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Hot flashes as a benzo withdrawal symptom? Anyone?


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This is the 6th day of my detox from the Facebook-type forum. The account is deleted, I cannot access the forum anymore.

 

After deleting my account on June 7th, I steadily started increasing my benzo dosage again. I was already at about 10 mg Valium after a year on the forum.

 

I know there was no other option but to delete the account. Obsession with this forum impaired my functioning to the point I neglected all my life like a heroin addict. I used to function 100% better on my heaviest doses of benzos.

 

OK, so in 6 days, I went up from 10 mg Valium a night to 45 mg Valium a night.

 

Then yesterday, I felt so completely alone and desperate, I called my ex-husband. He's been calling for months, I did not pick up the phone. We've had a very difficult relationship after our divorce. Just hearing his voice calmed me down. We agreed we would meet IN THE FUTURE. FUTURE.

 

I felt asleep on 20 mg Valium and did not wake up the whole night. Now I start feeling this rush of heat and blood in my face. This has always been one of the chief benzo withdrawal symptoms in my life. Only taking a tiny dose of Valium stops it. But I haven't taken even a tiny dose of Valium during the day in a long time. Cause this makes me lose the rest of drive and motivation I got left.

 

I'm curious if anyone has got this symptom. Gonna put on the air-conditioning, but I'm afraid it will not help.

 

Stressful day tomorrow as well. Lots to be done today. But there's no Facebook-type forum anymore to take away 12 hrs of my life.

 

I don't want this rescue dose of Valium. I'll take it if I absolutely must. Even 1 mg helps. But it will make me sleepy and demotivated. Gosh, I'm scared of today. How I will cope.

 

I've had these hot flashes for at least my thirty years on benzos. During my 11 yr benzo withdrawal they stopped. But I've also been taking ADs against hot flashes for the last 15 yrs I think. The most helpful against hot flashes is Prozac. Lexapro and Effexor were also good, but I felt crappy on both. Other ADs made my hot flashes worse.

 

I don't have menopause. Hot flashes began as a withdrawal symptom when I started benzos as a teen. So I think they're benzo-related. I have hormonal issues, but definitely did not have them as a teen, when hot flashes started.

 

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The hot face flashes are common with wd. They were my #1 worst symptom with my first wd. However, I've read a lot of your posts, and are you sure you don't have an internet addiction that your treating with benzos? You preface most of your post with this 'Facebook type thing'. You might think about finding a board with that addiction as well. I got addicted to these pill for recreational use. I love the feeling of complete calm they gave me. However, I don't talk about how I used them on this board Bc people are going through a lot Bc they got them for a real condition they have and were using it to treat it to 'get better'. I found a pill farm, and got high til I couldn't. For this reason I also go to NA meetings 4 times a weeks. I just find solace in this board Bc people are going through the same withdrawl.
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Hot flashes are very common.  And don't discount the role that the prozac may be playing.  I had them for years on prozac and benzos.  I have them now on occasion for a few days on cuts but usually only when sleeping/waking.  Earlier in this taper I had them throughout the day.  Yes, AC, light clothing and wet washcloths (face, neck, arms, legs, etc.).  I found it fairly easy to deal with - not pleasant, but certainly tolerable.

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Hello Shakes227,

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

I never used benzos as a recreational thing. I was prescribed benzos by some pdoc at the age of around 18 for my social phobia and insomnia. I was supposed to study while I was very sick. Then my mother continued to prescribe them for many years.

 

Then a pdoc saved me from benzos for 11 yrs. It was a miracle, best years of my life. Then I started having severe anxiety and together with my mother we thought the best solution would be to go back to benzos. In May 2014. I had a new pdoc then and he was appalled at my benzo reinstatement. He's been with me for about 6 years now.

 

Mother does not prescribe benzos anymore. Since my Ambien detox in Feb. 2016, I have them prescribed only by my pdoc. We're trying to taper.

 

I wonder whether your first detox was at home. Cause I did my first detox at home. It was very brutal, with a whole array of different psychotropic drugs. I pretty much trust Ashton who says those drugs are not needed. Only ADs if a patient is depressed. But different pdocs have different opinions on the subject.

