support for those w/ head pressure

[[Kr...]]

Hi Klonkar-

 

How you describe the headache is exactly what I have. Before I began my journey off of Klonopin I was seeing a neurologist for severe chronic daily headaches and had a battery of tests but he couldn't find anything wrong with me. All the medications he was giving me weren't working - all except the Fioricet which is basically a benzo with caffeine. It was then that I started perusing this board and saw several posts where people were describing my symptoms to a T.

 

Having zero trust in my doctors, not long after finding this resource I began my Klonopin taper on my own then jumped. The days following my jump I had the most excruciating headaches I'd ever experienced, and it was then that I knew my problem was indeed the Klonopin. I've been getting better since then. I saw my neurologist for a follow up a couple weeks a go and he was quite surprised to learn the Klonopin seems to have been the problem all along.

 

Today I'm not terribly sensitive to light or noise, although when my headaches were more severe I definitely was to the first two. Taste is an odd one. Because I'm currently taking 50mg Topamax daily - something I've experimented with because I thought it was helping - everything tastes strange so I'm probably not a good person to weigh in on that. I plan on tapering the Topamax soon since it's causing other problems and I honestly don't think it's doing much.

 

Overall I am better today and am continuing to get better. Some days are good, some days are terrible, and like you I try and hang on to the bits of normalcy I do receive as gifts from God and clues that I'm on the right path - I have to be strong and keep going.

 

Thanks for your words and experience. I think more than anything I come here to ensure that what I'm going through is mostly normal...I don't want others to suffer but I do want to know I'm not in this alone and that there's light at the end of the tunnel.

 

 

[[Kl...]]

Krocksteady:

 

I am so glad you found this group.  And you have helped validate my symptoms as well.  So thank you

 

I am sure happy that some of symptoms are resolving.  Head stuff is the worst.  I told a psychologist I went to for a few months that

I would trade a hand to get rid of the incessant pain and pressure in my head.  He would not believe that my head symptoms were

benzo related either.  I finally took him the "Home" page of Benzobuddies and sat there while he looked it up.  I spent 10 minutes

out of my half hour and refused to talk with him until he acknowledged the group.  I left with his promise to read more posts..lol.

 

I have wondered if, when the doctor removed 20 lymph nodes on my neck) the cancer surgery was the reason I don't recognize most food.  My mouth has been dry for years and finally have salavary glands working again.

 

I wish you the best with the healing process. 

 

love, hugs and prayers to you

[[Ta...]]

I have extreme head pressure as well. My whole head feels heavy and its like there is a weight pushing down in the front of my eyes. I am often dizzy and feel like I am twenty feet tall. Some imbalance issues as well. The worst symptoms for me are the cognitive issues that I feel are intertwined with the head stuff. I have trouble with information processing, all memory, and word recall. I can barely have a conversation to save my life. Its even harder if I don't know the person already.

 

Do you think the cognitive problems are linked with the head pressure?

[[Kl...]]

Tater:  I don't believe cognitive issues are limited to people with head pressure symptoms.  I've struggled just in the past few days

with delusions.  Yep, I accused my tenant of not setting her garbage out for the truck, only to find out I did not really see a full

garbage can and that the can had indeed been emptied.  I had to apologize to her and what could I say " Ah, I'm a drug addict

and withdrawing from a drug so I'm delusional".  Yes quite embarrassing for me.  I have not been able to read a book

for a year, way before I even understood I was dependent on this damn drug.  And it didn't get better for sure when I was tapering.

 

Alas, this week, 60 days post jumping, I am half way through a great novel.  I can't read all of the time but more and more often I

can focus on something for more than a minute.

 

I feel sure that you will regain your cognitive abilities and don't be surprised your memory just shows up all of a sudden...just to disappear ...the next day,.  i often forget what I came to the computer for, and then the reason will just pop into my head later.

 

Don't disparage...all good things will come in time. 

[[Th...]]

I too suffer from head pressure/concrete feeling in my head. Does anyone else have the symptom as if part of your brain is staring off into space?

[[Th...]]

Something interesting about head pressure. Had a free EEG assessment at a neurofeedback clinic and they found that certain areas in the brain were over firing and the part involved in memory and cognitive processing was under active. They asked me if I’ve had multiple concussions as this is indicative of this low firing. I don’t have any concussions that I’m aware of. The doctor told me the areas that were excessively firing might be a compensatory mechanism. Again this is just a theory but it seems to me the brain tries to compensate for the deficiencies in one part of the brain by increasing activity in other parts/

[[Kl...]]

