Muscle pain

[[Ta...]]

I am almost done with my taper. I’m experiencing extreme muscle pain. I feel like I’ve been beaten by a bat. I’m still able to function and work but the pain worries me about permanent damage.

[[ma...]]

Well done on your taper, you should be proud of yourself.  Withdrawal isn't easy but its worth it!      Its normal for us to get muscle pain, It can be excruciating!  Benzos are muscle relaxers so it makes sense that when you taper off you will get muscle aches and pain.  If you are concerned about symptoms, always best to get them checked to stop you worrying.  I had awful muscle pain, most of us do, it gets better with time.

 

This is from The Ashtons Manual 

 

Muscle symptoms. Benzodiazepines are efficient muscle relaxants and are used clinically for spastic conditions ranging from spinal cord disease or injury to the excruciating muscle spasms of tetanus or rabies. It is therefore not surprising that their discontinuation after long-term use is associated with a rebound increase in muscle tension. This rebound accounts for many of the symptoms observed in benzodiazepine withdrawal. Muscle stiffness affecting the limbs, back, neck and jaw are commonly reported, and the constant muscle tension probably accounts for the muscle pains which have a similar distribution. Headaches are usually of the "tension headache" type, due to contraction of muscles at the back of the neck, scalp and forehead - often described as a "tight band around the head". Pain in the jaw and teeth is probably due to involuntary jaw clenching, which often occurs unconsciously during sleep.

 

At the same time, the nerves to the muscles are hyperexcitable, leading to tremor, tics, jerks, spasm and twitching, and jumping at the smallest stimulus. All this constant activity contributes to a feeling of fatigue and weakness ("jelly-legs"). In addition, the muscles, especially the small muscles of the eye, are not well co-ordinated, which may lead to blurred or double vision or even eyelid spasms (blepharospasm).

 

None of these symptoms is harmful, and they need not be a cause of worry once they are understood. The muscle pain and stiffness is actually little different from what is regarded as normal after an unaccustomed bout of exercise, and would be positively expected, even by a well-trained athlete, after running a marathon.

 

Magrita

[[Ta...]]

Thank you. 

[[gr...]]

I am also having extreme muscle pain, mainly my neck, shoulders and arms..I can barely use my arms... Bio freeze seems to help a bit doesn't take all the pain away but it takes some of it away...

[[fl...]]

After reading many posts here, it seems that muscle pain is a very common physical symptom when withdrawing from and after quitting benzos.  Virtually all of my posts here on BB have been about muscle pain (and headaches). 

 

At 18 months of valium I am still having significant back and side pain mostly lower back and abdomen, but it can extend up to my chest and down to my buttocks and legs. It is very painful to bend or stretch and walk.

 

For this past 2 months I have also had this uncomfortable itching/burning feeling all over the same areas that are sore.  It is actually a little bit better and more bearable than having the extreme muscle pain and I am wondering (and hoping) that this is the beginning of the end.

 

What helps me are walking (if I can), heat pads and gentle swimming.

 

Hope we all recover very soon.

 

[[Gr...]]

Muscle pain is the worst!  One thing that helped me tremendously, was massage therapy.  Also, my massage therapist helped identify some pain points.  One thing she suggested was to try out different orthopedic pillows.  She said that everyone is different so she wouldn't recommend me any specific kind.  But I did try out some and found one that really helped support my neck and keep my head straight while sleeping and it made such a difference in my amount of daily pain. 

 

When she first brought up the pillow thing, I honestly dismissed what she was saying because I was thinking it was just all benzo withdrawal.  But it actually ended up helping me so much.  I hope everyone's muscle pain gets better. 

[[2c...]]

Thanks so much Magrita for the reminder of Dr Ashton’s comments on muscle pain .  My muscle pain , too, is getting worse as I taper.  The worst for me is leg pain.  It is the main reason, I think for me, not being able to sleep.  It wakes me up after about 3 hours and I can’t manage it after that,. 

 

I use Icy Hot pain patches and BioFreeze.  Also warm water bottle, hot or cold gel packs and hot or cold rice hull packs.  Some days nothing helps.  I’m exhausted and full of pain most days, probably like the rest of you.  It gives me great anxiety.

 

I do feel better after a hot shower but it doesn’t last.  Wish I had a tub to soak in!

 

I certainly hope after I’m finished with Ativan this will start to subside!

[[Cr...]]

My muscles are extremely hard and tight and painful. Massage therapy and hot baths has helped me. Ibuprofen and Tylenol helps me too. Every time I go down on a dose it flares up and once it eases up it’s time to go down again. The pain makes me feel like it’s going to last forever but I try to remain positive. Also thinking about just jumping next time instead of going down just to keep myself from having to go through this flare up like this all over again.

[[wi...]]

Yes.  Severe muscle pain is a common symptom, and I have it often.  Massage therapy does indeed help.  Nothing is a perfect fix.  My joints hurt, too.  Muscles get very weak, like I can't even stand up.  Working out is near impossible right now.  If you can work and walk, you should be very grateful!

 

This does suck, though.

[[Cr...]]

