Sonja Styblo from our general advisory board talks about the importance of language and why the term cold turkey can be problematic.
Why is the term “cold turkey” confusing to prescribers and outsiders?
As noted in the video, there are other issues of contention beyond just the addiction language associated with the term cold turkey. What survivors often deem to be a “cold turkey” is considered to be a “taper” by many medical professionals! It’s not uncommon for patients to be informed by their prescriber that a few day cessation is a “slow taper”. Other benzodiazepine prescribed patients who have not yet attempted a discontinuation may also get confused by this nonspecific language.
What do we suggest instead?
When speaking publicly to prescribers and outsiders, give precisely the amount of time it took to come off the medication. “My provider rapidly tapered me over a week.” “I came off abruptly over 2 days.”
Are we language policing?
We don’t think so. We understand many may prefer to continue to use the term. We just ask to be mindful of those who may misunderstand the term, especially in spaces that may influence the public. We are all advocating for better understanding about benzodiazepine harm, including more precise communication about harm, in the best way we know how. At BIC we’ve observed so many in the medical field uneducated about benzodiazepines and the need for safer, slower tapers, so advocating for specific, intentional language is warranted. We worry that calling what many in the medical field deem as a taper a “cold turkey” without qualification only serves to maintain the field’s existing belief that benzodiazepines are only harmful when discontinued abruptly. We can help doctors and the public learn with our careful choices in language.
I Jane been on Serax 30 mg x 3 per month since1980 to 2005 when discontinued…. My then provider tried me on several medications including Benzos and some in combination with each other.. then put me on 12 2 mg tabs Alprazilam which was in creased to 16……. OMG if only I would have known……
In last July. New provider reduced my dose to 5mg overnight , three days later I was in a Ed with a TIA, now having problems with feet pain and sensitivity to ear ringing , eye pan, chest pain … overall his-stupidity YES stupidity almost turned me into fertilizer …. And he treated so poorly … I would never want another person to f
Been on 4mg. A day for 4 years. I’m doing a slow taper at my request and a Snail’s Pace would better describe my tapering. I was not aware of the horrendous withdrawal from Benzos, and believe the prescribing Provider should have reviewed this while at the prescribing point. I’m not addicted to Benzos, I’ve built up a tolerance over the years. I feel strongly that the Provider needs to take ownership of this situation and not leave the patient to suffer through on their own. My doc is on board and leaves me to my tapering which is now at month 6 with another 6 to go. I’m at half original dose and doing well and am aware of the withdrawal symptoms after stopping the taper. I intend to continue using what is needed as needed.
I am just so desperate to know what method of taper you use and do you have any symptoms while tapering and what benzo and what dose. I am currently tspering Ativan 1.5 mg with liquid taper. Started my taper 7 month ago and half way done on 0.75 mg. But I have horrible horrible headache and nausea, dizziness. I don’t know how can I go another half feeling like this. Any feed back will be greatly appreciated. I was on different benzos for 4 years but on low doses. 1.5 my highest dose ever.
Your post brings up several points that are misunderstood. First, method of tapering is routinely miss-stated. “Success rate also is stated without stating what constituted success. Ashton has claimed an at least 85% success rate. On closer examination, those who succeed remained in withdrawal after the Ashton Taper. Here, success meant remaining off the benzo only. It did not indicate reversal of the withdrawal syndrome.
You state that you are using a liquid Ativan to taper. Since Ativan is not soluble in any potable liquid, you likely are using a suspension. These are, by the nature of suspension, not homogenous for the purpose of measuring small dosage cuts. Might you have been misled?
So many people have believed that they are tapering by small numbers when, in fact, their chosen benzo preparation
consists of a benzo poorly distributed in a liquid.
Witness the failed “water-titration”. Here a poorly water soluble benzo was mixed in water. The result was failure because the liquid medium caused faulty measurement of dosage reductions.
Perhaps the worst of this was that the failed taper would be followed by another attempt. These are well known to be extremely risky and painful.
It is essential to determine a taper that can claim more than being slow. Ashton was slow in that it required what was thought to be a long time. Yet it was accompanied by increased levels of symptoms as the taper progressed. The clue to what was wrong with slow is not overall time. It is in size of taper intervals and number of mgs.
What to do? First, avoid the one size fits all HMO’s. Then ask to speak to your doc’s former benzo patients. Then, above all, trust your body to tell you whether or not you should “give it time” when a method is failing you.
So many posts and videos fail to measure up to very elementary science. Using an incorrect liquid is only the tip of that iceberg.
Your chosen method always should become more and more tolerable with time. “waves” and “windows” simply are signs of a less than optimal taper line.
I have been in your situation. What saved me was asking myself: do these instructions have any basis other than hear- say or ad hominem backing? What do I really know about benzos? Your own intelligence is your best ally.
A faulty taper can allow unending tinnitus and neuropathy. These are not side effects or withdrawal symptoms. They usually are lasting. So do not be pressured into tapering in a way that causes your condition to worsen. Believe what your body tells you.
BTW, I did recover, but it was necessary to dismiss both the untested claims of medicine as well as the mass benzo claims from internet sites. What I did was unheard of then; now it is incorrectly passed on. This is reason for caution and using your own intelligence. Plenty of internet talk simply lacks the science of a middle school education. So verifying every claim is essential. The fact that an MD says it is not evidence of its truth.
I suspect that you can do this!