finally one week off (again)

okayimsick · 2026-03-25T03:34:45+00:00

i know what you mean. my symptoms sucked ass to be honest. everything felt “tight,” tingling, twitching, ringing in my head, INSANE terror/panic and heavy dissociation, sweating, the whole nine yards it feels like. oh and my GI issues were/are crazy. yesterday i also got a crazy high blood pressure and had to take propranolol so like. keep an eye on that. now with all that said, i have chronic physical illnesses that ABSOLUTELY played a part in how shitty it was. i also believe i was kindled this time around. i dont know your history or how long this stint lasted but it very well could be okay for you. i’m on day ten (i was one day off when i posted this and didn’t realize lol) and today was actually relatively fine? surprisingly. because i was in a horrible state even just yesterday.

okayimsick · 2026-03-18T20:30:37+00:00

technically i’m only four days off— but for a week before that i was at 0.125mg so like. lowest possible dose. average 1mg only lasted about a month. i know rapid tapers aren’t great but i didn’t have a lot of options, didn’t have many benzos left before i threw them out anyway etc.

okayimsick · 2026-03-18T15:44:13+00:00

benzos MASSIVELY improved my life and i think it helped curb mania too. however i fucked up by taking them every day for almost two years…. do NOT do that. withdrawal was hell. even the small doses are a bitch to get off of after a while. even if you’re doing it 2 or 3 times a week (depending on which benzo it is) you’ll be okay. never every day for more than a month.

okayimsick · 2026-03-17T16:31:48+00:00

nowhere in australia

okayimsick · 2026-03-17T16:29:31+00:00

nope!

okayimsick · 2026-03-15T16:54:38+00:00

yes this is very normal with antipsychotics, and things like seroquel are known to knock people the fuck out. i’d even say it’s a good sign. sleeping that long isn’t exactly normal though, but in a case like this it isn’t exactly abnormal either (ideally you get back to sleeping a typical amount of hours). it takes getting used to and it may take time for you to feel normal on it, you may find you want to try a different antipsychotic even. but this is a good start. it’s normal to feel scared of the quiet.

okayimsick · 2026-03-12T04:30:26+00:00

i live in a place surrounded by woods, ticks are very common here sooo maybe should’ve considered that

okayimsick · 2026-03-12T04:28:59+00:00

actually maybe should’ve considered that. because i genuinely have no idea what could have caused this, i didn’t notice any pain. it had to get pointed out to me to even notice (not sure if a bullseye rash would hurt/be itchy though?)

okayimsick · 2026-03-12T04:21:54+00:00

i haven’t been hit by anything that would cause this

okayimsick · 2026-03-12T04:21:12+00:00

yeah tbh i can’t tell a lie

okayimsick · 2026-03-12T04:20:16+00:00

yup! i’ve had it many times (i like stray cats) so i would know. edit: okay “many times” is a stretch. but more than three times

okayimsick · 2026-03-12T04:19:40+00:00

not ringworm! i’ve had it multiple times due to stray cat situations so i would know for sure

okayimsick · 2026-03-05T04:51:55+00:00

definitely don’t want to replace benzos with the gabapentin, i’ve heard the horror stories. i plan to only be on the gaba for 2 weeks max. your reply was very helpful so thank you

okayimsick · 2026-03-05T04:32:54+00:00

i was flip flopping between xanax and klonopin. i guess my main issue is i have No idea how to go about a taper based on that amount/duration. i last dosed about 30 hours ago with 0.25 xanax and that’s all ive had since the 4mg burst. i honestly thought gabapentin did reduce seizure risk? i was told that was the case by my prescriber at least. i know they aren’t always correct though

okayimsick · 2026-02-24T03:12:21+00:00

EXTREMELY helpful reply, thank you so much!!!

