Vibrating all over

[[ka...]]

Hello All,

 

This is my 7th day without any Ativan, I have been having windows of feeling good, depressed, anxiety, electrical vibrations, obsessive thoughts and insomnia.  I read through todays posts and notice alot of people have this but my mind keeps trying to convince me that there is something else wrong.  I have never had so much vibrating but I also only slept 2hrs last night and cannot even sleep at all today.  I live alone and when I wake I feel so scared that I had to have my grandson come and stay the nights, just having him here feels comforting.  Have any of you been fearful of staying alone?  I loved my life prior to all this mess I could be rational and trusted myself I was strong and now I feel so vulnerable.  I know we are to be staying positive but when I wake in the middle of the night and my thoughts  are running wild and I try to repeat a positive saying for every negative it becomes very tireing but still I won't fall a sleep.  If your reading this thanks for letting me ramble.  Went off 1.5mgs of Ativan in 6 weeks, maybe this was to fast.

 

Kay 58 

[[Be...]]

Kay58,

 

Everything you are experiencing sounds par for the course when it comes to benzo withdrawal, especially in light of the fact that you did a very rapid taper off of Ativan.

 

Just hang in there, grit your teeth and just take each day as it comes.  Acceptance is key when it comes to withdrawal side effects, but just know that given time your mind & body will indeed heal from all of this.  But it will take time.

[[we...]]

The insomnia and vibrating are/were my side effects.  I did a quick taper (3 weeks) off 0.7 mg/day ativan and I was shaking for a while.  I still have some shaking now, but it's much less, and my sleep is returning.  Being scared of everythings is also normal during this period.  Unfortunately, you are in withdrawal and time is your friend.  Just take it one moment at a time and ride it out the roller coaster.  Hang out on the site and ask many questions.  We often require constant reassurance during this period.  It's normal to be afraid, it's the rebound effect from not having the drug in your system.    I've posted the link to the ashton manual, which contains a lot of info. on benzo withdrawal.  Take care.

 

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/

[[Li...]]

Hi Kay.  I do get scared in the middle of the night. Isn't it horrible!  There have been many nights where I am pretty sure my symptoms are something else (heart attack, seizures etc.) but I do all the stuff I need to talk myself down and so far I am still here.   It is great you have your grandson who can come spend the night.  My husband is with me and  although he says I can wake him up, I never do because he has to go to work in the morning and I don't want him to not be able to function.  I also did a pretty quick taper but I think it is hard no matter what.  I did two other slower tapers and in the end failed with those.  This time I am going to make it.  YOU CAN TOO!!

[Guest [Tu...]]

Kay, hang in there. You jumped from a pretty decent dose of Ativan. I've done the same thing on Valium. And I'm dealing with the same things you are, I'm just three weeks behind you. I'm lucky that my wife is patient with me and I don't have to deal with finding a job for a few months. Some nights I sleep 2 or 3 hours and have very, very vivid dreams that wake me up, and it takes forever to drift back to sleep.

 

Other nights I just feel like electricity is flowing through my brain and causing anxiety that is relentless. When my wife leaves for work in the morning I try and keep busy by cleaning the house (as best as I can), going for a walk if I feel up to it, watching TV, getting online, or just laying in bed and letting this monster just have its way with me. I get paranoid being alone, too, and hearing the garage door going up in the late afternoon when my wife returns is so reassuring.

 

I feel silly putting this into words. I mean, I'm a big guy and can take care of myself. So why am I so fearful? It's just part of the withdrawal process, I know, but for me it's so hard to deal with. Hang in there. You're ahead of me in this process and I need someone I can relate to who's going CT off benzos too.

 

This is me:  

[[ka...]]

Thanks to all of you for understanding and reassuring me, family has a hard time understanding because they all know someone who did not have many withdraw symptoms.  Right at this moment I am so short of breath, and feel like a tight band is wrapped below my chest area its hard not to think that there must be something else going on, that is why I come here to verify that I will be okay.  I know all of you will be okay too we will just have to lean on each other through our written words.

 

 

 

Kay58

[[Sc...]]

Hi Kay,

 

I feel that full body vibration as well...and it is unpleasant to say the least.  And when I get hit at night w/ it I cringe.  I'll breathe through it for an hour and if it hasn't passed I usually end up quietly waking up my husband to talk me through it...or go to the tv room to try to distract myself w/ tv, books...anything.  I also don't like being alone...but then sometimes feel more stressed when my husband and/or daughter are home.  I'm not off my benzo yet...slowly but surely getting there.  This past cut I made I seem to be feeling more than usual...but I'm not sure if it also b/c I'm sick w/ a really bad cold that is wearing me out.  

