Post Benzo Freedom Withdrawal Support Group

[[Li...]]

I have had sinus issues/infection for the last 8 weeks, off and on, but been sick more often than well. I am so worn down. I'm not sleeping well, feel jumpy, am fatigued, have HORRENDOUS headaches/head pain/pressure, alternate between runny nose and congestion. I'm wondering at this point if this is all withdrawal, since it's been so long and antibiotics aren't making a dent. I am a little over 6 months out, and am also tapering neurontin right now, which isn't helping matters. I'm also nauseous a lot and have belly pain, which is unusual for me. I am just so ready to be well.

 

Libby

[[An...]]

I think it's withdrawal - I have had sinus issues and horrible headaches for at least the past 3 months but it has stopped - symptoms have shape-shifted into depression which I have not had before 

 

I still have a bit of a runny nose but the headaches and sinus feeling seem to have gone away for now.  I doubt antibiotics would help as I don't think it is an infection but always worth getting checked out by the doctor.

 

I hope you feel better soon.

 

Angel

[[13...]]

I jumped off my Temazepam last Friday and have been getting really bad stomach cramps.  I do suffer with IBS dont have many problems with it usually wonder if its a bug or withdrawal.

[[An...]]

I jumped off my Temazepam last Friday and have been getting really bad stomach cramps.  I do suffer with IBS dont have many problems with it usually wonder if its a bug or withdrawal.

 

Yes, am afraid sounds like withdrawal.  I had them too.  Scroll down (and check the list of possible withdrawal symptoms!)

 

Double vision  - Sore and tired eyes

  - Blurred vision  - Screwing up of the eyes

  - Panic attacks  - Fear of being alone

  - Tiredness  - Tension between the eyes

  - Dizziness  - Agitated sight

  - loss of control of the movement

    of the eyes  - Brain moving within the skull

  - Buildings appear to be leaning  - Speech appears to be two feet in

    front of you when speaking

  - Thoughts and feeling that

    you are dying  - Legs arms and head very heavy

  - Difficulty in writing slowly  - Rapid blinking of the eyes

  - Tight band around the head  - Sharp throbbing pain in the wrists

  - Fear of water  - Loss of concentration

  - Hair loss  - Tinnitus

  - Speech difficulties  - Inability to write

  - Inability to read  - Seizures

  - Loss of interest in

    people and things  - Pupils of eyes become minute

  - Iris in eyes changes colour  - Agoraphobia

  - Feeling of vulnerability  - Feeling of extreme cold

  - Extremely nervous and jumpy  - Muscle wastage

  - Impotence  - Unable to walk

  - Nightmares  - A fear of insanity

  - Loss of memory  - Pains in the temple

  - Depersonalisation  - Derealisation

  - Repetitive thoughts  - Heartburn

  - A feeling of impending doom  - Loss of self respect

  - Earache  - Sinus problems

  - Feelings of worms

    under the scalp  - Feelings of the spirit being out

    of synchronisation with the body

  - Depression  - Problems of decaying

    teeth and gums

  - Insomnia  - Vertigo

  - Anxiety  - Allergies to food

  - Extremely disturbed  - Twitching of the head

  - Numbness, pain,

    pins and needles  - Saliva running from the

    mouth while sleeping

  - Neuralgia  - Cracked and sore lips

  - Pains in the neck to

    the shoulder blades  - Tickling and itching feeling

    over the whole body

  - Heavy pounding heart

    when climbing stairs  - Breathlessness

  - Intense fuzzy feeling in the head          - Cuts and abrasions take

    weeks to heal

  - Severe muscular rigidity all over  - Demented and murderous thoughts     

  - Irrational rage  - Extreme thirst

  - Toe and finger nails change

    colour from pink to grey  - Feeling bloated

  - Diarrhoea  - Constipation

  - Rashes and blotches on the skin  - Pains in the lungs

  - Pains in the chest  - Flashbacks

  - Severe cramping in the stomach  - Electric shock and muscular spasms

  - Swallowing difficulties  - Dry mouth

  - Hallucinations  - Hypersensitivity to light and sound

  - Inability to cope with a lot of information  - Feelings of shaking inside and out

