Xanax taper -- I did not do this right

[[Gr...]]

Hello. I'm new here. I am experiencing constant burning/tingling/numbness: face, neck, forehead, tongue and lip. It travels to my low back and fingers. I'm trembling & shaky, hard to concentrate. Trouble walking down stairs. No hearing or tinnitus ever before until Sudden tinnitus after missing half of July's pills. Evidently not needing it although my body is now telling me otherwise. I didn't associate the tinnitus with the missed doses until I finished a lame 3.5 week taper. Tempted to reinstate and start over, but I don't think that's a good idea because I don't know if things will be worse and I really don't want to take Xanax ever again. I was prescribed Ambien 10mg and Klonopin 1mg daily for about a year or so. I didn't like the way I felt on Klonopin. In Sept 2022, I asked for something that didn't make me so drowsy and that would leave my system quicker. They gave me 0.5 Xanax twice daily -- from Klonopin. That now seems wrong to me. I think there were days I took a little more and some I took a little less. I wasn't taking it on a schedule. I was never told to stick to a strict schedule. Never told I should only take this for a short while. I didn't know how awful it is.  I'm learning now that Xanax was the wrong choice they made for me and that I should not have gone from Klonopin to Xanax?  Plus, I should have been tapered off of it way in the beginning. It's 3 weeks and I don't feel relief.  Was my dose small? And was it for a short time compared to people taking it for years? Has anyone had any luck with a short withdrawal from Xanax? I'm scared. This makes me anxious which I can't afford. What does anyone do for burning facial skin feeling? Warm or cool compresses?  I don't know what to do. I'm in agony. A few weeks ago I was up and about with no pain, just the tinnitus, the start of this Xanax dark road. Thank you. 

Edited September 7, 2023 by [Gr...]
condense

[[ne...]]

I am so sorry-this all screams benzo wd/the benzo injury. I went back on after 8 days to taper and it was a complete waste of time but to each their own for sure. It takes from zero weeks to 2+ years to heal so it's vastly different for everyone; the average is 6-18 months. There's no such thing as a low dose of a benzo as they can all create this injury/dependency. 3 weeks is SUPER early off-please give yourself time. The less you do to interfere with your brain healing the better. Dependency can happen in as little as 10 days to 2 weeks. Anything beyond that is not considered short-term. Wish we knew sooner and wishing you the best! 

[[Gr...]]

@[ne...]  Three weeks is still too soon in my situation? I did a crappy taper, but it was a taper. I wish the sharp/burning/prickling sensations would stop in my face (cheeks and jaw) and if the tinnitus could lighten up a little, I think I can get by with the wobbling/dizziness/nausea. I'd settle for it that. I can't wash my face, it's painfully sensitive. I'd like to put on some makeup so I don't look so tired and benzoed. I wondered if this is something like neuropathy, but I don't want go that road either. I am impatient because I was feeling good before this. Now I'm in a state of confusion from the pain to the dizziness. I can't focus. Always things to do. Life still goes on.

I saw your post about dependency in as little as 10 days. No one warns us of that. The Xanax PI speaks of interdose withdrawal, how common it is to become dependent on the beyond the 2-4 week "recommended time frame" yet we don't get the PI with our Rx and docs don't tell us any of this. Doc has PI and they don't follow it. They just keep pushing. Recs in PI say "geriatric" should start at 0.25 2-3x and can be "especially sensitive" to the effects. My doc just threw geriatric me (age 66) on 0.5 twice day with disregard. The pharmacies are just as bad as they were with opioids. They don't have these timeframe warnings on the bottle and they don't push back at the doc when the Rx is filled over and over. I hope the pharmacies get another 5B lawsuit for benzos. I'll be on the list if it's a class action. Thanks for your help @[ne...]

[[ia...]]

Hi @[Gr...]... I read your post. Welcome to benzo buddies. You're in the right place. We're here to support you during this difficult journey. I was on two benzos for three years. I recently jumped off both. It's been very challenging but want you to know.. things do improve.

