My mind is boggled

[[Ka...]]

I know a woman who just went to detox three weeks ago to get off a painkiller and Xanax. The reason she went is because she ran out of Xanax for 2 days and had a seizure while driving. She didn't have a seizure during detox and the only symptom she has had this entire time is an elevated heart rate. She took the Xanax for 14 years and was up to 3 mgs+ a day. I told her about what I've been going through and made her read the stories on here before she went and pleaded with her not to CT. I think now she really thinks I'm nuts! My mind is just boggled that it can be that easy for someone, though I am thrilled for her.

[Guest [ba...]]

Many of denizens of this forum are really unhappy with the doctors who prescribed these drugs since they more or less backfired on us.  But most of the people out there who take these drugs benefit from them.  They are calming to most people.  Most people get off these drugs fairly easily.  It's what doctors expect to happen because it happens most of the time.

 

It's probably more boggling for them to realize/admit what has happened to us than visa versa.

[[cr...]]

Badsocref, what makes you say that most people get off these drugs fairly easily?  Thanks.  Cross

[[Da...]]

It depends on the person how quick you get over withdrawal. But I would not say that "most people" recover overnight and are fine. I met several people in rehab who all have had the same problems that I have. Nobody I met just put them down and had no protracted symptoms. I was detoxed in 5 days released after 10 days. They told me that it would take 2-3 weeks and everything would be fine. After a month I was a total wreck and believed I had physical problems. I saw every doctor in town and had every test in the world done to find out I had no health problems. At that point I started reading online that I was not abnormal and that the cold turkey problem put in protracted withdrawal.

 

Anyway I'm rambling now but my point is we don't know this lady that just stopped cold turkey with no symptoms. I am happy for her. But I would not exactly say "most ppl" have no withdrawal symptoms. I think it is a generalization that is not true.

[[Ni...]]

I don't think most get off fairly easy.  I think in some cases doctors will cover up benzo withdrawal with antidepressants and antipsychotics.  I know this to be true because it happened to me.  Luckily I had horrible side effects and it made things so much worse.  Some I tried for a day or two and ditched them, others a week or two at most.  Detox centers are notorious for trading one dependency for another so I wouldn't be surprised if your friend left on a different drug.  The detox I went to heavily favored gabapentin and and a few others, almost everyone I talked to there was on them.  It helped some with withdrawal by taking the edge off but once again it didn't help me. I'm very sensitive to psych drugs and can't tolerate them whatsoever.  Another friend did exceptionally well in detox with her gabapentin but at 8 months off was hit hard with a wave, saw a psychiatrist who treated her to 12 electric shock treatments and Rx'ed her an antidepressant and a antipsychotic.  According to her she's doing well now, go figure!  No telling what types of problems she'll endure down the road.  I can go on but I'll stop here.  Bottom line is most of the folks I met are back on a psych drug after detox.

[[Ka...]]

This woman is on no other drugs. I was just shocked that after a seizure from a mistaken CT she could stop a couple weeks later and have no problems. I saw her two days ago and she looks great

[[Ni...]]

Wow, she's very lucky indeed to be spared the horrifying withdrawal from this junk.  There is just not enough research on this class of drug.  I guess it depends on how a person metabolizes it and their general gene makeup. Due to the fact that there is no research available to us it's a guessing game. So many questions!  Some people are allergic to peanuts and go into Anaphylaxis shock which can cause death others have no adverse reactions. 

[Guest [ba...]]

Badsocref, what makes you say that most people get off these drugs fairly easily?  Thanks.  Cross

 

When I first joined this forum I did a fair bit of internet searching to learn more about the withdrawal syndrome.  I recall finding a publication indicating that about 1/6th of benzo users have some difficulty getting off benzos and about half of them had substantial difficulty.  Moreover, a lot of the members of this forum indicate that the first time or two that they took this stuff, they were able to quit easily (often c/t).

[[Tr...]]

A female family friend had been taking Xanax for 3 yrs. between 3-4mg a day.  She quit CT.  She had a mild seizure.  Couple days later she was fine.  No withdrawal, no cog issues, perfectly normal.  Not even a headache.  Looked fantastic. 

 

When I heard she had ct'd, I kept trying to warn her of the dangers.  She was out of it for a day or two, but still completely functional.  Then nothing.  Not one issue.  I felt like a complete fool.

 

Just amazed me. 

 

 

[Guest [ba...]]

A female family friend had been taking Xanax for 3 yrs. between 3-4mg a day.  She quit CT.  She had a mild seizure.  Couple days later she was fine.  No withdrawal, no cog issues, perfectly normal.  Not even a headache.  Looked fantastic. 

 

When I heard she had ct'd, I kept trying to warn her of the dangers.  She was out of it for a day or two, but still completely functional.  Then nothing.  Not one issue.  I felt like a complete fool.

 

Just amazed me.

 

We're only fools if we repeat this disaster. 

[[Er...]]

A little off topic but everyone is different.  I c/t alcohol last year just because I felt like stopping for a while and I was't even a very heavy drinker.  I just wanted to quit to lose some weight as I had done in the past.  I had bottle of wine most week nights after work and I would drink more on the weekends with my friends but I didn't drink all day or anything like that.  And that pattern was probably less than 2 years. I had a rough time in acute alcohol w/d and had a panic attack which is why I was put on short term benzos.  I didn't have seizures, DT's, or anything scary but I did have nausea, sleep issues, sick feeling.  I didn't even have the shakes.  But a week after I quit I had that stupid panic attack and I didn't know what it was at the time so I went to the er.

 

Meanwhile, both of my parents are long term alcoholics in their 60's and had to stop cold turkey last year (both of them) for varying reasons and had a few days of minor discomfort and were then perfectly fine and they are months out with no other issues.  Neither needed detox or anything. And my dad quit alcohol and Ambian at the same time!

 

I guess I drew the short straw. It's really frustrating because I really feel like I didn't deserve this misery (not that anyone does)  because I didn't even want to be on benzo's to begin with and didn't have any underlying issues that would make me go on them.  Plus I'm only 37 which is relatively young for this site.  I was given a shot of something in the ER for my alcohol quitting induced panic attack that turned out to be Valium and an rx for Ativan at the same ER and thee days later my PCP put me on 20mg of V to taper down when I was well past the danger area for dangerous alcohol withdrawal symptoms.  If only I would have relaxed at home instead of going to the ER I would never have been in this mess.  I was a VERY SHORT term benzo user.  Oh, plus the fact that I'm on Nexium (A PPI) I come to find out that dramatically raises benzo levels in the blood so really I was on a higher dose than I thought as it built up.  Ugh.

[[...]]

I am a first timer. At first i thought i can kick this.

Now i am in 4 month and a wave.

I feel hopeless as i dont see meaning progress.

 

Just wonder why i can not be that lucky one.

 

Just wonder what I did makes me not heal yet?

I was short term, perfect heath, not too old 42, except ct.

Why am i not healing yet?

 

Would i be able to heal?

Can anybody give some reason?

[[Da...]]

Hi 1234, I get how you feel when I read this I was so envious of people who just put it down and say everything is fine. Apparently it is. I also felt like "maybe I'm just making up my symptoms and I'm really fine" or "maybe I have a physical problem and should go back to the doctors and the tests". When this started I had never heard of protracted withdrawal or anything about benzo withdrawal. When I got out of rehab where I CT'ed Xanax after 15 years of daily use they told me I would be fine in 2-3 weeks. So after that passed and I still felt terrible I thought I must have something physically wrong so I went to every doctor in town and had a million tests run all of which came back that I was fine and in good health.

 

So try not to focus on what is happening to other people and focus on getting well. I see a psychiatrist to who is an addiction specialist who told me that many people have the same reaction as me and I used for 15 years I should not expect to be healed in 2-3 weeks. He also said the CT withdrawal was probably not a good idea but by the time I saw him I had been off for a few months and I did not want to take benzos again to taper off. I never want to take another benzo as long as I live. I see a lot of people on here take "rescue doses" which I understand why but in my opinion they just readdict themselves. Good luck and try to keep a positive attitude.

[[...]]

I agree reinstatement is not wise decision. I see thoes reinstate suffer longer.

Good luck.

I think 1st timers have hope. I dont think i would be protracted.

[[MH...]]

I know two people who got off of multi-month use of benzos with zero trouble. Both were first time users so that was working for them. Sorry. I think that we are the minority.

[[Tr...]]

I know two people who got off of multi-month use of benzos with zero trouble. Both were first time users so that was working for them. Sorry. I think that we are the minority.

 

Wish I could have been that lucky. 

 

 

[[Ba...]]

My wife and I quit the same dosage on the same day....she is great, no issues.  Me, mild withdrawal symptoms.  But I was on Nexium....not daily on occasion.  Hmmmmmm.  Both of us first time users.

[[Sh...]]

I've taken valium in the past and stopped with no problems at all. I was taking large amounts and didnt have any issues other than some brain zaps for a few days. Funny How I got addicted just last year. Was taking a way smaller dose but more frequently. Must have been the consistency that got me. Damn. It's taught me a lesson though. Never again.