Dr., I believe you’ve fallen victim to the same misunderstanding about the patients you saw rapid tapered as most conventional doctors. Protracted withdrawal syndrome is not always immediately and readily apparent, and even when it is, patients don’t seek help from the same doctors who rapid tapered them. I’ve spoken to hundreds of people who had injuries post-rapid-taper who never knew what had actually happened to them. I’d be willing to bet that many of the people you think ended up okay had major issues. Thank you for the great content.
Hello my physiatrist took me off in four weeks. At the time I had no clue about all this. 16 months ago, still having horrific symptoms. They starts months after I was off them. I’m 70 years old. I never wanted to get off them. Drs just said we don’t prescribe them anymore. So now I’m left in hell! Thanks for pointing this issue out.
@@brendamalone3880what do you think accounts for the fact that it can take months after completely coming off a medication for the real withdrawal to start? That's so unexpected for me... sounds to my interested layperson psych/biological modeling like it could be some epigentic phenomenon where it takes some time following the drug vaccating one'ssystem for whatever gene activation/deactivation the meds had prompted to develop to then unwind or go through whatever adjustments it does under the new condition of the absence of the medications.
Can I just say that I absolutely love the way you are politely giving your opinion about it without being rude, this is the way we should disagree/give constructive critisism. Even ending it with a compliment about the content.
@habaaxd4041 I have nothing but respect for Dr. Yosef and his wife. I just wanted to point that out because I do believe the one thing they’re often wrong about is how small of a population is affected. I went through protracted withdrawal for two years when I was 16-18yo and had no clue. When I look back I can see how the psychology of not understanding what was happening caused myself and others to blame other external variables. No one close to me understands how sick I am even today, so I can see how incredibly difficult it is to account for the actual number of people affected by this injury. The single thing I disagree with them about is that this only happens to a small portion of people. I’d love to be proven wrong, though.
What we really need is a safe medication to counteract these side effects and protracted withdrawals from benzos. Alcoholics get benzos, Opiod addicts get Suboxen, but benzo users have nothing. Great!
Unfortunately, there are no safe alternatives. Same with replacing opiates w/ methadone or Suboxone. Getting these medications out of your body is the best route if it's possible for the individual. I believe more than not this is the case.
@@MollyBrown-f9iApparently, it’s a necessary evil, and seems to work quite well. Btw, most alcoholics who are given benzos to help with withdrawals don’t become dependent on benzos, because they are only given to them for a couple of weeks.
@@doeboy1103I never said it was safe, but Suboxone is definitely a better alternative, and has helped a lot of people get off opioids. It has a pretty solid track record. There’s always room for improvement though.
@@doeboy1103Btw, many people have had success getting off benzos with memantine, agmatine, and other suppliments, like magnesium glycinate. They are all safe, and should be explored more often.
I did a slow taper, 13 months, off of 1 mg of Ativan. I had only been taking it for 3 months when I started my taper. I had terrible symptoms throughout the taper. It has been 7 months since I ended my 13 month taper and I am still having issues… tinnitus, heart palpitations, food and drug sensitivities, a burning sensation on my skin, and gastroparesis. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if I had done a rapid taper.
I did a rapid taper and my symptoms after 10 months being off the drug are identical to what you mention with sleep disruptions on top...I hope you are doing better now as 5 months passed by... Take care. PS: I would never suggest a rapid taper or cold turkey to anybody!!!!
I can relate to that feeling like your body mostly my arms felt like they were on fire .. that was for me the worst physical thing the mental thing was sleeping disorder waking up after 8 months clean cold sweating thru my sheets and pillows .. but whatever in life is good takes sacrifice! Keep going
Thank you for sharing this, this is so important! People need to be made aware of proper tapering. Oh, I wish I saw this before my taper. Thank you for you videos Dr. Witt-Doerring ❤️
I was told to cold turkey off clonazepam and I’m not any better 4 years later. The initial withdrawal is long over but my nervous system has been stuck in fight/flight/freeze the whole time with dysautonomia as well. I was prescribed it nightly for insomnia and took 1mg to .5 every night for 5 years.
I was on this same dose of K for 10 years. I tapered painfully slow over 3 years. I am almost 11 months off and still very symptomatic. If I had CT, I think I’d be about the same as I am now (nearly 4 years later). I guess this is “protracted withdrawal” but I did go very slow. I think our brains just take time to heal. Hold on, healing is happening.
In my country there was no option but to taper off too fast which gave me horrible symptoms, heightened anxiety, neuropathy - pain, burning, weakness, dizziness, no motivation, negativity, I was on benzos before for anxiety and ocd but otherwise I was healthy and full of energy and zest for life, now my life is in ruins. In addition, my Xanax was first changed to Diazepam overnight. Please, what can I do to heal faster? I would do anything. I want my life back. I would like to try the ketogenic diet. Thank you so much for your advice
Right there with you, I’d do anything to get relief and my life back. I too was happy full of life went to the gym four times a week, was a professional artist. Haven’t been able to pick up a paint brush for almost two years. All the hellish symptoms are 24/7 It’s taken my ability to have a functioning life.
