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Just look at us. Everything is backwards; everything is upside down. Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy information and religions destroy spirituality" David Ellner
Isaiah 5:20. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
For all who pass by this blog. This Blog page was put together for all the poor souls, who are suffering from Benzodiazepine withdrawals.
You are NOT having panic attacks
If you're having what your doctor calls panic attacks and you have been suicidal, fear not, you are in what's called inter dose withdrawal from ativan or other named benzodizapine drugs. These pills wear off in six hours, and if you do not take a pill at the six hour mark, you will be pulled down to the underworld of hades, a living hell. If you want to get off these killers, you must get on a good withdrawal program using Valium, more on this later.
On this blog page, you will find many sad stories about benzodiazeoine addiction and withdrawal hell.
But, you will also read about many success stories, about people who came off and benzodiazepines with the help of an up to date doctor, that knew the importance of a slow Valium taper. Thank God, these doctors exist.
Anyone struggling to withdraw from a benzodiazepine, tranquilizer, sleeping pill or anti-anxiety medication, is acutely aware that the drug has profound effects on the mind and body combined.
Directly or indirectly, benzodiazepines can influence almost every aspect of brain function, which is why they are able to exert such widespread effects on the body.
Benzodiazepines etc. can impair cognition function (the ability to perceive accurately and think with that information) especially memory, and can cause confusion, increased anxiety, insomnia, nightmares, fear, perceptual disturbances and a host of other physical symptoms. Even a small dose has the potential to cause severe withdrawal symptoms if abruptly stopped.
Because benzodiazepines etc. enhance GABA, the brain's output of excitatory neurotransmitters – that apply energy to and bring into action other nerve cells such as Norepinephrine (Noradrenaline), Serotonin and Dopamine, are reduced.
Such excitatory neurotransmitters are critical for normal alertness, muscle tone and coordination, emotional responses, memory, endocrine gland secretions, heart rate and blood pressure control as well as other functions, all of which may be impaired by benzodiazepines.
Other benzodiazepine receptors that are not linked to GABA are present in the kidneys, colon, blood cells and adrenal cortex (the outer part of the adrenal gland).
These direct increases in neurotransmitter output and the indirect impacts they have on other body systems are responsible for the well-known adverse side effects with benzodiazepines etc.
The receptors react to prolonged use of benzodiazepines, etc., by increasing in number and/or reducing their sensitivity to GABA. Therefore, larger doses may be needed to produce the same result. The brain begins to reduce its own creation of GABA as the benzodiazepine etc. has been artificially producing higher levels of GABA.
The brain is highly skilled at maintaining homeostasis (balance) and will not do what is not necessary. The problem occurs when a person attempts to stop the benzodiazepine etc., which has been assisting the GABA production. Withdrawal of the drug can result in insufficient GABA activity, producing symptoms worse than the reason the treatment was initially sought.
The heart rate increases while sleep decreases, as all the states that require a state of alertness are constantly present. Normal, everyday activity is not possible when the brain and body are in the process of a flight or fright response.
It is therefore essential to withdraw from benzodiazepines etc. slowly to allow the GABA receptors time to regenerate, thus minimizing the withdrawal symptoms. If done in a gradual manner, the GABA receptors will slowly restore to their normal levels of excitation and inhibition.
If you ask your Dr. about the Ashton method, don't be surprised if you get a response like the one below.
Hello everyone,
I talked to my psychiatrist on the phone and he didn't support the Ashton method (in fact he got mad at me for offering a plan as a non medical person) so I went to a another doctor (actually I took my mom to a doctor for her kidney stones but I showed him the Ashton table and he said it makes sense and prescribed me Xanax and Valium). Now do you think I should follow this plan?
This person got lucky, by accident.
Professor Heather Ashtons work is unsurpassed in helping people get of Benzodiazepine drugs. Heathers manual and protocols
Make sure you read all four chapters.
The Ashton online manual
I have gathered stories from all over the internet, in hopes that you will become educated on the subject, and that these stories will offer you hope and encouragement.
The famous heather Ashton manual is vitally important, you will find several links on this page to her manual for withdrawal. It describes in detail, how to taper, and for how long, as well as a wealth of information on benzodiazepine drugs.
I have also posted many links for the reason and absolute necessity to switch over to Valium for your tapering program. I hope you find this page helpful, and that you too will recover from these drugs in a safe, slow taper program, that will not leave your mind, body and soul crippled by these drugs.
My heart goes out to all you who are suffering in any way, especially by the benzodiazepine drugs, that you have been taking. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and I too will see that light, and approach it with all my will power, and embrace it. "FIRST DO MO HARM" What happened with that? We must go through this, and emerge victorious, carrying the torch of success.
If your doctor has cut off your meds, so that you cannot tgaper, thereby destroying life, instead of "fist do no harm" then there is an organization that will help you get meds for your taper, sometimes for free. their phone number is 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669) and the link is also further down the page. They require a prescription though.
Also keep in mind, that many URGENT care facilities and pharmacies will refill your prescriptions, just show them your last prescription, and explain to the pharmacist, that if you don't have the drug, you will go into withdrawals, and they should help you. Many are open 24 hours a day. There is no guarantee though.
It is a big concern that while being on benzos, and having an ignorant and uncomoassionate (witch) doctor, that will not support a valium taper, or a taper period. Therrefore sending someone into spiraling into the withdrawals pits of hell, suicide thoughts and all the rest.
If I was facing withdrawals, or having buying meds from overseas, in a pinch I would buy the meds, what would you have to lose? Withdrawals or getting on with your life. Yes it will cost you about an average of a couple of bucks per pill, but which is worse, paying the money or going into withdrawals.
So lets not panic, about ignorant uncompassionate doctors, who send us into withdrawal and be smarter and protect our ourselves, and take care of our own heath if we have to. Most doctors are uninformed, and simply cannot be trusted, to help us when it comes to tapering and slowly withdrawing from benzodiazepines. Unless you are fortunate to have a good EDUCATED doctor on the matter. I have such a DR. so I am fortunate.
Case in point, here's one man, that went through the months of withdrawals, because his Doc didn't renew his script for tapering.
IN HIS OWN WORDS.
Re: If your doctor cuts off your meds Reply #17 on: December 22, 2007, 04:22:34 AM
well I whent thru four doctors and did not get a one that would renew my script to withdrawal.
what happens when you search for a compassionate doc. well if you are fortunate you find one, what happened to me and some others:
it was put in my chart i was doctor shopping in other words i was an addict looking for drugs. in my opinion better safe then sorry, I stocked up and began my taper, too often doctors threaten not to renew you script or try to get you on other drugs.
if you communicate well with your doctor print out the ashton manual and see if they will work with you.
some sample tapers is anything from:2% cut every two week to a month,10% cut every two weeks to a month, 20% cut every two weeks to a month.
the above is just a guide what you want to avoid is being but in a forced cold turkey situation.
we try to leave some wiggle room in case you are having too hard a time or maybe it will be easy,you don't know till you get there.
So you see, it can happen, and this man suffered tremendously, for no reason at all.
The Benzo forums on the internet are awash with extremely sad stories about Human beings, that have been left out in the cold by their doctors concerning benzodiazepine withdrawals, you could read the stories for month
Why can't we put our trust and faith in these professionals, who proudly display the caduceus on their jacket lapel. WHY? The caduceus stands as a symbol for healing, but many doctors have turned this symbol on top of it's head, and the upside down use of this symbol is DEATH.
You can go to youtube, and type in the search block "benzodiazepine withdrawals" and find many videos of people who taped themselves in withdrawal from these drugs, they should serve as an education to us all, as sad as they Are to watch, these folks put themselves up on youtube, asking for help and to educate us as what a real withdrawal looks like.
I personally do not need to watch these videos, because I too have been through these withdrawals, and I know how insidious and spirit destroying these withdrawals can be.
MY GOAL IS TO FREE OF BENZODIAZEOINES AND WITH THE HELP AND CONCERN FROM MY DOCTOR,I WILL DO IT!!
I will log my success every day on this page, so that other folks that are addicted, may glean some hope and see my personal withdrawal regimen, in hopes that it will help you in your endeavors to be free of the Z drugs. weight:
I will post my feelings, and any side effects I feel as I make cuts in my Diazepam, so that others can be educated on the process, and for my own records.
I am starting out taking 17.5 mgs of Diazepam, and will make weekly cuts down to 10 mg,and see how I feel, and adjust the cuts accordingly.I don't expect an easy time, but hopefully since I was on lorazepam for only three and a half months, maybe my withdrawal symptoms will not be too pronounced. We will see.
I am fortunate enough to have a caring and responsible Dr. at Kaiser, who is working with me and allowing me the freedom to take charge of my own taper regimen, thereby preventing me from going onto withdrawal.
After reading many horror stories that you will find on this Blog, about Doctors who have cut peoples meds off, sending them spiraling into withdrawals, sometimes never to recover, and many have spent years recovering, some lucky ones only months. Doctors simply do not understand the withdrawal syndrome behind the beczodiazepine addiction and the drugs themselves.
The biggest fear for many people who are on a taper from a Z drug, is that a non caring, misinformed health professional with a total lack of understanding and knowledge as to how powerful these drugs really are, will many times stop a patients taper abruptly not refilling their Valium prescription, and this is nothing more than muder and is a criminal offense.
It is vitally important to use the longer half life Valium, as to not have daily inter dose withdrawals in the shorter half life benzos. It is absolutely essential to taper slowly on Valium, in order to keep ones employment, take care of their families, pets etc. I have to thank my Dr. for her understanding and cooperation, as she knows I have educated myself well on benzodiazepine deugs and withdrawal syndrome.
Here are pics of the meds my doctor had me on, I am no longer taking any of them, except for the valium for my taper regimen.
The rest of the meds in the pics below will go where all poisons should go, I will call the local hazmat team, and have them come to my house and remove them, dressed in theier full protective garb of course. That will be a sight to see!!!!
Now the GOOD stuff that I am taking every day.
HIPPOCRATIC OATH
Notice the caduceus, it is THE SEPENT energy going up the spine. (the KUNDALINI). IT IS THE REAL HEALER.
Easier to read
The Hippocratic Oath
(Original Version)
I SWEAR by Apollo the physician, AEsculapius, and Health, and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgement, I will keep this Oath and this stipulation.
TO RECHON him who taught me this Art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required; to look up his offspring in the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath according the law of medicine, but to none others.
I WILL FOLLOW that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give a woman a pessary to produce abortion.
WITH PURITY AND WITH HOLINESS I will pass my life and practice my Art. I will not cut persons laboring under the stone, but will leave this to be done by men who are practitioners of this work. Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick, and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption; and, further from the seduction of females or males, of freemen and slaves.
WHATEVER, IN CONNECTION with my professional practice or not, in connection with it, I see or hear, in the life of men, which ought not to be spoken of abroad, I will not divulge, as reckoning that all such should be kept secret.
WHILE I CONTINUE to keep this Oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of the art, respected by all men, in all times! But should I trespass and violate this Oath, may the reverse be my lot!
"First, do no harm":
Not in the Hippocratic Oath It is a widely held misconception that the familiar dictum "First, do no harm" comes from the Hippocratic Oath, an oath many physicians take when they enter medical practice.
However, the Hippocratic Oath does not and never did contain those words (nor was it actually written by Hippocrates, according to many sources). It expresses a similar idea, but never employs the words "First, do no harm."
It is the opinion of many scholars that Hippocrates did, in fact, originate the phrase, but did so in his Epidemics, Bk. I, Sect. XI. One translation reads: "Declare the past, diagnose the present, foretell the future; practice these acts. As to diseases, make a habit of two things to help, or at least to do no harm."
The Greek "First, do no harm" becomes "Primum non nocere" in Latin. A translation of the original perhaps, but some sources attribute "Primum non nocere" to the Roman physician, Galen.
Today there is no single oath that all physicians take upon entering practice. Depending on where they earn their medical degrees, they may take any one of many pledges, but all embody the ethics and ideals of Hippocrates, the acknowledged father of modern medicine.
The exact wording of the original oath has been subject to dispute, as translations and interpretations of the original Greek have varied. Complicating the picture are the many modernizations of the oath which take into account changes in language, social mores, and medicine itself over the centuries.
I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner
Notice it says: "abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous"
How does that apply to benzodiazepines?
Mel Gibson expresses his concern on the growing danger of losing our rights to buy vitamins.
MEL
For all those that are suffering in any way.
SRV
What does the pharmacist's symbol "Rx" mean?
The right eye represented the sun and the left eye the moon. The left eye is the origin of the pharmacist's symbol for prescription, "Rx.
Do You Know Where Rx Came From?
For years we've probably all seen the symbol Rx and used it without knowing what it meant or symbolized. Well, the symbol Rx was derived from the major lines in the symbol of the Eye of Horus. Which of course is Egyptian mythology.
Horus was an Egyptian god, the god of Nekhen, a village in Egypt, and god of the sky, of light, and of goodness. He was the son of Isis, the nature goddess, and Osiris, the god of the underworld. Osiris was murdered by his evil brother Seth, the god of darkness and evil.
Horus sought to avenge his father's death by challenging his uncle Seth to a fight. Seth cut out Horus's eye, but Thoth, a god associated with wisdom and compassion, magically restored the eye. Horus did defeat Seth, finally. Horus's eye, also called the wadjet eye, became a symbol for health. The Egyptians considered it a symbol of good and restored health.
The symbol was passed along through the ages. As William Osler wrote in 1910, "In a cursive form it is found in mediaeval translations of the works of Ptolemy the astrologer, as the sign of the planet Jupiter.
As such it was placed upon horoscopes and upon formula containing drugs made for administration to the body, so that the harmful properties of these drugs might be removed under the influence of the lucky planet."
There is another theory of Rx's origin. In that version, Rx is an abbreviation for the Latin word recipere, which means "take" or "take thus." Long ago, this would not have been a direction to a patient but to a pharmacist, preceding the physician's "recipe" for preparing a medication.
