Benzo free - flumazenil works!

 

 

There is some evidence that flumazenil is effective for protracted benzodiazepine withdrawal (or benzodiazepine post-withdrawal syndrome) with promising results [4][5][6], though larger studies with more regular dosing intervals are needed to confirm this. There have also been some studies investigating the drugs effect in reducing benzodiazapine tolerance [7][8], with promising results. In binding to the benzodiazepine receptor, flumazenil may reset the receptors sensitivity, restoring the receptor to its pre-drug affinity. [9]

 

elizabeth, although I was skeptical of flumazenil. After reading this maybe you have found your way. Please let us know how this goes for you. rstud

I wish Elizabeth would come back and let us know how she is feeling and if she is continuing to feel well.  My hope is that she is, and since she's one of the only ones I've know of that has gone through this process it would be good to know her continuing experience.

 

Hey Elizabeth

 

Whatever worked for you I say good on you I hope you make a complete recovery.  I think its a personal journey and one that is complicated.  I have to always remember that i wasnt well before this so who knows how i will be after it.  I do feel for poor Ryan though he obviously has had many struggles much love to him as well.

 

Keep us posted will be interested to know how you go

 

Lizzyxx

It is my second month since I stopped and I am doing great.

 

I don't spend time at benzobuddies so if you have questions you can reach me through personal messages. I do reply to those.

 

Please note I didn't post this information to cause damage to anybody. I could have spared me the effort. The intention was to share something that changed my life. Or rather say gave me my life back.  The negative reactions to my information  is one of the reasons why I don't read the post.

 

Why is complaining about the miserie so accepted and saying that there is a way out so mistrusted?

Thank you so much for taking a time to come here and write this ! It surely gives us hope. It has been said many times that everybody is different in terms of benzo experience (developing a tolerance, symptoms, individual healing rate, etc.) So it appears that it could really work for some people, though not for all (sadly). 

It is my second month since I stopped and I am doing great.

 

I don't spend time at benzobuddies so if you have questions you can reach me through personal messages. I do reply to those.

 

Please note I didn't post this information to cause damage to anybody. I could have spared me the effort. The intention was to share something that changed my life. Or rather say gave me my life back.  The negative reactions to my information  is one of the reasons why I don't read the post.

 

Why is complaining about the miserie so accepted and saying that there is a way out so mistrusted?

 

Hey elizabeth,

 

I did not mean to come across as negative.  I think it is fantastic that this worked for you.  I'm also glad that they are researching this.  I just wanted to give the other side of this because I don't think it would work for everyone.  Congrats on getting your life back!

 

Ryan

I am super happy this treatment worked for you!!Congrats on healing and have a blessed life!!!

It is my second month since I stopped and I am doing great.

 

I don't spend time at benzobuddies so if you have questions you can reach me through personal messages. I do reply to those.

 

Please note I didn't post this information to cause damage to anybody. I could have spared me the effort. The intention was to share something that changed my life. Or rather say gave me my life back.  The negative reactions to my information  is one of the reasons why I don't read the post.

 

Why is complaining about the miserie so accepted and saying that there is a way out so mistrusted?

Elizabeth,

 

I'm very happy for your continued success from your treatment.  Although to answer your question "Why is complaining about the miserie so accepted and saying that there is a way out so mistrusted?" the truth is that many many people here are in great pain and this is the forum specifically for those people, and while you seem to be an example of a happy ending, and certainly gives food for thought, if your "cure" was truly the answer, logic would suggest that there would be significantly more advocacy for this treatment.  Perhaps, if what you experienced is true, we will see more in the future.  And if this is a viable alternative, perhaps those that go after us will benefit from it.  However at this time, aside from your experience, the jury is still out.  So don't fault us for questioning your "miracle".  Just be happy it worked for you.

It is my second month since I stopped and I am doing great.

 

I don't spend time at benzobuddies so if you have questions you can reach me through personal messages. I do reply to those.

 

Please note I didn't post this information to cause damage to anybody. I could have spared me the effort. The intention was to share something that changed my life. Or rather say gave me my life back.  The negative reactions to my information  is one of the reasons why I don't read the post.

