Update....

[[gs...]]

Hello everyone it's your old buddy jeff here...Well it's been 25 days without Klonopin and I must say wow! The other night I awoke at 4:30a.m. to this enormous pain in the back of my skull...It felt like somebody was squeezing my brain then my body started to uncontrolably shake, and my heart raced like crazy...I thought I was going to die, but I laid there and took it..."THIS IS NOT THE LIFE FOR A 24yr. old!" Since then the side affects are still there, but if their diminishing I don't know..This is what's bothering me after 25 days: Tingling sensation in head, face, ears, eyes, neck...My eyes are rolling around uncontrollably...I'm very sensitive to light and my ears are ringing and sensitive to sound..Swollen lips, dry eyes, headaches sometimes quick and sometimes lasting hours..Abdominal cramps and pains, difficulty breathing and swallowing, boils on skin, muscle cramps and fatigue, and dizzieness and light headedness..I'm sure there's more but you get the idea! Sometimes I'm so worried that "Ohh am I going to suffer with this forever?" "How long will it last?" etc. Truth be told I've wondered how long it'll be and asked people how long their symptoms lasted, but no-one's emailed me back so I'm left in the dark here....Even now i'm tingling in my head, my eyes are dry and I can't look at the computer screen without my eyes hurting and the room bouncing up and down...I'm so upset and nervous, but I just keep praying and hoping it will go away and I'll be normal again..I ask you why is it that we meet people that quit cold turkey with no side affects after years! Yet we were on this stuff for a matter of months or in my case two years, and experience such tereble things...Just genetics I guess! I just hope that I will get better and I hope that everyone here reading this continues to feel better also...It's definetly time for a change! You all deserve happy side affect free lives! I shall continue praying for everyone here! God bless you! I hope to hear back from ya'll soon so keep in touch and keep me posted....

[[si...]]

hi gstamps i noticed my mind was much clearer - my side effects less - but yep still changes going on - i got off 12/3/07 and have to say i feel pretty symptom free at this point.

 

different strokes for different folks - the important thing is this - you are off and whatever is happening your body is responding and repairing.

 

don't loose faith or hope. :yippee:

[[ja...]]

Yikes, sounds like you are being hit hard.  I'm sorry you are going through this.  Please help me remember what you were on and did you CT or taper.  Either way, you will someday return to normal.  I don't know when or how long this will last, but there will be an end to it.  Can you refresh my memory and let me know a tad of your story please?  Janus

[[ru...]]

Wow, Jeff, sounds like you're really being hit hard.

 

Some folks have a hard time, some have a not so hard time. It's anybody's guess as to who will have a worse time of it. Some things you can do to help is stay off as much sugar as possible and eat a lot of protien, esp red meat if you can. Also try not to get over stimulated-- no Stephen King, no horror movies, no loud music, no gore.. that kind of thing. Pretend you're about three years old right now, at least as far as your CNS (central nervous system) goes. For a while after I finished my taper I couldn't watch anything more exciting than Mr Rogers.  Not even Antiques Roadshow!!

 

Hang in there!

 

rufus

[[el...]]

Hi Buddie Jeff!

It's nice to hear from you but very sorry you are having a tough time of it. It will pass. I probably didn't have it quite as hard as you, but I was only on for a total of 7 or 8 months or so, including my taper. You will make it, just hang in there. Sometimes you just have to ride it out, and it sounds like you are doing just that.

Thank you for you good wishes, and the very same to you! ((((hug))))) 

Linda

[[si...]]

well i am here to talk about it.

 

after my last cut i have to tell you - my spirits where high - however there is a shock to the system after the last little bit is gone - knowing this can prepare you so you do not freak out.

 

not everyone goes thru this rebuilding period - but it looks like you are and others do to.

 

i had inflamed dry - pink eyes and they were crusty to - i felt like i had no skin and i was transparent vulnerable - sleep was a demon i had to learn to deal with i was bloated my kidneys were stressed - my lips swollen my tummy hurt and stuck way out - my fingers looked like sausages.

 

now all this crap scared me because some how miraculously it looks like people go through withdrawals and then like a fairy tail everything comes up like roses in the bright sun shine.

 

after someone shared that there was indeed a final withdrawal - i got comfortable - but if you do not know this you will be left wondering WTF is happening - will this ever stop - maybe the doctors were right - i am nuts.

 

well you are not nuts and yes it does pass - so get comfortable - will take a little bit longer - your last cut was your last and hardest taper - but it also brought you home to the place were you are free.

 

so give it some time - takes about two months to get human - takes longer to get completely healed - but you do get into solid ground by the end of the 2nd month - many get there sooner.

