HEALED WITHIN 18 MONTHS

These success stories are of individuals who healed within the first 18 months of taking their last dose of the drug. If you are tapering or are yet to taper, please keep in mind as you read that these are some of the worst cases so please don’t anticipate yours being similar. Also, usually when someone says it took 3 or 4 years for full recovery, it does not mean the entire time was spent with intense and disabling symptoms. They tend to write mainly about the worst times but many of them had periods when things were manageable, or in some cases just a few symptoms persisted. Please don’t be discouraged.

Remember that the usual outcome of withdrawal is recovery and so overcoming this challenge can be expected. Keep thinking of how resilient the nervous system is! Keep trusting that “This, too, shall pass.”

(Some of these stories have been published in my “Recovery and Renewal” book. ) 

JULIAN: RECOVERED FIVE MONTHS AFTER COMING OFF LORAZEPAM

Julian was prescribed 1 mg of lorazepam (Ativan) to be taken twice daily for anxiety. He took the drug for 1 year. Julian said:

I decided to taper off because I forgot to pack my medication when going on a vacation and was sick beyond belief. As soon as I returned home I took a dose and felt better. I knew then that something was wrong. So I started doing research on the web and was surprised to find all the information about withdrawal from benzodiazepines.

I decided to start my taper. First I used a pill cutter but that was just too hard for me, so I bought a jeweller’s scale and one that weighs down to 0.0001 thousands. I then reduced the drug by 10 per cent of the dosage every month. I used sandpaper and a nail file to do this. It is not an exact science but it worked for me. Very slowly is the only way to go.

My withdrawal symptoms were intense but tolerable. I would say around the fifth month off is when I really started to feel like the worst was behind me. There were many times I almost gave in but I’m glad I stuck it out. 

NOAH: LIFE IS CALM AFTER RECOVERY 

Noah was prescribed 0.125 mg of clonazepam (Rivotril/ Klonopin) for 4–5 months for chronic pain. After having tolerance symptoms for 2 months his doctor advised him to stop taking the drug (cold turkey). His tolerance withdrawal symptoms included gnawing abdominal cramps on his right side, and when that would subside he said he would then have a stitch-like cramp slightly below his right rib which would then change into lower back soreness and pain.

He did as his doctor suggested and completely stopped taking the clonazepam. The tolerance symptoms persisted but were accompanied by high anxiety, loss of appetite, depression, panic attacks/night sweats and insomnia. This lasted for approximately 5 months.

When asked how things are now, Noah said, ‘Life is calm now. Reading many of the forums helped me get through it as did keeping a log of symptoms and duration. It was a relief when I started to experience “windows of normality” and was able to see the windows gradually begin to widen.’

Noah is relieved to be over it but still feels somewhat frustrated that the established medical profession mostly fails to recognize or give any credence to ‘protracted withdrawal’. His message to others going through withdrawal is, ‘Don’t give up hope. You will get through it.’

DIANA: RECOVERED AFTER 12 YEARS ON CLONAZEPAM AND PAROXETINE 

Diana was prescribed clonazepam (Klonopin/Rivotril) and paroxetine (Paxil) after suffering a series of panic attacks and being diagnosed with panic disorder by an Emergency Room doctor. She took both drugs for 12 years. In 2010 she briefly stopped both but soon reinstated. After becoming suicidal on the paroxetine she was switched to citalopram (Celexa) and then tapered off both the citalopram and clonazepam over a 12-month period, completing her taper in March 2012. Diana says:

I went very slow and tried to walk as much as I could. I dealt mostly with the bad anxiety, insomnia, derealization, depersonalization, vision problems, nightmares and a lot of suicidal ideation. I had no pain or burning or tingling. At times I would forget where I was and I would look for things and not be able to read labels. I did a lot of deep breathing and spent hours on the phone speaking with positive people who were also going through withdrawal.

She played games on her iPhone, did the 4-7-8 breathing technique, affirmations, took baths, wrote in her journal, prayed, volunteered and watched ‘The Big Bang Theory’.

When asked how she feels now, Diana replied:

Looking back I have no idea how I did it. I was on for a number of years and really didn’t have a clue of how blunted I really was. When I reduced to about 0.18 mg of klonopin I started to feel euphoric and excitement started to come back. Then I noticed my memory improving and that my mind was becoming clearer. I would have to say that I feel a whole lot stronger and much happier to be alive. I thought I was never going to get better. I feel like I have a brand new life now. I don’t take anything for granted anymore.