If you look closely at the major lines of the eye of Horus, you can see the elements of the symbol Rx.
Do you see the Rx in the EYE?
Rx is an abbreviation for the Latin word "recipere" or "recipe," which means "Take, thou." In the days before manufactured drugs, apothecaries (who were also doctors) would write out a formula for medications. They would mix up and compound ingredients to make drugs or remedies.
Not until well into the 19th century was the distinction between the apothecary/pharmacist as a compounder of medicines and the physician as a therapist generally accepted. According to the Pharmaceutical Handbook (nineteenth edition, 1980), the Latin abbreviation Rx is completed by some statement such as "fiat mistura," which means "let a mixture be made.
The above became the standard meaning of RX, but as you will see below, the real meaning is quite different.
R came from "recipe" but the pharmaceutical symbol used to be an EYE with an "x" below it instead of the "R," and was called the "Eye of Horus." According to pharmacological authorities, the Egyptian god Horus was the "father of pharmacy."
A word about the the letters RX, we have all seen this symbol at the drugstores, and even on our pill bottles, this acronym comes from ancient Egypt and greece.
The original meaning of the letters RX, are a far cry different from what we have come to know.
I will give you the history of the true meaning now. It lies WITHIN you.
In early Christian tradition the phoenix was adopted as being resurrection and immortality. Through Christian eyes, we are taught to believe in the resurrection, as the Christ principle exhibited the character of the phoenix: "I have the power to lay down my life and to take it up again."
Using Christ's Buddha's life as an example, one can live a similar learning life of rejuvenation.
The phoenix makes a coffin and fills it with fine smelling spices, then dies where the stink of corruption is (effaced) by (agreeable) smells.
Once you learn how to activate and use this wonderful "Third Eye," you will perceive higher dimensions of Knowledge that will astound you. In order for this to happen however, a proper relationship must be established between your pituitary gland (personality) and your soul (operating through your pineal gland ).
Once this relationship is established, an electromagnetic field is created between the two glands, uniting the positive and negative forces to create the "light in the head." Once this "light in the head" is activated, the LIGHT (soul) can leave the physical body, and it's in the BIBLE, hidden behind mystical and mythological words and stories. The gates or logic circuits in your brain will be open, this is the 12 gates to the city, your brain. And a new Jerusalem will come down from HEAVEN.
The single EYE of Horus
see the snake, also look close at the picture on the right, youll see the Eyes of horus, when put together, they represent the GREAT wing at the end of the spine in the brain region. And notice the letters RX.
Designed to resemble the eye of a falcon, this symbol is called the Eye of Ra or Eye of Horus represents the right eye of the Egyptian Falcon God Horus. As the udjat (or utchat), it represented the sun, and was associated with the Sun God Ra (Re).
The mirror image, or left eye, represented the moon, and the God Tehuti (Thoth). (A very similar concept of the sun and moon as eyes appears in many religious traditions)
According to legend, the left eye was torn from Horus by his murderous brother Seth, and magically restored by Thoth, the God of magick. After the restoration, some stories state, Horus made a gift of the eye to Osiris, which allowed this solar deity to rule the underworld. The story of this injury is probably an allusion to the phases of the moon as the eye which is "torn out" every month.
Together, the eyes represent the whole of the universe, a concept similar to that of the Taoist Yin-yang symbol. Spiritually, the right eye reflects solar, masculine energy, as well as reason and mathematics. The left eye reflects fluid, feminine, lunar energy, and rules intuition . Together, they represent the combined, transcendent power of Horus, the sun and the moon.
The Eye of Horus was believed to have healing and protective power, and it was used as a protective amulet, and as a medical measuring device, using the mathematical proportions of the eye to determine the proportions of ingredients in medical preparations) to prepare medications.
The Masonic all seeing eye, the Eye of Providence symbol found on American money, and our modern Rx pharmaceutical symbol are all derived from the Eye of Horus.
Related Symbols:
It means that when one has raised the serpent energy to the brain, one recieves a healing to their DNA from the UNIVERSE. You then manifest the RX within you.
RX
The rising electrical energy in the spinal canal opens the gates, flooding the organs, chakras and fluids with the POWER OF GOD.
The organs become light filled and send out light pathways to other structures within the body, organizing and stimulating the further rise. The darkened pathways begin to fill with overwhelmingly beautiful GOD LIGHT.
The cerebrospinal fluid is circulating and alerting the GOLDEN BOWL to the rising spirit. It is also beginning to rearrange the DNA structure into 12 strands (12 is the number of your cranial nerves). The energy rises further and arcs over to make the connection in the heart. It is now that the body starts filling with blinding WHITE LIGHT.
Structurally, the spinal column ends at your magnificent bony wing, the GREAT WING. This is our potential, but it needs to be activated and divinely directed. Thus, our bony skeleton is showing us our spiritual potential, right at the point where the GOLDEN BOWL is activated.
Do you see the resemblance of this photo compared to the right photo on the stone tablet above.
You must, I must, and we all must activate our HOLY TEMPLES, the body of light, which is needed for the complete transformation of this planet and its people.It is your RX.
Remember the configuration of the spinal cord, which had the misshapen wing at the base, becoming more beautiful and refined, as we got closer to the top of the spinal cord (the point where it enters the brain region) Well, that winged configuration ends at the bony wing that I have shown you within the head region, the GREAT WING.
Have you ever seen a more beautiful wing? Your spiritual heritage is waiting. Your body is silently waiting and asking you to come into the knowledge of the temple. The disease and unrest within our world are the result of our empty temples. Are you ready to claim your spiritual heritage?
At the area of the insertion of the spinal cord into the brain, there is a beautiful structure called the cerebellum.
Ecclesiastes 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
Comment: Before the silver cord (the spinal cord) is loosed The golden bowl (the skull) is broken The pitcher (the heart) shattered at the fountain The wheel (The Pelvis) broken at the well , alluding to decay of the MIND, without GOD.
The RX prescription for healing is the Kundalini
To summarize the above, the circulating fluid fills the spinal canal and flows through the four ventricles of the brain. The electrical conduction within this fluid has the power to open the gates, (the twelve cranial nerves)sending the electrical current to the heart.
The heart then reconnects you back to the singular ALL, through the electrical Arc of the Covenant. The information then moves up to the cerebellum, which in turn alerts the pineal gland, the fornix and which in turn alerts the pituitary gland and the GOLDEN BOWL is activated.
Eye of RA
The sun God, and the SUN in you
Again with a cobra on the head
Everything is all symbols of one raising the serpent energy at the base of he spine, through the spine to the third eye (pineal gland) and in the fornix (furnace) of the brain in meditation.
Here is your healer, the ancient caduceus symbol, which represents the solar plexus energy rising to the brain, and changing the consciousness of the person, wh0 receives it in (meditation)
This is the real RX, given to us by the ancients.
What you have just read means that when you see the two letters RX on a pill bottle, it is completely FALSE. It should have a skull and bones on it. Because the real RX is the KUNDALINI. The same serpent that God onstructed moses to put on a brass pole, and all whom looked upon it would be healed.
The healing is NOT inside a bottle of pills, It is within you.
Now you know the meaning of RX, as you have seen everytime you go to the DRUG store.
The Masonic all seeing eye, the Eye of Providence symbol found on American money, and our modern Rx pharmaceutical symbol are all descended from the Eye of Horus.
"Horus was the son of two of the main gods in Egyptian mythology, Isis and Osiris. Horus had an evil uncle (Seth) who murdered Osiris, the father of Horus. Horus did battle with Seth to avenge his father's murder.
Medical Prescription The origin of the Rx abbreviation, that doctors use all over the world, and in all languages, originated from the eye symbol of Heru (Horus).
During the fight, Seth plucked out Horus' left eye and tore it apart. Thoth (god of wisdom and magic) found the eye, pieced it together and added some magic. He returned the eye to Horus, who in turn gave it to his murdered father Osiris, thereby bringing him back to life.
"The Eye of Horus (or 'udjat') became a powerful symbol in ancient Egypt. It was worn as an amulet to ensure good health and ward off sickness. The Eye of Horus is depicted as a human eye and eyebrow, decorated with the markings seen under the eyes of falcons since Horus had the head of a falcon. The right eye represented the sun and the left eye the moon. The left eye is the origin of the pharmacist's symbol for prescription, Rx "See the RX tablet above"
As Paul Harvey always says, "NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY."
All the years battling the high seas in the Sea of Japan and the allution islands replinishing ships at sea, surviving monsterous seas and typhoons, surviving back alley and side street incursions in Bankok, Subic bay, Zambales, Tapei, Kaoshung, Keelung, Columbo Sri Lanka, Manila, Hong Kong, and many more places, I have to have this benzodiazepine added on. But it is by far the absolute worse, hellish, evil experience this old Sailor has ever been through.
I just want all these people to see how vitally important it is, to be on a slow gradual taper, in order to keep from losing everything you and I have worked for all of our lives, our homes, families, our careers, and our own lives.
TAPER, TAPER, TAPER. This is the key ingredient, for a safe withdrawal fron benzodiazepine drugs.
Dear Dr.
Please review my schedule for withdrawing from the benzodiazepine drugs,I have painstakingly searched and researched the internet, through dozens of forums, internet sites, and the famous Dr.heather Ashtons web site, as well as Dr. Pearts, who have both helped hundreds victims who were addicted to the drug, to taper down safely, with minimal withdrawal effects. THE SCHEDULE IS 1/4 DOWN THE PAGE.
I hope you read a lot of the stuff on this page, it is very informative.
My biggest concern and fear is that If you don't allow me the time and keeping my scripts filled, so that I can make a safe recovery for benzodiazepine addiction.
Even after just being on Benzos for two weeks, I could not stop the drug, it sent me straight into the most hideous withdrawal syndrome, I have never in my life experienced such doom and hopelessness. I just want your assurance, that your understanding the importance of the slower withdrawal is paramount to my success and future health.
I want you to know that I changed my HMO during open enrollment with the state,I had chosen blue shield but called calpers, and asked to remain with kaiser, since I had you supporting my taper plan. I was afraid of getting a new Physician, one that may not understand the importance and the dangers of a fast benzo taper.
Since I have been through the withdrawals for days, It is very scary, and if you read some of the stories I have pasted in this blog page, you will understand the fear associated with having doctors not refill prescriptions, while a person is on a taper program. There simply is no HELL like it, nothing compares.
I was having daily inter dose withdrawals on the shorter half life Lorazepam,The benzos work on the emotional center of the brain, and when you are going into withdrawal, you will start sobbing and crying uncontrollably, this is a common symptom, stated by almost all have been through withdrawals. I cried for days, before I realized I was in withdrawal.
All unneccessary I might ad, because had my regular MD known the dark side of the Z drugs, he would have been able to tell me to take an ativan pill, and I would have been fine in 20 minutes.
I no longer have inter dose withdrawals, since my NEW doctor (Dr.Psychiatry) switched me over to Valium, Bless her. And I feel 100% better on the valium, than I ever did on the ativan. And am now on the road to recovery, thanks to her.
EDUCATING the UNEDUCATED
The benzo journey can be a very lonely one. Most of what is happening to you is inside and other people can’t see it. It is very common for people going through withdrawal to find that their family and friends have no understanding of the problems that are being encountered and this makes it difficult for them to be sympathetic.
It is also common for people to find that their doctor does not acknowledge any form of withdrawal syndrome past that which occurs in the first few weeks.The first line of defence is to try and educate the significant others in your life so that they understand what is happening. The best way to do this is to ask them to read.
The Ashton Manual by Professor C. Heather Ashton
The FAQ
Extracts from Medical Journals by Dr. Reg Peart.
Mental, and social decline that is at least as serious as other drug dependencies, e.g., alcohol and illegal drugs. Benzodiazepine dependency is not benign as many incompetent doctors want to believe as an excuse for doing nothing about the problem."
Then you might print out the information here:
1. "Analysis of Adverse Behavioural Effects of Benzodiazepines " by Dr. Peter Breggin
2. "The Benzodiazepines Toxicity, Cognitive Impairment, Long-Term Damage & The Post Withdrawal Syndrome " by Dr. Reg Peart
"There is a great deal of misinformation, mythology and ignorance surrounding the benzodiazepines, their uses and problems. The attitude of denial by many has a severe impact on patients trying to get help from doctors, treatment for dependency, DLA and other benefits, and help for legal actions.
This paper is an attempt to bring together apparently diverse aspects in a format that hopefully will be informative and a source of further information for those seeking help and compensation for the destruction of their lives."
3. "History of Benzodiazepines: What the Textbooks May Not Tell You " A talk and PowerPoint display by Professor C. Heather Ashton. Another talk that may be of interest is Overprescribing of Benzodiazepines.
4. "Addiction: Benzodiazepines in Particular" by Dr. Ray Baker
Dr. Ray Baker. “From 1993 to 1997 he represented Canada on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, North America’s credentialing body in this specialized area of medicine. He served as principal author for the British Columbia standards of practice in Addiction Medicine, adopted as policy by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.”
If you find a physician who has more questions or wants to learn more he/she can contact Dr. Stevan Gressitt from the Maine Benzodiazepine Research Group.
If after this the significant others in your life can’t or won’t understand what is happening – and this happens a lot – then it is often less stressful to try and manage what is happening yourself or turn to the various support groups who will understand.
