Z-Drugs

[[Ja...]]

Hi Everyone!  I am writing here because I am getting no help from doctors and feel as though I have nowhere to turn.  I am having horrible symptoms and have been for the past five months since stopping my Sonata, which I took nightly for 4 years, 10 mg.  I stopped cold turkey, because I didn't even realize I was taking something that needed weaning.  No one told me, including the prescriber.  Everyday I feel panic over whether or not I am in withdrawal or I am slowly dying from a motor neuron disease.  No doctor can confirm the withdrawal and I have had to come to these conclusions on my own.  About a week after stopping, I felt squeezing and tightness in all of my muscles, jelly legs, muscle weakness, bugs crawling on me, worms crawling inside of me, fasciculations along my whole body but mostly my legs, weakness in my bladder, stiff feeling hands and feet, numbness and tingling, pins and needles in all extremities.  Now, I have a hand tremor and difficulty swallowing, a clicking in my throat when I swallow, horrible globus sensation, tingling in my head.  My tongue and whole mouth is constantly numb, burning and tingling with twitching happening. Sometimes I even have troubles getting words out. The muscle twitching and worms crawling feeling has not stopped for five months. Every now and think I don't feel it and then it comes right back. During the day, I can ignore some of the symptoms as they stop when I'm moving around.  But night is the worst. I can't sleep bc its all keeping me up, not to mention the anxiety.  I am nervous to take ANY medication for fear it will make things worse.  I am going out of my mind.  I have had a brain MRA, MRI, CT Scan, EMG of my legs and arms, neuro exam, seen and ENT and GI doc.  Everything is checking out as normal, but everyday I think I have ALG, Parkinson's, MS, you name it.  I guess my question is, do I continue down the rabbit hole of seeing new doctors and repeat testing or does it make sense to all of you experts in this community that what I am going through sounds like withdrawal?  There isn't as much information on z-drugs, although I know they are considered baby benzos and can have equally damaging affects.  Please guide me.  I am so lost.  Thank you!

[[Pa...]]

Z-drugs are bad news and don’t get the coverage benzo’s do but even though their technically a non-benzodiazepine, they can still do the same amount of damage.

 

I keyed in a statement you wrote indicating your symptoms will sometimes leave, you’re not imagining this, distraction can help us take our minds off of the pain.  Use this to give yourself some brief moments of respite and soon, you’ll be experiencing windows of relief.  This doesn’t mean you’re recovered, but it means you’re on your way.

 

I would probably stop going for testing, you’ve spent a lot of money, you’ve faced a lot of dismissiveness and I’m sure that ramps up your stress which can make you feel worse.

 

Acceptance and education will help you feel better than the doctors who are telling you nothing is wrong and perhaps worse, labeling you with conditions you don’t have and prescribing unnecessary drugs which may impede your recovery.

[[Ma...]]

I have the same from zopiclone

 

Diagnose with dystonia

[[Co...]]

I agree with the dismissiveness ramping up symptoms. It's what made me so confused and felt misunderstood in cortisone when I was weird but no one took me seriously and then I ended up on a benzo instead so way worse now. Now they all just let me struggle in my taper and are of no  help. Luckily I have a stash.

[[Ma...]]

I have All your symptoms plus severe Dystonia and Akathasia from a z drug

 

How are you now?