TAPPERING OFF VALIUM

[cleo1966]

I don't know how this works. But will this question get answered by a medical specialist? I'm trying to get off benzo (valium).  I've only been taking it for 1 1/2 weeks, but before that I was on ATIVAN for two weeks, then tried tapering off & boom, my anxiety symptoms worsened, and then had a burning sensations on my arms, head, face & back.  Whats wrong with me?

[cleo1966]

Hey, your not in "Hell" it might feel like that for the moment.  Are you seeing a Psychiatrist Doctor?  Not a Psychologist, but psychiatrics is more intense with the chemistry for the right medication to use for your problem.  Also see a cardiologist as well, & forum friend Ryan suggested an Endocordiologist (test for hyperthyroidism, amongst other things).  Your internal medicine docs don't know much about these medications as well as do specialist.  So if you want some relief its going to take some guts & maybe check into an outpatient behavioral health clinic (I'm in one, it's great).  This way your under the care of a specialist.  They monitor all your medications, side effects, ect...  I know the fear your living in, I live in it every-day, but it will only worsen if you don't try to help yourself.  I just finished college Dec. 2006 & know how hard it can be to sit through some grueling lectures, plus having a panic or anxiety disorder.  Hang in there.  There is help out there, so go get it so you can start recovery today.....  I'll keep you in my prayers.  I'm sending positive thoughts to you as  I write this.  Keep a hole open for HOPE!  It's there, you just have to grab it.

[cleo1966]

Thanks Ryan, you sure know a little about chemistry, eh?  How do know so much about these med's?  Well, I'm day 3 on Neurontin (used for neuropathy pain, anxiety, yes seizures, migrains, different types of chronic pain).  I do have a Psychiatrist doctor, she's the one that put me on the Neurontin.  I have also read in medical litature that GABA is very helpful with weaning off benzodiazapines.  I have been tested several times for my thyroid, negative results with that.  I am under the care of a cardiologist as well.  Today they placed an event monitor on me.  Familiar with what one is?  Well, what it allows you to do is take ECG of your heart activity, then via phone/fax you send the transmissions over & if they are life threating, the doctor is notified STAT, as well as you are instructed too, to do something about it (e.g. if it was a mild c. arrest).  I did try atenolol, but it really made me more depressed, crying spells, very low blood pressures (my pressure already runs low - ex:  115/73, & it would drop it like to 96/60) & low heart rates (54-58BPM) when normal heart ranges 60-100BPM, and it made me extremly fatigued.  So, I didn't like the way it made me feel overall.  So they gave me a CA+channel blocker "Cartizem 120mg/PRN (AS NEEDED)" - I've only used it once & it didn't really bother me to much, because one night my heart went up to 178BPM, they also taught me to use the Valsalva manuver (hold your breath & bear down/push for a few seconds-this brings the heart rate down safely), it's worked in the past.  
Oh thanks for tips on the Endocrinologist, I'll take that into consideration.  Have a great weekend. Hey I never asked, but what do you suffer from?  Anxiety?

[cmjames2828]

It sucks to have anxiety and through many different "drug cocktails" that doctors have tried on me ive settled to the worse benzo there is xanax. I say its the worse because of how addicting it is and how tolerance builds up and how bad the withdrawal symptoms are. I currently try cognative therapy and a huge dose a xanax 8 mg a day but i am able to work and get my bachelors degree. While on ativan or klonopin i wasnt able to sit in a class room, other then some i dont have agoraphobia i just have a problem sitting still. I have been on it for two years and when i do plan on tapering off all i know is hell lies before me....

[joe504]

I find that 0.5mg of clonazepam taken twice daily is extremely effective in medicating panic disorder with or without agoraphobia.  It is a long-term benzo, and if taken properly, provides a great deal of help.

[cleo1966]

Well, I want to discontinue because I know it's so addicting.  It scares me just to take it.  I'm droggy all day.  I took 5mg/at bedtime for 7 days, then the doc said cut down to 2.5mg/at bedtime for 7 days, but I took 2.5mg/at bed for only 4days, then cut down to 1.25mg/at bed for the last two days & don't feel real great.  The ATIVAN I only took for 2 weeks; 1mg/4xday for 3-4days, then 0.5mg/day for 2-3days, then 0.25mg/day for 1-2 days & then the first day I was 24 hours without it BAM....  My skin was burning, I was shaking, couldn't eat for 6days, insomnic for 6 days with only maybe 2-3hours/night (maybe less) of sleep, I kept going into the E.R., cause I would wake up with heart rates as high at 178BPM.  You see on Oct. 29th I was asleep, & I had just had a great day at the beach with my husband, we went to sleep & around 1:30-2:AM I woke up with a electrical pain (quick) shock like in my chest & told my husband to call 911, when the EMT arrived, they put my on monitor & my heart was 158BPM, so they started an I.V. & said I possibly suffered from arrythmia called PSVT (heart rates greater than 100BPM).  So that night they sent me home with 2mg/IV push ativan in my system & put me on a cardiac med. call Atenolol.  Both drugs made me feel like ****.  So I knew I had to taper off the ATIVAN, but my doc never told me how, I just did it little by little, and boy was I ever sorry to start that drug.  So several days/nights passed almost going into e.r. every night because I thought I was having a heart attack it was so bad.  Heart rates jumping up to 150-170BPM.  I was now terrified to go to sleep.  I was so freaked out, that finally I 5150'd (ONLY SPENT ONE DAY) myself at our local hospital.  I didn't understand what was happing to my body.  Psyc. MD put me on 12.5mg/Zoloft & 25mg/Trezadone for a sleep aid (both SSRI's), I got very tackycardic from both pills, was having heat flashes & the burning sensation I was getting coming off the ATIVAN worsened.  So those were discontinued, & I was placed on Valium after that, cause I couldn't eat or sleep.  My psyc. MD now says I will have to go on neurontin or depakote to come off the valium.  She said I'm suffering from a chemical imbalance in my brain (duh), and that I needed a mood stabalizer, because I could not tolerate SSRI'S.  I am terrified of NEURONTIN OR DEPAKOTE.  Im terrifiend to take any medications, because I have such sensitive reactions with them.  I feel so alone & terrified.  I came to this site, cause I thought I could not only get input from other like yourself, but get input from a professional as well.  I want to smile again, I want breath again, I want to sleep again, I want to walk down the street with out having 24 hours/day of fear that I'm goin to die.  I'm going through a rough time (e.g. marriage, now not working, my 23 yr. old son) in life.  I suffered from severe panic attacks when I was 21 years old & took ATIVAN back then & had no problem coming off it & did great for 21 more years, now this is where I'm at.  SUCKS!  I just graduated from nursing (R.N.) school Dec/2006, bought a house I can't afford, went straight into ICU nursing (hardest speciallty in nursing to start), and started having mild panic attacks about a 1 1/2 years ago, but just once in a while, then I knowtest once I started my counseling & getting junk out of my trunk with my therapist, my attacks worsened.  Then Oct. 29th happened & changed my life forever.  I know this is eye-full to read, but I'm so scared & feel so alone.  I've always been a strong person.  Now at 41 years old I feel co-dependant, almost started becoming Acraphobic (didn't spell right), scared to almost leave my house.  I'm trying to fight this daily.  I got put into a outpatient psyc. program, it's very helpful, but I'm still scared.