CLICK HERE
THE need for a SLOW Valium TAPER
CLICK HERE
Beware of Benzodiazepines—Nasty Time Bomb Ambushes the Unwary
CLICK HERE
GETTING your DOCTOR to help you TAPER
CLICK HERE
SOME THOUGHTS ON THE DURATION OF POST-BENZO ILLNESS, THE POSSIBILITY OF PERMANENT AFTER-EFFECTS, & WAYS OF LOOKING AFTER OURSELVES. Plus telephone counceling
CLICK HERE
For the best and most up-to-date information on benzodiazepine withdrawal you are encouraged to read: "Benzodiazepines:
"How they Work & How to Withdraw"(The Ashton Manual) by Professor C Heather Ashton, DM, FRCP, Revised August 2002. Versions of the Ashton Manual in French, Spanish, Danish, Polish, Finnish, Swedish and Italian can be accessed from this page.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Any advice given on this site should not be substituted for the advice of a physician who is well-informed about benzodiazepine addiction and withdrawal. All advice given here is therefore to be followed at your own risk. You are advised never to stop taking any medication abruptly.
Calm your emotions. Above all, stop worrying. Worry, fear and anxiety increase all withdrawal symptoms. Many of these symptoms are actually due to anxiety and not signs of brain or nervous system damage. People who fear withdrawal have much more intense symptoms than those who just take it as it comes and think positively and confidently about recovery.
benzodiazepines kill and ruin more lives in the world than smoking weed but the pharmaceutical companies keep pushing them through the real drug dealers who are doctors, they want you stable they want you to shut up and these pills are a quick fix...and once on them you can not stop. This is what killed MJ, his addiction to benzo pills, xanax, klonopin, ativan, valium....all killers....wake up america. In Greece they sell this dope over the counter
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2010/05/28/erica-blasberg-lpga-death-police-raid-murder-golf-investigation/2/#ixzz0sQ57AubH
where is the campaign against the benzodiazepines ? doctor drew is a nothing he can't withdrawal you from these killer pills, you have to reduce your dose 1% each day which is time consuming. millions of americans are on these pills and millions more in europe. these pills should only be used in the hospital and no more than 2 weeks.
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2010/05/28/erica-blasberg-lpga-death-police-raid-murder-golf-investigation/2/#ixzz0sQ5J2t00
Prescription drugs is now one of the leading causes in young adults deaths; thats more than meth and heroine COMBINED. Get these people counseling instead of drugging them.
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2010/05/28/erica-blasberg-lpga-death-police-raid-murder-golf-investigation/2/#ixzz0sQ5WZ2Du
1.2 million people in the UK are addicted long-term to Benzodiazepines.
Official UK prescribing guidelines (1988) advised doctors not to prescribe Benzodiazepines for more than 2-4 weeks but they have been routinely ignored.
Benzodiazepines have often been called the most widely prescribed group of drugs in the world and the biggest selling drugs in the history of medicine with worldwide sales in excess of $21 billion in 1999. Approximately 10% - 20% of the world population use tranquillisers and sleeping pills, often over many years and have become "accidental" or "involuntary addicts".
Benzodiazepine addiction has been described as "the biggest drug-addiction problem in the world." (Dr Vernon Coleman, 1985)
"It is more difficult to withdraw people from Benzodiazepines than it is from heroin." (Professor Malcolm Lader)
Benzodiazepines kill more people than Class A drugs: In England and Wales between 1990 and 1996 1,623 people overdosed on heroin, morphine and other opiates while 1,810 died from Benzodiazepines. In Scotland in 1998, the most recent figures available, 114 people died from heroin and morphine overdoses but 151 died from taking Benzodiazepines.
Long-term use of Benzodiazepines causes emotional blunting, depression, increasing anxiety, poor memory and cognition, manifold physical ailments, dependence, toxicity, impairment of memory, aggression, adverse effects in pregnancy, drowsiness, acute confusional states, tremulousness, crying, poor concentration, nocturnal confusion, agitation, inco-ordination and ataxia. Unsurprisingly misdiagnoses are very commonly made and it is not unusual for someone on benzos long term to be prescribed one or more antidepressants.
Psychological Withdrawal Symptoms: Excitability (jumpiness, restlessness), insomnia, nightmares, other sleep disturbances, increased anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, social phobia, perceptual distortions, depersonalisation, derealisation, hallucinations, misperceptions, depression, obsessions, paranoid thoughts, rage, aggression, irritability, poor memory and concentration, intrusive memories, craving (rare).
Physical Withdrawal Symptoms: Headache, pain/stiffness (limbs, back, neck, teeth, jaw), tingling, numbness, altered sensation (limbs, face, trunk), weakness ("jelly-legs"), fatigue, influenza-like symptoms, fasciculations (muscle twitches, jerks, tics), "electric shocks", tremor, dizziness, light-headedness, poor balance, blurred/double vision, sore or dry eyes, tinnitus, hypersensitivity (light, sound, touch, taste, smell), gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, pain, distension, difficulty swallowing), appetite/weight change, dry mouth, metallic taste, unusual smell, flushing/sweating/palpitations, overbreathing, urinary difficulties/menstrual difficulties, skin rashes, itching, fits (rare).
Protracted Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Syndrome: A sizeable number of people who have withdrawn from Benzodiazepines seem to suffer long-term protracted symptoms that just don't go away even after many years. Protracted Benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms include: Anxiety, depression, insomnia, sensory symptoms (tinnitus, tingling, numbness, deep or burning pain in limbs, feeling of inner trembling or vibration, strange skin sensations), motor symptoms (muscle pain, weakness, painful cramps, tremor, jerks, spasms, shaking attacks), poor memory and cognition, gastrointestinal symptoms.
reposted from benzo.org.uk
"The biggest drug-addiction problem in the world doesn't involve heroin, cocaine or marijuana. In fact, it doesn't involve an illegal drug at all. The world's biggest drug-addiction problem is posed by a group of drugs, the benzodiazepines, which are widely prescribed by doctors and taken by countless millions of perfectly ordinary people around the world.
Drug-addiction experts claim that getting people off the benzodiazepines is more difficult than getting addicts off heroin... For several years now pressure-groups have been fighting to help addicted individuals break free from their pharmacological chains. But the fight has been a forlorn one. As fast as one individual breaks free from one of the benzodiazepines another patient somewhere else becomes addicted.
I believe that the main reason for this is that doctors are addicted to prescribing benzodiazepines just as much as patients are hooked on taking them. I don't think that the problem can ever be solved by gentle persuasion or by trying to wean patients off these drugs. I think that the only genuine long-term solution is to be aware of these drugs and to avoid them like the plague.
The uses of the benzodiazepines are modest and relatively insignificant. We can do without them. I don't think that the benzodiazepine problem will be solved until patients around the world unite and make it clear that they are not prepared to accept prescriptions for these dangerous products. Dr Vernon Coleman, Life Without Tranquillisers.
"It is more difficult to withdraw people from benzodiazepines than it is from heroin. It just seems that the dependency is so ingrained and the withdrawal symptoms you get are so intolerable that people have a great deal of problem coming off. The other aspect is that with heroin, usually the withdrawal is over within a week or so.
With benzodiazepines, a proportion of patients go on to long term withdrawal and they have very unpleasant symptoms for month after month, and I get letters from people saying you can go on for two years or more. Some of the tranquilliser groups can document people who still have symptoms ten years after stopping. Professor M H Lader, Royal Maudesley Hospital, BBC Radio 4, Face The Facts, March 16,1999
We actually knew from some experiments back in the 1960s that you could have dependence addiction to benzodiazepines but only on high dose. Later it became apparent that some people were having problems trying to stop and that they weren't on high doses; and then the whole question arose: can you actually get dependent. YES, and very quickly, in fact as little as THREE days.
"Benzos are responsible for more pain, unhappiness and damage than anything else in our society." Phil Woolas MP, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, Oldham Chronicle, February 12, 2004.
Professional support from a counselor who has been through benzodiazepine withdrawal. Emotional support throughout the withdrawal process. CLICK HERE
Coping with Derealisation and Depersonalisation
CLICK HERE
EMILY's sad KLONOPIN story CLICK HERE
SLOW DIAZEPAM TAPER LINK HERE
Benzodiazepine Recovery Tips
CLICK HERE
If you have an uncompassionate scared doctor, or a doctor that simply does not understand the dangers of benzodiazepine withdrawal, and is hesitant to let you taper down properly, as not to have to go though a LIVING HELL. Then below is a list of doctors that understand and are educated on the dark side of the Z drugs, and will help you if you need Valium to taper.
Patients who found them to be open minded and sometimes helpful to patients who are trying to stop taking Benzos have supplied the following list of doctors. Nothing more is to be implied concerning any doctor's abilities or expertise.
Although we don’t recommend a rapid Detox, we do understand that under certain circumstances, someone may have no alternative but to attempt to get off benzos in this manner. It will be a living hell for sure, causing you many years in recovery, and much unneeded pain and suffering.
Be sure that you question the doctor about his willingness to do a Valium taper according to the protocols of the Ashton Manual. Many doctors, even those who may agree to the Valium taper, will recommend other psychiatric drugs to assist during tapering. Dr. Ashton does not recommend other drugs except in rare situations, as many of these drugs have withdrawal syndromes of their own.
If you find a Benzowise doctor not on this list, please email owner at
benzo-owner@yahoogroups.com
AUSTRALIA
Sydney
Dr. Andrew Byrne
75 Redfern st.,
REDFERN 2016.
NSW. Australia
Ph: 02 93195524
Email: ajbyrne@ozemail.com.au
Melbourne
TRANX Australia.
May have list of benzo friendly Doctors in Victoria.
222 Burke Rd.,
GLEN IRIS 3146
Victoria. Australia.
Ph: 0398897355
Email: tranx@alphalink.com.au
South Australia
Dr Hans Van den Bos
Park Tce
Gilberton
8269 8146
CANADA
Dr Jim Wright, Vancouver Hospital, University of British Columbia
Dr. Judith Dalsin (250) 370-8155. She is a psychiatrist in Victoria, BC. “I am the first patient that she has gotten off benzos using the Ashton taper and got me off all my bi-polar psychiatric drugs as well.”
Dr. Steven M. Melemis, 208 Bloor St. West, Suite 702,Toronto, ON, 416-920-2982, dr.s.melemis@sympatico.ca. This doctor will help people with a slow taper off benzodiazepines and believes in Ashton. He is an addiction doctor and may approach the problem from that perspective. His website is http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/
ENGLAND
Professor C Heather Ashton, Newcastle, England, (but
semi-retired)
Dr. Fletchner, Linden Centre, Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford
“This is not a recommendation for a specific GP but for anyone in South London who lives in the boroughs of either Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham or Southwark falls under the South London & Maudsley NHS Trust (mental health and addictions). This is different from the primary care trusts which realte only to a few hospitals rather than a whole group of boroughs.
The Maudsley is a hospital in Camberwell that deals with mental health problems BUT is well versed in benzo withdrawal. Any of the rehab units in these boroughs should be up to speed on valium tapers if your GP is not (as long as the rehab is general rehab and not specific to e.g. heroin).”
Advisory tel nos are as follows:
Croydon - 0800 318721
Lambeth - 020 7188 2151/2
Lewisham - 020 8333 3000
Southwark - 020 7919 2047/8/9
USA
Arizona
Teresa Buot-Smith, M.D. (psychiatrist)
4545 E. Shea Blvd. #112
Phoenix, AZ 85028
602-494-7110
She suggested other meds to help, but when I refused, she was respectful and helped me through a 22-month Valium taper. Very supportive and respectful.
California
Dr. Kenneth Lehrman
Daly City, California, gp
Dr. Stephen McKenzie
Hemet California, gp,
909 658 3227
Dr. Howard Kornfeld
Mill Valley, CA (Bay Area),
415 383 2949
Dr. Elizabeth John
Santa Ana, California
Dr. Cyril Blaine
909 672-1931
Dr. Robert Carvahlo
Vista del Mar Hospital
Ventura, Ca
DR Darryl J. Ballin, MD Medicine
5525 Etiwanda St. Suite 224
Tarzana, California 91356
Phone number is 818-708-4878
(recommended to Michael by the Betty Ford Clinic.
Michael said He is a very caring individual)
MAY NOT BE OPEN TO TAPERS OF MORE THAN A YEAR.
May do a drug test upfront.
Timothy Fong, MD
Dept of Psychiatry
UCLA
760 Westwood Plaza C9-440
Los Angeles, CA 90024-1759
(310) 825-1479
email: tfong@mednet.ucla.edu
Dr. Peter Madill
Sebastopol California.
Office Phone 707 823-3312
email is pmadill@cds1.net
Sebastopol is driving distance from anywhere around San Francisco.
Dr C Perry, 619-688-1383 will prescribe Valium
San Diego, CA
Dr Wetherhold / Scripps Clinic La Jolla - won't prescribe Valium, but understands the need to do a water titration and will continue a prescription if you show him progress.
Florida
Dr. Keesal
Health Care Connection "Specializing in the
Treatment of Addictions and Related Disorders"
825 Linebaugh Ave.
Tampa, FL 33612
813-931-5560
Illinois
Dr. Andrew B. Pundy, M.D.
Adult Psychiatry
Lutheran General Hospital
1875 Dempster Street
Suite 490
Park Ridge, IL 60068
Phone: (847-518-8490
Louisiana
Dr. James Anderson, psychiatrist Lake Charles, Louisiana
Maine
Doctor Thomas McDermott
Waterville, Maine 04901
licensed alcohol, substance abuse
“I love him he saved my life”
Bonnie Parsons
Stevan Gressitt MD, Psychiatrist
Medical Director
Northeast Occupational Exchange
29 Franklin Street
Bangor, Maine
04401
Phone: 207-942-3816
websites: http://www.mainebenzo.org
Dr. Eugene Ferguson
12 High st.
Lewiston, ME 04240
207-785-5700
Massachusetts
Dr. Joseph McCabe, M.D.
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
Cambridge, MA
617-661-5503
617-629-6321
Dr. Rebecca Lundquist
Umass Medical Center, Worcester, MA
361 Plantation Street
Worcester, MA 01605
508-334-2537
Michigan
Dr. Brian McCorroll DO Romeo, Mi 810 752-2861
Medical School Kansas City College of Medicine and Surgery
Specialties General Practice Addiction Medicine
New Hampshire
Dr. Drummond (author of Benzo Blues)
Andrew Brown, M.D.