The trick is to NOT tell the Dr your tapering or they WILL yank you off. Have seen it over and over (and experienced it myself). If you want to reinstate, ask your Dr for a new renewable prescription. But again don't tell them it's for tapering. Drs get kickbacks for each new rx written and for refills.
Dear Dr so what would you say to those of us that found out about this way too late? I wish I would of know 16 months ago what I know now. There also needs to be more awareness if you’re age 70 or so. Not even sure if that makes a difference. It’s all so wrong what these Drs are doing to people. I feel it’s a crime to rip someone off of their medication that is giving them a functional life. My life now is nonfunctional. Is there any kind of help at all? I was in the gym 4 times a week and was a professional wildlife artist. Haven’t been able to do neither now. Thank you ❤️
The issue with trying to find another doctor is.... None of them want to help. They don't want to clean up someone else's mess. They don't want to prescribe and they don't know how to taper you safely off these drugs.
I've noticed that people who are prone to benzodiazepine abuse and addiction tend to be susceptible to psychogenic illness to begin with, and that just gets exponentially worse as they experience the hell of benzodiazepine withdrawal. During my time as a methadone patient, I've noticed that many of my fellow patients seem to be what some may refer to as hypochondriacs. Decades of fending off withdrawal symptoms can lead to all sorts of strange behaviour. That's why methadone clinics offer what they call "blind tapers" to patients who obsess over lowering their dose.
1:45 I'm sure he actually knows this but benzodiazepines enhance the action of GABA which in turn reduces excitation because it's an inhibitory neurotransmitter.
Your gaba receptors are on a feedback loop in your body, and when they "see" the benzos replace them they reduce their #. So when you try to come off the benzo later you may not have enough gaba receptors to fill the need and your anxiety levels go up and you experience withdrawal. (Gaba receptors are what keep you calm in stressful situations). The longer your on a benzo the higher the likelihood you may already be in a form of tolerance withdrawal (especially with short acting benzos like xanax) and the less gaba receptors you have left.
Appreciate the positive outlook of what may happen after rapid taper. The truth is there is not enough available data to more accurately predict what the outcome may be. Until that time comes it serves no purpose to scare those that have gone through this process with unqualified information that would suggest otherwise. Though it is less common now than years ago many doctors where more apt to give certain cancer patients an approximate time line in regards to how long a patient had to live depending on the stage of cancer the patient was at. Now even with more data available there is nothing conducive to making these types of predictions when time and time again patients prove them to be wrong. There are too many variables with individuals "make up", length of time of drug usage, and well as amount and type of drug(s) prescribed. Giving a person hope that recovery is very much possible goes a long way in the actual recovery process.
Finally someone with a common sense response, thank you. All I see in every comment section is a bunch of complaining about years of suffering. Its hard we all know but fear goes a long way and so does having hope.
I was rapidly tapered from about 120 mg of valium a day. I went into a treatment center and was removed from the valium. This was replaced with librium. I was then tapered over a 9 day period. After that, I went into severe withdraw which lasted about 8 months. It slowly got better but it was the worst thing I have ever experienced.
That sounds like absolute hell. I accidentally went cold Turkey from 40mg for 5 days and felt my mind being destroyed. It was the most terrifying experience of my life. Im now on a slow Ashton taper with a very supportive GP. Down to 35mg after a month and feeling fine so far.
@marksmallwood4938 I cold turkeyed 1mg ativan.......and suffered paws....placed on valium 10mg at 7th 10th day.....as paws was hell on earth....suffering brain damage from it now still at 4 months 3 weeks
I went trough hell tapering Venlafaxine I was suicidal for month and losing my mind. I had to o back on Venlafaxine and gradually got better, now after a full year I fell somewhat normal again. My taper was 10% every 5-6 week so it wasn´t fast.
Great explanation 👌, i experienced this & it hit me hard, i went crazy for over 2 years, still not right. Slowly getting some compensation from their actions , my doctor told me i wouldn't feel any side effects & when I obviously did i called them and they said what your experiencing is not the benzo withdrawa, its your original condition. Wow .. life changing experience
A fair analysis, but not everyone withdrawn off psychiatric drugs is in the same position, there are so many underlying elements that can directly affect the tapering, withdrawal process. Someone taking 150mg of Effexor for 15 years being withdrawn cold turkey is likely going to be a very different scenario to someone taking 10mg of Paxil for a few years. Dosage amount, for how long, at what age taken under 25, shelf life, all needs to be taken into consideration. I like the fact you recommend a slow taper and admit severe neurological injuries can occur, in fact it’s actually very common, not a rarity. Will have to do that interview soon, cheers.
Is protracted withdraw possible for APs and ADs or only BENZOs ??? How do i know if i have PWS ? Is PWS the same for all drugs or segregated by specific classes of drugs or segregated by each individual psych drug ?
I'm still holding at 0.75 mg of Klonopin. Just slowly taper when your mind and body feel okay to do so. Don't rush it. And if you feel better on them, discuss with your Doctor and try to find a solution. Some people actually do benefit from benzodiazepines. If they can manage a small dose and do not abuse them. Sometimes, they are the one thing that can make you feel normal and not terrified of daily life. I would rather be on benzos than the harsh side effects of an antipsychotic
Benzodiazepines ARE an anti psychotic medication. Dr's use terms like "anti anxiety" to fool ppl into thinking benzos are safer. They are also a sedative. If I had known they were an anti psychotic, I never would have touched them.