  - Hyperactivity  - Aching joints and muscles

  - Restlessness  - Restless legs in bed at night

  - Paranoia  - Overbreathing

  - Arms and legs feel detached

    from the body  - Grinding teeth

  - Intense jaw pain  - Jaws clamped together

  - Total loss of confidence  - Hysterical and inappropriate laughter

  - Waves, sparks and flashes of light  - Body feels like jelly

  - Sweating  - Inability to comprehend

    the simplest of things

  - Obsessive behaviour  - Suicidal feelings

  - Nausea  - Flu like symptoms

  - Disorientation  - Lack of co-ordination

  - Metallic taste in mouth  - Phobias

  - Fear of losing control  - Clumsiness

 

 

[[An...]]

Sinus problems is in there too.

[[Ho...]]

Hi Rocko,

 

I got your report and question about your missing posts. I think this announcement by Colin will explain the reason behind this.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=43579.0

 

 

 

Hope

[[st...]]

Hi all,

 

I am probably the queen of sinus/bronchial problems caused by Levaquin/Xanax.  It was such a horrifying experience so I will not go into it unless someone really wants to know about it.  Anyway,  I did have a couple of sinus infections after withdrawing from Xanax and was able to take amoxycillin with no problems.  Neti pots did not work but a prior member swore by Alcolol nasal wash used with a neti pot.....you have to ask the pharmacist for this as it is usually kept behind their window.  My ENT doc perscribed me a nasal spray called Astepro which did help immensely with no adverse reactions.  When first used it does burn a bit and causes alot of sneezing but it does relieve the sinus drip quite a bit so that I could get a couple hours of sleep at night.  It took ME a long time to overcome this symptom but it still appears when in a wave but much, much less intense as time passes.  I also found that breathing out fast and furious through the mouth  and then forcefully coughing brings up the bronchial mucus plugs that causes the wheezing.  I am still surprised that I never broke a rib or caused a brain anneurysm with the 24/7 coughing BUT I did live through it.

 

Patty  xo

[[Li...]]

Patty, that's what I'm taking now, amoxicillin. Happy to report the last two days have been significantly better! I even tried to go skiing today. (I say tried because it was SO BLASTED COLD here that we only got three runs in before we called it a day. We. Were. Freezing!!) And I went to yoga this morning for the first time in a week. Trying not to overdo it as I have a really ridiculous work week starting tomorrow. Not sure if antibiotics finally helped, or if I'm just out of the wave, or the virus is winding down. Such a trip...

 

Take care-

 

Libby

[[Sa...]]

Hey buddies,

 

Just wanted to drop in with my 6th month update

 

6 months is definitely a big milestone in my recovery, and it feels good to have a decent amount of healing out of the way.  I can safely say that I feel better than the early months of withdrawal, but I honestly believed by this point in my recovery I would have less severity of symptoms then I'm currently experiencing.  It's not all bad--I've been making noticeable improvements with each passing month, but the days just seem to blend together(not in a good way). 

 

I read some posts today on the forums where people complained that there symptoms were no better at 7, 8, and 9 months out compared to 6 months out.  This is frustrating, but I've made so much progress already that I think it's best to take these posts with a grain of salt, and to keep moving my lazy butt forward!

 

Is there anyone out there that started feeling better after 6 months off?  I know it can take well over a year to heal, but I'm assuming at a certain point the symptoms start to let up a lot before they completely let up. I guess i just need some hope

 

-Sam

[[ve...]]

