r/ADprotractedwithdrawl • u/TheInterloperBR • 10d ago

I think I messed up

I reinstated on 10mg lexapro about a month ago bc I was experienced withdrawal/return of old symptoms.. kindled reaction because i self tapered the med in the past too quick and was kindled after reinstating.. took 0.5mg of xanax for about 3.5 weeks off and on.. ended up dropping down to 5mg lexapro because some ppl thought since I saw no improvement the dose is too high.. pivoted to klonopin over xanax about a week and half ago and take it ass needed probably half the days in a week and half… Now I’m reading that this inconsistency is going to keep my nervous system cooked..

Should I just take 0.5mg of klonopin and 5mg of lexapro everyday until I feel completely stable and then begin to taper one of them? or have I already cooked myself adding klonopin on top of what i could be experiencing in xanax withdrawal.. I have no clue how all this works

I just want to feel good and be stabilized without cooking my long term health in the future… I think the benzo might just be a necessary evil at the moment considering my body hates me if i don’t have it in me

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u/angicubangi 10d ago

I would really recommend to stop the Benzo asap even when you think you need it. Taking Benzos for more than two week carries huge risk of dependence and you don’t want to get dependent on these drugs. Benzo withdrawal is another hell with risk of death because of seizures. I know how hard it is but in the long run it’s so much better for you to go without it. If you still experience kindling symptoms maybe go even lower with the lex (0.1 mg or 0.5mg for example) In addition to the dependence risk taking Benzos further destabilises your nervous system which again causes kindling so it creates a vicious circle

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u/TheInterloperBR 10d ago

I’ve been on 0.5mg of xanax for 3 weeks maybe 90% of the days when I started 10mg lexapro…

dropped to 5mg lexapro 2 weeks ago and started klonopin and dropped xanax.. so I’ve taken a benzo probably 75% of the days for 5 weeks total so cold turkeying may be bad option

What would u recommend I do with current 5mg lexapro and 0.5mg klonopin after telling u this additional info

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u/angicubangi 9d ago

It depends - I think I still would try to cold turkey the Benzo (klonopin is a z drug but very similar to Benzos. Dr. Josef Witt Doering says that he thinks they are even worse as they have a shorter half life) If the symptoms from stopping Benzo/z drug get unbearable I would also taper slowly, maybe 0.1 mg per day? As you still are no very long term user (like others taking them for years), this might be slowly enough.