Temazepam - forced to stop

Hi guys,

I only take one prescription drug since last March, which is Temazepam 15 mg for sleep. I wish I never got on it in the first place, but I stopped sleeping and my LLMD was the only one who agreed to prescribe it. At first, I slept well, but only with other supplements. Then several months ago I got dependent on it, and from now on sleep very poorly and dream weird stuff all the time. Not to mention it may have caused me to be more anxious than before being on it. So of course my intention was to stop it, but when I would have been more physically ready.

Unfortunately, I got a call from my pharmacy stating that the doctor denied the prescription because I should make an appointment with him. Unfortunately, he is quite booked and it would mean I could only see him in a month. I only have 7 pills left in my arsenal. And my own primary care doctor isn't working this Saturday, but another one is. However, that other one doesn't like me and insists I see a psychiatrist. So I don't think she would prescribe me temazepam (kind of doubt my own doctor would, but she may likely be more agreeable than the latter).

Fortunately, I can write to my naturopath anytime. She told me to take temazepam every other day and make an appointment at her office with an acupuncturist as soon as possible for the withdrawals. I already have another appointment scheduled but for AAT (Advanced Allergy Therapeutics) and the other practitioner will also do some things to help with the withdrawals. I am so blessed to have found an integrative clinic that's available to help me asap (they even work tomorrow!).

Maybe it is a sign from above that it is time for me to stop it. And I really wanted to for some time, but now I am kind of forced to do so! Any tips on how to make the journey most comfortable? Thank you!

Ps: I thought about taking half of it, but it is a capsule and I couldn't even cut it! Ugh.

Post Edited (tepidautumn) : 1/6/2017 9:16:33 PM (GMT-7)

Oh yes, it is a benzo too. Is yours a tablet? I am sorry you have a similar ordeal. I hope you get off it soon.

It is. Is yours not a tablet? I'm a week or two away. I'm at .25mg at night and .12.5mg in the morning

No mine is capsule . Hard to taper off that, hard to cut it at all.

I went back on LDN and only had 4.5 mg capsules but wanted to start lower so I cut them in half with my pull cutter and put each half in a veggie cap. Someone on here suggested that. Not sure if it will work.

I agree with jrpsf. I weaned off Xanax using a similar pattern but mine were tablets. Cutting every other day is not recommended. You will be doing a fast taper so it may be a little painful. Sorry you have to go through this.

Patty

I would encourage you to find other supplements that may be helpful for you to sleep at night. I was on Trazodone, another Benzo, for sleep, and I ended up being addicted to it. It took me a long time to titrate my dose down really low, but with the help of Benzobuddies, I did. I had to switch to Ambien for a few months to get completely off the Trazodone, then from the Ambien over to Tryptophan (1500 mgs an hour before bed, and any time I woke up in the night) - along with other supplements to help with sleep that I had been taking as well.

Since we are talking about brain chemistry, you will have to keep trying different combinations until you find what works for you, but it's out there!!

Best of luck - do what you can to help yourself through this time.