Benzodiazepines.

(I am not a doctor, don't listen to anything I say without first consulting your doctor, this is an individual account and some isolated opinions, that is all)

Disclaimer now out of the way it's kind of wrong that I know more than most doctors about benzodiazepines.

I'm reaching out to anyone going through this, has gone through this, or is considering trying benzos for the first time. Hopefully I can encourage someone, or help someone in some way. I know how much it helps to hear your not alone and it's probably not as bad as you think.

Internet benzo stories will leave a person trying to quit,thinking their death is imminent. It's a bad idea and 100% of the time does nothing but intensify anxieties and fear. Physical symptoms follow, then you don't know if your actually a withdrawing or just gave yourself a panic episode. Even though I know this very well, I still do it from time to time.

I've written about anxiety and meds before, but not quite like this, plus this helps me as I struggle with very thing Im writing about.
I learned so much both through hard experience and
hours upon hours of reading.

For someone with anxiety, panic attacks, or perhaps insomnia, these little pills introduce
Themselves as a magical godsend, something that finally provides the relief we were so desperately seeking. It almost seems too good to be true. Well that's of course, because it is.

If used once in a blue moon to stop a panic attack in a place where you can't have one or to assist in some sort of crisis they're excellent. This comes with a risk and one must have the ability to never succumb to daily use.

Even equipped with all the knowledge they can still get ahold of you, benzos are sneaky with their addiction, they alter your judgement drastically yet you won't realize, and reading can not compare to the actual experience of benzo withdrawl. So even knowing they're terrible one may still ive into the tranquil allure of these pills, and with that altered judgment may fool themselves all the way into full on addiction.

I have thought I was finally benzo free several times this past year only
To find myself back on them and terrified of the withdrawal yet again. stupid stupid idiot me.

Finally I've run out of refills, No one is willing to prescribe anymore and I've done what I feel is a gradual taper. Even when not in full withdrawal I am not myself at all. I deal with a lot
Of dysphoria, and regret. Knowing I've wasted years of my life is a tough pill to swallow. I will push through though, failure is not an option and Im fortunate that I have made progress, Ill probably be looking at about a month at most.

Once tolerance is noticeable and dependency has been reached, there is no relaxation, nothing positive left, they turn on you yet you can't quit because your brain goes into shock.

The only way out is to risk death by stopping abruptly and enduring weeks upon weeks of constant anguish. If you do this you run the risk of having a potentially fatal seizure.

Or the right choice which is an extremely gradual taper. Obviously dosage and duration during taper should be based from dosage and duration of use, a well as how sensitive the individuals mind is. This sucks and takes forever, but being in constant discomfort doesn't seem so bad after enduring relentless mental torment.

What I find very wrong is that it's extremely easy to get prescribed benzos yet extremely difficult to get that same doctor to take you seriously and taper you off the drug far too rapidly. If you find yourself out of Benzos early because you were under prescribed you're screwed and just have to deal with it.

Chances are many of us were not told much about the negative aspects and probably didn't do much research ourselves. After all who could expect utter misery and mental anguish from a prescription, sure some side effects, but I personally didn't know it was possible to
become so mentally distraught.

There are thousands of people who have become unwittingly dependent. This needs to be taken far more seriously because if someone with a strong addiction is tapered off these too quickly they can be thrown into an avoidable protracted withdrawal than Can last years.

Yet so many of us are not getting the help we need. This usually starts when a doctor suddenly decides their patient has been on them to long and generally forces the patient into a rapid taper which is absolutely wrong. The patients at then attempt to see someone else but will look like a doctor shopper when in reality they are a desperate suffering person who wants nothing more
Than sobriety.

All this is avoidable by not taking them daily, as little as possible really. What happens is some of us forget to distinguish manageable anxiety from an actual emergency, eventually everything is a Xanax worthy stressor. Not good.

Unfortunately quite often people are given large prescriptions and get into the habit of taking them daily, tolerance builds quickly in most, judgement goes completely out the window and by then your well on the way to some very trying times.

Even more unfortunate is the fact that it seems very common for doctors to show any concern for a patient who has reached this stage and offers very little help and actually will make it hard for you to get any more, even if you tell them your afraid of having a seizure, tough luck.