 

No, internet addiction is not my most important addiction. Benzos definitely are. I've been on different forums and never had a problem with them or deleting my account. Never used Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.

 

This forum was special. I cannot disclose the reasons why without disclosing the forum's identity, which I prefer not to do.

 

I have been diagnosed with addictive personality disorder. But my chemical addiction, to benzos, is the most destructive one. I started taking them at the age of 18. I've had behavioral addictions, such as shopoholism, internet. But not to that degree. I also easily get addicted to someone close. I used to be addicted to my ex-husband. But that did not do me harm. I'm addicted to my mother and this relationship is toxic. I can safely say I'm addicted to my cat. I feel as though she kept me alive. She's the main reason why I want to decrease benzos as much as possible.

 

An addiction therapist once told me there are different types of addictions. If you're addicted to someone in a healthy relationship, this is not destructive. Just the opposite. If you're addicted to an addict (a co-dependent), then you have to undergo treatment. You may be addicted to your pdoc (I am), your therapist (used to be, kept me safe from benzos for 9 yrs).

 

I'm hanging around here a lot to reduce anxiety. It's motivating to see people manage to quit benzos or taper them to a significant level.

 

I vent cause I must vent in order to defend myself against benzos. I'm now very vulnerable cause I cannot escape to that forum. I did a CT. No intention to come back and repeat the cycle. I have to go through the pain and suffering. They are just emotional. Not physical, like with benzos.

 

And I have no place to vent. If someone reads my posts and identifies with just one thing, then I'm extremely happy. And I hope it is so. I've identified with so many things on this forum. I intend to answer posts. Even if I cannot help myself, maybe I can help someone else.

 

I wouldn't have survived my 9 day Ambien detox in hospital if I weren't helping people. This always took my mind off my own problems.

 

The forum was actually MUCH WORSE than Facebook. It just resembled Facebook in many respects. It was about numbers and treating people like numbers. It was dehumanized to the extreme. Not everyone was like that. Met about 50 nice people who knew nothing about my problem with benzos. I just know I will not go back there.

 

 

 

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Hello Lynn33,

 

Congrats on your taper. You have achieved the impossible.

 

Thanks for the reply. I used to wear wet headband on my forehead. Now I turn on the air-conditioning, till the appartment feels like a fridge. After insomnia and anxiety, hot flashes are the third most unbearable WD symptom. Only my face feels hot. When I touch it, its temperature is normal. Then comes the neck pain, but I have severe discopathy and muscles become stiff on ADs. I try to remedy the neck pain with non-addictive pain killers.

 

Prozac helped those hot flashes a lot. I know I taper like a kamikaze. Going from 40 mg Valium to 20 mg Valium in 2 days is insane. But as I fell asleep on 20 mg, I don't want to add extra mg. I will see how I cope during the day. If I cannot take it anymore, then I will have the only one option: Valium. I hate what it is doing with my brain so much. I guess I love it and hate it at the same time. I used to sleep on 10 mg Valium already. Forum CT ruined it all.

 

I wonder how you're feeling on Lamictal. A pdoc wanted to add 25 mg Lamictal twice a day to my Valium-Prozac cocktail. To help me taper. He refused to treat me if I disagree.

 

I was scared to try Lamictal and went back to my old pdoc of 6 yrs. He believes I can taper without anything. Was Lamictal added to help you taper? I learnt about Lamictal when I was so disgusted with all the psychotropic meds I did not want them anymore.

 

Congrats on your Zyprexa CT, too. Never took Zyprexa, scared to put on weight. But I CTed Seroquel in Feb. 2016 and landed in a psychiatric ward for 9 days. I was severely psychotic. I don't have psychosis, this was the WD.

 

They took me off of Ambien during those 9 days. I'm forever grateful to them. I have both Ambien and Seroquel at home. No desire to touch them anymore.