The Counseling Center of Nashua, NH (30 mins from Boston)
1-603-883-0005
New Jersey
Dr. Agop Artinian,M.D
477 Bergen Blvd.
Ridgefield, New Jersey 07657
Tel. (201) 945-6319
New York
Dr. Gevirtz
private institute located in NYC and lower Westchester. Dr. Gevirtz does not have a problem with Professor Ashton's method. If you have further questions, please call us at 914-636-6210
Dr. John Shenkle, Plattsburgh Clinton County Mental Health Services
Plattsburgh, NY 12901, 518-566-0100 , New York,
Schachter Center for Complementary Medicine in Suffern, NY. Dr. Schachter is a psychiatrist, into holistic medicine 845 368-4700, website www.mbschachter.com
e-mail office@mbschachter.com
Dr. Ted Becker
157 East 86th Street
212-369-5645
Dr. Beers
200 W 57th
212-399-7000
Dr. Weingarten,
Comprehensive Pain Management Associates
2001 Marcus Avenue
New Hyde Park, N.Y. 11042
Telephone: (516)-358-4673
Second Office:
125 South Service Road
Jericho, N.Y. 11753
(516)- 997-7246
Dr. Priya Narayanan in NYC at 915 Broadway, Suite
1200, New YY, NY 10010, Cell # (917) 519-3642. Email:
priya1947@hotmail.com.“A psychiatrist who helped taper off valium and who followed the Ashton protocol. She is very open minded and caring but she didn't seem to understand why I was having trouble sleeping past 20 days after end of taper and is quick to want to prescribe other psychoactive drugs to deal with sleep issues.
First recommended Ambien, then when I refused to take it ran a whole list of anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs that help with sleep. When I told her about my current symptoms, she kept on saying that she has not seen it "past 40 days”. Although she's aware of the "protracted withdrawal syndrome" described by Dr. Ashton, she doesn't seem able to wrap her brain around the fact that it's real.”
Ohio
Leopold, Ken MD - Brockett & Leopold
400 Matthew st #220, Marietta, OH 45750
740-374-4273
or
800 Pike St. #2, Marietta, OH 45750
740-373-3960
James Thomas, M.D.
Cincinnati Ohio
(513) 231-8000 Ext. 109
Dr. Daniel J. Weber, 820 Delta Avenue,
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226-1221
(513) 321-9902.
Nancy P. had this to say about Dr. Weber: "He seems to know a lot about all different benzos, how they react, etc. I don't believe he is an addiction specialist, and as many other psychiatrists, doesn't always agree with everything I tell him we talk about on this site.
I can say my doctor listens well, he is gentle, kind, has never gotten angry with me all the years I refused to change drugs, he tells me what he thinks, but the decision is always mine.
Now that I am withdrawing, although he suggested Klonopin a few years back, because it has a longer half-life than Xanax, and that is what is used in the US more than Valium, he was very interested in Prof. Ashton's Manual, and keeps a copy on his desk, and was extremely happy when I told him I wanted to switch to Valium.
When I began the switchover, I was really afraid, especially when Prof. Ashton's manual didn't work out exactly like it was supposed to for me. He told me everyone was different. I drop 1 mg. Valium about every 2 weeks. He said that was a little slow, but he wanted me to be comfortable with the withdrawal.
During the switchover, and even now, he always reminds me that I can call him anytime if I am running into difficulty and I have talked to him several times during and after the immediate switchover. He always reminds me he is there for me. He doesn't charge me extra when I have to make a frightening call to him, (but I don't take advantage either).
I am not the least bit afraid of him, because he lets me say what I want, tells me what he thinks, but lets me be in control of my withdrawal. I could not handle a doctor like a few I went to years ago, who would prescribe a lot of medicines and get "angry" with you when they made you sick or you chose not to take them. He let's me know his feelings when we talk, but always lets me make my own decisions."
Pennsylvania
Dr. Gregory Richards
462 Chestnut St.
Meadville, PA 16335
ph (814)336-6308
“I gave him a copy of the Ashton Manual, seemed really interested and he's also very laid-back (cool).”
Tennessee
Dr. John Buttross
Cresthaven Internal Medicine
1068 Cresthaven Road
Memphis, Tennessee 38119
Phone: 1 (901) 821-8300
Texas
Margaret Kaufmann, MD 214 696-1909.
Someone on the Yahoo benzo group said, "“She has been very supportive of the tapering thing and I sent her a copy of the Ashton book just last week so she is hip to all that.”
Dr. Rahn Bailey, 2116 Bissonnet, Houston TX, 713-942-7227,
Dr.Thomas Matthews Center For Health Services (Main Office)
3031 IH 10 West. San Antonio ,Texas 78201 Or 130 Story Lane.
Dr. Patel at the Solace Clinic in Dallas: http://www.solacecounseling.com .
The doctor originally wanted to use Librium, but was able open to using Valium.
Utah
Layne Kamalu, MD
934 S. MAin
Layton, Utah 84041
801-544-4227
”He's compassionate and willing to work with Dr. Aston's Valium taper schedule.”
Virginia
Dr. Jefferson Sommers M. D.
Psychopharmacology
Richmond Medical Park
2006 Bremo Road
Suite 101 Lower Level
Richmond, Virginia 23226
(804) 288-1881
(804) 282-0655
I described the Asthon Manual and crossover tapering process to him and he was very open minded. Said "he loved learning things from his patients". I was stunned. Great doctor!
Dr. Mario H. Gomez,
Richmond Virginia
Very knowledgeable in addiction medicine, supportive and willing to work with you in any way he can. He not only offers his expertise but (amazingly) will devote extra time in unscheduled appointments and phone calls at any time.
He is willing to discuss and prescribe additional medications to help with the withdrawal and will not rush you into anything or prescribe anything you do not want. At the same time, he will not just prescribe anything you ask for unless he feels it has some merit in your particular situation. He is a rare find indeed.
Washington D.C.
Dr. Marta Schneider
5401 MACARTHUR BLVD NW
Washington, DC 20016
Office Phone: 202-362-3905
Dr Carole Stovall (psychologist)
Dr. Carole Stovall & Associates, 4501 Connecticut Ave.
, N. W., Ste. 215, Washington DC 20008; (202) 362-7594
JILL NEEDS HELP CLICK HERE
Benzo videos, must watch
CLICK HERE
ASHTONS WORK
CLICK HERE
FROM ONE WHO KNOWS (GNOSIS
This man said:
"You should also consider that more doctors are becoming aware of the problems and dangers associated with protracted benzodiazepine use. They are beginning to realise that they owe it to their patients to help them taper off benzos.
However, there will always be doctors who do not truly understand the issues surrounding benzodiazepine withdrawal, AND ALL TO OFTEN SUGEST A WAY TOO SHORT TAPER, CAUSING THE PERSON TREMENDOUS PAIN AND AGONY."
"These doctors may force their patients to withdraw at a rate they cannot tolerate. All doctors have a duty of care, and it will become more evident (as it is only a matter of time before there are successful lawsuits) that they risk being sued if they continue to blindly prescribe benzodiazepines, against best practice, and without regard to patients long-term interests and health.
It is going to become increasingly difficult to find a doctor that will prescribe these meds for insomnia, anxiety, and panic. Take control of your health now; it is never too late! It is your body!"
"We are all individuals. So if one person reduces quickly it does not mean that you should or can reduce at that rate of reduction. Slow is the best way to go and over all has the most successful outcome for the vast majority of people. See our suggested rate of withdrawal which in our experience and other tranquilizer support groups is the ideal rate of withdrawal for the majority of people.
LORAZEPAM WITHDRAWAL Check out
LINK HERE
WHY VALIUM LINK HERE
HERE IS ANOTHER GOOD PAGE ON LORAZEPAM WITHDRAWEL, IT CALLS FOR A LONGER WITHDRAWAL REGIMEN.
LINK HERE
NOTE: Some people find it difficult in the final stages of withdrawal from 5 mg of diazepam to zero. If you are one of these people it may be of value asking your doctor to provide you with the 2 mg per 5 ml diazepam oral, liquid suspension, and obtaining a 1 ml syringe from your local pharmacy/drug store/chemist. Users can then obtain smaller dose reductions than the 0.5 mg sized cuts obtained using the 2 mg sized diazepam tablet. See this page Slow Diazepam Withdrawal for more information.
Dr.Pearts web site, a very sad story. LINK HERE
Dr.Pearts sample withdrawals schedules
LINK HERE
Dr. I know that corresponding with you, through emails, that you support my withdrawal regimen, and I am glad, more than you know, because I am the one that has already suffered 1 week of withdrawals, missing work and putting my family through much un-needed stress, because the doctors mis-diagnosed me as having panic attacks.
So many Doctors have left people crippled, because they did not allow the patient to taper slowly and properly as their bodies and metabolism dictated. There are many stories here on this blog page,and they are heart wrenching.
Another misinformed doctor tried to make this person withfraw too fast, causing severe wirgdrawals.
I have two psych docs, one for my health plan and one private. Three weeks ago, I asked the health plan doc to recommend a plan to get me off Ativan (1mg once a day at bedtime, been on it 4 months). He said take .5mg for 5 days then stop. I did that and crashed on the second day of the med. Went back to 1 mg.
I asked my private doc to recommend a plan. He said stop taking .5 mg and wean off the other .5 over a 1 month period. I stopped taking the .5mg 5 days ago and did not sleep a wink last night. I took an extra .25 mg last night. So I had in my body .75 mg. But I still feel pretty bad. Should I ramp back up to 1mg and then use the slow taper you recommend?
Or should I try to tough it out at .75mg and then do the slow taper?
Thanks for your comments and suggestions. Reinstate at 1,5 mgs, and get some valium, and begin a slow 5 month taper, it's the only way. Hope this helps.
AGAIN the STUPIDITY continues.
What is WRONG with these doctors?
Hi
I am trying to find a way to taper directly off Lorazepam. Is that possible? I've discussed a valium taper with my DR but he will not support it.
I am currently taking 2x 1 mg Lorazepam at night. I don't know what the valium equivalent would be, does anybody know?
Although, since my DR won't support a valium taper it would be just easier I hope to taper directly off the Lorazepam. He wants me to just stop taking it.
juleswife
ANSWER
Hi, Juleswife,
Your doctor is not acting properly in telling you to just stop tapering the benzo. Sudden withdrawal from a benzo can cause seizures. They're supposed to taper. Grr.
Have you tried a taper yourself already, just by cutting tablets? Although I suppose that's hard because those pills are so small.
Yes, a direct taper from Ativan is possible, though it will probably involve more work than one from Valium. Valium is the best drub for tapering, You would have to make your own liquid Ativan using homogenized milk. You will need a 100ml cylinder to do this. Instructions are here:
http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/titration-tapers/titration-instructions!/0/. We can help you do the calculations when you're ready.
The Valium equivalent of 2 mg Ativan is 20 mg Valium.
Will your doc continue to prescribe you the Ativan, seeing as he just wants you to stop it cold turkey? If not you had better find another supportive doctor ASAP, before you go into withdrawal. Good Luck. Let me know, if I can be of more help.
Therese
Benzo forum Members helping each other, where DOCTORS will not.
Yes, that was an extremely rapid taper. Right now, you'll want to reinstate at a dose of lorazepam where you feel functional, where you can handle the withdrawal symptoms.
You won't be symptom-free, but at a level where you're able to cope without wanting to jump out the window. After you've stabilized, then you can work on designing a taper plan, whether it's crossing over to Valium (easiest) or making a homemade liquid by mixing lorazepam with milk. We can help you with this when you've stabilized.
Therese
general practioners simply do not know the power of these drugs, and that the withdrawal symptoms associated with them, and are almost immediate after missing a dose.
It is a living hell, to go through even one withdrawal, I have been through a dozen of them. It was a good friend that shown the light for me, and made me see that I was experiencing daily withdraweals on the shorter half life LZP.
He saved me, where my HMO did not. My friend was on xanax for seven years,and the drug almost killd him, until his girl friend took him to a famous Dr.of Psychopharmacology, and cured him, with a regimen he invented himself. Dr.of Psychopharmacology, Mr. William Hitt.
That's why it is vitally important to switch over to the longer half life 200 hours, since switching over to DZP, I have not had any in between dose withdrawal effects.
I have spent 300 hours reading about bezodiazepine drugs, their addictive power, and have read hundreds of horror stories, about poor souls, who's doctors did not understand the dark side of these drugs, and were completely ignorant of the devistating withdrawals that a person goes through.
If their doctor does not allow for a safe long taper. and they suffered unimaginable pain, completely unneccassarly I might add. I had tears reading some of these peoples posts in the benzo forums, because I HAVE BEEN THERE.
This poor guy is having a hard time getting off 1mg of ativen, and he was only on it for 9 weeks.
True. I guess it's hard to make the idea sink into my benzo brain that it'll take even longer to taper off this stuff than I've been on it.
Remember Your brain heals as you taper. It's not a situation where you don't heal until you're completely off. The purpose of a taper is to make the discontinuation of the drug as comfortable as possible, and to allow your brain time to get used to the gradual reductions.
LINK HERE
Another sad story, on KLONOPIN
Only one doctor was able too see that he was having withdrawals, and put him on an 8 month taper, THANK GOD.
LINK HERE
http://benzowithdrawal.com/forum/index.php?topic=84.0
STORY
Only on .5 mg. of Ativan for 2 months, then direct-tapered for 7 weeks & jumped completely off on 4/29/05. I am now 31 MONTHS OFF BENZOS or just over 2.5 years benzo-free the 29th of April was my 2nd Year Anniversary!!!
I WON'T give up on being my old self 100% and MORE. NO WAY!!! And I promise my Dad, I will fight like he did.
Another story, he took klonopin for a very short time, and still soebt 2 1/2 years rcovering.
