Search the Community

Hello, I'm a 34F and I'm here because I saw this site recommended on a piece done by the BBC called The Anti-Depressant Story. A lot of what I heard in that documentary was an eye opener and validating. I have experienced the negative effects of withdrawal, and also the negative effects of long term Lexapro use. I'm over it and my goal is to one day be 100% anti-depressant free. Like many I was promised time and again that I would be on anti-depressants for a short time, psychology would really help, and I could stop easily. I'm also here because I recently had a very bad experience dropping from 20mg Lexapro to 15mg for 2 weeks then 10mg for 4 weeks which lead to me feeling suicidal and broken. Here is my background to give all this some context: ~2007 or 2008 diagnosed with depression started Lovan (fluoxetine) unsure of dose and timeframe. Stopped cold turkey. Probably started up again during the early 2010's but I can't remember much of the details or my life during this time. ~2015 - Started Lexapro again at 10mg due to depression/ toxic relationship. I recall going up to 20mg before 2018. 2018 - Felt like 20mg Lexapro wasn't working anymore so my doctor at the time had me drop down the Lexapro to try Fluoxetine and then when that didn't work to Sertraline and when that didn't work I went back to Lexapro 10mg which stabilised me. During that time of transition the doctor recommended the 'standard' drop down of around 2 to 4 weeks of one medication, stopping completely if needed, then starting a new one. Rinse and repeat. Sertraline and Fluoxetine didn't help, and during the whole time I my mood was low, irritable, snappy, crying, hopeless etc. At the worst I was trembling and full of energy that I would yell and tremble to release my pent up energy, while at the same time also being exhausted. It was a horrible experience. For context I was having a hard time at work and was going through some major life events. 2019-September 2022: 10mg Lexapro. Other things of note: September 2021 - Bells Palsy with post viral fatigue lasting 4-5 months. March 2022 - Bells palsy again caught early, post viral fatigue again less severe this time, but had a horrible time withdrawing from high dose of prednisolone 50mg per day for 14 days. September 2022 Diagnosed with Long Covid with severe fatigue, heart palpitations, anxiety + panic, recurrence of pain and symptoms associated with the side of my face affected by bells palsy. Discussed upping my dose of Lexapro to 20mg with my new doctor which we began immediately to help with the anxiety. It helped get me stabilised and I saw good, but very slow progress with my long covid symptoms and anxiety. I work from home and the amount I can work per day started at about 2 hours and grew back to almost full time hours by June 2023. June 2023: Spoke to my doctor about lowering dose of Leaxpro back down to 10mg since I was feeling stable mood-wise for some time and Long Covid symptoms were improving steadily. I recalled my sh*tty time switching meds in the past and was resolute to ask to taper down slower than I had previously. I had read an article about hyperbolic dose reduction of Lexapro, and was keen to discuss a slower titre down to 10mg. The doctor said I would be just fine going straight down to 10mg, when I pressed about my bad experiences in the past even suggesting I go down to 15mg first, he stuck firm to the fact I wouldn't need to. I no longer see this doctor for this reason and for his waning support of my experiences with Long Covid. I lowered my dose to 15mg by taking half 20mg tablet + half 10mg tablet to get 15mg. Duration 2 weeks approximately (I didn't record the exact date I started) experienced brain zaps, low mood irritability, low appetite. July 1 2023: Dropped dose to 10mg tablet of Lexapro. Again, brain Zaps, low moods, irritable etc. August 5 2023: Went back up to 20mg (own decision) because I had been feeling so low for the last month with no improvement, fatigue was also increasing, heart palpitations were back, felt like my health was also suffering along with my mental health. August 8th 2023: Went to ED due to severe thoughts of self harm, felt completely hopeless and unheard by medical professionals. I am now linked in with support services. One of the services were short term which included a mediccal review by a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist recommended that I stay on the 20mg until I was stable with the potential to up the dose to 30mg if I don't improve. (Because I definitely wanted more Lexapro haha!) He tossed around the ideas of switching meds and even trying anti psychotics, while also agreeing I didn't appear to have any psychotic episodes or symptoms(?!). So it was another meh experience, but at least he did appear to be thoughtfully considering what I was saying and agreed that switching to a different anti-depressant during times of crisis isn't a good idea. I got prescribed some 5mg Valium tablets to only take when I was having panic attacks until the Lexapro 20mg had kicked in. I have taken 2.5mg cut tablet on two separate occasions of a panic attack, and 5mg for a severe down spiral. These were spaced out and are only taken as needed. I don't want to add addiction to the list of issues I have too! So here we are today, I have a new doctor and we have tackled the immediate issues with my health, she seems to be listening and is thoughtful and encouraging. I am recognising that what happened wasn't a relapse, but most likely withdrawal symptoms which then spiralled. I don't want to be on Lexapro any longer than I need to, and definitely not at this dose. I dislike the memory issues I suffer from, dry skin, sexual disfunction (and all the rest that comes with that, which I learned from the documentary could be permanent!! No one told me, all doctors said "hmm thats really sucks"). I am back on 20mg for 3.5 weeks now and will wait until my mood and health have stabilised before I discuss lowering my dose again with my new doctor. Having had my life turned upside down with long covid/post viral fatigue for the past year has changed my life and also given me the space and time to work on myself. All of these 'lows' have helped give me the determination to put in the long term time to improve and better my life. I'd love all of your support as this all begins; in stabilising, then reducing again sloooowly. I can do this!

