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Benzo free - flumazenil works!


[el...]

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Hello, elizabeth.  Congratulations on being free.  I went through a flumazenil procedure in March of 2007 and am convinced that it saved my life.  The procedure is detailed in a thread of mine in the Archive section of this board (posted as user name 'Lexofree'; I recently reregistered as I had forgotten my details).

 

Apart from loud tinnitus, I have not had any major issues since the detox.  At ten months out, I don't expect you will have any either.  I wish you well in your continuing recovery.  :thumbsup:

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It seems like there are a couple of people for whom this work. Do you know when the research on this will be published? Are they going to let you know when it will be done? Some researchers do tell people what has happened with the whole group.

Thanks.

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I don't misguide anybody!

 

I provide adequate information so people are aware that there are other options.

 

Inform yourself and decide for yourself what your want to do.

Hey elizabeth,

 

You shouldn't feel the need to defend yourself. This is your success story, and no one can take that away from you.

 

Congratulations and wishing you a long, happy journey in your benzo-free life. :)

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[f1...]

Wow!  The reason I think this is a good thing is that it shows that the medical community is seeing a need for a solution...  which, to me, says that they are acknowledging Benzo withdrawal as a real problem.  That's a huge step in the right direction.  With the millions of people on Benzo's, a solution like this could help untold numbers of sufferers.  I cheer any efforts in finding a more time-effective less-traumatic way to be relieved of the withdrawal symptoms.  Someone on BenzoBuddies said, "Sometimes, the only way 'out' of a problem is to go 'through' it".  For now, there seems to be no way out of Benzo withdrawal other than going through it.  It's torture.  It gives me hope that some medical experts are attempting to find a solution.  I'll keep my fingers crossed for all of us and the people who will eventually face the need to come off Benzo's.  Even if that's only a percentage of Benzo users, it still adds up to mass quantities of people who could benefit from the pioneering spirits of those willing to participate in these trials.  I wish you success!... for your sake and those to follow...

 

BeWell5362

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I don't misguide anybody!

 

I provide adequate information so people are aware that there are other options.

 

Inform yourself and decide for yourself what your want to do.

Hey elizabeth,

 

You shouldn't feel the need to defend yourself. This is your success story, and no one can take that away from you.

 

Congratulations and wishing you a long, happy journey in your benzo-free life. :)

I was only being supportive. I think my words were misconstrued. I'm happy for Elizabeth. :)

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I am going to give a medical spin on this.  Prior to my benzo mess, I was an administrator in the trauma department at a large hospital in Dallas.  Knowing and understanding the chemical makeup of Flumazenil, I will give my experience with it.  Flumazenil works by stripping the GABA receptors of the drug.  We used it in the hospital for benzo overdose and alcohol poisoning.  It was used at the Urschel Clinic in Dallas Texas for benzo wd and alcohol wd.  It was clearied for continued use of alcohol withdrawal but not benzos.  Flumazenil is out there and being used in hospitals and very few  treatment centers.  I am only aware of one treatment center, in the United States, that is still using it for benzo wd.  Some centers use this drug under the name of Penta and it can cost as much as $25,000 with no guarantee. 

 

Most treatment centers will tell you that there is "NO" sure way to know if a person will have PAWS after this treatment and some studies have shown it to be no better than a cold turkey withdrawal leaving the CNS in a state of over stimulation. 

 

I am sure that some have used it with no problem.  Others have used it and have had to get back on their benzo and continue a slow taper. 

 

The medical community and rehab centers are aware of the dangers of benzo wd.  They are also aware of the hardships that many face in trying to taper off this class of medication.  Flumazenil has been out for many years now and if it proved to be effective, more treatment centers would be using it.  I am thrilled for Elizabeth that she was able to use it effectively but it is not a first line treatment in the wd process of benzos.  As many of us know, slow and steady wins the race :-)

 

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[40...]

I am going to give a medical spin on this.  Prior to my benzo mess, I was an administrator in the trauma department at a large hospital in Dallas.  Knowing and understanding the chemical makeup of Flumazenil, I will give my experience with it.  Flumazenil works by stripping the GABA receptors of the drug.  We used it in the hospital for benzo overdose and alcohol poisoning.  It was used at the Urschel Clinic in Dallas Texas for benzo wd and alcohol wd.  It was clearied for continued use of alcohol withdrawal but not benzos.  Flumazenil is out there and being used in hospitals and very few  treatment centers.  I am only aware of one treatment center, in the United States, that is still using it for benzo wd.  Some centers use this drug under the name of Penta and it can cost as much as $25,000 with no guarantee. 

 

Most treatment centers will tell you that there is "NO" sure way to know if a person will have PAWS after this treatment and some studies have shown it to be no better than a cold turkey withdrawal leaving the CNS in a state of over stimulation. 

 

I am sure that some have used it with no problem.  Others have used it and have had to get back on their benzo and continue a slow taper. 