Just to clarify a couple things I want to ensure I have the details correct about your history:

-You were on Klonopin, then switched to xanax correct? You were on xanax about one year at 1 mg (.50 twice daily). And you tapered for three weeks - correct? Let me know if I have any of the detais incorrect.

I'm truly so sorry for the agony and pain you're experiencing. So many of us can relate to the pain you're currenty experiencing. The pain, burning and tingling you're experiencing are all consistent with benzo WD and the tingling is considered a type of neuropothy. It will improve. I know it's terrifying and painful. 

You are absolutely right... most doctors have no idea, and do not proactively share with us how debilitating coming off these medications can be. I cannot speak for everyone else in the forum, but most people... if we knew then, what we know now, we would never have agreed to start these medications.

A three week taper is very fast considering you were on the medication for one year. If you're in the midst of week three, I suspect you are likely going through some of the worst of the WD.... everyone is different, but I suspect you're in the depths of the 'acute' phase. I would like to hear from a couple of our moderators to see what they have to say. I'm going to tag @[Pa...] and @[je...] to see if either can share their feedback on your symptoms or reinstatement. A couple questions so we can best support you: Are you considering reinstatement? Would you prefer not to reinstate? Have you been sleeping at all? Hope you can get some rest tonight. Let us know how you're doing tomorrow, Hang in there. 

[[Gr...]]

Hello. @[ia...]  I started on Klonopin. I hated the way it made me feel. I always had night sweats. I know now addiction is why I kept taking it even though I hated it. Sept '22 I asked for something that didn't last as long so I would not be so tired and zombielike. He gave me Xanax 0.5 twice daily. I thought, this is great because it will always be out of my system. All the while he gave me 10mg Ambien. I only wanted Ambien or something for sleep because that was my main problem. I guess he had justify the treatment plan for insurance and to look like he was performing his job so he added the benzo. BTW, he initially gave me Celexa, but I never took it. I filled the first and the bottle is still full. I never told him I wasn't taking it. I really only wanted to sleep.

My best recollection is K 0.5 twice daily for 1 year (maybe a little bit longer), then onto Xanax 0.5 twice from Sept '22 to July '23. Timeline for my taper began on 7/22 after I noticed I missed probably 3 weeks. (Rx filled on June 30 for 60 and on July 22 I had 52). I wasn't reaching for it so I thought I was off the hook. I figured some kind of taper was in order. Taper started with 0.5 for 18 days, then 0.25 for 6 and then 2 lone days: Aug 25 and Aug 26, 0.25 once each day. I thought I was going to restart and changed my mind. 

The burning and tingling in my face woke me up, so here I am. It's after 5 am on the east coast and I am hardly sleeping these days. I am jittery, shaky, restless, nauseous, dizzy with pins & needles throughout my legs, sometimes my hands. Sometimes I am sweating, sometimes I am freezing. I have cold sweats outside in this awful heat. My hands get clammy (they are now). My face burns and pinches on my cheeks, nose, forehead, and jawline. My tongue and upper lip are numb. My face feels cold to me, but not to others. It seems to feel cold when the pain intensifies and then the tinnitus kicks up at that time. The tinnitus was sudden. I didn't have it before because I would have complained to my husband. It started July 20, right after I missed all those doses. I wrote it on my calendar because it was unusual. I am certain all of these things are related and the only thing that changed with me is stopping Xanax.

I can't believe the neurologist would not entertain that this is withdrawal. They are sleeping with Big Pharma and probably doesn't want to go against another doc. In denial that any med can do this. He claimed it's anxiety and wanted me to take the meds again!  I never felt relaxed and calm for long while I was on the X. I would feel anxious a while after I took it and I could never understand why. I would be doing something relaxing without a care in the world and it would come out of nowhere, then I'd pop a pill bc I thought it was anxiety. I'm learning this is interdose withdrawal? 

I took 1/2 Ambien tonight to sleep and it seems to calm my nerve endings, but I was not lucky tonight to sleep all the way through. I don't plan to keep taking the A. I can only stretch the few pills I have left, break them up and get some sleep for a short while longer and keep praying all of this stops soon.