I was on .75 klonopin since 1995. Started tapering 10 years ago or so , now I’m on .125 mg can’t wait to get off. Because I had proactive withdrawal I go back on .. but finally holding steady at .125 is Amazing. My primary care doctor says she is proud of me so she gladly prescribes it because she knows I’m not an addict. I hate the drug it only helps me sleep.
Been using tobacco as a substitute for benzos only to find cessation of that habit as a huge trigger for akathisia. Going slow into a intermittant cessation, back and forth, seems to be working. But I admit, it's been hell. The literature distinguishing smoked tobacco vs straight nicotine addiction is non-existent and per the usual pattern we are all left without proper guidance. Lots of people out there using tobacco as a last ditch psych-drug, the literature condemns the practice as an ideological stance without merit or logical justification.
I think there's a lot more protracted people. People that can't even function or died because doctors are very difficult to find. There's nobody in NJ that knows what they're doing. There's not even a doctor listed on websites in this horrible state. On top of it I'm dealing with domestic violence.
My doctor did this to me, rapid taper 10 days from 2 1/2 years on diazepam. Im left with a twitch & weird internal dialogue & chronic tight muscles especially in my back.... 5 years on
Other than severe depression, severe insomnia, irritating muscle spasms (like every 20 minutes), mild akathisia, suicide thoughts, brain fog, trouble with memory, pain in body, headaches, benzo belly...while tappering off of Lorazepam aka Ativan (my prescription is 2.5mg per day with other meds) I also noticed that I look REALLY different in face. Not like I am just exhausted because of insomnia, I don't look like I am tired, I just look like there is no life at me at all. I look myself in mirror and I see someone else, like my expression changed. It's creepy, like I am dying or I am zombie. And then, when I can't contain it anymore I take full dose like in prescription, I become manic as you talked Dr Josef and symptoms are gone and my face immedietely looks brilliant! Suddenly I look fresh and younger. One thing (the least important tho) I hate about using benzos is that I don't dream when I sleep and my dreams are very important for me although I have nightmares often but it helps me understand what's going on in myself.
The last visit I had with my doctor. He said since I was only on 3 mg klonopin for 21 year’s that this should be a lot easier than someone who has been on 6 mg for 20 year’s. I have been tapering for a year now. I’m at .5 klonopin. He hasn’t forced me off but comment’s like that are very upsetting. It make’s me feel like I’m just not trying hard enough or it’s all in my head.
That doesn’t have any relevance to the topic of tapering and addiction. You have to take large amounts of benzodiazepines for weeks to months for this to be a real concern. Just One or two doses of any drug you can think of, even heroin, will not cause a withdrawal syndrome.
Doc! I watch whole bunch of your videos for a while now and Thank You for what you do helping the few truly suffering. I’m going through it still. Would love to speak with you, or whoever cause I know you look for people. I’m prescribed Al. Rather speak in private but ready to finish this. Been fighting for too long. 18 years now. Lot of learning and started at 21 now 39. Anyway, lmk if anything✨✌️
I've been on benzos since 1996 just started tapering off. No special instructions Dr. says just break a little piece off and leave it. Then in a few weeks break off a bigger piece. These pills are small and break apart there is no way for me to tell how my breaking pills is affecting the dose. What the heck am I supposed to do?
Never ever use that method (called cut & suffer). Use only an approved tapering method (the slower the better) using a fat based liquid to keep the medication in solute. I used the BMT method once reinstating and noticed my symptoms gradually disappear over time. (I was cold tirkeyed too by a so called "clinic" and the w/d was horrendous). Ate you already off your benzo and for how long? it would be better to stay on and taper from.where you ate if possible
A liquid formulation is the easiest to work with however this may be cost prohibitive. Low dose tablets and an accurate scale, filling empty gel caps with powder, is a dicey option as the drug is often not uniformly distributed through the tablet.
Google search: the Ashton manual pdf. It’s a very good method. I was prescribed 8mg klonopin for 13 years. On Dec. 3, 2023 I began tapering down. Today I’m on 12.5mg Valium. Read her manual, it’s been a life saver for me.
I've only used it for 4 months off and on. I went 2 week's without taking it at one point. Not sure how long I should taper, but I only have 7 mg left and I will probably do it every other day for the next 2 weeks. Didn't take any the last 2 nights and could not sleep. I think these benzos have made me more apathetic and tired after months of use, and I only started then because I was having akatheshia from the anti psychotics I was on. That I also regret starting. I really don't want to do a taper of many months after only 4 months of off and on usage. But we'll see how I'm able to sleep the next 2 weeks. Im going on vacation in a while and I don't want to be in withdrawal during that.
