Benzodiazpine Withdrawals

I do want to warn everyone that is taking Benzodiazepines. Xanax, Clonazepam, Klonipin, Ativan, Valium, etc.. THIS IS A PSYCHOTIC DRUG! ONLY TO BE USED FOR 2-4 WEEKS. I was put on them for yrs. I had terrible anxiety... the more anxiety I had, the more the doctor was upping my dose! It was the Clonazepam causing it. I went to a detox, they cold turkey'd me ~ TAPER SLOWLY. You will have the worst withdrawals and they are not like an opioid withdrawal! it takes weeks to over a year to go through the withdrawals. Trust Me I was a victim of such. READ UP ON THEM. See sites like benzo.org.uk then join a benzo group. They should be treated like an opioid. They can be worse than them.

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They are treated like an opioid these days.
Read EVERYTHING the pharmacy gives you with the meds. None of what you wrote is hidden information . . . you should report your doctor for not properly tapering you off them. Benzo withdraws can kill you.
That being said, I have had a prescription for them since 1998 & only experienced slight withdrawals from switching types once. I take them as needed, which isn’t regularly.
Antidepressants and allergy medication and many meds will cause withdrawals when you stop taking them suddenly.

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Been taking them for 20 years. 1 mg Xanax to sleep. I have nothing but good things to say about it. I’m also older and some people can’t handle it in today’s world. People freak out if it’s prescribed to them today because today doctors take you off everything once you get use to it. It’s sad. Years ago nobody cared because it wasn’t a problem. As for me I can never go off them and I’m just fine with that. Best of luck.

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These are NOT Psychotic medications, these are anti anxiety medications! Anti Psychotics include such as: Thorazine, Haldol, Mellaril, ect... totally different.

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Re: Gigi (# 3)

They are a Benzo. is listed as a psychotic medication,

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Re: Bella (# 2)

I had taken it, I also am older. So are you writing, that when you do not take your medication, you do not start having withdrawals? Serious withdrawals? I understand we all have withdrawals, but these last for months to years.

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Re: Lydia J (# 4)

No they are NOT listed as an anti psychotic, do not know where ya got that info, but you are wrong. Benzo's are not the same as Anti Psychotics. I am 100% positive on this because I went to Nursing School and learned the difference. Maybe you meant it can cause a psychotic episode; not really sure what you mean.

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Re: Lydia J (# 5)

I have never missed a day and I’m fine. Never increased nothing. I guess I just do one sometimes 11/2 for bed. I’m senior and had some PTSD in recent years. But because I’m of age over 60, I don’t care it’s part of my life. But I heard something I don’t no is true or not. That Big Pharma is adding filler to them... I heard wood... I s*** you not. Idk.

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Re: Bella (# 7)

NO Pharma company is cutting your meds with wood... I can assure you that!! Now, if you buy off the black market... all bets are off.

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Re: House Jr (# 8)

By all accounts, the drug supply in the United States is among the safest and most controlled in the world. But it's under a growing threat from organized and white-collar criminals pushing stolen, out-of-date, adulterated or fake medications. They make their way into pharmacies, nursing homes, hospitals and doctors' offices. At best, they are suspect because they are sold outside of the regulated supply chains. At worst, they may be medically worthless or even toxic.

And don’t insult me by saying I would ever get a drug from the black market. I am a senior and prescribed these pills for years and I have no problem. They creep into pharmacies and hospitals as well. Nobody is safe from anything.

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Re: Gigi (# 3)

any mind-altering medication that affects your Gaba. I believe is a psychotic medication. There are benzos listed in that group. Most Anxiety can be controlled through different tools, not medication, we have to learn not to pop a pill every time we get anxious.

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Re: Bella (# 9)

I'm sorry they are not that controlled. there are so many different fillers that can cause malabsorption.

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Re: Bella (# 2)

Did you watch This is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN Oct. 6th, 2019? Very good reporting, once you are prescribed them, you cannot get off of them, Its a horrible medication, and its not to be used for sleep. That is off Label scribing

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Re: Lydia J (# 11)

Not true. You are Fake News just like the CNN you watch.

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Re: Lydia (# 12)

Having chronic anxiety before I sleep or any other part of the day is why they are prescribed. You don’t know me. I am in my 60’s. I have no worries. Rest of my life I don’t care. It’s people like you that put scare tactics in others that should not comment. Either say how they were to you and that’s that.

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Re: Bella (# 13)

sorry you feel that way, google benzodiazepines, just trying to warn you. Also Lisa Ling from This is Life did a big expo on them. Is she Fake too? don't say I didn't warn you Bella

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Re: Bella (# 14)

I was prescribed them for anxiety. It caused more anxiety. I was cold turkey'd off of them, (didn't matter, tapering to fast is bad as well). I suffered, tinnitus, agoraphobia, night sweats, cold sweats, heightened anxiety, tremors, insomnia, balance problems, derealization, depersonalization, overstimulation, depression, I can go on and on, it lasted 18 months, only 2 windows the whole time. My Dr did all kinds of tests before I found out what was going on.

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Re: Lydia (# 15)

I don’t need to Google anything I am comfortable. I’m good. I don’t care. Why does this bother you so much? IDGAF. CNN is fake news. And I’m done answering you apparently you’re paranoid and should not be on anything.

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Re: Bella (# 2)

Thanks Bella... We and I include myself when saying this are quick to judge medication often labelling one bad without exception...... Its about using your medication responsibly and doing your homework by researching all medications pros and cons along with honest conversation with the doctor. In this case I see no harm for you taking 1mg Xanax at bedtime you are obviously following your doctor's orders and know what works for you.....thanks again.??