Concussion is an interesting concept for me in regard to my severe full time headache.  I fell on the back of my head in in '95 and

spent 7 days in icu with a morphine drip.  I was out playing baseball within two weeks and never felt a headache at that time.

I don't know how that fall could not have caused some permanent or at least bad damage.  My headache didn't start until

I took amoxicillin with the clonazepam  and had very debilitating symptoms for months.  I stayed on the dose of C and have

recently attributed the headache symptom to dependency/withdrawal symptoms. 

 

It does make me wonder if my symptoms are worse than normal because of this fall.  Interesting too is the fact that recently

my head does not hurt at all until I am up and around in the morning.  It gradually gets worse as the day goes by.  I'm having my

histamine levels checked this week looking for more reasons for this crazy symptom.

 

Interesting discussion.

 

Prayers and blessings to my friends here.

[[Mt...]]

This is a valuable thread. Hate to see my fellow buddies in pain and discomfort but does confirm my symptoms are indeed benzo related.  Constant pressure / headache across the top of my head with strong tinnitus most of the time. Symptoms increase dramatically on bad days and every once in a while they lift which is a gift from God. Weather changes also negatively impact these sx...anybody else get crushing headaches and increased head pressure with barometric pressure swings?

Wishing you all a window of a day.

MW.

[[Kl...]]

Ttwhitney:  what an interesting concept.  I don't have a barometer but its on my list of things to grab next time I'm out.

 

For All:

I am focusing on the great inclusive list of PAM's I have found deep in the wikipedia site.  I don't always agree with their interpretations

but this is constantly being updated and the list of things that I truly feel like are affecting my head is hundreds of meds and herbs

long.  The amoxicillin that originally gave me the headache is listed as well as penicillin. (these are actually negative allorsteric modulators, that are even more harmful)  I am currently taking progesterone and this is listed as well.  So I feel like as long as I am ingesting this, I might as well be taking a dose of clonazepam.  I'll be tapering that immediately and I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Here is the link and if you go to that and scroll to the very bottom, in blue there is a comprehensive list under "receptor postitive allorsteric modulator. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GABAA_receptor_positive_allosteric_modulator

 

I have a link to a common list of  PAMs that include herbs and commonly used supplements, foods and beverages that I have seen people use  on this site if anyone is interested.  Benzos are PAMs but I often here them referred to as agonists.

 

It would be interesting to know what any of my Buddies are currently using that might be affecting symptoms. 

 

So much to learn. 

[[Mo...]]

I hate to buck the trend, but my tinnitus, head pressure, and dizziness are in my left ear. I think it's because my left jaw is the one that pops the most (TMJ). I still wake with an aching jaw. Klonopin allowed me relief from grinding my teeth at night. I'm miserable. It's gotta get better. Thanks for reading.

[[Kl...]]

Hi Movie:

 

I read and am glad you're here.  My head stuff is mostly left sided too.  Maybe we have more injured  GABA soldiers on the left, lol.

 

I'm over two months post jump and I've had one of the toughest days in 6 months,during taper and after, followed by

the very best day for the same time.  Thinks are getting progressively better although this healing is really nonlinear.

 

Curious if you ever took an antibiotic while you were also taking a benzo??

 

Good luck and hopefully you will find many new friends and much needed support.

 

 

Klonkar

 

[[Ki...]]

Hey guys any idea how long does it takes for head pressure to go away??  I'm into 14 months and it's better than before but still feel not 100 % . My head symptoms are also in left side, left ear tinnitus, left eye presurre . My lower back spasm have gone at 14 months mark so I'm hopeful this will go away soon.

Thanks

[[Tr...]]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi pretty.....

 

Maybe you read this.... but if not, here is someone that seems to have suffered with brain stuff like you are......I hope this gives you some comfort.....

 

Hugs.....Minnie.... :smitten:

 

 

My friend Paul's success story

 

« on: January 19, 2012, 05:50:44 pm »

 

 

 

I know Paul and talk to him often, he says most ppl he knows recover by 2 years, the rest by 3, and he says no one was as bad as him and most ppl will not take as long as he did..but he was about 95% by 3 and he does all he can to help others going through this mess.