I'm doing a slow taper and am still having the worst experience I've ever had! The dreams are so real, I leterly woke up choking. I was choking in my dream and woke up choking in real life. I wish I would have never done this drug. It's pure poison and makes real drugs like fentanyl withdrawal look like a day at Disneyland! I don't know if I can do this anymore. I'm not giving up, but WTF!??!😢
@BOCHOMO I was prescribed 8mgs of Xanax a day, 4 bars. I'm now at 12.5mgs of Valium and dropping to 10mgs in 3 days. I've had to pause my taper twice because it got so bad. I more worried about when I finally take my last dose. I had to go to a Detox/rehab for over 30 days and thank God, the doctor I'm going to for the tapering is amazing. I had to go to the detox/rehab for them to taper me . Also I have to go to 3 classes a week to be able to get tapered off this poison. It was a choice I did on my own. I just got tired of being on this crap. I honestly need something for my PTSD,ect ect... It's scary that I'm having these symptoms and am still on a decent amount. I was on that high dose for 8 to 10 years now. I don't even want to sleep because I'm scared of these constent horrific dreams and physical pain of all kinds of things. I hope that I can succeed doing this, because I can have a huge supply of Xanax at my disposal. Thanks for the question, I think I awnsered the question ❓ My brain feels no enjoyment at all. I have a ton of hobbies, I don't even feel like doing anything. I'm going to do the taper as slow as possible. It's the longest process I've gone through. I've gone through chemotherapy and this makes that look halfway easy. Thanks for being there for me to talk to. It's much appreciated.
You will develop tolerance to the dosage you take and always need more and more this will never stop. The moment you don't have tablets or the prescriptions late or doctors doesn't prescribed you're f****d. You will feel like you're in literal hell. The more years you are on it you will feel it effecting your memory and cognition and critical thinking skills. If you miss a dose after being on it for months or years it could mean death in the form of a seizure or you will get the most severe panic attacks you could ever imagine.
It happened to me 3 weeks ago. Tried converting from Lorazepam to Clonozepam To taper. 1 second I'm on my computer feeling fine, then out of nowhere... Heart rate skyrocketed to 180 bpm All my muscles spasming at the same time, dry heaving, uncontrollable bawling my eyes out in a crazy screaming kinda manner, shaking from head to toe. Absolute hell. Went to ER in an ambualnce. Heart was damaged because my breathing couldn't keep the oxygen levels high enough for my heart rate. I was on Lorazepam (as needed) for 8 years. Started needing them more often as time went on. Built up a tolerance. My life is absolute hell right now. I've been to several different professionals and none of them can give me a clear answer as to how I recover from this. None of them want to be liable for giving me bad tapering advice just in case something happens (death) Enjoy your benzos while they work. It's only a matter of time.
@@CenserSladezViiEverything you said is spot on. The original commentor is ignorant if they don’t think that these drugs are having long term negative effects on their mind. Also, they would be screwed if they couldn’t get the drug. I’m coming off because of all those reasons. I want to be able to get my mind back and I never want to have to go through the hell of going cold turkey because I can’t get the drug for some reason. I’d rather get off of it on my own terms with a gradual taper.
Sir I ate lorazepam for 2 months by a nonsense doctor, after that in myself I taper the medicine for 15 days then stop by myself but my mom thought I have not eaten the medicine so she contact to doctor and the nonsense doctor said to give that medicine in my food by hiding 😭😭 & it was a bad luck for me & now I stopped that but I am getting so much torture please help me doctor to avoid the withdrawal & I am from India
Incredibly wrong. I took benzo as prescribed and have been through an awful 6-7 years with tolerance then taper, then post taper recovery. Please be careful with your meds. They change your brains - even when taken as prescribed.
Dr., I believe you’ve fallen victim to the same misunderstanding about the patients you saw rapid tapered as most conventional doctors. Protracted withdrawal syndrome is not always immediately and readily apparent, and even when it is, patients don’t seek help from the same doctors who rapid tapered them. I’ve spoken to hundreds of people who had injuries post-rapid-taper who never knew what had actually happened to them. I’d be willing to bet that many of the people you think ended up okay had major issues. Thank you for the great content.
that could be
Hello my physiatrist took me off in four weeks. At the time I had no clue about all this. 16 months ago, still having horrific symptoms. They starts months after I was off them. I’m 70 years old. I never wanted to get off them. Drs just said we don’t prescribe them anymore. So now I’m left in hell! Thanks for pointing this issue out.
@@brendamalone3880what do you think accounts for the fact that it can take months after completely coming off a medication for the real withdrawal to start? That's so unexpected for me... sounds to my interested layperson psych/biological modeling like it could be some epigentic phenomenon where it takes some time following the drug vaccating one'ssystem for whatever gene activation/deactivation the meds had prompted to develop to then unwind or go through whatever adjustments it does under the new condition of the absence of the medications.
Can I just say that I absolutely love the way you are politely giving your opinion about it without being rude, this is the way we should disagree/give constructive critisism. Even ending it with a compliment about the content.
@habaaxd4041 I have nothing but respect for Dr. Yosef and his wife. I just wanted to point that out because I do believe the one thing they’re often wrong about is how small of a population is affected. I went through protracted withdrawal for two years when I was 16-18yo and had no clue. When I look back I can see how the psychology of not understanding what was happening caused myself and others to blame other external variables. No one close to me understands how sick I am even today, so I can see how incredibly difficult it is to account for the actual number of people affected by this injury. The single thing I disagree with them about is that this only happens to a small portion of people. I’d love to be proven wrong, though.
