When will it end? Anyone tempted to reinstate?

[[pi...]]

Thanks @[Re...] for the great suggestions! I played scrabble against the computer daily. Due to dog fog, I had to start at the easiest levels, but with time, I was beating Maven at the higher levels. 

[[Gr...]]

@[Re...] Mental? What was for you? Fear and panic like me? 

These are things I notice so far, may be gone: headache and nausea (started when I missed doses), dizziness, tremors, racing heart, dry hands seem a little better--not feeling powdery, tongue intermittently numb where itxwas everyday.

The burning & tight feeling, numb, swollen face, and annoying tinnitus continue. I'd choose the others over these. 

Your face stuff AND tinnitus are changing? 

Edited September 28, 2023 by [Gr...]

[[Re...]]

@[Gr...]See you are improving! It is wonderful to read. These are like any other symptoms. These will eventually subside. 

Oh I had the same anxiety over "never getting out of this". It was so bad that I drove myself crazy. Full blown, massive OCD, rumination. Extreme social anxiety, debilitating anxiety. SA remains so strong. 

Tinnitus goes away than comes back, together with facial stuff changing from burning to cold than itching....Loss of smell and taste happened yesterday, than away. 

These symptoms need to ease up. Everybody heals. We need to calm our poor nervous system sometimes ourselves. When I get very strong anxiety, I practice deep breathing or make a nice ginger tea with bit of honey. It really does help!

 

[[Gr...]]

@[Re...] I did have a full sweat duribg sleep 5 days ago. I get chills, but not as often. I have low body temp. I had been pacing when the pain was bad. Too soon to know if they're gone.

Nose continues to feel cold. Ugh.

The OCD, docial anxiety, etc. are gone or lessened? Is SA social anxiety?

Your tinnitus went away but returned? A little less than a month ago, I had a 3 hour break from tinnitus. I came back and hasn't stopped.

Very strange my skin becomes more painful at night. Everything gets bad.  don't know why.

Thank you. I hope this passes real soon. I am running low on patience.

 

[[Re...]]

@[Gr...]

Yes, SA is social anxiety. It is improving but more slowly.

I think any symptom you had that has improved or is gone is a huge win! 

Maybe it would make sense to think about what aggravates your symptoms at night. Stress, or personal fears are huge trigger, but I find that sugar (processed food in general) is. I have been "grazing" salad for months now. Sleeping, some say, contributes a lot to the process. 

 

[[Gr...]]

@[Re...] I'm not sure at night. It comes out of nowhere. Keeps me from sleeping.

Right now I have intense burning between my brows and on bridge. It's really bad right now. My nose is once again, swollen, numb and cold. My skin feels inflamed. 

I don't have 1 gray hair. I read sone people got gray hair? I pray that doesn't happen to me. Another thing to feel anxious about. That and a lot of symptoms that we get don't seem to fit in with this on a brain-nerve thing.

It's a strange thing where this is central on my face.  So there's my nose and the inner cheeks around my nose, all of which burn and go numb.

Very odd because I had rhinoplasty over 20 years ago and I think the bridge is what was fixed. Then there's the cheeks and around my nose. Two years ago I had a dermal filler in my cheeks and in folds near nose. I never had Botox or anything between my brows. Inteeresting how these areas are affected. Interesting how I did not have side effects when on the drug, yet having them off of it. 

The benzo ghost?

 

 

[[Re...]]

@[Gr...] I am pretty sure it is, I have the same weird sensation on my face, almost the exact same you described. But as @[Pa...] wrote already, it does not hurt to get checked.

This burning and numb feeling is known to me. It is very unsettling and I understand why you are upset. Maybe some cold or warm pads could do the trick? 

I would not have believed benzo WD was ever a thing. It is, big time. Big bummer and huge lesson from life in general. 

[[Gr...]]

@[Re...] I never gave stopping any thought. That doc's office said, "Everyone knows they are addictive." I didn't think of addiction for a prescribed med that I didn't abuse. I always thought of addiction with abuse and mixing meds and/or alcohol. The ethical thing to do was for the doc to clearly warn me about withdrawal and cease prescribing short-term use. 

I am going through some kind of weirdness again. It's not night here yet. I am getting the swelling feeling as if my nose is swelling too much for skin to handle. No kidding. Along with burning again. Why? I can't stand it anymore.