Panic disorder is simple when compared to benzo dependency.

benzo withdrawal is so complex and scary, it's indescribable. Yet it's legally prescribed easy to get, and the warnings are sparce, you have to research yourself, or find out the hard way.

Honestly reading will give you the idea but one must through it to understand the misery.

There are currently too many people stuck in a desperate cycle of trying to taper from benzos while not going into a protracted withdrawal. Fighting for understanding the entire time. The best way K
Can explain that is most benzo addicts are closer to victims than drug addicts. It's much easier to discontinue any of the illegal drugs. Benzodiazepines are a different monster and none of the victims are chasing a high.

It seems all you hear about is heroin and that it's an epidemic, there are even needle disposals in public restrooms, methadone/detox clinics. Users of heroin you have no excuse not to stop. Yeah it sucks, but
The longer you go the worse it's gonna suck, until It feels impossible. There are ways to ease withdrawals but eventually they must be dealt with and seen through to the end.

It's very unfortunate benzo addicts have such limited help and resources. Usually a benzo addict is not a druggie, they started because they were very anxious or had a panic attack, and now can't stop because the withdrawal symptoms are far beyond severe.

I guess since its legal and only a few victims or specialist understand, those of
Is who got caught In that trap are mostly on our own. Most benzo people know a lot more
About that particular drug than their doctor. I personally know I know more than several doctors. Either that or they have all been lying/playing stupid.

It goes away though, I've recovered from dangerously heavy use. Severe cases are rare, the withdrawal will reflect the habit in severity.

One positive is after making it through a tough time with benzos life becomes fresh again, you appreciate the small things more, and gain serious mental strength

Cont..

Anyone going through this know that it is highly doubtful you are one o the rare cases. Just as often someone can have a minor benzo dependency from which you can taper quickly and feel
Normal three days after stopping.

Some people don't go through any
Withdrawals!

I personally took stupid high doses, legally prescribed days on end for quite awhile, I went through a rough time but am
Here, doing better

I know most will roll their eyes "oh boy another crazy shred thread"

I'm not looking for stars or flags, just looking for others who know what I'm talking about, maybe someone who needs to talk about it, maybe someone who can help me as I'm a couple days from complete discontinuation. Finally.

So this will be my benzo hub, all are welcome. Lets see how long until success!

I've been struggling with this off and on since before joining ATS, now the end is actually near.

I don't think they prescribed any of this class of drug for my epilepsy. None of the names look familiar. I didn't like any of the AED drugs effect on my thinking. Their effect on my body was more of an issue though.

I tapered off the drugs I had and quit all together, switching between the classes of the AEDs was complicated, weining off of one and starting another. It took over a month to get switched over completely. I do not know how to cure the addiction to these if you get physically addicted.

Try eating a boiled egg or two for breakfast in the morning every day and cut back on consumption of sugar, it will help the anxiety part. Eggs have choline, DMG, betablocker, and a few other calming chemistries in them which can help with anxiety. But if you have an egg allergy, you might get all messed up. Oatmeal or cheerios with not too much sugar is ok to a point.

Anxiety is usually caused by an imbalance in the brain chemistry which is directly tied to the foods we eat. There are exceptions, but the number of people with genetic problems causing enzyme imbalances are small. You just have to figure out what you have a problem with. I'll give you a hint. What they tout as good food to eat may not be good food for everyone if they cannot detox the chemistry involved. Nobody has the enzymes to detox everything, most people cannot detox half of the foods properly if eaten in excess. Too much tyramine chemistry is not good but not enough or improper balance is just as bad.

If you have anxiety, eat something chocolate, the copper in it supplies a necessary mineral in it to metabolize the tyramines. This can help sometimes to stop stress. If it gets worse, than you need more tyramines if the copper level is too high, eat something aged or fermented.

a reply to: GoShredAK

I've lost whole months because of these.

Amazing and horrendous at the same time.

I take them for flying. But where can you ever buy just 2? They come in packs of 28.

This is so sad. And scary. I could have easily fallen in with benzo use, man, something to break my anxiety and give me relief. I would have started off using only when "needed", but the relief probably would have been so nice that it became a habit. And then down the slippery slope.