What we really need is a safe medication to counteract these side effects and protracted withdrawals from benzos. Alcoholics get benzos, Opiod addicts get Suboxen, but benzo users have nothing. Great!
But is it really a good idea for alcoholics to get benzo's? Isn't it trading one addiction for another? Sounds like a nightmare.
Unfortunately, there are no safe alternatives. Same with replacing opiates w/ methadone or Suboxone. Getting these medications out of your body is the best route if it's possible for the individual. I believe more than not this is the case.
@@MollyBrown-f9iApparently, it’s a necessary evil, and seems to work quite well. Btw, most alcoholics who are given benzos to help with withdrawals don’t become dependent on benzos, because they are only given to them for a couple of weeks.
@@doeboy1103I never said it was safe, but Suboxone is definitely a better alternative, and has helped a lot of people get off opioids. It has a pretty solid track record.
There’s always room for improvement though.
@@doeboy1103Btw, many people have had success getting off benzos with memantine, agmatine, and other suppliments, like magnesium glycinate. They are all safe, and should be explored more often.
I did a slow taper, 13 months, off of 1 mg of Ativan. I had only been taking it for 3 months when I started my taper. I had terrible symptoms throughout the taper. It has been 7 months since I ended my 13 month taper and I am still having issues… tinnitus, heart palpitations, food and drug sensitivities, a burning sensation on my skin, and gastroparesis. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if I had done a rapid taper.
I did a rapid taper and my symptoms after 10 months being off the drug are identical to what you mention with sleep disruptions on top...I hope you are doing better now as 5 months passed by... Take care. PS: I would never suggest a rapid taper or cold turkey to anybody!!!!
How are you feeling now? Any better?
I would consider 13 months to not be a slow taper. A proper taper is give or take 2 years.
I can relate to that feeling like your body mostly my arms felt like they were on fire .. that was for me the worst physical thing the mental thing was sleeping disorder waking up after 8 months clean cold sweating thru my sheets and pillows .. but whatever in life is good takes sacrifice! Keep going
what? because of 1mg ativan?????
Gabapentin is horrible too if you fast taper it.
Thank you for sharing this, this is so important! People need to be made aware of proper tapering. Oh, I wish I saw this before my taper. Thank you for you videos Dr. Witt-Doerring ❤️
I was told to cold turkey off clonazepam and I’m not any better 4 years later. The initial withdrawal is long over but my nervous system has been stuck in fight/flight/freeze the whole time with dysautonomia as well.
I was prescribed it nightly for insomnia and took 1mg to .5 every night for 5 years.
I was on this same dose of K for 10 years. I tapered painfully slow over 3 years. I am almost 11 months off and still very symptomatic. If I had CT, I think I’d be about the same as I am now (nearly 4 years later). I guess this is “protracted withdrawal” but I did go very slow. I think our brains just take time to heal. Hold on, healing is happening.
@@elldev33what are symptoms that make u feel protracted??😢
In my country there was no option but to taper off too fast which gave me horrible symptoms, heightened anxiety, neuropathy - pain, burning, weakness, dizziness, no motivation, negativity, I was on benzos before for anxiety and ocd but otherwise I was healthy and full of energy and zest for life, now my life is in ruins. In addition, my Xanax was first changed to Diazepam overnight. Please, what can I do to heal faster? I would do anything. I want my life back. I would like to try the ketogenic diet. Thank you so much for your advice
Right there with you, I’d do anything to get relief and my life back. I too was happy full of life went to the gym four times a week, was a professional artist. Haven’t been able to pick up a paint brush for almost two years. All the hellish symptoms are 24/7 It’s taken my ability to have a functioning life.
The trick is to NOT tell the Dr your tapering or they WILL yank you off. Have seen it over and over (and experienced it myself). If you want to reinstate, ask your Dr for a new renewable prescription. But again don't tell them it's for tapering. Drs get kickbacks for each new rx written and for refills.
@@brendamalone3880same here am bedridden from 2 years. Can I know ur symptoms 😢
I am so glad that you told people that some do not suffer a protracted withdrawal.
Dear Dr so what would you say to those of us that found out about this way too late? I wish I would of know 16 months ago what I know now. There also needs to be more awareness if you’re age 70 or so. Not even sure if that makes a difference. It’s all so wrong what these Drs are doing to people. I feel it’s a crime to rip someone off of their medication that is giving them a functional life. My life now is nonfunctional. Is there any kind of help at all? I was in the gym 4 times a week and was a professional wildlife artist. Haven’t been able to do neither now. Thank you ❤️
Find another dr
The issue with trying to find another doctor is.... None of them want to help. They don't want to clean up someone else's mess. They don't want to prescribe and they don't know how to taper you safely off these drugs.
Dr. Witt-Doerring, can you do a video about how withdrawal can be neurotoxic?
I've noticed that people who are prone to benzodiazepine abuse and addiction tend to be susceptible to psychogenic illness to begin with, and that just gets exponentially worse as they experience the hell of benzodiazepine withdrawal.
