Benzo (and GABA) drug withdrawal is fibromyalgia in most cases??

[[Ro...]]

Hi Robb-

 

You may want to go a bit slower at the end since you are so symptomatic. I am very symptomatic as well and am using milk/pills to do a daily microtaper.

 

We will get there! I have no doubt

 

Tina

I'm going slower now Tina. Stuck on 7.5 and getting akathisia so I'll hold. Hope you are doing well =)

 

Xo, Robb

[[Ro...]]

A must read - Dr Pellegro - drugs/drug reactions can cause fibro like syndromes

 

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=16600

 

Robb =)

[[Ro...]]

I am realizing more and more that this thread is very controversial to some people. I just want to restate my view.

 

I know some people have fibromyalgia and I know it is real (probably genetic) - I wish to offend no one with my views . I just wish to bring attention to possibilities that the drugs may have caused your fibro sxs in the first place (or made them worse). If you didn't have pain before drugs then this thread is more relevant to you. If you DID have pain prior to the drugs then I agree that people could NEED these drugs...I'm not against that. I am very sorry if this thread upsets people that have true fibro. I only wish to bring light the possibilities so people can take it from there.

 

Thanks, Robb =)

[[Ro...]]

Been in too much pain to think lately but here are some links from a google search - i will read later when I can think. If anyone wants to help with the best info on these searches please do. I just cannot think anymore....getting hard to read.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=drugs+causing+myalgia+syndromes&oq=drugs+causing+myalgia+syndromes&aqs=chrome.0.57j62.17597&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=benzo+induced+myalgia&oq=benzo+induced+myalgia&aqs=chrome.0.57j64.7325&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myalgia

[Guest [...]]

I'm not sure which specific articles are being referred to as the first two links  just take me to a whole googled search page with a search title of 'benzo induced myalgia'. I need more specific links.

[[Ro...]]

Withdrawal syndromes

Sudden cessation of high-dose corticosteroids, opioids, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, or alcohol can induce myalgia.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myalgia

[[Ro...]]

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/myalgia-treatment.html ....well?

 

Robb=)

 

ps- you will heal ppl - I've seen the other side and it is pain free!

 

ps2 - if you really want a direction to go in.... do a google search on "myalgia & benzos" GL

[[Ro...]]

http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/9250/1/13_clinical_udpate_Drug_induced_muscle_disorders_published.pdf

 

Robb=)

[[Ro...]]

Sorry to repeat, let's keep it going ppl. Awareness!!!

 

Withdrawal syndromes

Sudden cessation of high-dose corticosteroids, opioids, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, or alcohol can induce myalgia.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myalgia

[[cm...]]

Robb,

I just discovered this thread and right now it makes so much sense to me.

I am in so much pain, there is not an inch of my body that doesn't hurt, my sleep is extremely messed up, and I never had these issues before stupid benzos.

You have posted a lot of links - it seems - in time, so that's going to be a lot of reading for my fried brain, but I have to try to educate myself as no dr I've seen so far has been able to help.

One thing I know for sure, I will not ever again take a benzo. They have ruined my life and the lives of my loved ones.

Thank you modern medicine, thank you Big Pharma for the help....

Blessings,

Amy

[[Ro...]]

Robb,

I just discovered this thread and right now it makes so much sense to me.

I am in so much pain, there is not an inch of my body that doesn't hurt, my sleep is extremely messed up, and I never had these issues before stupid benzos.

You have posted a lot of links - it seems - in time, so that's going to be a lot of reading for my fried brain, but I have to try to educate myself as no dr I've seen so far has been able to help.

One thing I know for sure, I will not ever again take a benzo. They have ruined my life and the lives of my loved ones.

Thank you modern medicine, thank you Big Pharma for the help....

Blessings,

Amy

What a scam they got going huh? I could use help keeping this thread going from time to time. I got a fibro diagnosis and got out of pain before from PAWS so i know it happens ..it's not just a theory of mine...I have lived it. Take more benzos and wd from them and back in pain I am.

 

Wish you the very best of luck and fight fight fight, Robb =)

[[Ro...]]

Psychiatrists wrote the DSM and invented a number of new "diseases" to rescue their dying profession four decades ago. Fibromyalgia is only one - some others being ADHD, GAD, SAD, and many more. These are "invented" diseases for which there are no blood tests or other reliable diagnostic criteria other than the DSM, which is not based on any known science.

 

Psychiatrists (and the APA) teamed up with the drug companies to push a bunch if unsafe and ineffective drugs on the public. The drug companies increased their bottom line, and the Psychiatrists became "real" doctors who wrote prescriptions for "diseases," following the model of the.rest of the medical profession. This rescued Psychiatry from its tailspin into obscurity.

