Benzodiazepine Tapering & Deprescribing
in Pompano Beach, FL
Concierge telemedicine for benzodiazepine tapering, psychiatric medication deprescribing, and dependence treatment throughout Florida.
Benzodiazepine Tapering & Deprescribing in Pompano Beach, FL
Benzodiazepine Tapering & Deprescribing
Mark Leeds, D.O. is an osteopathic physician who specializes in benzodiazepine tapering, psychiatric medication deprescribing, and the treatment of opioid and alcohol dependence. For Pompano Beach patients, Dr. Leeds offers concierge telemedicine with weekly video appointments and 24/7 text access. Many Pompano Beach residents are taking multiple psychiatric medications prescribed over years by different providers, and finding a physician who can help them rationally reduce this medication burden is difficult. Dr. Leeds provides exactly this kind of focused, individualized deprescribing expertise through a telemedicine format that eliminates the need for travel.
Living in Pompano Beach
Pompano Beach is a coastal city in northeastern Broward County, known for its beaches, fishing pier, and a revitalized downtown area that has brought new energy to the community. The city sits between Fort Lauderdale to the south and Deerfield Beach to the north, with a diverse population that includes long-time residents, retirees, and younger families drawn by the area’s relative affordability compared to neighboring cities.
Pompano Beach residents face a common challenge in Florida healthcare: easy access to physicians who prescribe psychiatric medications but very limited access to physicians who can help patients come off those medications safely. Dr. Leeds addresses this gap directly, offering Pompano Beach patients the specialized deprescribing expertise that is missing from most local practices.
Whether patients live near the beach, in the neighborhoods west of Federal Highway, or closer to the Sawgrass Expressway, Dr. Leeds’ telemedicine model provides equal access to expert care from the comfort of home.
Medication Tapering & Deprescribing Programs
Treatment Programs for Pompano Beach Patients
Dr. Leeds’ core service for Pompano Beach patients is benzodiazepine tapering, helping patients safely discontinue benzodiazepines like alprazolam, clonazepam, and lorazepam through individualized, gradual reduction plans. Each taper is designed around the patient’s specific medication, dose, duration of use, and response to reductions.
Equally important is Dr. Leeds’ work in psychiatric medication deprescribing. Many Pompano Beach patients are on combinations of SSRIs, gabapentinoids, antipsychotics, and sleep medications that have accumulated over years of treatment by various providers. Dr. Leeds evaluates the entire medication picture and creates a rational plan for simplification — tapering one medication at a time, monitoring for withdrawal symptoms, and ensuring that each change is safe and tolerable.
OUR STORY
ABOUT Mark Leeds, D.O.,
About Mark Leeds, D.O.
Dr. Mark Leeds is an osteopathic physician whose practice is devoted to helping patients taper safely from benzodiazepines and other medications that cause physical dependence. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (BIC), a nonprofit focused on raising awareness about benzodiazepine dependence and the realities of withdrawal.
Dr. Leeds hosts The Rehab podcast, where he discusses dependence, withdrawal, and the shortcomings of conventional treatment approaches with patients and experts. Through his concierge telemedicine model, Pompano Beach patients receive weekly appointments, 24/7 text access, and direct care from Dr. Leeds — a physician who understands both the pharmacology and the human experience of medication discontinuation.
SERVICES AT GLANCE
OUR SERVICES
Here are some of the services provided by Mark Leeds, D.O. via concierge telemedicine throughout Florida.
Alcohol Treatment and the Sinclair Method
Dr. Leeds provides alcohol dependence treatment for Pompano Beach patients using naltrexone and the Sinclair Method. By taking naltrexone before drinking, patients block the endorphin reinforcement that drives compulsive alcohol use. This pharmacological extinction process gradually reduces cravings over weeks and months, offering an evidence-based alternative to traditional abstinence-only programs.
For patients who prefer complete abstinence, naltrexone can be taken daily to reduce cravings. Dr. Leeds monitors each patient’s progress during weekly telemedicine appointments and adjusts the approach as needed.
Psychiatric Medication Deprescribing: Beyond Benzodiazepines
While benzodiazepine tapering is the foundation of Dr. Leeds’ practice, many Pompano Beach patients are also taking other psychiatric medications that they want to reduce or discontinue. Physical dependence is not limited to benzodiazepines — SSRIs, SNRIs, gabapentinoids like gabapentin and pregabalin, and even some atypical antipsychotics can produce withdrawal syndromes when discontinued too quickly. Physical dependence on any of these medications is not addiction; it is the brain’s normal adaptation to a substance it has been exposed to chronically.
