I would have learned a lot if I came here before my DYI taper. Senior lady in distress from Xanax

[[Gr...]]

Hello. I am having severe facial, neck, forehead, tongue & lip numbness, tingling, and burning, and travels to my back and fingers. It worsens as the day goes on and in turn, the tinnitus likes to follow suit the same way, it gets louder. I tremble, shake, nauseous, and dizzy. My skin is very dry, my facial skin burned so much that some peeled when when I used compresses. I developed tinnitus suddenly after I forgot to take Xanax for the first half of July. I didn't associate the tinnitus with the missed doses until I finished a lame 3.5 week taper from July 22 - Aug 14. Been tempted to reinstate and start over, but I put that out of my head. I don't want to near X again. I am a healthy 66, well, was. I don't the same anymore. I'm distracted by pain and burning. 

First prescribed Ambien 10mg and Klonopin 1mg daily for about a year or so. I didn't like the way I felt on K. In Sept 2022, I asked for something that didn't make me so drowsy and that would leave my system quicker. They gave me X 0.5 twice daily along with the Ambien. I didn't know how awful this experience would turn out. I thought since it is a short-acting med I could do a short taper. I wish I had come here first. I didn't know about this site. My taper was abrupt after I did 0.5 for 18 days and 0.25 for 6 days, then I dropped off of it on Aug 14th. A few days later, I developed the numbing and burning and it's still bad. From what I'm reading on the site, some people weren't taking X for long and have this burning and pain as well. It worries me what this has done to me, to us.  I did not have this at any time until after I took the last dose. I was in a hurry to get it out of me. I think I am going through withdrawal? I got no help from the prescriber, he just wants to keep on this. He won't help or reduce my dose. My family doc has no clue about this, has a blank look. The neurologist wants me to take another benzo and Cymbalta. Don't they know about withdrawal? What's up with them? I don't know who to contact about this. These docs are sleeping with Big Pharma, don't want to get involved, or are clueless.

The burning gets worse later in the day. Does anyone get it worse at night for anyone else or is it me?  I also get cold sweats alternating with chills where I am freezing when it's hot.  What does anyone do for burning facial skin feeling?  Warm or cool compresses? I am trapped. I don't know what to do. I'm in agony.  Thank you. 

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

[[Su...]]

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

What does anyone do for burning facial skin feeling?

Sorry to hear about your predicament.  I've been going through many of the same symptoms.  The heating pad gives me some relief when it comes to burning sensation and numbness. 

[[Gr...]]

@[Su...] I have the burning on my face. My cheeks, forehead, nose, sometimes neck. They also tingle.  Will the heating pad be too much for my face? I was using warm compresses and I didn't feel better. I got an abrasion on my cheek from the compresses. I feel horrible today as the day before and before that, etc. I haven't slept more than a few hours in 2 days. I've been up all night because of the burning and I'm trembling. That's mostly what keeps me up. I have sudden tinnitus, but I could probably still sleep if this burning sensation would go away. My lips and tongue go numb and I have a hard time eating and taking in fluids because nothing tastes right.

I feel cold and need the heating pad on me even though it's warm in my room. This has been going on since this all started in mid-August. I hope I am approaching that average 30-day period where it will go away. I was taking Ambien during this time to help me sleep and now I don't know if it caused a setback for me. The neurologist won't admit this is from withdrawal. He's either not going to admit it, or he has no clue. He would only say nerves are causing anxiety and wanted to give me Cymbalta which I refused. I don't want anything like that ever again.

I am scared this has caused me permanent (nerve) damage and that I will have a very hard time with this because of my age, at 66. The worrying is not helping. 

Thank you.

[[Su...]]

@[Gr...]

I had/ have all of those symptoms as you.  The heating pad helps me with the burning and numbness.  i have tinnitus since February.  It was my first symptom, looking back. 

Based on my experience,  the Ambien causes problems. Every day my symptoms would get worse through the day, even though I was off klonopin. 

I cut my 10mg ambien in half and did that for a week.  Then I went to 0mg. It increased my symptoms for 2 days AND I went entirely without sleep for about 6 nights before I started to get a little. 

For me it is worth it to be off the poison.

[[Gr...]]

@[Su...] How are you feeling now?  Did your symptoms peak and do you feel they are getting better? Did the tinnitus lessen? Mine was first symptom, too. Did same with Ambien up till 2 days ago. I can't afford to lose time with this. I am too old to give up that much of my life. I've become a recluse because the pain is unbearable. 

