Akathisia

[[Na...]]

I tried a cut from 6mg of valium to 5.6mg. It was really bad. I had fairly recently cut from 6.5mg to 6mg but felt like I was handling it ok. 4 days after the cut to 5.6mg, I was jolted awake at 4am with severe akathisia and extreme neuropathic pain from head to toe. It's been so severe. I tried to updose back to 6mg. And then 7mg and then 8mg trying to make it stop. I've only gotten worse. Did I completely screw myself? Idk how to survive this. 

[[Ca...]]

I am so so sorry to hear this. I did this too several months ago -- I ended up updosing from 12.2 to 14 mgs and holding for three months to stabilize. I just restarted my taper, which is a microtaper, of one mg a month.

I have often regretted updosing and holding. But I can't advise you because I don't know that there is a right answer. Hopefully, you can stay at your original dose before you dropped and settle out.

Try doing some emotional freedom technique for benzo withdrawal with Paula on UTube. It's just tapping on accupressure points.

[[So...]]

You will survive it... even if you do have akathisia, many have gotten through it and survived and you will too.  It is only a symptom, a very scary and debilitating one, but in a way it's no different than the others.  Just hold where you are at, do whatever you have to to get thru it, and hopefully it will calm down soon ❤️

[[...]]

This chemical is so insidious. We don't  even know if up-dosing will help, as it hasn't for many. 

The only known solution is to stay the course and stop ingesting benzos the best we can.

Best wishes

[[Na...]]

Thank you for the responses

I was jolted awake at 4am again.  I can actually feel the valium sedating me but my nervous system is still on fire underneath it. I feel extremely ill and nauseous and shaking uncontrollably. I can still feel the akathisia underneath it as well But I can strongly feel the effects of the valium. 

 

I have no idea what this means or what to do or how to survive now. 

[[vo...]]

@[Na...] I feel for your pain and torture from the effects you're going through. Telling you my story only to let you know I can relate and how I'm dealing with it.  Having been on 6mg of xanax every day for 40 years, I am running into similar issues to you. When I went off the xanax, the akathasia set in and then numerous other debilitating issues over the last almost 12 months. I've tried antihistamines and beta-blockers to combat my symptoms and none of them worked. I now accept there is nothing any doctor can give me to counter the affects of akathasia and withdrawal. I am cheating however by using ambien. It's the only thing that gives me relief and one day I'm going to have to give that up too. I am forced to accept it and hopefully, one day it will end.  I hope one day this will work out for you too. 

[[Na...]]

@[vo...] 

 

I'm so sorry to hear that. This is unimaginable torture. I'm up at 4am already freaking out and pacing outside in the dark. I could feel the effect of the valium updose when I woke up but it's like squirting a water gun at a house fire. The akathisia and lit up nervous system quickly bursted through any sedative effect it had. And I'm sure that effect won't last for long anyways. It was a last ditch effort and I think probably a mistake. I really just want to survive this. I don't want to die but this is absolutely unbearable torture. 

[[vo...]]

I've thought the same thing but haven't said it out loud. I just keep my head thinking positive, that one day this will end and think of all of the things I enjoy and want to do. The best thing I do for myself is go to the gym as often as I can. The only time I don't go is when the sensations in my body are too much for me, but most days I go. Between eating really healthy (which I've never done before) and going to the gym as often as possible, I'm hoping my body fights the madness of the toxic pills we didn't know would do this to us. Do you have anything like that, that you can do to try to take your mind off of what you're going through?

[[tr...]]

I had akasthasia quite a bit  - it will eventully go. Updosing will only prolong the inevitable, and does not necessarily help. I had it after my jump. It goes as your body heals. Yes its God awful. Keep going in your taper and get off these meds. Its when your off that the real healing begins - that was my experience.

 

[[PE...]]

I also had it. For around 5 months but I'm not really sure.

wasn't online during this time so didn't know it was a diagnosis/symptom.

It's really hard but will pass! Try to walk outside instead of doing it inside. Feels less mental..i know it's hard but try to accept it for awhile. Like having a really boring and psychical job. 

And for the pain in legs it caused for me i used a chinese lube/balsam. Tiger balsam. 

It's a tough symptom to have. Hope it will pass for you soon 

[[Na...]]

@[PE...]

 

Things have calmed down some since I updosed but I can still feel the akathisia underneath the valium. It got very severe. Not just pain in my legs. It spread to my whole body. Nuerological pain from head to toe and extreme terror and inability to stop moving. I'm back to 10mg of valium and scared to try to taper again. Hoping maybe if I hold here a while things will calm down more and I'll be able to do a much slower taper or something. Idk. 

[[PE...]]

7 hours ago, [[N...] said:

@[PE...]

Things have calmed down some since I updosed but I can still feel the akathisia underneath the valium. It got very severe. Not just pain in my legs. It spread to my whole body. Nuerological pain from head to toe and extreme terror and inability to stop moving. I'm back to 10mg of valium and scared to try to taper again. Hoping maybe if I hold here a while things will calm down more and I'll be able to do a much slower taper or something. Idk. 

Oh so you have pain with it? For me it was this extreme body restlessness..

Ok good it's a bit better for you. I still have some light version of it.. like it feels good to pace but now i have a choice. Earlier akathisia was boss and i just tagged along. Throwing myself from the balcony have never been so tempting..but i live on the second floor so that wouldn't help much 😅

Thank God it passed..

Have a nice day ☺️👽

 

[[PE...]]

Yes that sounds wise. Try to stabilize. It sounds like you're a lucky one as many that updose don't get helped by it. 10mg is not a huge dose you be fine 😊🫡🦄👽

[[Na...]]

9 minutes ago, [[P...] said:

Yes that sounds wise. Try to stabilize. It sounds like you're a lucky one as many that updose don't get helped by it. 10mg is not a huge dose you be fine 😊🫡🦄👽

It doesn't seem like a large dose. I've tapered a benzo before. 5mg of klonopin and had an easier time with it. I'm severely kindled now and have had multiple episodes of akathisia. My cns is extremely unstable. 10mg might as well be 100 to me now. And yes. Extreme nuerological pain with the akathisia. Like every nerve in my body is lit on fire. 

Edited June 26 by [Na...]

[[PE...]]

21 minutes ago, [[N...] said:

It doesn't seem like a large dose. I've tapered a benzo before. 5mg of klonopin and had an easier time with it. I'm severely kindled now and have had multiple episodes of akathisia. My cns is extremely unstable. 10mg might as well be 100 to me now. And yes. Extreme nuerological pain with the akathisia. Like every nerve in my body is lit on fire. 

Ok sorry to hear that! I'm blessed with zero pain..insomnia is my main enemy now. And just got a cat that literally screams every night!! She so cute though so i let her live 😅🐯