Muscle pain is the worst!  One thing that helped me tremendously, was massage therapy.  Also, my massage therapist helped identify some pain points.  One thing she suggested was to try out different orthopedic pillows.  She said that everyone is different so she wouldn't recommend me any specific kind.  But I did try out some and found one that really helped support my neck and keep my head straight while sleeping and it made such a difference in my amount of daily pain. 

 

When she first brought up the pillow thing, I honestly dismissed what she was saying because I was thinking it was just all benzo withdrawal.  But it actually ended up helping me so much.  I hope everyone's muscle pain gets better. 

 

Hello. How long after you jumped did your muscle pain get better? Thanks in advance.

[[Ta...]]

Thanks for all of your replies. I do hope this pain eases. Thanks again.

[[Gr...]]

Muscle pain is the worst!  One thing that helped me tremendously, was massage therapy.  Also, my massage therapist helped identify some pain points.  One thing she suggested was to try out different orthopedic pillows.  She said that everyone is different so she wouldn't recommend me any specific kind.  But I did try out some and found one that really helped support my neck and keep my head straight while sleeping and it made such a difference in my amount of daily pain. 

 

When she first brought up the pillow thing, I honestly dismissed what she was saying because I was thinking it was just all benzo withdrawal.  But it actually ended up helping me so much.  I hope everyone's muscle pain gets better. 

 

Hello. How long after you jumped did your muscle pain get better? Thanks in advance.

 

Honestly, it took about a year off to get some big results.  It is such a slow gradual process.  During the end of my taper and the beginning of being off benzos, I  had pain, physical pain, most of the time.  The it slowly became less and less often until about a year and a half off, I was only getting pain like maybe once or twice  a week.  Has the pain completely left?  Well, I still get headaches and migraines, maybe every month or every other month, but they are becoming less and less often and I honestly don't know how much of that  I might have had anyways, without benzos. 

 

But most days, are pain free now and have been for over a year.  :smitten:

[[Ta...]]

That is great to hear. 

[[gr...]]

How are you doing Tallgolfer? I'm doing terrible..  The pain is so intense in my neck arms and shoulders.  I can't even lift my arms they feel like they are broken. When I move them a little all I hear is pops and cracks and it hurts like hell.  I am starting to wonder if Benzos damage ligaments and tendons, because that is what this feels like.  This poison needs to be banned...

[[sl...]]

I just wonder how you all sleep with such pain?

[[gr...]]

It is very difficult to sleep. I take unisom at night to knock me out but I always wake up with my arms aching so bad. Not getting much sleep at all.

[[Cr...]]

I just wonder how you all sleep with such pain?

 

Over the counter pain medicine and Benadryl

[[wi...]]

when you people say you can sleep with Benadryl and OTC sleep medicines..do you mean a solid deep sleep? A full nights sleep?

Please answer both questions.  thank you

[[Cr...]]

I have to get up at night a lot to use the restroom but if I didn’t, then I think that I would be able to get some pretty good sleep with the Benadryl.

[[sl...]]

Could it be unisom/ benedryl causing the muscle pain?

[[gr...]]

No. It is not the unisom. It is definitely the Benzo withdrawal.

[[Ta...]]

Yeah. The pain is no fun. If I keep busy I’m able to distract from the pain. Today I had to take my heating pad to work.

[[Cr...]]

Could it be unisom/ benedryl causing the muscle pain?

 

No because I don’t take it every night. I don’t even take it every other night. It’s the withdrawal because the benzos are muscle relaxers so coming down off of them cause all kinds of muscle problems. I don’t only have muscle pain. I have spasms, twitching and tingling in my muscles. For example: I have a really bad spasm that makes my calf muscle very stiff and balled up. I can massage it out and relieve some of the pain that the muscle has started to cause by pressing on my nerve but once I massage it out, it stiffens right back up. Always tight. Only slight relief here and there.

[[2c...]]

How are you doing Tallgolfer? I'm doing terrible..  The pain is so intense in my neck arms and shoulders.  I can't even lift my arms they feel like they are broken. When I move them a little all I hear is pops and cracks and it hurts like hell.  I am starting to wonder if Benzos damage ligaments and tendons, because that is what this feels like.  This poison needs to be banned...

 

 

I had the same question about ligaments and tendons.  I have muscle pain but the tendons and ligaments around joints, in particular for me, knees, hips and elbows, sometimes have excruciating pain.

I asked my massage therapist and chiropractor and they suggested that the ligaments and tendons are painful because of my muscles always being contracted and pulling on the connective tissue.

 

Not a fix but it makes sense to me.

 

Also use Benadryl most nights to help sleep through pain. very groggy the next day but worth it to get sleep.

 

It will be over one day!!

[[gr...]]

Yes that makes sense 2Cats. I was worried that  my ligaments and tendons were being severely damaged from the lorazepam. I cannot even lift up my arms. It feels like both my rotator cuffs are torn. I've never been in this much pain in my life.. This is some crazy stuff we have to go through. I hope it ends one day. The worst part is that the pain continues to spread and get worse every time I reduce my dose. Originally the pain was just in my neck. The next cut it spread to my right shoulder. Next cut it went down my right arm, next cut it spread to my left shoulder and down my arm.  Not sure  where it's going on the next cut. Now I know how and why some people are bed ridden....  Hope we all start feeling better soon!!