has any one had an mri for there symptoms?

[[Fl...]]

I'm feeling like a hypochondriac. I had s brain Mri yesterday because of my right face tightness/tingling/twitching, the three T's  . Has anyone had to go through this to make your self feel better, reduce their fear? My doctors all think I'm crazy I just know it but I haven't had any relief from this feeling for 8 months. I feel so alone while going through withdrawal. I was pretty much alone while I was going through cancer too ( the reason I was put on benzodiazepines). People just don't get it or want too get I guess. 

[[Fl...]]

Sorry for the typo. There, I meant Their in the topic heading

[[Ce...]]

Hi Flameazalea,

 

I can tell you I had more than one MRI done during acute w/d, I even called 911 to take me to ER, I was terrified. It's really scary stuff! Of course everything turned out fine. It helped me in a way, though to do that because it relieved a lot of fears I was having due to health anxiety. I was convinced I was going to die of some horrible, possibly unheard of disease! I was having a panic attack and they couldn't tell me what was wrong with me. What a nightmare....

 

If you want to go in and have yourself checked out, do it! It will at least put your mind at rest to know everything checked out. That's what I'd do. Don't worry if the docs think your crazy...quite frankly, there are a lot of crazy doctors! 

 

Let us know how your doing...~CeCe 

[[az...]]

Yeah, I think you're right. I think they don't want to get it- I think it's too much, honest. I think you're onto something... I think deep down they believe us, they're simply frightened.

 

I think that's actually more true than that they can't understand. Everyone understands suffering.

 

[[Ho...]]

I'm feeling like a hypochondriac. I had s brain Mri yesterday because of my right face tightness/tingling/twitching, the three T's  . Has anyone had to go through this to make your self feel better, reduce their fear? My doctors all think I'm crazy I just know it but I haven't had any relief from this feeling for 8 months. I feel so alone while going through withdrawal. I was pretty much alone while I was going through cancer too ( the reason I was put on benzodiazepines). People just don't get it or want too get I guess. 

 

I had an extensive neurological work up done before I realized my symptoms were from interdose withdrawal from Xanax. I had a brain MRI and spine, EMG/nerve conduction study, and a lumbar puncture. The only thing that turned up was a mild herniated disk in my neck, but the doctors did not think this was causing symptoms. So anyway, I guess it was reassuring to know things were fine. Unfortunately I was diagnosed with breast cancer in the middle of my taper and had to have surgery. I was fortunate to be able to skip chemo and radiation. I will be having a follow up reconstruction surgery in November. Are you done with your cancer treatments?

[[Fl...]]

Hope76, thank you for your response. I had Melanoma stage 3, all I had was major surgery to remove all my lymph node ms in my right goon and the mole on my thigh. Melanoma dose not respond to chemo. I would gladly done it but no systemic treatment was offered. So yeah having these symptoms rev up my anxiety !! How did you get through your diagnosis without a benzodiazepines? I often worry if this C comes back what will I do? How will I react? Will o reach for these damn pills again?

[[Ho...]]

Hope76, thank you for your response. I had Melanoma stage 3, all I had was major surgery to remove all my lymph node ms in my right goon and the mole on my thigh. Melanoma dose not respond to chemo. I would gladly done it but no systemic treatment was offered. So yeah having these symptoms rev up my anxiety !! How did you get through your diagnosis without a benzodiazepines? I often worry if this C comes back what will I do? How will I react? Will o reach for these damn pills again?

 

Flame,

 

I was in the middle of the Valium taper when I got diagnosed (I've been tapering and in withdrawal since January and was diagnosed in April).  I had actually made a cut to my Valium 3 days before I got the diagnosis so the week after was really rough.  Honestly everything happened so fast and I think I have some element of brain fog and derealization from the withdrawal so it's really made the fact that I have cancer feel not real.  That and I feel so horrible from the taper it's hard to care I have cancer? I try not to think about it.  I had a double mastectomy with tissue expanders on 6/1 and have been going in for fills every two weeks.  I will have them exchanged for final implants on 11/2.  I had to hold my taper for a total of 2.5 months including before and after surgery to get stable.  Now I've started tapering again and feel like crap, but I'll get myself stable again for the next surgery, which shouldn't be as big.  Anyway, I'm lucky I didn't need chemo or radiation because I was scared how that would have affected my taper.  I am on a hormone blocker tamoxifen which has complicated things a little but what can you do?  I was told I'm a stage 2a and should have a good prognosis as there was no spread to the nodes or rest of the body, although I worry what the stress of this taper is doing to me.  I completely understand wanting to get checked though with the cancer diagnosis.  From now on, every little symptom could be something, and in benzo withdrawal there are a lot of symptoms!  The only way I think is to just get through one day at a time and take things as they come.  As far as these pills, they have made me so sick, I can't ever take them again once I'm done with my taper. 

[[Fl...]]

Hope, I'm sorry that you felt the way you do regarding having cancer thanks to these damn benzodiazepines. Maybe it is a blessing on twisted sort of way. I feel the same way actually I'm so miserable that I'm hoping they find a reason for all this pain in my Mir!! If it's cancer then the hell with it! I'm very tired of being in pain and in fear. Gosh typing that makes me so mad at the pharmaceutical companies!!! My mother tells me that it's my fault for not dealing with my emotions. I think she is mostly right but I do with I would have been given a warning before taking these drugs! Are you at all excited you get a new pair of little girls ( . Y . )? I have a friend that got a 3D tattoo of nipples for her implants. 

P.S. Sorry for all the typos I'm using a small cell my computer is down.

[[Ho...]]

Hope, I'm sorry that you felt the way you do regarding having cancer thanks to these damn benzodiazepines. Maybe it is a blessing on twisted sort of way. I feel the same way actually I'm so miserable that I'm hoping they find a reason for all this pain in my Mir!! If it's cancer then the hell with it! I'm very tired of being in pain and in fear. Gosh typing that makes me so mad at the pharmaceutical companies!!! My mother tells me that it's my fault for not dealing with my emotions. I think she is mostly right but I do with I would have been given a warning before taking these drugs! Are you at all excited you get a new pair of little girls ( . Y . )? I have a friend that got a 3D tattoo of nipples for her implants. 

P.S. Sorry for all the typos I'm using a small cell my computer is down.

 

I got dependent on Xanax pretty quickly for a different health scare (severe eye dryness to the point I was losing my vision and couldn't sleep) but I've met several cancer patients on these boards who got dependent during their treatment. They hand out Ativan like candy during chemo. I think it's awful. Don't blame yourself, you were probably scared out of your wits after the melanoma diagnosis. I knew these drugs could be addictive but thought I was OK because I was taking a low dose for a short time. It sort of snuck up on me while I was trying to sort out the eye issue, which did ultimately get controlled. anyway, I'm not looking forward to surgery itself, but I'm looking forward to having the final implants. The tissue expanders are very uncomfortable (they extend into my sides and armpits and are hard). The implants will be much softer and anatomical so I'm looking forward to being able to sleep on my side again.  I will have nipple reconstruction later, I have to talk to the plastic surgeon about the timing on that. She does some kind of skin tuck procedure then tattoos around it. I've seen the 3D tattoos also, kinda cool. Anyway, I'm hopeful that your MRI results are good and it's jus withdrawal symptoms you are having. Keep us updated! Check out the blog Having a Rough Time by Tryingtobepositive. We have a collection of cancer patients over there, so join in the thread!

[[Be...]]

I'm wondering if anyone had a functional fMRI or SPECT or PET scan that shows the brain activity?  A few on these boards had abnormal ones. 

[[Fl...]]

I have an opportunity to get a PET scan in a few months for my Melanoma I bet if ask my Oncologist she would be down to check the brain activity also. If we can prove that this has caused some sort of disfunction could we do something about it??  Could we get them to put a warning on the lable?

[[Be...]]

I don't think Big Pharma would ever do anything about warning labels.  Too many ppl. get off these pills with no problem.  Some don't. 

[[Ho...]]

I have an opportunity to get a PET scan in a few months for my Melanoma I bet if ask my Oncologist she would be down to check the brain activity also. If we can prove that this has caused some sort of disfunction could we do something about it??  Could we get them to put a warning on the lable?

 

I had a PET scan of my body after the cancer diagnosis which included part of my brain and all was good. I asked my husband who is a radiologist and he said the brain PETS are run on a different protocol and would require 2 separate scans as you wouldn't see any damage (if there is) on the protocol they use for cancer. I imagine you would also run into problems with insurance approval. I do think it would be interesting to do a research study in chronic benzo users and those who have withdrawn looking at functional imaging. As far as I know, that study hasn't been done, but I haven't actually looked either.

[[Fl...]]

Talk to my Neurologist's head nurse today and there was nothing to report on my MRI that needs immediate attention. I won't know 100% until next Wednesday when we go over the results. No MS or a brain tumor  . These drugs really are are F'n nightmare !

 

-Hope, I tried to look for that group you mentioned and I don't know how to find it. Could you help me please. Thank you.

[[Ho...]]

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=161282.0

 

Well that is good news! See above for the link to her blog.