PAIN IN ARMS, LEGS, JOINTS AND Weakness

[[Lu...]]

This may be a bit complicated and hard to follow so I’m sorry I’m advance.  I was in attivan for 6 months about 2 years ago and it made me feel incredibly depressed so doctor switched me to kolonopin for another 6 months and actually made me feel worse so I tapered off of it through research I found online (psychiatrist completely unsympathetic and naive as to the dangers of the these drugs and withdrawal) when I told him I wanted to come off of them completely he suggested a 2 week taper and that I would feel normal in a week (furthest from the truth imaginable) the withdrawal was hell but mostly mental. Then a few months after I thought I was in the clear I had myocarditis which SPIKED my anxiety through the roof and went back on kolonopin. Tapered again but much quicker this time. Hellish mental side effects again (depression, severe depersonalization, DR, anxiety attacks that would make me almost faint.) but got through it. Aaaaaand one month ago I see cardiologist who says my blood pressure is a little high (hereditary as both parents and all grandparents have high BP) so he puts me on amlodopine which causes me to have Very strange bodily reactions like feeling faint and palpitations which he sky rocketed my anxiety again. So I teach for my emergency prescription of alprazolam .25 my psychiatrist prescribed me for emergency panic attacks. I then took between .25 and 1mlg of alprazolam every day for the next couple weeks. Immediately felt the depression and depersonalization come back and my tongue started twitching and face twitching also felt numbness around mouth (none of these new symptoms had occurred with attivan or klonopin , so I cold turkeed last Friday. It’s now been 12 days since last dose and am having horrible aching and weakness in my arms and some In my legs. Mostly in arms and hands though. Like a dull throb pulsing through both arms almost constantly. Hands and muscles feel stiff and so weak. Lifting my 3 year old daughter feels like a bag of concrete. Lifting my arms to hug my wife is tiresome. I’m also a barber so work has been incredibly difficult. Had an EMG and nerve conduction study done a couple days ago all came back normal. Could this radiating limb pain be from the alprazolam for such a short period of time? I truly apologize for the long winded story but I feel helpless and alone and very scared. Thank you for all consideration and responses in advance ❤️

Edited February 23 by [Lu...]

[[Pa...]]

Hello @[Lu...], welcome to BenzoBuddies,

Yes, what you're feeling is a direct result of your bodies dependence on the benzodiazepines you've taken.  What is complicating things is your repeated starting and stopping of the drug, there is a theory I happen to agree with that outlines why. Kindling - Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (benzoinfo.com)

My suggestion given your need to work would be to reinstate the Klonopin, get stable and do a slow taper.  It won't be pleasant but it will hopefully allow you to function enough to keep your job.  A cold turkey cessation will leave you with severe symptoms for an undetermined amount of time because recovery from these medications can take months and years so keeping functional is important while doing this. 

I probably haven't addressed all of your concerns, so lets keep talking.

@[Pa...]

[[Lu...]]

Hi @[Pa...] thank you for the reply, I read the attached link and definitely think that can be what happened to me because I felt mostly cured from the previous withdrawal prior to this 3 week relapse with the low dose alprazolam. It has been over a year since last taken kolonopin though, wouldn’t that be to long reinstate? I’m not sure how this all works. I had absolutely no idea the hell pit I was launched into having been prescribed these awful drugs for anxiety. The twitching has 90% subsided over the last few days but the pain is persistent. I am very very very hesitant about reinstatement. To be honest I am terrified to ever take one again. Is it possible to just ride this out without reinstatement? Thank you so much for the kind words and consideration. I am very thankful I have found this site ❤️

[[Lu...]]

I do think I am still in the “acute” withdrawal from the alprazolam at 12 days correct? It should start to get a tiny bit easier if this experience is similar to my past experiences with benzo withdrawal. Thank you 

[[Pa...]]

@[Lu...], the reason I suggested the Klonopin rather than the Xanax is because it has a longer half life which makes it better to taper from, people don't have the interdose withdrawals they do with Xanax.

If you feel continuing on this path is your best bet then its possible to recover, I recovered from my cold turkey.  Some literature suggests there can be protracted symptoms when quitting this way but I was able to recover completely in 14 months which is typical for those who taper.  My acute lasted about 2 weeks and I was able to return to full time work after 3 weeks.  

