r/BenzoWithdrawal

I have been slowly tapering Ativan after 13 months of daily use :3mg and for a month I took way more because I had a traumatic event but after that I went back to 3mg and started to taper from it , does anyone who took this med and tapered or whithdrawaled felt the same ?
Everyday :
- muscle pain hands and legs and feet and also arms.
- pain in elbow and knee
-morning anxiety and rapid heart rate
- burning feeling in my body.
- acid reflux
- a lot of gas , gurgling even in my throat
- flatulence
- gas pain .
- abdominal pain
- indigested food in stool
- insomnia
- headaches - migraines
- dizziness
- depression
- sadness
- whole body pain sometimes or burning
- sometimes pain in my heart
- horrible taste in my mouth
- sometimes back pain
I feel like a stranger in my body , I feel like I will never recover from this , I was already feeling this before taper I guess it was interdose withdrawal
I am so scared that I will never heal from this , I feel invisibly handicaped , I can’t do anything like I used to before , I am severely depressed , even taking a shower is a hard task at this point because of my pain and fatigue.
Sometimes I just want to end my life , I can’t enjoy anything anymore even hanging out , or going out , I am bed bound.
I just started some stretching exercise for the muscle and I am going to start therapy next week.
But my physical symptoms are gonna be the end of me.

I take clonazepam 4mg as needed. However, when I take it, it seems like every terrible side effect happens to me. I am exhausted the next day, I wake up early, I have scary thoughts, I’m agitated and caffeine doesn’t touch my sedation. I am going to tell my psych this next appt that I can’t do this shit anymore. I take it seldomly so I don’t think I’m dependent but idk why tf I experience such side effects? People that aren’t rx this medication and use it for recreational purpose seem to be having a good time. Whats wrong with me? I took 4mg yesterday at 4pm (MT) it’s 10 am the next day and I’m still sedated. How can I get this out of my system as quickly as possible?? This feeling is horrific.

Hi all, I could use some help.

I’m off 5 years of heavy benzo use and spent 10 months tapering and have been off completely for about 6 months now, sleep was my biggest issue due to insomnia and restless legs, which are pretty bad

(had them before benzos they are better now that I started iron supplements)

but they got worse one month out of the blue and my psychiatrist put me on 300mg of gabapentin and I took it for about 25 days.

I had to stop taking it cold turkey and ended up not sleeping for about 5 days straight and ended up in the hospital, I was used to getting about 5 - 7 hours of sleep before this with occasional Insonia episodes every week or so, mostly a day or a few days at worst.

But it’s been over a month since I jumped off gabapentin and I’m not not sleeping right, I get maybe 4 hours of light broken sleep if I’m lucky and falling asleep is the hardest thing in the world, the sleeping anxiety and deprivation are agonizing, and I’m scared of sleeping now so it’s harder.

I’ve tried everything from melatonin, magnesium, weed, CBD, supplements, etc. nothing, it’s a nightmare and was not this bad before starting let alone stopping the gabapentin. Can anyone give me some encouraging advice please? It feels like I’ve lost a lot of my progress and yet it’s somehow worse :(

I was given Ativan for panic attacks (heart related) in June, I've been taking 0.5 to 0.25 MG per day. What withdrawal effects should I expect? I took a few days off of them last week and got wild hot flashes, headaches, dizziness, and weakness.

Ive been having a hard time getting stable and sleep has been awful, so I went to ask my psychiatrist if there’s anything he can prescribe to get through the nights. I decided to not google anything beforehand and just asked for “no antipsychotics or benzolikes”. He went “sure there’s zolpidem”. I asked him what kind of medication that is and how it works, to which his reply was “it’s a uhh.. it helps you sleep”. Ok, whatever. I double checked and asked him “and it doesn’t work on GABA?” To which he replied “uhh I’m not sure, let me check….-no it works on ‘gamma-aminobutyric acid (in dutch), it does not work on GABA’”.

So he prescribes me 10 of these pills, I get home and go to google the medicine. First thing I read is (paraphrased) “this is a medication that works on GABA”. Sure enough GABA is the short form abbreviation of the thing he mentioned that it works on.

What kind of joke is that? How am I ever supposed to trust a psychiatrist if they can’t even get something that simple right? I’m not even gonna bother picking up these sleeping meds, what a joke.

Did a blood test and got a hospital admittance from it. Showed extremely low cortisol and low acth Now i have had a head injury that might of contributed but i also take 2mg klonezpam daily before discovery. Ive tried stopping and a small taper but didnt work. I was wondering is the the main suspect for my suspected adrenal insufficiency and should i even be on hydro cortisol if the 9am test i did was affected by klonezpam i get them not on script so im not comfortable talking to my doc about em (nhs)

