r/BenzoWithdrawal

Hey everyone,

Hope you are all doing well on your recovery journeys.
I was prescribed Alprazolam 0.5mg, two halves, one in the morning, one in the evening.

Alongside the one in the evening, I am taking 10mg of Escitalopram and 300mg of Gabapentin.

I was wrongfully prescribed these meds due to anaemia, and I am looking to cold turkey them since I don’t want to be on any of these more than necessary.

Never had any depression, I’m active swimming three times a week and was prescribed these because the medic thought my crash was psychological instead of look at the fucking blood work and seeing the thalasemia and anaemia in the values.

Needless to say I’m scared shitless since I know benzo cold turkey can risk your life, but I’m thinking the doses I am on are not big and the period is really short.

Anyone here been on the same combo by their medic? The doctor is on leave and I really don’t want this shit in my body for any longer…

Dr told me he’s retiring today. Next month will be my last 30 day script before he’s done. I’ve been taking 2mg Xanax (generic alprazolam technically) 3 times a day for about 2-3 years and was on 3mg Ativan twice daily before that after building a low baseline for maybe 3 years. I don’t really see a way I can get access to this medication after this point with long turnarounds for new drs/ therapists, especially at my dose.. it’s very much frowned upon for good reason so thinking I can get a script is definitely not something i think can be done easily at all. I’ve been dreading this for the longest time after I’ve been through a few day withdrawals back in my Ativan days that still give me nightmares. So as of now.. literally tonight I started tapering from 2mg, 3 times a day to 1.75. So before I found I took my normal 2mg and have another 1.75 before bed. I will attempt this in hopes it will be successful without massive setbacks and continue to drop about .25 every week or week and a half depending on how well I can handle it. The math is a bit difficult and I a few extra pills so when it’s all said and done it should be around 10-12 weeks if I can stick to the plan strictly.. maybe longer.. again it depends how well I can deal with the lowering dosages.. I still feel it will be horrific and by the end I’ll be hospitalized.. maybe lose my job and even my life due to my high blood pressure that I’m already medicated for.. I could really use some advice from some people who know about this. This is legit my nightmare but if I can come out the other side without physical and mental anguish I will be so glad I’m no longer controlled by this damn pill that both saved and ruined my life.. idc how much anxiety I have as long those withdrawals are gone.. fuck benzos.. never even took them to get high.. they just worked. Only thing that ever did. I just need to make it out..

I have been tapering for two years using the Ashton method and am down to 0.8 mg of Valium from 20 mg. Each time I have dropped a dose, I have a flare in chronic illness issues (I have MCAS, hEDS, Long Covid, POTS and vascular compressions).

Sometimes my vision in blurry, but normally after staring at screens for a while. I also have been having neuropathy and hand shakiness and paresthesia. My doctors seem to think this can all be explained by my other health issues, but I get worried. It seems every time I drop a dose, some new symptom pops up.

Did anyone experience something similar and did it ever abate once fully coming off benzos?

I've heard the horror stories of other people tapering off of Klonopin. My psychiatrist said start taking 0.5 everyday (0.25 in the morning, and 0.25 in the evening.) I'm very nervous about having seizures, or die, or have any kind of withdrawal symptom. I need some success stories or something. I know this is a "small dose" and I haven't been on it for very long, so many people have said I shouldn't feel any side effects.. however I am still afraid.

I’ve been taking Klonopin 3-4 times a week for about 8 months for anxiety and I really need to stop. It’s making my anxiety worse overtime and in between doses I experience worse anxiety. I’ve definitely become dependent on them. I started with 0.5mg but that doesn’t do much anymore and now I take 0.75-1.25mg some days. I also realized skipping days and not staying on a consistent dose is doing me more harm than good?..I plan to use the Maudsley method. 1mg for 2 weeks, 0.95mg for 2 weeks, 0.90mg for 2 weeks, and so on until I hit 0mg. I hope that it goes well. I am so grateful for this medication but at the same time I need to stop. What are your thoughts? I would really appreciate any input.

has anyone successfully got off Ativan by a 10% cut every month I’m scared I don’t know what to do

Hi I got down to 0.125 xanax at some point something bad happened I went back up to 1 xanax a day (down from 2.5 a day), but this weekend I drank every day.

I fooled myself that it would be fine it isn’t. This will pass and go back to baseline anxiety right??????!!!??

Do I tough it out today since the new dose of xanax even the higher one was maybe 1.5 months and I was fine ish.. ?

I would like to say I won’t drink again its not worth it but I do this. Always.

