Do not despair - Withdrawal is Do-Able!

Treatment and medication
1

Evan after being on the drugs for over 30 years.  These drugs are not evil, they have a place,  Dr's prescribe them to help us, Drug companies made them to help us - and they did,  think back and feel grateful for the relief they brought when times were tough, keep this thought in mind and stay positive.

It is eighteen months since I took my last tablet,  it has been pure ■■■■. I took them for pain relief caused by muscle spasms, I still am troubled with muscle spasms but have another drug now to help with these painful episodes.

For all of you about to start W/D and those who have started don't be despondant,  you can and will get through this,  life will be good when it is all eventually over.  You will feel more 'alive' - have more energy and start to really enjoy life to the full - just be positive and be strong.  Keep busy even though you feel rotten and yes suicidal.  Take lots of walks, you meet people and are distracted,  ( in good ways and bad ! ) start a hobby,  give your home and garden a makeover,  you can do this even if it means using a 2" paint brush and you have to use two hands to put the paint on the wall!!  Take sleeps as and when you can / need to.  Drink lots of water and eat protien,  proper meals are not necessary if you are not hungry,  a sandwich will be fine.  You will lose weight - I went from size 16 to size 12,  a whole new wardrobe was required - thank goodness for charity shops !  I still have not got my apitite back yet so the weight has stayed off. I still take walks and continue with the make overs.

Life has changed for me so much,  my eyes have had the blinkers ( which I was not aware of wearing ) taken off and there is so much I want to do,  I even dare to say life is exciteing now.

The whole W/D is the worst thing I have ever gone through, I did it alone - no support from anyone,  not even when I was at my lowest and felt I could take no more.  At these times I crawled into bed and if pain allowed I stayed there and hoped for sleep,  my other pain meds helped through by uping the dose a little, temporarily.  Then I was up and out for a walk sometimes without even a cuppa,  I just got out and walked.  Walking is difficult for me at my best,  I use crutches and a walker,  I was 'running' away from myself and my situation.  Neighbours were unkind,  they have never been told what ails me let alone what I was going through with the W/D.  I once made the mistake of telling someone I was taking morphine - wow, next I knew I was being called a druggie.  One particular incident  upset me so badly I will take it to my grave,  I will never forget or forgive and it is things like that which upset me so much more than the Drs taking me off the tablets - I am bitter with my new found view of people around me,  each day gets better though - I don't feel I am fully withdrawn, I still do have the fire work going through my brain,  the pains in my arms and legs is getting less but still bothers me, the sweats that leave me soaked - but clothes are easier to wear now, the skin is not so sensitive.

I have written this to try and offer hope to those of you in the process,  I am in my 60s,  retirement is not how it was planned  But -   neighbours aside life is so much brighter in every way and I hope all of you can find a way -  a pastime to get you through this,  believe that life in technicolour ( without your brain being dulled )  has so much to offer.   

You have the strength within you to get past this awful time in your life,  you will appreciate life and all that you have so very much once you get past the worst.  The worst is individual to each of us and how the W/D affects us.  Try not to cast blame, try not to dwell on the past,   start a ' new you '  life with a positive attitude and look forward to your future,  it's a rough journey but the way does get easier.

I hope I have given you some hope,  I am not good with words or at expressing myself,  my self confidence is at an all time low -  I took one ■■■■ of a beating.    But - -   I got off the drugs !!

You can also.

Best wishes to you all

Warmest regards

Jessie x

2

Thank you Jessie. From a former benzo user. I was never told what my drugs could do to me and my drugs were never reviewed in the time that i was taking mine. whatmakes me so angry was that the doctors do not believe that people who come of their drugs are suffering from withdrawal symptoms and instead end up being poly drugged as i was.

3

thanks well thats something to look forward to 18 months of hell on top of the hell my life is now.i dont think i can do that,if you have a lot of support and love maybe abit different,i'm all for the quality of life not the length of it.i'm pleased for you and i know you mean well,

4

Hello Carol,

Not necessarily so ......  we all vary,  the reason you are taking the drug will probably be different to why I was taking it.  The length of withdrawal time is different for each individual.  

Quality of life has a lot to do with how we deal with situations that arise.   

I did not aim my message at anyone,   I made a statement to the forum,  others may find it of interest,  if they took the drug for similar reasons to me, are in the time frame and age bracket.    I know  nothing of your circumstances and do not understand why you have taken such an attitude at my post,   my message was one of hope to all who are struggling with W/D  -  was intended to be -   

Jessie.

 

5

Hello Tootsie,

I was the same,  being told I had to come off them was a bolt from the blue!    No discussion, no help or support from them.   I can understand they have their reasons for taking people off the drugs,  an explanation would not have gone amiss,   in fact understanding why would have helped.  I have read about people getting them on prescription and then selling them,  but not all patients are doing that and in the case of pain backed up by x rays and visible spasms  it must have been plainly seen that there are those who are in need.  A letter could have been sent out with details of why it was no longer to be prescribed,   the way Drs have gone about this is so wrong and has caused even more stress and suffering.

I hope you are keeping well tootsie and life is good for you.  I hope you are fully through the W/D period  and settled into a 'new' life.

Warmest regards

Jessie x

6

hello jessie its me carol.i am so very very sorry if my reply upset or hurt you in anyway,the truth is i didnt really read your post properly i just saw 18 months of hell to be honest and i went into a panic,it was only today i read and took it in properly,i can see you have had a very hard time and really sorry you have had some very unkind neighbours i wish i had have known you i would have tried to support you and give you comfort,i cant understand why some people are so nasty,you sound like a lovely lady and so very brave.you did all that with no support,sometimes we think were the only ones without support untill you read what other people are going thru,i know you only put your post on ti try and help others, i am so pleased that life is now getting better for you you so deserve it,so please acecpt my apology.i'm not in a good place right now i'm trying to care of my son who has alot of mental health problems and this w/end has been extremly bad its completly drained me,and the thought of coming of these tabs scare me to death i dont know how i'm going to cope,but i wish nothing but the best for you,and i;m sorry again if i have hurt or upset you,carol xxxx

7

well done, I am trying too, its gonna be very hard

8

Hello Mark,

have replied to your discussion,  just want to thank you,  it is going to be hard,  it will be worth it.   Stay strong and positive,  go very slowly.  I wish you all the best.

Warmest regards

Jessie x

9

I am almost 2 years free of all of my drugs. If you need help there is a forum

i may have mentioned this before.

Google benzo forum and you will find it.

Just take your time and take each day as it comes.

All the best to you Mark and all that reads this and are tapering.

 

10

Mine was for muscle tension also, feel very alone and noticing weird effects straight away. Last Saturday things got to much so I took a normal dose but then reduced again

11

Mark not agood idea to go up and down with doses.

Please if you choose to. Look at the forum as without their help.

i wouldnt still be here.

12

So just taper much more slowly?

13

Yes Mark but also watch how much you are tapering amount wise.

Best to join forum. i so wish i had done then i wouldnt of ended up in a mess.

14

Hello Mark,

do you have the muscle tension still or has that problem now been sorted?   

I still have muscle spasms but have meds to help get pain relief, during the w/d it was my muscles that gave me the most problems,  I found eating protien could help and getting out walking was really good,  my muscles felt very weak and painful so doing anything was hard including trying to get sleep, being on the go and doing something even though it was very slow helped,  I just felt I had to move about keep the mucles as active as possible,  the exercise and being out in the fresh air also made me tired so this in turn helped with sleep.

I hope you are feeling a bit better now,  keep the withdrawal amount low and don't rush to do the next one,  slowly will get you there.

Warmest regards

Jessie x