need some help

@jackie,i’ve seen the ashton manual but i dont understand it completely.....but my greatest concern is why i started feeling loss of balance whilst still on the drug?could it be that the drug was triggering me to up my dose inorder to reach the same goal i had at 20mgs a day or what?cos i started feeling loss of balance before i stopped the drug and after i stopped,it has become worse,my head seems so heavy that i cnt even stand without feeling of falling,my doc prescribed lorazenpam for me last week 2mg a night to help me sleep,i took it for only one night and i felt so normal like always and it seemed i had never felt sick dat night,but i stopped becos i read online that one shuldnt take benzos when having sleep

apnea and i have a bit of it,so i stopped

Benzos are notorious for drug tolerance. That's why they are now only allowed to be prescribed for 2 to 4 weeks . Please google  beating benzos, benzo buddies.

tnx so much nigel,i have tried telling the doctor i needed to function daily inorder to get my affairs moving,he just wouldnt listen to me,he keeps teln me i have passed the danger stage after staying off the drug for  three weeks now,he said atleast i wont have seizures and other risky symptoms.so he is insisting i hang on and bear the symptoms  which i think are making me not functional at all,but i really need to get functional to get my life on track,am tired of staying indoors becos of the muscle tightness which ranges from my head like my brains are so tight and lack of concerntration and also feels like my head is disjointed from the rest of my body....plz i really need some help 

tnx sharon,thats exaclty what am thinking and my doc doesnt make me feel comfortable trying to talk him into getting me back and tapering  me off slowly,i really need some help to come off this with less symptoms

hello ama,i got on diazepam by one physician assistant whom i think knows little about these drugs last october becos of panick attacks,i took them and saw they were helpful,i cnt remember if i took it after that month or night again untill i had anada attack and therefore took it continously after that just to calm myself down everyday,i got used to thise drug that i didnt even realise it was that dangerous,but i assume that i took it everyday after october cos i cnt really remember well,but i started having balance problems three weeks ago and tot it cul be de drug making me feel loss of balance,so i abruptly quit taking the drug not realising how dangerous quitting at once cul be,so after i quit,i started experiencing some headaches,migraine headaches,chills in de morning after waking up,burning sensations radiating from my whole body,the loss of balance intensifying,muscle stiffness,not really enjoying social activities anymore,thinking am never going to recover from this,thinking am going to die  and afraid to go out....plz i really need a lot of help as to what to do now cos i need to get on my feet and keep my job and my life moving on

hello, ama is correct. you need to go back onto diazepam, or amother benzo, and then come of them gradually and slowly. you may need am anti depressant and anxiety medication. you need to go back to your doctor to explain what has happend. you really do need to speak to your doctor.

Hi Imo************ LONG REPLY ALERT!!!

you see,, thats why i asked why you started the drug, now u have answered my question, i will advise you not as a doctor but as a friend in your shoes,

After i had my first panick attack i was given this drug, but for temporal use, i abused it cos it worked faster and felt good, but what i needed the most was my escitalopram medication prescribed for anxiety/panic disorders and not the benzo, i didnt know this, so fast forward, i realized my mistakes, tapered off very well and slowly so well that even when i attempted as low as 5mg i had over dosed, that was how well my body had been cleansed of this drug...

Note how ever that as i slowly tapered off this drug, i started my anti anxiety meds which is the long term treatment, not just for quick relief, i was prescribed 5mg for starts and i eventually went up to 7.5mg, thpugh people take up to 20, 30, 40, i was patient with the small dose and added therapy, changed diet, plus yoga to my plan and it helped me support this small dose of medication work better, right now as we speak i take as low as 1.25 Nitrazepam, which is just a quarter tab, because the anxiety meds have finally kicked in ( note that anxiety meds make u feel more anxious before they work perfectly, that why my doc kept me on a tiny dose of benzo to take care of the extra anxiety from the escitalopram)

In summary, u can see your doc, on his advice, get on a proper treatment foe your anxiety/ panics, when he gives u drug options, join review groups and prepare your mind for what to expect, some docs even let you choose between 2 meds depending on how ur body will react.

On your Drs recommendations, Get back on ur diazepam low dose and tapper slowly.

Disclaimer:

I am not a Doctor and cant give medical advice, but i feel your pain, ive been there, i can relate and advice you just patient to patient...

