11 replies to this topic

[castillo]

What is the general consensus on using Ashwaghanda when healing from horrific benzo withdrawals? There are some who believe it affects the Gaba levels therefore could impede further healing. The potential issue is the sensitivity of the receptors that need to regenerate rather than a need for upregulation of Gaba. I have constant high levels of cortisol and would love to use this to heal my adrenals but I am afraid of the brain chemistry side effect and possible flares of old withdrawal symptoms. I currently use Relora as needed but continuous use eventually causes worsening of heart palpitations. Thanks for reading.

[jack black]

Go for it if you have high cortisol. I doubt it's harmful.

[castillo]

Thanks for the reply.  I'm stuck between the options of Ashwaghanda and bacopa.  Which one would be more beneficial with my case of symptoms? Heart palpitations, anxiety, slight depersonalization/derealization, ocd, agoraphobia/monophobia, insomnia, autoimmune diseases.

Edited by castillo, 20 May 2017 - 07:55 PM.

[castillo]

Well..i'm an idiot. I decided against ashwagandha and went the route of Taurine. Hoping that taurine as a precursor for Gaba would give me what I need. Instead i'm wide awake at 5 am and was jolted awake with some strange brain restlessness which I haven't experienced in a long while, joined by a headache. Now i'm afraid ashwagandha may have the same effect on me unless it works on a different mechanism compared to taurine. Can anyone explain what is happening? i'm 3 years off ssris and benzos. I was on SSRIs for 10 years and I tapered for 2 years. I took benzos for only 2 months and experienced the worst withdrawal known to mankind. I am now sensitive to every supplement. Inositol gave me anxiety/depression. Rhodiola helped mood but made me incredibly tired. 50 mg theanine pill makes me tired and I get anxious from using my energy to fight the heavy tiredness. I do ,however, fall asleep easier. Dont know if it was the kava candy I tried or the chewable Gaba next night but I woke up with a genuine panic attack and drenched in sweat. Never touched it again. Kanna helps ocd but it eventually turns on me and ocd returns. Bacopa made me feel antsy but then a day after that one pill I felt a reduction in ocd. Not worth the initial anxiety just to get relief. The only thing that helps my cortisol rushes is Relora but if I take it for an extended period of time it eventually exacerbates the heart palpitations and causes major fatigue. I'm sure i've tried others and had to discontinue for one reason or another. Should I still give ashwagandha a trial? I am hoping that if the herb is geared more towards adrenal health rather than brain chemistry then it may not be that harmful. Please advise!

Ps. Just realized they use Taurine in energy drinks. FML. All in the name of sleep!

Edited by castillo, 26 May 2017 - 10:39 AM.

[Kinesis]

A good pdoc should be able to help with that. Several years ago mine put me on clonazepam and amitriptyline to stop a series of severe panic attacks. It worked, but I had to take the clonazepam for almost six months. I got the dosage of the benzodiazepine down but attempts to discontinue it completely started the panic attacks again, indistinguishable from outright withdrawal. Finally my pdoc suggested increasing the amitriptyline while attempting to discontinue the clonazepam. Within a few weeks I was not only able to get off the benzo but also back down to the original dosage of amitriptyline.

...

Edited by Kinesis, 27 May 2017 - 04:47 AM.

[normalizing]

all those "docs" who massively prescribe benzos for all of people's problems should be investigated and sued. benzos and some of the older type of antidepressants on the market are historically known as the most potent side effect toxic drugs available and NOBODY should be using them in this modern day and any doctor still going back to those primitive days should be questioned of their license

[castillo]

Thank you for the suggestions. With my long history involving psych meds and how it unravelled my life and having been off everything for 3 years now, I prefer to stay away from prescriptions unless I'm in a life or death situation. Using something long term that is not naturally meant for the body has it's repercussions. The body eventually rejects it in the long run :S. I just don't understand why my body is so sensitive to certain supplements while others use it with ease. It must be a gene I carry and some autoimmune disease that subsequently activated due to the withdrawals.