 

The medical community and rehab centers are aware of the dangers of benzo wd.  They are also aware of the hardships that many face in trying to taper off this class of medication.  Flumazenil has been out for many years now and if it proved to be effective, more treatment centers would be using it.  I am thrilled for Elizabeth that she was able to use it effectively but it is not a first line treatment in the wd process of benzos.  As many of us know, slow and steady wins the race :-)

 

Intersting, thanks for posting Godsgrace, I am in between a rock and a hard place, for other medical reasons, I need to get off my benzo ASAP.  I was about 80% there in relation to undertaking the Flumazenil protocol in the next few weeks, but after reading this and some other info which was sent to me by another member, now I am really re-thinking the process.

 

What concerns me the most is that no one can give an exact explanation of 'how' it works, as I understand it, it clears the GABA- A receptors of the benzos and inhibits any futher uptake of benzos.  My biggest concern is that if you are slow to upregulate your GABA within the 12 hour time frame, what transpires then - the equivalent of a cold turkey?  No one can give me an 'absolute' in that respect. 

 

Staffy

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Thanks so much Godsgrace. This medical description helps me to understand how this drug works to strip the brain of a drug such as benzos. I can see how this would be a vital drug if someone has overdosed on a benzo, because it is so hard to find the right drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier. It sounds, from your description, that the effect on the brain itself would be the equivalent of a cold-turkey, if your definition of a cold turkey is to remove the offending drug from the system. The open question, therefore, seems to be how the brain and body will respond to that and if there is any protective property of flumazenil in relation to the removal of the benzo, which is the only way it could be better for the body than a straight cold turkey.

 

I am glad that Elizabeth started this thread, as this is a drug that people should be aware of and it is good to get her perspective, because it worked for her.

 

I am so sorry your benzo mess has taken you out of administering a trauma center. I hope you are managing through your withdrawal.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 2 years later...
I HAVE BEEN IN PROTRACTED WITHDRAWAL FOR OVER 3-1/2 years and keep getting worse ,so I am past desperate for relief ! How did you get this ,by injection,by a pill? I read that a pump is needed to keep it in your blood so that's not an option for me and Medicare would probably not pay. If there is a pill or a shot that one could get,than would it last for hours ,days or weeks ? Any info you could provide would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you !
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  • 2 years later...
Problem in the case of Elizabeth i think, is that she was also out on mirtazapine. That is a dirty variable in the treatment with flumazenil, because many people recover from benzos with mirtazapine alone.
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I did Dr. Coleman's treatment too.  It didn't really help much...or at least I didn't notice anything for months afterwards.  He is a very nice doctor and the office staff were amazing.  I did this in September 2016.  I started to feel a lot better in April 2017.  Not sure if his treatment sped up my healing?  It was expensive.
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This is purely a personal reaction from someone who has been on BB for over 6 years.

I think fooling around with Flumazenil is a truly BAD idea. Why? Because we who took benzos tend to think that yet another drug will fix what is wrong. This is how we got INTO this huge mess. We all need to learn how to deal with life's problems WITHOUT resorting to drugs. Do you get this, my friends??? This is truly important for your future.

 

Withdrawal is not fun. But here you are, suffering and feeling scared and wondering if how you feel now is going to be permanent. Learning how to get through withdrawal will teach you wonderful skills for dealing with anxiety, fear, insomnia, etc etc. If you do NOT learn these new skills, you will end up back on drugs to "feel better." Withdrawal can be extremely unpleasant or even almost intolerable. But, if you resort to taking a drug to feel "better" all you are doing is furthering your downhill slide. Most of you are younger than I (68). I took benzos for 30 years, God help me. And went cold turkey. My withdrawal was awful as many of you know. Trust me on this, people: If you continue to think that some drug,. some pill, will help you, you WILL end up as I did. Benzos nearly killed me, but somehow I survived. IF you dont believe me, read my Success Story. Eastcoast's Trip.

 

Not enough is known about Flumenazil. You simply cannot believe everything you read on the Internet. Much of it is garbage, and purely designed to take your money. And Flumenazil is simply yet another drug. Why do you want top risk your life... yet again?

 

Time for you guys to wake up and smell the coffee.

HUGS to all of you,

east

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Hi Eastcoast.  I appreciate your perspective but if there was a single pill I could take right now and withdrawal would be gone forever, I would take it.  Withdrawal is a physical condition, not a psychological one.  What we are experiencing is the result of our receptors being downregulated.  If there was a way to speed up the upregulation and return to homeostasis, I think the majority of people would take it.  Life is not as simple as all pills are bad.  Remember, if benzos didn't have any withdrawal at all period, there would be very little complaints about them.  Certainly, this forum wouldn't exist.  It's not about pills.  It's about brain chemistry and how we don't know enough about it yet.

 

I did take flumazenil almost 4 years ago now.  I had an initial positive reaction to it that was short lived.  I would never discourage anybody from trying it.  Maybe it will work for them.  Just because it didn't for me, doesn't mean it can't for others.  The only real way out of this mess is through science.  Not the avoidance of all medication.  There is no medal for that. 

 

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@[to...]

 

Sorry you are still having waves...