It might not be possible to predict your recovery this time if kindling is playing a role in how you're feeling, but if you make up your mind to see this through, then I'm sure you can. 

[[Lu...]]

Thank you for the thoughtful response. I think I may try to give it another week to see if after the acute withdrawal phase things becoming a tad more manageable. Especially after reading the kindling article I am nervous about adding yet another withdrawal to the mix but like you said it may be necessary to maintain functioning. In a week or so I think I will know the right answer. Do you have any tips for the WD pain in my arms and joints Or for WD symptoms as a whole. Did you find that exercise helped the pain? Or a certain diet? Just desperate for some relief. I have found a hot bath and distraction helps 

[[Pa...]]

2 minutes ago, [[L...] said:

distraction helps

Yep, you've already discovered the best tool we have, anything that provides a moments peace is helpful.  Some can exercise, others find it ramps up symptoms so you'll have to experiment to find what works for you.  The trouble is, experimenting on ourselves can be painful but its the only thing we've found because we're all so different.

Many say to eat clean, whatever your definition is, some avoid sugar and caffeine can cause us problems.  Be careful with supplements and other medications, we never know how we're going to react, some say they help, others are harmed.  Since alcohol effects the same receptors in the brain, its not a good idea, its like taking a dose, that's why they call alcohol liquid benzo's.

You'll find lots of threads talking about coping methods, the search function works well and you can start another thread asking for input if no one shows up here to offer suggestions.

I hope you'll keep us posted on your progress, I'm very interested to see how this goes for you. 

 

[[Lu...]]

@[Pa...]I absolutely will keep you updated and will definitely be on this site quite a bit absorbing the support. Finding this site and seeing that others have gone through the same thing is very comforting. With my psychiatrist seemingly having no knowledge of this possibility or how dangerous and scary the withdrawals are had me feeling very scared and alone. So thank you yet again for the response. Also quick question, I am mostly out of the seizure window as tomorrow marks 13 days since last dose correct?

Edited February 23 by [Lu...]

[[Bu...]]

Hi @[Lu...],

I've been dealing with deep, throbbing muscle pain mostly in my legs and occasionally in my back and shoulders. I also have a lot of joint pain. 

For my legs, I found that a heating pad and mild to moderate compression helps.  If it's the heat from the bath and the feeling of weight from the water, then maybe that could help you too.  For my shoulders and back, it kind of depends.  Sometimes a weighted blanket is great with some heat, other times, I wrap a lighter weight, stretchy blanket around my shoulders and back very tightly and that helps.  Still other times it is the exact opposite and I need to put a freezer cold pack on it.  @[Pa...] is right about experimenting.  Along with all of us being very different, what works for me changes, sometimes from hour to hour. 

For joint pain, any of the above helps sometimes, again just depending on the day.  I can also take Aleve without any problems, but I know many people can't tolerate any other meds.  But the Aleve really helps with the joint issues.  A lot of people have used magnesium glycinate to help with muscle pain, but again it's about what you can tolerate.  

One thing this process does is teach us how to really listen to our bodies.  I am glad you found us, but I am so sorry that you have to go through this. 

 

[[Pa...]]

31 minutes ago, [[L...] said:

Also quick question, I am mostly out of the seizure window as tomorrow marks 13 days since last dose correct?

I would assume so, but can't say for sure.  I've heard that unless you're prone to seizures they're rare. 

[[bw...]]

Everyones different but if you have been off these drugs for a year there isnt no way i would go back on them and stabalize and retaper. Absolutley not.

[[Pa...]]

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

Everyones different but if you have been off these drugs for a year there isnt no way i would go back on them and stabalize and retaper. Absolutley not.

@[Lu...] indicated in their first post they are 12 days out from a cold turkey of Alprazolam.

[[Lu...]]

Hey @[Pa...] hope you’re having a good day. Still not quite sure how to search for specific topics on this site but have you heard of anyone having bottom lip and chin trembling and twitching from WDS? 

[[Pa...]]

