Mark Leeds, D.O. is an osteopathic physician and deprescribing specialist in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He helps patients come off benzodiazepines and sleeping pills with a slow, patient-directed taper guided by the Ashton Manual and the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines. Physical dependence is not addiction, and a careful taper is measured in months, not days.
What is the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition? The Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (BIC) is a nonprofit organization formed by patients and medical professionals. Its mission is education…
Do support groups help during a benzodiazepine taper? Yes, for many people they do. A benzodiazepine taper lasts months, sometimes longer than a year, and…
Key Takeaways Benzo belly is the name patients gave to the bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, heartburn, and stomach pain that can show up while…
Can a benzodiazepine, or a taper, change a woman’s period? Yes, in some women, although the evidence is limited. Some notice irregular, late, heavier, lighter,…
Key Takeaways Xanax, or alprazolam, is hard to taper directly because its half-life is short, about 6 to 12 hours, and even its smallest tablet…
Key Takeaways Magnesium is often helpful during a benzodiazepine taper but not always, it can worsen symptoms in some people, and it never changes the…
Is chest pain during a benzodiazepine taper an emergency? It has to be treated as one until a clinician has examined the person. Chest pain…
Is fatigue a real benzodiazepine withdrawal symptom, or is something else going on? Fatigue is a listed benzodiazepine withdrawal symptom. Chapter III of the Ashton…
Can a benzodiazepine taper be designed to avoid protracted withdrawal? A taper can be designed to lower the risk. No honest doctor can promise more…
Why are psych wards not helpful for benzodiazepine dependence and protracted withdrawal? A psychiatric ward is built for one job. It keeps a person safe…
Is a person going through benzodiazepine withdrawal addicted to the drug? Usually, no. The person took a medication the way a doctor prescribed it, often…
What is chlordiazepoxide, and why are people still taking it? Chlordiazepoxide, sold under the brand name Librium, is one of the oldest benzodiazepines still in…