I have been on meds since I was around 18, I am now 33, I have been tapering off all my meds for the last year now, I have managed to get off venlafaxine xr 75mg which I tapered off for around 4 - 6 months, and quetiapine 50mg over the last 12 months, I was on 200mg at one point and also tapered off diazapam 10mg, and also propranolol 10mg, I have been off all meds now for nearly 3 months and have been fine, I have been at the gym most days and eating healthy, I was starting to look good again and becoming myself again, I have not been human while on meds for the last lots of years, I was finally starting to enjoy life and then the last few weeks my sleep has been getting very fractured and I have been waking up very early with extreme brain fog, it feels like my head is going to explode sometimes, now the last 2 nights I have not slept at all and feel like death, I even took 2 melatonin tablets and they did nothing, what on earth is going on? I am worried I have done some serious damage to my brain, I am too worried to go and get checked at the doctors as I could not handle news that I have some brain disease, I have read that meds can cause effects many months after, can anyone give any advice/peace of mind?

Hello all I started on Mertazapine for some slight insomnia (probably now I realise related to menopause). I had no idea about the drug. I thought it was just a sleeping pill and messed around with the dose and eventually came off 30 mg to 15 mg over a period of 3 weeks. I suffered horrible withdrawal, was then told it was the drug and was taken straight off it to 0 mg at which point I became a total insomniac and suicidal and was detained in the NHS psych ward. In hospital I was forced to reinstate - they put me straight back on 30 mg after 2 days on 15 mg. I felt slightly better and was able to convince them to let me leave after 2 weeks. This took an enormous act of will, but I knew I could not stay in there. I was also given zopiclone, promethezine, and then propanalol. I am now a week out of hospital and suffering all the tortures of hell. I stopped taking the zopiclone, promethezine, propanalol not wanting to add any more to the cocktail. The sleep has returned to the tune of maybe 5-6 hours a night. I take 5 mg of diazapam also at night which I started in February to try and relieve the sleep anxiety which it did temporarily. But the panic, anxiety, numbness in my limbs, burning brain/body and akasthisia have not relented (not even bothering to list all symptoms). So I am 3 weeks into reinstatement of 30 mg mertazapine, and staying on the 5 mg diazepam out of pure fear of adding any withdrawal from that to the horrible reinstatement symptoms. After reading around on this site (when I can at least focus) I've come to the conclusion I have to endure the 30 mg reinstatement and pray for some kind of stablilization, before making any further tapers. Praying for all that are going through this and wishing you strength.