Hi @[Lu...], the search function works well if you want to give it a shot but what you describe is common, my lip didn't tremble but I felt like I was hooked up to a 12 volt battery, it was a constant inner trembling that I couldn't see outwardly but I never had any peace, I constantly buzzed.  The tip of my tongue was sore too and I finally figured out I was rubbing in on the roof of my mouth, I actually had a blister.  This process is awful!

How are you doing, have you come to terms with the enormity of your situation?  That's one of the most difficult things to deal with when this happens, when we find out we're stuck, that there is nothing we can do but wait and allow our central nervous system to recover. 

[[Lu...]]

I have somewhere between denial and coming to terms. I never thought a pill I was prescribed by a doctor could cause such a massive bump in the road of my life. I am thankful I found you all and this site so I don’t feel like I’m going crazy. My wife and family try to be supportive but I just don’t think they can understand the magnitude of this or how much pain I’m in. I also keep having a fear I have ALS or cancer or something because the weakness is primarily in one arm and and twitching is so uncomfortable and unsettling it’s hard to believe it’s only WD. I am going to make some more doctors appointments to rule any thing else out but none of this really started until after the couple weeks of alprazolam so it must be health anxiety creating those fears. Not sure though. Praying it’s just WD because if I know that’s the only monster I have to fight I think that’s do-able. I have had bouts of health anxiety in the past. If I Google the symptoms I am having it all leads to horrible diagnoses. Scary stuff. Thank you again for the continued support. It means the world. 

 

[[Pa...]]

By all means, get the testing done, any peace of mind we can attain is beneficial because the fear we feel creates more anxiety and stress and makes our symptoms worse.  

I wanted to point you to this thread, its filled with people who have done their best to push back against the lies the drug tells us, you may see some of your thoughts there. Benzo Lies that have been busted

I'm glad your family is supportive but you're right, they can't fathom what it feels like to experience the total disruption of our mental, physical and emotional well being. 

[[Th...]]

On 26/02/2024 at 18:00, [[L...] said:

I have somewhere between denial and coming to terms. I never thought a pill I was prescribed by a doctor could cause such a massive bump in the road of my life. I am thankful I found you all and this site so I don’t feel like I’m going crazy. My wife and family try to be supportive but I just don’t think they can understand the magnitude of this or how much pain I’m in. I also keep having a fear I have ALS or cancer or something because the weakness is primarily in one arm and and twitching is so uncomfortable and unsettling it’s hard to believe it’s only WD. I am going to make some more doctors appointments to rule any thing else out but none of this really started until after the couple weeks of alprazolam so it must be health anxiety creating those fears. Not sure though. Praying it’s just WD because if I know that’s the only monster I have to fight I think that’s do-able. I have had bouts of health anxiety in the past. If I Google the symptoms I am having it all leads to horrible diagnoses. Scary stuff. Thank you again for the continued support. It means the world. 

I too experience very physical side effects from what I believe is also benzo withdrawal. I’ve had multiple tests done and so far everything has come back normal on me. I had a similar background with health anxiety as well. It can be very scary. I agree get the testing done. Hopefully it gives you peace of mind. The unknown is the scariest part. Hence my screen name. Haha. I also, have a 3 year old and get very discouraged with my ability in interacting/raising her. Luckily I also have a supportive wife. 

[[Lu...]]

@[Th...] thanks for responding, sending you prayers brother. I hope we all make it through this. Most of the pain has disappeared now the muscles in my right hand are incredibly stiff and twitchy which immediately in my mind solidifies my fears of ALS… I’m sure it’s not. But my brain has a way of weeding out all logical explanations and immediately assuming the worst case scenario. These symptoms are scary for people even without health anxiety

[[Th...]]

@[Lu...] I’m happy most of the pain has gone for you at the moment. Hopefully it stays away. I get it, I’ve have multiple tests and lab work done and I still have days when I obsess over the thoughts that something is seriously wrong with me. I’m 6 months off and have had a few days where I feel 65%ish of my old self. If had so many physical symptoms it’s hard to believe it’s benzo withdrawal but as soon as I search in benzo buddies someone has experienced the same. The majority of the time I feel awful physically and try to manage anxiety and frustration.
 

We just need to keep pushing forward.