All the symptoms first appeared a few days after the taper dose Aug 14. In the first week or so, I only had the symptoms after I was up for a while. I was falling asleep without the Amb.  Symptoms are constant for the last 2 weeks, varying in intensity, but always there and sometimes I go in a dark place. I am so very scared they will take a long time to go away, may never go away, or I may have permanent damage. I am a young 66, but I am concerned my age could complicate it. I have a ski pass and planned to ski this coming season, but now don't know. Am I going to be stuck in the house all winter with this? 

I can't wear makeup because it hurts too much to touch my face and if I made it that far, I'd have to wash it off. I already have a small abrasion on my cheek from the warm and cold compresses. I'm not doing that anymore. I stopped all vitamins and supplements a few days ago. All I drink is diluted cranberry juice. My allergist said I was dehydrated because I almost passed out when I was there last week. I didn't get my allergy shot . He said my BP was on the low side. I have always been consistent around 110-120/60-60. My BP has been spiking which is unusual for me, too. I am so scared I will have a heart attack or stroke. My heart was pounding yesterday. I was told in April my MRI showed "an old silent stroke" It mazes and angers me that this neurologist would want me to keep taking these meds knowing this, but then he said it was "a small stroke." I guess that makes it better?  How old is old? Did the Klonopin give the me the stroke, you know?

Is what you say the worst of the WD is maybe the peak?  I hope I didn't mess things up when I took those lone 2 doses on 8/25 and 8/26. I hope I am at the peak and I feel calming real soon -- like now. 

I have no plan to reinstate and to never touch anything like that again. When the Ambien runs dry, that will be the end. I have toyed with the idea because I want my nerves to calm, but too scared of the unknown. Sleep has been horrible. The worst ever. I am only sleeping a few hours. I have bad taste in my mouth. I don't eat a lot because my numb tongue makes food taste awful. I lost 5 lbs in a week. I am down to 113. I did notice I could not lose weight with X and I felt bloated all the time. I had a transvaginal ultrasound in late July to rule out female problem. I was having a digestion issue, too. That started around early July. That's better now. It had to be from the Xanax.

I am disappointed in myself that took the K and the X. I am angry the prescribing doc would not help with this. Wouldn't say anything about the taper. As I wrote in other posts, he insisted I have to keep taking it at the same dosage and added Viibryd! I didn't fill either. He must want me to keep taking these until I drop dead so he doesn't have to face a lawsuit or state complaint. I may write a state complaint because he prescribed outside of the recommendations. I read the Xanax PI and it clearly states to start with 0.25 for geriatric and monitor it.  Also, "...become physically dependent by taking them beyond the 2-4 week recommended time frame." He never suggested stopping it. That should have been a priority! Never told me about addiction. I will never talk to him again. I don't have an addictive personality which may be the reason I forgot to take it for several weeks, but I am unfortunately chemically addicted. I always thought you have to take a lot of something to get addicted. 

I had to tell my husband. I feel so ashamed and embarrassed. He never knew I was taking the Xanax or Klonopin. He's been supportive, but obviously not much he can do.  I am getting nothing done at home. The tinnitus and pain is distressing. I have so many things to get done. I try to distract myself but the pain is horrible. I don't think air conditioning is helping. I think the cold makes my face feel worse and is drying out my nose. I can't wait till next week when I can shut it off.

Thank you @[ia...] for listening and for your support.  Is there anything that's known to work or that I should absolutely not do? I never have caffeine. I've never even tasted coffee. I never smoked. I don't drink. This is so wrong that this pill did this to me and docs don't want to admit meds can do this. If It didn't take that pill, I would be my old self. I want me and my life back. I'm afraid at my age this will steal years from me.

I haven't been eating well. I am feeling shaky, nauseous, and dizzy. I would eat something, but food smells and tastes weird. I hope I don't get sick from not eating. My face is burning off. Why does it have to be in my face? I am freezing and it's 68 in my room. I'm wearing flannels.  I need to lie down. I'm sorry. 

[[ma...]]

35 minutes ago, [[G...] said:

I thought it was anxiety. I'm learning this is interdose withdrawal? 

I think many of us thought the same Grace, we just  continued popping the pills, we didnt know any better.   My doctors didn't tell me anyhing, and could have saved me a lot of pain.   Hindsight is a wonderful thing!  Try not to get angry with how and why you got here, whats done is done!     I had to let go of the anger and the "if only's"... it was eating me up and devouring me of valuable strength.    You need all your strength 

to get through this process....you will come through it.    Try and find something you like doing, a hobby, write a list of what you want to do when you get better.  Look forward Grace, you will get your life back ... you will be YOU again. 

I am sorry about your face, I had a dreadful painful rash on my face.....never had a spot on my face before withdrawal, I said those words, "why my face"  It eventually went away with all the other symptoms, never to return.   You have to try hard to distract, keep doing it until it becomes automatic!  No matter how bad you feel, healing is happening every day you are away from our last benzo.   I know you feel bad grace, keep reminding  yourself "this is temporary"  I do know this is hard.... but I also know you can do it!

How long have you been on Ambien, you will need to taper off that when the time is right.

Sending lots of healing vibes your way

Magrita

[[Gr...]]

@[ma...] Hello. I've always been one to keep moving, that's why I didn't like the way I felt on this stuff. I was sleeping a lot. One of my reasons I felt I don't want to take it anymore. I didn't call the doc because I thought I just needed to stop taking it. It would have done no good calling him. He wants to push this stuff. It doesn't make sense if he gave me Ambien that he had to give me this to help me sleep. Of course they tell you it's anxiety. I think they do that a lot with women. I have been loading up on fluids. I do as much as I can to keep moving. I do canning and gardening, but the pain is unbearable now and I have been at a standstill all this week. It's hard for me to stand up, my legs are tingling and like jelly. I get queasy and dizzy. I have sit or lie down. It keeps me from getting anything done. I'm tired yet my heart races. Everything tingles and hurts. My face burns and hurts. As with you, I have always had clear skin, I am a stickler about it. Very fussy. I don't sit in the sun. I don't like the abrasion I got from the compresses. 

I've read so many stories of people having symptoms for years. I'm having hard time believing this is temporary because of reading those stories and because it feels so bad. I hope it didn't damage my brain or nerves. I don't want neuropathy or brain damage. Many years ago a old friend of mine was prescribed some kind of benzo and antidepressant and I warned her not to take them. I told her they are poison and would shrink her brain. What did I do? I took this stuff, the stuff I was against. I trusted the doctor. I didn't now about addiction. I believed addiction was from abuse and high doses of any drug or alcohol.

Here I am, I just needed to sleep. I've always had a hard time sleeping. To answer your question about Ambien. I've taken it for years. Decades. I didn't always take it because I didn't have it. I never experienced anything like this so I am not certain any of this is from the Ambien, it could be. I do believe 99% it's from the Xanax preceded by Klonopin. I still have plans to break what I have of the Ambien into little pieces, taper off and be done with it. I was falling asleep on my own without Ambien during the first part when I forgot to take the Xanax, but then all of this set in. 

How can they get away with prescribing these benzos long-term? it's wrong. They know they are addictive. The government needs to step in like they did with opioids. Why do the pharmacies get away with allowing refills? They were sued because of opioids. They should be sued for these, too., and any other med that should be short-term.

I wish there was a definitive timeline for everyone when withdrawal ends, I would feel more positive. I am feeling bleak. I was up all night. I wasn't able to go back to sleep. I've had hardly any sleep all week. All this distress makes me anxious. Am I going to have a heart attack? My health seems to be compromised.

I pray. 

I was about to join a gym and this happened. Do you know if chamomile is okay to drink? I don't know much about GABA and other stuff. I don't know what to eat or drink. I eat saltines to ease the nausea. I was taking Tums, but I don't know if I'm supposed to take those. I'm petrified to take anything. 

@[ma...] thank you. I know this is my problem and I can't burden others. I feel like a drug addict. I wish it would stop today.

Thank you for your thoughts. 

 

[[ma...]]