 

love [...]

 

 

 

I can't exhaust the litany of symptoms and ALL the horror I went

thru, it would take volumes, but I'll relate what I can as best as I

can. I can tell you what eventually worked for me and how I

succeeded. It took me 3 1/2 years to get to where I am today, but if

you read on, you'll see that I was one of the worst. The first year

was all survival and that was it, and I will tell you that at some

point you have to take control and do some things to make yourself

better, but if you were as bad as I was, there was not much I could

do except what you have all heard before.......TIME.....it will heal

you......

 

I was on Klonopin, just 1 mg for 12 years after some situational

panic attacks. I moved around alot in those days so the doctors just

kept me on the stuff.......you know the routine.......I was a

successful Investment Broker, natural bodybuilder, mountainedbiked,

roller bladed and many other things, I had a [...] full life, and

then it started to come crashing down.

 

Somewhere around the 8th year though I'm sure it started to effect me

before that, I started to get sick more often, handled stress not as

well, ran out of energy more often and didn't seem to have the

postive outlook on life like I once had......since this crap is so

insideous, it took several more years for the shit to hit the fan...

 

Let me tell you right now so as not to concern those that have

struggled, or those who symptoms are troublesome but they can still

kind of function, and anyone knowing Geraldine, Yvonne or Hilliary

can attest to, I was in the top 5% of the worst cases you will ever

see. I don't say that lightly cause I know we all think we are the

worst......But I really really was........so here is how it went for

me, and then I'll tell you what I did to finally get well......pull

up a chair....When I came off in Sept of 2001 and since I didn't know of this site,

I went to a detox center instead of tapering......WRONG THING TO DO

my friends, especially if like us, you are susceptible to protracted

WD but of course, you would never know it until you got off. Suffice

it to say that as hard as tapering is, cold turkey is the epitome of

hell on earth.......hundreds of times more painful than the tapering

process....

 

The first two months off were terrible but then like many, in the

third month, hell opened up and invited me in.....I had over 75

symptoms and though I never did get the dp/dr like many, be        lieve me,

        I had almost all the rest....for me, the head pressure was horrific,

        first exploding outwards for the first year, then crushing my brain

        like an orange the 2nd and part of the 3rd year....I did not sleep at

        night for onver two years.....I could not open my mail for a year,

        cook for myself, answer the phone, hell I couldn't even change the

        clocks during the change time....I was debilitated beyond belief.

 

        I was in bed 90% of the time for the first year, my central nervous

        system blown to hell.....even looking at tv or the computer was too

        much to bear, felt like my head would explode, my brain actaully

        vibrated and I was helpless.......my folks saved my life and took

        care of me.......they had too and I thought of suicide every day for

        at least 4 months until I could actually leave my bedroom and go into

        the front room.....all hope of even a small existence was gone and I

        thought would never ever return.......

 

        Sorry I can't relate more of the misery, but just know that I

        suffered more than the majority.......my good friends Geraldine,

        Yvonne and Hilliary will tell you.....

 

        Around 6 months off I first spoke with Geraldine and Yvonne. They

        both said I should go see a naturopath.....I have a background in

        health and supplements but never heard of candida......well, you may

        or may not believe in it but whatever I had, it was just like it. I

        went on a special diet mostly like an Atkins diet cause any sugar

        even natural would destroy me, and any wheat products the same

        thing...I stay on this type of diet for at least a year and maybe

        relaxed a little after 1 1/2 years off Klonopin.

 

        At 10 months off I finally could walk around the block.....but only 3

        days a week cause it would take me two days to recover from just

        walking a mile.....this is the part where I decided to try and take

        charge a bit.......but for those of you who say, "I just can't do it",

        I understand totally.....but you have to try at some point.....if you

        can't.....try again in a week....if I walked to the mailbox in the

        first 10 months, that is all I could do for the day....and most of

        the time I didn't cause I couldn't handle the stress....I could only

        walk at night cause daytime would hurt sooooo much.....

 

        I walked further and further but still only 3 days a week until about

        18 months off....remember, I was a weight trainer and jock, but I

        couldn't mangage more than this. I was still bad but improving a

        little.....I finally went back to the gym at 18 months but let me

        tell you...before all this at 6'1", I was 200 lbs of muscle and 12%

        body fat.....now I was 230, lost all my muscle and was probably 35%

        bodyfat.....I started to lift and resistence exercise seemed to help

        more but it killed me later cause my brain and body were so revved

        up, pressurized etc that my ears would ring all night, not that I

        slept anyway, and would be in agony most of that time...

 

        anyway, I did this routine for another year, I still couldn't handle

        any stress......any........maybe going to the store but that was

        it...but I persevered......and let me tell you......TIME still is the

        major healing force, but my exercise, while painful, exhausting was

        helping me strengthen my nervous system and adrenal glands....but

        very slowly.....

 

        OK.....that is just a small part of the hell I went thru...again,

        there is much much more but I know it is just too much to

        write....but HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS........I am 95% and going back to

        work now after 3 1/2 years....I weight train with more weight than

        before and in fact have gained back all my muscle, lost most of the

        fat. I can handle most stress now actually better than before and I

        am calmer now than ever in my whole life....

 

        I was transformed into a better me.....when you hear people say that

        you will forget most of your symptoms they are right.....when you

        hear them say, "it was worth it"......I know you don't believe it

        now, but it was.....the keys for me were keeping my diet simple,

        progressively exercising more but you have to go slow on that, and

        when you start to see some daylight and feel almost healed, it was

        best for me to get back into my meditation, and read books like "Mind

        Power" by John Kehoe, Total Self Confidence by Dr. Robert Anthony.

 

        What worked for me may work for you.......most of you will heal long

        before I did and thank God you will....most will never see the

        extreme nature of protracted hell like I did....bless your fortune

        and as bad as it is now.........it will heal itself provided you

        assist it along the way....when you can.....never reinstate after you

        have been off for a few months....or even years, it will reverse any

        progress......

 

        But YOU GUYS and GALS will heal......it will go away.....and it will

        get better and better......it even know is getting better and better

        and even when I feel, well, maybe I"m done healing.......it continues

        to heal.......hell, know I lift weights 4 times a week, do interval

        cardio twice a week and long distance cardio twice a week....two

        years ago.......no way.........and now I"m going to work.....my

        adrenals were the last to heal and are still healing....my energy is

        still not back to par but at 48 yrs old, I'm exercise more than most

        my age and most even 10 years younger...

 

        I'm living proof that you do heal from this torture, you really do,

        and I know some just can't or don't believe it.....don't worry about

        it, I didn't either.......but it happened if you just take any

        measures you can WHEN you can.....either way though, you will return

        to your self and in some ways be even better, cause after going thru

        this torment, nothing bothers me much anymore......how could it,

        nothing including war, divorce, other illness, etc could ever be as

        bad as what I had to endure.........

 

        So my friends.......there is light at the end of the tunnel, there is

        salvation from benzo WD.....the healed ones have told you and know

        I'm telling you......one of the worst has no blossomed into someone

        even better.......if you can't smile now......you will......faith is

        hard but you must dig down deep and know that what I tell you is

        true...I have never posted much on this site cause I as too sick..

 

        But I found my mentors and did what they said.......I forever will

        love Geraldine and Yvonne for their care, nurture and guidance, their

        knowledge and empathy......they saved my life....literally.....and I

        still talk with them to this day......but about good stuff, not

        bad....thanks to Hilliary who helped me thru the worst 4 months and

        though she is still mending......she gave me hope early on....and all

        the others that took time to lead me down the path of healing...

 

        ........and to all of you that are still symptomatic and hurting or

        even being tormented, your day will come....I promise......the sun

        will shine upon you, the Lord (or your God) will lift you up from the

        despair and misery......I know I have said alot, but you have heard

        it from others before........and one day perhaps soon, you will be

        writing your own success story.......COUNT ON IT........

 

        God Bless you all.....you are all in my prayers each and every

        day....and know that good things will happen....

 

        Paul.....

 

 

Read this....

[[Ta...]]

This was very rewarding to read again, thank you.

If he was only able to relay a fraction of the severity of his symptoms then he was in dreadful shape, and he recovered. I think most of us can relate very well to his suffering and find solace and strength in his recovery.

I will be at three years post-benzo on July 19 and have recovered quite a bit, thankfully, but my head symptoms are still pretty bad.

I chalk it up to being on a psych-drug cocktail for several years. My brain has a lot of healing to do yet.

[[Ki...]]