Hey buddies,  Just wanted to drop in with my 6th month update

6 months is definitely a big milestone in my recovery, and it feels good to have a decent amount of healing out of the way.  I can safely say that I feel better than the early months of withdrawal, but I honestly believed by this point in my recovery I would have less severity of symptoms then I'm currently experiencing.  It's not all bad--I've been making noticeable improvements with each passing month, but the days just seem to blend together(not in a good way).  I read some posts today on the forums where people complained that there symptoms were no better at 7, 8, and 9 months out compared to 6 months out.  This is frustrating, but I've made so much progress already that I think it's best to take these posts with a grain of salt, and to keep moving my lazy butt forward! Is there anyone out there that started feeling better after 6 months off?  I know it can take well over a year to heal, but I'm assuming at a certain point the symptoms start to let up a lot before they completely let up. I guess i just need some hope

-Sam

 

Thanks for the update Sam.  At 5-6 months, I finally had hope and felt like things were really improving, got to about 75%, sometimes 80% but not consistently.  The summer of 2010 was overdone for me, too many sweets, some wine, junk food and a lot of celebrating my father's recovery after two hospitalizations the previous six months.  So I had a health setback about 8- 9 months "post taper", after a month of spending the summer with my father and my family last year.  In retrospect, I did too much and would advise abstaining from alcohol for the first year if you can.  An occasional beer or one glass of wine might be ok on occasion, but I repeatedly engaged in twice that in addition to soda with caffeine, coffee, other assorted treats and sweets for a good 4-5 weeks in summer 2010... So a moderate setback at 9 months with elevated blood pressure, jelly legs, cog fog, feeling faint, stomach upset, some sleep trouble... (some of this might have occurred after a month of "semi partying" without having been in benzo recovery but I suspect it was a combination and that it was made worse by the early time frame of the post benzo year.

 

  I made significant changes to diet and gradually got back to regular exercise and essentially went too far in the other direction too fast,(low carbs) losing 30 pounds in three months from September to December of last year 2010.  Anxiety spiked, cortisol seemed like it could be high, morning anxiety was the worst.  This was compounded by a family decision to get a new puppy.  The combination caused my second big setback in January of this year, 2011 at 14 months post benzo, where insomnia returned again (I don't recommend house breaking a puppy in the first year off  a benzo taper  , very high anxiety and a brief bout of vertigo returned for about three days (mild but nonetheless scary since this was the whole reason I did such a slow taper, to avoid a return of vertigo which I got after my inadvertent cold turkey back in 2008). 

 

Others have also written that they have been ultra sensitive to stress and noticed they were in some way more vulnerable to stress in the first year off, than prior to the benzo.  I can attest that getting that puppy was a challenge but within a couple months, things settled down and I made my final push to full recovery, with a success story written six months ago, at 18 months.

 

The way I look at it, I could have just stayed in a cocoon, never gone out or traveled, not tried coffee or alcohol and had a pretty boring yet uneventful first year off the valium.  That may be ok for some, but I wanted to get back to "living my life again" sooner.  In retrospect, I overdid the wine, should have stuck to one glass in the beginning and maybe only twice a month rather than twice a week last summer 2010.  To be clear, I think those who abstain might be making the right decision, we all have to weigh the pros and cons.  Also, could have just denied my family a new dog for another year, but I felt like I had put them through a rough couple of years already and that they deserved to have the dog they wanted.  So it's all relative.

 

Sometimes as we push ourselves to do more, get out more, whether socially, travel, for work or some other area, the system might not like the extra raucus or stress.  Yet as Nietsche said, "what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger".  So I don't know if I've given you hope or not, Sam.  I've never been one to sugar coat things.  You're likely to have a setback or two if you push yourself to do more as you regain your strength and courage to re-engage with the world in this next six months.  People who sometimes can be a pain, dysfunctional family interactions if yours is like mine can test things.... but it really does and will get better.  It might not be a straight line of recovery, as mentioned.  Bumps in the road are common as you get out more and do more, but in another six months, you will likely feel even better, despite a few hurdles along the way.

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

[[ve...]]

