Taper almost over and my body hurts so bad! 4.5mg Xanax down to 2mg Valium?

[[...]]

Hi. I am coming to the end of my taper. I started 9/16 at 4.5mg of Xanax and at 3/17, 6 months later, I am at 2mg of valium. I may have made bigger cuts than I should have -10%-20% every 2 weeks. I crossed over to Valium at 1mg of Xanax.  I've been holding at 2mg valium for 3 weeks. The first symptom was about a month into my taper, starting with a pulled muscle in my right upper back-rhomboid/trap. Over the taper my muscle pain has radiated from the trap, to the shoulder, down the arm and then the hand, and then eventually both arms and hands have symptoms. My hands feel swollen, tight, tingly, and numb every day. My grip strength is weak also. The pain floats around my arms and hands and my neck is so tense.  I never had any muscle or neck issues before my taper. I'm getting really depressed that this will last forever.  I thought towards the end, my symptoms would be better? they've only gotten worse. Does anyone else have these neck, arm pain/numbness end of taper issues?  Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

 

jan 2012 -2mg of Xanax for minor anxiety

feb 2014- 3mg

feb 2016- 4- 4.5mg

sept 2016- started taper

 

[[Se...]]

I don't have any advice, but I have almost the exact same pain symptoms you are talking about. I was "only" on .25mg of Xanax at night for about 6-7 years. I have been tapering since mid December. I have neck pain, that goes into the trap, upper arm, forearm. I think paresthesia is the name of the pain or sensation I have .  I get a tingling often in the front of the forearm. When it is bad I  get what I can only describe as nerve pain. It varies from achy to burning. Sometimes in the hand. Often across the back. Mostly on the right side, but sometimes on the left too. I can deal with the neck pain, but the arm pain messes with my mind. It really intensifies my anxiety. The arm pain and the anxiety feed off one another. I find myself worried that it will never go away too. Trying to stay positive, hoping it is just part of the process of getting off benzos. This past week has been horrific. It does come off of a recent cut so I am hoping it settles down.

 

I have been to doctors about the pain the last year and they are not sure what it is from.

 

Wish I had an answer for you. Guess we'll both find out in the near future. Based on the fact you have not had neck pain before your taper, I would bet a substantial amount of money that yours will slowly dissipate over time.

 

Best wishes.

[[be...]]

You're near the end so that's great.  But it took me 26 months to get rid of 6.5 mg of the K, so perhaps you may have tapered too fast? Anyway, good luck and at some point you will feel better. fwiw~~I do not have the pain that you mentioned.

 

Betsy