I'm just joining up as a recovered benzo withdrawal person. I only took 2 weeks Klonopin, followed by 1 month off and then 2 weeks again for international travel and am now completing 2 1/2 years of a very severe withdrawal that included tinnitus (delayed onset), waking every 2 hrs with the amazing huge dreams, insomnia, huge dreams,
clenching teeth, extreme and horrible skin sensitivity (couldn't sleep even with a sheet over me), hair loss (temporary), thoughts of suicide, twitching, waking a few times with epileptic type limbs moving all around, 1 or 2 huge head shocks like a bolt of electricity, anxiety attacks, and you know the rest
The internet is awash with these poor souls stories about benzo addiction and withdrawal.
My son videotaped one of my withdrawals, that lasted until i took an ativan tablet. He got 45 minutes of me on video, and one could clearly see that I was in heavy withdrawals, it is sad to watch, I can assure you. I will keep the video for my records. These drugs are hideious life destroying agnets.
THIS GUYS STORY, HIS DOCTOR PUT HIM ON A FAST WITHDRAWAL, AND HE PAID THE PRICE.
I can't believe you've experienced all this from only .5 AND slowly! It seems like you've done everything right, but it's still following you. This stuff is horrible. When did your derealization feelings/visual problems start going away (or when you first saw a breakthrough)? Did they stay constant through the taper?
You're in my prayers. I really hope you start feeling better soon. I'm still floored by the number of people suffering from this stuff because no one told us they were so addicting.
I did a rapid taper, directly off the Ativan. It wasn't slow. I didn't know what I was doing at the time and my Dr. wanted me to go even faster.
FORUMITE REPLY, DOCS NO NOTHING ABOUT TAPERING OFF OF THESE DRUGS.
*hug* I'm so sorry. I know exactly what you mean about the docs. Every one I've talked to (including the pharmacists I was calling everone before I found this site) said either "oh, just quit taking it" or "just cut it in half every week."
How can they be so clueless about this stuff?? I have a friend going through med school and he said the only thing they taught him about benzos is that they're for short-term use. Nothing about withdrawal symptoms or taper plans.
Another DR. cut drug out, sending person into high anxiety about withdrawing properly.
LINK HERE
Another hellish srory about a doctor,who forced this person to go cold turkey, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY IN THIS COUNTRY?
michelle80224
Hi I am 5 months off xanax after being stopped abruptly.This is the worst experience a person can go through. I am still unable to work.
I always feel like I'm going to have a panic attack. I'm scared to leave the house most of the time. I cannot focus, relax or concentrate.
I am still experiencing a derealization and depersonalization. This is so hard especially because noone understands.Is anyone else going through the same or similar experience?
Thanks.
Michelle
NOW HERE'S a GOOD story.
This doctor was well aquainted with the ASHTON method of withdrawal, and allowed this perfson to taper at their own speed, and guess what, this person had minimal withdrawls and is is benzo free, and feeling great.
Way to DOC.
Hi!
I've been kicking off Valium for some time now. Now I am at the point like 5 mg a day. I thought to kick off every second week 1 mg. and so 1st on June no Valium at all. What do you think about this? I'm doing just fine at the moment, no big deal. Benzo addicted for tens of years though. MY DOCTOR was my saving grace.
Report to moderator Logged
Used about 30 years Valium. Last few years 25 mg a day. Started to taper Valium 6th of August 2006 from 25 mg -> 22,5 -> 21.25 -> 20 -> 18,75 -> 17,5 -> 16,25 -> 15 -> 14 -> 13 -> 12 -> 11 -> 10 -> 9 -> 8 -> 7 -> 6 -> 5 -> 4,5 -> 4 -> 3,5 -> 3 -> 2,5 -> 2 -> 1,5 -> 1 - 0,5 -> 0 mg a day. ONE YEAR to taper, and it worked.
Benzo Free since 3rd of June 2007
Another great story:
From Bobby, New Jersey
Hi, can an yone give some advice? I was ativan for 4 months 2 mgs a day, because my mom and dad died in a car accident,and I was in severe shock and distress, it devistated me. when I tried to stop the ativan, I went straight into withdrawals, I started crying, and went numb all over, my condition worsened for days, until I took another ativan tablet.
I literally thought I was dying, and even thought about suicide daily to end the horror, my sister helped me and stayed with me, to insure that I didn't end my life. I am continuing on the ativan, because I CANNOT go through any more withdrawals. Can anyone give me some advice, I'm desperate.
Go back to your doctor and show him the Ashton manual, and tell him you want to be on a slow safe taper with the longer half life valium. Let me know how you're doing? Love Sandy
Update.
I went back and saw my doctor, and showed him the ashton masnual, and said I wanted a longer safer taper, and he agreed, to my relief. It is now seven months later, and I am now off of the Diazepam, and everything went well, I had some minor withdrawal symptoms, because I went at 1 week intervals instead of 2 weeks.
But I went three weeks between 5mgs ans 1/4 mgs and then liquid valium, for a lower finer taper, all the way down to 000.10mls. And I feel real good now, I have some brain zaps every once and a while, but they are minor. Thanks to my caring doctor, I didn't suffer like so many I have read about on the benzo forums.
Thank you Dr. Hammel
ANOTHER SAD STORY, ABOUT A DOC, CUTTING OFF THE BENZOS, SENDING THIS PERSON INTO A HELLISH NIGHTMARE AND LOSS OF JOB ETC...
LINK HERE
A COMMON PROBLEM HERE, BUYING MEDS OVERSEAS, BECAUSE OF THE FEAR A DOCTOR WILL CUT OF MRDS TO SOME POOR SOULS WHILE TRYING TO TAPER, THIS IS LEGALIZED MURDER OF THE BODY AND SOUL.
I have 20 1mg pills left. After 3 days on Lorazepam i also purchased 100 2.5 tavor expidet tablets from europe online for $200 because i was afraid drs. wouldn't give me more but am afraid 2 take them because im not sure of the quality.
ANOTHER SAD CASE (pebbles)
Well this really scares me I was only on ativan and xanax for 1 month and did a cold turkey and was so sick and psychotic at 4 weeks out I had to reinstate on Klonopin and it did nothing to pull me out of the cold turkey.
I should have felt better at 4 weeks off but I didn't and actually got worse....the reinstatement has been pure hell and of no help. I am homebound and on disability and have not had any healing in 7 months since the c/t and am trying to taper while being very, very ill.
What if you can't stabilize and are in severe cold turkey tolerance withdrawal...I have been this way since my c/t back in May and the Klonopin reinstatement did not help me now my symptoms are very severe and I have to get off but no there is no way I can do a long taper I am in very bad shape. Pebbles
This is why a switch to Diazepam is so important, and a very slow taper, that way there's no need to reinstate and go through a living hell, during withdawals.
Another SAD story, they are never ending in this benzodiazepine story.
I wrote to ashton and she said I am in severe tolerance withdrawal and will not stabilize until off. If you could read my blog and get the history that would be great. She recommended I taper straight from the Klonopin due to my benzo history and how many psych meds I have had since Janaury of this year.
I tried and could get no lower than .5 mg. This all started with a cold turkey from ativan and xanax that I had used for a month back in May. I went nuts and was left for 4 weeks when I went psychotic so they reinstated me to Klonopin at 1.5 mg which did not pull me out of the cold turkey.
I became homebound, lost my job and went on disability. I have stayed pretty much in bed all the time and fight severe nausea and head pain and shake very badly and have bad buzzing inside my body no windows for 7 months now not even 5 mins I do not sleep well at all.
POISONED By PRESCRIPTION
CLICK HERE
Withdrawals and amino acids, good read on withdrawals
CLICK HERE
ANOTHER ATIVAN HELL
HELL HERE
Valium Link
CLICK HERE
Wikapedia, the need for valium crossover and taper from lorazeoam.
CLICK HERE
Many peoples benzo stories, PLEASE READ!!!
CLICK HERE
This is at the end of a post from a long time benzo sufferer.
Someone once wrote 'Tranquillisers are the anaesthetics of the emotions'; this is true. When used properly, they are a 'must' in medicine, but used over the long term they poison the body and destroy the mind.
One day doctors will realise the extent of tranquilliser withdrawal syndrome but until then it is going to be a hard battle, but in the end, we sincerely hope, worth it. The following year was hell for me and my family. I developed into a mental and physical wreck - suicidal thoughts were never very far away.
GARY'S story
This guy only took ,5 mg of ativan, then switched to Valium, and it still took him 8 months to taper.
CLICK HERE
Didi's Hellish story with benzodiazepines.
CLICK HERE
Yet another SAD Benzodiazepine story here
CLICK HERE
This organization will help you get meds, if your doctor prematurely cuts off your meds during withdrawal.
HELP HERE
http://www.pparx.org/Intro.php
patient advocacy organizations and community groups to help qualifying patients who lack prescription coverage get the medicines they need through the public or private program that’s right for them. Many will get them free or nearly free. Its mission is to increase awareness of patient assistance programs and boost enrollment of those who are eligible.
Through this site, the Partnership for Prescription Assistance offers a single point of access to more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs, including more than 180 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. To access the Partnership for Prescription Assistance by phone, you can call toll-free, 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669).
STEVES SAD STORY
CLICK HERE
www.benzosupport.org/steve.htm
ANOTHER PROBLEM FROM A FORUMITE
Yeah, no doctor would mind prescribing large doses of xanex or klonipin, but the equivalent doses of valium, or valium period, is something they are hesitant to do. I don't even like valium and it does nothing for my anxiety.
Why don't they know that? Seems like we all know that and they are supposedly educated about anti-anxiety meds and they don't know that. Or is it the insurance industry that tells them what is O.K. to prescribe and not to prescribe? VALIUM IS ESSENTIAL FOR TAPERING OFF OF XANAX OR ATIVAN, DON'T THEY KNOW THIS?
VERY IMPORTANT READ:
Hence, every person withdrawing from long-term or high dosage of any benzodiazepine should be slowly and carefully weaned off the drug, preferably under medical supervision by a physician that is knowledgeable about the benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome.
The withdrawal syndrome can usually be avoided or minimized by use of a long half-life benzodiazepine and very gradually tapering off the drug over a period of months, or even up to a year or more, depending on the dosage and degree of dependency of the individual.
A slower withdrawal rate significantly reduces the symptoms. In fact, some people feel better and more clear-headed as the dose gradually gets lower, so withdrawal from benzodiazepines is not necessarily an unpleasant event if it is managed effectively by a physician and a patient knowledgable in benzodiazepine withdrawal. People that report severe experiences from benzodiazepine withdrawal have almost invariably withdrawn or been withdrawn too quickly
First of all, anyone who is on a benzodiazepine drug, must have full cooperation from their Doctor, to help them withdraw properly or you could wind up sick and broken, homeless and in a mental institution for the rest of your life.
This is not a joke, it has happened countless times, not just in the U.S. but other countries as well. Simply because the average Doctor has no idea of the real life taking and crippling effect the benzodiazepines has on the brain and body. Only the one that has become addicted to these drugs KNOWS what I'm talking about.
And the withdrawal recovery time is much longer than the average doctor realizes. It's your body and your life, and you should be able to taper according to your knowledge of the subject, and no doctor should prematurely try and end your taper, or interfere with it in any way, or thay will be doing you much harm.
The taper from a benzodiazepine is very critical concerning your future health, a taper from these drugs should never be rushed. If your Doctor will not support you on a longer necesary taper, I suggest that you complain to member services, if they will not help you, simply call 911 and go to the nearest hospital,and get a doctor that will help you taper properly." And charge your HMO for their ineptness, and gross misconduct, concerning your health.
Benzodiazepine detox can result in severe health complication if not done in a medical setting. Benzodiazepines are classified as depressants, tranquilizers, or sedatives depending on their pharmacology, and chemistry. They go directly into the central nervous system slowing the brain activity and function.
During withdrawal you may get moderate to severe joint pains in the shoulder sockets, fingers etc...
When the original research on benzos that lead to them being discovered was as a muscle relaxant. A feedback system from muscles to the CNS reduces anxiety the GABA connection was discovered later. Once they are stopped they cause muscle spasms and tightness as a rebound.
This continued muscle tightness causes pain and stiffness in the joints, eyesight changes and a whole host of musculoskeletal problems.
From a forumite
I notice that a lot of people are suffering from joint problems due to withdrawal I did have mild arthritis before I started this drug now I feel like I have severe arthritis in every joint in my body just wondering if anyone has tips on how to ease the arthritis pain and cracking this is what i do seems to help a bit.
Epsom salt baths find epsom salt at drug stores cherries eat tons of them suppose to be good for joints also I started using this stuff called thentix if interested look at their website www.thentix-atouchofhoney.net
Benzodiazepines are one of the most dangerous drugs to detox from due to the risk of seizure. A benzo detox is a medical necessity for a person addicted to them. Valium, Xanax, and Klonapin are the most widely used benzodiazepines in the world today.
Usually these drugs are prescribed for sleep and anxiety, but can become addictive within a short period of time.
Benzodiazepines are easily accessible through pain management clinics, psychiatrists, and other countries such as Mexico where a prescription is not needed, and can be bought in bulk. Effects from taking the drugs include a relaxed state of mind, and a mild sense of euphoria. Patients addicted to these drugs should not stop taking them on their own.
When an individual stops taking them the brain malfunctions and the body goes into immediate withdrawal. This can lead to life threatening conditions due to seizure. This is why a Benzodiazepine detox is so important.
signs and symptoms of withdrawal can be seizure risk, dizziness, confusion, nausea, blackouts, memory loss, shaking impaired vision/speech, and loss of motor skills. Continued use of the drugs can lead to blackout stages where persons are not aware or coherent for days on end.
"first do no harm"
It's your life not theirs.
I never thought that I would be addicted to something that a DR gave me. I trusted my DR. and then when I realized that it was Ativan that was messing me up instead of helping me get off they give me more saying that I won't be able to live without it! BULL is what I say to that.