One other thing.  As many of you know, it appears that a day or more of posts to the forum, including several posts to this thread were lost due to some technical error over the weekend.  I had written a lengthy response to Mimi, who had posted about her husband's illness and hospitalization.  Unfortunately, those and other posts by others were lost.  So I will just briefly again convey my best regards for Mimi's husband's recovery. 

 

Also, as I recall,  somebody posted something about "fear of illness and death" and especially how an illness of a significant other or family member can push buttons and increase anxiety and stress in the post benzo year(s). As someone who has been dealing with a long term terminal illness of a close family member, I can relate.  I believe much of my own anxiety was triggered and exacerbated by the past five years that my father has had cancer.  It played a role in my first taking that valium pill in 2008 and for increasing dose during stressful times like when I was out there for his chemotherapies.  I recently read an interesting book by the existential psychiatrist Irvin Yalom, called "Staring at the Sun, Conquering the fear of death".  It's a pretty good read if anyone is interested.  The bottom line is that anxiety is normal.  It is not something that we need to eliminate.  At times it can be our friend, motivate us to make changes and yes, make us stronger and more resilient.  The key is to learn to cope with anxiety and stress better, not to get rid of it, just as sure as we can't get rid of death or the grim reaper.  Yet we can accept the human condition and make our best effort to move forward,to live and love, to enjoy our friends and family, through the good and bad times.

 

Finally, I wanted to respond to some of the posts about sinus trouble.  I have a long history of sinus issues too, had sinus surgery about ten years ago and with all the flying I have to do to see my father (sometimes during flu season...), I often end up with sinus infections.  I have found that Augmentin works well but my stomach gets upset if I don't also take a good probiotic like Culturelle with it.  Simply Saline has worked well for me too, if I don't want to hassle with a full flush with netipot.  The last two colds I had, did not turn to sinus infections with regular use of the Simply Saline. It comes in a can in two sizes and available at drug stores and Target.  I have used Astellin on occasion and also take nasonex for a few months at a time, particularly in Fall and Spring when allergies seem to be worse. Well, that's my two cents on sinus care.

 

Vertigo 

[[da...]]

I am a week deep into my fourth month of being benzo free.  This without a doubt has been the most symptomatic month of all, yet I say this knowing we sometimes tend to forget the severity of previous pain...the same way we forget labor pain.  I have gotten up twice this week and said ...OMG...this is the worst ever.  I don't know that it is, really.  However, I have turned a milestone I think, as I now forge ahead and do things I wouldn't do six months ago because I am sick to death of being a stagnant, unproductive drone.  I do it suffering but feel free from its tether...if that makes any sense.  My biggest accomplishment is that I have started to write again knowing my publisher gave up on me long ago and also aware that my ability to articulate is severly compromised.  Oh well. 

 

I am planning to travel south to see grandchildren that have been neglected (by me) for the past two years.  I hope I can do this as one of my symptoms is horrific ear/head and nose pressure that gets worse while riding in the car.  We will be traveling 1600 miles, much of it through the mountains.  I hope I don't have to wimp out again.

 

Morning cortisol rushes still plague me and set the tone for the day.  I have not had relief from that is almost a year...I think if that would subside I might approach the day feeling more confident.

 

So that's where I am at 3 months and one week off!  Kudo's to all of you who have conquered the beast!

 

Donna

[[Sa...]]

Thanks Vertigo

 

I really appreciate your support, and I can relate to some of the struggles you faced during withdrawal.

 

I barely eat any sweets (an exception is Thanksgiving) and seldom drink although I have been known to have a beer or two sometimes .  When ever I drink I feel much worse for the following few days so I've pretty much decided that's not worth the extra suffering.

 

I've been lifting weights and running 4 days a week since my c/t date.  I feel like dying during workouts, but I feel remarkably better afterward (go endorphins!).  Exercise is one of the few things I can do on a regular basis that gives me somewhat of a break from all the stress this process can cause.

