Another wave after 3+ years benzo free

[[gs...]]

I'll keep this short. I was on Clonazepam from 2012 to 2015. I tried to taper but failed so switched over to Valium. I tapered Valium slowly from 2015 until 2020.

I've been benzo-free since April 2020. It was hell for a long time, during the taper and even after getting off benzos.

The worst symptom I deal with is definitely air hunger. 

For the past few months I've improved a lot. I'd say even the past 6 months I dealt with WAY less air hunger and felt like I'm actually healing.

All of a sudden, my air hunger is back with a vengeance and I feel like I can't even sleep because of it again. How is this damn symptom popping up again after I was doing so well for so long?

 

 

[[de...]]

Gsingh:   Sorry you are experiencing the air hunger again.   I quit benzos in March 2020 and I am currently in a tough spot after doing well for several months.   There is no rhyme or reason to this process, but we do know that every day we are getting closer to being healed even when we are symptomatic.   It is so disheartening to feel as if we are going "backwards", but we are not.    We are going forward, it just doesn't feel that way.   I hope you have better days ahead.

[[or...]]

I'm not sure what air-hunger is, but is it when you have to just throw open a window, or step outside for fresh air?  If so, I get that on occasion.  I sure think you're right about the "no rhyme or reason" because I've read so much about the different folks with different stories on their road to recovery.  I don't know what mine will be, but I will have the story to tell.  Just 5 months into a slow taper, did start having some wd sxs, so even a super slow taper (6% a month off 1mg C I took 35 years) may not take away wd sxs.

Glad you are here, and mostly glad you are off benzos so you can totally focus on your healing, Denise

[[fl...]]

I am just over 34 months off valium (cold turkey) and overall I was making some progress.  However about 5 weeks ago my most persistent symptom (severe muscle pain/burning) just suddenly took off.  I have been in a brutal wave ever since.  There are some days when I can hardly walk which is just like when I first quite benzos.

There is no rhythm nor reason to this.....

[[gs...]]

2 hours ago, [[o...] said:

I'm not sure what air-hunger is, but is it when you have to just throw open a window, or step outside for fresh air?  If so, I get that on occasion.  I sure think you're right about the "no rhyme or reason" because I've read so much about the different folks with different stories on their road to recovery.  I don't know what mine will be, but I will have the story to tell.  Just 5 months into a slow taper, did start having some wd sxs, so even a super slow taper (6% a month off 1mg C I took 35 years) may not take away wd sxs.

Glad you are here, and mostly glad you are off benzos so you can totally focus on your healing, Denise

Air hunger is when you feel like you're not getting enough air and/or can't breathe properly. It almost feels like asthma except there's no wheezing and nothing physically wrong. If I have it during the day then I can manage to shift my focus elsewhere. When I have it at night then I struggle to sleep though.