A crossroads with anxiety medication...need advice please

Hello everyone, I hope all is well. Yes I'm still semi struggling with the anxiety meds. This is my PMS week (sorry fellas) so my anxiety is usually through the roof. But ever since I started increasing the teasel root dosage (5 drops a day and working up to 6) sometimes just 1 anxiety pill seems to be too much. I took one today (which is .5mg of Lorazapam) and I got instantly heavy headed, foggy brain, gait was off and my anxiety actually shot up through the roof. After an hour or so it came back down and I'm calm again.

Is that my body telling me to reduce the dosage...I'm thinking of ordering some suntheanine to see if maybe I need to start on something natural...maybe my body is trying to heal from the anxiety symptom. (God I hope so)!

Any thoughts??? Let me know...especially those who were once on anxiety meds and came off of them...what were the signs that it was time to wean off.

Anyone using suntheanine or something natural for anxiety that will cross the BBB (blood brain barrier) for newbies.

Blessings...

Hi Mike! I'm like you...I take one a day and sometimes I have to split the pill in half because like I said a whole one is too much. And I'm with you...I'm not increasing the dosage. I did that once and never ever again! I went to the Vitamin Shoppe and got some L-Theanine for the afternoons where I need a little more assistance and it does the trick.

Thanks for chiming in. I'm going to go on a website that another member told me to check out about suntheanine and order some and see if maybe I can wean off of the abx onto something natural.

I wish my body could you say, "Yes...get me off this stuff and let's try this!" Then again everyone would be healed by now if that were the case :)

Hi guys, Traveler knows me. I helped on a benzo forum for a while as well.

She is right.

I'm actually writing a book about the side effects and the syndrome associated with cold turkeying a benzo or coming off/tapering too fast. Other info on them as well. Same end result if tapering too quickly as a cold turkey quit if dependent.

If you are taking Lorazepam a couple times a week you are in the clear no doubt but daily this may apply to you. If not to you, perhaps it will help others reading.

Just so you know, the second benzo made was valium
THAT is the base equivalency which all other benzos are measured.

.5 mg of Lorazepam (Ativan) is not a small dose.

Lorazepam is 1:10 ratio to valium

Meaning 1 mg of Lorazepam = 10 mg of valium
(.5 mg ativan/Lorazepam = 5 mg of valium)

Klonopin and xanax are 1:20 ratio.

This means 1 mg is equal to 20 mg of valium.

Doctors do not learn this and it's very important as many docs switch benzos on patients and put them on too low of a dose compared to the last benzo the patient was on. This means anxiety and no sleep and it is a side effect as the patient is then in a constant stages of beginning of withdrawal on too low a dose.

But they do not know that is why they are having problems. Nor does the doctor not having to study this.

I hope you are understanding this.
Here is an equivalent chart.

http://www.benzodocs.com/converter.php

Z-drugs have near the same mechanism of action as benzos. Most do not know that. Z-drugs, eg: zopiclone = ambien eszopicone = Lunesta. Sonata is a z-drug as well.


So the same rules apply as a benzo. 30-50% of people taking them become dependent, not addicted but dependent meaning they do not know they have become dependent and can't just quit.

Contrary to what doctors are taught, the brain can change in as little as 3 to 7 days taken daily. Even on low low doses. So dependence can and is frequently established early for many unbeknownst to the patient and denied by the doctor if the patient quits after only taking it 2 weeks and goes into withdrawal. Typically the doctor says it's in their head. Dose was too low for this to happen. But it happens. Check out the benzo boards.

Same denial and problems due to hidden and falisified data. Just like lyme disease.

Dr. Malcolm Lader had his benzos cause brain damage (looks like structural atrophy in his scans) proof hidden by the ministry of health in UK. Neuroleptics can cause shrinkage too. The appt was canceled. He studied benzos too. The papers were found/uncovered 2011. Please read this quick paper he wrote explaining a bit on benzos. Not the one I just referred to though. He talks about ativan/Lorazepam side effects as well.

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/

When people try to quit if dependent, they get anxiety or more sleepless and are told by prescriber that it's an anxiety disorder and to go back on. This "disorder" is not accurate. IF dependent, it is a sign of the beginning of withdrawal therefore a side effect of the drug.

This is being fought seriously in UK parliament right now as doctors are mistaking beginning of withdrawal for the patients emotion and polydrugging them for disorders when it's a side effect. Been happening for decades.

