Benzo Withdrawal Or Something More Sinister? (Hypochondria On Overdrive)

[[mr...]]

I am a male in my mid twenties, here is a brief timeline of my past exposure to benzos:

Between 2015 and 2017 I intermittently use of Xanax, Zopiclone, and Valium as sleep aids during profound bouts of insomnia in college. I never really noticed any serious withdrawal side effects, but that could have partly been due to a very careless attitude to my health and a lot of drinking most days so I may very well have gone through withdrawals that I simply chalked up to persistent hangovers/stress/depression. Regardless in 2018 I was drug-free and living in a new city with a nice job etc. In 2019 I went through a really bad break up and developed insomnia again over the summer, instead of seeing a doctor about it I found a strip of Valium from my college days, it was a 3 week supply @ 10 mgs. At first I took a few whole pills and they helped calm my nerves, then I decided to stretch them out and break them into quarters. So what was 3 weeks @ 10 mgs a day became 12 weeks @ 2.5 mgs a day. Now I obviously took the first 4 pills whole before I decided on this plan, so the precise dosage was more like:

4 days @ 10 mg

68 days @ 2.5mg

I (stupidly) didn't really have a taper plan because as far as I was concerned my dosage was what others use to taper in the first place. So I passed most of autumn that way. Now about 2 weeks after my last dose I developed a slightly strange symptom, (this would have been around Thanksgiving so about a month ago), and in the morning I'd find myself making all kinds of speaking mistakes. Specifically it felt like mid sentence my tongue was being mildly electrocuted and spasming out so random words came out funny, this was ONLY in the mornings so I chalked it up to low blood sugar and ignored it, 2 weeks after that started (December 10th) I noticed that I would have an intermittent speech impairment that was worse at night and in the morning but less noticeable in the afternoon. I also started waking up in the middle of the night to my tongue shaking and twitching, I had hot and cold pins and needles radiating from my neck, and a heightened sensitivity to sound. Not exactly tinnnitus but I find noises like doors being closed to be extremely grating. Also a lot of less specific issues like fatigue, anxiety, irritability, lack of sexual arousal etc. But what I have fixated most on is my tongue twitching.

The problem is when I googled speech difficulties and tongue twitching (the two most persistently obvious signs) I basically got a lot of results for ALS. Now I have a neurology appointment booked but due to the busy-ness of the season it's not for two months and in the meantime I am very anxious. I know ALS is very very rare, especially in your twenties (roughly 1 in a million) and when I did read the side effects from prolonged benzo withdrawal I am a very strong fit, but the problem is ever since I googled my symptoms two weeks ago I have had such a strong anxiety and fear from it being ALS that I don't know what's anxiety and what's actually withdrawal, like I have almost no appetite and I've lost 5 lbs in two weeks, that could support benzo withdrawal or just be from a fear of ALS.

Anyways I guess my point is, does the dosage and background of my use: ~2 months of 2.5mg of valium in a body that had used benzos in the past (since apparently past use lowers the threshold for physical dependence), seem in proportion with my symptoms?

[Guest [so...]]

This is clearly very frightening for you and i can only answer your question by way of my own experience. I was prescribed Valium 2.5mg for 6 weeks and then CTd, reinstated on a rapid taper. My sxs were horrendous, all that you describe so i would say yes, from my experience your sxs are in proportion to your dose, if you want to use me as a benchmark. However, sxs aren't necessarily dependent on dose as we are all different in the way our bodies respond to bwd. It is obviously  concerning to you, that's why you have made an appointment with a neurologist, bwd mimics many neurological conditions and the likelihood of you having ALS is slim but it will hopefully reassure you to consult with a neurologist and obtain a professional opinion . Best wishes.

[[Da...]]

Agree with SS. Likelihood of benzo withdrawal is >99%. Likelihood of ALS is <1%.

[[ho...]]

Wise to be evaluated to rule out something else.

