Psoas mess

[[Kl...]]

This is what I'm experiencing, glad to know I'm not crazy. So you think PT will help? http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=96543.10

[[tw...]]

I know that since I've been on klonopin, I lost ALL my core muscle strength. I cannot even do ONE sit-up with GREAT, GREAT effort. (I used to be able to easily do them.) I have HORRIBLE benzo belly. I now look 6 months pregnant. Compared to 8 months pregnant when I was consistently on them. So...that IS getting better.

 

Something interesting to note about muscles and the gut when on benzos. Two things in fact. 1) I got confirmation that the lining of my intestines was inflamed but they could find NO cause. They said it was as if I had a gluten allergy, but it definitely wasn't that. When I come off the benzos (and klonopin has been the worst at giving me benzo belly), it GOES AWAY.

 

No, also - a couple years ago when I came off klonopin, I had a large bump in the side of my neck. It was quite noticeable and my doctor even, at first, thought it could be LYMPHOMA. I went to get an ultrasound on my neck to see what it was. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS. It was my large neck muscle and it had a knot in it the size of walnut. The u/s techs had NEVER seen this before.

It was like it was a constricted muscle in my neck, a knot - and it stayed there about 2 months. When I had been off the benzos a couple months, IT WENT AWAY.

 

I have NO doubt that these do terrible things to our guts and to our muscle symptoms. NO DOUBT.

[[Kl...]]

Wow. I'm so sorry. I can't BELIEVE this is a result of not taking the poison anymore. Did this go away? Mine doesn't go away. I feel so helpless at times. Love K

[[Na...]]

What are your symptoms exactly?

[[Kl...]]

Lower left back and glutes always hurting, my left inner upper thigh veery tender its all trigger points from a combusted psoas muscle. I had an MRI few more this back, showed nothing but two bulging discs, I'm sure that doesn't help but, being on K for 11 years and now being off, my muscles can't relax I guess. Causes insomnia BC if I'm in a lot of pain I do t sleep well. Vicious cycle.

[[wa...]]

Sorry to jump in here but I think I might be in the same boat.  I was diagnosed today with osteo arthritis in my left hip.  My core muscles, too, are nonexistent.  I developed crippling left leg, hip and back pain just doing a few minutes on a treadmill 3 weeks ago -- I just wanted to do a little cardio.

Should I just start a thread about arthritis which was possibly caused by w/d or meds?  - Actually, I don't need to know the cause, I just want to avoid prednisone since it is what the doc prescribed.  No PT yet instead he ordered a cane for me!  Wait, what?  I'm 58.  I have old back surgery from 1993 -- but this hip arthritis is recent.  Yeah - it's messing up my sleep, too.  WBB

[[Kl...]]

Sorry to jump in here but I think I might be in the same boat.  I was diagnosed today with osteo arthritis in my left hip.  My core muscles, too, are nonexistent.  i developed crippling left leg, hip and back pain just doing a few minutes on a treadmill -- I just wanted a little cardio.

Should I just start a thread about arthritis possible caused by w/d or meds?  - Actually, I don't need to know why, I just want to avoid prednisone since it is what the doc prescribed.  No PT yet instead he orderd a cane for me!  Wait, what?  I'm 58.  I have old back surgery from 93 -- but this hip arthritis is recent.  Yeah - it's messing up my sleep, too.  WBB

That's exactly how this started months back on the treadmill and that was it. Game over. I had an MRI in December tons of fun! Not! Lol neway I'm 36, and feel 100! I have bulging discs and they found spasms on my MRI. A lot of people complain about the left side. Sure go ahead make a thread. No meds but Advil for me. Xoxo

[[wa...]]

A lot of people complain about the left side?  How weird.  WBB

[[Na...]]

I think what Klonofree is describing is a constellation of related symptoms that a *lot* of people are describing after getting off of bezos and z-drugs.  In fact, it might be one of the more common long lasting physical symptoms.

 

It's flank pain, low back pain, abdominal pain, groin pain, glut pain, etc. etc.  It gets attributed to whatever happens to be in the area nearby. My left flank pain is attributed to costochondritis because it's near the bottom of the left side of the rib cage. Your pain gets attributed to the psoas muscles.  Someone else's gets called lumbar pain, and so on and so forth. 

 

My suspicion is that these are all neuropathic pains of various nerve distributions.  Probably the closest diagnosis might be "myofascial pain".

 

The good news is that it does seem that the vast majority of people eventually get over these pains.  They seem to fade with time, becoming less and less frequent.  Some are fortunate and seem to get over these pains in a few months.  Others take a few years.

 

My left flank pain has now been going since about last June.  It's better than when it was at it's worse which was probably around the end of last year when it was almost debilitating.  But, it's definitely not gone.  Not yet.

 

 

[[wa...]]

OK - So is it useless to take a steroid? - the docs want to calm it down of course with some prednisone. xray shows arthritis - did not have mri yet.  But I cave by 5 or 6 PM from the pain and take one 2mgs of Diluadid which helps a little without too much w/d of its own.  I'm no hero.  The oxy causes headaches for me.  WBB

[[Na...]]