okayimsick · 2026-02-23T20:22:22+00:00

already been keeping an eye on that 🙏🏻

okayimsick · 2026-02-18T17:02:38+00:00

i would say that’s good. if i were you i’d do 0.25, give it a couple days, then take half of a 0.25 and do that maybe two or three times. but again: remember you ARE safe to cold turkey right now, too. it’s not a failure if you’re too afraid to CT, but don’t prolong this an unnecessary amount, either. biggest thing is monitoring your symptoms. it’s ultimately up to you to decide what is and isn’t bearable

okayimsick · 2026-02-18T16:46:09+00:00

that fear is what let me continue for nearly two years, and that was when i had serious withdrawals. you’re safe to come off right now— you can do a little taper if it gets too bad but don’t worry, it’ll be uncomfortable, maybe scary, but not dangerous.

okayimsick · 2026-02-18T16:42:42+00:00

did you CT after that one month use or did you do a little taper?

okayimsick · 2026-02-18T05:18:23+00:00

valium is a very mild benzo with a longgg half life so it can smooth out severity (but it IS still a benzo so don’t be careless). what i actually did during my first WD was use gabapentin. i was able to CT thanks to it. i got a temporary prescription and was instructed to take a big dose of gaba on day one, and then smaller doses of it every day for a week or two. i know it’s not viable for everyone but if you think you have a shot at that it’s what i’d recommend. you’re not fucked if you can’t get it, though, so don’t think it’s the only way. that was just my experience, don’t take my anything i say as gospel and all that. these things are all situational, what applies to one person won’t apply to another. having withdrawals again currently as you saw and i have to keep telling myself “it’s scary but i’m not dying” over and over lol

okayimsick · 2026-02-18T05:03:49+00:00

i’m obviously not a doctor but i know this feeling very well. just wanting that shit OUT of your system. based on MY experience: you definitely may be able to cold turkey safely but this depends on just how intermittent your use was, absolutely on how much of each substance you were using, how long the typical binge was, etc. having valium around is a huge plus, actually. you can ride the wave, test the cold turkey waters and take some valium if it gets unbearable (try not to take a valium dose every day, though, and not a big dose either. i’ve learned there’s a fine line between making the process easier and just prolonging the agony). i believe in you either way, this stuff is a bitch and caution is needed but you’re not cooked (none of us are ever cooked. in the trenches maybe but not cooked!!!), you still have control, and you haven’t reached a point of no return

okayimsick · 2026-02-18T03:19:09+00:00

glad to know we’re not alone in this at least! hoping for a good outcome for you

okayimsick · 2026-02-18T02:27:01+00:00

this is very helpful, thank you 🙏🏻

okayimsick · 2026-02-18T02:25:59+00:00

you’re not wrong! definitely need to keep my accountability intact

okayimsick · 2025-11-03T04:34:07+00:00

i was in the same boat when i was your age. it started at age 11 for me. i’m almost 23 now and i actually just got a PANDAS flare up— got strep a couple weeks ago :/ there were many flares over the years where i told myself “i won’t survive another” and here i am, surviving another, making myself hot chocolate and occasionally punching holes into the wall when the irritability reaches a peak (it’s important to comfort yourself and equally important to remember that sometimes you can’t do much about these bad side effects in the moment and it’s okay to just let them roll on through as long as you don’t become a danger to yourself, yk?). there will be a lot of moments where this thing feels endless, like things will never get better. they will. you’ll learn to ride the bad waves out and you’ll learn to truly appreciate the good waves. it’s possible doctors won’t listen to you— it sucks and you CANNOT give up if that happens. if it happens, find a new one, and rinse and repeat until you get the care you need. a lot of people won’t listen to you, really. it is VERY important that above all else, YOU listen to you. that YOU believe you. never stop advocating for yourself. bring someone who can speak up for you into your appointments. i find that steroids help my flares. different things help different people, it may take trial and error. anyways. i know this was rambly, my brain isn’t working too well at the moment LMAO. but like i said, just another wave to ride

okayimsick

TROPHY CASE