 

The biggest stress of my life at the moment is college.  It's frustrating because of the amount of classes I've had to drop in the past due to tolerance withdrawal; so financially I have no other choice then to deal with the crazy stress college brings and to do my best.  Although school can flare my symptoms, It's a great distraction being busy all the time--most days are over before I know it.

 

I'm have a pretty basic routine down for most of my days, but It's all starting to get old.  Not being able to enjoy almost anything. Not looking forward to events I use to. Not having much of a social life.  I'll get through this mess, but this will go down in history as the hardest thing I've done in life.

[[de...]]

i'm about a week away from six months.    i had one of my best days yesterday.  almost felt normal.  not symptom free by any means, but was able to walk through the mall without feeling like i'm in the twilight zone.  i walked through stores with really strong smells without feeling like my chest would close up or i would have an asthma attack....things were really looking up.  my symptoms appeared at night as usual, but that's been the case the whole time....so, i went to bed.  fell asleep.  woke up two hours later with the worst anxiety i've had in a while!    then this morning had anxious energy floating through my body...haven't had that morning anxiety in weeks.    feeling a little discouraged and disappointed, but i guess it's the nature of the recovery.  feeling a little off today, but trying to stay positive    i have enough info and experience to know this too shall pass.

[[ro...]]

Hi All PB Peeps:

 

Yes, some of our last posts to the thread are gone.  Mimi; hope your hubby is gaining his strength back and your stress levels reduce and diminish quickly.  You have been through the ring of fire and you deserve a big break. 

 

V; thanks for the book read -- I will have to get that one.  I completely agree with you on anxiety being a natural part of our lives.  We need to learn to embrace it accordingly and use it to our advantage when needed.  I hope your father is holding his own and you feel he is stable in his health so you can enjoy your life too. 

 

I was in a few long windows (a 12 day one; then a 10 day one), and I crashed on Friday nite this week.  Last two nites have been problematic in sleeping and WD sxs.  Desilou:  my WD sxs come on at nite time too.  And continue into the a.m. and next day.  It's the darnest thing.  I honestly thought I had turned a corner in Oct. (month 6) and Nov. (month 7).  Now with month 8, I think I going backwards down the drain again.  Screeching tinnitus comes on in both ears now - have had the warmups the last 4 nites and it's a high of 20's where I live.  I hope I go into a long window again. :'( :'( :'(

 

Lots of things to be done before Christmas and I don't have time to be BENZO DOWN.  Anyone else feeling the stress of the merriest season of all when going through benzo recovery?? 

 

Hoping to hear how all of the PB peeps are doing.  We need to know this stuff can turn around but come back for frequent visits.  Till when is the question. 

 

Best regards,

Rocko

P.S.  Angel - how are you faring?  I hope you have pulled out of your wave.  :yippee:

[[Sc...]]

Hello to all!

 

I am 4 1/2 months off and I think this might be the first time I've replied to this thread.  I am feeling the same way as some...at 4 1/2 months I feel pretty horrible.  Nausea off/on every day, adrenaline, muscle/joint aches, restlessness...you name it.  And that's after a 10 month taper.  Feeling pretty tired out - although sleep has been on my side fortunately.  I cry A LOT.  And I get this strange nauseous feeling that is only relieved by extreme sobbing.  Just needing to hear the nausea will go at some point...preferably soon...although I fully realize no one can really tell me when. 

 

I fully know I will be able to handle just about ANYTHING life throws at me after this experience.  It certainly makes us stronger!

 

Thanks for listening.

 

Hugs,

Schatje

[[An...]]

Schatje

 

I just checked my log.  I had on-and off nausea till gone 5 months.  I believe it will go before

long.  I am sorry about the crying, I didn´t have that too much.  But everything will go in time.

 

Angel

[[...]]