Anyone had any experience with adrenal insufficiency due to clonazepam

2018-2020 I was on .5 klonopin and stopped cold turkey. In 2023 put back on klonopin until 2025 tapered down to 1mg Valium over 6 months. I reinstated klonopin .5mg in January 2026, I know now that was stupid. I was rapidly changed from Lexapro to Zoloft to clomipramine in about a month Hospital cut klonopin off cold turkey 2 months later and I trusted them and didn’t continue taking it. Fast forward 3 months of rapidly changing antidepressants and I decided I want to be off meds after 15 years. I’d just started to stabilize my nervous system. Doctor changed me from 5mg Trintellix that id been on for 5 weeks to .5 Rexulti in a week. Then three weeks later she told me I could stop the rexulti in just a week. I started having horrible surging anxiety and finally broke and took 8mg Valium over 3 days along with some alcohol on 2 of them. Since stopping the rexulti and the Valium alcohol slip, I was dog sick for 2 weeks, sleep crashed, waking with drenching sweats, my face and arms are burning, hands and feet profusely sweating, have akathisia that is getting better but the head pressure tinnitus and obsessive research of trying to figure out what is wrong with me is awful. I barely eat, I cannot function, feel like there is a hornets nest in my chest. This has been going on for 6 weeks now and I am nearing the end of my rope.

I was on 30mg Temazapam, 100mg Trazadone and 0.5mg Clonazepam for 2 years. The side effects of the Temezapam (maybe both benzos combined) were causing so much GI distress that it was actually keeping me from SLEEPING. I unfortunately have to intervene, get checked into detox and get off of them. I’ve been off them for 5 weeks, the GI distress has gone away but now I’m having rebound insomnia. And it feels like no matter what med/combo I cant get more a few hours of non restorative sleep a night. And I’m most likely to go lose my job because I can’t go back to work in this state.

Anybody have any idea how much longer this is going to last? I’m fearful that I’m going to fall into depression from sleep deprivation. I’m currently trying 100mg Hydroxizine, 200mg Trazadone and 800mg Gabapentin. And starting taking 100mg Zoloft to fight any oncoming depression. How much longer can this go on for?

So I am tapering off Ativan , and librax , I have awful symptoms daily for weeks ; tachicardia : very rapid heart pulse , headaches / migraines , cold spells even tho it’s summer , digestive issues and the most bizarre one I have uterus pain outside of my period I am not constipated ! This pain worries me is it normal ?
Thank you

Heyeveryone,

I want to share what I’m going through because I really need advice. I was on 25mg Valium for 10 years, and after I was suddenly taken off cold turkey by my doctor, I got worse each day. Eventually, my neurologist saw what was happening during an appointment and told my GP to reinstate the Valium, which helped stabilize me mentally. But physically, I’m still really suffering.

The worst part is these akathisia-like full-body symptoms—restlessness, shaking, pain, numbess, burning. The list goes on. They come in waves, and they break me down every day. Feels like my CNS is hypersensitive

I’ve been on Sotalol, a beta blocker, because of past cardiac issues, and I kept taking as per doctors advice. I was happy too try this purely due too its adrenaline blpcking properties. Something I rely on since I can’t work or leave the house and only find peace when i play my xbox. The beta blocker did help some, but now I realize it’s barely touching these physical symptoms. My mind is calmer, but my body is in constant unrest, the shaking, the pain. You all probably know what I mean. I’m desperate for relief today. Im so hypersensitive to the tiniest of things can set of these physical pain issues that seem like akatisia or closest I can describe.

Has anyone tried Gabapentin or Pregabalin for this kind of akathisia or nerve hypersensitivity during a benzo withdrawal? Its my biggest issue right now.

I play xbox daily, and i cant play longer then a couple hours before my pain symptoms over take my body. Its causes such severe pain from my CNS i cant describe it

I emailed my doctor’s clinic, my Dr is away for 4 weeks but there is another Dr that works with him and will speak with them today, but I really need to hear from others who’ve been through this.

Whats should I say? What can I do nedication wise. I am so desperate....

Also for context im on Serequel for insomnia which has helped me sleep so well thru the withdrawl symptoms even tho i dont like rhe medication. I was going a week without sleep. I understand this can cause akathisia. I was already feeling akathisia or hyperarousal of my nervous system before i started serequel. So I dont think there is any issue with Serequel for me

Anyone used either of these meds and have they helped?

Or any other advice?

Thank you so much.

Besides the severe withdrawal symptoms mentioned in the title, I’m having trouble getting a half dose of a quarter of a 0.5-mg clonazepam tablet, that is, 0.0625 mg. Here, drugstores don’t sell drops or compounding solutions. I’m grinding the fragment into powder, dividing it roughly in half, but I’d like to try using a syringe.

Okay, I've tried cutting my pills but my body is reacting to even a shave .001been doing this for 4 days feeling so ill can't go up on dose made me so sick, tried taking it two times a day before that, it didn't help, how do you switch to Diazapam or Valium, if I can get a doctor to try and work with me as mine is useless, I'm going to call another psychiatrist tomorrow but want to know what I'm talking about as they probably won't know how to do the switch, or am I doomed because my body is so sick from benzos, whatever you call it dependent tolerance, it doesn't like the drug and I can't even taper a little bit. Thanks for any info.

Please don't come for me, this is hard enough already.

