Question on Benzo kindling, can someone please explain it and if it’s relevant?
Age: 31
Sex: Male
Height: 5’9
Weight: 160
Race: Asian
Location: United States
Non smoker, non drinker of Alcohol
Any existing relevant medical issues: asthma, anxiety
Current medications: albuterol, QVAR, verapamil
I was on daily 0.25 mg of Klonopin for about 2 to 3 months which I took every night. I was prescribed 0.5 mg to take every once in awhile but I was going through a bad break up, traveling overseas and some problems at work. It was a perfect storm and I know I shouldn’t have done what I did. My last dose was 0.125 mg of Klonopin on February 13th. I had pretty bad anxiety in the initial weeks after I stopped the Klonopin and still have anxiety episodes/panic attacks periodically. My blood pressure and heart beat were elevated for awhile so my primary care prescribed me Verapamil 120 mg to be taken daily and that seems to have calmed the physical affects of anxiety for now.
I am now working with a psychologist on recommendation of my psychiatrist to work on my anxiety via CBT. I have pretty bad dental anxiety, airplane, and medical anxiety. If I needed to take a benzodiazepine before a dental procedure or on a flight, would I have to restart the taper process? Is my brain and nervous system permanently damaged from the Klonopin use? Are there any alternative medications I could take instead? Could very high doses of hydroxyzine help me during a dental procedure?
I may need to go to a proctologist for hemorrhoid issues and they may need to do an anoscopy on me, if I took 0.25 mg of Klonopin for that, would it be considered benzo kindling? Should I just try a heavier dose of hydroxyzine?
Thanks for your help in advance.