 

There are two problems with this scenario:

1. The drugs turned out to be unsafe, and in many cases degrade health rather than improving it.

2. Evidence is mounting that will eventually expose this Ponzi scheme and lead to major reforms.

 

It is not well known that the drug companies have been quietly settling law suits out of court as simply a cost of doing business. This started with the Prozac lawsuit of many decades ago, where the plaintiffs threw the suit in exchange for a large settlement. The judge caught on to the scam, and threw the case out so it would not set a president favorable to the drug companies as they intended.

Great post brother ...thank you =)

[[ac...]]

I too have been sufferig with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome for about ten years now, and I do notice that some of my withdrawal symptoms resemble fibro symptoms, like sleep pattern disturbances, fatigue, muscle spasms, adrenal fatigue, and thyroid problems, just not the weight loss, I gained weight with my fibro and chronic fatigue, since being on benzos I lost weight, but I read you can also lose weight with thyroid problems also.  There is a website I follow that has a lot of good information on what causes fibro and chronic fatigue and treatment protocol with clinics in every state.  Dr Jacob Teitlebaum the medical director of the Fibro and fatigue center is a internal doctor who is over the centers had fibro and chronic while he was in medical school and has dedicated his life to research on this disabiling disease, so the information is coming from someone that knows first hand, what is causing and how to treat.

Haven't gone to one of the clinics yet, but am on my way to see what can be done to help with my withdrawal symptoms.  I know there is a lot of hormone deficiencies and infections with it. I'll see once I make an appointment.  You can check the website out, endfatigue.com, he has also been on Oprah, Dr. Oz, and the  Ricky Lake shows, and written many books.  Check it out!

[[ac...]]

robbedbybenzos

 

I tend to disagree with you, not true!  Check out the website, endfatigue.com, and you will learn a lot about fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue from the medical director of the fibro and fatigue centers, like I stated before he had it when he was in medical school and has since dedicated his life to treatment through research on many fibromyalgia patients with a very high success rate and he has the research info to prove it.

[[Ro...]]

robbedbybenzos

 

I tend to disagree with you, not true!  Check out the website, endfatigue.com, and you will learn a lot about fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue from the medical director of the fibro and fatigue centers, like I stated before he had it when he was in medical school and has since dedicated his life to treatment through research on many fibromyalgia patients with a very high success rate and he has the research info to prove it.

I understand your disagreement...this thread is very old and I only keep it alive to keep awareness of misdiagnosis. I believe now that most fibro is true fibro but it is a kind of catch all diagnosis and people are out there getting benzos for fibro sxs caused by benzos...my heart goes out to you. I hope you heal from everything.

 

Robb =)

[[ac...]]

Well in my case I was not put on benzos for fibrmyalgia and chronic fatigue, thank God, mine was accidental and unknowledgeable about benzos, and was given without any information about this stuff, so I just took it for anxiety after having a mild stroke, I became dependent very fast in two weeks, now it has been going on 3 months now in trying to get off this mess, tonight I cross over to diazepam and I am on my way.  I have a taper question after crossing over, but I will post on tapering blog.  No disrespect, but this website does have a lot of answered questions for people that are skeptical.

[[Be...]]

Psychiatrists wrote the DSM and invented a number of new "diseases" to rescue their dying profession four decades ago. Fibromyalgia is only one - some others being ADHD, GAD, SAD, and many more. These are "invented" diseases for which there are no blood tests or other reliable diagnostic criteria other than the DSM, which is not based on any known science.

 

Psychiatrists (and the APA) teamed up with the drug companies to push a bunch if unsafe and ineffective drugs on the public. The drug companies increased their bottom line, and the Psychiatrists became "real" doctors who wrote prescriptions for "diseases," following the model of the.rest of the medical profession. This rescued Psychiatry from its tailspin into obscurity.

 

There are two problems with this scenario:

1. The drugs turned out to be unsafe, and in many cases degrade health rather than improving it.

2. Evidence is mounting that will eventually expose this Ponzi scheme and lead to major reforms.

 

It is not well known that the drug companies have been quietly settling law suits out of court as simply a cost of doing business. This started with the Prozac lawsuit of many decades ago, where the plaintiffs threw the suit in exchange for a large settlement. The judge caught on to the scam, and threw the case out so it would not set a president favorable to the drug companies as they intended.

 

Please will all members take into account the rules and guidelines of the forum when taking part in discussions.  We do not allow posts that contain blatant anti doctor/ anti psychiatry sentiment.  Thank you so much for your cooperation.

