Chapter Nine

Pre-Taper for Benzodiazepines, Anti-anxiety,
Anticonvulsant, and Sleep Medication

“I am taking Klonopin.  After one week on your program, I do not feel like I am taking a benzo.  I am sleeping better than I ever have in my life.  Vivid dreams have vanished and if I wake up in the middle of the night, I can go right back to sleep.  I will be starting the taper next week and I am very nervous.  Every time I have tried to quit in the past, the withdrawal was too much.  Everything you have said in your book has been true so far so I probably should not be nervous.”

G.Q.  Green Bay, WI.

If you have not yet read the entire chapter “General Pre-Tapering and Tapering Guidelines,” please do so before continuing with this chapter. Reading and understanding the “General Pre-Tapering and Tapering Guidelines” is vital before starting the pre-taper.

Starting Your Pre-Taper

Note: This pre-taper addresses several types of medication as noted in the chapter title. If the only drug named is a benzodiazepine, please take that to mean the medications (Benzodiazepine, Anti-anxiety, Anticonvulsant and Sleep Medication).

Physically, during the pre-taper and taper, you need to address the immune system, and what is called the pituitary adrenal-axis, along with other enzymes that regulate anxiety and sleep. What may be physical, but is viewed more as mental, will be anxiety, insomnia and other symptoms of how you feel subjectively.

You will begin your pre-taper by taking Body Calm and Body Calm Supreme. These two supplements should take care of most or all daytime anxiety, panic attacks and sleep problems. If you have taken this type of medication for a prolonged period and you have depression or a tingling or numbness of the extremities, include the B vitamin biotin. When biotin is depleted from the body these symptoms will usually be present.

You may have side effects other than anxiety and insomnia that are your main concern. While not addressed specifically in this text, those side effects will usually respond to the pre-taper as well. Review the optional supplements available with this program if side effects are not going away completely.

Remember, as soon as you start the pre-taper, you simultaneously begin keeping your Daily Journal.

• Make sure to note when existing side effects stop or when there is a major improvement. This is very important.

You will then know which supplement turns off which side effect(s) or caused the major improvement. You will need to know this to successfully complete both the pre-taper and the full taper. The pre-taper addresses the normal cycle of anxiety/insomnia/anxiety associated with benzodiazepines.

Anxiety both first thing in the morning and again in the afternoon are very common side effects of benzodiazepines, anti-anxiety, anticonvulsant and sleep medications. When using these medications, by the time you are ready to go to sleep at night you are too stressed out and fatigued from dealing with anxiety difficulties all day long. Sleep simply may not happen, and you could easily end up feeling depressed due to this continuing cycle of anxiety, no sleep, anxiety, no sleep – endlessly.

If you are also experiencing some degree of depression, do not be surprised if the depression lifts during the pre-taper as your ability to sleep improves or the daytime anxiety abates. But, even as you start to experience relief from your symptoms, do not change anything; just continue with the program. There are still many, many gains available as you move through and complete The Road Back Program.

Pre-Taper Goal:

• Improved sleep.

• Vast reduction or elimination of anxiety and insomnia.

• Lessening or elimination of other medication-induced side effects.

Supplements you will take:

• Body Calm.

• Body Calm Supreme.

• Biotin (optional)

Day One:

Action:

• Rate your daytime anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and other side effects. Use the Daily Journal and rate anxiety, sleep and any additional symptoms you may be experiencing from 1 to 10. Rate with number 1 being the worst and number 10 being no side effect or symptom remaining.

• Rate the previous night’s sleep first thing the next morning.

• Rate the daytime anxiety just before bedtime of that day.

If you take your medication first thing in the morning, take the medication as normal and 1 hour later take the morning supplements.

Morning Supplement:

Body Calm: 1 capsule.

Throughout the rest of the day, alternate the Body Calm and Body Calm Supreme every 2 hours. Your morning would start out with the Body Calm capsule and two hours later you would take a Body Calm Supreme capsule.

If you find the Body Calm Supreme makes you tired during the daytime, replace it with the Body Calm and just use the Body Calm Supreme at bedtime.

You can use 2 Body Calm capsules every two hours during the daytime if you wish and up to three capsules of Body Calm Supreme at bedtime if needed for a restful sleep.

Usually, the anxiety will come and go at the same time of the day. If anxiety usually returns or increases at noon, take the Body Calm at 11:30 am each day or if the anxiety always comes back stronger at 1 pm, make sure to take the Body Calm at noon each day. You can adjust when and how much Body Calm you take according to the time and severity of the anxiety.

Each person does not respond the same to the Body Calm and Body Calm Supreme. Some people prefer to take the Body Calm Supreme every 2 hours during the daytime, while others prefer the Body Calm every 2 hours. Use this first week to find what is best for you.

Bedtime:

Body Calm Supreme: 1 capsule (up to 3 if needed)

After seven full days of the pre-taper, you are ready to move to the tapering portion of the program. Proceed to the chapter How to Taper Off Benzodiazepines, Anti-anxiety and Sleep Medications.

You can also call our support line, 1-866-892-0238 or send an e-mail to info@theroadback.org, for free support and guidance. Please use us; you do not have to do this alone.