Benzo alternatives

Zyprexa helped my anxiety.

Pdoc's are being pushed to not write benzo scripts, Same as GP's are having a hard time writing for pain medications...as mentioned everything is reported.

Also there are well documented studies are showing that long term use is leading to early dementia.

I think all the standard substitutes have been mentioned already.

Im glad you at least found a Pdoc

I know they are monitoring more closely but it's weird drs are reacting like this. My impression has been that as long as the need is documented and there isn't oversuse in general it's fine. Nobody has a problem with my 2 benzos and I take Norco for migraines because the only triptan I can take with the MAOI must be taken within a few minutes of the first warning sign and since I mainly get migraines while driving now that they are mostly controlled the triptans sit unused. My family dr is perfectly fine writing for the Norco every 6-12 months. And when I had surgery I was practically offered a pain pill buffet. It took me 3 months to get through the first bottle of Norco and I had a percocet script and was asked at every visit (every 2-3 weeks) if I had enough pain meds. Granted with the surgery I had they don't want you taking NSAIDs so they give stronger stuff a bit longer to create excess scar tissue rather than risking not having enough, but still, there was no hesitation in offering pain pills and I did very well and was coming off them within a few days of surgery and was off nearly completely by 2 weeks; they were willing to have me on them for 6 weeks.

Different drs, different places. I know the dr for the hospital unit I go to hates benzos but has left mine alone. The first time I was in he did change me to klonopin because ativan wasn't working very well with my new meds (and he took me off benzos when I was suicidal) but otherwise has been fine with what I'm on. Not sure he'd go for the valium plus klonopin of the last few months but that's been an extreme situation.

It's so weird how these things vary in different places.

Bezos are highly addictive and you develop a tolerance and have to take more and more as tie goes on.

Some people are more sensitive. I take them rarely. I would rather smoke weed. I have quit pot for a few months though.

I'm already dependent/addicted. I've been on benzos daily for the last three years. It's not like this new doctor is going to be preventing anything. It's already happened. I asked lady on the phone why they don't prescribe them and she said "well, they're habit forming". The "habit" is already formed.

Well, are you ready to try without them? I think they would taper you down ?

I think when used properly and monitored closely they can be completely safe. You can develop tolerance and definitely psychological dependence but I've been on benzos fo 13 years and could stop taking them tonight. I might have an upset stomach for a day or two and that would be it. I really don't remember any problems wehn I was taken off it cold turkey in the hospital. I don't WANT to stop them tonight because it wouldmake memiserable but I could.

valentina - At this point in my life no, I'm not ready. I don't have a choice. Yeah, they said they'd taper me.

jen - Benzo withdrawal is very hard for me physically. I get muscle twitches, muscle spasms, feeling like weight on chest, tightness in head (only way I can describe it), tingling and then numbing of toes, overly sensitive skin... This was from when I decided I didn't want to be on alprazolam anymore and stopped cold turkey.

Not sure what clonazepam will be like. Hopefully not like that. I'm cold turkeying it starting today.

I think that with klonopin you risk seizures if you don't taper because that's what it actually is: a seizure drug. I'm not 100% positive of this but I am pretty sure that's what the pharmacist said before. You may want to check that before you try to go cold turkey. Besides, if the other withdrawl was so bad, why not try to make it easier on yourself?

I've always been able to hop off nearly anything without problems. Aside from some antidepressants with head zaps and generally not feeling great I can't remember anything that's bothered me. But I would still taper, just to be sure. The only times I've come off something cold turkey has either beein IP or because of a problem with how I was handling the med.

Be VERY careful tapering off the Klonapin! It can causes seizures! I've been tapering off Klonapin (1mg) for the last 12-weeks under the care of my Pdoc and even that rate of withdrawl is too fast. Benzodiazapines reduce the effectiveness of your GABA receptors in your brain, it can take years for the receptors to heal. In the meantime, anxiety can increase. I am really angry I have been prescribed Klonapin for 10-years when it should only be prescribed for few weeks at a time. 2-mg is a high dose and withdrawl should be carefully monitored by a physician- I wish you the best

Coming off any benzio has a huge risk of Seizures. Its just the nature of the beast. That is why a taper or detox must be done.

Here's a fun story

I have been on Xanax up to 3 mg a day at least 5 years.. Typically I took at least 1mg a day per my Pdocs orders as to avoid a Seizure. He had no problem with me taking it up to 3mg a day. I never abused them, or "ran out" before I was due for a refill and I never "lost them" So no problems, but he advised me that if I ever wanted off it I really needed to do a Hospital detox or do a 3 month very slow taper... Ok fine, No problem.

Last month I had to go IP for some situational trauma and my Fibro pain... While I was there my pain flared so bad I was actively suicidal, actually more so than what made to check myself in.. the weekend Pdoc said the only way he would help me is if I agreed to detox off Xanax , I explained the how and why I took them and that my Pdoc had no problem.. Anyway about 6 hours later apparently I agreed ,I honestly don't remember as my pain had me outta my mind, I had called my husband frantic and desperate and threatening to find a way to end things. I don't remember that or anything due to my pain. Fellow patients told me later I was just sobbing and begging for help.