The 0.125 was so good I was almost off I could see the light was so proud but life really through me a curveball at that time and took the thing I wanted the most away

Has anyone here experienced the following side effects from benzos?
complete inability to sleep
loss of sense of taste
daily vomiting
burning sensations in the head like electric shocks
extreme feeling of cold throughout the entire body, especially in the hands and feet
muscle weakness in the legs
a mask-like, rigid facial expression

Has anyone here experienced the following side effects from benzos?
complete inability to sleep
loss of sense of taste
daily vomiting
burning sensations in the head like electric shocks
extreme feeling of cold throughout the entire body, especially in the hands and feet
muscle weakness in the legs
a mask-like, rigid facial expression

Has anybody else developed mcas symtoms and histsmine issues. Feeling so unwell and dont know how to manage trying to get.off lorazepam. New symtoms Major inflammation and rashes and so much more. Each day brings nre symtoms and indescribable suffering. Will anti histsmines help. Feeling like I cannot carry on like this. Please anybody help as uts bern too long now. Sure mcas now i

Hello, I am Juna, 31 years old, and I am suffering from very severe side effects from Tavor / diazepam use.

It all started last October when I was prescribed Tavor due to postpartum depression. At first, it felt like a miracle drug and completely switched off my thoughts (0.5 mg dose), and it worked all day. There was an attempt to introduce an antidepressant (Sertraline) at the same time, but it had a paradoxical effect on me immediately (severe nausea, much more inner restlessness, strong suicidal thoughts), so it was discontinued after 4 weeks. Since then, I was repeatedly given Tavor, and many different medications were “tested”: Trimipramine, Doxepin, Quetiapine, Pregabalin, etc.

ALL of them had paradoxical effects, causing even more restlessness. To reduce the agitation, I was repeatedly given Tavor. Weeks passed in the hospital, and by now even a 0.5 tablet only lasted a few hours. Everything was tried to slowly taper off the Tavor, but I was already experiencing strong withdrawal symptoms while still taking it.

Now I have reached a point where I can barely taste anything anymore, I cannot sleep at all, I have a constant resting heart rate of 120, and I can hardly walk (it feels like my muscles are working against resistance, and after about 10 minutes of walking I have to lie down!). I constantly have cold sweats, my hands and feet are really icy cold. My head is burning intensely from the inside, and I constantly have shaking attacks in my arms and head, during which I uncontrollably shake and make sounds.

The doctors say they have never seen anything like this as a side effect of benzodiazepines, but unfortunately I am affected.

Every minute is torture. I can barely taste anything anymore, and the food I manage to eat (maximum two slices of bread per day) comes back up, and even plain water is now coming back out. I am in a constant state of internal overstimulation but completely bedridden. My legs are constantly shaking, and the extreme cold in my hands and feet is burning and painful.

I have severe hair loss, and my face has completely changed and looks like a rigid mask. I am truly experiencing torture every minute.

Coping skills like breathing exercises do not lower my heart rate at all, and nothing brings me down even for one hour a day.

Over the months, the time window when things slightly improve shifted from around 5 p.m. to now only around 10 p.m. I have often tried to sleep, but it is absolutely impossible. Only quetiapine prolonged release plus additional quetiapine eventually knock me out, but I never wake up feeling rested—it is not real sleep.

Because of these medications, I have extremely restless legs, but I can barely move anymore, so I painfully tap on the spot. It is absolute hell.

I don’t even know why I am writing here. I hope to find someone who can relate or say something about it, maybe someone who has experienced something similar. Will the brain ever get out of this glutamate storm again?

I feel like my GABA cells are destroyed forever. Every minute I feel trapped in my body and completely powerless against these side effects.

I have lost all quality of life. The doctors cannot explain it and say it cannot be from benzodiazepines—but it IS.

Before giving birth, I had never taken medication, ate very healthily, often went for walks, was physically healthy, and although I had depressive phases and panic attacks, I could always bring my body out of them. Now everything is impossible.

I feel completely trapped and powerless. It is hard to imagine how agonizing this is because no one can see inside me.

Hello, I am Juna, 31 years old, and I am suffering from very severe side effects from Tavor / diazepam use.

It all started last October when I was prescribed Tavor due to postpartum depression. At first, it felt like a miracle drug and completely switched off my thoughts (0.5 mg dose), and it worked all day. There was an attempt to introduce an antidepressant (Sertraline) at the same time, but it had a paradoxical effect on me immediately (severe nausea, much more inner restlessness, strong suicidal thoughts), so it was discontinued after 4 weeks. Since then, I was repeatedly given Tavor, and many different medications were “tested”: Trimipramine, Doxepin, Quetiapine, Pregabalin, etc.

ALL of them had paradoxical effects, causing even more restlessness. To reduce the agitation, I was repeatedly given Tavor. Weeks passed in the hospital, and by now even a 0.5 tablet only lasted a few hours. Everything was tried to slowly taper off the Tavor, but I was already experiencing strong withdrawal symptoms while still taking it.

