If This Helps Even One Person.....

[clean_in_ks]

Well, MedHelpers....if this post helps even one person...it will have been worth it.  I stopped taking hydrocodone, soma and prozac on June 23rd, 2012.  I was on subs for 28 days after that....49 days after getting off subs, I chose to get off gabapentin.  All my trackers reflect these milestones today.

Towards my 9 month hydro-free milestone...I began taking 1/2 pill every day or so of a prescription my husband had in the house for sleep.  It was a benzo....called temazepam...brand name Restoril.  He has never been addicted to any drug and took one of these pills at night for sleep.  I, on the other hand, began taking 1/2 of one of his pills during the daytime for anxiety.  Well......somewhere close to 90 days later....I could feel my feet walking down a path I KNEW I did NOT want to go.  I have NEVER been addicted to a benzo...didn't know that much about them actually.  I figured hydros, somas, prozac, subs and gabapentin were enough to learn about for awhile!!  Anyhoo....I began to recognize this "old" head game workin....and it felt like "old drug seeking behavior" to me.

My hubby and I discussed this.....made a joint decision NOT to refill his Rx.  We both take sublingual melatonin at night and are both doing good with that.  HOWEVER, it will be 3 wks tomorrow that I've been off the benzo.  Man o man....even though the dose was low and I didn't take it for very long.....I 've had stinkin w/drawals from doing this!!!

I have found ************ online....and Dr. Ashton's works online and learned a ton!  I don't consider this experience a relapse....as I wasn't going BACK on a drug I had ever taken before.  My trackers are still honest and true.....but I will be adding another one for this idiotic experience.  

Some people INSIST that if you are an addict to one drug...you will be an addict to ALL drugs.  I agree that the likelihood of becoming addicted to another substance is HIGH for me.  I definitely cannot partake in opiates/opioids, muscle relaxers, certain AD meds, benzos of any kind, or drugs like lyrica or gabapentin.  That's JUST ME.

One of the "MYTHS of addiction" that I have read by addiction experts is this one:  "People addicted to one drug are addicted to ALL drugs."  This is the explanation given about that particular myth:  "While this sometimes occurs, most people who are dependent on a drug may be dependent on one or two drugs, but not all.  This is probably due to how each drug "matches up" with the person's brain chemistry."

I say all that only because, for me, I am learning which drugs "I" personally cannot take.  Believe you me, I don't plan on testing all the family of drugs out there....lol....but it helped me to KNOW this and maybe it will help one of you that takes the tiime to read this.

So, Clean_in_Ks....has learned a very valuable lesson that I wanted to share/explain to some who thought I "slipped".  I'm not a big fan of that word "slip"....cause I either relapsed or I didn't.  The dictionary defines relapse this way:  a recurrence of a past condition.



  



  

[bama88]

Most people don't bother to research medications  before starting them....and doctors won't or don't have the time to educate us about each drug and combos.....then we find out the hard way....however pharmaceuticals are getting a lot more press.  We have to stay proactive when it comes to prescription meds....research research research....

I'm glad you had the tools and knowledge to catch yourself before you went to deep....benzos can be a beast in its self.

Thanks for the info....and congrats on your clean time....

[ricart70]

What do you think made you start taking these at nine months in ?
  Was there an event that caused anxiety or were you just trying to take the "edge" off of everyday life ?   What are you doing to manage the anxiety now?
  Great job on quitting the temazepam.  It is a beast and it can kill you.
   Hope your withdrawal is short and painless as can be !

[akitagurl12]

Thank you so much for sharing this.  I can relate to ALOT of what you said, as I got myself caught in a similar situation.  You provided alot of insights. Keep moving forward!

[Overwhelmed10]

Thanks for the post clean! So informative and so true!

[1sorryperson]

Been there, had more than 50 brand name scribed to me in 20 years, never knew Anti depressats, sleep aids, anti anxiety, anti psychotic legally scribed meds from a dr were addictive then. My dr would tell to stop that one and start taking this one, or wait one day to start.  I didn't know what brain zaps were either.  I learned the truth from everyone here on mh, not my dr.
   You know my quirky way of renaming people and things, Ms Kansas.  I called it 'entry' and 're-entry' when i had constant weird feelings, dizzy, slurred speach, headaches zaps, diarrea, etc. from stopping paxil, geodon, zoloft, hydro, xanex and  the rest,  my nicname for Restoril was 'riskitall'.
   You made a great post here Connie, don't want to hijack it, but add otc sleepaid that is same as benedryl to the lisk of additive surprises.
  Bless you all!

[EvolverU]

Magnificent Post, C.!

I too, went through what I'd imagine was a low level benzo detox when I used them to mitigate the horrible Methadone withdrawals. I didn't even take them every day but used them for a couple of mos. Sleepless hell ensued.

I love the following:

Some people INSIST that if you are an addict to one drug...you will be an addict to ALL drugs.  I agree that the likelihood of becoming addicted to another substance is HIGH for me.  I definitely cannot partake in opiates/opioids, muscle relaxers, certain AD meds, benzos of any kind, or drugs like lyrica or gabapentin.  That's JUST ME.