 

Have you tried the Ginkgo Biloba protocol? 

 

It worked for a bunch of people?

 

I tried Flumazenil at the Coleman Institute in Virginia in September 2016.  If it worked, it took 6 months or so to kick in? 

 

Withdrawal has a lot of psychological symptoms associated with it that are caused from damaged Gaba receptors.

 

The actual cause of psychological symptoms is from the damage Benzos do, so I get what you are saying, but psychological symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, DP/DR, intrusive thoughts, suicidal ideation, exist and I experienced all the ones I listed. 

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I tried flumazenil in May this year but had been off benzos for almost 2 years. It did nothing for me. It only cost $1000 though because it was a not for profit medical clinic. TBH I ended up only paying $100 and just left without paying the rest because I was disappointed. I gave it 3 days.

 

I was taking lyrica at the time too so who knows.

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  • 3 months later...

Hello Elisabeth,

 

I appreciate the abstracts, studies and your experience that have been posted. It will help me pose more intelligent questions to the facility I am considering that does subcutaneous FLU injections for eight days on an out patient basis. They require a care taker be with me in the hotel in case of seizures or other problems that may require a 911 call. This must be what it feels like to jump out of an airplane for the first time. The tapers have not worked for me. This is my last shot.

 

At least now I have some authors and researchers to cite in Google Scholar.

 

I do not know if your post were sent to me by you or as a matter of automation based on my subject line.

 

You have given me food for thought concerning the questions I need to have answered before I commit.

 

In any event thanks for doing the work and posting it.

 

Regards,

 

Lazlo

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Hi Eastcoast.  I appreciate your perspective but if there was a single pill I could take right now and withdrawal would be gone forever, I would take it.  Withdrawal is a physical condition, not a psychological one.  What we are experiencing is the result of our receptors being downregulated.  If there was a way to speed up the upregulation and return to homeostasis, I think the majority of people would take it.  Life is not as simple as all pills are bad.  Remember, if benzos didn't have any withdrawal at all period, there would be very little complaints about them.  Certainly, this forum wouldn't exist.  It's not about pills.  It's about brain chemistry and how we don't know enough about it yet.

 

I did take flumazenil almost 4 years ago now.  I had an initial positive reaction to it that was short lived.  I would never discourage anybody from trying it.  Maybe it will work for them.  Just because it didn't for me, doesn't mean it can't for others.  The only real way out of this mess is through science.  Not the avoidance of all medication.  There is no medal for that.

 

Withdrawal is NOT just physical. Withdrawal itself is actually short lived. Damage is longer and what most of us on here experience, what you are referring to with receptors. However, to East Coast point, our coping skills, or lack there of, determine how, and if, we weather this storm while healing. The problems we took them for didn’t go anywhere, they may in fact be worse because we haven’t needed to practice our coping skills and integrating our experiences. I personally think when we come off we experience all the built up stress, trauma, etc we experienced while on them condensed into a short period of time, everything we were never required to process because the pill numbed it.

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Hi Eastcoast.  I appreciate your perspective but if there was a single pill I could take right now and withdrawal would be gone forever, I would take it.  Withdrawal is a physical condition, not a psychological one.  What we are experiencing is the result of our receptors being downregulated.  If there was a way to speed up the upregulation and return to homeostasis, I think the majority of people would take it.  Life is not as simple as all pills are bad.  Remember, if benzos didn't have any withdrawal at all period, there would be very little complaints about them.  Certainly, this forum wouldn't exist.  It's not about pills.  It's about brain chemistry and how we don't know enough about it yet.

 

I did take flumazenil almost 4 years ago now.  I had an initial positive reaction to it that was short lived.  I would never discourage anybody from trying it.  Maybe it will work for them.  Just because it didn't for me, doesn't mean it can't for others.  The only real way out of this mess is through science.  Not the avoidance of all medication.  There is no medal for that.

 

Withdrawal is NOT just physical. Withdrawal itself is actually short lived. Damage is longer and what most of us on here experience, what you are referring to with receptors. However, to East Coast point, our coping skills, or lack there of, determine how, and if, we weather this storm while healing. The problems we took them for didn’t go anywhere, they may in fact be worse because we haven’t needed to practice our coping skills and integrating our experiences. I personally think when we come off we experience all the built up stress, trauma, etc we experienced while on them condensed into a short period of time, everything we were never required to process because the pill numbed it.

 

"...our coping skills, or lack there of, determine how, and if, we weather this storm while healing. The problems we took them for didn’t go anywhere, they may in fact be worse because we haven’t needed to practice our coping skills and integrating our experiences. I personally think when we come off we experience all the built up stress, trauma, etc we experienced while on them condensed into a short period of time, everything we were never required to process because the pill numbed it."

 

This is the true elephant in the room.  Thanks for articulating exactly what each of us needs to do, ICAN.  It's so obvious, but so readily avoided, unfortunately.  There's no quick fix.  You must put in the work. Please heed ICAN's message in order to truly heal. 

 

sierra  :smitten:

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