Should I Re-Instate? I need feedback

[[ge...]]

I have not taken anything for 7 weeks.

 

The last pill I took was a Valium, 5MG.  (I hadn’t taken any Valium while taking the Xanax. Not knowing at the time what was going on I took that pill.) That was June 1st.

[[ea...]]

I can’t work at all.  I spend all day in bed.  In the evening things sometimes calm down and I can watch tv.

 

I get waves of fear and anxiety.

 

This is consistently bad.  I walk because I can’t sit still.

 

I would suggest that you force yourself to get out of your bed and start doing something. It wont be anything BIG or heavy - just light routine tasks. Lying in bed all day is a sure way for you to feel sick, ill, and let your muscles get unconditoned quickly. Some people tend to see withdrawal as an illness. It is not an illness. It is a temporary condition, Withdrawal from benzos is a process where your brain slowly gets back into a normal state. And this can take some time! Lying in bed all day is probably the worst thing you can do. Make yourself get up. Walk around your home. You may not be up to heavy cleaning now but you certainly CAN do some light things like the dishes or laundry. The more you lie in bed "feeling sick" the more you are feeding into a negative way of thinking about withdrawal. Your brain needs nutrition to heal, fluids, all the usual things. Eat what you can and drink a lot of fluids. But please dont just lie in bed feeling miserable!

[[No...]]

I have not taken anything for 7 weeks.

 

The last pill I took was a Valium, 5MG.  (I hadn’t taken any Valium while taking the Xanax. Not knowing at the time what was going on I took that pill.) That was June 1st.

 

I wouldn't reinstate someone who had been on it for less than 2 or 3 months. What you're feeling is very real and painful, but your chances for recovery without PAWS are really good - not worth the risk of reinstatement. Addiction, according to the literature, happens within a few weeks. Not everyone here experiences the same symptoms. It's possible that something else may be going on with you. Have you discussed this with a GP?

 

Reinstatement is simply trading one set of problems for another. All I'm really doing is buying time. Just want to be very honest about that. It's just buying time until someone or something else forces you into abrupt WD or fast tapering again. As I recently posted, I just deal with different problems now. Keep walking and don't look back! 

[Guest [so...]]

I was reinstated after taking 44 doses of Valium 2.5mg which i was prescribed for 6 weeks prior to spinal surgery for muscle spasm. 10 days after stopping it suddenly (as dr said i wouldn't get addicted) i had horrendous acute withdrawl symptoms and was reinstated 2.5mg day. Dr was pretty clueless (as i was) and i had a 5 month horrific taper down to 0.125mg. In hindsight i wish i hadn't been reinstated, as i think perhaps i would be out of this wild ride by now (7 months off). Who knows, we are all different and what sounds like "low dose/short duration" is often no different symptom wise to those who had longer use. In the end it's a personal decision but get some knowledge before doing anything. Wish I had.

[[Ka...]]

Don't reinstate onto anything. Walk everyday and practice deep breathing techniques. Have warm soups and healthy self care. Good Luck.

[[Ca...]]

I was reinstated after taking 44 doses of Valium 2.5mg which i was prescribed for 6 weeks prior to spinal surgery for muscle spasm. 10 days after stopping it suddenly (as dr said i wouldn't get addicted) i had horrendous acute withdrawl symptoms and was reinstated 2.5mg day. Dr was pretty clueless (as i was) and i had a 5 month horrific taper down to 0.125mg. In hindsight i wish i hadn't been reinstated, as i think perhaps i would be out of this wild ride by now (7 months off). Who knows, we are all different and what sounds like "low dose/short duration" is often no different symptom wise to those who had longer use. In the end it's a personal decision but get some knowledge before doing anything. Wish I had.

[[RE...]]

I am struggling.  I am 7 weeks into this and I spend all day in bed.  I can sleep about 6 hours and go for a short walk during the day.  I have waves of anxiety, restlessness during the day, sensitivity to sound (light and heat), and the worst are the brain zaps.  The more I do the more intense the brain zaps are the next day.  If I leave the house and do things the next two days are hell.  All I want to do is lay in bend and TV is too stimulating most of the day.

 

I had taken a low (.25-.5MG) 3-4 week dose of Xanax when I was struggling and stressing during the recovery from a surgery.  Before that I had taken a low dose of Valium (really only 9 pills at 5MG).  The Valium made me feel awful.  When I was taking the Xanax I did not feel awful like the Valium.

 

The first 2 weeks off was insane.  I feel like the last week or so I am worse in some ways.

 

 

Sounds to me like you are suffering anxiety.

I would start with that and see a therapist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really can't function (besides a shower, making small meals, and a load of laundry every other day).

 

Should re-instate and taper?

[[Ma...]]

You should just keep in mind that also after reinstating and a following taper you might still suffer from anxieaty and other symptoms because your body is detoxing from the benzo. So I think no matter what you do you should learn strategies how to cope with fear, panic and exhaustion - thats all the same cycle.

 

And do not underestimate what a week in bed do to our bodies. The loss of muscles is huge, blood pressure and all the other processes are getting weak and because of your fears you will notice all this - and develop more fears.

 

The only way out is through.

 

Like someone here told you - no matter if you taper/reisntate whatever - you need a daily routine.

 

My personal advice would be not to go back on the meds, instead learn and Practice things that will keep you away from them forever. Now is the best time to do that.