 

 

 

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I've been on lamictal for 10yrs.  My mood is so great now that I am staying on it - sure don't want to rock the boat.  I did read an article that said lamictal is very helpful in keeping down the glutamate flood of wd.  It said that only a small dose it necessary.  Lamictal did not seem to help when I was on high doses on xanax (and prozac, etc.).  I think maybe it was blocked by one of the meds(?).

 

I took ambien for years.  I was on just about everything and every combination of everything over the years. :(  Many physical problems went away when I went off that stuff and drastically cut the xanax - the very different sx of wd then appeared.

 

I've only had a problem going off neurontin (or effexor - can't remember which) and it only lasted a couple of weeks.  I know I'll have some problem with lamictal (maybe not too bad) as I have wd from it if I miss a couple of days.

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Lynn33,

 

Doesn't make sense to get off of Lamictal if you feel great on it. I'm gonna ask my pdoc about it tomorrow. If I manage to get to my pdoc.

 

I remember I felt very good on Tegretol, but was not taking any ADs at the time. Only benzos. Could take a tiny dose of Tegretol instead of a benzo. Tegretol, like Lamictal, is a mood stabilizer.

 

Then, when I was tapering clorazepate back in 2003, Tegretol was of great help. For anxiety. Never for sleep. I used to take it with Zoloft and Seroquel.

 

One pdoc suggested a crossover from Valium to clorazepate and Tegretol. But I cannot take Tegretol anymore cause it interacts with my BC.

 

Maybe I should give this Lamictal a chance. Got whole pack at home, was afraid to take a single pill.

 

Have heard so many stories about Lamictal being very helpful. Funny. What do you mean by high doses of Prozac? I'm on 20 mg, my highest dose ever.

 

And what do you mean by high doses of Xanax? I have a benzo equivalence chart. Would never touch Xanax. They say it's most addictive and the half-life is short. Valium destroyed me to such a degree that I will not experiment with another benzo. Bestseller in my country, together with Ambien.

 

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I had been taking between 40 and 80mg prozac  and got as high as 8mg xanax.  I was taking 2-4mgs xanax for the last few years and then 8mgs the final year.  I was taking 300mg lamictal for almost ten years and dropped that to 200mgs last Fall.  I was getting restless legs (which I had on 80mg prozac) and thought the lamictal was causing it.  Funny (well...not really!) that we both were taking clorazapate in the 90's.

 

If you google "lamictal and benzo withdrawal" you'll probably see the article that I read.  It states that only a very small dose is needed.  I do feel great now and don't know how lamictal factors in.  After what I've been thru with depression I doubt I'll even think about stopping lamictal.  I've been on other mood stabilizers over the years (depakote and lithium).

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Hey Lynn,

 

I started obsessing about this Lamictal and wanted to ask you still a few questions:

 

- what symptoms does it alleviate?

 

- what are the side effects you experience?

 

- what did you start taking benzos and Prozac for / I mean what did they diagnose you with (don't know if it's an appropriate question to ask);

 

- does it induce insomnia?

 

- what times of day do you take it?

 

I'm gonna talk to my pdoc about it. I feel like my situation is hopeless. Did not find the article you were talking about. Don't have time today to do any further research.

 

I probably should take Valium during the day, but cannot force myself to do it. I hate this pill with all my heart. Guess I love the feeling it gives me when it allows me to sleep and I no longer care. But I would give everything to taper as much as possible. Cannot live in hell anymore.

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Hey Estee,

 

I think/assume the lamictal eliminates the depression/mood swings.  Before I stopped taking prozac, zyprexa and reduced the xanax from 8mg to 2mg, I didn't think it was doing anything.  After, my mood was so great and the anxiety was gone so I didn't want to stop the lamictal in case it was responsible for this huge improvement.  In any event, I am not going off it just in case.  I can't fall down that black hole again.  I won't risk it.  I don't know about lessening wd as I read this is the case but have no way of knowing because I was on it pre-taper.  It makes sense that if lamictal moderates glutamate then it helps wd.  The article was fairly scientific and stated that only a very, very small amount is needed - far, far less than the 200mg I take.  If I recall correctly it was something like 7mg/day.  Not therapeutic for Bipolar.

