Jay1

I will trust my nuero over wiki.... He said there is suitable difference in the way they work to not cause any problems in terms of tolerance, at the dosage and regularity i take such meds. Not all cross tolerances are the same, both drugs affect GABAa, but where they bind is often very different... Which is what makes Wiki problematic, as people think it is a bible.

The dizziness is part of the dp/dr we suffer. I think. I get it pretty bad, like i am floating out of my own body... If i look down at my legs, as i walk, i get very dizzy. I have developed a technique where i shake my head quite hard, once... It seems to bring me back to reality and help.

While regret is a natural and much needed emotion to help you learn from a mistake.... It is better to not think too much about what you did or didn't do, it can feed the anxiety and keep you in a negative loop. Everyone makes mistakes, just learn from them and then try to put the regret behind you. It sounds like you are being sensible in your recovery... Just keep resting, eating well and try to get some exercise, maybe some walks outdoors. Good luck, Jay

Can't remember if it made me more/less tired... About the same, i think

It works fast, within 15 minutes or so, but only lasts a few hours. It is good for panic attacks, but not great for all day relief.

yea, all clear, thanks. As for DP/DR... I get the floaty, out of body, nothing seems real, trippy feeling.... But i seem to still have my emotions in tact. I am particularly empathetic towards animals and nature..... although, i too don't really give a shit about some homeless guy or even some famine in Africa... I never did pre-hppd though... I had a realisation very early on in life (about 10) that there are way too many people on the planet and death is a good way to get rid (Edit - i just read that line back and it sounds like something the press would quote if i ever went berserk, hahah)

Hi Jimmy.... Hopefully this will subside with more time, alot of people here seem to see a noticable difference after a few months, as long as they stay sober and healthy. It really is the key ,at this point.... If you are still smoking weed or even drinking alcohol, it can make all the difference. Good luck, hope it all works out, but we will be here if things stay the same.

I quite enjoyed the film "Garden State".... It will probably ring true with alot of hppders

Yea, you just need to focus on the idea of "right, only another 4 days and it's another benzo break". Luckily, the one thing hppd hasn't stripped me of is a generally optimistic outlook. As for dissociation.... I get a bit mixed up with all the terms, i don't really have emotional numbing, as such, but i do have big problems communicating and interacting socially. My wife just had a cancerous mole removed and it took all my energy to even show her i cared, even though i was cut up inside. Thankfully, she just thought i was trying to stay laid back and keep her calm... She even thanked me, how fucked up is that!

I don't get any added anxiety, but having 3 days with less anxiety maybe focuses the "normal" anxiety on Tuesday.... By the afternoon though, i'm in my normal mindset. I think a heavy session at the gym helps. Yea, i dropped to 1.5mg as i don't get so tired as when i was on 2mg... I was just sleeping through Sunday, and that is no way to live. I find, with 1.5mg, i can have a mild coffee too, and stay awake without anxiety. Yea, having benzos around is keeping me sane, for sure. That is why i'm desperately trying to treat them with respect, so that i can have this magic bullet for the rest of my life (or until a proper cure comes out!)

I tend to go something like this: Saturday - 1mg Sunday - 1.5mg Monday - 0.5mg Nothing for the rest of the week. (Some weeks i just have the Sunday dose) If I go on vacation, i'll happily take 1.5mg everyday for 2-3 weeks. The key to all this (for me) is that i have 7 days completely free of benzos every month or so, and if i've had a vacation... I'll take 2 weeks off benzos. I've lived like this for 4 years now and see no real tolerance or addiction. The only thing i do notice is that if i have 2 weeks on 1.5mg, then go 2 weeks off.... I don't sleep very well for the 1st week or so.

Personally, i think it is great. It can keep you social during those times you just lock yourself away from actual human contact. It makes conversation easier, when you do venture out, as you know what people have been up to. Other than staring at the screen, i don't really see a negative. If you enjoy it and it brings a bit of relief from just worrying about symptoms, go for it.

yea, that is definitely a step on from hppd symptoms. Without wanting to worry you, have you spoke to a psych/neuro about bi-polar?

Welcome to the forum.... Sounds like you are doing all the right things to get on the path to recovery. There are a few reports of 5htp making people's vision worse, so maybe avoid that, for now (It was ok for me, but we all seem to be different). Inositol might be a good option to try. Also don't beat yourself up if you go out and have a drink... We all cope differently and staying social has alot of benefits. Just try and do everything you can to minimize your drinking, if you normally have a gin and tonic... have less gin and more tonic.... It's amazing how just having the glass in your hand and being in the right setting can get you in the party mood, even if the drink hardly has any alcohol in it. Good luck, Jay

Shame, sounded quite promising.... Did you get yours off the net too? I will try getting a proper script off my doc, when i go in August, just to make sure with the proper stuff (Portugal is one of the few Western countries that sell it)

Cool, i've ordered some online too.... Let the guinea pigging begin!

Hey mate, did you ever try the Tofisopam?

From my understanding, the benzos with really long half lives are not actually doing anything in the brain, after 12-24 hours. The substance gets stored in fat cells, where it is ineffective (but still in the body). I've never noticed any difference in effects, in terms of length, between klono and valium.... Xanax, however, you notice it fade after a few hours.

Could be placebo too.... It really does have strong powers, including feelings of symptoms returning, when stopping the drug. Amazing how the brain works.

Interesting.... Please make a post when you try it out. Even if it does nothing. I have tried Keppra and Sinemet.... Didn't really see any/enough benefits to continue with either. Benzos are the only thing that properly work, for me. I do use the occasional barbiturate for panic attacks, if they happen when i am having a break from klonopin. They do nothing for hppd though.

I've used Klonopin, Xanax and Valium. I find Klonopin has the most benefit, but might ask about lorazepam. After around 4 years of use, i still have little or no tolerance and can get a 60-70% reduction is visual issues, trippy thoughts (dp/dr) and anxiety. I once tried 4mg of Klono and was pretty much free from visual issues, like you, but i was like a zombie. The fact that these meds vastly reduce visuals and trippy feelings for most of us sufferers gives me hope that, one day, the medical community will find something that works in a similar way, yet doesn't have tolerance/addiction issues.

Cool..... if you can keep your usage down to 1-2 pills a week.... You can use them for life as magic bullets for these occasions (without running the risk of addiction and tolerance) I sometimes even have 1-2 weeks taking them every day.... Then go cold turkey for 1-2 weeks after, to make sure it is all out of my system. These pills have completely changed my life.

These are the sort of occasions i keep Klonopin handy for. It's a godsend for things like family events. Before i found that magic bullet, i had many days like the one you just described.... I knew i should be helping out, being social etc... But this shitty illness put a stop to that and it led to resentment of those around me, who seemed to have it all so easy.

friends, family, sport, gym, nights out, photography/videography, working for myself food and water helps too

It helped a little, but may have been placebo... Not the sort of difference i could really quantify or enough to make a dip feel like a spike (if that makes sense!)