For context I am in the UK, although my GP originally gave me 0.5mg clonazepam in 2020 to deal with Burning Mouth Syndrome, they stopped it soon after as they were concerned about addiction. But it worked so I started getting it from elsewhere which the GP doesn't know about. Since then I went up to 4mg daily until a few months ago when I went down to 2mg with no issues. From then I dropped to 1mg but only for a short period before stopping completely 12 days ago.

Had been experiencing every withdrawal symptom and am off sick now, my boss has been great and they aren't expecting me back any time soon so I have time to do this properly now. I have taken 1mg today as the tingling in my feet and legs were getting unbearable. I feel like I've ridden most of the wave now but if I can do the rest properly, even better.

I have a couple of questions.

1. I like the look of the Ashton withdrawal schedule and swapping Clonazepam for Diazepam. But I don't have any Diazepam. Do you think if I tell my GP I was buying them basically from a third party I will be flagged in some way - as I am a Civil Servant so need to be careful and also I have children and I don't want them getting Social Services involved if they see me as someone illegally buying drugs. Or do I just say this is where I am at and I need help as you gave it to me in the first place!!!

Thanks all.

I’m so nervous I’m switching and am
Terrified I will feel worse

So I have exhausted my options and my last resort is to self taper.

Here is what I have done so far:
5 days ago I went into withdrawal. I was able to dose 1mg of a script Xanax. I am used to 2mg daily of pressed farmas. Every day since, I have been okay with an abrupt 1mg cut. Back on 1mg pressed pills until today. I was able to get 8 script .5mg kpins, and farmas from mex. 30 ct.

Today I dosed 1mg of kpin. Feel tolerable. This whole process is shit, but better than missing a dose.

I plan to use the pressed pills til extinction, and then the kpins to lower down the specific dose. (Break in halves, fourths).

Is there any other recommendations or advice on how I can taper with what I got? In the best way possible. I currently work full time and cannot do a horrible rapid taper, but also will be more susceptible to relapsing if I take too long of a taper.

TIA!

Hi,

In the last 6 weeks I have taken 80 mg diazepam one day then 12 days later taken 75 mg then 8 days later 50 mg, I have stopped for 4 days now, what are the chances I will go through severe withdrawal because of this. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

I'm 10 months off from my last benzo. Overall I am much better and yet in some ways I am worse. It's so frustrating. I keep hoping when I hit the 12 month mark I'll be mostly healed, and maybe I will. But it's incredible how bad I still feel. Again, I am absolutely trending in the right direction. But I constantly lose hope.

(EDIT) My psychiatrist blacklisted me and now I am on my own to taper. Detox is not plausible for my circumstances..

I am used to taking 2mg of pressed Xanax ( I know ) daily for the past 3 years recreationally. Mainly to help me knock out and stay asleep. Sometimes if I have a rough day at work, I would rely on the euphoria to help me regulate my own nervous system. I genuinely never had a day without a dose and last night was the first night I had zero funds, and zero pills. I crashed HARD. My brain already knew what was coming, as I was extremely emotional through my work day. I just started my new company as a registered behavior technician and I work with children diagnosed with autism. I genuinely cannot afford to go to detox and lose my new job and I do not want to taint my image with this new company. I am scared because I have gone cold turkey and know what this hell is like. I feel it will be worse this time because I am anticipating it. It took me less than 24hrs after a spiked dose (2.5mg) to crash and obtain symptoms of Suicidal Ideation, Benzo belly, Akathisia, disassociation.

I was able to dose 1mg of PRESCRIBED Xanax to which I ended up throwing up, but immediately felt some placebo relief as well as immediate physical relief. I still feel like shit, because of the cut. But it did save my life last night. I would have ended up admitting myself into the hospital for help, knowing they can’t necessarily dose me / help me long term. I am seeing my psychiatrist tomorrow morning about this. Well, his assistant. He is the first and only doctor to really see my baseline as he was my psychiatrist in the adolescence ward years ago. It has been years since I have seen him. I plan on a urine analysis to see if the pressed pills have made me dependent on any other substances that I would need to treat for as well. I plan on talking about a long taper- one that I will not go into extreme withdrawal over hence me still needing to work. I find my job difficult, especially going through my own crisis. I am afraid of gabapentin dependency if I am put on it. I really want to advocate for myself and ask for an extended release benzo to taper from since I was not taking prescription benzos to begin with. I may need some zofr** to help aid in my eating, I have zero appetite and now it is hard to actually chew on food. My appetite faded long before I went into withdrawal. I have tried traz to help with sleep years ago and it never worked out.
I guess cheers to my new chapter starting tomorrow.

I have enough to get me through tonight, I dose again in some hours, but I am wondering if I need to dose accurately to my tolerance, or continue to the 1mg cut.

I've been taking 5-10mg Valium daily for the past 10 years. The person I was getting them from (they were prescribed) has died, so I'm buggered. My GP and psychiatrist will not give me any, the local drug services either only offer counselling or only prescribe for alcoholics and opioid addicts.

It is possible to wean myself off with the 24 5mg pills I have left without risking seizures or serious consequences? I already have pre-existing epilepsy so I don't know if that will raise the risk? It would be easy enough to get street valium but I'd rather not risk that.