 

In general, speech difficulties are called aphasia.  There are different kinds depending on where they happen in the brain or why. The fact you have the electrical tingling, tongue issues, " fatigue, anxiety, irritability, lack of sexual arousal" seems more like a geographic (all over) brain issue. That makes withdrawal more likely.

 

Many symptoms in withdrawal are related to excess glutamine- the excitatory chemical.  Normally GABA is the "brakes." Benzos stimulate GABA receptors in the brain. When you stop them, your normal chemicals need time to catch up and return to keeping things calm.

 

There are two areas for language on brain's left side: Wernicke's area is responsible for written language where Brocca's is responsible for speech. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernicke%27s_area. It's is known that deficits in B vitamins especially thiamine can cause brain issues. It follows that adding some b complex might be beneficial. These are taken in by diet or made in the gut by bacteria.  They aren't stored and are water soluble.

 

A thick tongue may be a form of edema.  It can happen often from allergies, but can be from either too much histamine (body can't clear metabolites) or glutamine in foods you eat.  MSG monosodium glutamate is found in almost any processed food or condiment. https://www.scq.ubc.ca/msg-more-than-meets-the-tongue/

 

Check out your diet. Good to take steps to reduce any possible sources of trouble.

 

 

[[de...]]

I agree with data guy.  He's a data guy. 

 

Agree with Southern, she has had real experience.  She is wise. 

 

Health anxiety is horrible. I had it too.  Don't consult with Dr Google.  It's  a QUACK. 

 

Took a bit of time to untrain myself from using it.  It was gradual.  Time works again. 

 

Everything you describe can be related to withdrawal.  I've had most of what you describe.  Some different one too. 

 

My tongue did 'roll' in on itself.  And the tip was acid-y.  Sometimes I had difficulty swallowing.  Don't know whether related to tongue or not?  A bit I suppose.  I've seen many people here reporting the tongue symptoms you describe.  Talking about nerves firing, my toes splayed as a frog.  Totally electrified. All good now.  Shikes! 

 

From my own experience, and from experiences of others here believe your tongue stuff is directly related to benzo withdrawal.  Electric tongue.... Maybe slow down for a little bit?  It is very uncomfortable.  Scary.  Weird.  I've not read anywhere where anything terrible results.  But you don't know that when first going through it.  Really disturbing, worrisome.  It won't hurt you. 

 

A really good idea you booked an neurologist.  I bet, it two months time you'll  be reconsidering, because your symptoms would have diminished, and you will have come to understand it better.

 

Imo You are in withdrawal and suffering health anxiety.  Your tongue is ok, it's just firing in all  directions.  Just like my splayed toes.  Electric toe. 

 

I'd just put up with it.  I did.  And it has completely resolved. 

 

Dee x 

 

 

 

 

 

[[Ta...]]

Wise to be evaluated to rule out something else.

 

In general, speech difficulties are called aphasia.  There are different kinds depending on where they happen in the brain or why. The fact you have the electrical tingling, tongue issues, " fatigue, anxiety, irritability, lack of sexual arousal" seems more like a geographic (all over) brain issue. That makes withdrawal more likely.

 

Many symptoms in withdrawal are related to excess glutamine- the excitatory chemical.  Normally GABA is the "brakes." Benzos stimulate GABA receptors in the brain. When you stop them, your normal chemicals need time to catch up and return to keeping things calm.

 

There are two areas for language on brain's left side: Wernicke's area is responsible for written language where Brocca's is responsible for speech. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernicke%27s_area. It's is known that deficits in B vitamins especially thiamine can cause brain issues. It follows that adding some b complex might be beneficial. These are taken in by diet or made in the gut by bacteria.  They aren't stored and are water soluble.

 

A thick tongue may be a form of edema.  It can happen often from allergies, but can be from either too much histamine (body can't clear metabolites) or glutamine in foods you eat.  MSG monosodium glutamate is found in almost any processed food or condiment. https://www.scq.ubc.ca/msg-more-than-meets-the-tongue/

 

Check out your diet. Good to take steps to reduce any possible sources of trouble.

Thanks hot hot, good info here I need to research more on these areas of brain.