OK - So is it useless to take a steroid? - the docs want to calm it down of course with some prednisone. xray shows arthritis - did not have mri yet.  But I cave by 5 or 6 PM from the pain and take one 2mgs of Diluadid which helps a little without too much w/d of its own.  I'm no hero.  The oxy causes headaches for me.  WBB

 

I'm not a doctor so I can't answer that.  Even your doctor is just suggesting that you try it to see if it helps. Who knows, maybe it will.  If I were hurting bad I might well try it.

 

About your bulging discs and arthritis - I don't know how old you are but if you're past your mid 40s there's a pretty good chance you've got some arthritis and/or minor bulging discs.  I've had orthopedic docs tell me that "If I run 100 people your age through an MRI I'll see arthritis and disc issues on at least half of them, and the vast majority won't have symptoms".  So the arthritis or the discs might be the issue, or might not.

 

That's what is so frustrating about all this.  It certainly looks like people are having problems like this long after stopping these drugs.  But, people have pain from completely unrelated issues all the time as well.  The question is what is *your* problem that is causing this pain.  And the answer is no one knows with certainty.  You hate to keep trying to treat something that is the result of stopping these drugs that likely will only get better with time, on the other hand, if it's not that you probably do want to go ahead and try to treat it.

 

Unfortunately you're just going to have to wing it. Wish I could help more.

[[Be...]]

Damn, I relate to all the musculoskeletal problems and psoas issue. All of it. Right side problem but now, its migrating to the left side. This is a pain syndrome phenomena which concern me. It's been getting worse over months. Yesterday I had a Novocain trigger point injection in my quadratus lumborum. My right side is somewhat numb still, with the pain lurking underneath. This evening my neck has been getting stiff. I have been getting neuromuscular therapy for nine months, and it has been a godsend to get brief relief. But ultimately I haven't hit on a long term solution.

[[pe...]]

I have had extremely bad musculoskeletal problems while I was tapering and especially since I got off Klonopin 21 months ago- all of which I never had before (at least that I can remember!).Most of the pain is from spasms and weird nerve pain on the right side of my torso (front and back). MRI's of the lower and upper spine revealed a couple bulging disks and some other stuff, but the doctor said my pain level does not match these type of problems (i.e., he has seen worse that do not even need surgery). The pain has been so severe that I could not sit for many hours at a time.  Something that really helped was cold laser treatments by a physical therapist. These seemed to break up painful trigger points in the right butt, upper ham, and elsewhere on the right torso. The exercises she gave me really helped stretch/strengthen the whole pelvic girdle, especially a very painful psoas and hip ball/socket. Pain level in these areas is definitely reduced. I had not been very physically active for almost two years, and this set the stage for some of the physical problems during wd.

[[Be...]]

Pentas,

 

I could be you, word for word—like your doctor was reading my MRI.

 

The exercises have not helped me to the same degree as you. The psoas is a deep and highly important muscle providing the bridge of support between upper and lower body. From mid back to hip socket. The psoas pain to either side of the belly button can trick people into thinking there is a problem with the digestive system.

 

I will ask the physiatrist about cold laser therapy at my next appointment. I don't know if my HMO offers that

 

Seeing a pain specialist/urologist to get internal therapy for pudendal neuralgia has helped, along with the glucose shots in the butt that he gave to help those nerves. So much of the pain is referred.

 

Yet, I'm lying here thinking that this pain must be endometreosis, in part. There's a cyclical component to some of my pain.

 

I would highly encourage anyone tapering, to keep moving. It's true that we feel like curling up into a ball and checking out. In recovery, when we move it may not feel good, and if we stop, it compounds the problem. It's a rabbit hole we don't want to go down, if we can help it.

 

Bennie

[[Kl...]]

Pentas,

 

I could be you, word for word—like your doctor was reading my MRI.

 

The exercises have not helped me to the same degree as you. The psoas is a deep and highly important muscle providing the bridge of support between upper and lower body. From mid back to hip socket. The psoas pain to either side of the belly button can trick people into thinking there is a problem with the digestive system.

 

I will ask the physiatrist about cold laser therapy at my next appointment. I don't know if my HMO offers that

 

Seeing a pain specialist/urologist to get internal therapy for pudendal neuralgia has helped, along with the glucose shots in the butt that he gave to help those nerves. So much of the pain is referred.

 

Yet, I'm lying here thinking that this pain must be endometreosis, in part. There's a cyclical component to some of my pain.

 

I would highly encourage anyone tapering, to keep moving. It's true that we feel like curling up into a ball and checking out. In recovery, when we move it may not feel good, and if we stop, it compounds the problem. It's a rabbit hole we don't want to go down, if we can help it.

 

Bennie

Bennie,

I have endo too. Yes staying still won't help, must move and also move on with life. Glad so many people can vent and rest assure that a lot of what's going on here is muscular. I also felt it was diverticulitis, it is the psoas.

[[Be...]]

Klonofree1313,

Did you get endo surgery? Frankly, I'm ready. Seems like it'd be a cake walk compared to daily suffering.

Bennie