 

Why is complaining about the miserie so accepted and saying that there is a way out so mistrusted?

 

once you feel betrayed you question everything. Elizabeth you are a very intelligent sweet woman and all that matters is you've found your way,rstud

Anyone remember Barney Clark? Over 10 years ago he was a research patient who received an experimental artificial heart. He lived a few months with the heart. The thing is that it was totally experimental. He was just an experiment (I think the first one). The weird thing was that the media got ahold of this. People were talking like this new heart would be available next week.  They just did not get it. Barney knew his number was up, and so did the research team.  The gained knowledge on how the heart could work.....Research!!

 

Elizabeth is part of research. She is one case. Hi Elizabeth. I am glad that someone is attempting this research.

 

I dont know if i missed it, but how long have you been off benzos?

 

When i read the abstract and other info, it seemed to have the language of addiction. They mentioned cravings and success at stopping benzos.  maybe i missed it, but I did not see a discussion of long term wd symptoms. Again, I understand that this is beginning research.

 

Elizabeth I wish you good healing! Fair winds too.

 

 

 

 

Hi to all the readers of this post,

just wanted to say that if anybody is interested and wants to chat with me they can contact me through the personal messager.

 

Elizabeth

Elizabeth- I just wanted to say Congratulations! on getting better.   I'm SO glad something worked for you.  I hope that as time goes on, there will be more documentation on success stories like yours so that it might be an option for others.

 

Congratulations again!!

:)Parker

How else has followed the exact treatment protocol, please come forward and speak up!

 

Who are 'these people' for who it doesn't work? Do they really exist?

 

 

 

 

There is a great deal published on how it doesn't work. Even Wiki I think has a blurb about it. We used to think you could put people on Pheno and get them off their benzo, but then we figured out that pheno was a barbaric way to cold turkey people.

 

I am glad this worked for you. But it may not work for others. All of us would like a way out of this. I have been disabled for a year and a half including my failed taper. I want nothing more than to return to work and be a member of society again. But time is the ONLY healer. There are no drugs that reset GABA. Flumazenzil does not reset receptors. People who get relief from it usually have a return of sx very shortly after the drug leaves their body. People have died from taking flumazenil in an attempt to be benzo free. I dont think you want to promote a "cure" that can lead to death. Again, glad it worked for you. But it may not be the cure that we all hope will one day relieve people of the misery of healing after benzo use.

There is a great deal published on how it doesn't work. Even Wiki I think has a blurb about it. We used to think you could put people on Pheno and get them off their benzo, but then we figured out that pheno was a barbaric way to cold turkey people.

 

I am glad this worked for you. But it may not work for others. All of us would like a way out of this. I have been disabled for a year and a half including my failed taper. I want nothing more than to return to work and be a member of society again. But time is the ONLY healer. There are no drugs that reset GABA. Flumazenzil does not reset receptors. People who get relief from it usually have a return of sx very shortly after the drug leaves their body. People have died from taking flumazenil in an attempt to be benzo free. I dont think you want to promote a "cure" that can lead to death. Again, glad it worked for you. But it may not be the cure that we all hope will one day relieve people of the misery of healing after benzo use.

 

Yep. Pretty much sums up my view of this. Also, it's true that people have died trying to get off benzos using flumazenil. It's in tons and tons of peer-reviewed academic articles for people to read about.

Congratulations on freeing yourself from benzos, Elizabeth! I wish you peace, happiness and safe travels on your journey through life!

I can tell you someone that is a member of BB that it did not work for and has been going through HELL every since,

llessur1.  He is now in a slow, appropriate taper.  I will ask him if he will come here and explain his circumstances and experience.

 

It happened several years ago and he has been suffering every since.

 

It is not a MIRACLE cure.  Not to mention, it is very expensive so if it were really effective, why is it not being used around the world.  There is a clinic in Dallas that does it, the Urshel Clinic.  It is $14,000 for the treatment and there are no guarntees of no Protracted WD.  They use it mostly for alcohol wd.

 

 

People get desperate with this, and if a dr says it is good then some would try it.