 

Betsy

 

Whilst some of our members report negative experiences with doctors, psychiatrists, or the wider medical profession, and although we do not wish to outlaw comments about how members feel let down or mistreated in their personal medical care, you are not permitted to use this community as a platform to spread general anti-doctor or anti-psychiatry propaganda. Nor should you, unless you are posting a recommendation, name those involved in your healthcare. For more about this policy, please read our Anti-doctor, Anti-psychiatrist and Anti-medicine Comments notice.

[[Ro...]]

Psychiatrists wrote the DSM and invented a number of new "diseases" to rescue their dying profession four decades ago. Fibromyalgia is only one - some others being ADHD, GAD, SAD, and many more. These are "invented" diseases for which there are no blood tests or other reliable diagnostic criteria other than the DSM, which is not based on any known science.

 

Psychiatrists (and the APA) teamed up with the drug companies to push a bunch if unsafe and ineffective drugs on the public. The drug companies increased their bottom line, and the Psychiatrists became "real" doctors who wrote prescriptions for "diseases," following the model of the.rest of the medical profession. This rescued Psychiatry from its tailspin into obscurity.

 

There are two problems with this scenario:

1. The drugs turned out to be unsafe, and in many cases degrade health rather than improving it.

2. Evidence is mounting that will eventually expose this Ponzi scheme and lead to major reforms.

 

It is not well known that the drug companies have been quietly settling law suits out of court as simply a cost of doing business. This started with the Prozac lawsuit of many decades ago, where the plaintiffs threw the suit in exchange for a large settlement. The judge caught on to the scam, and threw the case out so it would not set a president favorable to the drug companies as they intended.

 

Please will all members take into account the rules and guidelines of the forum when taking part in discussions.  We do not allow posts that contain blatant anti doctor/ anti psychiatry sentiment.  Thank you so much for your cooperation.

 

Betsy

 

Whilst some of our members report negative experiences with doctors, psychiatrists, or the wider medical profession, and although we do not wish to outlaw comments about how members feel let down or mistreated in their personal medical care, you are not permitted to use this community as a platform to spread general anti-doctor or anti-psychiatry propaganda. Nor should you, unless you are posting a recommendation, name those involved in your healthcare. For more about this policy, please read our Anti-doctor, Anti-psychiatrist and Anti-medicine Comments notice.

Where is there doctor bashing?

 

Respectfully, Robb =)

[[Be...]]

Psychiatrists wrote the DSM and invented a number of new "diseases" to rescue their dying profession four decades ago. Fibromyalgia is only one - some others being ADHD, GAD, SAD, and many more. These are "invented" diseases for which there are no blood tests or other reliable diagnostic criteria other than the DSM, which is not based on any known science.

Psychiatrists (and the APA) teamed up with the drug companies to push a bunch if unsafe and ineffective drugs on the public. The drug companies increased their bottom line, and the Psychiatrists became "real" doctors who wrote prescriptions for "diseases," following the model of the.rest of the medical profession. This rescued Psychiatry from its tailspin into obscurity.

 

There are two problems with this scenario:

1. The drugs turned out to be unsafe, and in many cases degrade health rather than improving it.

2. Evidence is mounting that will eventually expose this Ponzi scheme and lead to major reforms.

 

It is not well known that the drug companies have been quietly settling law suits out of court as simply a cost of doing business. This started with the Prozac lawsuit of many decades ago, where the plaintiffs threw the suit in exchange for a large settlement. The judge caught on to the scam, and threw the case out so it would not set a president favorable to the drug companies as they intended.

 

Please will all members take into account the rules and guidelines of the forum when taking part in discussions.  We do not allow posts that contain blatant anti doctor/ anti psychiatry sentiment.  Thank you so much for your cooperation.

 

Betsy

 

Whilst some of our members report negative experiences with doctors, psychiatrists, or the wider medical profession, and although we do not wish to outlaw comments about how members feel let down or mistreated in their personal medical care, you are not permitted to use this community as a platform to spread general anti-doctor or anti-psychiatry propaganda. Nor should you, unless you are posting a recommendation, name those involved in your healthcare. For more about this policy, please read our Anti-doctor, Anti-psychiatrist and Anti-medicine Comments notice.

Where is there doctor bashing?

 

Respectfully, Robb =)

 

Hi Robb,

 

The above highlighted are blanket statements.  I find them conspiratorial and particularly anti psychiatry.

 

All the best,

 

Betsy

 

 

[[Ga...]]