 

sleep that is the hard one - i relied on supplements - traded them around and out - eventually i realized i had to let natural sleep return - but just to get you through the nightmare - if indeed you are dealing with a nightmare instead of a life - use supplements.

 

it is all normal - you need to know that - don't get freaked - your body is healing - you will be ok.

[[ja...]]

Nice post, Silver. 

[[si...]]

thank you janus

[[si...]]

can you put the utube in your footer - i can't find it.

 

ok - after my 2nd month i was pretty stable - i decided not to use sleep supplements because they stopped working - then sleep started to come w/o stress - not a full 8 hours but i adjusted to far less sleep then i thought i needed.

 

it is like walking on water that has a thin sheet of ice - i stepped carefully and let my body catch up to my life - i was just so glad to get off the beznos.

 

now did i feel like giving up - well nope - but to be honest there were times that i doubted that i could do this - at the same time i knew i would do it come hell or high water.

 

i leaned to wear my pink eyes, bags under my eyes - that drugged out look with some comfort - i knew i was healing but i was afraid maybe i wasn't.  it helped tremendously to know that others felt the same way - and it really helped to hear that they got threw it - unfortunately there really is not much info out there of people that had a hard time and made it - it is easy to believe that you are the only one - but you are not.

 

i learned to rest/relax in bed - that helped me to feel rested.  i learned to not put anything in my body that was not good for me - and to be good to myself and i leaned heavily on this forum

 

today i feel pretty good - i accept not sleeping when i can't but sleep much better then i have (not long) - but better.

 

sleep supplements are a big help if not taken for more then 5 days - past that they stop working.  the trick is to relax - people do get through it honest.

[[Je...]]

You are absolutely not crazy!!  but you do need to take a deep breath...and roll with the flow.  Your heart is beating...if it weren't you wouldn't be typing to us...LOL  I freaked when it was too slow and freaked when it was too fast...I freaked over everything!!  Try to calm down...and take comfort in knowing that you will heal and this won't be forever.

 

Love,

 

Jen

[[ja...]]

Those slowed heartbeats are called pvcs...I have had a heartrate as low as 42 /min during the taper especially at night.  I asked a cardiologist about this and he simply said when the heart slows down it has more time to do odd things.  I thought that a weird answer but I accepted it and went on my way.  PVCS and PACS (fast beat) can happen at anytime and are most often benign.  You can have it checked if yu get worried about it and it may bring you peace of mind.  I did and the cardiologist called them benign nuisances..I was having about 4 every 15 seconds.  Anxiety does not help them at all.  Janus

[[el...]]

  PVCS and PACS (fast beat) can happen at anytime and are most often benign.  You can have it checked if yu get worried about it and it may bring you peace of mind.  I did and the cardiologist called them benign nuisances..I was having about 4 every 15 seconds.  Anxiety does not help them at all.  Janus

 

Janus, I was diagnosed with PAC's years ago, and it's actually skipped beats. It's not really fast, but creates a flutter feeling in your chest, like it's going to stop. When I take my pulse, sometimes I don't feel it right away. Then it will beat a couple of times and then skip again. But it's totally benign. They are definitely triggered by stress and anxiety. Or just even an adrenaline rush will do.

I don't know as much about PVC's though.

[[si...]]

gstamp can you please put the dose you tapered from and when your last dose was so we can track your time lines.

 

we don't get a whole lot of immediate post benzo people - i would like to do a comparison - i to am recently post benzo as is linda.

 

to put info in footer

1. click profile (a page ill open)

2. look to left -  "modify profile"

3. scroll down to paragraph size opening - enter drug - date stopped

 

thank you 

[[si...]]

hi everything happening to you is normal - try to relax - you are going to look and feel rough for about a month or two.

 

take a supplement if absolutely needed for sleep - something like benadryl - sleepmd - calms forte.

 

eventually you will have to establish a balance to allow natural sleep to return - you are out of the woods - your body is just going through some adjustments - everything you are going through is normal - doctors may not be aware of withdrawal symptoms but forum people are.

 

do some deep breathing excersies through out the day even if you do not need them - they will help to settle you down and help you to get centered.

[[el...]]

Jeff, go read this if you haven't already.

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=7416.0

 

Tomorrow I will help you put your info in your sig line. I'm too burnt out right now! 

 

All the supplements you mentioned are just fine for most people in wd, so I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think you would be better off taking something rather than remain in the state you are!

I promise you'll be fine. Hang in there!

[[Je...]]

Hi!

