60yr old and need help

[[fu...]]

I'm 60yr old female that follow drs. orders and now I'm having gut problems and no sleep at all. I was on alprazolam for 5 yrs and I was detoxed in 4 days, now months later I'm sick and have pain everywhere. My gut is a mess, doctors don't know what is happening .. so here I am. Help me please.

 

 

[[me...]]

Welcome to the forum!  We're glad to have you as a new member.  I'm so sorry you're going through this.  "Detox," which is really just a glorified cold turkey, is a very hard way to get off benzos.  It can produce very unpleasant symptoms as those of us who've been through it know.  But, these are temporary and will eventually go away.  Time is the healer.

 

You'll find plenty of information and support here.  Our members have gone through all aspects of withdrawal, and you're likely to see  people who understand what you're going through and can tell you what has worked for them.  For those who are currently tapering, we suggest reducing no faster than 5-10% every 10-14 days, and some taper even slower than that.  One exception: very short-term users of a few weeks or less may be able to taper faster than that.  Having some withdrawal symptoms is normal, especially near the end of a taper and for a month or so after discontinuing the medication.  The most common symptoms are anxiety and insomnia, but these are temporary and will go away in time.

 

Here are a few links you may find useful:

 

Post Withdrawal Support Board

 

The Ashton Manual is an authoritative source on what to expect in withdrawal and recovery.  Dr. Ashton is an expert in the field.  She describes and explains withdrawal symptoms in Chapter III, and there is also a section with withdrawal/taper schedules.

 

Please take the time to Create a Signature.  This will allow others to see where you are in the process so they can better support you.

 

Again, welcome!

 

 

 

[[ma...]]

You Will be better, IT takes time

[[ka...]]

I'm 60yr old female that follow drs. orders and now I'm having gut problems and no sleep at all. I was on alprazolam for 5 yrs and I was detoxed in 4 days, now months later I'm sick and have pain everywhere. My gut is a mess, doctors don't know what is happening .. so here I am. Help me please.

 

Hello,

I am a 55 year old woman who had been on benzos for 8 years.  I was forced to  go cold turkey off of benzos, no weaning, no meds for comfort, nothing , and it was incredibly difficult.  That was in October of 2015 so I've been free from benzos for 16 months now.  One of my most persistent physical symptoms of withdrawal syndrome has been problems in the gut.  To this day, I still have problems with digestion and elimination.  My stomach often sounds like a boiling cauldron and I have immense amounts of gas and cramps.  A Dr. prescribed dicyclomine  ( a stomach muscle relaxer) for me and it has helped a little.  I also take Miralax every night and that really helps a lot. These, along with daily exercise ( sometimes just a walk around the block) and a healthy diet have given me a satisfactory result. My anxiety has always manifested itself physically in my gut but the withdrawal syndrome really magnified my sx. As far as sleep is concerned, it probably took somewhere between 60-90 days before I was able to string more than 2-3 hours of sleep together. If you are reading the posts on this site, I'm sure you're learning that benzo discontinuation can be problematic for some of us for long periods of time.  By month 6, I was mostly healed but some problems linger on today.  This site was very helpful to me.  I found  and was able to talk to people who could relate to what I was experiencing.  I would highly recommend working with your doctor concerning your lingering sx.  My original Dr. was pretty unsympathetic to my plight and offered little help with my ongoing sx.  I had to find a new Dr. so I did and she has been wonderful.  Without prescribing any narcotics or addictive meds she has successfully helped me to cope with these symptoms.  I hope you are  able to find the support you need and seek. This battle can be grueling and it just feels better when you know you're not alone.  Feel free to PM anytime if you have any questions or just need to talk.

 

Bast wishes for continued success,

Katz09899

[[je...]]

Hi Fussy.  I was 60 also when I got down to 2mg Valium and "hit the wall".  My digestion was soooo bad my doc thought I had diverticulitis - which I didn't.  However, I did take 2 ounces, 2x day on an empty stomach of ONLY George's Always Active Aloe Vera Juice (because it doesn't have the part of aloe that causes diarrhea).  I took, again on an empty stomach a Florajen 3 probiotic twice a day.  I started drinking kefir (kinda like liquid yogurt) and added a tablespoon of ground flaxmeal (from the health food store).  Don't let the docs push, at least right now, for further tests on your gut.  Give this routine, should you choose, a month to six weeks to see if it will help.  Also try eating as best you can without a lot of junk food.

 

Sleep, or lack thereof, is probably the single MOST COMMON symptom we BBs get.  It's just something you need to recognize and mentally distract yourself when it hits you.  I am sure most of us can vouch that sleep does get better.

 

As for pain, I am OK with Tylenol but perhaps a heating pad, massage or hypnosis may alleviate pain further.  Everyone is so different in healing.  I am sorry you had only 4 days to jump.  Wishing you well.

[[on...]]

Hello- I was also  60 when I took my last xanax in May- digestive problems plagued me for quite a while but now at 8 months it is a lot better- no more benzo belly and diahrrea! I also had some problems with sleep but now I sleep better and more soundly than I did while on the xanax. Dreams are clearer and the sleep has much longer periods uninterrupted since I am no longer waking up when it is time for my next xanax.  Achy muscles have been a problem for me as well and I still get them on bad days- in fact today my shoulders and neck are very sore even though I did nothing to strain them . I find that advil really helps me with the aches and pains.  Hang in there it will get better for you too!

[[So...]]

Hello:  Welcome to this forum. I am also fairly new. I joined BB about a month ago because I needed help to find a liquid titration plan schedule to come off 1mg Ativan, as well as of emotional support. At first, I was scared doubting myself whether I was doing the right thing by joining the forum, but now I know I did the right thing. Fortunately, an experienced buddie on liquid titration responded to my message and taught me how to do it; so I started my daily micro tapering with oral solution of Lorazepam (since my Pdoc refused to cross me over to Valium). Also in the past four months I had been battling gastritis, so I can relate to your pain as well. However, the Pdoc (my third one) is a licensed holistic psychiatrist and treated my gastritis with supplements from Standard Process; since she is also a nutritionist, she encouraged me to completely change my diet. No more caffeine, alcohol, processed foods/no gluten, some dairy, preferably organic yogurt, no sugars except from some fruits (this is the hardest part since I have a sweet tooth). My stomach is so much better, but I still have to be very careful what I put in my mouth. What specifically are your GI issues? Have you done some tests? or are you on any treatments? Also, would help to know 'your signature' a little to have an idea how to help you better. You may be going through protracted withdrawal symptoms, and there is a specific forum for that, as there is another one for insomnia. Right now for insomnia I am doing amino acids and melatonin, and it helps me. I am not suggesting you do the same; everyone is different; but for me changing to a holistic psychiatrist has helped me better from the conventional Pdocs that I had. She is in favor of me coming off the Ativan, and I am glad I haven't crossed over; but this time I will do a slow taper. So far, I have had minor 'benzo flu' episodes and very mild tinnutis; but they come and go, and they are bearable. I am very functional; and the things that help me cope are yoga, swimming, sauna, walking, playing the piano, listening to relaxing music, zentangle, and of course a lot of praying. You may PM if you wish; we are here for support, and I hope you find the right persons to help you in your journey. http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/Smileys/standard/smitten.gif