[Allchemy.eu]

I would try a combination of Ashwagandha + L-theanine. 

Also, for sleep, I'd recommend an entire artillery of- passionflower, valeriana, lemon balm, l-theanine (400+mg), AND ashwagandha.

I'm sure it goes without saying that benzo withdrawal is a very serious problem and can last a LONG time (years maybe even)

Some anecdotal evidence suggests that if someone has been on Benzos for long enough, the brain may lose its ability to regulate its own GABA receptors without external help from more benzos.

Basically, a patient on benzodiazepines is a potential customer for life. Its quite sad that the medical industry allows this to occur... =/ 

I wish you the best! 

 

Edited by Allchemy.eu, 29 May 2017 - 11:19 AM.

[normalizing]

i was reading this peptide BCM 157 helped reversed valium addiction. maybe something to try but im not sure how well it would work in people as it was tested only in rats

[castillo]

I would try a combination of Ashwagandha + L-theanine. 

Also, for sleep, I'd recommend an entire artillery of- passionflower, valeriana, lemon balm, l-theanine (400+mg), AND ashwagandha.

I'm sure it goes without saying that benzo withdrawal is a very serious problem and can last a LONG time (years maybe even)

Some anecdotal evidence suggests that if someone has been on Benzos for long enough, the brain may lose its ability to regulate its own GABA receptors without external help from more benzos.

Basically, a patient on benzodiazepines is a potential customer for life. Its quite sad that the medical industry allows this to occur... =/ 

I wish you the best! 

 

Thankfully I was just a short term user but still unbelievable how long it is taking my body to bounce back after those measly doses    Good news is that a quarter of an ashwagandha pill had a mild positive effect and I didn't have any rebound anxiety after.  This may be the natural route to go for me and will be adding Rhodiola to the list you mentioned once I get the correct dose of Ashwagandha.  I really feel for those who have been on benzos for years among years. Thanks for the help.

i was reading this peptide BCM 157 helped reversed valium addiction. maybe something to try but im not sure how well it would work in people as it was tested only in rats

 

Interesting.  I will research this.  Appreciate it!

[normalizing]

try this one https://nootropicsou...ptides/bpc-157/ please let me know if this one helps and its so cheap, what do you really lose?

[TryptaBenzyme]

i was reading this peptide BCM 157 helped reversed valium addiction. maybe something to try but im not sure how well it would work in people as it was tested only in rats

I think you meant BPC-157. I have used this before to help me heal from an injury. I didn't know it had anticonvulsant effects and improved GABA transmission. This site I was looking at is saying something like 10ug/kg, twice daily for dosage. I'm tapering chlordiazepoxide right now. I'm down to 10mg which is equivalent to around 0.2mg of alprazolam according to the benzo equiv. chart on the Ashton Manual. I crossed over from clonazepam. I'm also tapering and am currently on: 1500mg gabapentin, 0.67mg suboxone, 600mg phenibut as well. Life can get really unbearable and I have to learn new coping skills every day. I also am doing a porn/sex detox. No fap/porn for as long as possible, so I can reset everything. Only sex, but I don't have to worry about that since I've been a shut in, trying to come off these drugs, recently.

 

I'm going to have to meditate and do some standing yoga poses....now, before my head explodes. My head literally feels like it is going to explode when I type on the computer sometimes. Like my CNS and PNS are inflamed ....but pain is a sign of healing and moving forward. I can't imagine what it would be like to quit benzos cold turkey at this point. The only drug that probably helps benzo wd is ultra-low dose flumazenil infusions from what I read. But it has to be taken for weeks to have benefits probably. Taking it for a week won't help. I would combine low doses of it with the chlordiazepoxide if I could to see if it would help.  

Edited by TryptaBenzyme, 01 June 2017 - 04:44 PM.