• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Anyone quit their benzo or would like to?

Messages
62
Location
Philadelphia
I tapered off my Z drug last year and am embarking on a benzo-free life with M.E. I think some of my symptoms were due to the drug and had nothing to do with my M.E. I think these drugs are dangerous for long term use. I have not encountered a single doctor that understands the dangers of long term use or the difficulty in tapering off of them. J
 

Jessie~

Senior Member
Messages
401
Location
Michigan USA
I chose to quit using mine around 6+ years ago. It was rough.

I have many health problems, limitations, and symptoms from ME/CFS and my other diagnosis',... but that med and the side effects from it are no longer a factor in all that I have going on. I'm really glad to be off it.
 
Last edited:

lauluce

as long as you manage to stay alive, there's hope
Messages
591
Location
argentina
I tapered off my Z drug last year and am embarking on a benzo-free life with M.E. I think some of my symptoms were due to the drug and had nothing to do with my M.E. I think these drugs are dangerous for long term use. I have not encountered a single doctor that understands the dangers of long term use or the difficulty in tapering off of them. J
quit my benzo? is that even possible? :( I'm afraid that without it, I suffer from paralysing anxiety, although I'll never know at this point if it is a withdrawal symptom or a ME symptom, since wen I started taking it, my anxiety issues were much more moderate
 

belize44

Senior Member
Messages
1,662
I use it sometimes for sleep, but I alternate it with other things so that I don't become dependent upon it. In the book "The Mood Cure," she discusses weaning off Benzos with GABA, a natural supplement. I find that taking this before bedtime relaxes me for sleep! I have also heard of people weaning off certain drugs by using Kratom, but can't personally vouch for it.
 

Tammy

Senior Member
Messages
2,181
Location
New Mexico
Some things that may help...........skullcap (this one helped a friend of mine quite a bit),, Pharma Gaba, California Poppy, lemon balm. Herbs can take awhile for effects.
 
Last edited:

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,335
Location
Southern California
quit my benzo? is that even possible? :( I'm afraid that without it, I suffer from paralysing anxiety, although I'll never know at this point if it is a withdrawal symptom or a ME symptom, since wen I started taking it, my anxiety issues were much more moderate

It's possible - I'm tapering off lorazepam after using it for 10 years for sleep. Benzo buddies is a really good website with extremely useful information on how to do it. You have to go very slowly so that your body can adapt.

Severe insomnia was my worst symptom when I started tapering, but have a found of combination of non-drug supplements which are making sleep possible: niacin (it stimulates GABA receptors, which is the calming neurotransmitter) or niacinamide, inositol (enhances effect of GABA), l-theanine (helps brain produce GABA), Theanine Serene (a product by Source Naturals which has calming stuff in it), melatonin, 5-htp - helps the brain produce serotonin.

Also, Relora is very good for calming down.

The problem with staying on a benzo as I'm sure you know is that you develop a tolerance for it, and thus need more and more and in the long run it creates more problems than it solves.
 

barbc56

Senior Member
Messages
3,657
I have been taking clonazepam for twenty years. Mostly to calm sensory overload and RLS as well as anxiety.

The dosage I now take is less than when I started. I'm sure I'd have withdrawn symptoms if I went off it. If I were to need more and more to get the same effect, it would be a different story and I would immediately talk to my neurologist about it.

At one time I took Ativan for about a year and getting off of it was hell. I think clonazepam has a longer half life.

But we are all different as far as how meds affect us.
 

LINE

Senior Member
Messages
832
Location
USA
GABA Calm from Source Naturals (sublingual) works like a charm. Night Rest is another one of their products that has a mix of things including botanicals as others have mentioned. Magnesium helps the GABA.stay in the nerve cell.
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
Messages
10,089
Location
australia (brisbane)
Theres also many mecfsers that suffer badly with insomnia that never used sleep meds. I recall one of the long time ME researchers found many long term patients, 30yrs plus still had insomnia as a main symptom even though never using benzo sleep meds. I guess im saying it isnt always benzos that make sleep bad but it may just be ME?

I think if someone could take extended periods off benzo sleep meds it could help tolerance issues a great deal.

I hate having to use sleep meds but not using them would make my life much worse. Thats my case though.

Dammed if you do or dammed if you dont.
 

eljefe19

Senior Member
Messages
483
I've been on and off benzos for the past few years. I'm two years of Xanax which is by far the most recreational and addictive benzo. There's nothing like benzos for anxiety imho.