Forum Member who weaned off Benzos?

about a week ago someone posted they got off Benzos and it took 5 years .

Anyone remember her name?
I’d like to ask her how she weaned off - if she used the water method... or switched to a longer half life Benzo (Valium)
I have a friend who is struggling with this. I would like to “talk” to someone who went through it and any advice/helpful tips she has.

The recommended "safe" withdrawal rate is a reduction between 5-10% (at most) per month - calculated upon the previous dose! Depending on the beginning dose, number of prescriptions, withdrawal symptoms, the time can be years...but it is worth doing it slowly.

While initially [if a medication has multiple, fine dose levels that can be purchased or has a "score" line that aids cutting in half] it is possible to use the pill in hard form, it is usually eventually easier and recommended to administer dosages carefully calculated and dissolved in water.

I would recommend this site:
https://withdrawal.theinnercompass.org/page/about-withdrawal-project

https://withdrawal.theinnercompass.org/blog/ici-executive-director-laura-delano-interviewed-mad-america-radio

Post Edited (LymeMother) : 3/27/2019 1:48:23 PM (GMT-6)

Hi, I was on 2mg Ativan and it took me 1.5 years to get off. I can help. As Lyme Mother says 5-10% at a time is best. And that means 5-10% of the current dose, not 5-10% off the original dose, so if you're on 1mg, go to .95, then .855, and so on. I had to go very slow, 0.01mg every three days, and got off completely at 0.5mg which is 5mg valium. Valium is best to withdraw from because it's long acting. Ativan is probably the worst one there is, though Xanax is a close second

Hi Girlie,
I am not the person who started the thread before but I read that with interest because I have been through the same thing. I was also sorry to hear about your father. I was on 4.5mg of Xanax a day (1.5mg 3 x a day). Despite many websites which said I couldn't (and that I had to use the diazepam titration method), I did it myself, without any other drugs. It was a nightmare. Truly horrible. I slowly lowered the dose for a year, during which time I had no balance, was prey to really debilitating migraines and had the first intimation of the nerve issues which I still have in my legs. After a year, I went cold turkey and that was like starting all over again and led to another nightmarish year. It was around this time (I was about 35 back then) that I got Mono (EBV) which seems to have released all the demons I am dealing with now (candida; tick co-infections, viruses) which had until then being lying dormant (at least that's what I believe). I can't shake the feeling that benzos have some terrible systemic effects and somehow damage the immune system: My timeline for being sick begins not with my EBV, but with my benzo withdrawal and has been fairly constant since then. I don't have much advice for your friend except that the valium titration route might be better and safer. Also, absolutely no alcohol while withdrawing--benzos and booze fix to the same receptors and replacing one with the other is just swapping addictions to scratch the same itch. She also better be forewarned that this is NO PICNIC. I think, however, that Xanax is the worst because its half-life is so short. If she is on something with a longer half-life it might be more comfortable (that's why they use valium: of all the benzos it has the longest half-life). I am sorry this hasn't been encouraging but forewarned is forearmed.

Thanks everyone - I’ll go through the posts and pass on the info