SSRI and SNRI discontinuation syndrome is more common and more severe than many physicians realize. Symptoms can include brain zaps, dizziness, emotional instability, insomnia, and flu-like malaise. These symptoms are often mistaken for a relapse of the underlying condition, leading physicians to restart the medication rather than managing the withdrawal. Dr. Leeds recognizes discontinuation syndrome for what it is and designs gradual tapers — often using liquid formulations or compounded doses — to minimize these effects.
Gabapentinoids — gabapentin and pregabalin — present their own discontinuation challenges. Withdrawal can include anxiety, insomnia, pain amplification, and in some cases seizures. Despite being widely prescribed, these medications are often stopped abruptly or tapered too quickly because many providers underestimate the withdrawal potential. Dr. Leeds treats gabapentinoid discontinuation with the same individualized, gradual approach used for benzodiazepines.
Atypical antipsychotics such as quetiapine, which is frequently prescribed off-label for sleep, can also cause withdrawal symptoms including rebound insomnia, nausea, and psychosis-like reactions in rare cases. For Pompano Beach patients taking these medications without a clear ongoing indication, Dr. Leeds can design a safe deprescribing plan. Throughout all deprescribing work, Dr. Leeds remains vigilant for symptoms that may overlap with BIND in patients who are also tapering from benzodiazepines, and he addresses tolerance withdrawal and protracted withdrawal as they arise.
Services & Approach to Medication Tapering
Benzodiazepine Tapering
Dr. Leeds specializes in safe, medically supervised benzodiazepine tapering using the Ashton Manual crossover protocol, hyperbolic tapering, and compound pharmacy formulations. Learn more about tapering services.
Psychiatric Deprescribing
Safe tapering of SSRIs, SNRIs, gabapentinoids, and antipsychotics using the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines and individualized hyperbolic dose reduction. Learn more.
Opioid Treatment
Medication-assisted treatment using buprenorphine (Suboxone, ZubSolv) with individualized dosing strategies for maintenance or gradual tapering. Learn more.
Alcohol Treatment
The Sinclair Method using naltrexone gradually reduces cravings through pharmacological extinction. Does not require abstinence to begin. Learn more.
Concierge Telemedicine for Pompano Beach
Dr. Leeds operates a concierge telemedicine practice that provides Pompano Beach patients with weekly video appointments and 24/7 text access to Dr. Leeds directly. There is no call center, no nurse triage — patients communicate with their physician. For patients managing complex deprescribing plans involving multiple medications, this direct access is essential.
The weekly cadence of appointments allows Dr. Leeds to monitor how each medication change is affecting the patient and to make timely adjustments. Deprescribing is an iterative process, and the concierge model provides the frequency of contact needed to do it safely and effectively.
Concierge Telemedicine for Pompano Beach
Dr. Leeds operates a concierge telemedicine practice that provides Pompano Beach patients with weekly video appointments and 24/7 text access to Dr. Leeds directly. There is no call center, no nurse triage — patients communicate with their physician. For patients managing complex deprescribing plans involving multiple medications, this direct access is essential.
The weekly cadence of appointments allows Dr. Leeds to monitor how each medication change is affecting the patient and to make timely adjustments. Deprescribing is an iterative process, and the concierge model provides the frequency of contact needed to do it safely and effectively.
Subutex Treatment
Subutex (buprenorphine) is available to Pompano Beach patients through Dr. Leeds’ telemedicine practice. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that effectively manages withdrawal symptoms and cravings, providing stabilization without the euphoria and respiratory risks of full agonist opioids.
Dr. Leeds monitors each patient’s response through weekly appointments and adjusts treatment as needed, providing the kind of consistent oversight that opioid dependence treatment demands.
Pompano Beach patients interested in safe benzodiazepine tapering or psychiatric medication deprescribing can contact Dr. Leeds to schedule an initial consultation.
Outpatient Telemedicine vs. Inpatient Rehabilitation
Pompano Beach patients are sometimes advised that inpatient rehabilitation is necessary for benzodiazepine or psychiatric medication discontinuation. In most cases, this is not true. Benzodiazepine tapering requires months of gradual dose reductions that cannot be completed in a 30-day stay, and psychiatric medication deprescribing demands ongoing adjustments over extended periods. Rapid detox protocols used in many residential programs can be dangerous and often result in patients restarting their medications after discharge.
