Buddy8: benzo withdrawal / paradoxical

[Buddy8]

I'm having a very tough time since May coming off a benzo I was on for 2.5 weeks and then was switched from Klonipin to Ativan to Valium to try and taper off.  I think I'm paradoxical to the whole class and getting sicker and sicker by the day.  I know when you read below I come off as the biggest idiot in the world.  I had spent almost a year coming off my Zoloft and called multiple doctors about what was going on with me and the benzo and nothing.    

 

- May 14th to June 1st - .5 mg klonipin - started to feel flat and heard opera music wanted off -  never slept past 730 am - I was originally put on this for tingling and numbness in my hands, but felt downregulated from zoloft and drinking 

- June 1st Switched to Ativan to taper off by my idiot doctor - went from 1.75 to 1 mg with 25% drops - horrible interdose withdrawal - light sensitivity, vomiting

- July 7th direct cross over to Valium - killed my gut - started at 10 mg, but landed at 12.5 - went from 25 mg of zoloft to 150 and now back down to 75 mg.  

 

waited 17 days to start cutting Valium .5 mg and immediately got horrible sxs.  I had hyponatremia and was hospitalized for 3 days 116 level.  

 

I've been holding around 8.8 since October and have had over 50 sxs from Ashton Manual.  I'm unable to drop .001 without terrible sxs. 

 

My current doc has me on zoloft 75 mg, 7.5 remeron (only way i can sleep) and wants to add depakote 

 

I never received real benefit from these drugs and they've ruined my life.  I want to taper the benzo myself but have yet to find a doc who will allow me to do so.  I'm trying to drop .001 a day and can't even do that without an electrical zap to my throat.   

[ChessieCat]

Hi Buddy and welcome to SA,

 

To get you started please create your drug signature following this format.  Keep it simple.  NO diagnoses or symptoms please - thank you.

• details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
• summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

 

This is your own introductions topic where your can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

[Shep]

On 1/9/2019 at 1:22 PM, Buddy8 said:

I've been holding around 8.8 since October and have had over 50 sxs from Ashton Manual.  I'm unable to drop .001 without terrible sxs. 

 

My current doc has me on zoloft 75 mg, 7.5 remeron (only way i can sleep) and wants to add depakote 

 

 

Buddy, I'm glad to read you are holding. Please continue to hold. Let's set up a game plan for you before you make any more changes.

 

We don't recommend adding in other drugs to help with a taper. What we see work best is coming off your drugs in a specific order so that your sleep is preserved, as well as helping with other symptoms. 

 

Please have a careful read of this thread and the concept of "accelerators and brakes". 

 

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

 

Please note the "major" drug interaction between Zoloft and Remeron and the "moderate" interaction between Valium and Remeron. We'll want to address this, as well, in your game plan for tapering off. The interactions are listed here: 

 

Drug Interaction Checker - Zoloft, Remeron, Valium

 

Please kindly fill in your drug signature (ChessieCat has given the information and link in the above post). 

 

Let us know long you've been on Zoloft and Remeron and any other drug so we can better answer your questions. Also, what times of day are you taking these drugs? 

 

You are correct that your doctor's switching of benzos and tapering advice was very misguided. And adding in other drugs to buffer the symptoms of benzo withdrawal rarely works and the other drugs also come with the possibility of dependency and will need to be tapered. 

 

As you provide more information, we can help you set up a game plan to taper safely off this cocktail of drugs. 

[Buddy8]

Here is my dosage chart from the beginning when I reached out to multiple doctors asking them what was wrong and I didn't know about benzo buddies.  I'm looking at years and years of coming off this drug and it's completely giving me adverse effects now.  I'm having muscle atrophy and skin sagging as I hold. 

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1C7JMfNGSjtxsttFuRRRcQnVEqonJZKa8ZyHIJccKkLk/edit#gid=0

[Shep]

Thanks for the addition information, Buddy.

 

From your spreadsheet, it looks like your most recent change was going from 100 mg to 75 mg Zoloft. Is that correct?

 

Quote

Remeron 15 mg

Valium 8.8

Zoloft 75 mg 

 

The above quote is from your signature. Please add the dates you've been on these drugs and include that in your signature. 

 

Please start a drug and symptoms journal using the below format. As you provide this information every day, we can better guide you in coming off this drug cocktail. As I mentioned in my previous post, there is a potentially dangerous drug interaction between Remeron and Zoloft, so we really need to know how these drugs are affecting you. The drug and symptoms journal will provide that information. 

 

 

On 9/27/2016 at 2:49 PM, Altostrata said:

In the course of discussion in your Introductions forum topic, you may be asked to keep notes on paper of your daily symptom pattern, including when you take your drugs, their dosages, and any symptoms.

 

What we need to see for every single day over several days is what symptoms you get before and after you take your drugs. If you're not taking any drugs, we need to see your symptom pattern throughout the day: Are symptoms worse at any particular times of day?

 

The time of day, dosage, and severity of symptoms are essential information. Include:

- Time and dosage for drugs taken in morning, with time and description of any symptoms in the morning
 
- Time and dosage for drugs taken in afternoon, with time and description of any symptoms in the afternoon
 
- Time and dosage for drugs taken in evening, with time and description of any symptoms in the evening
 
- Time and dosage for drugs taken in middle of the night, with time and description of any symptoms in the middle of the night (such as waking)
 
And so forth. A diary, in chronological order, looking something like this:
 
6 a.m. Woke with anxiety
8 a.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
10 a.m. Stomach is upset
10:30 a.m. Ate breakfast
11:35 a.m. Got a headache, lasted one hour
12:35 p.m. Ate lunch
4 p.m. Feel a bit better
5 p.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
6 p.m. Ate dinner
9:20 p.m. Headache
10:00 p.m. Took 50mg Seroquel
10:20 p.m. Feeling dizzy
10:30 p.m. Fell asleep
2:30 a.m. Woke, took 3mg Ambien (NOT "took 1/2 tablet Ambien")
2:45 a.m. Fell asleep
4:30 a.m. Woke but got back to sleep

 

[Buddy8]

yes.  the benzo is killing me.  

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Buddy.

 

I can see that reducing the benzo made you very sick. Very sorry you've had such a hard time.

 

Good job tracking your dosage and symptoms on the spreadsheet. Being so spread out, it's a bit hard to read.

 

Why do you think you're having a paradoxical reaction to Valium? Did you feel better or worse after reducing Zoloft? When did you increase to 15mg Remeron? Did you feel better or worse after this?

 

We do need those daily notes in the format Shep requested to identify adverse drug reactions.

 

Did you start Depakote on January 7? What dosage? Are you still taking it? Why did your doctor add it?