ADMIN NOTE: Read this entire topic before attempting a switch to fluoxetine. Be sure to read details and cautions below . Consult a knowledgeable medical practitioner before changing medications. Also see Tips for tapering off fluoxetine (Prozac) Switching or bridging with another related drug, usually of a longer half-life, is a medically recognized way to get off psychiatric drugs, particularly if you find tapering your original drug to be intolerable. Many people with failed tapers from venlafaxine (Effexor), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), paroxetine (Paxil), and duloxetine (Cymbalta) find they need to bridge in order to go off the drug. For many doctors, a switch to Prozac to go off a different antidepressant is routine. Because of the risks of switching drugs -- see below -- we recommend attempting a very gradual direct taper from your drug, with bridging with a different drug only a last resort. There are a lot of unknowns in bridging. You will need to consider whether taking the risks of substituting another drug are worth possibly alleviating your current withdrawal syndrome. Fluoxetine (Prozac) has the longest half-life of any of the modern antidepressants. Because it takes more than a week for a dose to be metabolized completely, a careful taper off fluoxetine is easier for many people -- see information about Tapering off Prozac. And, at least fluoxetine comes in a liquid. (Do not assume fluoxetine is "self-tapering"! We have many people here with Prozac withdrawal syndrome. While going off fluoxetine usually has less risk, one might still develop withdrawal symptoms going off fluoxetine. No bridging strategy is risk-free.) Citalopram (Celexa )and its sibling escilatopram (Lexapro) have half-lives of about 35 hours, a relatively long half-life among SSRIs, and are other candidates for a bridging strategy. They also come in a liquid form. Citalopram has a half-life longer than other SSRIs but shorter than fluoxetine, so you may wish to bridge with citalopram instead, since if it causes adverse effects of its own, they will not last as long as they would with fluoxetine. There's very little documentation about the success rate for the Prozac switch. It may be best to reserve it as a last resort, if you cannot taper an antidepressant by any other means. To switch to Prozac for tapering, consult a doctor knowledgeable about this technique. You must find a knowledgeable doctor to help you to with a bridging strategy. The cross-taper method discussed below is probably the safest way to make a change in drugs. You might wish to print this post out to discuss it with your doctor. For most people the switch goes smoothly but for some it doesn't. The drawbacks of switching to another drug to get off the first drug, described below, apply to ALL bridging strategies for ALL drugs, including benzodiazepines (where people often want to bridge with diazepam per the Ashton method). Risks of bridging A bridging strategy has the following drawbacks: Dropping the first antidepressant in the switch may cause withdrawal symptoms even though you're taking a bridge drug. Adverse reaction to the bridge drug, such as Prozac. Serotonin toxicity or adverse effects of a drug combination. If withdrawal symptoms are already underway, switching to a bridge drug may not help. A cross-taper requires a number of careful steps. Difficulty tapering off the bridge drug. All of the bridge drugs can be difficult to taper themselves. So, like anything else, a drug switch is not guaranteed to work. When to switch or bridge "The devil you know is better than the devil you don't know". A direct taper from the drug to which your nervous system is accustomed carries less risk than a switch to a new drug. You may have a bad reaction to the substitute drug, or the substitution may not work to forestall withdrawal symptoms. The risk of a switch is justified if you find a taper from the original drug is simply too difficult. Usually people will do a switch when they find reducing the original antidepressant by even a small amount -- 10% or even 5% -- causes intolerable withdrawal symptoms. (I have heard doctors say they don't even try tapering off paroxetine (Paxil) or venlafaxine (Effexor ), they switch to Prozac at the beginning of the tapering process.) If you are having intolerable withdrawal or adverse effects from an antidepressant, it may be worth risking the worst case, which is that a switch to a bridge drug doesn't help and you have withdrawal syndrome anyway. If you're thinking of switching simply as a matter of convenience, you need to weigh the risks against the amount of convenience you would gain. Generally, switching for convenience is a bad idea. CAUTION: A switch to a bridge drug is not guaranteed to