I am 22 months off benzos and still have bouts of severe fatigue, body pain, etc.  I know this is caused by the benzo withdrawal and nothing else because it has gotten progressively better as time has passed and it always comes and goes with all my other  symptoms.  Also, I never had it before benzos, only in withdrawal.  Interestingly, my mother was diagnosed with "fibromyalgia" after quitting xanax a few years ago and was prescribed several drugs for the pain (including lunesta, neurontin, and a cross-tolerant barbiturate).  After I finally convinced her that it was probably the drugs themselves causing it, she quit everything and the condition went away within about 3 months. 

 

Tell the doctors to keep their magic pills and cram their bogus diagnoses where the sun don't shine.

 

 

 

Yes, fibro is drug related in most cases (I am pretty damn sure)...this fibro thing really started to emerge just recently and 2-4% of the population has it (they say)!! BS - this is a cover up by the FDA and drug companies. Can you imagine if the truth came out? There would be a hundred million lawsuits..since nothing can be prooven as cause for either (scientifically), the charade will go on and millions of unsuspecting people will get sicker on more drugs that are supposed to help them.

 

 

 

i think its a big cover up. so many of us suffer from exhaustion, pain. screaming ears, burning. it cant all be a coincidence that we took benzos and we have some of same sx.

no one in my fam had tinnititus but lots of benzo ppl have it.

there are some mornings i can barely walk i have all over stiffness and pain.

if i went to a dr im sure theyd try to talk me in lyrica (no thx!)

 

id probably be diagnosed w fibro.

[[Ro...]]

http://benzowithdrawalsyndrome.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/benzodiazepines-today/ - paragraph 9 ....ppl being diagnosed with fibro while "ON" benzos?

 

Robb

[[Ti...]]

Really good article.  I wonder if he has successfully tapered off the Valium yet.

[[pe...]]

Hi.  Sorry I haven't had time to read this whole thread, but just wanted to say that I have wondered about benzos causing these conditions myself as I have had many of the symptoms of MS, fibro, and chronic fatigue, most of which came on very intensely after I switched from xanax to klonopin and have slooooowly been subsiding ever since.  While I was on xanax I kept having these inexplicable bouts with tendonitis and other muscle issues which I know in retrospect were actually caused by interdose withdrawal.  The fatigue came on at about 3 months off, and that has been the main thing that has subsided the most.  The muscle knots and issues are getting better slowly but surely, still enough to cause me a lot of pain and suffering on a daily basis though.  Never would have believed that it would last this long, but I know enough to know the benzos caused it.

[[Ti...]]

Pentimento--

 

My CFS and "Fibro" symptoms came on abruptly after switching from Ativan to Valium approximately one year ago.  I still am having these symptoms (and am still slowly tapering Valium--so hoping I will see drastic improvements once off completely).

 

Can I ask how long you had  these symptoms before they began getting better.  How long did it take for the severe fatigue to lift?

 

Thanks!

 

Tina

[[pe...]]

Hi Tina,

 

I made the switch in August or September of 2011, and within a month my body was a wreck with muscle knots up my back,neck, and in my arms and legs -- seemingly all connected to one another in one tight spiderweb of muscles, if you know what I mean.  Things have gone up and down with this, and the knots in my lower arms and legs seem to have subsided, but I still have a lot of knots in my back and shoulder, and to a lesser extent my glutes, upper thighs and upper arms.

 

The fatigue was weird.  I guess I was feeling generally fatigued for a while but about three months out I experienced major fatigue.  It seemed to come on after going on a moderately-strenuous hike.  I would get out of bed, take a shower, and then go back to bed.  It seems like it was really bad for maybe six months, then slowly slowly slowly has gotten better.  I still feel fatigued, but nothing like it was for a while there.  It was really scary.  I have found that -- even now -- exercise seems to bring the fatigue and muscle stiffness back so I'm just taking it pretty easy for now.

 

I can see why people get diagnosed with various conditions because the healing is so slow.  If it wasn't for benzobuddies I probably wouldn't have know what was going on either.  Also, I've recognized in retrospect the slow degradation of my body over the eyars with some of the symptoms of interdose withdrawal that came on, but became much more intense when I switched/quit xanax:  motor-running noise in the ear, vibration feeling when laying down, fatigue, tendonitis and muscle soreness, and who knows what other psychological symptoms.

 

Anyway, I feel for everybody going through this.  The one consolation is knowing that eventually you will get better, but it sure does take a long time.  I came off the stuff pretty quickly, but I think once I did the klonopin switch the damage was already done.  Hopefully it would be quicker for you since you are doing a slow taper.