alexjuice Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Hello all, As many may know, I currently take a mix of klonopin and valium. The mix is 2.375/12.5. I had been taking 3mg klonopin but decided to crossover for taper according to Ashton's schedule. I got to 2K/20V then decided the time was not right for taper and I attempted to return to 3mg klonopin and hold. In Febuary, I was at 2.5/10 and moved to 2.75/5. This move was cataclysmic. I began experiencing digestive problems, a host of issues that I had never experienced before. In quick order I lost 35 lbs and developed reflux problems. I moved, slowly, to my current klonopin:valium cocktail, 2.375/12.5. However I continue to have problems with reflux, specifically LPR, and assorted effects of disordered digestion. I am hypersensitive to medication. I have not been able to take PPIs at all. Antacids have not helped. All supplements and holistic remedies have, at best, been neutral. For 8 years I took klonopin alone, at doses from 3mg to 6mg a day. I wish that wasn't the case, but it was. Over those 8 years I never had any sort of digestion issue. My question: Is there anyone aware of any modification I could make that might alleviate reflux, help gastrointestinal function improve? Is there any reason to believe that a slow, steady re-calibration of the ratio (increasing klonopin while reducing valium) could help with these ongoing digestive problems? Thanks in advance for any help. I wish there were doctors who knew how to help me. (If you know of one who can, please let me know!) Alex "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted September 10, 2011 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 10, 2011 Alex, this isn't strong data or anything, but it does seem like when people on the benzo board have digestive problems (and there are a lot of those associated with benzos) it's somewhat more likely to be people on valium than on other benzos. Maybe. That's really just an impression, I haven't gone and counted or anything. I think a stronger association is rapid changes in benzos though. Changes in dosing or switching meds. So if you do change anything I think you probably should consider going about twice as slow as you were already considering going. Sort of. So to speak. You know what I mean. (I haven't seen your latest on the GAPs diet thread, but you may want to give some of that a little more time too, but we can talk about that there.) Oh, also, it's good you can't take PPIs, because those seem to just lead to worsening in the long run, at least in the stories on the benzo board. (And I suspect in other situations as well, given the way they work to basically just disrupt the digestion even further.) Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010. Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea. Feb 15 2010: 300 mg Neurontin 200 Lamictal 10 Celexa 0.65 Xanax and 5 mg Ambien Feb 10 2014: 62 Lamictal 1.1 Celexa 0.135 Xanax 1.8 Valium Feb 10 2015: 50 Lamictal 0.875 Celexa 0.11 Xanax 1.5 Valium Feb 15 2016: 47.5 Lamictal 0.75 Celexa 0.0875 Xanax 1.42 Valium 2/12/20 12 0.045 0.007 1 May 2021 7 0.01 0.0037 1 Feb 2022 6 0!!! 0.00167 0.98 2.5 mg Ambien Oct 2022 4.5 mg Lamictal (off Celexa, off Xanax) 0.95 Valium Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexjuice Posted September 10, 2011 Author Share Posted September 10, 2011 Alex, this isn't strong data or anything, but it does seem like when people on the benzo board have digestive problems (and there are a lot of those associated with benzos) it's somewhat more likely to be people on valium than on other benzos. Maybe. That's really just an impression, I haven't gone and counted or anything. I think a stronger association is rapid changes in benzos though. Changes in dosing or switching meds. So if you do change anything I think you probably should consider going about twice as slow as you were already considering going. Sort of. So to speak. You know what I mean. Gotcha. I was wondering what you'd found on this. I sent you a PM about this as well in case you didn't see the thread. Thanks for the info. Oh, also, it's good you can't take PPIs, because those seem to just lead to worsening in the long run, at least in the stories on the benzo board. (And I suspect in other situations as well, given the way they work to basically just disrupt the digestion even further.) Yea, I agree. I've tried PPIs reluctantly and then only briefly. I put that bit in to preempt suggestions that I simply try _blank_ reflux medication. (I cross posted this same text on two benzo-specific boards as well where I anticipated that sort of response from some members. This is my first post not exclusive to this forum so it was a bit more broad about my case...) Again, thanks for ya help. Alex "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts