Used Xanax for 2 months and I'm screwed.

[[be...]]

I might be one of the short term users here.

I used Xanax for 2 weeks and I tried to stop using it and all the weird symtoms came up and I got panic attacks 24/7 and electricity and heart attacks.

 

So I tried to taper it for 3 weeks and Im 4 weeks off.

 

It is total:

2 weeks of use + 3 weeks of tapering

 

4 weeks off.

 

Im still super depressed. Insomnia kills me. I can hardly sleep every night. I sleep for an hour each time and I get 3 sets of it each night. Time goes by really slowly when I try to sleep.

 

Brain zaps and another kind of electricity that makes me feel like eletricuted.

 

I gradually got better than 4 weeks ago because I couldnt walk at all. But I still have all those weird feelings and everything feels unreal. My life feels like Im playing a game. I can hardly look at the phone or computer. 3 min maxinum. It took more than an hour to write this post.

 

What can I do? It is horrible. Insomnia is the worst. I feel like I might collapse.

Edited June 2 by [be...]

[[je...]]

Hi @[be...]

I'm really sorry you're going through all this. Unfortunately some people seem to be very sensitive to benzo's and they struggle even after very short term use. It can take some time for symptoms to settle down but the good news is the majority of people recover given enough time. It is a good sign that you can already see improvement after 4 weeks. I know it is still difficult with the severity of symptoms. Usually if you can try and distract from your symptoms, it helps.

Just know you're not alone, we all understand what you're going through.

[[Le...]]

Sorry bud. Believe it if you can that you are actually doing well and it should improve lots soon. Do your best to live healthily and get some activity. It will be ok in some time. 

[[Ho...]]

hi @[be...], I'm so sorry for your suffering and understand—it's so absolutely unbelievable that a prescribed medicine can put you in the state you're in! I was filled with unbelief too. I was filled with denial too because the whole scenario beggared belief. The medical community acted as if I were the wrong 'un, a bit crazy, don't you want to take this pill or that pill or see this therapist or that therapist? Or this specialist? 

And of course I did because I trusted them. It's taken years to realize they really do not know what this is. The FDA does. in 2020 they required a new black box warning (the most stringent kind of warning) to be placed on all benzodiazepine info sheets. The warning includes this heads up: severe and prolonged reactions may occur when any benzodiazepine is discontinued.

The FDA failed to send out dear doctor letters though. So doctors, used to prescribing benzos, don't know about this new warning. Add to that, it isn't in the literature given to patients! It's only included in the literature given to doctors and pharmacists. It's no wonder no one in the medical community knows about this.

If you've already seen some improvement, that's a very very good thing. It usually means more healing is coming sooner rather than later. I pray God this is so for you.

Glad you're here. Ask for help any time!

Warmly,

HCHC

[[En...]]

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

I might be one of the short term users here.

I used Xanax for 2 weeks and I tried to stop using it and all the weird symtoms came up and I got panic attacks 24/7 and electricity and heart attacks.

So I tried to taper it for 3 weeks and Im 4 weeks off.

It is total:

2 weeks of use + 3 weeks of tapering

4 weeks off.

Im still super depressed. Insomnia kills me. I can hardly sleep every night. I sleep for an hour each time and I get 3 sets of it each night. Time goes by really slowly when I try to sleep.

Brain zaps and another kind of electricity that makes me feel like eletricuted.

I gradually got better than 4 weeks ago because I couldnt walk at all. But I still have all those weird feelings and everything feels unreal. My life feels like Im playing a game. I can hardly look at the phone or computer. 3 min maxinum. It took more than an hour to write this post.

What can I do? It is horrible. Insomnia is the worst. I feel like I might collapse.

This is the devil's pill. I was only on it for a month and got tolerance withdrawal. This pill is only good for one time use not continual. I have lost trust in my Dr for not warning me of this. He made it sound like it was easy to come off and that I would just have to wean off it like everyone else. My Dr made this whole process a horrible nightmare. My life has been ruined this last 8 months trying to get off. 

I am sorry you were exposed to this drug. It should be made illegal. 

Edited June 2 by [En...]

[[Di...]]

Hi 

I was given Xanax to help cope when  my husband became very ill. I only took 0.25mg 1 x before bed. I actually titred this down to half a tablet. Sadly my husband died after 3 months in hospital, 6 weeks ago. I then increased my dose back up to 1x 0.25mg per night. After 4 weeks I again took my dose down to half a tablet at night. Last Monday, I tried to split the half tablet into a quarter, however this has resulted in my having dizzy spells with blurred vision. As I now live on my own, I am really worried. I cannot drive whilst I am like this. I only have to move my head and that brings it on. What do I do to stop this?

[[be...]]

On 09/06/2024 at 20:19, [[D...] said:

 

I was given Xanax to help cope when  my husband became very ill. I only took 0.25mg 1 x before bed. I actually titred this down to half a tablet. Sadly my husband died after 3 months in hospital, 6 weeks ago. I then increased my dos

 

On 09/06/2024 at 20:19, [[D...] said:

Hi 

I was given Xanax to help cope when  my husband became very ill. I only took 0.25mg 1 x before bed. I actually titred this down to half a tablet. Sadly my husband died after 3 months in hospital, 6 weeks ago. I then increased my dose back up to 1x 0.25mg per night. After 4 weeks I again took my dose down to half a tablet at night. Last Monday, I tried to split the half tablet into a quarter, however this has resulted in my having dizzy spells with blurred vision. As I now live on my own, I am really worried. I cannot drive whilst I am like this. I only have to move my head and that brings it on. What do I do to stop this?

That was my onset and the hell started. How are you doing now? Did it get improved?