All the best dearxxx

ok nigel,but i doubt if this doctor will listen to me,he will rather tell me if i can endure this for 3weeks,why cnt i move on?he is so hard to convince....but are u so certain that is de diazepam that made me start expiriencing loss of balance in the first place?

thanks Ama,but do u think starting on a lower dose than i was previously will work perfectly for me?cos i was on 20mg a day,10mg in the morning,10mg in the evening,so how do u think i should spread my doses inorder to have no further problems?just seeking ur advice or opinion on this....i dont know if u’ve ever had any withdrawal symptoms?and if u did,was loss of balance and muscle stiffness part of them?

sounds like all the side effects of dangerous drug benzodiazepine. I was on them for many years and had interdose withdrawal unknowingly. My advice is to get off this stuff but it has to be done slowly and safely to avid acute withdrawal syndrome and severe wd. Please . These drugs are now being banned .

@ama, i went to see the doctor yesterday and he just wouldnt listen to me on that,but i can surely tell you that am suffering very much,my head feels like a balloon on it,i cant stand or walk without experiencing some weight on my head and every part of my body,my muscles becoms stiff and am limited to just lying down....i dont know wat to do anymore to feel some relief for about 5mins self

Trying to get off the diaz slowly but feeling really down.  Did you need an anti depressant to help with slow withdrawal, i am wondering if i need to speak to specialist about all this

 

Can you just see another doctor??

This is soo bad...

Here i have the option of choosing my Doctor, it was until i met the 3rd one that i got real satisfaction.

Im sorry i know exactly how u feel, don't give up, please...

its highly likely your balance problems are anxiety related, as well as the muscle stiffness. anxiety causes muscle tension. ive had both of these in the past, which mainly went away, once i got my anti depressants sorted. the balance issues and degree of muscle tension you have, suggest your anxiety is extremely high. benzos can be of great benefit in the short term, and probably stopped me from being hospitalised earlier this year. i havent forgotten the state i was in when i was pescribed them. their problem is you cant rely on them for long term benefit, because you become dependant and tolerant. your balance problem in the first place, could have been caused by you becoming tolerant to 20mg, and your anxiety returning, causing the balance problem again. increasing benzo dose wouldnt have been the answer. this could suggest you need a more long term treatment for anxiety, like an anti depressamt. your anxiety hasnt improved over the last year, but for a long time, diazepam treated the symptoms, until you became tolerant to it. has your doctor suggested an anti depressant, because thats what i think you need for the long term. you took diazepam for a year at 20mg, but then stopped the new low dose benzo, due to concerns about sleep apnea? you had anxiety issues, diazepam treated the symptoms for a while, then it stopped dealing with them, which suggests your anxiety has probably worsened. you stopped diazepam immediately, which made things worse, although like your doctor said, you are over the worst. you are now taking nothing, but your anxiety is extreme. if you do nothing, its goimg to take forever for your anxiety to come back down, if it will. personally, i dont think it will come down, because you got anxious pre diazepam, and although the symptoms were dealt with the diazepam initially, it was still there, and is now much worse. if your current levels of anxiety go on for a long period, it may turn into depression. if you can afford to, pay to see a physciatrist. initial consultation would cost 500. you can arrange to see one within a couple of weeks. they would be tbe best qaulified, to deal with your situation, in the shortest time. gps afe often guessing, and will follow a pyschiagrists recommendation, ie, will not object to it. you could ask to see a nhs one, but its likely to take 6 months, and its not guaranteed you will get to see one. as i see it, your options are either carry on as you are, and hope your situstion improves, or try am anti depressant. a pysc would be the best person to see, if you are able to. they have considerably better knowledge and experience. personally, i wouldnt trust a gp with mental issues.

nigel,tnx so much,but i usually do not have so many of the panick attacks anymore,but like u said,my depression is way up,i dont know if using anti depressants could also cause one to have withdrawal symptoms when you wanna stop taking them,but i feel if i could solve the muscle tension and or balance disorder problem,i could be gud to go.i have never had a worst situation in my life like this time,i really hate myself for been in this situation.but apart from seeing a psychiatrist,what else do you think i could do to improve on my muscle tension and balance disorders?i hardly make time to think about so many thing this days,because i dont want my blood preasure elevated....should i go back and come out slowly or i shul just still follow my doctor’s word that i hv already passed de dangerous stage  and for that matter,i should hold on?