With these pills, this change of brain means cns and brain (functional brain change) side effects can last 6-18 months or go protracted so longer, if quit too quickly. Lyme like symptoms. Physical neuro pain etc, mental symptoms, fevered long time, many rendered unable to work. People can get very sick. I was in bed a year sick from it and then pathogens came out.

If you want more info please go to benzobuddies.

Dr. Heather Ashton is the ONLY Dr that had a withdrawal clinic studying effects of withdrawal, the syndrome all of it. She has been warning the health institutions for decades about these drugs. They make too much money so no changes. They were NEVER meant to be taken long term.

Xanax and Ativan were not supposed to be put on the market. I have the info for Ativan. Lorazepam. It's in a documentary. It was not supposed to make license due to side effects.

Pfizer falsified trials of xanax to make it look like they had no side effects coming off. The misinfo is what your doctor got.

Heather Ashton wrote Ashton Manual.

Please read a bit so you understand what you are on and know how to come off safely.

Most if dependent can't taper off Ativan due to it's short half life. Valium is used as the benzo to cross over too slowly as it's half life is 50-100 hours, up to 200 hours because of it's unique active metabolite these others do not have. Same with xanax, cross to valium and taper off valium. Most benzos apply to this rule.

A person is not supposed to be put on a z-drug plus benzo. z-drug just has less equivalency. So if one is, the z-drug and benzo, equivalent is then calculated and the same equivalent of valium is transferred over to from the 2 totals combined.

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/

I went thru it from klonopin. I got so sick coming off, was told it wasn't happening, and this is what broke my immune to have the pathogens come out. Now I have lyme, bart, babs and maybe fl1953.

Another author who went thru it from the benzos contracted lyme and co as well and I've now met many. She wrote in her book, if your benzo symptoms persist check for pathogen infection as benzo sickness breaks immune. Author Shirley Trickett.

Me: Many it is looking, contract pathogen infection or have it and it comes out of dormancy when benzo sick. I've talked to a few.

I have a network of people in the community of benzos so have a lot of helpful info.

Good luck. Hope this helps you to prevent benzowithdrawal. PLEASE look at Ashton Manual and go to benzobuddies to learn what you are on.

UK had the biggest class action suit again big pharma. 1400 people sued to side effects of the different benzos. Doctors were in it again the pharma co as well as their patients got the side effects. The people lost. Pharma co had too much money.

Post Edited (1runner) : 9/3/2013 8:17:38 PM (GMT-6)

TheWryter, I have been on Valium and Xanax. I was prescribed Valium to help cope with my anxiety symptoms that I got from being sick from Lyme. Valium didn't help much so I only took it a few times.

Xanax however, I keep a bottle of .25 mg handy. I was first prescribed Xanax about a year ago. When I first started to suffer from LD symptoms, I would be in the ER about once every couple of weeks. They always said that I had nothing wrong and that it was anxiety so they would prescribe Xanax.

I suffered LD for a year before I knew what it was and started to get treated. During this time, there were times that I got so sick (chest pains, heart problems, dizziness, etc) that I thought I was going to die. Along with the symptoms, my blood pressure would go up considerably. A Xanax would calm me down, bring down my blood pressure and alleviate my symptoms for a little bit.

Once I knew that it was Lyme and that I wasn't having a heart attack each time that my GI acted up or that my chest hurt, I learned to calm down on my own and learned to control my anxiety. At my worse period in time I probably took one pill every three days. I did have a side effect each time that I took a pill. The next day or two I would feel very tired, like a zombie, with brain fog and disoriented.

Now that I know what causes the symptoms I take Xanax maybe once a month and usually after I did something strenuous that wore me out. When this happens, my blood pressure goes up, I am so tired that I feel like I can fall into a coma and start to panic. Taking a Xanax makes me fall asleep and when I wake up the feeling is gone.

I guess that to answer your question on how I weaned myself off is to say that I learned to control my panic and anxiety and to only take it when I can't handle it any more. As for your body telling you to wean off of it, that may be so, but what I think is happening is that some herbs and supplements (as well as some prescriptions) enhance the effects of certain drugs. Perhaps one of the supplements that you are taking enhances the effects of the drug. Try taking crumbs of it ( I sometimes take a razor blade and shave off pieces of it) and see if such a small dose gives you the same effect. It just might be that you no longer need it to feel better. That would be such a blessing.

Just a note here - I do know 1runner. She has helped me learn how to reduce my Trazodone dose slowly and properly so that I didn't end up in the nut ward!! LOL!

BTW - I'm at 100 mgs of Trazodone now!! Woo hoo!! I started off with 300 mgs - and I'm still sleeping!