 

Anyhoo...I know that feeling and even though I don't believe it when I'm "in it"...I TRULY believe it will pass over time and go away.  I think it just takes our bodies a long time to heal and really it makes sense when you read what these meds do to us in the first place.  

 

All the best...thinking of you...I know it's not easy.  But you are strong.

Schatje

[[sa...]]

Classic Benzo withdrawal...stay strong it gets better!

 

Chip

[[we...]]

The tightness around the chest is also bz withdrawal.  For me it passed around week 5 off or so.  Taking deep breaths in and doing some muscle relaxation helped.  Baths helped with the shaking, even getting up during the night to take the bath.  Shaking also causes my body to get too warm so I wet myself in the tub and cool off.  It helps me get back to sleep.

[[ja...]]

These sxs are so creepy and scary..I had them all im a C/T and in the first 8 weeks I got hit with many of the most sureal sxs and just layed there like OMG I have to be the only 1 in this world who feels this..I sware I didnt even know this existed ...Hang In Im at almost in 1 week 1 yr off and I still get the vibrateing expecially when I lay downits so much better and honest im just so used to it I can almost ignore it..You will be you again this does have a end to it Jenny

[[Ho...]]

Kay, I am over 120 days off xanax and just had a return of the vibrating feeling, focused mainly in my head.  It was a common symptom for me as I tapered down and I was free from it for a while.  It's not as bad as it used to be but in the past couple of weeks I have been awakened in the wee hours, frightened, confused, and thinking that something ELSE is now wrong with me because of the vibrations.  Intrusive thoughts when trying to sleep seem to be popping into my head on occasion again, too.  The daytime provides a more rational perspective, thank goodness.  I also got some reassurance in the past few days (again) from this board.

 

Apparently this just does take time.  I like what someone said about acceptance being so important.  Be strong, acknowledge you are going to experience these things, and make them lose some of their control over you and your thoughts.  This board was a godsend for me for perspective and connectedness.  In a way, the symptoms are my reinforcement that I am winning or that perhaps I have already won.

[[Ci...]]

kay...when i jumped off of 4mgs of klonopin i had the same symptoms or feelings and thoughts as you.  ...i was terrified...completely terrified.  ...if it had not been for forums websites and the ashton manual i nevah would have understood what was goin on.  ...it would take me alot of writin to describe what i had to endure and how long of a process it was for me.

 

i don't know how quickly you have tapered.  ...if it has been too quickly...consider goin back on a dose that will make you feel more comfortable...particularly if it has only been a week to two weeks since your last cut.  ...you  can hold at a dose that makes you less symptomatic and then when you feel much better you can restart and taper VERY SLOWLY.

 

i am very glad that your grandson can come over.  ....don't let this bother you.  ...you need the comfort of havin him with you.  ...what you are experiencin is so very frightenin.

 

i know that i and others can tell you that all of this is withdrawal...to be expected.  ...it didn't matter to me when people would tell me this...cuz...i was scared to death and in hell.  ...i know you will be scared for some time.

 

...it takes a LOT of time...much much much...but...truly....at some point you will find that the intrusive thoughts lessen...that the obsessive thinkin lessens....that the agitation lessens.  ...it is such a painful process and seems like it will never stop.  ....it took me months to get where i am today.  ..recently has been tuff cuz i just cut...but...in between times...oh..wow...i had great improvement.  ...the d/p and d/r went away.  ...i had less and less intrusive thoughts...the obsessing got less and less...the depression went away.

 

kay...really think bout goin back to a dose that relieves you...then taper even more slowly than you have.  ...i HAD to do this.  ...i have had a long and drawn out taper cuz i needed to do so.  ...goin back to a comfortable dose can make all the difference.

 

you are gonna get better...kay.  ...realize you are not crazy...that you will not die....that the fear subsides or reduces.  ...you are experiencin powerful withdrawal.

 

let that grandson of yours keep stayin with you.

 

wishin you much comfort and solace.

 

-sam-

[[...]]

Kay,

You are going to be much, much better... just stay the course and be patient. 

Uncertainty is normal, and we all believe that we have some deathly and terminal illness. 

We cannot believe that a drug prescribed to help us could possibly do this much harm, and that a doctor would

ever prescribe it if it did.  Unbelievable, but true.

 

You are lucky to have your grandson for comfort.  Focus on him when you are having a bad day.

You are going to love your life again.  Even more than before.

Our lives and our health are resources we should never take for granted again.

 

Your BB friends know and care. They have either endured this trial by fire in the past, or they are doing so now.

BB is a great internet hospital with some truly great "doctors". 

I owe them a lot, and I am trying to pay it forward by letting others know that healing will come.

-David