hey ama,tnx so much for ur reply,i have been thinking of changing another doctor because this man seem to care less about my concerns,i told him am not the worst person to have gone on benzos cause others have taken higher doses and for longer periods than i have and have come out of those with the help of their doctors,but this man makes it look scary and makes it seem as if i might have damaged my cerebellum or cause a temporal problme to it dat makes me loose my balance....but am not sure with the doses and the lenght at which i took them cul have damaged my cerebellum or cause it too many problems that made me loose balance and also have muscle stiffness...i told him from wat i read on the net,i could have grown tolerant to the 20mg and dats why i started having the balance disorders,but he said despite dat,i took too much doses for too long and dats why i have dat problem as if the balance problems wont be solved,i asked him to conduct a CT scan on my brain to see if it has suffered some problem,he gave me a request for for the CT scan and dat useles hospital had their machines broken down,so am hoping to have de scan on monday to rule out any major problem to my brain,casue i dont even wanna think in dat direction....do u think honestly dat the doese i was taking and the duration can cause permanent brain problems?

as you taper off the benzo you will notice a difference for the better. After stopping the drug there is a period of healing this varies for each individual.

The gaba receptors in the brain have to recover from the benzos. Pls see ashton manual. There are several benzo withdrawal support forums as you may already know. Keep positive. As you said if you start anti depressants then u have to wean off them. Lots of people wean off benzos without anti depressants.

tnx jackie,but my question still remains,do u think de amount of diazepam i took n the duration is capable of making me not able to maintain my balance again or eliminate muscle tension?

your long duration of taking diazepam has almost certainly not damaged your balance. many people have taken larger doses, for periods longer than 10 years, with no long term effects. the maximum daily dose for anxiety is 40mg, i expect this was higher in the past. i am almost certain your balance issues are a result of persistantly high anxiety levels. diazepam initially dealt with the symptoms, you became tolerant of diazepam, so it no longer was able to deal with the anxiety issues. diazepam doesnt really treat anxiety, it hides it. you had anxiety issues, before you went onto diazepam, i think they are now worse, not necessarily due to diazepam. you are over the worst of diazepam withdrawal, and you should improve further as time goes on. however, unless something has changed in your life, i think you may need to consider going onto an anti depressant at some point, if your anxiety doesnt improve. all the best for your brain scan, the results should put your mind to rest regarding your concern.

thanks nigel,i very much appreciate your concerns.i hope and pray everyone going tru wat am going tru or similarly that,should get relief...i pray we all get wat wen want and stay clean henceforth...

@nigel again,almost forgot,i wanted to ask if u’ve ever gone tru benzo withdrawal before,and if u have,how long did it take n how difficult was it?and what activities,diet and things will i do to help myself through the process?anyway,i quit cold turkey though cos my doc said i will be drawing myself backwards if i go back on the drug again n he also said he is certain i will suffer same withdrawal symptoms even if i want out later but i almost certainly belv if am going to have withdrawal symptom even later,it wont be as tough as it is now...so plz give me clues as to how to cope cos if i try a little activity like excercise,my body turns out to be more heavier starting from my head and makes me restless,if i walk or stand up for sometime,den i will feel like i cnt maintain my balance n is like something is pushing me to fall down either from the back or front

ive not got through benzo withdrawal myself. im currently taking diazepam and an anti depressant. been on diazepam for 6 months, started on 10mg, although was allowed 15. i reduced it to 7.5mg and then 5mg, when my anti depressant started working. in the next month or so, i will reduce to 2.5mg. i didnt experience any withdrawal, because of my anti depressant starting to work. ive had extreme anxiety a few times in the past, that caused very strong muscle tension, that affected my balance. i only got over it when i took anti depressants. i found excercise made it worse, but i tended to over do the exercise, which made it worse. ecercise should help, but it should only be gentle, like calm walking. one thing that always made the tension or heavyness worse, was caffeine. i stopped all caffeine, including pepsi, coke cola, any soft drinks with caffeine in it. i always slipped up and kept on going back to diet coke, as i love it. however, each time i have caffeine, eg 1 diet coke a day, then after a week my anxiety and muscle tension would get really bad again, and would only get better if i stopped caffeine again. it would take a couple of weeks for the anxiety and muscle tension to drop. i completely cut out all caffeine a couple of years ago, and will never have it again. if you drink or eat things with caffeine in, then stop. it will take a couple of weeks to feel the benefit. i think your balance muscle tightness/heavy ness are caused by anxiety. it should improve for you, as time goes on, from withdrawing from benzos. if it doesnt improve enough, you may need to consider an anti depressant, which also treat anxiety. hope any of this helps. all the best for your recovery.