And.....:

One of the "MYTHS of addiction" that I have read by addiction experts is this one:  "People addicted to one drug are addicted to ALL drugs."  This is the explanation given about that particular myth:  "While this sometimes occurs, most people who are dependent on a drug may be dependent on one or two drugs, but not all.  This is probably due to how each drug "matches up" with the person's brain chemistry."

I find it to be a tricky, tricky continuum of gray & I for one, (knowing me..or at least trying to get to 'know me') must tread extremely cautiously. I'm really spooked by the idea of 'finding out the hard way [yet again]' what these substances might be! So, I must be extra-vigilant (particularly right now!)

Anyway, my friend, I'm not in a condition to be particularly insightful these days. I just wanted to say that this post is an example to us all & your honesty & strength infuse me with a much-needed injection at this point in the proceedings. I also wanted to thank you for reaching out to me during this fraught period. I'll never forget it.

With Love & Gratitude,

Annie Girl

[Brightfutureahead]

Thanks for sharing your experience...

[selfinduced]

Thanks for sharing your personal experience with us. It is sure to help not only new members detoxing, but veterans that are tempted to do the same. I never liked benzo's. They made me dizzy, tired and unable to function but I'll be darn if I didn't also get dependent post detox cause of the anxiety. Don't get me wrong they were a lifesaver and if I stopped after 4-5 days it would have been the perfect med. Problem is our brains tell us the anxiety is still there and why go thru it if you can just take a pill and get "around it". I took me several months to wean off and certainly was NOT worth the benefit . You my friend are a perfect example of "now we know better, we do better". So glad you lost those pills. Does this mean we get to have another party for you at one year benzo free day? YAY!!!

[OpenMind24hours]

Hi Connie, great post! Good info. Glad you caught it in time and didn't do too much damage to your "sleeper" as my old sponsor used to call it. There's quite a long drug list in the hypnotic family of fine pharmaceuticals. Hypnotic/benzo type meds are wicked, and even more wicked to get off of.  Yet millions of good folks take them every night for sleep, unaware of what damage they can do until its too late.

I did the same thing 3 years ago. I had a mini-stroke and was in the hospital and couldn't sleep. I asked the night nurse for something and I ended up with 5mg Ambien. The next morning I was totally head over heels in love with the stuff. It's in the same family as temazepam. You get a great nights sleep and wake up completely raring to go with no after effects. I asked my doctor for a script as soon as I got in to see him. I took 9 months worth, 10mg a night. Then I wanted off and that's when I found out how really screwed I was. It took me 4 months to taper off and my sleep is STILL bad 3 years later. The lesson I learned was to  research research research prior to my jumping into chemistry land. There are so many designer drugs out there they peddle to us on TV, like the Lunesta Butterfly fluttering in between the innings of the ball game... They solve a problem and cause us three more! Addiction is only one of the problems caused by hypnotics.  I thank the God of my understanding that he's allowing me to finally be clean and sober again after the nightmares I've gone through.

Again, thank God you got off the stuff and your "sleeper" is still purring like a kitten! Thanks for posting Connie!!

[VICourageous]

Very Good Connie. I do read a lot of people that take Benzo, Drink or Smoke Pot During or after w/ds. There is a chart that shows every single drug that we can get addicted too because of our Brian Chem. I think it was in that Video I told you about. Right. Sometimes I still crave the UP high but not a Down one. So I know I could get out of control with many Substances out there. Even Alcohol. I have not had a drink in over 8 years but I do know this will just start it back up again. It does really su** that we have this kind of disease and that we can keep it some what like in remission if we do not play with fire. Darn! Darn! It sure does take a lot of Work to live in my own Skin sometimes. But it is getting way better. And NO I do not consider that a relapse either. I think we become more in tune with our self and know what is right and wrong. Good Post my Friend.
Bless Always!!!!

[toothfairie]

i agree Kyle...i had a whole bottle of trams that i flushed....they never did anything for me so i never took them...they were just not my DOC....dodged a bullet there too....never knew they could be abused til i joined MH. I was a one drug (hydro) kind of gal...lol  

[kyle505]

Good post.  And I have to agree, at least in theory, that we are not addicted to all drugs ONLY because we don't always like what various drugs have to offer. For example, I don't care for Soma or any kind of muscle relaxer.  But I have an addictive personality and always over do things. So, if I did like Soma the abuse would be a given.
And you're right - we shouldn't tempt fate by messing with anything that has the potential to mess with us.  
K

[ariley13]

Thank you for sharing this. I know that it will help many people. It's good for us to always be on guard with any meds that we take.  I am so proud of you. You are such an amazing, strong lady.

[toothfairie]

thanks for this post Clean!  very informative!  I took ativan during WDs...and it helped my anxiety sometimes but I found myself "needing" to take them more after the worst was over for the ever present anxiety...i only had like 20 pills....so glad i never got anymore....i think i dodged a bullet as well...I know i can't take them or any AD without getting in trouble long term.