Well done @[Gr...] for pushing yourself to keep moving.    I couldn't manage what you are doing!  I was bedbound for months unable to function, then i was sofa bound for a few months.    Try and stay away from scary stories, keep as positive as you can.  I am sorry we have no definitive timelines, none of us can tell you how long, we are all different

Insomnia is a dreadful symptom, getting no sleep makes all the other symptoms feel worse!.   Sleep will come, sometimes all I got was 2 or 3 hours so I know what you are going through.  Rest your body in the daytime if you can, relax in a chair for a few hours. Take it a day at a time, or even hour to hour.  

It does get better!

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

Do you know if chamomile is okay to drink?

I didn't have chamomile,  many of our members have taken it.   Eat and drink as healthy as you can, avoid caffeine and sugar, or at least cut down on sugar.

Magrita

[[Gr...]]

I should not take any Ambien anymore. Is it bad for the GABA? I don't understand much about GABA, etc., but maybe this is interfering with my recovery and amplifying the symptoms?  Done with it as of now. Dropped vitamins and supplements earlier this week. I need to get better. I can't buy the neurologist's advice to take Cymbalta and get on that train. I hope this is short for me. I am losing hope. 

Edited September 8, 2023 by [Gr...]
correction

[[de...]]

@[Gr...] Ambien is not technically a benzo, but it involves the same receptors as benzos.  How long have you been taking Ambien?   

[[Gr...]]

@[de...] A long time. At least since when I first started the Klonopin around 2021.  So, 2 recent years.  I had it many years before 2021 and there was a big gap without it until 2021. I was not taking it all the time in recent months. There were nights I fell asleep without it, of course, because I was high on Xanax which drained me of energy and spirit. 

I went to this doctor for it because I had trouble sleeping. I guess he gave me a package deal so he could justify his forthcoming office visits with insurance and if he got me hooked on a benzo I would be return customer. He didn't like it last week when I told him I've had enough of Xanax. Technically he was prescribing me X off-label. Beyond the recommended use and more than the recommended dose for "geriatric" as I am at 66. Shady.

I don't want to activate those receptors. I want them to quiet down. My insides need peace. I have been breaking the last Ambien tabs in pieces. Hopefully it was a minor taper. No more. I'm done with it. 

Do you know if Tylenol has any effect on GABA and the receptors I need to quiet down? I am in extreme pain with this facial nerve/burning. It's worse at night and I need to sleep. I'll opt for a half tab for a few hours if it works until the pain wakes me up again, I'll take the other half. I don't know what to do anymore. 

I need to mention I have Lyrica for past trigeminal/TMJ nerve pain. I took it recently on and off, but it did nothing for this burning. I also tried ibuprofen and that made it worse. I haven't taken either since last week. Now I think I screwed up with this GABA thing with the Ambien and Lyrica. I hope they didn't set me back. 

Thanks.

Edited September 9, 2023 by [Gr...]
correction

[[de...]]

@[Gr...]  Thanks for that info.     If I understand correctly, you are no longer taking Ambien.     Just like benzos, doing a slow taper off Ambien is always recommended, but if you have already stopped, I understand you not wanting to go back.   

I have taken Tylenol (sparingly) during my recovery, and it has not had a detrimental effect.   Everyone is so different as to what they can tolerate during this process.   It certainly wouldn't hurt to try it and see what happens.  

Lyrica can also be a little tricky.   There are members who have had difficulty tapering off that, but like I keep saying, everyone is different.

You are working you way through this process and asking all the right questions!!!!    I hope this was helpful.

 

[[Gr...]]

@[de...] Thank you for responding. I am having an awful time. These last 2 days are the worst so far, I hope this is a sign it's peaking and it will get better. I have not slept in 2 days. I am in so much pain. As I said, I am trembling. I thought I was having a seizure or a heart attack because I was shaking, my neck tensed up, my heart has been racing for hours. My eyes are drying up again. It seems I am getting new symptoms on top of this awful burning pain. That is the worst. 

I forgot this important thing. On Tuesday, 9/5, I bought "Olly Stress Relief." It's some kind of GABA and L-Theanine gummie. I took it Tues and Wed. Then I decided no more of that. I need to stay off the Internet because I read that this would help the missing GABA and relax me.

