How Many People Are On A Daily Benzo?

[CourageofSnow]

I take 0.5mg of Valium a day. I'm also on fluvoxamine 200mg. I take an extra 0.5mg Valium as needed on difficult days..

 

[intothelight]

I can only speak from my personal experience, and I was on 5mg of Valium daily for a year. Initially the dose was much higher due to the muscles spams that came with a broken back, but I tapered down as I do not like the feeling of not being in control. The daily dose not only kept the muscle spasms in check, but helped with anxiety experienced during my own chemo therapy, and the stress of not only having to deal with my own cancer, but my daughter's cancer.

I stopped taking them in January because they had an adverse effect on my blood pressure as a result of a stem cell transplant. (Had very low blood pressure for a while.) I didn't experience a desire to increase, nor did I experience withdrawal symptoms, but it is important to realize that each person is an individual and what one will experience may be completely different that what another person will experience. Pay attention to your own body.

@Chincho, I am so sorry to hear about your husbands diagnosis. I hope that he has a great oncologist and handles the treatments. Don't hesitate to find a cancer support group for yourself, as cancer is sometimes harder on family members than it is the patients.

 

[cdg]

I take .5 ativan on a 2 days on 1 day off schedule. Its the only thing that works. I have tried every type of medication.

 

[gnirolockoob]

I'm taking .25 mg of Xanax for panic attacks and daily 1.5mg of Klonopin... I don't know if I've developed a dependency yet. How do you know?

 

[DharmaGirl]

I take Ativan 1mg as needed for anxiety, which works out as daily. I am dependent but that doesn't really mean anything other than I have to taper off when I want to stop. I started to taper off last month, since I was feeling better, and I haven't had any issues. I'd been taking it daily for about a year.

 

[cdg]

And of corse now I'm dependent. I guess it's back to kolonopin. Longer lasting. Unlike Ativan which is fast acting with a short half life. Like crack. I really wish that I responded well to ssri's. I have a huge battle on my hands.

 

[llv88]

I am taking .5mg of clonazepam up to 3 times a day for major anxiety. Most days I only take it 2 times, but there have been the 3 times/day lately. I find it helps most of the time.

 

[mamachick]

I was down to 1 a day but since surgery last week, I am feeling anxiety an hour after awaking. Still progress so I won't complain. I hope to be off them in 3 months.

 

[cdg]

Good for you bratt. I hope it continues in your favor.

 

[Changing4Best]

The anxiety is just too much for me without my Clonazepam, of which I take 0.5 mg. One time last year, my bottle of it was stolen! I had to taper off it (my druggist gave me the last bottle of it on my prescription, but the Dr. said he was not allowed to replace it, and so I went off it for a few months. How I suffered! I've felt much better since I have gone back onto it.

Sometimes the number of prescriptions I take (15) scares me. I wonder what would happen if for some reason I had to go off them abruptly, like if Medicare would no longer pay for them or something. 6 of them are for my mental health, the others are for physical things, and the Clonazepam is actually for both, Restless Leg Syndrome and anxiety!

 

[jesse]

I wanted to share that I went to a Naturopath and she put me on a supplement called Women's Menocaps by Wise Woman Naturals. I take two capsules twice a day and it is the best thing I have taken for anxiety. It compltetely stopped the night sweats I was having and I came off the abilify I was taking. I highly recommend it.

 

[saoirserylyn]

I take 0.5mg Xanax as needed to help me sleep or when I sense an on coming panic attack (or am able to anticipate one). The Xanax complements my current med cocktail, although we're currently discussing other options.

 

[cdg]

At 2.5 mg of Ativan a day. 1.5 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. Along with the cocktail.