I am needingnhelp doing this taper and would like to know what anti depressant has helped.  I tried one or two but side effects bad.  Someone suggested escitalopram but i just dont know what to do. Psychiatrist doesnt really seem to know either

hello, my situation was different, in that i had very bad depression. i take venlafaxine, its turned me around, and its been the best one i tried. many people hate it, but thats true of most anti depressants. it varies from one person to another. citalopram is generally very good, though it put me in the worst depressed state ive been in, after 12 weeks on it. i did start on a high dose. citalopram is regarded as the best ssri anti depressant. sertraline is another popular one. my sister has been on a low dose of that for a couple of years, with no issues. part of the problem with anti depressants is that they usually make you feel worse initially, and they can take a lot longer than 6 to 8 weeks, often memtioned by doctors. people dont give them.long enough. its almost trial and error. if youve tried some, and had side effects, then start on a really low dose of 12.5% of the maximum daily dose. i say 12.5%, as different anti depressants have different strenghs. eg escitalopram max dose is only 20mg, whereas sertraline is 200mg. most starting doses are 25% of max dose, so halve tbat, and it will minimise side effects. after 4 weeks or so, then go can go up very slowly and gradually, if needed. may take longer, but you are much more likely to get over the initial side effects, which tend to lessen after about 4 weeks. all the best.

@nigel tnx for that info,i hope i get tru this widout any relapse,i just wanna get my balance back n the tightness gone,i dont know the extent to which u had the tightness and the body parts u used to feel the tightness but mine seem to be from the head like so heavy as if am carrying 2bags of cement and it sometimes radiate to my chest and make every part of me so heavy,even if am standing up,it makes my legs feel like is carrying something with more weight than it can carry,i loose balamce when walking and standing,i  know everybody has a different way of having those symptoms but i dont knw if urs looked similar to mine.the excercising too,thats wat makes it difficult for me to excercise cos wen i try to take a walk or run,my head becomes heaving and i will be breathing as if i have phlegm or mucus in my nose,or as if am having cold or flu.....plz was this close or same thing to wat u experienced?

yes, ive felt exactly the same, at different stages in my life when i got really anxious. mine started in head, kneck (felt the worst) chest and legs. felt like i became like a stone statue, completely solid. i used to weight train excessively when i was younger. all fine, until i started using caffeine pills, then all of a sudden, anxiety went through the roof. gave up exercise for a while. went back to it, tried all different types, but always ended up more anxious, and stiff with tension. i pushed myself too hard, and the adrenaline, would come on in waves, and cause severe cramps and tension. eventually gave up exercise, and switched to yoga. mostly yoga was fine, altbough i did get carried away with it sometimes, and would get more anxious and tense. still do strenuous yoga now, but know what my limits are. anxiety and adrenaline can cause unbelievable mental and physical symptoms. when you get to that state, it takes a long time for your anxiety to come down. it effected my balance, and even walking. it led to jerky movement, especially turning my head. i still get it now and again, but no where near as bad. i cant touch any caffeine now. a week of having just one normal coffee or coke a day, and im in a mess, anxious and very tight and rigid. it takes a couple of weeks for me to recover, once i stop caffeine. took me a long time to accept it, but i never touch it now. i know exactly how you feel, like having a bag of cement on your head. its amazing how much effect anxiety and adrenaline, can have on someone. its not permanant, you just need to get your anxiety down, easier said than done, and the weight and tension will go. you could show your doctor your posts on here, if you arent getting the message across to them, about how bad you feel. your anxiety was excessively high, to break through while on diazepam, and stopping it cold turkey, will have made it worse. i dont know what your best solution is, but its not permanant.

do you drink normal coffee, tea and soft drinks like coke?

Hi again In a word YES. Benzos do affect balance and muscle tone. However the situation is reversible according to the experts.

It takes time for the gaba receptors to start recovering and functioning properly. The time can vary with each individual Hope that helps. Christy Huff is a benzo victim.

@nigel,i dont take any coffee related drink or tea,i hardly even take anytin like dat,but i also have severe constipation and dat bothers me so much.de constipation just started when i went into the withdrawal,what do u think could help with de constipation too?regarding the balance,sometimes when i stand up or walk,i feel there is a disorientation between my head or upper body from the rest of my body,it feels strange n certainly makes my head feel like a balloon,for the anxiety,yes,i feel so much anxiety becos i surely wanna get beta n hate feeling this way or been in this situation,it makes me think like am going to die or am neva going to recover from this,i knw i shuldnt feel this way but i certainly knw is a symptom of benzo withdrawal

@jackie,tnx,i do certainly hope i recover my balance and relax my muscles in a very good way as much as possible...but donu think going out n staying out with some friends,keeping myself busy despite de way i feel will help my course to recovery?

