While this extension offers relief, it underscores the need for permanent regulatory frameworks and proactive compliance monitoring. While effective in the short term, long-term use can lead to dependence and difficulty stopping. Many people taking benzodiazepines long-term have also been prescribed antidepressant drugs because of developing depression, either during chronic use or during withdrawal. Antidepressant drugs should also be tapered slowly since they too can cause a withdrawal reaction (euphemistically labelled “antidepressant discontinuation reaction” by psychiatrists). If you are taking an antidepressant drug as well as a benzodiazepine it is best to complete the benzodiazepine withdrawal before starting to taper the antidepressant.

What are the methods to manage benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms safely?

From 20mg diazepam a day, reductions of 1 mg in daily dosage every week or two might be preferable. This would take a further weeks, so the total withdrawal might last weeks. Yet some people might prefer to reduce faster and some might go even slower. When tapering off benzodiazepines, you’ll always want to work with a trained healthcare professional who can monitor you for side effects and adjust your pace accordingly. Read on to learn more about benzodiazepine withdrawal, including the signs, how long it lasts, and how to get support with tapering off safely. If you want to stop taking benzodiazepines after consistent long-term use, your doctor can help you gradually taper off your medication.

Complications

At Benzodoc, our clinical team creates custom benzodiazepine tapering schedules designed to minimize these risks and ease the process. ‍Tapering off benzodiazepines and ketamine can be challenging but achievable with the right approach. Benzodiazepines are a class of medications commonly prescribed to treat anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, muscle tension, and seizures. They are generally regarded as safe and effective when taken as prescribed, but they can be habit-forming and should be used with caution. Many people find that they develop a physical dependence on benzodiazepines over time, and this can lead to a need for increasingly higher doses. Detoxing from benzodiazepines is a challenging journey that requires patience, medical supervision, and a personalized approach.

All those extra chemicals flood your brain, and the excess activity causes a secret weapon for stopping benzodiazepines safely symptoms like anxiety and sweating. Benzodiazepines have a sedative effect because of how they work in your brain. These drugs mimic the effects of a neurotransmitter called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA).

How to Get Sober From Alcohol Without Rehab: Alternative Approaches

Proper medical supervision is important to have ketamine therapy safely. A new study wanted to find out whether supportive therapies, on the whole, would improve the success rates of stopping long-standing (more than four weeks), daily benzodiazepine or Z-drug use—something that hadn’t yet been measured. To do so, researchers pooled results from several published clinical trials and performed a metanalysis. In severe cases, benzodiazepine and Z-drug withdrawal can be life-threatening, causing seizures and hallucinations. It’s no wonder that many people who make an attempt to stop quickly give up the fight, resigning themselves to being on them long-term.

Talk to a trained recovery worker

At Maps for Recovery, we prioritize your safety and comfort by creating individualized tapering plans designed to minimize withdrawal symptoms and complications, ensuring a smoother, safer path to recovery. If you’re receiving benzodiazepine treatment through Maps for Recovery, it’s important to carefully follow your personalized medication schedule. However, if it’s close to the time for your next scheduled dose, you should skip the missed dose and resume your regular dosing schedule.

Abrupt withdrawal can also lead to a phenomenon known as “rebound withdrawal,” where withdrawal symptoms return in full force after a period of relief. This can be extremely distressing and make it difficult to continue with the tapering process. It is important to work with a healthcare professional when tapering off benzodiazepines to ensure safety and minimize the risk of complications. If you experience withdrawal symptoms that are severe, it is crucial to contact your healthcare provider immediately.

• Managing withdrawal symptoms involves a combination of self-care strategies and medication.
• Alcohol rehabilitation involves a structured process that includes various treatment methods and approaches aimed at addressing physical dependency, psychological factors, and long-term recovery strategies.
• Common side effects include slurred speech, memory loss, confusion, sleepiness, and increased fall risk.

Generally, a slow taper over several months is recommended to minimize withdrawal symptoms. If you are considering tapering benzodiazepines or ketamine, consult a healthcare professional to ensure the safest and most effective approach. ‍Ketamine, particularly in ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) and off-label depression treatments, has a unique mechanism affecting NMDA receptors and promoting neuroplasticity. Unlike benzodiazepines, ketamine is not a traditional sedative but can still lead to withdrawal symptoms and psychological dependence. You don’t necessarily need to be in an inpatient facility to taper off Xanax – with a weeks-long tapering schedule, your doctor will typically monitor your progress on an outpatient basis so you can continue living at home. But it’s not safe to taper your Xanax by yourself without medical supervision.

A third important practical factor is the available dosage formulations of the various benzodiazepines. In withdrawal you need a long-acting drug which can be reduced in very small steps. Diazepam (Valium) is the only benzodiazepine that is ideal for this purpose since it comes in 2mg tablets, which are scored down the middle and easily halved into 1 mg doses. Even by halving these tablets the smallest reduction one could easily make is the equivalent of 2.5mg diazepam.

Ketamine is a powerful tool for treating a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. However, the experience of a ketamine session can be intense and overwhelming, and it’s not uncommon for patients to feel anxious or scared during the session… People with mental health problems may end up needing more intensive treatment, but as of now their rates of successful stopping with or without psychological support are not known. Lorazepam (Ativan), diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax) are examples of medications classified as benzodiazepines. Examples of slow withdrawal schedules are given at the end of this chapter. As a very rough guide, a person taking 40mg diazepam a day (or its equivalent) might be able to reduce the daily dosage by 2mg every 1-2 weeks until a dose of 20mg diazepam a day is reached.

Best Practices for Ketamine Tapering

• Typically lasting 2-4 weeks, it supports recovery through personalized, structured care.
• From 20mg diazepam a day, reductions of 1 mg in daily dosage every week or two might be preferable.
• If you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms, it is important to talk to your doctor as soon as possible.
• Benzodiazepines are a powerful class of medication used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and panic disorder.
• Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be a daunting experience for users trying to discontinue their medication.

By understanding their uses, benefits, and risks, you can work with your doctor to determine if benzodiazepines are the right choice for you. If you have been using benzodiazepines every day for a long time, your healthcare provider could recommend you reduce your dose gradually when it’s time to stop taking it. The timeline for benzodiazepine tapering and withdrawal can vary from person to person. Some individuals may experience mild symptoms that resolve relatively quickly, while others may have more severe symptoms that persist for an extended period of time.