My Anxiety is not from benzos or withdrawal

[[te...]]

I was on 0.50 Xanax + 5mg Valium for about 4 months in early 2013. Weaned off and was benzo free 7 months later, no withdrawal symptoms at all. After that took a small amount of X or V maybe once a week or once a month if I had an anxiety attack, but my anxiety seemed to be pretty good. Every 6 months or so I'd have like weeklong anxiety where I'd go back on them for a week, and then stop and I'd be fine. Went without any benzos from August 2015 to May 2016, when anxiety returned with a vengeance as a result of gastritis. Gastritis is much better now, but the anxiety never went away. I had to go back on benzos, and in July was taking 0.50 Xanax + 2.5 Valium every day for a month, then started weaning off slowly again, finally got down to just 0.50 Xanax a day (no Valium) about 2 weeks ago, and anxiety has been horrible. I'll be sitting at my desk and all of a sudden crazy heart pounding, hyperventilating, and terrible stomach and intestinal pain.

 

So this morning I decided no more tapering. I took 1.25 Valium along with my morning Xanax and today was the first day I didn't have a panic attack.

 

I've tried every possible remedy out there for anxiety, every alternative & herbal medication (all of which killed my stomach which is always sensitive because of gastritis and anxiety), imagery, yoga, breathing, etc. Every antidepressant I've tried also killed my stomach, making me feel much worse and making the anxiety worse too.

 

So if benzos are the only thing that makes me feel normal and stops the suffering, why should I stop taking them? Yes, I hate taking meds and I wish I could control the anxiety on my own or using some other method that works for other people. But I can't. Yes, I worry that I'll develop a tolerance and will have to continue taking more and more to get the same effect. And yes, I worry that the longer I'm on them, the more difficult it will probably be to wean off them. But it's either deal with those issues, or have a complete nervous breadown or psychotic break, plus a bleeding ulcer, from the daily anxiety. That level of anxiety is unhealthy too as it lowers the immune system. And right now I don't think that 0.50 Xanx + 1.25 Valium per day is really a lot.

 

Maybe this isn't the right place to post about wanting to continued taking benzos, but I'm scared and I feel helpless and I'd like to know other people's thoughts on this. And BTW, my mother has been taking Valium almost every day for 30 years, and she's 85 now and it hasn't hurt her.

 

[[fe...]]

All I can say is benzos made me extremely sick during tolerance withdrawal, I had to go to a rehab to get off benzos, and they ruined my life, along with a lot of other people on here. Benzodiazepines ruin lives. Be careful.

[Guest [Ka...]]

Hi. I would not recommend them. Try daily hard exercise first, and other methods for reducing anxiety. Benzodiazepines are a vicious circle. Tolerance/Withdrawal is very very painful. If you take them, you will have to stop taking them. Peace. Karuna

[[Bu...]]

Teesmith,

 

From what you've described it sounds like classic interdose withdrawal... Xanax has a very short half-life of 6 hours or so, basically you are experiencing wd symptoms between doses.

 

If you want more info search my posts or PM me. I was on xanax for 12+ years, I can relate and explain... 

 

Wilson

[[ge...]]

This was what I experienced through tolerance withdrawal. I'm 7 months out now, and I have little anxiety. It helps that I spent 3 years in therapy learning cognitive therapy, and mindfulness. So, I take control of the situation, and it has worked for me.

[[Su...]]

This was what I experienced through tolerance withdrawal. I'm 7 months out now, and I have little anxiety. It helps that I spent 3 years in therapy learning cognitive therapy, and mindfulness. So, I take control of the situation, and it has worked for me.

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Thanks for this post as we have to be reminded not all our heartaches are from benzos we still have to cope with life]...there is still more learning to do.  Great we can look forward to becoming (as I read on here)...more tolerant understanding people with empathy and more.    Sometimes I think why me?  It dosent matter it's what we do with it.