Dr. Leeds’ outpatient telemedicine model provides the sustained, individualized care that these processes require. Patients remain at home, continue working, and maintain their routines while receiving expert medical management through weekly appointments.
Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN)
Dr. Leeds offers low dose naltrexone (LDN) for select Pompano Beach patients as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. LDN is prescribed at much lower doses than standard naltrexone and has shown promise for immune modulation and chronic pain management. It is obtained through a compound pharmacy and may be discussed during consultation to determine its potential benefit for the individual patient.
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Methadone vs. Buprenorphine
Daily methadone clinic visits are burdensome for Pompano Beach patients trying to maintain normal lives. Buprenorphine offers a meaningful alternative — it can be prescribed via telemedicine, taken at home, and carries a lower overdose risk due to its partial agonist properties.
Dr. Leeds can evaluate whether transitioning from methadone to buprenorphine is appropriate and manage the process through his concierge telemedicine practice. For patients already on buprenorphine, ongoing management and eventual tapering are also available.
Opioid Dependence and Withdrawal
Opioid dependence results from neurological adaptation to the chronic presence of an opioid. The brain adjusts its own chemistry, and when the drug is reduced or stopped, withdrawal symptoms emerge — pain, anxiety, insomnia, and gastrointestinal distress among them. This is a physiological process, not a moral one.
Dr. Leeds treats opioid dependence in Pompano Beach patients using buprenorphine-based medications, combined with weekly telemedicine monitoring and individualized treatment planning. The goal is stabilization first, with a long-term plan tailored to each patient’s needs and readiness.
Oxycodone Dependence
Oxycodone is one of the most frequently prescribed opioids and one of the most common causes of physical dependence. Pompano Beach patients who have developed dependence on oxycodone — whether through a legitimate prescription or otherwise — can work with Dr. Leeds to transition to buprenorphine, which manages withdrawal and cravings while providing a stable platform for recovery.
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Concierge Telemedicine vs. VIP Rehab
South Florida’s luxury rehab centers promise premium experiences, but premium amenities do not equate to premium medicine. For benzodiazepine tapering and psychiatric deprescribing, the quality of the medical protocol matters far more than the quality of the facility. Many luxury programs use the same rapid detox approaches that cause patients unnecessary suffering.
Dr. Leeds’ concierge telemedicine model delivers what no facility can: long-term, specialized medical care from a physician who focuses exclusively on tapering and deprescribing. Patients stay home, maintain their privacy, and receive weekly physician contact and 24/7 text access for as long as their treatment requires.
Mindfulness and Wellness During Deprescribing
Tapering from psychiatric medications — whether benzodiazepines, SSRIs, or gabapentinoids — can be emotionally and physically taxing. Dr. Leeds encourages Pompano Beach patients to incorporate mindfulness practices, gentle exercise, adequate sleep hygiene, and stress management techniques as supportive measures during the deprescribing process. These strategies complement medical management and help patients maintain stability through the inevitable difficult days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. In addition to benzodiazepine tapering, Dr. Leeds helps patients deprescribe SSRIs, SNRIs, gabapentinoids like gabapentin and pregabalin, atypical antipsychotics, and other psychiatric medications that can cause withdrawal syndromes when stopped too quickly. Each medication is addressed individually with a tailored reduction plan.
SSRI discontinuation syndrome occurs when an SSRI is stopped or reduced too quickly. Symptoms can include brain zaps, dizziness, irritability, insomnia, flu-like feelings, and emotional instability. These symptoms are often mistaken for a relapse of the original condition, leading to the medication being restarted unnecessarily. Dr. Leeds designs gradual tapers to minimize discontinuation symptoms.
When multiple medications are reduced simultaneously, it becomes impossible to determine which medication is causing any withdrawal symptoms that arise. By tapering one medication at a time, Dr. Leeds can clearly identify the source of symptoms and make precise adjustments. This approach is safer and more comfortable for the patient.
Yes. Despite being widely prescribed and sometimes portrayed as low-risk, gabapentin can cause significant withdrawal symptoms including anxiety, insomnia, pain, sweating, and in rare cases seizures. Physical dependence on gabapentin develops with regular use, and the medication should be tapered gradually under medical supervision rather than stopped abruptly.
With the patient’s consent, Dr. Leeds can communicate with other treating physicians to ensure that everyone involved in the patient’s care is informed about the deprescribing plan. This coordination helps prevent conflicting treatment decisions and ensures a unified approach to the patient’s medication management.