Obviously, this is all conjecture, but the way you describe it, I can see that happening easily.

Good luck man! Stay strong! Thanks for yosr perspective. We all need a lite ( likely a lot) more perspective.

I have spoken to so many people whose lives have been or were completely destroyed by benzodiazapines.

Back in the 90's I worked at a Law Firm that carried out all the massive cases for Group Plaintiffs. We acted for relatives in Lockerbie, people involved with Hillsborough and the biggest was the group Plaintiff action for benzodiazapines. Peoples lives had virtually been destroyed because of being frequently prescribec them for anxiety etc for years only to find when they tried to come off them the withdrawal symptoms were horrific. Some had even took their own livez and it was our job to determine if that was as a result of the benzodiazapinea or because of the initial illness. I heard so many sad stories when speaking to clients.

My mum was put on Ativan prior to this for anxiety. She was only given a tiny blue tablet with a very small dosage and when she tried to stop she was extremely ill. All in all it took her 2 years by dtermination and cutting up into minute pieces and reducing the pieces bit by bit. My mum's cousin wasnt so lucky. She was put on benzos for post natal depression back in the 70's and even today she still has to take a small dosr, she has nevet completely been able to get off them because of the horrific symptoms and her Dr decided it would be for the best just to keep on the smallest of doses.

It appears that benzos increase gaba. You can eat some cooked spinach to accomplish that so you can taper off. Raw spinach can give you kidney stones if you eat too much. Cooking takes away some of the bad effects, add a little butter and maybe a little cream. Canned spinach or the little boxes of frozen will work fine, you do not need fresh. Rinse and cook with a little water, dump out most of the water and add some butter and salt.

It might help you taper off naturally and it can help with anxiety. It does have a goiterogenic effect, so use iodized salt.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I don't think they prescribed any of this class of drug for my epilepsy. None of the names look familiar. I didn't like any of the AED drugs effect on my thinking. Their effect on my body was more of an issue though.

I tapered off the drugs I had and quit all together, switching between the classes of the AEDs was complicated, weining off of one and starting another. It took over a month to get switched over completely. I do not know how to cure the addiction to these if you get physically addicted.

Try eating a boiled egg or two for breakfast in the morning every day and cut back on consumption of sugar, it will help the anxiety part. Eggs have choline, DMG, betablocker, and a few other calming chemistries in them which can help with anxiety. But if you have an egg allergy, you might get all messed up. Oatmeal or cheerios with not too much sugar is ok to a point.

Anxiety is usually caused by an imbalance in the brain chemisstrrmgth is directly tied to the foods we eat. There are exceptions, but the number of people with genetic problems causing enzyme imbalances are small. You just have to figure out what you have a problem with. I'll give you a hint. What they tout as good food to eat may not be good food for everyone if they cannot detox the chemistry involved. Nobody has the enzymes to detox everything, most people cannot detox half of the foods properly if eaten in excess. Too much tyramine chemistry is not good but not enough or improper balance is just as bad.

If you have anxiety, eat something chocolate, the copper in it supplies a necessary mineral in it to metabolize the tyramines. This can help sometimes to stop stress. If it gets worse, than you need more tyramines if the copper level is too high, eat something aged or fermented.

There is a surprising amount of different benzos all the same basic drug just different strengths and half-life. They have anti seizure effect which is why im sure stopping abruptly comes with that risk.

Thank you so much for the advice. Im a huge believer in food as medicine. I once never gave nutrition a thought, now im the complete opposite am very passionate about the foods we eat. I still eat junk occasionally and really need to stop but I feel like the above average amount of "superfoods" I eat gives me an extra resilience to what I put my body through.

Could just be wishful thinking, even so, placebo can be very strong in the anxious mind.

Sorry you had to go through what sounds like a miserable time. Sounds like you were tough and conquered some aailments by focusing on a healthy diet?! That awesome to hear, its I spkrational and makes me happy for ya.

Benzos bind with high affinity to GABA receptors. They are definitely anti-seizure. I don't think it's a good idea for someone with insomnia except short term unless you're into being dependent on drugs for life. Downregulating your GABA receptors by regular usage will definitely lead to dependence and withdrawal will lead to increased insomnia if you didn't already suffer enough. Long term use will lead to tolerance as well.

