benzo withdrawal

[toothfairee]

Hi, I need help with withdrawing from benzos, i ended up after four years going to two different docs and two different pharmacies. I have been treated like pond scum by one doc, she would not refill my rx of 4mg of klono a day and gave me 10 days worth of 3 mgs. My other doc won't give me klono until I come in now on august 18th, I have a refill of 10 mg of valium available and norco by wednesday. So I am on the rapid taper off schedule due to the medical professionals seemingly punishing behavior. I have available about 10 1 mg xanax so I am going to do the best I can with what I have. I have read horror stories about withdrawal and I have a highly stressful job, also due to the benzo addiction I have brain fog and make silly mistakes, I feel shame at work. So does anyone have any ideas on how to make this manageable? I want my life back and I want to be able to function. A friend suggested a 3 day detox but it is $400 a day and I have heard they just give you antiseizure meds, so I would be going through withdrawal anyway. I have tried for about a year now to taper and am finding it difficult. I am going to have my friend hold my pills and just motor through. Can it be done in a month? with such a lower dosage? I also was taking percocets vicodins norcos oxy muscle relaxants and probably almost overdosed a few times. I had 20 years of recovery and i relapsed with pills. I got back with a boyfriend who is an addict and I used them to cope and then of course my addiction kicked in. so just some positive thoughts help and answers would be wonderful. thx

[IBKleen]

The doctors forum is currently not accepting new questions and hasn't been since June. Your best bet is to get honest with your doctor and do this properly. This is not something to fool around with.

[lulu747]

The very best advice I can give you is to come clean with the doctor- ONE of them- and say you want off and need a good taper plan.  I never abused benzos but was put on a very high dose of oxazepam years ago when I was on a lot of prednisone for my Crohn's disease.  It was prescribed for sleep.  After I got off the pred, and then the opiates, I began to taper down slowly.  I kept getting stuck at 20 mg.  I would not sleep for days, have ringing in my ears, etc.  So I stayed there for a long time until my partner and I decided we wanted to have a baby.  I am waiting for surgery that will hopefully cure my disease so I CAN have a baby.  In the meantime I was switched to valium because it is longer acting and have been doing a taper that is very successful.  I drop half a dose every 8 weeks.  My doc prescribed Tryptophan which is a natural seratonin booster and mood stabilizer and I've felt NO w/d effects.  I have 8 weeks left in my taper.

Listen, it's going to be different for you as I'm guessing you're taking the benzos for anxiety and I am taking them for sleep- but you HAVE to start somewhere.
The only way you will get proper care is to be completely honest.  And trust me, you need help with this.  Do not try it on your own.  Benzo w/d is so tricky and everyone is different.

Best of luck and keep us posted...
Lu

[essdipity]

Klonopin is an awful drug to come off, and 4 mg is a high dosage. I was on Klonopin for years and never abused it or wanted to, but I certainly became dependent without the slightest idea of what I'd gotten into. My doctor gave me no warning.

That seems like a lifetime ago and in some ways it was, because I just trusted in that and other doctors. After suffering the tortures of the damned, I got a lot wiser and very proactive about all things medical. Not meaning to go into my own story, so I'll just say that it's almost impossible to taper off that dosage in just a month.

I urge you to get started with an addictions doctor and get off everything you mention, under his or her guidance. Your way is dangerous and possibly a nightmare. Best of luck.

[Jinx_777]

just thought of something.  we cannot give tapering advice here because we are not doctors, but if you click on forums and on the doctor side (right side) click on addiction.  there is a doctor on there that always gives tapering suggestions.  read as much as you can there.  
over here, we can support you in other ways

[LadySailor86]

Keep checkin in. You'll get some help here.

[Jinx_777]

i would do as the doctor suggested.  that is a hellava amount of benzos and taper needs to be slow.  
you can't possibly blame 'punishing doctors' when you were doctor shopping.  just be glad no legal action is taking place.  
please be careful with the taper. slowwwwwwww is key.  
unfortunately there is no fast way through it.  between all your meds you will be hurting for sure.