When no one seems to have these symptoms...

[[er...]]

What do you do if no one else had described this symptom? I talk about my cranial paresthesia, that feeling like an army of ants are in my brain. This intense internal itching the spreads throughout my head, the back of my head and down my arms and legs. This started over a year ago and just got worse even though I did a long hold. I can barely stand sitting up to watch TV. That's been going on for a while. It's 2:30AM the tingling and hissing has already started. The muscles in the back of my neck and at the base of my scalp have already started to knot up. I feel like I'm hearing through a tunnel. CMT disease can spread to the ears. And I WAS borne with CMT Disease. They didn't have benzos back in 1951.

When I go to any doctors I get this look like they never heard of this before.

 

Has anyone else had these symptoms?

 

Outside of this forum I have no support system. When I told my youngest daughter about my neighbors finding me laying on my driveway and calling an ambulance her response was, "yikes!" That was it. End of discussion. When I told my oldest daughter I was having quality of life issues she accused me of trying to manipulate her. My middle daughter gives no response at all.

I'm getting that totally screwed feeling.

 

For reference:

"Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: Charcot-Marie-Tooth hereditary neuropathy refers to a group of disorders characterized by a chronic motor and sensory polyneuropathy. Charcot Marie Tooth Disease can effect the auditory nerves"

[[ne...]]

My sense is that the symptoms of benzo withdrawal are so varied...if you look around on this forum people describe so many different things. Sensory changes or odd feelings in the body seem common. Obviously, if you are concerned, get it checked by a doctor, but benzo withdrawal seemingly has an endless supply of symptoms it can provide. I doubt very much you are alone in these or similar symptoms.

[[Li...]]

I've had the internal itching.  It's a very miserable symptom especially when you can't scratch the itch.  Mine is an all over internal itching.  I haven't had it in awhile.  I pray yours improves soon. 

[[Th...]]

I have paresthesia symptoms as well, they are in my toes and fingers. I know alcoholics can get them but how about persons taking benzos? I'm wondering have benzos masked paresthesia and now they become visible when tapering and drug in the system becomes smaller?  I'm also wondering if this something which goes away when time passes or is this something which stays...

 

Erniej, you are not alone with your situation. It seems that many of us have all kind of symptoms and it seems to be so that some of them are withdrawal driven and some of them are something else.

 

Hopefully you feel better!

[[lo...]]

Hi Erniej,

I have all the symptoms you describe except for the intense internal itching on my head. I do however have that in my chest, so I empathize and can imagine how awful it feels. I remember explaining it to my plastic surgeon exactly how you did above. Ironically she prescribed gabapentin, she said the nerves would stop trying to regenerate in a few months and I could wean off the medication then. It took the itching away within a couple of hours, but I stopped taking it, I didn't like they idea of taking something I couldn't stop taking suddenly, funny right? I had no idea the same rules applied to the Xanax I was taking... Not very bright! Anyways, coming up on 5 years the itching never completely went away and since I stopped taking Xanax it gets really angry and lots of shooting pain joined the itching that already existed. Is that neuropathy? I don't really know, but it seems to me it makes sense that we could feel this itching just able anywhere doing recovery since healing can bring on these things.

 

I'm sorry you are suffering. I'm sorry too that your children aren't supportive. I pray that you turn a corner soon.

[[er...]]

Right now I'm trying to type this and I'm having a hard time saying what I want to or making any sense. I have to keep going back and add in words that I left out and correct my spelling. Jesus, I'm having a hard time spelling anything. I want to describe what's going on but I can't find the right words. This is F**ked up. The tingling/itching started shortly after I had a flare-up of the pinched nerves in my neck. When the pain went away the internal itching started. The pain was not benzo tapering related. I had an MRI and a CAT Scan and a Neurologist at Brigham and Women's in Boston showed me an image of my spine showing the pinched nerves. I think Thomas66 may be right about benzos masking another condition... I'm so itchy I can hardly stand sitting here typing this. I did a six month hold and it just kept getting worse.