work. It's safer to slow down a taper than count on a switch. A switch really should be used only when a taper becomes unbearable or there are other serious adverse effects from the medication. You must work with a doctor who is familiar with bridging, in case you develop severe symptoms. Overview of cross-tapering method For drug switches, many doctors prefer cross-tapering, where a low dose of one drug is added and gradually increased while the first drug is reduced. For a period, both drugs are taken at the same time. Here is a graphic representation of cross-tapering: If you are making a switch to Prozac, the second antidepressant is fluoxetine (Prozac). Given fluoxetine's long half-life, it will take a couple of weeks to reach full effect ("steady-state"). You will not be able to tell if your fluoxetine dose is enough in a day or a few days. The effect of your initial dose of fluoxetine will build throughout the process of cross-tapering. It's best to avoid increasing fluoxetine throughout the cross-taper, you could end up with an adverse reaction or even serotonin toxicity from too much fluoxetine (see below). (Unlike fluoxetine, you will be able to assess the effect of citalopram as a bridge within 5 days. Due to its shorter half-life, it takes a shorter time to reach a steady state level in your bloodstream.) Also see this discussion about cross-tapering with Prozac: Serotonin toxicity and serotonin syndrome You run the risk of serotonin toxicity if you are taking too much serotonergic. Most antidepressants (and some other drugs, such as triptans and MDMA) are serotonergics. Serotonergic effects of antidepressants are added when you take more than one of them, particularly if you add an SSRI (such as Prozac, Celexa, or Lexapro) to an SNRI (such as desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), duloxetine (Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor), venlafaxine XR (Effexor XR), milnacipran (Savella), and levomilnacipran (Fetzima)). (Other types of antidepressants should not be combined with tricyclics or MAOIs.) Symptoms of too much serotonergic can be: Nervousness, anxiety, akathisia, sleeplessness, fast heartbeat. Symptoms of serotonin toxicity can be these plus disorientation, sweating, and others. Serotonin syndrome is even more serious. See Serotonin Syndrome or Serotonin Toxicity Reduction of the drug dose should resolve serotonin toxicity. Note that if you cross-taper, you will be taking 2 drugs at once for part of the time. Because of the potential of serotonin toxicity by overdosing SSRIs as well as in combination with SNRIs, it's safest to err on the lower side of a Prozac dose "equivalent" -- such as 5mg -- to your original drug. This is why doctors familiar with the Prozac switch will cross-taper by adding an initial LOW DOSE of Prozac to another antidepressant. Start low, the effect of fluoxetine will increase over at least a couple of weeks. Another concern: Escilatopram (Lexapro) is several times stronger, milligram for milligram, than the other SSRIs. If you add 10mg escilatopram to the high dose of 60mg duloxetine (Cymbalta), for example, you run the risk of serotonergic toxicity -- 10mg escilatopram is equal to approximately 20mg-30mg duloxetine. How much fluoxetine (Prozac) to substitute for my drug? Since fluoxetine's half-life is so much longer than those of other antdepressants, its effect is a little different. It's not a stronger antidepressant, but the effect of each dose lasts much longer. This may be the reason a lower dose of fluoxetine often seems to adequately substitute for other antidepressants. For an idea of equivalent doses of your medication to fluoxetine (Prozac) read this post (January 7, 2018) in this topic. It compares fluoxetine 40mg/day (a fairly high dose of Prozac) to other antidepressants. Source of that data: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25911132 If you have tapered to a lower dose of an antidepressant, an even lower dose of Prozac may be more tolerable. If you have decreased your antidepressant dose by a half or more, you may wish to try 5mg Prozac. If you have substituted fluoxetine for your drug and after two weeks, you feel you have withdrawal symptoms, you may wish to gradually the fluoxetine dosage. After each change in fluoxetine, wait at least 2 weeks to see the effect before deciding on another increase. More is not better for nervous systems sensitized by withdrawal. EXAMPLES OF THE PROZAC SWITCH Below is information I've gathered from doctors about how to do the Prozac switch. You will see there is no standard protocol. Healy 2009 method for the Prozac switch From Healy 2009 Halting SSRIs withdrawal guidelines: Phelps-Kelly 2010 method for Prozac switch From Clinicians share information about slow tapering (2010) Jim Phelps, one of the authors of the above, posted in 2005 in some detail about the so-called "Prozac bridging" strategy. He said it is described in Joseph Glenmullen's book, Prozac Backlash, maybe in the chapter titled of "Held Hostage." The technique Dr. Phelps described in this post skips doses and finishes with alternating dosages, which we do not recommend for people who are sensitive to withdrawal symptoms. Given that fluoxetine liquid is available, this is completely unnecessary. Foster 2012 method for Prozac switch Dr. Mark Foster, a GP whose mission is to get people safely off psychiatric drugs includes this in a presentation he gives to doctors. http://www.gobhi.org/spring_conference_powerpoints/safewithdrawal_of_psychotropics%5Bautosaved%5D.ppt. His method involves overlapping Prozac with the other antidepressant -- cross-tapering. Prey 2012 method for Prozac switch Another knowledgeable doctor (whom I trust) explained his technique to me (this is the technique I personally would prefer if I had to do it, it seems much gentler) For a "normal" dose of Effexor (150mg per day or more) or Paxil (20mg) or Cymbalta (20mg), he would switch to 10mg Prozac with a week of overlap. In other words, take both medications for a week and then drop the Effexor. Lower doses of Effexor or other antidepressant require lower doses of Prozac as a "bridge." The lower dose of Prozac reduces the risk of excessive serotonergic stimulation (serotonin toxicity) from the combination of the two antidepressants during the overlap period. Do not stay on the combination of the first antidepressant and Prozac for more than 2 weeks, or you run the risk of your nervous system accommodating to the combination and having difficulty tapering off both antidepressants. Later, taper off Prozac. He acknowledged Prozac can have its withdrawal problems, but given Prozac's long half-life, gradual tapering should be easier than tapering off Effexor. Smoothing out a transition to fluoxetine Even with a cross-taper, your system might feel a jolt after you finally drop the initial antidepressant, particularly if it is an SNRI, such as Effexor, Pristiq, or Cymbalta, or other drug that is not an SSRI like fluoxetine. (Other SSRIs include Paxil, Zoloft, Luvox, Celexa, Lexapro). If you go through a rough patch after the transition, patients find they can take a tiny chip of the original drug (or a bead or two, if it's a capsule containing beads) for a week or two to smooth out the transition. Eventually, you'd take a chip as needed only when you feel a wave of withdrawal from the original drug, and then finally leave the original drug entirely behind. (A gelatin capsule might make a tablet fragment easier to get down, but it is not necessary if you can wash it down with a good swallow of water. The gelatin capsule quickly dissolves in your stomach.) Here's an example. There is no shame in doing this. Whatever works, works.

Hi all, I am new. I am unsure how to add my drug history in my signature, apologies - I added info to my profile but that's not working. Any guidance as to how I do this welcome. I am going to start a Bupropion 150mg XL taper. I have been taking it for 30 months. I am also taking Amitriptyline 50mg nightly Diazepam 5 - 10mg, 3-4 times a week (try not to take daily, am mildly physically dependent) My goal is to come off everything (I have already stopped a cocktail of psych meds this past 2 years, having been polydrugged at an inpatient rehab in 2019, including 2 anti-psychotics which I did not require but that's a whole other story!) and I am still experiencing withdrawls, much has improved in the past year thank goodness as I almost didn't make it through but I still have issues with memory, motivation and cognitive functioning. I plans to taper in the order of: Bupropion, Amitriptyline and finally the Diazepam. I do not want to multiple taper. Regarding my Bupropion taper, I will be asking MD to switch from XL as I am aware it is not recommended to try and cut XL tablets since it switches to IR. Should I ask for scored SR at 2 x 75mg tablets (assuming scored 75mg are an option)? I do not have MD support with taper but he will change my prescription. I am not able to obtain liquid from a compound pharmacy. I experience no symptoms if I miss one dose of Bupropion, however, I missed 2 recently and felt awful - brain zaps, headache and strange head sensations, burning sensations in my body, unable to sleep, restlessness, air hungry. Given this I want to do a safe slow taper. If anyone can point me to good threads on here and share any personal stories with a Bupropion taper I would be most grateful. As I am to find this community after feeling alone with all this for 2 years. Thank you so much, LondonGal (living in the USA!)