I'd put Benzos in the same class as codeine as far as negative health consequences with long term use. They are proven to shorten telomere length about as much as a user of smack. Definitely for serious issues and short term only. You're risking things like early dementia popping Benzos long term.

You carry roughly the same risk suddenly stopping a dependence of benzos as you do suddenly quitting a dependence of alcohol. It's the same receptor site, GABA, that is the issue which they're working on. Benzo withdrawal should always be titrated to no more than 10% less per week. It will take nearly a season to successfully and safely withdrawal from benzos for a really dependent individual.

originally posted by: and14263
a reply to: GoShredAK

I've lost whole months because of these.

Amazing and horrendous at the same time.

I take them for flying. But where can you ever buy just 2? They come in packs of 28.

Gosh, yeah that'll happen won't it. Scary black outs.

Amazing at doing their job, and for some perhaps cause no issues. Horrendous no doubt.

I used to love to have them for flying, smoothest most comfortable flights ever.

These days is rather just deal with it. Practice meditation or something.

That's just because Im an idiot and I over did them. Now I have a lot of healing to do and have to stay away from them forever.

The only way ill take anymore after im through with these two minuscule bits is if the W/D lands me in the ER.

Im pretty confident that won't happen but its a real possibility for me.

a reply to: GoShredAK

Did your anxiety start when you started eating healthier? That might be because you started eating something that unbalanced chemistry or because you gave up some of the things that balanced chemistry.

Junk food contains a lot of attractant food chemistry, these are bioactive and can be used as medicines to keep us normal or they can disrupt normal and make us need meds too. Examine what you gave up, wonder why you actually liked it in the first place. Cravings are very important in balancing things but our knowledge and desire can overpower those cravings that are necessary. If you are all doped up on food and oblivious to what is going on, feeling happy and believing the medical and Pharma industry, government, laws and propaganda that govern us, and MSM news, than you are deemed normal.

That's exactly how they get you! As needed becomes very easy to lose sight of what you are doing

benzos have their uuses, very limited and need to be taken with knowledge and strong will. Just be careful! And avoid benzos completely if you can! There are many other ways to defeat aanxiety.Id say healthy diet plus exercise is #1.

Of course there's no instant gratification, and motivation is hard to come by. It actually works the same as medication minus side effects.

originally posted by: anxiouswens
I have spoken to so many people whose lives have been or were completely destroyed by benzodiazapines.

Back in the 90's I worked at a Law Firm that carried out all the massive cases for Group Plaintiffs. We acted for relatives in Lockerbie, people involved with Hillsborough and the biggest was the group Plaintiff action for benzodiazapines. Peoples lives had virtually been destroyed because of being frequently prescribec them for anxiety etc for years only to find when they tried to come off them the withdrawal symptoms were horrific. Some had even took their own livez and it was our job to determine if that was as a result of the benzodiazapinea or because of the initial illness. I heard so many sad stories when speaking to clients.

My mum was put on Ativan prior to this for anxiety. She was only given a tiny blue tablet with a very small dosage and when she tried to stop she was extremely ill. All in all it took her 2 years by dtermination and cutting up into minute pieces and reducing the pieces bit by bit. My mum's cousin wasnt so lucky. She was put on benzos for post natal depression back in the 70's and even today she still has to take a small dosr, she has nevet completely been able to get off them because of the horrific symptoms and her Dr decided it would be for the best just to keep on the smallest of doses.

It scares me pretty bad how powerful they can be at low doses, just so dangerous and unpredictable.

It upsets me that my only option is the ER if things get bad. Im in a precarious place in life and only I know it.

Thanks for your reply which helps validate what Im trying to bring to light

originally posted by: rickymouse
It appears that benzos increase gaba. You can eat some cooked spinach to accomplish that so you can taper off. Raw spinach can give you kidney stones if you eat too much. Cooking takes away some of the bad effects, add a little butter and maybe a little cream. Canned spinach or the little boxes of frozen will work fine, you do not need fresh. Rinse and cook with a little water, dump out most of the water and add some butter and salt.

It might help you taper off naturally and it can help with anxiety. It does have a goiterogenic effect, so use iodized salt.

