Believe it or not, people often feel more self-confident after withdrawal than they did before starting to take benzodiazepines. There have been some reports that gabapentin (Neurontin), tiagabine (Gabitril) and possibly pregabalin (yet to be licensed) help with sleep and anxiety in withdrawal. However, there have been no controlled trials and it is not clear whether these drugs themselves cause withdrawal effects.
What Happens During Benzodiazepine Detox?
It is possible that benzodiazepines can cause subtle changes which are not detected by present methods, but on the available evidence there is no reason to think that any such changes would be permanent. It may take a long time for these people to regain, or attain, full confidence in themselves. Once the hallucinations, which seem real at the time, are recognised as “merely” hallucinations, they quickly become less alarming.
Chapter 2: How to withdraw from benzodiazepines after long-term use
You may need to resist attempts from outsiders (clinics, doctors) to persuade you into a rapid withdrawal. The Sober living home classic six weeks withdrawal period adopted by many clinics and doctors is much too fast for many long-term users. Actually, the rate of withdrawal, as long as it is slow enough, is not critical. Whether it takes 6 months, 12 months or 18 months is of little significance if you have taken benzodiazepines for a matter of years. Not everyone who cuts down or stops taking benzodiazepines will experience withdrawal symptoms.
- Advice on diet, breathing and candida infections is given in books by Shirley Trickett quoted at the end of this chapter.
- The muscle pain and stiffness is actually little different from what is regarded as normal after an unaccustomed bout of exercise, and would be positively expected, even by a well-trained athlete, after running a marathon.
- The risks of benzodiazepine withdrawal can be considerably decreased with the intervention of a physician or an addiction specialist.
- The last phase, protracted withdrawal, is thought to affect less than 15 percent of those in benzodiazepine withdrawal.
- Like many other issues concerning benzodiazepines, the answers to these questions are still unclear.
Possible mechanisms of persisting sensory and motor symptoms
It is a good idea to make out a dosage reduction schedule for the initial stages (see below) and to give your doctor a copy. You may need to mention the importance of flexibility, so that the rate of dosage tapering can be amended at any time. There may even be circumstances when you need to stop for a while at a certain stage. A continuation schedule can follow later depending upon how you abrupt withdrawal of benzodiazepines may result in: get on, and the doctor can continue prescribing in accordance with the new schedule.
Acute Withdrawal
In 2016, estimates suggest that about half a million people in the United States misused sedative drugs. Other therapies, including counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), may be helpful for people looking to manage symptoms without relying on other drugs. Dependence appears to occur in a similar way to how it does with other addictive drugs.
During your taper, you may still experience some of the symptoms of withdrawal. Benzo withdrawal can be a stressful process, but it is often necessary for people trying to get themselves off benzodiazepine drugs. More severe reactions or withdrawals may also be more likely when taking strong drugs either for long periods or alongside other types of medications. People who have been through acute withdrawal often say that this phase is the most difficult.
Do benzodiazepines cause structural brain damage?
Readers should note that over time currency and completeness of the information may change. All users should seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional for a diagnosis and answers to their medical questions. Use of a long acting benzodiazepine such as diazepam can improve your chances of successfully stopping the medication altogether because it is more likely that you will have a more gentle reduction.
Factors That Influence Withdrawal From Benzos
So, for those starting out, many previous users will testify that almost anyone who really wants to can withdraw from benzodiazepines. But don’t be surprised if your symptoms (or lack of them) are different from those of anyone else embarking on the same venture. The best resource in your quest to quit benzodiazepines is your prescribing doctor. If you prefer someone else, any primary care physician or psychiatrist can help you taper your dose. If your reasons for quitting benzodiazepines are that you were misusing them or unable to control your use, then you may require further substance use treatment. This is particularly true if you are also giving up other substances, like alcohol or opioids.
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For these people, the intensity of withdrawal can be overwhelming and in some cases lead to death – either as a direct result of the withdrawal syndrome itself or as a result of suicide. One known case of death was that of David Stojcevski, an inmate at the Macomb County Jail 17 days into a 30 day sentence for an unpaid traffic ticket. An estimated 50-80% of people who have taken benzodiazepines continually for a few weeks or longer will experience withdrawal symptoms when reducing the dose; a smaller percentage will experience severe withdrawal. People taking benzodiazepines regularly long term (longer than 2 to 4 weeks) may have symptoms of withdrawal even when they have not reduced the dose. These withdrawal symptoms can be attributed to tolerance or interdose withdrawal.
- We are currently located in Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, and Washington.
- Vulnerability to extra stress may last somewhat longer and a severe stress may – temporarily – bring back some symptoms.
- It has been estimated that perhaps per cent of long-term benzodiazepine users develop a “post-withdrawal syndrome”.
- There are some misconceptions that cold turkey withdrawal, though it may cause more severe symptoms, will bring about a faster remission of symptoms.
However, a sufficiently slow, and smooth, departure of benzodiazepines from the body permits the natural systems to regain control of the functions which have been damped down by their presence. There is scientific evidence that reinstatement of brain function takes a long time. Recovery after long-term benzodiazepine use is not unlike the gradual recuperation of the body after a major surgical operation. The duration of benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms is different in each case depending on factors like the type of benzodiazepine, dosage, and individual health.