I'm spent

[[Mu...]]

Like many of my buddies I have endured every symptom one could imagine. Every single doctor during this period had no knowledge of benzodiazepine withdrawal. For around a month my right hands and Knuckles were swollen each morning, my doctor instantly diagnosed it as arthritis and prescribed 800 mg ibuprofen. After a month it completely disappeared and moved to the left hand for a month and then disappeared. He laughed when I said it was probably benzos. When I told him at 6 months off , I was in so much pain my wife would set me up in bed dress me and tie my shoes

I am 4 years 5 months out, during this time I have endured lower abdominal pain often goes into the groin and hip. I wake each morning telling myself in a couple of hours the fear and worry will go away. I am weak, fatigue, with no interest of doing anything. One thing that does help distractions, previously it was the movies but most movies suck now. I would advise everyone try not to spend too much time alone if you can. Go to a library sit somewhere and have a cup of coffee and watch people.

I believe the length of recovery may depend on how long one takes the poison, In my case it was 14 years.

I am currently reading Lord of the Rings which I may never finish. I liken the ring to Xanax, that little pill is the precious.

God bless music60 

Remember fear and doubt are our biggest enemy. 

[[kn...]]

I'm not done yet (still have 4mgs of diazepam to finish), but I've experienced the same symptoms and have pretty much the same outlook on things that you described.  Joints on the right side are often swollen and the muscles and skin are painful and tender; next day or so it'll be the same for the left.  The abdominal and groin pain haven't been too much of a problem but the nausea has been with me almost constantly over the last year.  I took my benzos for 30 years and yes, the length of time I was on these drugs is making getting off them a formidable task.  And I do bide my time with as many distractions as possible. Reading is probably the main one.  I used to walk and exercise a bit, but muscle pain and weakness in my legs have made that pretty tough for quite awhile.  Getting out of the house, even to grocery shop, is a big deal for me.  Fear and doubt have haunted me frequently throughout.  I've found that most of my AM anxiety is due to laying in bed and ruminating about what I'm going to feel like during the day.   For me, getting up and sticking to daily routines has really helped.  Before going to bed, I try to plan something that I can look forward to when I get up: reading a thriller, making connections with someone I haven't seen for awhile, listening to a positive pod cast, etc.  Watching the morning TV news, or even listening to it is a recipe for unhappiness.