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Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and Tapering

Messages
445
Location
Georgia
Although Kazakhstan a glorious country, it have a problem, too: economic, social, and many peoples drink fermented goat milk to make drunk.
 
Messages
4
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
This is my first post so please forgive any mistakes I make. This information on the benzo withdrawals is very interesting to me as I am on 5 mg of valium. I was originally on 30 mg temazapam. I use them for sleeping as that is my biggest problem. Don't cope well without sleep. When the Tamazapam started to quit working the Dr. had me start tapering down every 2 weeks. Immediately quit sleeping except maybe a couple of hrs. By the time I got to the end and started Trazadone (which didn't work) I completely fell apart. Eventually went back to Temazapam. Within a yr it quit again only this time I was under tremendous stress due to 2 close family members dying within two months and without thinking just stopped the Temazapam. Immediate withdrawal!! By the time I saw the Dr., he had a fit that I had just stopped it. He said that is one of the benzo's that can kill. Wanted to know if I had had any sizures which I hadn't. Changed me to Valium. Been on it about 3 years. But starting to not sleep until about 3 or 4 AM. Naturalpathic Dr. added in melatonin which works sometimes. Discussed with Dr. about tapering off the valium for something else but am under a lot of stress with elderly parent and we both don't feel this is quite the time to do it. I saw someone on here by the name of Fredd had a formula to help taper off benso's without much stress. If anyone has info on that I would appreciate any feedback. I keep checking on what everyone is taking to help them to sleep.
 

Abha

Abha
Messages
267
Location
UK
Hi Arx et all,
I was on valium and ativan(lorazepam)for about 7 years in the past...and on other benzodiazepines(sleeping tabs too)..I had a dreadful time with them.In those days there was little no help re getting off them.(That is much the same nowadays too within NHS)The doctors told me that I would probably have to take drugs the rest of my life.Ativan in particular was very bad...It was making me more depressed(probably due to preventing B12 uptake)I'm B12 deficient not recognised(fully)until late in my life.I tried cutting the tabs in half pieces etc but nothing worked for me.I had to take myself back into hospital in the end.That led to me being poisoned by the medication I was given(no one had any idea how to help me get off the drugs(ativan)...It is a very long story but I finished up with a convulsion(s?)...and fighting for my life(close to death).My case was worsened by my contact with an OP(malathion in my case).OPs have delayed/synergistic effects making those drugs much worse!I believe now that OPs may be involved in many ME/CFS cases(see Prof Behans reports/Dr Jonathan Kerr's too)They are used as pesticides and will be on many vegetables/fruits(broccoli/blueberries/strawberries etc).The OPs can cause brain damage!
 

Abha

Abha
Messages
267
Location
UK
Hi Paintgirl,
Further to my post above...last evening I watched Dr John Gray(USA)talking about Lithium orotate on Youtube.In one of those clips he mentions that LO can help those withdrawing from benzodiazepines.LO is a mineral(not a drug)and is quite inexpensive.I have started taking LO and melatonin to help me sleep.It seems to be working!Re LO I'm using 25mgs/day...as Dr Gray prescribes...
 
Messages
4
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Hi Abha,
Thanks for the info. I'll write the LO down and read up on it and then check the vitamin stores. I do take the melotonin but not everynight because it just doesn't work everynight for me. I might take it one night, the next a couple of arthritis tylenol or like last night I took a 1/2 of generic flexaril ,muscle relaxer. Out at 8 PM and slept thru to 7:30 this morning. Been fighting an upper respitory infection and they had me on antibiotics and prednisone and with the prednisone you might as well forget about sleep. Got a lot of reading done though! Back to the LO. On another message I saw where Fredd was talking about a formula he has for withdrawals and he says something about getting on B12's and some other things but I think the B12 had methylcobalamin and that seemed important. I guess we need something that can get in there and calm the hypersensitivy and anxiety. It's sad about this medication because the sleep helps me function so much. Have to watch the stress because just the slightest amount sends me over the cliff for a few days.