During my time as a methadone patient, I've noticed that many of my fellow patients seem to be what some may refer to as hypochondriacs. Decades of fending off withdrawal symptoms can lead to all sorts of strange behaviour.
That's why methadone clinics offer what they call "blind tapers" to patients who obsess over lowering their dose.
What about fixing the natural gaba system ? Dr Nicole Cain … has some interesting point. Repairing. The gaba bridge
1:45 I'm sure he actually knows this but benzodiazepines enhance the action of GABA which in turn reduces excitation because it's an inhibitory neurotransmitter.
Benzos enhance the action of gaba by blocking the receptors and preventing them from reuptaking, no?
Your gaba receptors are on a feedback loop in your body, and when they "see" the benzos replace them they reduce their #. So when you try to come off the benzo later you may not have enough gaba receptors to fill the need and your anxiety levels go up and you experience withdrawal. (Gaba receptors are what keep you calm in stressful situations). The longer your on a benzo the higher the likelihood you may already be in a form of tolerance withdrawal (especially with short acting benzos like xanax) and the less gaba receptors you have left.
So just stay on them until?
Is it okay to take a gaba supplement? I was already taken that before he did this to me
Appreciate the positive outlook of what may happen after rapid taper. The truth is there is not enough available data to more accurately predict what the outcome may be. Until that time comes it serves no purpose to scare those that have gone through this process with unqualified information that would suggest otherwise. Though it is less common now than years ago many doctors where more apt to give certain cancer patients an approximate time line in regards to how long a patient had to live depending on the stage of cancer the patient was at. Now even with more data available there is nothing conducive to making these types of predictions when time and time again patients prove them to be wrong. There are too many variables with individuals "make up", length of time of drug usage, and well as amount and type of drug(s) prescribed. Giving a person hope that recovery is very much possible goes a long way in the actual recovery process.
Finally someone with a common sense response, thank you. All I see in every comment section is a bunch of complaining about years of suffering. Its hard we all know but fear goes a long way and so does having hope.
I was rapidly tapered from about 120 mg of valium a day. I went into a treatment center and was removed from the valium. This was replaced with librium. I was then tapered over a 9 day period. After that, I went into severe withdraw which lasted about 8 months. It slowly got better but it was the worst thing I have ever experienced.
That sounds like absolute hell. I accidentally went cold Turkey from 40mg for 5 days and felt my mind being destroyed. It was the most terrifying experience of my life. Im now on a slow Ashton taper with a very supportive GP. Down to 35mg after a month and feeling fine so far.
@marksmallwood4938 I cold turkeyed 1mg ativan.......and suffered paws....placed on valium 10mg at 7th 10th day.....as paws was hell on earth....suffering brain damage from it now still at 4 months 3 weeks
@marksmallwood4938 and at which dose did u start at?
I went trough hell tapering Venlafaxine I was suicidal for month and losing my mind.
I had to o back on Venlafaxine and gradually got better, now after a full year I fell somewhat normal again.
My taper was 10% every 5-6 week so it wasn´t fast.
Great explanation 👌, i experienced this & it hit me hard, i went crazy for over 2 years, still not right.
Slowly getting some compensation from their actions , my doctor told me i wouldn't feel any side effects & when I obviously did i called them and they said what your experiencing is not the benzo withdrawa, its your original condition. Wow .. life changing experience
A fair analysis, but not everyone withdrawn off psychiatric drugs is in the same position, there are so many underlying elements that can directly affect the tapering, withdrawal process.
Someone taking 150mg of Effexor for 15 years being withdrawn cold turkey is likely going to be a very different scenario to someone taking 10mg of Paxil for a few years. Dosage amount, for how long, at what age taken under 25, shelf life, all needs to be taken into consideration. I like the fact you recommend a slow taper and admit severe neurological injuries can occur, in fact it’s actually very common, not a rarity.
Will have to do that interview soon, cheers.
I believe it's the norm rather than the exception. As you said, it is very common.
💯 %
Is protracted withdraw possible for APs and ADs or only BENZOs ???
How do i know if i have PWS ?
Is PWS the same for all drugs or segregated by specific classes of drugs or segregated by each individual psych drug ?
Definitely possible. not just benzos.
For SSRI as well.
I'm still holding at 0.75 mg of Klonopin. Just slowly taper when your mind and body feel okay to do so. Don't rush it. And if you feel better on them, discuss with your Doctor and try to find a solution. Some people actually do benefit from benzodiazepines. If they can manage a small dose and do not abuse them. Sometimes, they are the one thing that can make you feel normal and not terrified of daily life. I would rather be on benzos than the harsh side effects of an antipsychotic
Benzodiazepines ARE an anti psychotic medication. Dr's use terms like "anti anxiety" to fool ppl into thinking benzos are safer. They are also a sedative. If I had known they were an anti psychotic, I never would have touched them.
Thank you
I was on .75 klonopin since 1995. Started tapering 10 years ago or so , now I’m on .125 mg can’t wait to get off. Because I had proactive withdrawal I go back on .. but finally holding steady at .125 is Amazing. My primary care doctor says she is proud of me so she gladly prescribes it because she knows I’m not an addict. I hate the drug it only helps me sleep.
