband is 65 and this is not how we planned on spending our retirement. I feel bad for him and that is one reason I thought about rehab was to give him a break from all this. If he's already becoming tired of dealing with it I don't know what to do because he is my only support and if I continue this taper we're still in for a long ride.