 

I had a nervous breakdown at 32 and was first diagnosed with GAD and Major Depression.  After a few years (and a new pdoc) this diagnosis was changed to Bipolar II Depressed and I was started on mood stabilizers.  Lamictal is the one I eventually ended up with.  The only side effect I have (notice?) is a headache 2 hours after taking it - which I do at bedtime.  I have some wd if I miss taking it for a few days.  This is usually blurred vision.  I can't remember what else.  I do believe that I have gone completely off it a few times over the years and had little to no wd.  It's hard to remember as I've been on and off so many things over the years.  Before this problematic taper I only had wd once and that was either effexor or neurontin (I c/t'd) and it only lasted a week or so.  I've never been very sensitive to meds - but I was pretty bad off with physical symptoms from the depression and it's doubtful I would have noticed side-effects.

 

I have no trouble sleeping on lamictal.  I had terrible insomnia while on prozac and xanax.  I had a whole slew of side effects that disappeared practically over night.

 

I don't dare take valium due to reports of depression.  I've never been tried on it over the years - perhaps for this reason.  My depression was very serious and debilitating.

 

So, I don't know if it will help you.  We are all different.  It seems to make sense that it would help with wd...but who knows?  In any event it's only an extremely low dose that is necessary.  Some seem to have a very bad time getting off lamictal.  I can't speak to that.  Xanax is the only thing that I've had serious problems with.

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Hey Lynn,

 

Thank you for all the information. You went through hell, just like me. Except that you can see light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Talked to my pdoc yesterday. We agreed that I keep Prozac at 20 mg, taper Valium by 2,5 mg every 3 weeks (more or less like in Ashton manual). He was delighted I deleted my account on that Facebook-type forum.

 

He said Lamictal is a mood stabilizer, a bit energizing, and I have to carefully monitor my skin.

 

He said I may try Lamictal once a day in the morning, but it has to be 25 mg. Did not have time to do research as someone was texting me all the time. I was so exhausted and confused by this texting that I just swallowed Lamictal. After my morning 20 mg Prozac dose.

 

I feel very dizzy and confused. Almost impossible to concentrate and write a simple post. I took it at 5 p.m. Now it's 8.30 p.m here and I feel a bit better, but just slightly. My coordination is impaired. I stumble. I am very scared. I have headache too, but that worries me the least.

 

I shall see. Maybe the dose was too big. I feel completely numb. No emotions whatsoever. Only terror. WTH is happening with my brain? I will not be doing any research for sure. I'm barely alive. Shall it pass? No anxiety, no benzo cravings. I'm just worried sth may happen to my brain.

 

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Hey Lynn,

 

Did not take it today. I guess it's still in my system. Half-life of 29 hrs. After 29 hrs, 50% of the med is in your system.

 

We have different conditions. I have dysthymia (neurotic depression) and OCD. Social phobia, insomnia, benzo addiction etc. I'm also very sensitive to meds.

 

Gonna see how I feel in the following days. Chiefly in terms of insomnia, reversed circadian rhythm, apathy, hot flashes, anxiety, depression. Gonna monitor my benzo intake and do further research on lamotrigine.

 

Was stupid enough to swallow that 25 mg pill. I could have divided it into four. My initial Prozac dose was 2,5 mg in May last year and I did not sleep all night. Felt extremely agitated. Now on 20 mg I don't have so many sx. At least I think so. It only helps my OCD, helps me sleep and stabilizes my mood a tiny bit. I take it chiefly because of my OCD.

 

I may give Lamictal another chance. In a while. If I continue to feel like crap. But this will be 1/4 of a 25 mg pill. I had no emotions and no anxiety whatsoever. But I could not think or concentrate. Fell asleep with difficulty, but slept like a log. Feel pretty stable today. When the brain fog lifted. It lifted upon awakening.

 

I still may give it a chance and your information was invaluable.

 

I just forgot I should always take the smallest possible dose of a drug. Till my brain gets used to it.

 

Take care.

 

 

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