When will it end? Anyone tempted to reinstate?

[[Gr...]]

@[Wi...] Dec 2019: Klonopin 0.5 twice day + Ambien 10mg

Sept 2022: Xanax 0.5ng twice day + Ambien

July 2023:  Missed maybe 2-3 wks of Xanax or I was only using .25 and not often. I didn't know why I only used 8 of the .5 tabs in 3 weeks. I was losing interest because of how tired and drugged I felt.

I read online about missing doses, wuthdrawal symptoms. I panicked and began a crappy taper that lasted 3.5 weeks.

I stopped X on Aug 14

I stopped Ambien on Sept 13

[Guest [...]]

You were taking the Xanax for 10 or 11 months? 

[[An...]]

Grace, when you were still on the Ambien and Xanax, you were not experiencing any of these bizarre, horrid SXs, correct? If the ENT and Family doctor don't find anything this week, more likely than not this is from the benzo/ambien detox. These SXs are so bizarre that most doctors will tell you this can't be from benzo w/d, esp. after 2 months off, but they will also tell you at the same time nothing is physically wrong with you and will attribute this to some psychiatric problem in the DSM that probably. needs treatment with psychiatric drugs.

I personally don't think this is permanent and will settle down if you can wait it out. If things get too bad and you just can not tolerate it anymore, you may have to risk after careful consideration taking something else with the hope of mitigating these awful SXs by calming your overactive CNS down and providing you with some symptomatic relief.

No one here will judge you. We are all here to help and support each other no matter what you choose to do, even wrong choices that you may regret.

[[Gr...]]

@[Wi...] Mid-Sept 2022 to mid-Aug 2923. 11 mos

[[Gr...]]

@[An...] No, I did not have any side effects during my use. This wht I say I may have been better off staying on it or reducing it had I known about anything other than shakiness or nausea which I figured was common with any medication.

My right ear is red, painful, and inflamed. I all of a sudden fir the first time, have an outer ear infection, if that's what it is? Or is it benzo weirdness? The ear is numb too. It almostxseens it shrunk compared to the left. This whole process is scaring me.

Id I did go on something, what would it be?

[Guest [...]]

@[An...] is correct… the majority of doctors are completely oblivious to the truely debilitating withdrawal effects and recovery times when it comes to these medications. They have been completely misinformed/misled by Big Pharma.

If you really feel you can no longer tolerate the symptoms (only you will know that), as @[An...] mentioned earlier… you could (if necessary) reinstate with a longer half life benzodiazepine like diazepam, maybe 4 or 5mg, wait until you stabilise, and then taper off much more slowly. You would be able to dose once per day because of it’s long half life, and it would also allow you to make much smaller reductions once you began tapering because it is 15 - 20 times less potent than Xanax. 

Have a good think about this before taking action. 

We are here to support you no matter what you choose… to continue your recovery, or reinstate and taper off slowly. If you choose to reinstate, we will be here to help guide you through the process. 

Only you can know what the right choice is for you. 

[[Gr...]]

@[Wi...] Do you think itxwoukd get the gaba going again? I wantcthis gaba to get back on track

I did breathing exercises. Now I am hyperventillating

[Guest [...]]

I should add, @[Gr...], there is no guarantee you will return to ‘completely symptom free’, but it should make things considerably more tolerable. You may end up with a baseline of symptoms to work with as you taper. 

Yes… the benzo should resume playing the role of your down-regulated Gabba receptors. 

[[Gr...]]

Ear is burning. Center of mt face is swollen and throbbing. I don't understand

trembling

Edited October 11, 2023 by [Gr...]
addition

[[pi...]]

As @[Wi...]stated, there is no guarantee that reinstating will alleviate your symptoms. It also won’t be immediate, it can take up to 3-4:weeks. 

[[Gr...]]

@[Wi...] Now to find soneone who will give that to me. I don't think fam doc or neurologist will

I am doing bafmd today. Trembling. All swollen. Burning. What is hapoening to me?

[[Gr...]]

@[pi...] I am really screwed now. 

Symptoms are bad. The swelling is wrecking me emotionally

[[pi...]]

