I’m not going to get your hopes up on this one. There is no magic pill. There is no silver bullet. The only thing that will give you immediate, profound relief during benzo withdrawal is – you guessed it – a benzo. Reinstating during your withdrawal will make you feel better in that moment, but it will only prolong your withdrawal and make it more difficult. 

Time off benzos is the only thing that will truly heal you. You need to start looking at time itself as the medicine. 

That’s probably not what you wanted to hear. Is there not a single thing you can take to get some relief? There are a few things I’ve found to be helpful during my recovery. But first, it’s important to mention what you should avoid. 

Supplements and Medications You Should Avoid

The Benzodiazepine Information Coalition has an exhaustive list of medications and supplements that are problematic for anyone going through benzodiazepine withdrawal. The list is quite heavy handed and there are plenty of people that report being able to take certain supplements on the list without issue. But when you have just taken your last dose of a benzodiazepine and find yourself in the acute withdrawal phase, it’s better to err on the side of caution.

One common theme you will notice with the list is that medications and supplements that act on your GABA receptors are to be avoided. This makes sense. These are the receptors you are trying to heal. 

Anything that binds to those receptors or increases the amount of the GABA neurotransmitter in your brain, is like a headfake for your brain. These down-regulated receptors need some room to breathe. They need time. They don’t need any interactions from an external actor. Getting back to baseline is something your body needs to do on its own. 

If you walk down the over the counter medication aisle in your pharmacy, you will cross paths with a great number of things that bind to your GABA receptors. These days there are all sorts of “calming” and “sleep inducing” pills that have things like chamomile, ashwagandha, valerian root and melatonin in them. Guess what? All of those happen to act on your GABA receptors. 

It’s true that something like ashwagandha is not going to hammer your GABA receptors like a benzodiazepine. When it comes to GABA, Ashwagandha is like a toy mallet and benzos are a sledgehammer. Or a mac truck. But even a toy mallet can mess with you when you are in a fragile recovery. 

The Benzo Info Coalition also recommends to steer clear of drugs like Gabapentin and Lyrica. While some people report that these drugs help them cope with withdrawal, they are also habit-forming and have a withdrawal of their own. The last thing you want to do is drag out your misery. 

Are there any Supplements or Medications you Can Take?

Now, I do think that you can start trying certain medications and supplements as time goes on. Tread carefully and take the lowest dose possible. Give your body lots of time to react before taking another dose of anything. See how you feel. 

Two medications that did work for me, especially during the acute phase of withdrawal, were Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) and Hydroxyzine, both of which are antihistamines that have drowsiness as a side effect. The latter requires a prescription in most places.

Benadryl is a relatively benign antihistamine and it can easily be obtained over the counter. I took a standard dose (sometimes 25mg more) and this helped me sleep during episodes of insomnia. It would also help me navigate horrific episodes of depersonalization and derealization that often happened at night. It simply knocked me out. 

Side note: the antihistamines also helped me with MCAS, something that I am still dealing with over a year after I took my last dose of Ativan.

While some people report that benadryl is habit-forming and can interfere with withdrawal symptoms, I had no such issues. There is also no link between benadryl and your GABA receptors. Good news there. But as I said earlier, with any of these supplements, take it easy and see how your body reacts. Stop taking anything that disagrees with you.

As an example, I tried Phenergen (Promethazine), a different sedating anti-histamine, and it backfired horribly. I can’t say for sure whether it was acting on my GABA receptors but it clearly has some psychological side effects. It gave me horrific nightmares, which were the last thing I needed during benzo withdrawal. I stopped taking it and haven’t touched it since.

What else? 

While time is the most important medicine during your recovery, there are a few other things that can help: clean eating, getting outside, light exercise. Even just going for a walk. Make sure to go easy on yourself. Be forgiving. 

Your goal is to make it through the day. There are simple mundane tasks that are going to seem impossible. Don’t beat yourself up when you can’t get them done. You are going through one of the most difficult experiences a human being can have. Full stop. 

One day at a time. Each day is a victory and a step towards healing.