coming off benzos (w/response)

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[My comments are marked by ** at various points in your post --]

" joelley " writes:

<<Hello everyone!

I hope all of you are enjoying spring and are looking forward to the summer. I

am writing in hopes of getting some feedback from others about their experiences

in coming off benzodiazepines.

Everything that I have read about benzodiazepine withdrawal points out that

benzo withdrawal is a very individual thing. No two people are the same in how

to taper best or what withdrawal symptoms each person will have.>>

** This is partially true. But there is a way to tell everyone how best to

" taper " . It allows a person to individualize it to meet their needs.

ly writes:

<<My question is in regards to getting feedback from people about how they coped

during withdrawal. Were you able to work or not? What kind of taper rates were

each of you using to get off your drug? How long were you on the benzodiazepine

before getting off?

The reason I am asking these questions is that the people I have talked to who

are going through benzo withdrawal for the most part are non functional. When I

say non functional I mean they are not sleeping at all, have multiple withdrawal

symptoms which hinder him or her from being able to work or be out in society

the way they were before withdrawing. >>

** ANYONE who is " non-functional " is either reducing too much at once or

putting too little time in between reductions.

it's really not rocket science. There is one thing that everyone can do that

will result in a successful and fairly comfortable withdrawal. People who have

been here for a while know exactly what I'm going to say next.

The way to withdraw from a benzodiazepine is to begin with a 5% reduction.

If you find it is too uncomfortable (you should expect some mild to moderate

symptoms but nothing worse), you need to go back up, wait until you feel

" normal " again, then begin again, except this time with a 2% reduction.

Now here's the really important part. Do not use calendar and count the days

between reductions. Instead, let your body tell you when to do the next

reduction.

How do you know when it is telling you it's time? This is very simple. You

ask yourself, " Do I feel as well OR better than I felt prior to this last

reduction? "

If you can say yes, then it's time for the next reduction. If the answer is

no, you need to wait. If you follow this you'll never find yourself

" non-functional " .

There are considerations that need to be explored before beginning. For

instance, what benzodiazepine are you taking? Are you on any other drugs? If so,

what? How long have you been on everything? Have you recently stopped any

drug? Do you have any medical conditions? How old are you? And on and on...

There are a few people who are taking only the benzodiazepine for a couple

of years or less and have no health issues. They can follow the basic outline

and be fine. But most people will need some help identifying what needs to be

addressed before the reductions can begin. People tend to not understand that

all of these things are interconnected and will have bearing on each other.

ly writes:

<<I am tapering and so far I am dealing with insomnia issues, which I know can

be part of the withdrawal process from benzodiazepines.

I have tried chamomile, and passion flower with no results.

I am thinking of trying melatonin, as I have read that it can help with

insomnia.>>

** Melatonin? It depends on your age. Even then, you have to remember that

even though it is easily purchased it is a hormone that we know very little

about. Depending on your particular biochemistry there are supplement

combinations that can serve you well.

ly writes:

<<I also know that it takes time for the body to reset its own clock back to

normal sleep patterns. However, I feel that hearing how others came off a

benzodiazepine and how they coped will give me some other ideas about how to add

new coping strategies into my everyday life.

Thanks for anyone's input.

le>>

** It's good that you understand what it takes to heal. Try to remember

the more you look for one substance to address each discreet symptom, the more

you are perpetuating the way of thinking that got you taking a benzodiazepine.

You'll do much better to have the whole picture examined and sorted out.

Your thoughts now?

Regards,