I took benzo for a year and came off CT with a little anxiety for a few weeks and that was it
Duly noted ✅️ i will definitely take this advice over any providers convenience. Protracted withdrawl. I wont forget
Do we still need 6 month taper if only been on it 2 months?
Interesting..I was on Ativan for over 20 years and my Dr took me off it cold turkey..I have never recovered and it has been 18 months.
@mm7365 same here 2 years off cold turkey. What are your symptoms 😊
Been using tobacco as a substitute for benzos only to find cessation of that habit as a huge trigger for akathisia.
Going slow into a intermittant cessation, back and forth, seems to be working. But I admit, it's been hell.
The literature distinguishing smoked tobacco vs straight nicotine addiction is non-existent and per the usual
pattern we are all left without proper guidance. Lots of people out there using tobacco as a last ditch psych-drug,
the literature condemns the practice as an ideological stance without merit or logical justification.
When should I think tapering is over?0.5mg?
I think there's a lot more protracted people. People that can't even function or died because doctors are very difficult to find. There's nobody in NJ that knows what they're doing. There's not even a doctor listed on websites in this horrible state. On top of it I'm dealing with domestic violence.
My doctor did this to me, rapid taper 10 days from 2 1/2 years on diazepam. Im left with a twitch & weird internal dialogue & chronic tight muscles especially in my back.... 5 years on
Other than severe depression, severe insomnia, irritating muscle spasms (like every 20 minutes), mild akathisia, suicide thoughts, brain fog, trouble with memory, pain in body, headaches, benzo belly...while tappering off of Lorazepam aka Ativan (my prescription is 2.5mg per day with other meds) I also noticed that I look REALLY different in face. Not like I am just exhausted because of insomnia, I don't look like I am tired, I just look like there is no life at me at all. I look myself in mirror and I see someone else, like my expression changed. It's creepy, like I am dying or I am zombie.
And then, when I can't contain it anymore I take full dose like in prescription, I become manic as you talked Dr Josef and symptoms are gone and my face immedietely looks brilliant! Suddenly I look fresh and younger.
One thing (the least important tho) I hate about using benzos is that I don't dream when I sleep and my dreams are very important for me although I have nightmares often but it helps me understand what's going on in myself.
38 years paxil and xanax. One week in hospital
The last visit I had with my doctor. He said since I was only on 3 mg klonopin for 21 year’s that this should be a lot easier than someone who has been on 6 mg for 20 year’s. I have been tapering for a year now. I’m at .5 klonopin. He hasn’t forced me off but comment’s like that are very upsetting. It make’s me feel like I’m just not trying hard enough or it’s all in my head.
A friend of mine had laser eye surgery and he was given a benzo the day of the surgery. I’m not aware of him ever taking any other psych meds.
That doesn’t have any relevance to the topic of tapering and addiction. You have to take large amounts of benzodiazepines for weeks to months for this to be a real concern. Just One or two doses of any drug you can think of, even heroin, will not cause a withdrawal syndrome.
@@nathanmiller9785wrong. Some people get sick after 1 time like me.
Depends on the person- some people can CT and are just fine .
Time heals all wounds, be strong it does get better.
I wish more than anything I’d tapered. I am severely, severely protracted with horrific symptoms still from 2 CT. If only I can go back.
Me 2
Doc! I watch whole bunch of your videos for a while now and Thank You for what you do helping the few truly suffering. I’m going through it still. Would love to speak with you, or whoever cause I know you look for people. I’m prescribed Al. Rather speak in private but ready to finish this. Been fighting for too long. 18 years now. Lot of learning and started at 21 now 39. Anyway, lmk if anything✨✌️
Cold turkied.. 6 years. Hell on earth 💥💥💥💥💥
@akalucinda8821 same here cold turkeyed and bedridden from years😢
Does it speed up healing time to take be given diazapan after 22 years of lunesta.
No other drugs helps anyone actually recover.. you’re just layering another drug on top to quell symptoms. Then that drug causes more problems again.
When are symptoms worse..,wile tapering or when the taper has finished?
I've been on benzos since 1996 just started tapering off. No special instructions Dr. says just break a little piece off and leave it. Then in a few weeks break off a bigger piece. These pills are small and break apart there is no way for me to tell how my breaking pills is affecting the dose. What the heck am I supposed to do?
Never ever use that method (called cut & suffer). Use only an approved tapering method (the slower the better) using a fat based liquid to keep the medication in solute. I used the BMT method once reinstating and noticed my symptoms gradually disappear over time. (I was cold tirkeyed too by a so called "clinic" and the w/d was horrendous).
Ate you already off your benzo and for how long? it would be better to stay on and taper from.where you ate if possible
A liquid formulation is the easiest to work with however this may be cost prohibitive. Low dose tablets and an accurate scale, filling empty gel caps with powder, is a dicey option as the drug is often not uniformly distributed through the tablet.
Google search: the Ashton manual pdf. It’s a very good method. I was prescribed 8mg klonopin for 13 years. On Dec. 3, 2023 I began tapering down. Today I’m on 12.5mg Valium. Read her manual, it’s been a life saver for me.
