<<Hey, no patience,

Wish I could predict this all for you but when it comes to benzos, who knows...why, I've even heard of a few people not having withdrawals but boy that's pretty rare. The reason the panic came back after you tried not taking one is because you simply can't do that and expect to feel nothing because that's cold turkey which always causes that. But if you really do a super slow taper when the time comes to get off, you may only feel a little bad. You do have the advantage of not being on it for very long....which brings me to the question, why does your doctor want to extend that time? The recommended time on benzos according to the drug companies is usually only 2 weeks; 1 month should be plenty.>> Jennita

I am one more case you have heard of that quit with no withdrawals, 8 months, .5 mgs of Xanax = the same with Klonopin, ran out of pills, was off 3 months with no problems at all. I just did not want to bother going to the doc to get more. Was using Benadryl for sleep but the sleep problems pre-dated the benzos. Got the typical winter flu, went in for some anti-biotics and decided to ask for some Xanax. Got it. Four months later quit again for 10 days, only to save pills in case I needed extras on vacation, do not sleep well in strange beds. Again, no withdrawals, and with the very short half-life of Xanax, chances are excellent that if I was going to feel something I would have within 10 days. I just had no interest in quitting for good as I was ignorant of the potential withdrawal syndromes, severity, longevity. One would have a ways to go to sell me on the idea that my case is "pretty rare." I would also have difficulty with the idea that cases where people that stop in 2 to 4 weeks with no problems, which is the recommended use time frame in the U.S. & the U.K., is in any way rare. What I would think would be rare is your story about the man that had surgery, used benzos and opiates in that setting, and came out addicted. But I do not know how long he was in the hospital on the drugs... I am aware of no research to illustrate that benzos create anything like instant addiction in even the majority that take them. A quote from Breggin would not surprise me, but actually about nothing would. This man is obviously a crusader...

If Kay Leigh comes off Klonopin in a month and still has panic attacks then these episodes cannot be fairly attributed to benzos as the condition pre-existed. Tapering is a pain in the butt and expensive if you do not have good insurance, cutting pills, carrying them around, monthly doctor visits. There is no point in this if it is not necessary. And her panic problem, just as like my sleep problem, will have to be addressed. Benzos did not cause these in our cases, and I do not believe they magically go away when ceasing the drugs unless other therapies are employed in the interim. Why? Because it makes no sense. Plus, if she embarks on one of these one year or so tapers that are so often recommended she could become addicted in the process while at the present time she is not. :eek:

Hey howard,

True, that man was not addicted after his hospital stay but had become a bit dependant on the drugs; his natural sleep patterns effected mainly.
It is entirely possible in 2 weeks as we have read, especially with cold turkey as he was. However, he is already, in just a few months, alot better and almost back to normal sleep and anxiety has already passed. He may have been better sooner had he not tried some Ambien, then Zoloft as per his doctor's urging after he still had some insomnia for 3 weeks...when the brain is trying to recover, other drugs, even for a few nights or a week, may delay proper healing.

But at any rate, his suffering did not last long but if I hadn't talked to him, he may have again resorted to whatever magical drug the doctor had to offer him after the failure of Zoloft, or he may have stayed on it like his doc wanted him to and then who knows if he would still be having trouble now.

He told my husband we saved his life! I suppose that's over stated a bit, but he really meant it, he is doing so well now! :)

I don't think no patience will be absolutly certain of no lingering drug effects after only a month as even mild cases can linger for a few months; however, you have a point about the pre-existing panic which if the source of that is still around(whether external, emotional, etc), then it must be sorted out.

Yes, you are also right about protracted withdrawals as they get weaker and weaker as time goes, then finally exit. For example, there was a time when a "bad" night for me was no sleep at all; then later, a "bad" night's "definition" became only 2 hours sleep. Even later, 4 hours became the definition of a bad night. In contrast, early withdrawals meant no sleep for days. So when in protracted withdrawals, you are right, that condition changes quite a bit!!

Benzos don't always cause original condition, but they can worsen it. Sometimes, original condition would have went away (depending!), or may have already gone by the time one is in too deep with benzos. I think that's why I read of some people who were very surprised that after their withdrawals were over, their original panic/sleep problems did not come back. They assumed whatever was causing it in the beginning was no longer around because they wondered why it never returned.

But for some, the original reason is still around. This is why kelligh must continue some sort of therapy to figure this out, even after withdrawals. A full physical, some psychotherapy or even CBT may eliminate that original cause, if it is indeed still around. And of course, there should not be a years' worth of tapering for such a short run and lower dose as she is on. A few months should be ok; however, it's no race and she should go as slow/fast as she feels is ok.