Yes, I stopped the Ambien on Thursday. Sometimes I had taken 10mg, sometimes broke it in half, and more recently, i still had leftover plus 14 that that bad doc gave me. I was stretching it out and breaking it in pieces. I thought it was helping me because I could sleep. I hope Ambien doesn't need tapering. 

I had taken the Lyrica here and there as I mentioned bc I thought this was some kind of nerve pain it would help. Another medicine that I hope didn't set me back.  No more of that either. No more vitamins or supplements since earlier this past week. Maybe just Tylenol broken in half. I don't think that's helping anyway.

Because I took the Ambien and Lyrica, that supplement, did they interfere with the withdrawal?  

I saw a therapist this past Wednesday. He's a psychotherapist and licensed D&A counselor who doesn't believe in meds, except for antipsychotics. He said he's seen an average of 30 days for withdrawal and thinks maybe that may be me, but then I had taken the Ambien, so it's unclear when it would be 30 days.

Is 30 days an unheard of time to feel better?

I don't know how much longer I can go through this.

Please excuse me if I have repeated myself. 

This is something that I never imagined would happen to me. I always thought it happened to people who took large doses and mixed with other drugs or alcohol. I trusted the doc that he was giving me something that I could stop when I wanted with no problem. I am in disbelief that I got into this situation. I feel like my body has deteriorated. I noticed over the last couple of months that I couldn't lose weight, I was exhausted all the time, yet nervous. I looked like I had aged overnight, maybe it looks like that to only me, I don't know.

I almost went back to the ER a few hours ago when I was having that episode. Besides not being an ER person, they won't do anything anyway except give me more drugs.

I hope I am not putting you out with this complaining. 

 

[[de...]]

@[Gr...] I will try to address your questions.   Overall, we recommend that members do not withdrawal from two drugs at the same time.  Doing so, could potentially cause greater suffering.   The purpose is to discontinue the drugs, but do it in a way that causes the least amount of distress.  Having said that, this can be a difficult process.

The first thing I would recommend is to not take anything that you think might provide relief of your symptoms i.e. gummies, supplements, Lyrica.  Most of these things do not provide relief and may complicate your situation.  It is important to help your nervous system heal, and one way we can do that is by not introducing any new substances for it to process.   

The therapist does not sound like they are very familiar with benzo withdrawal.  Benzo's should be tapered extremely slowly.   Many members take months to taper.  

Your situation with Ambien is very tricky.    The Ambien can be causing some of these symptoms; it can have a paradoxical effect.   Meaning something you are taking for sleep may cause insomnia.    This is not uncommon.   At the same time it is not recommended to taper two things at the same time.  Ambien does need to be tapered.  Since you have already stopped, I would recommend not reinstating, but you could be in for a rough few weeks.   

You are in the acute phase of withdrawal.  This can last for a couple of months.    

One of the hardest parts of recovery from benzos and Z-drugs (Ambien) is the healing trajectory is non-linear.   Unlike when you are healing from a virus where you get a little better everyday, benzo recovery is not like that at all.   You may have a few good days and then some really bad days after that.   It is highly unpredictable, which is part of what makes it so difficult.   

Lyrica also should be tapered.   Unfortunately, it looks like you have CT'd two drugs that should have been tapered - Ambien and Lyrica.    Please do not worry about that as you really cannot do anything about it now, but just be aware it could make your symptoms more intense in the acute phase.   

I hope this helps.   You can do this.   You will feel so much better once you are on the other side.   Keep reaching out for support.   There are so many members who have been exactly where you are, myself included.    And do not beat yourself up.   Most of us were unaware that these drugs were actually doing us harm.  We also did not know they needed to be tapered.   

[[Gr...]]

@[de...] Thank you. Docs don't tell us probably because they go off-label. Lyrica was used only here and there a few months ago when I was having TMJ, before the Xanax withdrawal.  I never liked taking Lyrica. I don't like feeling tired or dizzy.  I don't like feeling drugged. It didn't help anyway. I got the TMJ settled and fixed with physical therapy. I took Lyrica once or twice a few weeks ago after this withdrawal face pain/tingling started. I thought I was having nerve pain from residual TMJ.  I believe Lyrica is pretty much out of me at this point.