I've only used it for 4 months off and on. I went 2 week's without taking it at one point. Not sure how long I should taper, but I only have 7 mg left and I will probably do it every other day for the next 2 weeks. Didn't take any the last 2 nights and could not sleep. I think these benzos have made me more apathetic and tired after months of use, and I only started then because I was having akatheshia from the anti psychotics I was on. That I also regret starting. I really don't want to do a taper of many months after only 4 months of off and on usage. But we'll see how I'm able to sleep the next 2 weeks. Im going on vacation in a while and I don't want to be in withdrawal during that.
I am injured from not tapering and abuse from doctors
Abused because of more meds required meds could be proper
I'm doing a slow taper and am still having the worst experience I've ever had! The dreams are so real, I leterly woke up choking. I was choking in my dream and woke up choking in real life. I wish I would have never done this drug. It's pure poison and makes real drugs like fentanyl withdrawal look like a day at Disneyland! I don't know if I can do this anymore. I'm not giving up, but WTF!??!😢
@BOCHOMO I was prescribed 8mgs of Xanax a day, 4 bars. I'm now at 12.5mgs of Valium and dropping to 10mgs in 3 days. I've had to pause my taper twice because it got so bad. I more worried about when I finally take my last dose. I had to go to a Detox/rehab for over 30 days and thank God, the doctor I'm going to for the tapering is amazing. I had to go to the detox/rehab for them to taper me . Also I have to go to 3 classes a week to be able to get tapered off this poison. It was a choice I did on my own. I just got tired of being on this crap. I honestly need something for my PTSD,ect ect... It's scary that I'm having these symptoms and am still on a decent amount. I was on that high dose for 8 to 10 years now. I don't even want to sleep because I'm scared of these constent horrific dreams and physical pain of all kinds of things. I hope that I can succeed doing this, because I can have a huge supply of Xanax at my disposal. Thanks for the question, I think I awnsered the question ❓ My brain feels no enjoyment at all. I have a ton of hobbies, I don't even feel like doing anything. I'm going to do the taper as slow as possible. It's the longest process I've gone through. I've gone through chemotherapy and this makes that look halfway easy. Thanks for being there for me to talk to. It's much appreciated.
@BOCHOMO thanks I appreciate you more than you know!
If your not abusing this medication, and it’s making your life a lot better, why would you want to stop taking it?
You will develop tolerance to the dosage you take and always need more and more this will never stop. The moment you don't have tablets or the prescriptions late or doctors doesn't prescribed you're f****d. You will feel like you're in literal hell. The more years you are on it you will feel it effecting your memory and cognition and critical thinking skills. If you miss a dose after being on it for months or years it could mean death in the form of a seizure or you will get the most severe panic attacks you could ever imagine.
@@CenserSladezVii None of that has ever happened to me. Ever.
@@dianacryer it does happen. why are you on a video like this if you're not looking to come off of your medication ? I don't get it ?
It happened to me 3 weeks ago.
Tried converting from Lorazepam to Clonozepam To taper.
1 second I'm on my computer feeling fine, then out of nowhere...
Heart rate skyrocketed to 180 bpm
All my muscles spasming at the same time, dry heaving, uncontrollable bawling my eyes out in a crazy screaming kinda manner, shaking from head to toe.
Absolute hell.
Went to ER in an ambualnce. Heart was damaged because my breathing couldn't keep the oxygen levels high enough for my heart rate.
I was on Lorazepam (as needed) for 8 years. Started needing them more often as time went on. Built up a tolerance.
My life is absolute hell right now.
I've been to several different professionals and none of them can give me a clear answer as to how I recover from this.
None of them want to be liable for giving me bad tapering advice just in case something happens (death)
Enjoy your benzos while they work.
It's only a matter of time.
@@CenserSladezViiEverything you said is spot on. The original commentor is ignorant if they don’t think that these drugs are having long term negative effects on their mind. Also, they would be screwed if they couldn’t get the drug. I’m coming off because of all those reasons. I want to be able to get my mind back and I never want to have to go through the hell of going cold turkey because I can’t get the drug for some reason. I’d rather get off of it on my own terms with a gradual taper.
Tried a rapid taper. It’s hell on earth and was not successful. A slow taper over a year or more is the only way 🙏
I'd rather taper off on my own as the psychiatrist refuse to help me
I've gone down from 2mg of alprazalam to .25mg. I really want to just quit since I'm now on an antidepressant. I'm just so scared of having a seizure.
Sir I ate lorazepam for 2 months by a nonsense doctor, after that in myself I taper the medicine for 15 days then stop by myself but my mom thought I have not eaten the medicine so she contact to doctor and the nonsense doctor said to give that medicine in my food by hiding 😭😭 & it was a bad luck for me & now I stopped that but I am getting so much torture please help me doctor to avoid the withdrawal & I am from India
this maybe? unlucky? what i think? you really have no clue at the cellular level whats happening
If you’ve been taking as prescribed there’s no issue at all stopping this. Don’t believe all the noise. IMO
Incredibly wrong. I took benzo as prescribed and have been through an awful 6-7 years with tolerance then taper, then post taper recovery. Please be careful with your meds. They change your brains - even when taken as prescribed.
Joke
Do you recommend supplements like GABA and NAC?
Thank you for your great content!