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Re: Bella (# 17)

Lydia sounds like her Anxiety issues have not been resolved. It shows how she keeps repeating herself in this forum. Anyway doctors including mine in the 90's & 2000 prescribed Benzo's with Anti-Depressants to help take the edge off getting used to the Anti-Depressant over the 6-8 week adjustment period. This means I was on Klonopin .5 - 1mg. for more than 8 weeks. not being told then that it could become addictive. He even told me when I asked, "Are these addictive?" "No" he said, "You're on a very low dose".15 years later I tried to get off Klonopin & ended up suicidal and admitted to rehab. I felt I was on my way only to give in to going back on Benzo's & Anti-Depressants. It stabilized me for the last 2 years & am now living a normal life at age 65. Had I known back then I would become addicted, I would have looked for alternatives. Too late now. Those few months of withdrawal were horrible & I never want to go through it again. Again everyone is different. Some will have no problem getting off Benzo's. I wish the doctors would have been more responsible back then.

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Re: Bella (# 14)

Thanks Bella... We and I include myself when saying this are quick to judge medication often labelling one bad without exception...... Its about using your medication responsibly and doing your homework by researching all medications pros and cons along with honest conversation with the doctor. In this case I see no harm for you taking 1mg Xanax at bedtime you are obviously following your doctor's orders and know what works for you.....thanks again.??

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Re: Happy187 (# 41)

Well I’ve been on Xanax for 15 years and never had a problem. I am not young and for two years I was given 5 mg oxycodone 15 a month but just when I really needed it. I have serious chronic pain. I no longer take those. But to label people as “pill heads” is an insult to me and others who need their pain medication and don’t care if they take them rest of their lives if a senior. I disagree. If a doctor asked me which one could I live without I’d choose the Oxys but never the Xanax. And I will take them and not give a rats ass about it. If you are young different story.

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So what is the best non drug way to deal with anxiety?

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I have been on Clonopin/generic for years. I was put on them in the hospital because I refused to take seizure medication. Only reason I refused is because the rest key coming back negative & my mom was an RN @ the time she saw my heart monitor & noticed I was having irregular heart beats not anxiety or seizure. She told the nurse & doctors this but they ignored her. So after being told which seizure meds they wanted to give me I refused unless it was an anti-anxiety as well because when my heart would skip beats or pause just to return to normal an he later I was always asleep when this happened . I was put on 1mg a day at night fast forward 20yrs later I am now at 3x a day. I tried to get off them with doctors help when I was still on 1x a day only after a heart doctor diagnosed the correct problem. I did fine until the last day of 1/4 of a pill then done I collapsed from a really bad headache & went to ER where they just started me back in them. Instead of treating the headache & be fine with them for good. I was mad. The reason I am replying is all most of of the ones you named are also anti-seizure medications so if you are on them for that reason I don’t recommend going off of them because it can cause seizures again & with out help from your doctor can also make you have seizures if you only had anxiety. So you are some what correct on how the meds are hard to get off of but if the person has seizures & reads this & decides they want off it will make them return & people who don’t have them & take it for anxiety can also. So it it is horrible to get off of for anxiety but can do more damage if it is not done right. One last thing they are NOT short term medication unless if used only for anxiety.

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If u think benzo wd's are worse than opiate wd's, u have never been an addict! I've been on clonazepam, xanax, & valium over the past 10 years on and off and the worst part is headaches and maybe diarrhea and it lasts for less than a week. Any true "pill head" out there will agree that opiates are far worse to get over. You physically can not do anything when going through opiate withdrawal, it's the flu x1000000! And I'll go up against anyone who thinks otherwise.

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Re: Optimistic (# 38)

well, over 7000 people will have to disagree with you. I couldn't believe it myself, my Doctor ran so many tests for so many symptoms that came up. I do not have anxiety any longer, I only had it when I was put on the Benzos. Ativan, Valium, and Klonipin. Some tolerance symptoms and withdrawals symptoms are all part of the horrid medication that we get hijacked on

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Re: Optimistic (# 38)

I don't have anxiety, I did while I was on them, and I was when I first got cold turkey'd off of them. That's the thing, the more I was given the worse I got. And like over 7000 people I know, are going through the most horrific withdrawals not recognized by the medical community. I had no idea for a yr. what was wrong with me, they did test after test, until I was invited into a support group, and they had every symptom I had plus so many more.

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Re: Lydia J (# 5)

No way they last for years. You’re probably experiencing symptoms of anxiety now that you don’t have anti anxiety meds.

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Re: Bella (# 35)

Also, I did not use the Klonipin for my Gallstones or arthritis as I can see you are very uneducated, just saying if you want to list health issues here we go. So get off my butt, I am Warning people the effects of at least 7,000 people that I am aware of that are in misery from this medication, seems like you are too, for one of the side effects is aggression and depersonalization.

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Re: Bella (# 35)

If ppl were educated on their meds, why use this forum??? Glad you will not reply, you are using ulgy words and are just a miserable old lady with a closed mind.

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Re: Lydia (# 33)

I think people are pretty educated at this age about their medications we don’t need you who is paranoid to explain it. Benzos have nothing to do with RA... if you read the post correctly, it states I only take Benzos and I won’t take anything for RA...gallstones? Please... have your gallbladder out like I did. I’m done talking to you. Not going to comment again. Good luck.

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