Did you ever try lidocaine gel (sunburn stuff) for the burning? I wonder if I can put it on my face or if it will aggravate my skin.

Edited September 9, 2023 by [Gr...]
additional info

[[or...]]

My tinnitus is better, sometimes I can go to bed without any help from my sound-app on my phone.  The noticeable improvement, on more of a regular basis, has been only since tapering for 5 months, slow, very slow taper.  My history is on my About Me page if you want to see it @[Gr...] I have tons of hope on the healing of things.  I don't feel I have any unreasonable expectations, but I do know I will be better "off" the benzo, than if I stayed on.  I should say I don't "know" but I believe my chances are very good, Denise

 

[[Gr...]]

@[or...] That's great news. I feel positive this will happen with me. I'm 99.9% sure tinnitus is part of the withdrawal because it was sudden, around the time this began and it's louder when my pain is worse. I had a 3-hr break from tinnitus 10 days ago. Absolutely quiet. The pain returned along with tinnitus. I hopeful too about that and this awful skin burning and tingling. I hope this facial puffiness/edema goes away and get back to the way I looked before -- not distorted. I noticed that change in me since I started that junk and didn't put it together.

Yes, this poison (benzos) needs to be cracked down by the feds as they did with opioids. Unbelievable how docs get away with prescribing off-label, and pharmacies don't step in. They didn't step in with opioids despite their contrary mission statements. They deserve being sued 5B each. You think they would learn from that. 

[[or...]]

I think the very best thing is to keep sharing with everyone we can, our experience with benzos.  Many won't listen, but if even one sees the dangers then they don't have to wait as long as I did to get off them, or maybe even not accept a prescription in the first place

[[Gr...]]

Thank you all for being so positive and sending me positive vibes. I thank all here on BB. 

To be honest, I am struggling greatly. I don't know anymore how I really feel.

Thank you

@[Su...] @[or...]

[[...]]

On 06/09/2023 at 20:58, [[[...] said:

The burning gets worse later in the day. Does anyone get it worse at night for anyone else or is it me?  I also get cold sweats alternating with chills where I am freezing when it's hot.  What does anyone do for burning facial skin feeling?  Warm or cool compresses? I am trapped. I don't know what to do. I'm in

I have all those symptoms. I was on Ambien for decades. Now tapering from Valium. And yes they get worse as the day goes. I think it's because there is a lot of time between my taper doses while sleeping. I take my second dose of V at about 8pm. I usually wake up with minimal tingling but it gets worse as the day goes by until i take my second dose. I'm going to start taking my evening dose later at night and see if that helps. Some people i know prefer to break it up to 3 doses a day to prevent those interdose waves. 

[[je...]]

Hi @[...]

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

Thanks for your input. BTW, You are welcome to start your own thread if you would like input and support for your taper. 

[[Gr...]]

@[...] Did you taper off Ambien and when? 

How far out are you with the Valium taper?

Which do you think gave you the symtpoms?

I need this withdrawal to stop now. It's squeezing the life out of me.

[[Co...]]

Welcome to BenzoBuddies, @[...].

[[...]]

@[Gr...] i quit Ambien cold turkey 14 days ago. I am still tapering Klonopin and valuim now at about 6mg a day of v. I'm planning to cut 1mg more this week and hold for two weeks. My symptoms come and go in waves as i approach interdose withdrawals. It can be debilitating. My doc put me on 3.5 mg of Mirtazapine at night 2 weeks ago to help sleep and ease the WD symptoms. I don't like taking yet another drug but am sleeping very well and dreaming again which i think is a very good sign. It's not a bzd but it does effect serotonin instead. I hope to be on it for a ever short time. I'm actually going to see if i can crash tonight without it. Been keeping a daily journal which really helps me keep track of my physical and mental symptoms. 

[[Gr...]]

@[...] It's great that you have a doctor who is helping you.  That's a plus. 

A journal is a good thing. 

You can still reply to me directly here, but most people won't see your own info in this thread. It would be good for you to get input from others directly to you. Copy the text of your first post and maybe this second one in the same by starting a new topic. First, click the plus sign at the top, select this forum, create a title, copy your text and story.

Thank you for sharing your info. I'll check in on your new post.

Edited October 4, 2023 by [Gr...]
left something out

[[Gr...]]

deleted

Edited October 4, 2023 by [Gr...]