[[Do...]]

You're going to be fine. Just stay positive, stop overthinking it. You weren't on the benzo for a very long time. I am in no way disregarding what you are going through, but anxiety itself causes a lot of symptoms people would call "withdrawal symptoms". I've noticed that many short term users seem to have a mental health issue like anxiety that is making them believe they are withdrawing from a benzo. Statistically, millions and millions of people are prescribed benzos annually. You would be in a very tiny minority if what you are experiencing is truly benzo withdrawal. Anxiety is a beast and you need to find another way to cope and stop doom scrolling in groups like this. You'll only make yourself worse because others who "relate" to you will hop on and tell you their horror story hoping to find someone in a similar situation so they don't feel alone. I've been tapering 1 mg of ativan use and I used it maybe almost daily for 8 weeks. Doc switched me over to valium to taper to be safe and it has been sooo easy so far. I believe that's because I am no longer anxious anymore. Get your mind back into a positive setting and you'll look back later laughing at yourself for posting in a group like this.

[[...]]

Hi, @[Do...], and welcome to BenzoBuddies! Please, feel free to create a new thread of your own, if necessary.

I'm really glad it's been so easy for you so far and hope you'll keep doing well till your withdrawal is over. Wishing Good Luck to you with all my heart!)

Just one thing. We're all so different as well as our nervous system's reaction to benzo. I do know, by my own experience, what the chemical anxiety by benzo means. I don't have it anymore though) and i absolutely agree with you about staying positive and not overthinking. 

[[mr...]]

I also used for a short period, I cant imagine what people who used for years are going through, but my brain is definitely not the same before I started . I went cold turkey , someone messaged me and told me to get off this poison as soon as possible.

I have long term damage/ effects. not to scare you or anything just being honest.

[[be...]]

1 minute ago, [[m...] said:

I also used for a short period, I cant imagine what people who used for years are going through, but my brain is definitely not the same before I started . I went cold turkey , someone messaged me and told me to get off this poison as soon as possible.

I have long term damage/ effects. not to scare you or anything just being honest.

when did u get off? what symptoms do u have now?

[[mr...]]

6 minutes ago, [[b...] said:

when did u get off? what symptoms do u have now?

I dont want to tell you when i got off because it may discourage you or make you feel worst. but i posted it in spoilers because i feel weird not telling you dont click if you dont want bad news.

Spoiler

may 2022

 

my main symptoms now, They have gotten better over the past month, I can sleep again, i am having dreams again. But my worst symptom is my head just hurts really bad behind my eyes, almost like i cant focus, or a squeezing of my brain feels like my brain is bleeding or short circuiting. I can feel zaps in my face, back of head. sometimes feels like my face is melting/ brain is melting on one side like a stroke or something.

If this would go away i think i would be back 100% healed.

Edited Saturday at 02:45 by [mr...]
spoliers

[[Le...]]

sounds like 7th cranial nerve irritation. how much slouching/clenching teeth/tension?

[[be...]]

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

I dont want to tell you when i got off because it may discourage you or make you feel worst. but i posted it in spoilers because i feel weird not telling you dont click if you dont want bad news.

  Reveal hidden contents

may 2022

my main symptoms now, They have gotten better over the past month, I can sleep again, i am having dreams again. But my worst symptom is my head just hurts really bad behind my eyes, almost like i cant focus, or a squeezing of my brain feels like my brain is bleeding or short circuiting. I can feel zaps in my face, back of head. sometimes feels like my face is melting/ brain is melting on one side like a stroke or something.

If this would go away i think i would be back 100% healed.

do you have any electricity?

any stimulation when you look at the phone?

[[be...]]

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

do you have any electricity?

any stimulation when you look at the phone?

 

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

I dont want to tell you when i got off because it may discourage you or make you feel worst. but i posted it in spoilers because i feel weird not telling you dont click if you dont want bad news.

  Reveal hidden contents

may 2022

my main symptoms now, They have gotten better over the past month, I can sleep again, i am having dreams again. But my worst symptom is my head just hurts really bad behind my eyes, almost like i cant focus, or a squeezing of my brain feels like my brain is bleeding or short circuiting. I can feel zaps in my face, back of head. sometimes feels like my face is melting/ brain is melting on one side like a stroke or something.

If this would go away i think i would be back 100% healed.

 

i feel like my brain is fried or microwaved when i get stimulation. is it the feeling that u get?

[[mr...]]

53 minutes ago, [[b...] said:

i feel like my brain is fried or microwaved when i get stimulation. is it the feeling that u get?

yes kind of, when i think too hard or do something that requires alot of thinking.

[[be...]]

1 minute ago, [[m...] said:

yes kind of, when i think too hard or do something that requires alot of thinking.

how long did it take until it became or manageable? I can't really do anything now because of it now

[[mr...]]

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

how long did it take until it became or manageable? I can't really do anything now because of it now

im still dealing with issues myself, i can only do simple things. sometimes its manageable, other times im regretting that i will probably never return to normal, i can hardly sleep at times because of my head pains and head aches.

[[be...]]

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

im still dealing with issues myself, i can only do simple things. sometimes its manageable, other times im regretting that i will probably never return to normal, i can hardly sleep at times because of my head pains and head aches.

Im really sorry to hear that. I jumped off Xanax CT 40 days and I suffer tramendously like that. Do you recommend me to reinstate and re-taper?

[[mr...]]

47 minutes ago, [[b...] said:

Im really sorry to hear that. I jumped off Xanax CT 40 days and I suffer tramendously like that. Do you recommend me to reinstate and re-taper?

I cant answer that as I do not know.

[[Al...]]

How often were you using it and how much were you taking?