My head pressure still hasn't left ,it's 19 months now tho i am positive I will heal from this some day but still feel very depressed . Wishing everyone suffering from this fast healing

[[Ta...]]

Hi Kiwi,

I just want to reassure you that your head pressure and symptoms will improve over time, and eventually they will clear up. Even after I wrote my above post, my symptoms improve. Sometimes they ebb and flow.

 

On July 19, I will have been off clonazepam for 3 years. The first year was absolute hell. I could barely read or write for the first year.

The second year was when improvements started to happen. I hope that the 3rd year will bring even more improvements, but I have learned to keep my expectations low because I had no idea recovery would last as long as it has, but here I am. Here we are.

I just want to lend support and tell everyone to keep the faith.

 

[[Ki...]]

anyone healed recently from head issue?

[[Tr...]]

Not yet healed but it’s gotten better. Reducing stress helps...

[[La...]]

My head symptoms are getting better now. I'm 9 months post jump and the past 2 weeks I've been able to sit up in a chair to watch tv with my family and do a few other things. I've been bedridden for over a year from head symptoms. It's true....it does get better! For all of you suffering with this please don't give up. Don't reinstate. Embrace time because time will prove to be your best friend. Love to you all.

Btw I still have head symptoms but they're less intense and bearable. I have no doubt that they will completely be gone soon.

[[Ta...]]

My cognitive impairment is still quite terrible and a couple times a month I suffer from debilitating migraines. I am now on day 3 of this months hellish migraine. The back of my head hurts and the pain raps around my neck, back of head and frontal lobe. I am still debilitated from my quick taper off Klonopin. I tapered too fast and I feel like I ruined my brain. So many regrets. I wish I had better news right now, but I am suffering greatly again. I just want my brain to heal!

[[Ga...]]

So happy to have found this “head pressure” board as head pain/burning/pressure/tingling have been my constant companion for almost three years.  Read my signature and you will see the background for my symptoms relating to my head.  I have never had any problems with cognitive issues, or inability to watch tv or to read since I began my BWD from Valium.  My head issues are all about pain and weird sensations around and on top of my head.  Early on it started with a tension type headache which was treated with massage and acupuncture, and several sessions with dry needling.  Only got temporary relief.  Over a year ago I found a new and very benzo savvy neurologist who said my head symptoms were the result of being on Valium for 14 months, and probably have been kindled by going on and off.  Have been in the ER many times, had numerous head scans and MRI’s which show a very healthy brain for this 73 year old!!!!  I do get good windows when the headaches mysteriously disappear, only to pop back up whenever they choose to.  Had a good two weeks during the holidays when I was so pain free that I thought I was recovered.  Actually, I wrote on the celebrations and milestones board at my ninth month that I was feeling healed and ready to call it a big WIN!  Not to be.....since around the middle of January I have had more waves than windows, and usually have a head symptom of some type for at least half a day.  Yesterday felt pretty good, today buzzy feeling and slight headache started my day.  Has anyone really recovered from this awful symptom?  I have shared posts with Krocksteady who also has had a real battle with intense head pain....I followed him here ...Happy to meet all of you fellow head sufferers and hope we can support each other as we dig our way out of this misery!!!!

[[Ta...]]

After having horrendous cognitive impairment, migraines and head pressure I am to report relatively clear head for 2 days in a row. Just tons of fatigue now! Fingers crossed to string a few more days in a row.

[[Be...]]

I have bad head pressure all the time and even now tonight and was diagnosed with Encephalitis on Jan. 22.

[[Ta...]]

After having horrendous cognitive impairment, migraines and head pressure I am to report relatively clear head for 2 days in a row. Just tons of fatigue now! Fingers crossed to string a few more days in a row.

And then it went to hell again. I'm so tired of this cognitive impairment. I feel like I am operating at 40% of what my brain was capable of pre-psych drugs. I feel so stupid. I am so mentally fatigued. I can't figure things out. Its like being a dependent child all over again except now i have to rely on my boyfriend to help me out.

[[Be...]]

TatorTog, I sure do understand where you're coming from.  My cognitive functioning is very bad now too compared to how I was 8 or so years ago.  I can't believe I have 6 years of college and and a college degree and was always on the Dean's list and used to work a full-time lab job.  I even did a very good job at all the places I worked at and got excellent job reviews.  Now I can't even balance my checkbook anymore.