I have been on Zoloft for over 40 years. I have been on Vicodin and Xanax for almost that long but have recently rapidly discontinued these two drugs over the course of 2 months. After one month of severe W/D sxs, I crossed over to Valium 30mgs. After stabilizing for a month, I began slowly tapering the Valium from 15mg, which is going well. I feel that the Zoloft has completely stopped working for me a long time ago and that it is now only preventing W/D sxs. I am at the maximum dose and I think that I would feel better at a much lower dose or completely off of it. I read here on SA that it is a good idea to taper off of your AD first and then taper your benzo. I am now considering holding my taper of the Valium and beginning the taper of my Zoloft, keeping the Trazadone for sleep. I realize that this process will take a long time, especially with me being at the maximum dose of Zoloft. I really want to taper off of the Valium at some point due to the possibility of future dementia issues. I am 65 years old and am wondering if it is even worth the trouble to start this process knowing that possibly the next 10 years, or more, of my life could be a living hell. I would like any and all thoughts on my predicament and if you think that I should begin this journey, which should I begin with and how to go about doing it. I know that slow, slow, slow is the key with any taper. Thank you for reading my story, Leon

I require urgent help please. Over the past 18 months I have had several medication changes due to going off 150mg Effexor cold turkey in July 2017. I didn't know how to do it any other way at the time and I told no-one what I was doing, not even my doctor. it just wasn't working any more. I had been off Effexor for about 3 months and thought I had got through the worst of it although still had some withdrawal affects going on but I was functioning okay and sleeping. I thought I'd call my doctor and let him know what I did and that is where I went wrong. He told me to reinstate Effexor immediately at 75mg from memory, which I did because I felt like I had done something terribly wrong. Upon reinstatement my whole body went into shock and I couldn't move. It was shocking. My doctor told me to go into hospital and that he'd help fix it. By the time I left hospital I think I was on the minimum effective dose of Zoloft. After leaving hospital I found that the Zoloft was overstimulating and I didn't sleep for a week. I had to take 25mg of seroquel for sleep. Zoloft wasn't the right antidepressant for me. Without tapering off Zoloft, my doctor would try me on several different antidepressants over the next 6 weeks, including prozac, mirtazapine, brintalex, valdoxen, lexapro. I had adverse side affects to all of these medications and can't remember what dose he started me on. I believe now that my brain/body couldn't tolerate medication anymore. I needed to go back to hospital and I needed to find another doctor. I found another doctor and I think in February 2018 from memory, and I apologise that my memory is very vague due to my recent round of ECT. I think I started taking 20mg of Prozac, which did have it's challenges. I underwent a round of ECT, in April 2018 and left hosptial feeling better on 20mg of Prozac and Olanzapine - I can't remember this dose - maybe 5mg because 10mg was too much and I couldn't function on that amount. I agreed to take the Olanzapine only for 3 months to get myself back to work an back to life. When my doctor took me off the olanzapine I think she did it too quickly and the withdrawal was intense. It was so intense that I tried to commit suicide. Next step, back to hospital when my doctor suggested that I should go back onto Effexor as it had worked for me in the past. I was desperate, I didn't feel comfortable about it, but she's the doctor and knows best right? The current situation is that I came off Effexor 150mg (the original dose was 225mg), under the guidance of my psychiatrist in November 2018. She tapered me off the medication over 2 weeks. The reason I needed to come off Effexor was due to the fact that I just wasn't able to function whilst taking it, I actually felt worse. The hell that followed was horrendous and I did try and reinstate a low dose of Effexor although it just made matters worse. She had be do a course of TMS treatment and then my doctor suggested ECT . I agreed because I thought it was supposed to help with the withdrawal, although in hindsight I think she was trying to treat depression, when I told her I wasn't depressed and that I was experiencing was withdrawal. The ECT was a really bad idea. After the 9th ECT treatment I felt as though I was losing my mind, I felt like my brain was on fire. This sensation lasted quite a number of days and the only thing that helped was 5mg of valium as a PRN, which I took for about 6 days. I am now in such a state. I don't know where to turn. I can't sleep and I can't turn to my doctor for help because she has totally screwed me over. Please help me, I am so desperate. I am currently taking the following vitamins and supplements. Fish Oil 2000mg 4 x day N-acetylcysteine 1000mg 2 x per day Vitamin D 1 x day Vitamin C 1 x day Nux Vomica IM (when nauseous) Magnesium amino acid chalate - 1 scoop 2 x per day Naturopath remedies - Wellbeing mix 3 x day, soothing drops 3 x day, sleep support 2 x per day, Sleep and Rejuva Sleep Forte 4 x day, compounded melatonin 5mg for sleep.