Now I have reached a point where I can barely taste anything anymore, I cannot sleep at all, I have a constant resting heart rate of 120, and I can hardly walk (it feels like my muscles are working against resistance, and after about 10 minutes of walking I have to lie down!). I constantly have cold sweats, my hands and feet are really icy cold. My head is burning intensely from the inside, and I constantly have shaking attacks in my arms and head, during which I uncontrollably shake and make sounds.

The doctors say they have never seen anything like this as a side effect of benzodiazepines, but unfortunately I am affected.

Every minute is torture. I can barely taste anything anymore, and the food I manage to eat (maximum two slices of bread per day) comes back up, and even plain water is now coming back out. I am in a constant state of internal overstimulation but completely bedridden. My legs are constantly shaking, and the extreme cold in my hands and feet is burning and painful.

I have severe hair loss, and my face has completely changed and looks like a rigid mask. I am truly experiencing torture every minute.

Coping skills like breathing exercises do not lower my heart rate at all, and nothing brings me down even for one hour a day.

Over the months, the time window when things slightly improve shifted from around 5 p.m. to now only around 10 p.m. I have often tried to sleep, but it is absolutely impossible. Only quetiapine prolonged release plus additional quetiapine eventually knock me out, but I never wake up feeling rested—it is not real sleep.

Because of these medications, I have extremely restless legs, but I can barely move anymore, so I painfully tap on the spot. It is absolute hell.

I don’t even know why I am writing here. I hope to find someone who can relate or say something about it, maybe someone who has experienced something similar. Will the brain ever get out of this glutamate storm again?

I feel like my GABA cells are destroyed forever. Every minute I feel trapped in my body and completely powerless against these side effects.

I have lost all quality of life. The doctors cannot explain it and say it cannot be from benzodiazepines—but it IS.

Before giving birth, I had never taken medication, ate very healthily, often went for walks, was physically healthy, and although I had depressive phases and panic attacks, I could always bring my body out of them. Now everything is impossible.

I feel completely trapped and powerless. It is hard to imagine how agonizing this is because no one can see inside me.

This may seem like a stupid question, but I've taken around 0.25 - 0.5 mg of Ativan for the past four days due to a surgery I had. Day one I was knocked out with Versed and I took 0.5 mg of Ativan when I got home. The next day I took 0.25 in the am and pm, next day just in the am, and today in the am. I'm hoping that's the last of it and just to grit my teeth and deal with the surgical anxiety...but am I at any risk here of dependency? I usually take one, maybe two 0.5 mg pills a year, they are truly rescue meds. However these last few days with my surgery I've just been off my damn rocker and can't calm down...I don't want to make it worse by dealing with benzo issues. I'm not taking any narcotic pain relief either, so I'm really just trying to make it through this first week without losing my mind lmao

Hello everyone, 1 year a go i started lormetazepam for insomnia, as soon i started this medication i cant tolerate sun at all, even 2 minutes in the sun cause me weeks of burning skin,chills and tremors, it does get better in few weeks if i dont go out during the day and better in the winter time, my skin tone got darker and it doesnt come back to normal since this meds. I switched to valium (diazepam) 1 month a go for tapering easily, has anyone had these symptoms? Do you think it will eventually go away when i finish tapering? Thanks to everyone, im really sad i cant go out with my friends this summer..

Been on K for 17 months. Below are the doses and dates when I started and how I moved up in doses over this time. I know i will still have a time getting off them but do you think it will be easier as opposed to someone that has been on a steady higher dose for years and years.

Started Dec 12th 2024 - 0.5mg 1x a day

March 12th 2025 - 0.5mg 2x day

June 12th 2025 - 0.5mg 3x day

Aug 27th 2025 - 1mg 3x day.

Since August 2025 I have not taken the third dose. Just 1mg in the morning and 1mg at noon. Hoarding that 3rd one. Just have struggled some in the evenings with anxiety/panic which is what I'm on them for in the first place. And K is the only thing I'm on. So my first question above about coming off. And other is should I go on a antidepressant. Effxor helped me tremendously for 17 years. It stopped working when my died mom. Been off it for 17 months. Tried other antidepressants but didn't help. So should I try to get back on Effxor and stabilize before starting to taper cause if I take the K away ill still be the a mess with the anxiety and panic.