Anyway that ratbastard put me through a detox using Phenabarbitol ,according to the nurses I was given 10 hours of doses ,you have to hit a certain neurology response that is how they know you have been sufficently poisoned .. I didn't know where I was, I didn't even know who I was. I do know I wasn't able to sit up let alone stand for "apparently about 12 hours" I do remember crawling towards the bathroom to vomit, not sure I made it all the way. I was blacking out. Nurses told me later that I was screaming and terrified for hours and I was not responding to them at all. Due to the Phenebarbitol there couldn't give me anything.

The pdoc never did do anything for my pain, go figure. So being manipulated in that way is wrong on so many levels.

I slept maybe a total of 8 hours in 6 days. my IP Pdoc was very upset that the weekend guy manipulated me that way, but he said he was glad I was off them due to the increase risk of early dementia. ( Which I have researched and I do understand why pdocs are not wanting to prescribe it)

Xanax was the only thing that gave me a halfass shot of any semblance of sleep.

So I go back to my Pdoc and he was really pissed that I went through that and was lied too. This is about 12 days after my discharge and I had slept less than 8 hours. He offered me to go back on Xanax.. NO THANKS !! I figured eventually someone was going to push the issue of going off it again, and no way do I ever want to go through something so horrific.. We still haven't found anything to help my insomnia, trust me I have tried everything.

So now I deal with massive anxiety and none of my coping skills are touching it. I also have a constant Nausea, Phenegren and Zofran doesn't even help. I also have a nice label of PTSD because of that Detox. Nice hu?

I don't regret going off of it. I just wish I had known what I was agreeing too. Not knowing who you are or where you are is f'n brutal. I lost 36 hours, I have no idea what happened, I will never get those hours back.

The end !

I wish I had never been prescribed a benzo in the first place. I didn't know getting off would be so hard.

Christina - That's horrible! Wow.

I'll say It again I quit benzos cold turkey. From 4 mg a day. My personal experience looking back. Benzos are horrible for me and my health personally. Coming off had me about to pass out anytime I tried to do anything. Yes literally. Spine felt like it was it knots. My jaw kept locking.. Felt like it of course for the first 3 weeks. Shaking non stop. No way to sit still.. I was off work for a month. And now I feel like I have some types of memory loss... I hate the dr that first prescribed me them

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This is really stressing me out.

Just breathe, it will be ok, you'll get through it.

Im tapering off clonazepam at the moment too. My pdocs keep putting it up to 4mg and I keep tapering it down again because I do not want to develop a dependence. I said I would take it PRN but they were concerned about egodystonia. I've been on it 17 months now.

I've gone from 4mg to 0.5mg in 2 months and have had very few physical side effects (that I wasnt already experiencing) but I have been a little extreme lately. Thats not the only med change I've had though and there have been triggers. I havent found anxiety to be much of a problem, I've had a little OCD and depression but Im not sure its related.

I actually feel better today after dropping to 0.5 2 days ago. I was up and outside by 6am. This doesnt have to be a bad thing.

Were you taking it for anxiety? Have you tried CBT strategies?

I have severe anxiety and I get paranoia/anxiety attacks (that can be really intense).

I've only been on clonazepam for five months (roughly), but before that I was on 4mg of alprazolam a day for three years.

I'm just unsure of these alternatives.

And I'm scared of clonazepam withdrawal because alprazolam was so horrible.

And I'm stuck! It took forever just to get an appointment with this person. I can't find someone else.

I forget, did you check with university hospitals that are teaching med students/residents? My experience with them has been excellent care, they know lots about meds because they are teaching them and so they are willing to be more open to different ideas. I've only got experience with one hospital but numerous departments and each time there have been positives and people willing to work with me (which has taken creativity and adaptation in dealing with my MAOI and 3 surgeries in the last 4 years b/c MAOIs are impacted by a lot of meds used in surgery.) When I'm IP my psychiatrist communicates with the hospital pdoc and so I don't come out of the hospital with my meds messed up.

And I'd say more but I think the nausea/vomiting side effect of my new med is about to kick in....ask me questions if you want to know more about my experience. I'll probably be in the bathroom.

Yeah alprazolam would have been no fun to withdraw from, and is why I want off the daily benzo before it becomes an issue for me.

I used to have really bad anxiety a few years ago but have learnt to work through it with various techniques.

If they do an easy taper you might have very few side effects and be able to work through them with t support.

Also some Lavender or Balance essential oil behind the ears may help with any withdrawals. I'd reccomebd doTERRA or Ypung Living brand. Pure and no synthetic crap.

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raspberrytorte, what dose are you on and how long? Just slowly wean and remember everybody's response is different. Don't forget that. As you taper, communicate with them. If it's BAD, then it might need to be less of a taper. Don't get yourself worked up and until the taper starts. I know that is easier said than done since that is why we take Benzos in the first place! Keep us posted! Hugs!

Not to jack this thread, but I have a bottle of Balance essential oil at my house. What is it supposed to do and where do you apply it? (Assuming it helps with more than just withdrawal.) I bought it, but I'm lost as to what to do with it, lol.

Hey, thought I'd tell ya, I am completely off Clonazepam now with very few physical side effects and honestly the mental ones were very mild compared to coming off some other meds! It only took me a few weeks.

quickly tapered off 2mg daily of xanex after a year on them., not good but I survived,. now on buspar, . was 20 mg am and 20mg night, had a episode of total rage so dropped to 10am and 10pm it has worked for me,... at least it keeps me from grinding my teeth... good luck ...

supanova - That's really encouraging! Thank you.