 

I have seen flumazenil given to wake people up from a benzo haze in the ICU. (it was given the them IV for sedation) As I understand it, it "knocks the benzos off the receptors" . I dont see how it could help in wd any more the narcan could help a heroine addict. I am open to real research, not scammers and dreamers.

 

The problem is that benzo wd is not well know, so it is not mainstream, so it is not researched widely, so no treatments are tried, so here we are, victims.

I think the point we are missing is that this victory belongs to Elizabeth and is her success story.  So good luck to her I say lucky it worked for her.  I dont even know what it is so am very neutral.  Im just happy that she is happy.

 

Lizzy

I agree Lizzy. It worked for her. She is telling us, so we might encourage more research. See my post above.

 

gh, fw

I just saw your post after i posted lol.  Yeah wish it was that simple for me.  Hey I just rang up the hospital to make a complaint about their treatment of me like giving a small person like myself 4mg of xanax and i go the worst anxiety ever and hung up just the memory of it all and the trauma is too much.  Im not up for a fight just yet.

 

Lizzy

I have seen flumazenil given to wake people up from a benzo haze in the ICU. (it was given the them IV for sedation) As I understand it, it "knocks the benzos off the receptors" . I dont see how it could help in wd any more the narcan could help a heroine addict. I am open to real research, not scammers and dreamers.

 

I remember there was a possible explanation in the Ashton work. As far as I recall, she wrote about how the BZD receptor site has been locked into "inverse agonist conformation" or in other words has switched it's "polarity", meaning that the endogenous body ligands have the opposite effect on the receptor. It is supposed that flumazenil somehow helps the BZD receptor site regain it's original "polarity", provided it is being exposed to a flumazenil long enough. 

I just want to add that I don't think it's odd at all that you were healed from flumazenil.

 

I think in scientific studies, the manner, dose, and length of time someone is treated can be the difference between a postive result or no result.  You mentioned that this was a pilot study.  Perhaps this is the first of its kind in terms of a protocol with flumazenil that IS promising. Certainly, it's wonderful that they are doing research on it.  If you have had success, then perhaps others in the study will, too - and if that research is duplicated and the results are just as good, then we may be looking at a new approach to benzo treatment that is both reliable and valid.

 

It's stories like these that need to be respected. I think it's smart for all of us to be cautious, because Elizabeth, you got to be part of a pioneering study. That is SO awesome. And I know the VERY happiest person is YOU.   You have got to be overjoyed that this is over. But we dont' have that protocol anywhere else yet.  The protocol that was used on you has not yet been published, and in the meantime, what we have are a lot of doctors just kinda experimenting with flumazenil - and some people are not helped at all by that.  Perhaps it's the subcutaneous nature of how it was delivered for you - or perhaps it's the dose and length of time you were on it. Hopefully the study results will show what protocol worked -and hopefully it will have worked for others.  Over time, hopefully it will become a tried-and-true treatment!  However, so far, we dont' have those options over here.  I think when the study results come out, THEN YOU ARE RIGHT.  If the results are positive across the board, then other physicians in other locations will RUSH to duplicate it.  If positive results for this protocol turn out to be reliable, then a new treatment will have been established.  Then people can count on safety and efficacy.

 

I think it's people like Elizabeth that we have to respect for sticking her neck out and being willing to be a test participant. In the future, when the study results come out, and when a benzo treatment IS finally found (and I believe it will be in time), it's people like Elizabeth that are the first guinea pigs in order for the rest of us to eventually benefit.

 

Elizabeth, we don't yet have places in the U.S that are doing this with a reliable and valid protocol. I wish we did!

I can't wait to see the results of the study you participated in. 

Perhaps that will mean a cure and a reliable protocol for the future.

 

I whole-heartedly congratulate you, and I wish I were in your shoes!

Enjoy this wonderful life!

 

Thank you for taking your time to post on here.

 

:)Parker

I am glad I found this post.  I've today been in touch with the organisation that does this treatment in Australia; for me it may be my only option and a saving grace. 

 

Amazing what you can find on this site.

 

Staffy