How can I be sure my symptoms are withdrawal ?

[[va...]]

Sometimes I wonder if the symptoms I have, especially the bad neck tremors in the morning and the unbearable attacks of pain in my neck and left arm are actually withdrawal . But along with these symptoms I have had also bad anxiety in the mornings , panic attacks , attacks of nausea and dizziness,  a general ill feeling that comes and goes, facial spasms and weakness. All these symptoms put together make it all confusing !

[[pi...]]

Yes, withdrawal symptoms can be confusing because they can mimic so many other conditions and diseases.  My philosophy was to go to the doctor and get the appropriate tests, and I did this quite a lot during my acute phase.  When the tests came back normal then I would chalk it all up to withdrawal. At least it was comforting to know there was no underlying medical problem. 

 

 

pianogirl

[[...]]

I have exactely the same symptoms you have and it started right after ct. I've been checked for everything and they haven't found anything wrong. The fact that many others at this forum have the same symptoms is proof enough for me!

[[Mi...]]

I THINK THIS IS EVERYONE'S GREATEST FEAR!!!!!  WHAT IF....

[[va...]]

Hi again,  yes its the worst this not knowing wtf is going on. It really is so hard to believe this can be all attributed to withdrawal!!

I too have had many tests done and nothing has been found to cause all these symptoms....Doctors basically give up on me ...2 of them have actually said to me we cannot do anything for you because there is nothing wrong with you..In the meantime I wake up every morning with severe MS and parkinson like symptoms and my head buzzing like its been hit with a baseball bat feeling 100 % sure these are my last days on earth !  Go figure.

[[ga...]]

I still deal with anxiety and insomnia 14 months out.  Had these issues prior to using the meds so is it w/d or just me?  I don't have any physical symptoms except palpitations now and then.  Maybe attributed to anxiety.  Wish we knew for certain.  I know many say these sxs go away in time.

[[va...]]

Hi Garton, if you had them before then its most likely just anxiety I have also had this before all this ...but I certainly did not have tremors and pain and all the other stuff until 1 week after I went C/T ...coincidence ? Highly unlikely.. but even so doubts still exist  ! Sometimes I think that maybe if I take a benzo or have a drink and the symptoms go away then I could be sure !! but will they go away ? and what if I make it worse ....?

[Guest [...]]

I had most of these symptoms too and also doubted they were benzo related.

 

I knew they were from benzos when I kept clean and they went away. Also helped to learn that other people have them.

 

Then there was that telling, knowing smile from my doc when I told him I went cold turkey. Did he warn me about withdrawals? Noooo. But then  I gave him govt literature that recommends against benzos for my condition so there.

 

 

[[ga...]]

vankal...I would suggest not even taking one benzo to find out. Just live day to day and hopefully one day those sxs will alleviate.  I've heard one benzo can cause major setbacks.

[[Mi...]]

I ask this of myself every single day .... I have or have had everything u mentioned .. It's so frustrating and confusing to go from healthy to crap with nothing showing up in tests .. I sometimes wish I was diagnosed with something just for peace of mind and to say oh it's the ... (Insert cure able temporary illness or deisease here)

 

My mornings are rough ... Majority of the time I usually feel better by noon or 2pm ... I experience windows throught the day which bring a little comfort but by the next day I'm back in the cycle ...

[[va...]]

I know Miami it sucks..for me although my symptoms are truly unbearable sometimes, the not knowing with absolute certainty what this really is and is going on is killing me !

[[mi...]]

I THINK THIS IS EVERYONE'S GREATEST FEAR!!!!!  WHAT IF....

 

m

[[mi...]]

I meant to copy and agree with missjen.....but it looks like I just typed it.....Hellooooo Benzo brain.....I hope you feel beetter soon.....m

[[ga...]]

"What if's" are the biggest issues many of us face.  I know it's mine.  Got to get the mind moving in another direction with those thoughts.  It can be done as I am learning.  Not easy though.

[[ea...]]

Vankal, many of us have found that alcohol, even a little bit, makes us feel worse. Alcohol affects the same parts of your Central Nervous System as benzos do. And please, resist the urge to take another benzo. If you can just hang in there for a while, things will start to improve.

This worry and fear over having something other than benzo withdrawal is VERY common. I think its because our problem isn't recognized by the medical world.....doctors (and most people, in general) chalk our symptoms up to mental problems. Because we don't get validation from the public, and we ourselves didn't know how it would be, its all too easy to start to wonder if we have some awful disease. But for most of us it does turn out to be "just withdrawal." I went through this fear, and the only reason I didn't go get tests, labs, etc. done was because I was so paranoid about doctors back then that I simply couldn't go to one. But I worried for several months....and  guess what? It was good old withdrawal. Of that I AM sure.

east

[[Mi...]]

Spent a good chunk of today crying begging for some relief .. I literally tell myself this daily sometimes or most of the time outlook ... YOU ARE OK , YOU CAN DO THIS , MOVE SLOW , ITS JUST A SENSATION IT CANT HARM YOU ... then I give myself time periods ..if it's 12pm I'm like just get to 1230, and so on .

 

I've even yelled at myself to get a grip and start crying all over again .. Today I've just felt blah with no cause and of course the what ifs took over for a few hours ... I im having a bit of relief now .. Prob only temporary but THANK GOODNESS ILL TAKE IT ...

 

I've had periods of crying so long and hard that I ran outta tears ..miss the most horrif ordeal of my life .. I rather give birth natural 40 times in a row cuss I know once I pushed the 40th mucking out it would be done!!!

 

I can't imagine suffering like this for a year or longer .. It's just cruel .. Lol I've ment before that I wanted to be put in a medically induced coma that's how bad I feel sometimes . I try to have a sense of humor about some of it like the babbling or the walking into walls but that only gets me so far . And having no one outside of the computer screen understand is sooo lonely .

 

I almost asked my neighbor to just hug me so I could just break down and cry .. Can you imagine a stranger asking you for a hug and crying hysterically lol .. Heck it's all I can do to stop myself from running and yelling down the middle of the street ..

 

Oh the joys of benzo withdrawal .. Oh yea I'm replying and my feet are now on fire YAAAYYYYY.  ... Ugh .  Hope you have some type of relief

[[14...]]

Be in tune with your body and listen to what it is saying.  I was experiencing a lot of dizziness and feeling dreamy-like and had umpteen replies from other members over many months who told me what I was feeling was withdrawal. Finally I decided to go see my doctor. I was whisked in for emergency surgery as the symptoms I was experiencing were related to heart disease. If I hadn't gone to see the doctor, I would have been dead a short time later.    Despite the kind words from others and sharing of their experiences, if you do not feel well...go see your doctor rather than relying on arm chair physicians. You owe that to yourself! 

14

[[va...]]

I hear you and I am deeply sorry to hear that you had a problem with your heart. It is very important we get ourselves properly checked by a medical professional...However  I think most of us here go to doctors already and get everything checked out only for them to say nothing is wrong with us...yet we continue being tortured relentlessly by debilitating non stop symptoms and that's whats scary! After while how do we know what is what ?

[[ea...]]

We really never do know, unless we run to doctors every day and spend an awful lot of money. And that is no life! What I did was get a basic checkup, and because it was normal, I decided to just trust that it all was withdrawal. And I was right. There was nothing else wrong with me. It all began to get better. Now Im left with only the things that are wrong with my health that have nothing to do with withdrawal.

east