Spinach affects gaba? Ill eat something healthy even if it tastes like dirt, no problem.

Thank you! This is very valuable to me


And actually changing my diet I believe to this day defeated my panic disorder, and severely lessened anxiety.

These days I very rarely have panic attacks and can generally think and breath right through it. My anxiety is not nearly what it once was .

What I have now is this persistent residual benzo addiction.

a reply to: GoShredAK

Your body acclimated to the extra GABA. Remember, there are a lot of problems with eating spinach too, make sure to cook it. Some people break down oxylates good, some people have a problem with them. You do not want to find out which type you are. Kidney stones suck. Cooking breaks down the chemistry, cooking the spinach for about ten minutes, till tender, will accomplish this. A little bit of fresh spinach won't hurt anyone mixed in a salad though, and calcium can be consumed to bind the oxylates so they don't get absorbed from the gut. So eating a higher calcium food can help. Even a glass of milk can supply the calcium. Bread is even enriched with calcium so toast with your salad can help....as long as you aren't gluten intollerant. Wheat also contains Opiate peptides, so does milk, and they can settle a person. Too much can make a person constipated. Sugar actually excites a part of the brain that makes it create natural opiates to relieve pain and settle us but too much causes a lot of problems in the mind and body.

Moderation is essential, defining the properties of food that contribute to moderation is what I am trying to do. If you constantly avoid or overindulge in certain food chemistries it can cause problems. Stress itself compounds some chemistries of the fight or flight chemistry and overexpressing this can lead to anxiety that keeps increasing and needs either meds or food changes to neutralize.

The chemistry in food is actually very powerful, we just can't comprehend that this exists. The pharma and supplement companies want us to believe we need their product. That is a sales scam much of the time. Sometimes our guts do not take up something and we have to take suplements or medicines, but most of the time it is just an imbalance in intake of food chemistries. People often do not want to correct this, they want to eat what they want to eat. When given medicines, they actually increase uptake of the foods that are causing the problem which kind of cancels out the benefit of the medicines. The metabolic biproducts of the increased consumption triggered by the meds can also cause side effects, it is not only the meds that create the side effects.

SSRIs may have been a better choice for the stress than the benzos. I like this site. quizlet.com... I should print it out. I am not a doctor and only try to open people's minds as to what changes they can possibly make to correct issues. Talking to a doctor who knows about this stuff and the interactions with meds you are taking is a good idea. Now if you are taking meds to increase gaba, you may not want to eat foods that increase gaba. It goes both ways. Sometimes when you take a medicine, your body gives you a craving for the food that contains the chemistry. The body senses the chemistry say in Asparagus that has been used to make a pill and makes a lot of enzymes to digest the asparagus and these enzymes can actually cause side effects. If you never had asparagus, you won't get that craving. But the asparagaine chemistry is also in other foods. Asparagus has a sort of valium effect. Too much will dope us tto much and you can get sick, but at least you have a good time.

i have been on medication for panic attacks, agoraphobia and ptsd, for over thirty years,
bump,

i will talk about it later,

What doctors do to you is a crime

a reply to: Stormdancer777

Agoraphobia? Had to look it up

Sometimes I worry about birds flying overhead. Especially if there is a newly washed car next to you.

Keep up the good fight, and never feel
Ashamed,i have high anxiety and
Stoped taking any kind if meds for the past 2
Years, its tough as hell but id rather understand why im having these attacks than hiding them with meds.

Thanks for sharing with us

You just have to stop and endure the consequences. There is no magic pill that will help--in fact, isn't that the mindset that got you into so much trouble in the first place?

I know it's not what any addict wants to hear. But you must walk the path of discovery through the torment which seemingly besets you on all sides

There is a way to make this hell much easier to bear, but most addicts don't to hear it, either:

Get on your knees and pray.

what doctors do to you is a crime

Agreed, I haven't flat out said it but I feel this strongly.

Seen it too many times and they tried to give me too much insane stuff.

Never help though.

I remember my old doc desperately giving me sample pack after sample pack of pristiq. Insisting I needed it. I certainly did not. Got to see what its like though.

I know she was getting paid for that because they had to change effexor or some BS.

Why can it not be so easy to get what we actually need?