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Benzodiazapine withdrawal

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gerard11258
gerard11258

I'm currently experiencing what I presume to be benzodiazapine withdrawal syndrom. I tapered my Ativan dose down from 2mg a day to zero in less than three weeks without Valium substitution. I suspect that this may have been too abrupt a withdrawal. My doctor seemed to have little experience with benzo reduction schedlues so I didn't get much useful information from him. It's six days since my last 0.25mg and I'm feeling very wierd; listless, shakey, anxious and very dizzy (the truly horrific symptoms had passed by day 4). Could anyone out there whose gone through benzo withdrawal please reply and let me know what symptoms you went through and, if you can remember, give me a time line of what symptoms or feelings appeared and at what point in the withdrawal process. Did your doctor presecribe beta-blockers or anti-depressants and how did these help or complicate your recovery?

Many thanks; any advice will be appreciated.

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • aiden89317
    aiden89317 gerard11258

    Posted

    i have found that medication has never worked for me. in the long run you just feel the same again. benzo withdrawals are the worst anti anxiety come downs in my experience. just try to stick it out. you will feel better within 1 or 2 weeks. just keep coming of them slowly untill you are only taking like half a pill then just come off them all together. when you are finally off the medication you can try taking supplements to give you a clear mind like fish oils or amino acids. i found that these actualyl help me more in the long run compared to medication
  • aiden89317
    aiden89317 gerard11258

    Posted

    you may have a poor diet aswell. you feel shaky and weak, faint, dizzy? i used to get that but recently i found out it was due to me not getting enough carbohydrate foods like whole grains and stuff like that. for you it may not be carbohydrates it could be a lack of something else in your diet. having a bad diet and not getting more than 30 mins excercise a day can change your blood pressure abnormally higher or lower. this then make you feel weak and faint.
  • aiden89317
    aiden89317 gerard11258

    Posted

    o and my come downs off benzos were horrific. when i stopped taking them the day after i was so anxious i could not even leave my bedroom! i just stayed in there all day shaky and weak. i also started hallucinating. not sure if this was due to now food and no water but i heard voices talking to me and all kinds of things. my thoughts were all over the place. i couldnt think straight at all. at the time i felt there was no hope for me and i was terrible but when the withdrawals finally subsided. i started to think more clearly and i look back at how i was now and think "what was i talking about, why was i thinking that!" it made my thoughts irrational. so you will get better, just hang in there smile
    • gerard11258
      gerard11258 aiden89317

      Posted

      Thanks Aiden. Your suggestions about diet are very welcome and I'm glad to hear that I may be feeling well again in another week or so. I think that time is the key. Thanks mate.
  • chasity50066
    chasity50066 gerard11258

    Posted

    I got off of avitan with no substitute. It was a horrific expirence. I was in bed for a week solid dizzy depressed and out of touch with reality. Anxiety was through the roof. The next week was a lil better but still not great. Being off completly was so much better though after withdrawal. Good luck and lemme know if I can help!
    • gerard11258
      gerard11258 chasity50066

      Posted

      Thanks Chastity. It looks like we both experienced the first week of "horrors". It's exactly seven days since I had my last benzo tablet so I'm now heading into the second week and like you have improved but am still quite dizzy and still feeling "odd" from a perceptual point of view. It's difficult to articulate exactly how I feel - still some depression, lethargy and even a touch of paranoia. I just don't feel relaxed as the anxiety is still present though thankfully not "painfully" so as it was last week. Just getting your reply is a big help. It's always good to talk or communicate with people but especially so with those who've been there and come out the other end. One question though - do you think you've changed at all? Do you feel and percieve things exactly as you did before the Ativan?
    • chasity50066
      chasity50066 gerard11258

      Posted

      It's strange bc after withdrawals I felt like my old self for abt two months. Completly it was great. Then I started slowly getting the anxiety back sad I am now trying beta blocker and buspar as they are non addicting and I am now scared to death of benzos.
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