They need to educate people about the meds that they are putting us on before we swallow that first dose. That is there job to keep us healthy and alive that is why our insurances or our own pocket money keeps them in business and that is why I think they hide from what really can go wrong when a BENZO is prescribed!!
Because without us and the bad effects from these drugs they lose a great deal of patients and with that goes money, WHILE WE MAY LOSE OUR JOBS, OUR FAMILIES, OUR HOMES ETC. AND WIND UP A BASKET CASE.
Another person who's doscor will not support a taper from Lorazeoam. This is just simply criminal.
I tried to start a water titration yesterday and supposedly only went down to 1.964mg from 2 mg. But I was having interdose withdrawals pretty much all night and it sucked. I have a fast metabolism and I think that the water titration just absorbed and metabolized too quickly for me. If that is even possible.
So now I am thinking about 'trying' to cut my .5mg tablets into quarters and dropping .125 from my dose for a week to see how that goes. Does that sound like an ok idea? So I will be taking a total of 1.875 for at least a few days then maybe cut again.(I take 4 doses a day)
How many days should I give my body before I will feel the w/d effects. I don't want to make my cuts to fast- but I have only been on these for 7 weeks and would like to go as quickly as my body allows. Any input would be appreciated! Thanks!
Kirstin.
Answer: reinstate to 1.5 mgs LZP a day, and then switch over to diazepam, and begin the Ashtion method for tapering, and you will be fine.
Cutting Xanax and ativan too fast, severe withdraeals.
Hi,
I'm going through the same thing. I was on 1.5 mg of Klonopin.(0.5 3 x's a day)doc told me to cut by 1/2 tab (0.25) every 2 weeks. I asked him if I could cut by 1/4 instead...he said that was fine I am now at 0.25 mg in the am, .125 in the afternoon and 0.25 in the evening and not doing well.
I think he had me cutting too fast and now I'm not sure what to do I started reducing in July and made a total 6 cuts at 1/4 of a tab cutting that amount every 7 to 10 days I'm going to have to slow way down and try making 1/8 cuts instead of 1/4 I'm getting with Colin about titrating.
I have been homebound and sick but I was tapered too rapidly from xanax and ativan back at the beginning of May symptoms were so bad I was psychotic and a mess I had horrid withdrawals numbness, shaking, everything because the symptoms from that got so bad they put me on 0.5 mg of Klonopin 3 x's a day on May 22nd so now I'm trying to wean from this while still being sick from the fisrt episode.
I don't have any good windows or stabilization between cuts because I was sick taking the full dose of Klonopin so I wonder now if I can get off this stuff and will be in protracted withdrawal. Best wishes to youmlet me know how you continue to cut and what your symptoms are and if you were or are more homebound. Pebbles
Please watch this video, it is very important a slow taper is absolutely necessary.
LINK HERE
http://benzowithdrawal.com/forum/index.php?topic=756.0
Another very important video
LINK HERE
http://benzowithdrawal.com/forum/index.php?topic=726.0
video on Diazepam and GABA
LINK HERE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL0-ssgWTAI&eurl=http://benzowithdrawal.com/forum/index.php?topic=726.0
Cheer leader drug reps
LINK HERE
LINK HERE
Dr. Heather Ashton Dr. of Psychopharmacology, says the following, concerning your withdrawal regimen.
This excerpt, is from Dr. C. Heather Ashton is Professor of Clinical Psychopharmacology at the University of Newcastle, England, has researched the effects of benzodiazapines since running a withdrawal clinic from1982 to 1994. She has published approximately 250 papers on the topic, including the seminal work The Ashton Manual (2002).
Dr. Ashton stresses, both in the Manual and in her many articles, that in her experience working with people going through benzo withdrawal, information and simple reassurance, coupled with a gradual tapering schedule, have been enough support for many of her clients to succeed in going off of benzodiazepines (Ashton, 1994). Dr. Ashton (1994) has found the following:
As Professor Ashton has said there may be better ways of withdrawing.Each person must find their own best way to get through the withdrawal process, remembering that every person is an individual and will have individual protocols during withdrawal.
"Your Doctors agreement and co-operation is vitally important since he/she will be prescribing the medication. many doctors are uncertain how to manage benzodiazepine withdrawal and hesitate to undertake it.
But you can reassure your doctor that you intend to be in charge of yor own program and proceed at whatever pace you find comfortable, although you may value advice from time to time. It is important for you to be in control of your own schedule. Do not let your doctor impose a deadline. Leave yourself free to "proceed as the way openeth" as the Quakers say.
Finally your doctor may appreciate receiving some literature on benzodiazepine withdrawal, for example the articles mentioned under further reading at the end of chapters 1&3"
ASHTON LINK HERE
My success or failure is in the hands of my Doctor, Dr. because it is imperative that she keep my scripts filld, so that I can make a safe landing.
She has already expressed to me, her full cooperation with my withdrawal regimen, as per our email correseponcences.
This is a relief for me, because i did not want to wind up like so many broken people, I have read about on many benzo forums, where the doctor simply cut their script off, or gave them a dead line. There are horror stories to watch on youtube and google video.
This is a prescription for disaster, the person will go into withdrawals, and imagine the same HMO that gave you the pills in the first place, will now withhold the same pills, causing you all the symtoms in the literature. All that pain and suffering is eliminated with a good and understanding doctor.
Dr. Heather Ashton, She is a world reknown pharmacologist.
Dr. please look over this site, abd see what I'm facing, trying to get off the ativan.
LINK HERE
LINK HERE
"first do no harm"
Do not harm me please
Dr. important read
LINK HERE
In the worst, and common scenario, the person is sent to a detox facility and taken off abruptly, causing massive protracted symptoms and setting the person up for months and often years, of debilitating symptoms.
In other instances, well-intentioned doctors, having a misguided concept of the gradual tapering method, along with underestimating the intensity of symptoms, set the person up for failure by administering a too-rapid withdrawal schedule.
This situation has ramifications beyond merely the discomfort of the patient, as we shall see, often setting in motion a cascade of misunderstanding, misdiagnoses, and unnecessary, prolonged suffering.
A wide range of benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms has been documented. The short list of common symptoms of abrupt (cold turkey) benzo withdrawal includes fear, depersonalization, hallucinations, seizures, insomnia, dysphoria, nausea, tremors, pain, and hypersensitivity to light, noise, and smell, and mental confusion. Contrary to common assumption, these do not last for two to three weeks.
Following an abrupt withdrawal, the symptoms will often last between six months and two years of gradually diminishing mixed psychological and somatic symptoms (Ashton, 1986).
Individuals who have experienced benzo withdrawal describe it as the most horrific, evil, cruel experience a person can imagine. In the words of celebrity and benzo survivor Stevie Nicks, describing her experience of withdrawal from Klonopin:
”I felt like someone opened up a door and shoved me into Hell” (Stevie Nicks, n.d.). When faced with these symptoms, and not realizing that they are part of a temporary syndrome, many people choose to stay addicted, because, sadly, this must seem to them to be the lesser of evils. Suicide is always on the minds of all people going through withdrawals from benzodiazepine drugs.
A few pioneering individuals, Dr. C.H. Ashton in particular, have developed a humane and sensible method of gradual taper from benzos. Withdrawal from benzos is rarely easy, but when properly managed, and combined with appropriate psychological support, withdrawal can be accomplished with a minimum of suffering.
The chances of completing withdrawal are overwhelmingly improved by the provision of psychological support throughout the process. This paper looks at exactly what is involved in providing proper psychological support for people in benzo withdrawal.
For those interested, a comprehensive explanation of benzodiazepine withdrawal can be found at: LINK HERE
LINK HERE SCHEDULES
http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm
MY SCHEDULE
Show doctor WINSLOW PROTOCOLS, google it. The winslow liquid valium protocol.
Dr. peart recommends 4 weeks, in between each reduction stage. I will reduce every week, until I feel withdrawal symptoms.
And no gretaer than 10 percent each month. that means that at the current dosage of 17.5 mg, it will take me.
try and go to 16 mg DZP after two weeks, instead of one month.
This is the crossover schedule from LZP to DZP
A follows.
This is my personal crossover schedule from lorazepam to Diazepam as per Dr. peart
AM PM Midnight
Starting Point, .75mg LZP, 1.00mg of LZP twice daily.
Day1, dec 12, 2007 2.5mg of DZP, .50mg LZP, 1.00mg of LZP, complete
Day2 dec 13, 2007 Same as Day 1 2.5mg DZP .75 LZP at 4:pm and .75 LZP midnight complete. I goofed a little right here, will resume day three tomorrow.had to epeat day two, because i forgot to bring 2,5mg of DZP to work.
Day3, 2.5mg of DZP, .50mg LZP, .75mg of LZP Plus 2.5mg of DZP complete
Day4 dec 15, 2007 Same as Day 3 completed
Day5, 2.5mg of DZP, .50mg LZP, .50 of LZP plus 5mg of DZP completed
Day6 dec 17, 2007 Same as Day 5
Day7, 2.5mg of DZP, .25mg LZP plus 2.5mg of DZP, .50mg of LZP plus 5mg
of DZP
Day8 dec 19, 2007 Same as Day 7
Day9, 2.5mg of DZP, .25mg LZP plus 2.5mg of DZP, .25mg of LZP, 7.5mg of DZP
Day10 dec 21, 2007 Same as Day 9
Day11, 2.5mg of DZP, .25mg LZP plus 2.5mg of DZP, 10mg of DZP
Day12 dec 23, 2007 Same as Day 11
Day13 dec 24 finished crossover. 2.5mg of DZP, 5mg of DZP, 10mg of DZP,
If you don't like the valium distribution when you get to the end then you can redistribute it moving 2.5mg every other day until it feels right.
The above it just an example talk to you doctor about it and ask any questions if it doesn't make sense I hope the layout comes out OK I have this in a spreadsheet if this is hard to understand.
Love
Anthea
Yahoo Benzo Group Co-Owner
Dr. I painstakingly wrote all this out and figured the exact mgs of DZP needed, the pill counts etc.
Tablets to be taken twice daily only from hear on out.
stage 1 1 week each
17.5 mg 8mg morning, 9mg midnight 2 5mg pills 8 2mg pills, x 7 each tl mg 122.5 mg for the week 2mg pilss needed. 56 5mg pills needed. 14
stage 2
16mg 8mg morning 8 mg midnight. 8 2 mg pills a day x7 tl 112 mg for the week 2mg pils needed. 56
stage 3
14mg 6 mg morning, 8mg midnight. 7 2 mg pills a day x7 tl 98 mg for the week 2mg pills needed. 49
stage 4
13 mg 5mg morning, 8mg midnight. 1 5 mg per day and 4 2 mg pills per day x7 each tl 91 mg for the week 2 mg pills needed. 28
tl 5mg needed. 7
stage5
12mg 4mg morning 8mg midnight. 6 2 mg each x7
tl 84 mg for the week 2 mg pills needed. 42
stage 6
11 mg 3 mg morning, 8mg midnight. 1, 5 mg pill per day and 6 2 mg pills a day x7 tl 77mg for the week 2mg pills needed. 42
tl 5mg needed. 35
6 weeks, to reach this mark 1 1/2 monts
stage 7 (2 weeks) Each, again maybe 1 week, depending on how I feel.
10mg 2mg morning 8mg midnight 10 2 mg pills per day x14 tl 140mg for two weeks. 2mg pills needed. 140 or two 5mgs twice daily. ashton recommends it this way.
stage 8
9mg 1 mg morning, 8mg midnight. 4 1/2 2 mg pills a day x14 tl 126 mg for two weeks 2 mg pills needed. 70
stage 9
8mg 8mg for the day 4 2 mg pills per day x14
tl 112 mg for two weeks 2mg pilss needed. 56
stage 10
7mg 7mg for the day 1 5 mg pill and 1 2mg pill per day x14 each tl 98mg for two weeks 2mg pills needed. 14 tl 5 mg pills needed. 70
stage 11
6mg 6mg for the day 3 2 mg pills per day x 14
tl 84 mg for two weeks 2mg pills needed. 42
may go three weeks starting here at 5 mgs a day, for a safer taper.
Or two weeks, depending on any withdrawal symptoms I feel
stage 12
5mg 5 mg for the day 1 5 mg pill x21 devide by two a day. tl 105 mg for three weeks tl 5 mg pills needed. 21
stage 13
4mg, 4 mg for the day 2 2mg pills per day x21
tl 84mg for three weeks 2mg pills needed. 42
stage 14
3 mg 3 mg for the day 2 1/2 mgs of 2 mg pills per day x21 tl 42mg for three weeks 2mg pills needed. 63
stage 15
2mg 2 mg for the day 2 mg per day x21
tl 28mg for three weeks 2mg pills needed. 42
28 weeks to reach this mark 7 mos total to this point.
1 mg 1 mg for the day, hold this lat one for one month.
May cut pill in half for another two weeks for safety. 1/2 mg.
this will be 1 mg per 2 days = 15 2 mg pills
tl 30 mg for four weeks. tl 2 mg pills will be 15
done and free. total 8 months
tl mgs to be free 1,307 mg of DZP
I will need pills in 5mg and 2 mg to obtain the required dosages. will need the 2 mg pills scored, for easy cutting.
Do not take any other sleping tablets during this reduction
For the taper have 2 seperate pill cutters
label them 2mg, and 5 mg
This way it will be easier to just grab the different already cut chunks to equal the proper dosage.
for example if you need 8mg. you will need 4, 2mg pills per day twice daily, total 8mg.
the 2mg, 5mg pills will cover all the ncessary cuts.
I will use more 2mg pills during the taper than the 5mg pills. For easy dosages and less cutting.
show Dr.
Keep the pills precut for the whole week, and the 2 week schedules later on.
Per Heather Ashton, world reknown pharmacologist.