 

You are NOT nuts!!  This is all part of withdrawal from benzo's.  I have been where you are and now I am leading a perfectly normal benzo free life.  You will get there too!!  Just try to relax and don't look for more symptoms.  Each time you find a new one...it just causes a little more panic and a little more anxiety.  I know cause I nearly drove myself nuts doing it!! 

 

Hang in there...I promise this is not permanent...and things will get easier!

 

Love,

 

Jen

[[si...]]

wow sounds like you are normal - shocking isn't it.  the severity of symptoms does vary - but nothing shocking there - just kinda annoying to go through.

 

hopefully knowing that will help.  i used analgesic rubs on my sore muscles - a bite guard for the mouth/check/face pain during the night.

 

and just take it as easy as you can rest even if you don't sleep - lay in bed at night and as long as possible during the  morning - if you have been tracking daily you should see some cognitive improvement - by the end of the 2nd month many demons should be put to rest - maybe not sleeping but definitely put to rest.

 

use sleep supplements very sparingly - rest - eat good - keep hydrated - i used flax meal to help keep me comfy.

[[tr...]]

It actually sounds like you are doing pretty good!  The road ahead looks good.

[[Je...]]

Yes, I had that "impending doom" feeling often.  As far as the TMJ problem...I really do have that.  Does your jaw click or pop when you open and close your mouth?  If not, probably not TMJ.  Chalk another one up for benzo withdrawal.  A TMJ episode will also cause a headache somewhat like a migraine but it can last for weeks or months!!!  I'm so glad I finally got mine under control!! 

 

I'm sure the stress of withdrawal could also make you grind your teeth at night which could cause those problems as well.  They sell OTC mouth guards at the pharmacy that you warm and mold to your particular teeth.  It prevents the grinding of teeth.  If it continues to bother you, you might try that.

 

Love,

 

Jen

[[si...]]

actually jeni tmj is the clenching of the jaw - it can cause pain straight on up the side your your face, neck and lower jaw - it hurts a lot  - it is you jaw does not have to click or pop - just hurt - also causes head aches.

 

i used a bite device at night when i slept and that made short work of the pain/clenching.

 

muscle spasms/tightness are not unusual post benzo or during a benzo taper.

[[Je...]]

Yes, trust me, I know TMJ all too well.  That's another chapter of my life and a battle....knock on wood....I won so far.  Those headaches are enough to drive you  crazy!!  LOL  I haven't had a TMJ episode since I got rid of my ex-husband.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm  LOL

 

Jen

[[si...]]

it is really great that you feel good - don't question it - record it for those days that are more challenging - may you have many more light headed feel good days.

 

as for the mouth piece - they can be found in just about any drug store - most of them require melting then fit to the mouth - mine is from a dentist.

[[tr...]]

I just got an email from another benzo member...Did ya'll really experience abnormal eye movement, twitches, and spasms for weeks on end? And eye's just bouncing around? Or are some people just saying this to make me feel better? Cause this is seriously bugging me now...Ohh my nice little adrenaline rush is gone back to feeling crappy...I'm not accusing or anything it's just what some people tell me then what I read doesn't add up or make sense...Hope to hear back from ya'll!

 

  I have to ask this:  Why would anyone tell you they are experiencing symptoms that they're not?  Is someone messing with your mind? 

 

No one would tell you that to make you feel better.  What would be the point?  I have had eye lid (right eye) twitches and spasms, blurred vision, for months.  I consider them to be one of my minor symptoms, they don't really hurt or make me feel strange.  I consider them annoying at the most.

 

I don't have adrenaline rushes, I don't have caffine at all.  I would LOVE an adrenaline rush!  A burst of enegery would be most welcome.

[[si...]]

i have very sensitive eyes and looked kinda tired so i bought some eye powder to look pretty and then  i got pink eye - styes - sticky stuffs and really looked bad.

 

sensitive eyes seems to bug some of us on or off benzo's but it seems to flare up during withdrawals/tapers etc.

 

i used genteal eye drops -no preservatives in them - and i had to stop using stuff to make me look pretty that just back fired all over the place.  genie recommended those drops and they work well.

[[si...]]

you are keeping really good records - i feel pretty much symptom free now - lets see first month i looked and felt haggard.

 

2nd month i was freaked i couldn't sleep and supplements stopped working

 

start of 3rd month sleeping, looking and feeling good

 

i accepted physical changes would occur so i wasn't really concerned - i think i was most afraid that normal sleep might not come.

 

i also accepted gaba receptors needed to repair so that didn't scare me - i just noticed stuff and was happy i was drug free.  actually i healed much faster then i thought i would.

 

i am feeling life is good - very good