Posted by Glydin on April 15, 2006, at 10:05:08 [reposted on April 20, 2006, at 1:30:01 | original URL]
In reply to Getting off Klonopin or benzodiazepines, posted by jon137bus on April 15, 2006, at 6:27:13
> Am I doing something silly by going cold turkey ?.Will the remnant of these drugs in my body fade away over the next week or so ?. I have been prescribed Xanax and that's why I stopped using the other drugs.
~~~ Cold turkey is generally not the best way to go with discontinuing benzo's, in my opinion. Dose dependent, there can be a risk of nasty discontinuation symptoms and even, rarely, seizure with sudden withdrawal of the med. I think a taper is a good idea if use has been consistent and longer than two to three weeks.
Med dependence and addiction issues are found with all the benzo's. I think it's important to be aware of the difference of dependence versus addiction. Some think it's just semantics, but I see it as some big and distinct difference. Dependence is just as it implies. Addiction had four specific behaviors indicative of abusive and inappropriate use.
I successfully used only Klonopin for three years and I hope you find Xanax to be a good treatment for you without pitfalls. I (and others) am/are living proof that long term use of a benzo is possible without horror stories.
Good Luck to you.
poster:Glydin
thread:635118
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20060412/msgs/635119.html