Medically Supervised Benzodiazepine Tapering in Fort Lauderdale
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- Medically Supervised Benzodiazepine Tapering
A gradual, patient-directed taper off of benzodiazepines
Dr. Mark Leeds is an osteopathic physician and deprescribing specialist in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His practice focuses on medically supervised tapering off of benzodiazepines and z-drugs, the related sleeping pills.
People often search for a benzo detox. That is not what Dr. Leeds does. Coming off safely means a gradual taper over months, often a year or more, guided by the Ashton Manual and the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines, at a pace set with the patient, with a short hold whenever withdrawal symptoms call for one.
What the taper involves
A plan shaped with the patient
The taper plan is built with the patient, and it changes as the taper goes.
A crossover to diazepam, where it helps
Many patients on a short-acting benzodiazepine do better after a switch to longer-acting diazepam, which the Ashton Manual advises for potent, short-acting drugs. It is Dr. Leeds' usual route, unless diazepam does not suit the patient.
Reductions that get smaller
Each cut is usually a fraction of the current dose rather than a fixed number of milligrams, so the steps get smaller as the dose comes down.
A hold when needed
When symptoms flare, the taper can pause for a short hold, often a week or two, or slow down, and then it goes on. A hold is simply part of the plan.
Why not simply stop?
Because stopping abruptly can bring severe symptoms that last long after the drug is gone. Physical dependence is not addiction. A person who took a benzodiazepine as prescribed and became dependent has a medical condition caused by the medication, and the care should match it: a gradual medical taper, not a short stay in an addiction treatment facility.
A pace the brain can handle
The dose comes down slowly enough for the brain to adjust at each step. There is no fixed timeline, only the pace the patient can tolerate.
Adjusted at every visit
If a step was too hard, the next one waits or gets smaller. If it went well, patient and physician may agree to go a bit faster, as tolerated.
One physician, start to finish
Dr. Leeds sees every patient himself, at every visit. He has practiced medicine since 1997 and serves on the medical advisory board of the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition.
How care with Dr. Leeds begins
Care begins with a message through the contact form. A consultation follows, and from it Dr. Leeds builds an individualized taper plan. His practice is concierge, not insurance-based, and medical care is for patients in Florida.
The first visit
Dr. Leeds goes over the medication, the dose, how long it has been taken, and overall health. Risks and alternatives come first, and the patient may decline at any time.
The visits after that
The office takes calls Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 2 PM, and visits are by telemedicine anywhere in Florida or in person in Fort Lauderdale. Each one is where the next reduction, or a hold, is decided with the patient.
Ready to begin?
Coming off of a benzodiazepine is slow work, done at the patient’s pace with one physician who knows the whole history. The first step is a message through the contact form.
Common questions
Questions patients ask
Short answers to common questions. This page is educational, not medical advice, and creates no doctor-patient relationship.
How long will it take to taper off benzodiazepines?
Longer than most people expect. A gradual taper usually takes months, and often a year or more, and the pace depends on how the person responds to each reduction.
Will I experience withdrawal symptoms during tapering?
Some symptoms are possible, though the Ashton Manual stresses that a slow taper suited to the person can keep them to a minimum and largely avoid them. The answer is to slow down or take a short hold, not to push through. In a crisis, call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or 911.
Can I continue working or engaging in my normal activities during tapering?
Many people do. A gradual taper is meant to fit around work and family, and there is no facility stay. During a hard stretch, a hold or a smaller step can be arranged.
What happens after the tapering process is complete?
Follow-up continues. Symptoms that linger or come and go after the last dose, known as protracted withdrawal, are treated as real, and Dr. Leeds keeps seeing patients through that period.