Hi Buddios - i am in my 6th month off too.  none of these months have been easy but overall i can definitely see great improvement.  i had the crying thing real bad months 4 and 5 - crazy crying not really connected to anything; like a sx all its own.  i had a 5 day window last week ; that was huge but afterward i find myself severely depressed which has me concerned.  had a tough day with students today but got thru it.  i guess i worry that all the years on anti-dep's have left me with a depression issue - had so many doctors tell me i needed the darn things. 

sugar causes depression for me for sure and gives me headaches the next day.

i am exasperated all the time

little motivation; but keeping faith and hope.  this site is like a huge web of love and support...

 

yes the holidays...trying to think of all that and wondering....

thanks so much for being there.  i have the self esteem of a piece of lint right now dear ones

[[...]]

Helloo BB friends

I am now 24 months off of Benzos. I can say the last 6 months have been clear sailing. I thought I was healed at 6 months, and then at 1 year, only to eventually run into set backs. But since june my natural sleep patterns have really remerged. I remember one member saying that he heard off the record from a neurologist that getting off of benzos is a two year proposition for many. that's the way it was for me. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't get better and better month to month. And I saw many people totally heal after just a few months.

One note - though i used to scoff at it, we need to watch things like alcohol, Bvitamins and steroid cream ( I just had an incident with the latter).

And hello to Vertigo, it's good to see a familiar face! I remember we jumped around the same time.

All the best.

[[ji...]]

I was 5 months of on 12/2. I have to say November was overall better than October, but towards the end of the month things got really bad.

 

I'm very sensitive to being overstimulated (lights, noises, crowds). The insomnia is still pretty bad. I'm convinced I may never resume my normal sleep, which is OK if I could just get 7 hours a night. I used to be able to chug a diet coke, watch a scary movie in bed then fall asleep for 12 hours. Now, everything I eat, drink, watch, etc. is carefully thought out as to not affect my sleep.

 

Muscle twitching and jerking still plagues me and honestly it's frightening sometimes. More annoying than scary most of the time, but occasionally it causes anxiety.

 

The anxiety seems to be less during the day but still comes on at night.

 

I thought I would be healed by now...I guess you can turn a corner anytime, though, right?

 

Rocko---it's good to see you posting. I'm sorry you are having problems still. I've been thinking of you and hope you were doing well.

 

Jittery

[[mt...]]

Hi Everyone,

My husband is feeling much better.  He goes to see Dr tomorrow for followup.  Hopefully it will be his final!  Just got back from seeing an attorney about finances due to huge hospital bill.  We own a rather large piece of property in N Cal free and clear and want to make sure it is protected-its not-so guess we need to work out some payment plan with hospital...or it can be forced into a sale for pennies.  Its such a bummer as we thought we could retire there one day...  So worn out from all the stress and worry. 

 

I am feeling somewhat better.  I rode my bike the last few days and even did a small bit of yoga.  Trying to remember how fortunate I am.  I read so many posts of people still tapering and I feel SO happy and thankful that I am done with tapering and with almost a year FREE under my belt.  Glad husband is well and not seriously ill....trying to count my blessings....

 

I know alot of the depression/apathy is due to my brain body chemistry still adjusting and healing.  I look forward to the new year and getting on the with my next year of healing.  I am grateful I feel as well as I do.  Its good to come to BB and know that we are all struggling to get well...together!

 

Thanks for all the insights and encouragements... 

Mimi

[[An...]]

So happy you are feeling a bit better Jittery.  I know how it is when insomnia becomes the focus of your life and what you eat,drink and do before you go to sleep.  I am glad that I seem to now go to bed and I don't worry or even think about it. I have a colonoscopy to do on Monday and I think that is probably on my mind.

 

I am getting over this latest wave tho' I think - it seems to be going quicker than earlier so that is progress I think.

 

So glad your husband is okay Mimi.  The huge hospital bill sounds horrendous and I hope it works out with your land.  It seems that you can't afford to be ill in America!  In the UK we have the good old National Health and in Spain health care is free too tho' we have medical insurance.

 

It's getting close to Christmas.  We are going to Israel for a week, looking forward to it.  Plan on visiting another BB who lives there.

 

Oh well, going to try to get some sleep now.  Excuse any typos.