Be sure that you learn how to taper off of these meds - it's really important!!!

My problem is that I have neuro issues...I have this nasty spatial issue and my legs get weak when that happens. The Lorazapam has helped that a lot. I can't not work...so I feel stuck. I guess I need to listen to my body and slowly taper and see what happens and maybe it's not time to totally come off or maybe it is...

I've never had anxiety issues before Lyme. I hate it. I can't perform on stage, travel, or anything like that because of the anxiety/spatial issue which sometimes brings on poor gait.

Sigh...I'm not in the best of moods today as you can see. I'm a bit wiped out from an IV. I will just pray on it. I did go on benzobuddies to read the taper techniques and like them thank you all for the info.

Hi Anna, thank you so much and I'm sorry you have been battling Lyme for 7 years. Well I cut off the edge of the pill today (so maybe a tenth of it). So far so good...what's not helping is that I was in an accident last week and this week my period came so symptoms are out of whack!

What I am doing more of is detoxing and I think that is going to help clean me out and with my healing process. I tried .25 yesterday and I was okay until 5pm then I took a half of .25 and was good through the evening. So it's about finding that perfect combo but I think my body is trying to rewire on its own...so we will see.

I will keep you posted and thank you all for sharing. This community is dynamic. I know I can't do cold turkey yet but praying on the day when my levels are normal and I won't need anxiety meds any more :)

I'm one who couldn't tolerate the yo-yoing! I was completely dependent on my Trazodone. When I dropped off too much, I couldn't sit still...at all!! I would have to bounce my leg(s), fidget, and anything else you can think of! On the other hand, I did get a lot done!! LOL! Although not so funny when one realizes that they are messing around with possibly damaging their brain by that.

Wryter, have you been taking daily or say 5 times per week etc?

Is there a chance then you are dependent?

You are not damaging your brain. I only added the info so you can see "potential" for people that were put on long term with practitioners not learning the potential problems of long term of quick taper or cold turkey.

If you are dependent you will feel anxiety cutting.

AND very important Wryter. A herbalist knows absolutely NOTHING about benzos and tapering.

There is no substitute herbally to replace dissolved neurons. Remember the neurons come back slowly. This action of replacing neurons that add calm to brain while removing benzo is only achieved by a slow taper.

Small amount of Benzo comes out, more calming neurons the brain had discarded come in. Cut small amount of Benzo comes out, neurons come in.

Hard to look at it this way but if one is dependent, and herbs worked, there would be no benzo boards to help people learn how to cross over to valium with the long half life and taper off.

They would all have used herbs. Not that easy as symptoms with Ativan and the other benzos surpass anxiety and sleeplessness if taper is too fast.

They can be physical, neurological etc. No herbs for this. Ativan is notorious for this. So is Xanax and Klonopin. Valium not so much. Different active metabolite in Valium. More sedating metabolite in Valium.

Not the case with Ativan/Lorazepam.

As well as I said, Ativan has a short short half life. Too short to taper from for many. You go thru withdrawal between doses never mind cuts with a 12-18 hour half life. Valium 50-100 hour half life. Up to 200 with it's sedating active metabolite.

No harm in trying, if you do due to dependency many have more success with liquid Ativan. Cutting is too harsh of symptoms between each cut.

The chunks are uneven. It's never accurate.

10% down each 2 weeks is said on Ashton Manual but many go slower, 5% at 2 to 3 to 4 week intervals in between. Then symptoms are kept at min.

I know, docs always say quit c/t. Idiots. I wonder what is with the teasal and Ativan.

10th of a pill remember is a chunk.

Do you know if the anxiety and spatial problems are the med?

Sorry you have to work right now. More stress being altered. I'm very sorry to hear this.

Last, any central nervous system depressant is an immune suppressor. Benzos are cns depressants. Thing is, you are working, you need sleep. Catch22.

I use my lack of sleep and broken sleep as a gage. I'm on nothing but abx and plants. When I get more broken sleep I can gage "what am I tweaking that is doing this?" and feel around more and move forward more treating.

But I do not have to work right now, too sick. So you're in a tricky situation with work. Again, I'm sorry.

Having lyme really complicates things if you're hit in adrenals and have cortisol. Especially since lyme and benzo cause this. I don't have the answer for this.......................

**TRAVELLER!! So glad to hear you are down to 100 mg and are sleeping!!! Way to go!!

Post Edited (1runner) : 9/6/2013 2:55:26 PM (GMT-6)