Benzo flu

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I have been doing well on my tapering for the past two months and could function as close to normal as possible until two weeks ago when back pain and gut pain started to be a daily problem. I ignored it, pushed on and now I now have all the symptoms of flu since Monday and thought I could just push through this but I was bed bound today and slept all day long. I have sickness pretty much in every area of my body - awful aching and pounding headache. I have taken paracetemol but nothing takes the pain away and I feel like I am burning yet I don't have a temperature, just cold sweats.

 

I guess it is not important to know if it is real flu or benzo flu. I had hoped this kind of withdrawal would not hit me until I was lower down on my tapering. I am only down 7 mg v and am disheartened by sickness so soon.  I need to know if this will pass, I need hope as I got really low in myself tonight and stinking thinking set in.

 

I don't know how to rest.... but common sense tells me I need to take this seriously and take a few days out to just get well again, accept the pain, give in and pretend it is real flu.

 

Tomorrow I have my first art class and was so looking forward to it. I seem to be disappointed about so many things right now, there has to be something good ahead

 

Advice needed and a dose of hope if there is some. Thank you

 

 

[[Bu...]]

I'm in my 7th week of tapering off of Xanax.  I have aches, mostly in my back and arms, nervous stomach, out of body experiences (dis-associative syndrom) blurry vision, anxiety, nervousness, sweats and then cold.  Yes, I have the benzo flu too.  My next taper will be much smaller since, I'm guessing, this is the reason I feel fluish.  How do you like that new word, ha, ha.  I spend the evening with the heating pad on my back and drinking ginger tea.  Hang in there, this too shall pass. 

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Bunny,

Thank you for your comment and I love your new word LOL.

 

I went out on Monday for a short walk to hopefully feel better and I felt strange, I felt like I was not in my own body as you have described. I was moving but my brain was not functioning with the movements. I was detached from all around me.

 

I just had some more bland food, brown bread and black tea. I have not felt this bad in years. Time to stop the world and just take time out for myself and hang in here until it passes. Acceptance is really hard and because I was to go to an art class today, I could not accept I had flu. I must stop pushing myself - a huge problem area for me but I made the right choice in not going to class and just taking time out. I am not anxious although my body is stiff and sore and I am burning up.

 

Take care of yourself and rest. I will too and I will report in again when I am better. :thumbsup: It will pass soon. :-\

 

[[al...]]

Hi Moya, sorry you have benzo flu. It has been a way of life for me for a year. Rest, quiet and no stress might help you feel better. So many people have gone through this and made it all the way. I keep telling myself it will all pass.

Feel better soon.

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Allison

How often do you get it or do you have a pattern as to when it happens? I was doing fine until this wave hit on Monday and I was due to go down a little again on my taper but I have decided not to now. I am feeling better since cancelling upcoming appointments/plans as I have accepted it as a real flu. It is my first experience of it and I am learning to sleep/rest/listen to the body. I believe it will pass now, I truly do. It was a fright that I was not expecting. Getting used to what happens in w/ds is enlightening to say the least.

 

I guess my benzo w/ds manifest as physical pain for now but maybe not always. I am glad I don't know what tomorrow may bring but I am trying to be positive, to take this as real and to let it pass with calm.

[[li...]]

Benzo-flu was my most frequent symptom.

Sometimes it would last days, sometimes hours or just minutes.

The good thing is, though ..... it does eventually stop returning!

 

I found that plenty of rest and fluids helped.

It seemed to worsen if I fought it.

Also, I tended to get it more if I overdid things, or tapered too quickly.

 

Take excellent care of yourself ....

It is painful but a temporary hell .....

 

Lizie   

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Lizie,

thank you for your response, it is good to know that it can come and go and that I don't need to worry about it too much, just accept it. I need to learn to rest, learn to be good to me but I did rest today and I feel better. I am so glad I shared my worries, I am much less worried now and will go and have another cup of herbal tea.