How it all started. November 2017 I was prescribed .5 mg of Klonopin to be taken once daily I do not have any pre existing anxiety or health issues. The "medicine" was given to me to help with some stress induced insomnia. Since then the stress that caused the insomnia has long been resolved. I was told this medication was a low dose, and it was perfectly safe, and could be taken nightly for up to 3 months without having any problems with dependency or addiction. Even though i told the doctor 11 years prior i had a bad withdrawel from Ativan that was prescribed to me after my mothers death. He said klonopin is much safer and easier to come off of. Also i took increasing doses of Ativan for close to a year... so of course it was hard to withdraw from... I took the Klonopin .5mg exactly as prescribed for about 10 to 12 days, and then for a week after I took half the dose .25 mg. Then i quit... Apparently I'm very sensitive to these types of medications and not biochemically compatible with them, because what happened over the next 8 days, I describe as increasing anxiety, insomnia, and irrational fear, that got to the point (8 days out) of having absolutely zero sleep the night before and feeling completely detaches from reality. Now i wish i would have realized what was happening and stuck it out, because I'd probably be 100% recovered by now. However, I ( like so many of us ) went running back to the doctor for help. I made an emergency appointment with my doc. He prescribed me a very high dose of Gabapentin and told me that its a great new medication used for benzo and alchohol withdrawels. He promised me that this drug was completely safe and not addictive at all as he did with the Klonopin. but he convinced me of it by telling me it wasn't a controlled substance. It worked great for about a week, but then all of those strange withdrawal symptoms from the Klonopin started coming back, and I required more of the Gabapentin to control those symptoms... My doctor actually said I could pick up the 3600 mg of it a day if need it without any worry of withdrawal. I had a massive bottle of 300mg pills and another massive bottle of 100mg pills to "fill in" I got to the point where I was taking 300 mg in the morning, 300 mg in the afternoon, and 1200 mg at night. But something just didn't feel right, I wasn't myself, I felt like I had suddenly lost 10 or 15 IQ points, the world seemed dull and so did my emotions. So the doctor pulled me off the gabapentin and put me back on the klonopin and once stable I would do a very slow taper, i was desperate to feel normal again so i agreed... I was pulled from the gabapentin after being on it for only 9 days... but with no taper and put back on the klonopin. Only this time it was not really working... I am well aware of Heather Ashton, slow tappering, micro tappering, and the effects benzos have on our gaba receptors... i personaly think Ashton is to highly regarded... I think the cross over to valium is a bad idea and does not work out for a lot of people... i respect the work she did, and her research, but that information is out dated and had needed to be continued and expanded upon. I do not agree all benzos effect the brain the same way the only difference is half life... My doctor thought going on valium would be my best option because of the long half life.... but there was no transition, it was just simply stop the Klonopin 1 day and start on 8mg diazapam the next... valiums main chemical of action breaks down in just 4 hours, while the rest of it just builds up in our systems... so the relief factor is short, while the rest of the chemicals just build up. Where I am at now I am currently taking 3 mg of Valium in the morning and 3 mg of Valium at night as well as 300 mg of Gabapentin in the morning and 300 mg at night ( yes im back on the gaba... mainly because the lack of sleep that started after my 2nd valium cut was just killing me) . This process is drawn out for the better part of a year now, and I'm still not medication free, and I'm still suffering insomnia, anxiety, and a sense of detachment. What I'm really wondering is if anyone has been on this combination of medications, and how they approached the taper. It doesn't matter which one I cut, I feel the effects of both in very much the same way with the same type of symptoms. Should I be tapering say half a milligram of Valium every two weeks, and 100 mg of Gabapentin every 2 weeks? Or tackle one at a time??? I apologize as this intro has turn into a book, I'm just very desperate for answers from people who have been through this I'm not seeking medical advice just personal experiences. My doctor and my pharmacist both say that what I'm experiencing is impossible given my dosage. But i know better. Just last year I was a highly functioning, healthy , strong, muscular, independent hard-working man, that ate a very healthy diet. After taking the Klonopin for just 17 days, the aftermath has been the loss of my job, i've had to move in with my sister for the time being. And all any doctor wants to do is give me more drugs or up my doses. I know the reality is this is a side effect kind of withdrawal from the medication so I refuse to do that. I have had a ton of blood work, and other neurological tests that are all perfectly normal I currently take both ionic and threonate magnesium in the middle of the day. I dont know if it helps ot not... i still eat healthy and walk at least 3 miles a day. SYMPTOMS I have lost 10 pounds of muscle, i have diahrea everyday I have benign faciculation dissorter My hands are shakey I have a massive panic attack in the middle of the night that wakes me up After the panic attqck at night I spend the rest of my hours in stage 2 of sleep ( where i feel like im not sleeping but i actually am) during this time i have a constant stream of thoughts, songs stuck in my head, and thins that make literaly no sense at all... I sleep between 2 and 6 hours per night. I have daytime anxiety mainly in the afternoon. Thank you, and best wishes to all of you.