My 8 month taper will require a total of 1,307 mg of diazepam. this equals 130.7 mg of Ativan
Total DZP tablets for 8 months. The goal is no withdrawals, i will not go through another withdrawal, it is LIVING HELL. I GUARANTEE IT. It nearly cost me my life.
Roughly 757 2mg pills and 147 5mg pills.
This off by a few, but very close.
This is per heather Ashton, world famous pharmacologist. Benzo.uk Ashton withdrawal method and standards.
at 20 Starting mgs DZP
Taken twice daily will start at stage 11, since I'm already at 17.5 mg of DZP daily now.
Stage 11 (1-2 weeks) diazepam 8mg diazepam 10mg 18mg
Stage 12 (1-2 weeks) diazepam 8mg diazepam 8mg 16mg
Stage 13 (1-2 weeks) diazepam 6mg diazepam 8mg 14mg
Stage 14 (1-2 weeks) diazepam 5mg diazepam 8mg 13mg
Stage 15 (1-2 weeks) diazepam 4mg diazepam 8mg 12mg
Stage 16 (1-2 weeks) diazepam 3mg diazepam 8mg 11mg
Stage 17 (1-2 weeks) diazepam 2mg diazepam 8mg 10mg
Stage 18 (1-2 weeks) diazepam 1mg diazepam 8mg 9mg
Stage 19 (1-2 weeks) -- diazepam 8mg 8mg
Stage 20 (1-2 weeks) -- diazepam 7mg 7mg
Stage 21 (1-2 weeks) -- diazepam 6mg 6mg
Stage 22 (1-2 weeks) -- diazepam 5mg 5mg
Stage 23 (1-2 weeks) -- diazepam 4mg 4mg
Stage 24 (1-2 weeks) -- diazepam 3mg 3mg
Stage 25 (1-2 weeks) -- diazepam 2mg 2mg
Stage 26 (1-2 weeks) -- diazepam 1mg 1mg
4 months to complete at 1 week intervals, but I prefer 2 week intervals at the lower than 5 mg dosage.
So this will be a total of 6 1/2 months. Should be able to manage.
Schedule 2 Notes: Per Mrs. Ashton
ASHTON METHOD LINK
You could probably manage Stages 1-5 (or even Stages 1-10) in weekly intervals (but take 2 weeks between stages if you prefer).
The later stages are probably better taken in 2 week intervals.
When you get down to a dose of 5mg daily, you could begin to decrease in 0.5mg doses, but most people manage with 1mg reductions.
You will need to utilise a mixture of 10mg, 5mg, and 2mg diazepam tablets to obtain the required dosages. Halve the (scored) 2mg tablet to obtain 1mg doses.
If your starting dose is 20mg diazepam daily, you could begin at Stage 10, but in this case you could reduce by 1mg every 2 weeks.
WOW!! that's a lot, but it's the safest way, still allowing me to go to work and live a fairly average daily existance, without going into withdrawals or having any protracted withdrawals.
I have already taken 2mg per day of ativan for 3 1/2 mths. this is already 210 1 mg pills, or 210 mg of ativan. or the equilevent of 2,160 mg of diazpam
this is also the diameter of the moon, 2,160 miles in diameter. So that means that I went around the moon, with the ativan, I sure feel like I did anyway. The moon represents the emotions, and the ativan has taken all my tears away. I cried 2,160 mls of tears, since being on ativan.
because 1 mg of lorazepam = 10 mg of diazepam.
That means when this regimen is finished, from the time I started taking xanax for two weeks starting at the end of august., then switching over to lorazepam, I will have taken a total of equivelancy of approx. 3,467 mg of diazepam, of course this includes the 3 1/2 months on LZP (lorazepam).
That's 3,467 mg of diazepam
No need for a DEVIL
There need not be a Devil running around with a pitchfork scaring all the people, because the devil himself are tiny little candy colored pills called diazepines.
The're so cute, yet the devil himself could not cause as much harm and suffering as one of those candy colored pills.
Maybe the devil actually morphed himself into these pills. He must have, because there is no hell worse than benzodiazepine withdrawals.
Those of us who have been to this particular HELL, laugh at the character invented by religion to scare us into being moral upright individuals.
The devil of religion is a mere clown, a fairy, a lepracon, a carnival sideshow freak, a golden retriever by comparison to any real DEVIL created by the pharmacuetical companies. The benzodiazepine HELL is far worse than any God created devil or hell ever imagined or created.
Even God himself would not put any human being through the agony that a benzodiazepine pill will.
No! Only another human would do such a thing. Humans invented this particular HELL.
If anyone is looking for the beast or the mark of 666, it is MAN that is the beast, it is man that has destroyed the earth, and the rest of us.
Devils and Hell created by religion make me laugh, compared to the real HELL, created by humans.
God had nothing to do with it.
That's how I feel today,
My heart goes out to all of you here, because the only reason you are here, is because you have been to this man made HELL, and are seeking help, from some of the more enlightened, sentient, caring human beings here.
Bless you all.
Concerning patient therapy
In particular, therapists who have no first-hand experience with benzo withdrawal will need to have a great deal of courage and faith in themselves and in the person, in order to believe the client is ultimately well in the face of strong, unusual, and protracted symptoms.
These therapists will need to combine good information with a strong belief in intrinsic health in order to stand against the gaining tide of pharmacological psychotherapy.
If a therapist wavers in this belief, the impact on the withdrawing person can be devastating, as we have seen. This can lead to demoralization and despair, and can also contribute to keeping the person trapped in a medication nightmare, as I have described in my own case, and as we saw in several of the case studies.
MATT
During that time, Matt’s doctors gave him misguided or no information about benzo withdrawal, seriously underestimating the intensity and duration of the syndrome, thus adding to his distress and confusion.
The symptoms, unrecognized as such by his doctors, led to misdiagnoses, reinstatement of benzos (switched from Ativan to Klonopin), plus a cocktail of other pills for his alleged bipolar disorder. It's amazing he ever recovered at all.
ALLISON LINK HERE
ANOTHER RESPONSE TO A DOCTOR, THAT CUT OFF THIS GUYS VALIUM, DURING A TAPER
Let me explain this using this metaphor: Let say anxiety is like a stream of water before benzos. When we add benzos it is like forming a dam to stop the stream of water. The stream of water stops flowing because of the dam.
The water starts to rise and forms a lake. Water is building up behind the dam, so we have to build the dam higher and higher (more benzos are taken).
Now say we stop building the dam (stop benzos cold turkey) and we actually let the dam deteriorate rapidly. All that held back water explodes through the dam.
We have a real dilemma now. If we put our original dam back up(original benzo dose) immediately after we realize the damage, can we stop this rapid amount of water?
Not very likely this will work. It is very hard to get stable once the dam breaks, to much water flowing out. Thats why I feel it is very important to taper and slowly reduce the dam slowly.
I wanted to explain this simply so other readers can relate to this. I'll post the scientific evidence at a later time explaining this medically.
Dr. Peart
If during the transition period you begin to feel more tired than normal, this generally indicates that the diazepam is "kicking in" proceed with no additional increases (above those planned).
It would be anticipated that a patient who is working and has family commitments could take a minimum of 18 months for the taper to be complete.
Often the dose taper is not linear. The last one-third dose reduction can be as long as the first two thirds.
The process of withdrawing from other benzos under the cover of diazepam is a trial and error procedure. About 95% achieve it with a 1-week approximate change over period. This change over period is Phase I.
LINK HERE
WHY DIAZEPAM?
Diazepam [Valium] is one of the most slowly eliminated benzodiazepines. It has a half-life of up to 200 hours, which means that the blood level for each dose falls by only one half in about 8.3 days.
The only other benzodiazepines with similar half lives are chlordiazepoxide [Librium], flunitrazepam [Rohypnol] and flurazepam [Dalmane] all of which are converted to a diazepam metabolite in the body.
The slow elimination of diazepam allows a smooth, gradual fall in blood level, allowing your body to adjust slowly to a decreasing concentration of the benzodiazepine.
With more rapidly eliminated benzodiazepine e.g. lorazepam, (Ativan) (which has a half-life of 10-20 hours) the blood concentration drops rapidly and withdrawal symptoms can occur between doses, because your body has little time to adjust to low concentrations.
Diazepam comes in the smallest dosage levels of all benzodiazepines – 2mg tablets which can be halved to give 1mg doses. This means you can reduce in stages of 1mg every 1-4 weeks or more. It is difficult to obtain such low doses of other benzodiazepines.
Because of the slow elimination and small available dosage strengths of diazepam, it is often advisable to switch to diazepam when withdrawing from other stronger or more rapidly eliminated benzodiazepines. This switch allows you to tail off your benzodiazepine dosage smoothly and gradually and minimises withdrawal symptoms.
It takes up to eight weeks for most of the accumulated drugs to be eliminated from the body. This "umbrella"; of the benzodiazepinesa is the main reason for the success of diazepam tapering. The high accumulation levels produced by the diazepam active metabolites also reduces the probability of tolerance problems during tapering.
Benzodiazepines, Sleeping Pills & Tranquilizers
The need to taper gradually from Benzodiazepines (tranquilizers, such as Librium and Valium), Sleeping Pills, and Anti-Anxiety Medication is essential. For many people, the withdrawals from these medications can be crippling and interfere with all aspects of life. We have gone to great lengths to explain the mechanism of the medications to instill the importance of a gradual taper to ensure success in the withdrawal process.
It would take several days to complete a crossover, and several additional days to adjust to the different benzo after that before you could determine whether it feels better for you than ativan.
I stayed on Xanax for the next 12 years while going to therapy to find out why I had this "anxiety disorder". During these 12 years I tried, by myself, to taper down and go off of the Xanax without any success. Each time that I decreased the dosage I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
I would run to my doctor and tell him all my symptoms and he would say that I had this "anxiety disorder" and that I "needed" the Xanax. He would instruct me to increase the dosage and, sure enough, my symptoms would disappear.
What he never told me was that I was experiencing a severe withdrawal reaction and not some "anxiety disorder". I never abused this drug or exceeded the dosage but I did take it faithfully for 12 years.
The Doctors at Kaiser told me the same thing, what a coincidence.
They play off that Anxiety buzzword, because they are so ignorant of withdrawal symtoms, and have harmed thousands of peoples lives.
Familiar story here, doctors, just don't get it.
Doctors took my life away.
I was a police officer for 12 years but had to leave the job due to panic attacks. The police doctor said that I had an "anxiety disorder" and put me on Xanax. That was the worst mistake of my life!
I stayed on Xanax for the next 12 years while going to therapy to find out why I had this "anxiety disorder". During these 12 years I tried, by myself, to taper down and go off of the Xanax without any success. Each time that I decreased the dosage I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
I would run to my doctor and tell him all my symptoms and he would say that I had this "anxiety disorder" and that I "needed" the Xanax. He would instruct me to increase the dosage and, sure enough, my symptoms would disappear. What he never told me was that I was experiencing a severe withdrawal reaction and not some "anxiety disorder".
I never abused this drug or exceeded the dosage but I did take it faithfully for 12 years.
My family noticed a gradual change in my personality. They noticed that I didn't laugh anymore or show much emotion about anything. They said I would just sit there like I was frozen.
I felt I was a vegetable! I continued to see therapists, thinking that one of them could cure me of this "anxiety disorder", but I was only getting worse. I was barely leaving the house, and when I did, someone had to be with me. I was so afraid and still suffered from panic attacks, depression and paranoia.
Thank God that I met a Christian doctor, and after 2 years of therapy and getting nowhere with me, he said that I would never improve until I got off of the Xanax. I could not go on living like this anymore and somehow made it into a rehab.
They took me off "cold turkey" and put me on phenobarbital so that I would not have a seizure. I then became allergic to the phenobarbital so they put me on Klonopin and sent me home. After I stopped the Klonopin ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE!
My wife called the rehab doctors for help but they said that I would have to come to their office. I could barely walk, talk or sleep, much less travel. So with the help of my wife I dug myself in at home and stayed there for the next two years, waiting for these symptoms to leave.
I felt that all my doctors had abandoned me and I was totally on my own. All I had or knew about withdrawal was what I read from a book by Shirley Trickett called "Coming off Tranquilizers".
At first I thought that I was losing my mind and wanted to be committed but I was too paranoid to leave the house.
I kept my wife prisoner in her own home pleading with her to stay with me and she did for the next 2 years. My nerves screamed out at me from every part of my body. All I wanted to do was die but was too afraid to kill myself. I cursed God, neighbors and family members.
I was in so much pain that I didn't care who heard me and screamed out loud. I busted up furniture and threw chairs. I made holes in the walls and floors. It wasn't fun for me or my family to watch. I cried for months.
The tears just wouldn’t stop. While being sedated for 12 years I had never dealt with anything and now everything that I had buried was coming to the top.
I weighed only 149 lbs and my family thought I wouldn't make it. They pleaded for me to see a doctor but I refused, believing that more drugs were not the answer if I was ever to recover. After 2 years I was able to leave the house and I learned to drive all over again. Little by little I started to get my life back.
This month I will have four years of being TOTALLY DRUG FREE!
Most of my troublesome symptoms have left. Mentally, I feel great. I exercise daily and eat a very healthy diet. Physically, I still have nerve pain and get fatigued once in a while, but I have confidence that this to will go away in time. I am working again and have gone back to school to take computer classes.
Oh, by the way, I don't suffer from any more panic attacks or depression. Looking back at my rehab I feel these doctors didn't know what they were doing by taking me off "cold turkey".
They also suggested that I take anti-depressants and BuSpar which I refused. I felt that the only way that I was going to make it was to NOT swallow any more pills but let my body heal on its own. Thanks for letting me share my story.
update
I am now 5 years drug-free. I do not have the fatigue or nerve pain that I did when I wrote that story at my 4 year mark. The healing still continues. I don't believe we suffer permanent damage. Some of us just take longer.
Bradley
One forumite wrote:
What a uncompassionate Dr. can do to you.