Xanax and Ambien were consistent. I knew both could be habit-forming, but I thought that was with abuse. I didn't know either would need a taper and would cause withdrawals because I didn't think I was abusing them since I was within the dose I was prescribed. From what I hear, taking Xanax longer than the recommendation is abuse. 

What's strange is during that 3-week period when I forgot to take the Xanax, I didn't have any kind of symptoms or weirdness. Looking back, I didn't have any side effects except the sudden tinnitus and tingling in my legs and back which continues, but nothing else popped up. I now wonder if I may have been able to get away with minimal symptoms If I rode that out. I went online, and read about tapering. I was worried I had to do a taper so I put the poison back in me and did the 18-day taper. These real bad symptoms started a few days after the last taper dose. I know I can't go back or dwell. I could still kick myself. 

There aren't any safe supplements or vitamins during this?  B12 for nerve pain?  How about collagen? Bad idea? How will I last without getting nutrients? 

I feel violated this doc refused respect my wishes to be off this. He angrily said I have to stay on it. Have to? That's unethical. My health is being compromised and he didn't care. In May, I learned I had "an old" silent stroke and some kind of microhemorrhage. That scared the life out of me (I'm 66). I never smoked. I am practically a vegetarian. I barely drink . . . but I did take addictive meds and I was addicted. Go figure.

I thought if any of the meds cause this and that I seriously needed to stop taking them. I think after these findings, I subconsciously I forgot to take the Xanax. I had enough of it. I was tired of having no energy, always wanting to sleep yet feeling anxious despite taking the med, I didn't like the metallic taste of it. I realized it was not making me feel good. I had enough of it. Garbage.

I hope my age doesn't hold me back from recovering. I am scared I will lose precious time. I am scared it may have put me on a road to dementia. I've always been alert and with my marbles. It just can't happen. I want me and my life back. I am a shell right now. I just want it to end. 

Thank you so much for your encouragement. I hope the days ahead for all of us feel like only minutes or hours and go by fast. 

 

[[pi...]]

@[Gr...],

Sadly, many of us received wrong or misinformation from those who we trusted with our care. I’m including myself in that group.

I’m 72 and still pretty smart and active. Age does not need to be a factor in your recovery. 

I’ll put a link to my Success Story, I hope it provides you with hope!

PG 

[[de...]]

I am 62, and I am so excited about having a wonderful, full live once I heal....   Can't wait!   You too will recover and have a wonderful life.

As far as supplements go, some members are able to tolerate them and some cannot.   You can try them, but just know that you may be sensitive to things that you were not before.  

Also, you mentioned drinking.   Alcohol acts like a benzo on our receptors.   Some people call alcohol "liquid benzos".     There are members who continue to drink during their withdrawal, but I would recommend not drinking anything until you have been healed for a little while.  

You are going to heal.  Just a matter of time. 

[[Gr...]]

I want to thank all of you for your positive thoughts. This BB site has been uplifiting.

I am having a really difficult time because I don't know what is going on with me. How to treat my symptoms. What I have to do. This experience is overwhelming for me. I wish there were studies or more about timelines. I want to get past this very soon. It's debilitating.

Thank you.

@[ne...] @[ia...] @[ma...]

[[An...]]

I’m so sorry how far out are you snd how long were you on? 
I was on five years then ct in April it’s been a nitemare and still going thru it if not injured 

but all I know if I try to eat and I do not take any meds except for Pepcid / anything else I had a bad reaction to- I don’t think there is anything to ease it accept pray and water and try to get thru I haven’t found any relief as of yet - 

what are your symptoms I’m dry to dry mouth eyes hair skin aged me so fast 🙏🙏🙏

[[An...]]

I’m at 7 months snd still suffering any one have any advice I can’t go out in public hard and I feel sick constantly very dry skin nothing is helping my go yo is watching magnum pi all day trying yo learn how to cook again it’s a very hard thing hope your improving