Went to detox got Valium 10mg for two weeks. Came home got my script of kolonopin filled , drank on them every night and took em in the morning to function at work 0.5 mg two times a day. Got four 0.5mg left and can’t refill till 27th. I know these withdrawals are bout to be hell I work a very hard labor job

I'm feeling extremely anxious and worried with all the symptoms I'm having. I'm on day 4 after stopping, took 0.5mg to 1 mg for 1-2 months. The anxiety this is causing me is unreal. Funny head feeling, shaking, muscle cramps, no appetite whatsoever. Can this really be something else, does withdrawal really only last a few days?

Has anyone here experienced the following side effects from benzos?
complete inability to sleep
loss of sense of taste
daily vomiting
burning sensations in the head like electric shocks
extreme feeling of cold throughout the entire body, especially in the hands and feet
muscle weakness in the legs
a mask-like, rigid facial expression

Hi all — I’m 34F. Long story short, I have a prescription for alprazolam (1 mg, 15 tablets at a time). I refilled it in late March and was taking it almost daily, usually between 0.5–1.5 mg each day.
I refilled it again in late April and continued taking it the same way. By late last week, I was running low. I’m not completely out, but my last dose was this past Saturday.

Toward the end of last week, my anxiety suddenly ramped up and I’m not entirely sure why. I ended up canceling all my weekend plans because I felt so overwhelmed.

Now I’m wondering whether I might be experiencing some form of withdrawal or rebound anxiety from the alprazolam.

My main symptoms are:

•Increased anxiety that seems to fluctuate throughout the day

• Depression/low mood

• Brain fog

What makes me unsure is that I’m not experiencing symptoms like sweating, vomiting, tremors, etc.

Has anyone else experienced something similar after relatively short-term or moderate use? If so, how long did it take before you started feeling normal again? 😰

1. So woke up today at 5 am .

2. Had a walk 1 hour .

3. Meditated for 25 minutes.

4. Did the journaling.

5. Studied 42 minutes.

6. Read subtle art of not giving fuck (half hour)

(I am doing it from last 17 days missing one or two days inbetween)

So before 9 am most of the task about day was done.

Started going out

1. Completed a outside task

2. Perhaps gonna go outside again in the evening.

The thing is

I have to

1. Fight myself and stay sober.

2. Revieve my Dead carrier.

3. The addiction and sobriety.

I didn't smoke ciggerate since last 24 days and before the relapse I was able to abstain upto 64 days . Along with that I am sober from cannabis and pregablin and alprazolam for the same time.

Last time the relapsed happened due to complex reason .

1. I was stagnant in my sobriety not doing anything except being sober.

2. I have a problem with my self-esteem . I get so insecure sometimes i just cannot cope with that feeling.

This time I made sure I don't feel the above two.

I decided to fix a routine and then adding meditation and journaling and exercise. Along with that i started taking protien suppliment and creatine and l tyrosine and l theanine. Which can help me to fix this above two problems. But still the self esteem problem couldn't be solved until.

2. Revieve my carrier

So Its going to be long but still I would try to keep it short.

I took admission in A medical degree.

I feel in addiction and depression completely in 2nd professional.

At the end of the year I lost lot of weight and kind of become deeply addicted to Heavy ciggerate usage , cannabis edibles and caffeine.

Lots of things happened in between. Kind of became Suicidal at the end of 2nd year. So I just kind of paused from my education.

I remained suicidal for 4-5 months after that and remained an addict.

I become kind of useless potato after that for a year.

Then I tried to continue the college,(my addiction was still there along with my depression also a very deep Isolation , no friends and rare conversation with family)

I get back to the college with my father talked to principal and they agreed.

but , I never again went back to the college,

I guess the reason being : A) I was way too homesick , and I couldn't go out of my room . I am extremely hesitant for any social interaction.

Because after this prolonged isolation, this could be the direct effect of it. B) I can't study after such a long abstinence.

C) Maybe the addiction and depression hold i underestimated

D) Or maybe I couldn't get anything done, the consistency problem.

So , I just wasted 5 months there in indifference and smoking and substance use but it was not that heavy.

Then again I took a pause from my education and came back home.

And after two months my father died.

Now he left a unfinished house to build which took 6 months again.

And i again fell in the trap of addiction. So much so I just started seeing house items so I could buy substances. (Maybe it was xanax)

But because of that I started my Abstinence journey.

At first I was 2 months sober and then relapsed. Then again for 1 month and relapsed and then again 1 month and relapsed.

Last abstinence was about 2 months.

Now this time I been working a lot harder than previous attempt.

working on things.

I realised WITHOUT MY DEGREE AND EDUCATION I AM NO BODY.

In few days I am going to be 25 , And it's already very depressive with my state , but anyhow I have to move .

Before just continuing my college I have to work upon few things

1. I could manage my sobriety.

2. I could manage my studies.

3. I could manage my discipline.

4. I can get things done .

Which i feel kind of difficult in present state .

But any how next month I have to take actions and move .