Posted by yxibow on December 2, 2007, at 16:43:13
In reply to Re: Stopping Benzodiazepines - Please Help, posted by sonic_gb on November 30, 2007, at 22:39:17
> OK, so I'm obviously not too smart about this whole thing. I met with my Doctor, and tried to subtly imply that I want to think about stopping benzo's slowly as I was concerned about dependence and side effects. He's tapering me off 2mg of clonazepam over 1 week, and then 30mg of oxazepam over the following week. This is going to be a brutal, punishing taper for me, and I told him that, but he thinks "it's in my best interest". He doesn't believe in slow tapers or diazepam conversions, as he thinks they just prolong the withdrawal period.
Depends how long you've been on the Klonopin. A week is a wee too much for 2mg but 2-3 weeks wouldn't harm you. Serax is a very weak agent and you're not going to feel a lot of difference, but again I would say 2-3 weeks.
And yes, there's something to be said about prolonging things. If you're going allright on it (remember you've already got a subconscious placebo effect just by knowing you're on less of the medication) then there shouldn't be anything wrong. Why climb the walls for 10 weeks when you could do it shorter (not quite as short as I said that he suggested) and get it over with. There's obviously a reason he's being a little over the top -- maybe he's observed the effects from behind the scenes so to speak as you being a former drug user and what benzodiazepines have done to you in the the long term.
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> I'm starting to learn that you need to be really manipulative with Doctors to get satisfactory care. It makes me feel like a slimy "drug seeker". It's unfortunate that honesty results in punishment, because it reinforces dishonesty.
That's a feeling, not necessarily a reality. And as the saying goes, not trying to be harsh, but if you hire a dog, why bark yourself ? What is the purpose of true "manipulative" behaviour? Now I admit this tapering may seem and may be a bit over the top.I'm starting to have a lot more sympathy for manipulative "drug seekers" than I used to. Being in Canada, getting a steady pdoc is very difficult due to doctor shortages.
I love your system north of 49 but you're right, you get triages and people take out American insurance just to get special procedures.
Basically my alternative is to dump this guy and go to a walk in clinic, where the standard of care is even lower. I'm on a long wait list to see a psychiatrist, so maybe things will improve when I see him, but in the mean time I'm going to be in pretty rough shape. I imagine the withdrawal will worsen my depression, which is already not controlled at all by AD's.
His only suggestion was that I go to an emergency room if I wasn't handling things well. I'm sure they will have loads of sympathy for someone asking for a controlled substance. Sigh... Not having a good day.
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> Sonic
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> > The reason I felt strongly about this Yxi is that I've been on methadone maintenance, and everything said here about benzos is doubly true when it comes to that.Perhaps because you've been a former drug user is why the doctor is being cautious now that you have controlled substances in your system, albeit a small amount. This isn't a blanket statement on drugs -- if you want to go smoke pot, go ahead, if you want to smoke cigarettes, go ahead but accept the taxation which funds cancer treatments in your health system. If you want to shoot heroin, go down Hasting St but remember, you can get uncurable forms of hepatitis.
poster:yxibow
thread:797166
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20070929/msgs/798306.html