I come here a lot to read other's stories and its the only thing that keeps me believing that I am not insane or dying from some terrible disease. I have posted a couple times a few months ago.
I could not and still can't find a Dr to help me taper; I quit cold turkey for about a week but had to reinstate because I felt so bad and was scared of seizures. I tapered myself off 2mg Klonopin in 5 weeks, still too fast I know, but now I've been 1 month tomorrow totally off and I hate to turn back now. But I still feel soooo bad.
I am used to (somewhat) the dizziness and depersonalization, but the physical pain is excruciating. My neck and the center of my back hurt constantly. My fingers ache and I can't grip things.
My stomach is always upset and the muscles even hurt like I've done a thousand sit ups. My legs are so heavy and weak. I could sleep all the time. I had about 4 really good days in the second week off, but it all came back. Does anyone else hurt like this?
The worst part is, my family and friends don't believe it's benzo withdrawal. If I say anything about it, they want me to go and get more tests for fibromyalgia or MS or Lupus. I've already had several tests and blood work from my GP (who doesn't think it's related to benzo withdrawal).
Everything checks out fine. So then, because of my history of depression and anxiety, they think it's all psychological and want me to get back on some meds.
Where have we heard that one before?
So please, I'm asking anyone, how can I find a doctor in Charlotte, NC who truly believes in the severity and duration of this terrible withdrawal from benzos? Even if he can't help my pain, just telling my family(and me!) that this is real would be so helpful.
I wrote her back, and told her what to do.
Another forunite having trouble getting off of ativan
"I was on the same dose of Ativan last year and tried unsuccessfully to get off myself by cutting my dose in half. After I found out that I was having withdrawals I had to stabilize again before I crossed over to Valium and began my taper.
Because the Ativan has a shorter half life I had to dose at .25 two times a day. With Valium as it has a longer half life, I didn't have interdose withdrawals. The Ativan only "lasted" around 8 hours for me.
It sound like you experienced interdose withdrawals and dosed yourself again when you felt the withdrawals. This is the nature of the beast. Regular dosing doesn't cut it anymore and our bodies need more to feel normal again.
IMHO, you would need to figure out how much a day you have consistently been taking and split that into two or three times a day to keep a steady blood level before tapering. "
see more poor souls having trouble here.
LINK HERE
http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=56.0
I will taper from between five and eight months.
Why Valium?
By Ray Nimmo
I am occasionally asked why I always advise people, who are on one of the more potent benzos, to switch first to Valium (diazepam) before tapering and whether it is possible taper such drugs as Xanax, Ativan and Klonopin directly.
I agree that it is possible for people to taper one of the more potent benzos directly but it presents many difficulties and from my observations people who choose such a method have greater problems, more severe withdrawal symptoms, and they may even invite the protracted withdrawal syndrome.
There is also a high failure rate. People simply give up because of the severity of the withdrawal or relapse within a few weeks after cessation.
I would therefore urge anyone contemplating withdrawal to give themselves the best possible chance of success.
Tapering with Valium is the only tried and tested method and has the greatest number of successes. Professor Ashton employed this method at her Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Clinic which she ran in Newcastle in the UK from 1982-1994.
Many other benzodiazepines are more potent than diazepam. For example lorazepam (Ativan)is 10 times stronger and it is difficult to reduce from this
gradually.Temazepam [Restoril],though less potent than diazepam, has a shorter half-life and the smallest tablet is 10 mg (equivalent to 5mg diazepam).
4) Because of the slow elimination and small available dosage strengths of diazepam, it is often advisable to switch to diazepam when withdrawing from other stronger or more rapidly eliminated benzodiazepines. This switch allows you to tail off your benzodiazepine dosage smoothly and gradually and minimizes withdrawal symptoms.
5) When making the switch it is important to do it gradually, replacing one dose at a time and at approximately weekly intervals and making allowance for the difference in potency.
For example, if you are taking lorazepam
1mg three times daily, first change the night dose to 10mg diazepam. (This can be done in two stages if necessary e.g. lorazepam 0.5mg (half a 1mg tablet) plus diazepam 5mg; then drop the lorazepam and go on to diazepam 10mg). A week or two later change one of the day-time doses, and two weeks later change the other day-time dose.
See also Benzodiazepine Equivalence Table
LINK HERE
The Ashton Manual gives more details about switching to Valium and tapering and has excellent general advice and information about benzodiazepines.
BZD'S stands for BENZODIAZEPINES
IN THE VALIUM FAMILY OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
KNOWN UNDER APPROX. TWENTY-FIVE DIFFERENT NAMES.
A: Experience tells us that the only person who can understand Benzodiazepine pain and withdrawals, is the person who has been through the mental and physical pain, in P.A.A. and off BZD's.
B: Some very scarey things can happen to us when coming off Benzodiazepines, they are frightening but NOT dangerous, not all of us are affected in the same way, withdrawals are sometimes different for each person, because of your age, the length of time you were addicted to the Valium family of drugs and the half life of the BZD's.
C: Here are some of the BZD's symptoms that I have experienced (in laymans terms ). Never quit pills cold turkey. They must be tapered off gradually and it is recommended you get help from a *knowledgeable* addiction medicine doctor.
Fear is the worst part of BZD withdrawals, I trusted no one.
Headache, tension in the head, tylenol or aspirin helped a little.
Twitching eyelids, and sometimes a pulling inward cramp feeling in the eye, brightlights and sunlight were painful to me.
Tight facial muscles and jaw tightness feelings, tight band around head.
Tingling of the fingers, loss of feeling in one side of the body, and at times in arms and legs, my right arm would fling out in front of me. At times I would sit on my hand.
Heavy forward feeling, like the earth or floor would come up and hit my face while walking along with dizziness.
Many times feeling uptight with tension in arms and hands and shoulders. You must walk off this tension.
Muscles tighten up in back of neck and head, sometimes the crackling sounds when moving neck or jaw made me nervous.
My hearing was hyper-sensitive and people talking or noise was painful to me. I also had constant buzzing and ringing in the left side of my head. It comes and goes.
Our central nervous system is depressed from BZD's so we sometimes get a feeling of imminent death, but the truth is we will not die.
Hollow feeling in body, a scarey feeling of hollowness inside me, and my entire skeletal part of my body was all I felt, but it passed just as fast as I experienced it. Sometimes it would stay for a long time and then other times it would come and go in a few minutes.
Travelling cramp that moves around throughout the body. This was weird and sometimes stopped in my stomach and caused an air pressure balloon like feeling in my chest. Also swelling of the stomach wall, my stomach felt like it was 10 yards in front of me and felt very heavy.
At first a lot of burning pain in the stomach and at times in the intestines. Antacids helped relieve gas pains. sometimes I also had nausea as well as diarrhea and constipation.
Stomach heaviness as well as chest heaviness caused breathlessness at times.
Both arms and hands were heavy, infrequently.
Numbness of the lips, nose and ears, felt like I had no lips or nose.
Burning in the scalp, a frying sizzling feeling in the head, like someone poured gas or kerosene on me and lit a match. Every now and then, also occured in arms, legs and feet.
I have experienced many of these symptoms, during my withdrawal from ativan on a daily basis.
Doctor will not help with Benzo withdrawal, woman suffering terribly.
What is wring with Doctors? The Hippocratic says "first do no harm"
Then why are these doctors, destroying lives. This is legal murder.
LINK HERE
Drug 'killing more than heroin'
ITN 2000 Review
Benzodiazepines were once called "mother's little helpers" because they numbed the pain of suburban neurosis.
The Government is set to act after figures revealed a prescription drug was killing more people than heroin.
Benzodiazepines were once called "mother's little helpers" because they numbed the pain of suburban neurosis.
But they are being widely abused and as Home Office figures now show, they are also killing people.
They are being prescribed and then sold on to the streets or imported in increasingly large quantities from abroad making their way into the hands of drug dealers.
The Government is to change the Misuse of Drugs Act as a result and will reschedule benzodiazepines making them subject to import and export controls.
But critics say this does not deal with the legally prescribed drugs being illicitly sold.
And increasingly, these illegally acquired drugs, which are taken in tablet form or crushed and injected are leading to fatal overdoses.
The statistics paint a bleak picture.
In Scotland in 1998 the most recent figures available 114 people died from heroin and morphine overdoses. But 151 died from taking benzodiazepines.
In England and Wales between 1990 and 1996, 1,623 people overdosed on heroin, morphine and other opiates while 1,810 died from benzodiazepines.
Warning to doctors on stress drug: lorazepam
The Times
August 13, 1985
The second most commonly prescribed tranquilliser for treating anxiety symptoms has no important advantages over other benzodiazepine tranquillisers and its use is best limited to short courses or intermittent treatment, doctors have been told.
Lorazepam, which also comes under the brand names Ativan and Almazine, is an effective drug, 'but there is great concern about its potential to produce physical and psychological dependence', according to the current issue of Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.
'Several withdrawal symptoms may make it more difficult to stop treatment with lorazepam than with diazepam', the bulletin says. The bulletin says that although lorazepam is the second most commonly prescribed drug for mild anxiety, 'it has no important advantages over other benzodiazepines'. Its use is best limited to courses of treatment of a week or two.
Ray Nimmos story, he beat the benzos.
LINK HERE
SAD BENZO STORIES
A journey to hell and back.
LINK HERE
http://www.benzo.org.uk/
The Benzo Book
LINK HERE
Notes
Diazepam only needs to be taken twice a day, since it stays in your systam longer once on diazpam space twice daily only, the less often you have to take te drug the less you have to think about it. Per heather Ashton...
NO one ever had an anxiety problem before taking a benzo.
LINK HERE
Tapering from xanax
CLICK HERE
PAXIL STORY
I've been on Paxil for 9 years (yes, 9 years!) for a panic disorder. I've been gradually weaning off the drug and have experienced the usual withdrawl effects - the zaps, the sweats you name it. I was aware of all of these things before I started coming off.
However, for the past few days I have felt very different. The symptom is hard to explain but I'll give it a hook. I feel as if I am a stranger in my own house. I have a different feeling about everything around me. The "normal" feelings I've had about my living room, my bedroom, the kitchen it's all different.
I know it sounds crazy, but it's really getting hard for me to accept that this is the way I will feel when I'm off of Paxil. Maybe because I have been on the Paxil for so long I don't know how to feel normal??
Has anyone else ever experienced this? And if so, will it go away????
I have been really concidering getting off paxil sence I had a talk with some one that told me it generally take about a year to completely come off of it. This really bothers me I sould have done more research before letting my doctor prescribe it for me. I was just having trouble sleeping.
"That's true, never rush getting of these neds, it will ruin your life. Talk to your doctor, and ask him/her to read the heather Ashton manual on withdrawong from prescription meds. Good Luck."
Another paxil story, woth no taper plan
I have been on Paxil for about 10years. Over the years I would experience a wooshing or feeling of electric static in my head. Since these have gotton worse, I decided to ween off paxil. I have been off for about a week and the withdrawel is awful.
I'm nausious, dizzy, weepy and exausted. I have vivid crazy dreams and have difficulty with everyday activities. How long will this last?? I am trying to stick it out untill it is out of my system.
"You should have taken a 6-8 month taper." Reinstate, and begin a gradual taper.
DRINK lots of LEMON water, while tapeing, it helps to reduce the withdrawal symptoms.
Going very slow at the end of the taper is extremely important. Dr. heather Ashton.
use liquid valium, and dropper for final taper.
my notes and a few web sites visited.
Read this page. It is very important
LINK HERE
excerpt:
This paper discusses elements of an effective support system for people wishing to withdraw from benzodiazepine tranquilizers (aka “benzos”). The author’s experience undergoing withdrawal from benzos is briefly discussed. Because benzo withdrawal syndrome is under-recognized, misdiagnosed, and often misunderstood, there is little appropriate support of any kind available today.
This paper attempts to define a system of support that combines gradual taper with an appropriate psychological container within which the person’s suffering is reduced, and chances of success are improved. The crucial properties of such a container include: information, belief in intrinsic health, and encouragement.
These elements are discussed as they apply to individual and group support. The case studies of four people who have withdrawn from benzos are discussed in terms of the roles of information, belief in intrinsic health and encouragement in each person’s withdrawal process. By defining a container of support I hope to move closer to an adequate model of care for people going through benzodiazepine withdrawal.
My ativan hell LINK HERE
LINK HERE
for safe anxiety formula. LINK HERE
ativan hell, please read this
LINK HERE
type in google ativan-topix (long term use more than 6 months of ativan will harm you kidneys ), to read the truth about ativan addiction.
type in google HELP STOP THE PILL PUSHERS FROM PRESCRIBING THE POISONS .
READ THIS STORY
HERE
or google benzodiazepine-tranquilizer-sleeping pilladdictionand recovery. read what this doctor has to say.
in order for omega 3 to be effectiveit must have EPA and DHA
LINK HERE
go here google PLEASE HELP ME!!! (CALAMITY OF ERRORS!!!) SAD STORY HERE.
The three mostimportant aspets of withdrawing from a bezo drug is: Information, belief in intrinsic health and encouragement. www.bcnc.org.uk/allison.html read this page carefully!! add some stuff from this page to show doctor.
LINK HERE
HERE
excellent withdrawal method benzobuddies.org buddies guidelines/ methods.copy all emails with kaiser doctors, and keep in a folder
Remember that diazepam does not bind tightly with GABA receptors. tell TED this.
it took this guy 5 monts to taper ativan, he was only on ot for 5 months. he used valium to taper. HERE
how to withdraw from ativan HERE
good withdrawal info
benzo withdrawal and recovery siteLINK HERE
good withdrawal info HERE
AMBIEN can cause high blood sugar
Liz Barnett walnut creek suvivor email her
LINK HERE
KIMS ATIVAN STORY LINK HERE
NO ONE BELIEVES ME!!!
LINK HERE
yahoo benzo support group LINK HERE
and many many more...
IN GOD WE TRUST & ALL OTHERS WE MONITOR
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