Severe Burning Skin and Head Pressure

[[On...]]

I can’t type a lot due to concentration issues but I was sent to jail from being stupid and was there for 32 days. I was in the middle of a gabapentin taper but had also recently relapsed on Xanax which means I am most likely kindling. I had a bad Xanax withdrawal 5 years ago and stayed away from it until about the last year. At jail They provided me no gabapentin and rapidly tapered me from the zan over 3 days. I have used zan a few days out of the month maybe 2-3 days for the last year or so. I would get prescription and give them away and keep like 10 which I would take over the course of 2-3 days. But before jail I took about 20 1mg over the course of about 5 days. I know I’m an addict an stupid. A few days before I was released from jail my skin slowly started burning now it is almost unbearable for at least half of the day. It feels like I am being lit on fire I am yelling at people and feel like I am going to burn to death. I think i have glutamate excitotoxicity my heart is racing 24-7, I am afraid the rapid abruption of the pills has destroyed my brain. I don’t know if I can take much more of an increase in the burning and it fells like it is getting more intense by the day. At night it has seemed to level off down by 50% but it is only 4pm now so let’s see. I am afraid to go to the hospital but I imagine if it gets worse I will go and end up in the psych ward. Can anyone help me with how to manage this. I take magnesium, relora, ashwaghanda and L-theanine but today nothing is touching it. What do you suggest I do? I am afraid to go back on the meds I don’t have any anyways. I am afraid to go to the psych ward and end up in a padded room screaming my skin is on fire. They will think it is schizophrenia and not the meds. Please help. Did anyone experience burning like you were on fire that seemed unmanageable? Thank you so much. 

[[jo...]]

Hi there, 

I’m so sorry you’re suffering with the terrible burning skin. I had the same experience with CT detox from Xanax. 
My body felt like someone had poured gasoline on my body and lit a match. It’s absolutely inconceivable pain. 

I took gabapentin to help with the burning nerve pain. I hated to get on it but I had to function. It helps some. It does not affect the same receptors as the benzos. I was advised that it may also help to calm the glutamate storm that the benzos leave behind, making way for our “existing” gaba to be available. 
 

I am 21 months off the Xanax and still dealing with the burning along with other painful symptoms, plus the terrible chemical anxiety. I took the Xanax 3 months, tried to taper for 4 and had burning skin while tapering.

My doc wouldn’t cross me over to a longer acting Benzo to taper, so I went to detox after trying to taper for 4 months.  The detox place told me they could help me. I believed their sales pitch. Once I left detox all hell broke loose with the burning. I totally understand the brutal pain and fear.

One other thing, you may want to be sure those supplements aren’t making things worse. We are so sensitized and sometimes the supplements can be problematic for some people, but can work just fine for others. Everyone is different. 

To soothe the burning there really isn’t an over the counter solution. I use 5 ice packs at night and hold frozen  drinking water bottles as well. I have the burning in my head/scalp, arms and lower legs. I’ve spent thousands on docs, labs, nerve conduction tests, MRI, integrated docs and more. All test normal.

I hope the burning settles for you soon. It truly is one if the worst symptoms. I’m so sorry.

Take good care. 

 

[[ia...]]

 

@onescareddude Hi love. Read your post above. At some point, I hope to learn more about your story but want to first address this post. I’m a recovering addict myself (opioids mostly) so I can relate to much of what you’ve shared. I’m so sorry about your brief stint in jail…be kind to yourself.

The burning you described sounds awful. When I was in WD, I had some burning on my scalp, but I’m not totally familiar with the intense burning many of our members including you have described. I am familiar with the elevated heart rate/pounding/fast heart rate. I know how scary it is…

In the subject line of your post, you also indicate ‘head pressure’. If this is still an ongoing symptom for you, I might have a suggestion that could help. One of my WORST symptoms in tapering  of and during WD from Benzos, was the HEAD PRESSURE.

Context: Benzos act as a vasodilator on the body. When we TAKE them, our muscles and blood vessels, RELAX and OPEN. However, when we are going through WD and in the ABSENCE of benzos, the muscles and blood vessels do the OPPOSITE and CONSTRICT – they get TIGHT. Come to find out, ‘NIACIN’ is NATURAL VASODIALATOR. It is a supplement< When I started taking Niacin, the head pressure almost went away completely for me.

DISCLOSURE: It is very important to note, upon taking Niacin, it’s common to get the niacin ‘flush’ – blood comes to the surface of the skin and the skin becomes warm and tingly (Although this is completely normal, it is NOT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO accomplish given your other symptom!). You can completely avoid the flush by following the two points below:

1.       START LOW – I started with 100 mg and got the capsules so I could dump out half the contents and work my way up SLOWLY. It took me about a week – until I took the full 100 mg.

2.       When taking it the first few times – do so on a FULL stomach. It takes about an hour to kick in. If you take the supplement with enough food, you really shouldn’t ‘feel’ anything other than the pressure in your head subsiding.

If you’re struggling with the head pressure, the Niacin can help. If you’re concerned about the ‘flush’ I know there are other ‘natural’ vasodilators out there, but I haven’t tried other supplements because I’ve had such success with the Niacin.

I know you’re suffering so much right now. Your body will find homeostasis. Hang in there and keep us posted on how you’re doing.

[[Gr...]]

@[ia...]  Hi, I was just reading online about niacin B3 speeding up withdrawal. I have burning facial skin and I am going absolutely insane. My skin is swollen. I saw CVS has "flush-free" Niacin B3 after I read on WebMD that someone used flush-free and in a few days her symptoms were gone.  Have you heard of it or tried it? I wonder if it is the same ingredient.  I am scared to try anything that will make me flush as I am already flushed because of something that is going on with my skin and this damn withdrawal. Have you heard anything about adding Vitamin C, too? I read something about using both of these, not sure about it. 

I hear Niacin can be bad at high doses if taken for a long time, but this seems to be a great idea because it's not forever. I think I am going to try this. I will follow your suggestions about starting low and on a full stomach.  Thank you for posting this.

Edited September 25, 2023 by [Gr...]
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