I guess I should ask for a blood circulation test although my hands and feet do not feel cold. Is that strange? How coukd benzo withdrawal cause me to have a sudden circulation problem? And what are chances I suddenly developed a circulation problem? This is evil.

I try to use compress, but because it's coming from within (systemic?), it doesn't do much. 

I can't take this. I have that pill somewhere in the house. I think I'm going to get weak.

 

 

[[An...]]

On 25/09/2023 at 01:07, [[G...] said:

 

I am giving this 2 weeks and I may just go back on this poison and stay on it the rest of my life if it means getting rid of this. This is too much for me to handle.

@[Gr...] When you were still on benzos, were you completely SX-free and doing okay? If not, I would personally try to stay the course even tho I know how bad these SXs can be. The temptation to reinstate to get some relief can be very strong when you are suffering 24/7 day after day not knowing when and if this will ever end. Hang in there. Things should start to improve at some point IMO.

[[Gr...]]

@[An...]  I don't recall having these symptoms. I did feel weird and tired. I began to dislike how it made me feel. I had numbness in lips once in March when I was still taking the med, so I don't know if that was a warning I had something underlying going on.

I forgot many times to take the med. I am not good at remembering to take things unless I feel I need it, i.e., Tylenol for a headache, etc. I often forgot to take my vitamins/supplements. I don't like taking anything.  Hence, why I missed 3 weeks of this med.

Thank you. I know, reinstating will do no good. It's a devil's med that keeps working on us long after we take it and tempts us to think that we need to take it again to feel better. Such an evil med. I can't believe the medical community is in such denial.

[[Pa...]]

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

I guess I should ask for a blood circulation test although my hands and feet do not feel cold. Is that strange? How coukd benzo withdrawal cause me to have a sudden circulation problem? And what are chances I suddenly developed a circulation problem? This is evil.

What you’re feeling are simply symptoms created by the withdrawal, they aren’t indications of a serious illness or malady, they’re much like phantoms that scare you but can’t hurt you.  

Yes, they hurt and yes, just like phantoms they’re scary but if you try to distract from them they’ll lessen.  This is the power you have over these symptoms, you can either put them front and center in your mind and be their victim or you can use your power to minimize them.  

By paying attention to everything you feel, you’re giving them more power than they already have, take your power back, you can do this!

[[Gr...]]

@[Pa...] I don't want to be running to doctors to find something. I don't go to the doctor unless I am really sick which every few years. If I get sick and have a real problem, then I will. This stuff puts a toll on us. I think it's causing me circulation issues, face and nose are cold? I don't know what this is. 

I've been told I don't have protracted. (At least not now.) Although the prescribing info (PI) says parasthesia (I may have?) comes with protracted. I wish the PI gave some kind of timeline based on studies and was not sugarcoated. No wonder docs don't know details about these meds. 

I tell myself I have to get through this and I can't let this take over my life. It has been crippling and pushing me in a dark hole. Give me more anxiety than before I took the benzo. Sometimes my legs are shaky and I can't stand up.

I need to beat this. This has to be ending soon? Really stinks.

 

[[Gr...]]

Pain is intolerable right now. Shaking. Weak legs. I am poisoned. This is wrong. I was healthy. I don't want to be like this. I was full of energy. 

[[Gr...]]

I just want to say that all of you here at BB have been so kind. So many positive thoughts sent my way. I wish I could see a light at the end of the tunnel right now.

I am having a horrible time with this. Maybe because of where my symptoms are and how I don't have any way to treat them. I'm swollen. I feel like the cartilage in my nose has swollen? I have cold nose tip, cheeks, you know the story...

Thank you

@[Wi...] @[Re...] @[be...] @[pi...] @[...] @[me...] @[de...] @[gs...]

@[Pa...] @[An...]

[[de...]]

@[Gr...] I know how difficult this can be, but you will get past this.   When you are in the midst of this, especially in the beginning, you can't seem to find the light at the end of the tunnel, but it is there.   I liken it to driving through fog on a familiar road that is so dense you cannot see anything in front of you.    You know what is in front of you because you have driven the road many times, but you just can't "see" it at the moment.    You know who you were before this journey.   You don't feel the same, but one day, just like the dense fog, things will begin to lift.  

Hang in there!

[[Gr...]]

I'm having a meltdown. My husband has been at work the last few days. I've been alone.Just like clockwork ever night, all the pain, numbing head-to-toe, and burning are back full blast. I have a headache. Everything is throbbing. I'm sure being upset is not helping. I have been a prisoner. I feel like I don't care if I die.

Why worse at night? How does my body know it's night? 

I keep trying to resist filling that last prescription. Dear God, when will I get a break?  I'm not a very religious person, but this has me prayong begging to God.

I'm trying to get through this. I dob-t know. I wish I knew if reinstating would make it better. 

[[...]]

Prob not. You'll just get crazy mental stuff too.. hang in there. You can do it 

[[An...]]

Hang in there Grace. Benzo withdrawal is like a hurricane in reverse. You get the storm before the calm. 

[[Go...]]

20 hours ago, [[R...] said:

@[Gr...]See you are improving! It is wonderful to read. These are like any other symptoms. These will eventually subside. 

Oh I had the same anxiety over "never getting out of this". It was so bad that I drove myself crazy. Full blown, massive OCD, rumination. Extreme social anxiety, debilitating anxiety. SA remains so strong. 

Tinnitus goes away than comes back, together with facial stuff changing from burning to cold than itching....Loss of smell and taste happened yesterday, than away. 

These symptoms need to ease up. Everybody heals. We need to calm our poor nervous system sometimes ourselves. When I get very strong anxiety, I practice deep breathing or make a nice ginger tea with bit of honey. It really does help!

There is no proof that everybody heals. Im almost 8 months out, and the fear today is as bad as Day 1.  Plus I read all these stories of people 3,4,10 years out still talking of symptoms and suffering.  I not sure they ever heal?  Plus, it seems like everyone posting is married or has some significant other to help them in their suffering?

Edited September 29, 2023 by [Go...]

[[An...]]

I am unmarried and alone too @[Go...].

I do think most ppl can get off these drugs but that does not automatically equate with feeling great. I was pretty miserable before I ever started taking benzos as are most ppl with chronic anxiety and panic. After detoxing the drugs, you have to find other non-drug ways to cope and deal with stress in your life which is the primary culprit IMHO for many of the anxiety disorders and insomnia.

I am personally using aerobic exercise, meditation, and a healthy whole food plant-based diet to help me feel as good as possible without having to take some drug to mask SXs.

[[Gr...]]

I have very odd symptoms that I don't see on here. How do I have numbing in my nose and It swells up? Myclios and tongue go numb. My face begins to burn more and they all get increasingly bad at night. Plus, my head goes numb and throbs. The tinnitus gets annoyingly loud, too.

What are the chances I suddenly have some strange thing or things going on with my health? I had good lab work.

It has to be withdrawal This makes me want to reinstate. I didn't have this when taking the Xanax, although I hated the way it made me feel. I don't think I can wait much longer. Running low on patience. 

What percent of people reinstate? 

 

[[...]]

On 24/09/2023 at 15:03, [[G...] said:

@[Re...]

What percentage is'nt known and doesn't matter. We are all alone together. The decision is yours. 

What happens if you reinstate and things get worse? At least staying clean you will heal. 

If you think you need chemicals to feel good, pick a different type. Benzos and alcohol are the ones that kill people.And go nuts.

Please look for therapy and cognitive tools to feel normal.

Hoping the best for you

[[Gr...]]

@[...] I am tempted. I don't know why I don't have typical symptoms like most others. I can't at least see how others progressed. I have weird stuff that I didn't have on the poison.

This poison still sucks the life out of us even after it's gone. I am getting weak and It's tempting because ai don't know what state of WD I really am based on this weirdness.

[[mi...]]

@[Gr...] You mentioned you've had surgery on that area in the past. It seems a trend that WD symptoms with the nervous system can harp on people's weak areas. I wonder if it's just praying on a part of your body that is altered. The nervous system has a memory, and sometimes it takes a certain threshhold of dysfunction for it to activate an old injury or in your case surgery site. The CNS does not make sense. I'm trying to make sense of every symptom I have and it's impossible. It's scary but it's impossible. And even if you got your answer, you still wouldn't be satisfied because it still feels wrong and weird. But don't discount your previous facial surgery and the impact it had on the nerves in that area.

[[...]]

I'm 11 months off and some days I can't make it to the mailbox. Some days I can. And shop and go places.

What keeps me going is that I wrote down how sick I was in tolerance and acute. I can see I'm improving.

I guess I could have kept upping my dose instead. Run around begging doctors.But now that my brains are clearing up I am very glad I stuck it out. 

hope you do too.

 

Edited September 30, 2023 by [...]
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