Jesus I keep spelling everything wrong. The CMT Disease is going to progress if I'm tapering or not. That's a given. I wonder if the over rapid taper at Beth Israel might have sped up the progress of that condition.

Even if I never took a benzo I still have two degenerative nerve diseases. And I'd have symptoms from those. Then throw in a benzo taper...

[[lo...]]

Right now I'm trying to type this and I'm having a hard time saying what I want to or making any sense. I have to keep going back and add in words that I left out and correct my spelling. Jesus, I'm having a hard time spelling anything. I want to describe what's going on but I can't find the right words. This is F**ked up. The tingling/itching started shortly after I had a flare-up of the pinched nerves in my neck. When the pain went away the internal itching started. The pain was not benzo tapering related. I had an MRI and a CAT Scan and a Neurologist at Brigham and Women's in Boston showed me an image of my spine showing the pinched nerves.

 

I can't spell yet either, but I have to say I am amazed with BB's spell check, I feel like it understands me, lol, quite often it anticipates what I am trying to say even if I only get a few letters right !

 

I can see pinch nerves creating or at the very least aggravating all head symptoms. So so sorry. 

 

I had my surgery at Dana Farber/Brigham & Woman's, although now it seems strange to even think about that, it may as be someone elses experience, because I no longer feel connected to my life. It is a faint memory, but as far as my brain knows it could be a story someone shared with me. If it weren't for the scars I probably would not have remembered it al all... Benzo withdrawal is the most insane thing ever!

[[er...]]

I've had this annoying tingling for over a year but I feel like I just got slammed by the intensity. It's progressed gradually then bam. I think Sunday I up dosed after I got home from the hospital. The day before yesterday was bad but was better after I up dosed. Yesterday was worse and when I woke up this morning, holy shit!

I took some Gabapentin last night and this morning. I don't know if it's helping. I wish it did help. The doctor that prescribes my Klonopin seems to think Gabapentin's a miracle drug. He said he would push me up to 5,000MGs a day! 7,000MGs if necessary.

 

 

[[lo...]]

I've had this annoying tingling for over a year but I feel like I just got slammed by the intensity. It's progressed gradually then bam. I think Sunday I up dosed after I got home from the hospital. The day before yesterday was bad but was better after I up dosed. Yesterday was worse and when I woke up this morning, holy shit!

I took some Gabapentin last night and this morning. I don't know if it's helping. I wish it did help. The doctor that prescribes my Klonopin seems to think Gabapentin's a miracle drug. He said he would push me up to 5,000MGs a day! 7,000MGs if necessary.

 

Oh boy, I hope it doesn't take that much to make your symptoms tolerable. I've seen a lot of buddies here say that it helps. Hopeful you will get some relief soon. I'm a bit concerned to see that he is already saying you could go up to such a large dose (I'd be somewhat worried going in about what the wd might be like when the time comes). I don't know a lot about it, but I think I saw a thread somewhere on the forum that talks about this medication.

 

 

 

[[ma...]]

I'm also getting the feeling of "ants" crawling in my brain! I understand you there. I have no medical support but I do have two elderly parents that would do anything for me. When I think of blowing my brains out with a shotgun, I think of them and won't do it.

[[lo...]]

Hi Matt, I'm so sorry you are having such a difficult time. I'm glad you have your parent and they have you. It will get better, I promise you. Keep holding on. It is really difficult to be in this and feel like the medical community that got us into this is doesn't even, for the most part acknowledge what we are going through. You are not alone, we are climbing this mountain beside you.

 

Blessings and love to you...

[[sw...]]

I'm also getting the feeling of "ants" crawling in my brain! I understand you there. I have no medical support but I do have two elderly parents that would do anything for me. When I think of blowing my brains out with a shotgun, I think of them and won't do it.

Matt:

 

I read your quick story with compassion. You truly have been around the block. Were you able to have some semblance of a normal life? Like jobs, family and kids? I tried raising someone else's kids but ...oh there I go telling stories again.