 

Angel

[[wi...]]

Lots of things to be done before Christmas and I don't have time to be BENZO DOWN.  Anyone else feeling the stress of the merriest season of all when going through benzo recovery?? 

Yes, feeling the stress of Christmas, but not as much as I thought as I am currently in a window.  I am trying to shop for gifts before the window closes.  I also feel that as I continue to move forward I am learning to give myself grace and let go of expectations - from myself and from others.  I have arranged to travel by car 5 hours to family (the part of the family with positive and healthy relationships!).  This will be the first trip I have taken in 2 1/2 years since my two year taper was absolute hell.  I am nervous about travelling but am ready to not be tied down to the house.  I owe it to my husband and son to get away and celebrate.

 

Around Thanksgiving I had a lot of sugar and paid the price.  You all are right.  I certainly was a lot worse afterward.

One note - though i used to scoff at it, we need to watch things like alcohol, Bvitamins and steroid cream ( I just had an incident with the latter).

I, too, found out the hard way to stay away from steroid cream.  But, what about B vitamins?  I was told by my current doctor, who has helped me tremendously through the end of my taper and post-benzo, that I am very deficient in B vitamins and need them to improve mental health.  What do you know about B vitamins and benzo recovery?

 

Wish

[[ve...]]

Hi Angel, Wish, Mimi, Jittery and the rest.  Glad your husband's recovery is going well, Mimi.  That sounds like an inflated hospital bill.  Is that what was owed AFTER insurance or did he not have medical insurance?  Just remember, everything is negotiable.  I'm sure you can find a good lawyer whose job it is to negotiate with hospitals who have charged too much.  Sounds great about travel to Israel, Angel.  Will it be your first visit? So much to do and see.  I think you will be very pleased you went. Will you be on a group tour or travel on your own?  Be sure to get to the Southern steps in Jerusalem, one of the definite places that Jesus walked whereas the room of the last supper is a guess and most historians will tell you that it is only in the vicininty but not the actual room or building.

 

Hey Wish.  Sounds like a good plan to visit the "positive" family.  Five hours in the car will go quick, especially with one or two stops for a meal and a stretch.  I did most of my shopping this year online.  Even though I could easily deal with the mall this year, I found it to be much more enjoyable to do it from home on the computer.  Amazon Prime is actually pretty amazing, most things arrived within 2 days of ordering them.  I hear ya about the sugar.  I had a little too much Pumpkin pie and cranberries myself  .  My father takes vitamin B shots by the way.  His doctor told him that some people don't absorb the vitamins very well.  You could try a monthly or twice monthly shot if the B vitamins don't work for you.  I found that B complex revved me up.  Now I do take some niacin (which I believe is a B vitamin) to boost good cholesterol (100mg two or three times a day).  By spreading it out, you don't get the hot flashes.  A recent study seemed to indicate increased risk of stroke for long term niacin users but my cardiologist did not agree with it and felt that some low dose of niacin might help build up good cholesterol.  Anyway, hope your trip goes well.  By the way, how old is your son?  I recently told my son about this site and why I had spent so much time on it the last year.  Previously, I would try to hide it and it's been great to be more honest, even though I am not spending as much time as I used to here.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,

 

Vertigo

[[An...]]

So great to see you Vertigo.

 

Sooooo anxious, it was better for a couple of days and it is times like this I worry I won´t return to the same plateau I was on before this wave  :'( :'( :'( I have this colonoscopy Monday so I think underneath I am worried about that plus I have a few other things to worry about  - it´s called LIFE!

 

No Israel will not be my first trip (I am a little worried I may not be okay for it, praying hard!) - in fact my husband is Israeli and we lived there for 7 years so have moved around quite a bit from the UK to Israel to Hamburg, Germany back to UK then on to Spain! I guess we are gypsies!

 

Am glad you are sounding bright and wishing you too a wonderful holiday season and do keep in touch with us.  You are so comforting.

 

Love

Angel

:smitten: