2 and half months off... doc wants me to restart is it ok?

[[de...]]

I was doing ok went through the physical symptoms and was feeling ok. When this morning suddenly huge anxiety my BP shot up to 197/104 and was feeling weird. Called doc she said to take a beta blocker 20mg and restart my Clonotril .25 mg at night. I am really feeling disheartened was thinking I was getting over it. Its as if taking a revenge on me. Has anyone had similar experience? What should I do? Listen to doc or try and brave it out? Any advice? TIA.

[[Tr...]]

After I got off Xanax the first time, I went on Mirtazapine and then Trazodone. Both worked well for my anxiety. Mirtazapine caused a lot of weight gain and sexual dysfunction for me, and I had a difficult withdrawal from it. I personally liked Trazodone better.

 

After years of psych meds destroying my life, I'm now of the opinion that they should be taken only if absolutely necessary.

 

Like you, I also take beta blockers when my physical anxiety symptoms get bad.

[[Ch...]]

OK, I am going to risk getting slammed, but HELL NO!!!!!!  There are so very many ways to manage blood pressure that have NOTHING to do with Benzos!  The disturbing thing about what your doc said is that ultimately Benzos CAUSE bp spikes and need more and more to bring it down...

Best wishes...

[[de...]]

Yeah I get what you are saying. Let me see what happens for a couple of days I am not getting back on them. I have survived this far I shall keep trying. But this morning was kinda scary never had such a spike in my BP! Getting amazed what anxiety is capable of doing! Anyone else have a similar story and survived? TIA.

[[Ch...]]

I should have said that my BP was all over the place during withdrawal and still occasionally in recovery mode.  I went back on my BP med and although I still have some spikes I do CBT/Mindfullness techniques to bring it back down.  The spikes are scary indeed.

[Guest [ch...]]

Totally disagree with your doctor here. Yes, anxiety can temporarily raise blood pressure, but so can exercise, or a big meal, or any number of things. My blood pressure fluctuates too, but I would not reinstate benzos for that reason. Do not go back on Klonopin and undo all your effort to get off. It's not a blood pressure medication. There are a lot of other ways of bringing down blood pressure. Consider finding another doctor.

Kind regards,

Chessplayer

[[Da...]]

They gave me clonidine for blood pressure and it works fine, I'm not sure why your doc is telling you to go back on benzos. Tell him how you feel and see if he can give you more options.

[[Ma...]]

I also have issues with BP spikes from tapering Librium. I get health anxiety from it. When adrenaline ramps up, heart rate and blood pressure will increase. I'm dropping to 20mg of Librium in a few days from 25mg. A 20% drop, I'm not looking forward to the blood pressure spikes. I manage all this by not smoking, meditating, and walking. It's 5 degrees out right now, so I'm not up for walking anywhere. It's going to be a long January.

[[de...]]

So I didn't take the Clonotril last night. Slept 4 hours then has restless sleep. Kept checking time and pulse. If I just could SLEEP! Phew, never thought sleeping would be an issue.  let see how the day unfolds. BP is slightly high. Thankfully the weather is not so bad here. Thanks everyone for your replies. Any other tips would be welcome.

[[Tr...]]

So I didn't take the Clonotril last night. Slept 4 hours then has restless sleep. Kept checking time and pulse. If I just could SLEEP! Phew, never thought sleeping would be an issue.  let see how the day unfolds. BP is slightly high. Thankfully the weather is not so bad here. Thanks everyone for your replies. Any other tips would be welcome.

 

When I got off Trazodone my insomnia was so bad that I went back on Xanax. Which I wish I'd never done. Now I'm going through benzo withdrawal hell all over again.

 

I have no idea why, but I find that doing an evening sauna really helps me sleep.

[[be...]]

Reinstatements are typically done if symptoms are debilitating, not because of a day of increased symptoms. I have never heard of a doctor suggesting a reinstatement for some one who was doing so well.  It sounds like before today you were doing okay. I don't think are benzos are a viable option to control blood pressure long term.  Reinstating also comes with some risk. The biggest being the risk of kindling. Kindling is when each subsequent withdrawal is worse than the previous one, and sometimes much worse, even with a slow gradual taper.  For me that would be way too much risk, especially if I had been doing okay.

 

You should create a signature that will display under all of your posts.

[[de...]]

I asked another doctor. He told me to take Alaprax .25 for 5 days and check. Feeling better this morning. Waiting to see if my BP stays stable and whether it was related to my sudden anxiety attack.

[[be...]]

You don't say what benzodiazepines you were on, what dose or how long you were on them. You should create a signature that displays under your posts showing all that. Many members don't even reply to posts without signatures as it is impossible to give advice when you don't know the story. Elevated blood pressure in fairly common.

[[be...]]

I asked another doctor. He told me to take Alaprax .25 for 5 days and check. Feeling better this morning. Waiting to see if my BP stays stable and whether it was related to my sudden anxiety attack.

 

So now you have had two doctors telling you to take benzos to treat high blood pressure? That is something I personally would never do at 2.5 months out.

[[de...]]

Actually it was me who had a sever anxiety attack due to some personal issues and called the docs in desperation. I am also supposed to take a beta blocker for the BP and night dose of Alprax. It was sheer panic that made me go back. Never experienced such a spike in BP.

[Guest [Lu...]]

May sound a bit flimsy, ha, but one can sincerely bring their heart rate and blood pressure down with good ole proper breathing. check out the 4-7-8 technique. i swear to god a lot of my worst anxiety i often catch myself with rapid, shallow lung breathing, and it totally ramps up your heart and bp. I learned how to breathe down "passed" your lungs into you belly, with long exhales. ill practice it laying in bed. heck ill do it at work if i feel anxiety starting to take over me.

 

may not be the be all end all but it sincerely can help, and its healthier.

 

oh, i also drink a pretty stupid amount of water. we all know this day and age drink a lot of water blah blah, but i drink a bit beyond even what i think would be a lot. always being hydrated really well helps with muscle tension.

 

i know these are anxiety 101's, but man the proper, meditative like breathing REALLY does help.

 

id also agree with other posters, bah on reinstating the psyche drug, but a mild blood pressure medication sure. for me anyway. im on bystolic, a small dose. i also have spikes with anxiety and withdrawal. if good practices and a little aid from a bp med can help ya, i think you can get through.

 

best wishes man

[[de...]]

Thanks for your tips. Surely very encouraging. Actually stopping Alprax makes me feel better in the mornings though sleep was affected, hopefully it will settle soon . Started morning walks again. Keeping fingers crossed. Mornings are the worst time. Wonder why.