[Queen of Pentacles]

After doing some internet research, I realize that the main thing wrong with me right now is benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome. About four years ago, during a perfect storm of awful events in my life (including the deaths of two of the people I loved most in the world) my doctor prescribed lorazepam for anxiety and to help me sleep (as well as fluoxetine for depression). I took half a milligram of lorazepam just about every night for four years. Recently, it stopped working, so I stopped taking it. Now I feel shaky and anxious, cry at the drop of a hat, can't sleep, and feel really depressed and full of terrible thoughts, especially in the early hours of the morning. Fluoxetine no longer seems to be doing me much good. What I want to know is: how long does benzo withdrawal go on? How long will it be before I feel better and can sleep again? Does anybody out there have experience with this?

[angustios101]

I was given Klonopin for sleep and went through the same thing you are going through right now although lorazepam is supposed to be a lot shorter acting than Klonopins so I'm not sure why you continue to go through withdrawal. Maybe the length of time you took it? The depression/crying spells were the worst for me, I think it took a good month to get back to not crying every day at the drop of a hat. I'm sorry you're going through this, Drs. should have to take their own medicine and see how it makes them fell before prescribing it to others long-term.

[ajmich]

Each person experiences this a bit differently. How long have you been off the drug? The withdrawal syndrome happened to me upon quitting Xanax abruptly after many years of use. In my case the symptoms were severe, intolerable, so I resumed Xanax for a short time. Then my doc switched me to Klonopin and I very very slowly tapered off that. Even with the slow taper, there was about a week of discomfort when finally quitting. Benzos are nasty and way over-prescribed. But please talk to your doctor, you don't need to suffer through this.

[Queen of Pentacles]

Thanks to those who responded. I have been waiting many weeks for an appointment with a new psychiatrist who takes my insurance (the one who prescribed the lorazepam quit taking my insurance, so I had to drop him.) The appointment, finally, is tomorrow. I am hoping the new doc can put me on a protocol for getting off the lorazepam permanently. I have gone back to taking a tiny amount because I can't stand the withdrawal symptoms.

[Fuzzybear]

.......

[kaliope]

I went thru withdrawal from klonopin so started taking it again because I couldn't handle the symptoms. I titrated down on the klonopin by cutting it in 3/4 for a couple weeks, then a half, then a quarter, then an 1/8 before finally quitting after nearly two months, but it worked.

[Queen of Pentacles]

My appointment was not much help. They put me with a nurse practitioner, not a psychiatrist. I know as much, or more, about my condition and the various medications and their effects than she does. I ended up with a prescription for more generic fluoxetine, and the information that the low dose of lorazepam I was taking "should not have resulted in withdrawal symptoms." I am feeling angry and displeased with the treatment I received.

[Queen of Pentacles]

Originally Posted by kaliope

I went thru withdrawal from klonopin so started taking it again because I couldn't handle the symptoms. I titrated down on the klonopin by cutting it in 3/4 for a couple weeks, then a half, then a quarter, then an 1/8 before finally quitting after nearly two months, but it worked.

I am afraid of Klonopin (clonazepam) since I took it for a while a few years ago, and then, when I quit it, I felt like a zombie for several weeks, couldn't remember anything, couldn't concentrate, couldn't do my job effectively. I never want to touch that stuff again with a ten-foot pole (which is the same way I am now feeling about Lorazepam)!

These things act on the opiate centers of the brain and elsewhere where there are opiate receptors.

Milk has exorphins in it which are attracted to the opiate centers of the brain and elsewhere, so it might serve as a temporary relaxant, not only because of the exorphins but also because of the calcium in it.

Bread which contains gluten has exorphins in it which act on opiate centers. It's
highly addictive, though, but far easier to withdraw from than addictive drugs are.
You might use that temporarily as a relief in recovering from drug addiction.

Supplementing with a high quality vitamin B series helps nerves, too; I would add
that to my diet--and remember, vitamins have no ability to help unless they are
taken with food. Try a ham or beef sandwich with a glass of milk and a vitamin B
for relief!

[Queen of Pentacles]

Thanks for support and tips, everyone. I will take vitamins and minerals, exercise every day, and hope I feel better soon. Still feeling annoyed about the nurse practitioner, who was no help at all. My main hope is that when I am done with lorazepam withdrawal, the fluoxetine will be effective again and I will stop feeling so depressed and anxious in the early mornings.