Just now, [[G...] said:

@[Wi...] Now to find soneone who will give that to me. I don't think fam doc or neurologist will

I am doing bafmd today. Trembling. All swollen. Burning. What is hapoening to me?

@[Gr...], we mentioned many times that you are early in the recovery stages. So many weird things happen during this time, including our perception of how we look. I remember going to the store with my husband in the early days and everything looked surreal. I thought I didn’t look like myself and even asked the question of my husband. He said I looked as I always do. Withdrawal can affect how we see ourselves. 

[[An...]]

22 minutes ago, [[W...] said:

I should add, @[Gr...], there is no guarantee you will return to ‘completely symptom free’, but it should make things considerably more tolerable. You may end up with a baseline of symptoms to work with as you taper. 

Yes… the benzo should resume playing the role of your down-regulated Gabba receptors. 

Ditto to what @[Wi...] said! 👍 

I can almost feel the pain Grace is going through. I have been there myself. 

[[Gr...]]

@[pi...] This is real. It's not just the numbing, which I wish it only was, but I have pain insidectge nasal cavity andcI am definitely swollen which does give me a complex.

I swear this stuff is messing with my ear which is red, not pink, and numb and hurts. I swearcis shrunk

I feel possessed. This is horrible. I'm early now, but how long can I go through this?  No signs of it getting better. I am petrified

[[Gr...]]

How is it someone's nose swells up (besides being numb with shooting pain insde)? How does this happen? How can this go away? I am at end of my rope.

 Skin burning. Shaking. It's too much for me. I'm incompacitated

[[Gr...]]

Petrified

[[Gr...]]

I have to put on an act when my husband returns. He's not pleased bc I said some crazy things.

[[Gr...]]

I'm at the point if my husband leaves me hexwould be bette off and I would be alone with this poison

[[Gr...]]

I am losing my mind. This can get to you really bad. Put you in a bad place. I wish it was just shakiness, things like thst. I'm swollen in my face again and burning. I am so changed by this. It's turned things upside down. I looke like a caricature.

[Guest [...]]

I know it’s ‘horrid’ what you are going through, and I truly sympathise, but, I feel that constantly focussing your energy on your symptoms is actually pushing you deeper into fear, which only ever intensifies the symptoms more. 

You will get through this, @[Gr...]. 

You will recover! 

[[me...]]

23 minutes ago, [[p...] said:

@[Gr...], we mentioned many times that you are early in the recovery stages. So many weird things happen during this time, including our perception of how we look. I remember going to the store with my husband in the early days and everything looked surreal. I thought I didn’t look like myself and even asked the question of my husband. He said I looked as I always do. Withdrawal can affect how we see ourselves. 

I can't look in the mirror for 5 of the7years I was on it. Never thought about it and now I'm stuck indoors no energy somedays I don't shower or can't be bothered to eat..I feel numb not part of the happy world I used to be in I'm 69 going on169 🧓 can't think what to do from one day to the next.....it's like groundhog Day I just eat the same lunch everyday I've certainly crashed at some point here's to our lives improving🥂🙏

[[me...]]

Just now, [[m...] said:

I can't look in the mirror for 5 of the7years I was on it. Never thought about it and now I'm stuck indoors no energy somedays I don't shower or can't be bothered to eat..I feel numb not part of the happy world I used to be in I'm 69 going on169 🧓 can't think what to do from one day to the next.....it's like groundhog Day I just eat the same lunch everyday I've certainly crashed at some point here's to our lives improving🥂🙏

P.s I love reading that has been my saviour the local library drop of ten books a month.....so I can forget myself(well I already have) in the books and I buy loads books from Amazon two...📚🙏

[[Gr...]]

@[me...] That's what I fear. At my age, unable tto return to normalcy. I'm already stuck. Icwould normally be running errands. The pain keeps me from all things. I am not the same. I' m dull. My husband will probably get tired of me. I have failed myself

[[Gr...]]

@[me...] I don't want to be stuck in the house. I am now. i'm miserable

i nwed a solution to end these symptoms. I feel like I'm in jail