Hi Imo, i suffered severe dizziness, balance issues, palpitations etc... i spent thousands looking for answers, but it was just the anxiety torturing me, there's nothing wrong, remember, the dizziness that comes with anxiety is not dangerous and cannot kill you, tho quiting benzos cold turkey can cause seizures, muscle stiffness and severe dizziness or increased anxiety, see a new dr, start anti depressants/ anti anxiety meds and go back on a low dose of benzos to help with initial side effects of the anti anxiety meds, please and please commence a long term treatment for your problem.

Feel free to ask me anthing else.

All the best!!!

FYI: cut off sugars, caffeine, alchohol, processed foods, energy drinks, drink alot lot of water and google other plans to help u.

ama is correct. your situation isnt going to kill you, though i know thats what you think. i to think that you should see your doctor, or another one, to start on an anti depressant, to treat your long term anxiety. also, you may need to go back onto another benzo on a low dose, like ama said. the anti depressant will take a long time to work, when it does, you can come off the low dose benzo more easily, as the anti depressant will have taken over controlling your anxiety, and make coming off the low dose benzo easier. this is the best option for you, in the short and long term. see another doctor, because your current one is not listening to you, or doing the best for you. theres no need to carry on as you are.

Restoring the gaba receptors is a process. It takes time. Best to avoid alcohol aka liquid benzos. Avoid supplements, have a healthy diet, fresh fruit, vegetables, stop smoking, avoid processed foods as they contain lots of additives. Avoid alcohol.

Please do not updose as there is a danger of kindling . 

@ama,thanks very much for all the words of courage,now i feel pretty better,but what i dont understand is why my heart keep getting scared wen i hear someone drop something  hard on the ground,or wen i hear of someone’s death or some sad news?but do u think i will have no problems taking any anti depressants?or wat type of benzo do u think could be gud for me to get on since i was already on a long half life benzo(valium)? i was on 20mg a day,10mg in de morning,10mg in the evening,so wat type of benzo do u think i shul get on,or do u think i shul continue with the valium and at what dose do u think i shul start with since i grew tolerance to the 20mg a day which i think started giving me de balance problems,maybe my body wanted me to up my dose to counter the balance disordee but i rather decided to quit cold turkey,though i didnt knw it was tolerancey body grew towards the dosage....

@nigel,yh i think trying an anti depressant will look gud for me,but do u think i wont have any problem wen i want to leave the anti depressant?and do u think it doesnt have side effects like benzos?i want to kow more and deal with my situation ASAP cos i cnt continue living this way,am suffering way too much,i havnt been to work in four weeks,the doctor gave me an excuse duty form to fill and i did and it was only for two weeks,i had to beg him to extend it for me but i cnt keep extending it that way,i hav to go for work and also try to put food on the table cos i dont wanna lose my job

Hi again The benzos have caused all this. 

Please on the groups I suggested. People do work whilst tapering off this stuff so try not to worry. 

Pleaserewad the SHON Manual when you feel mpore receptive to its contents. In the meantime as suggested pls join the forms supporting benzo withdrawal. tHis sdru is not nice but pple have come off them successfully and recovered. You may consider just accepting the prescription from your dr and tapering as per the Ashton Manual a lot of people do this as drs esp in US do a fast taper or expect the person to cold turkey putting them at risk It sounds as tho u have gone into this quite deeply though. As u have indicated any anti depressant will have to be tapered off eventually and this can take 2 years  CT is dangerous and can never be encourag3d, any dr whom does this is putting people at great risk.

I had horrible sensitivity to sounds too!!! Its all the anxiety i promise, even the sound of my phone used to irritate me and give wired shocks,

I was prescribed nitrazepam and im currently on 1.25 morning and same evening, very tiny dose.

The to treat the anxiety im on escitalopram 7.5mg @ the am, i have an alarm set for this and i use a weekly drug dispenser to ensure i don't miss a dose, the early weeks were not too good but the nitrazepam helped calm me , now im getting better daily... all the best dear.

@jakie,u mean i shuldnt up my dose from 20mg or i shouldnt take anymore benzo?plz make it clear for me...

@ama,tnx very much,i really thank and appreciate u guys for the kindness u’ve shown...but plz am i at risk if kindling if i go back to benzos to do a taper?plz i want to know before i make a decision to change a doctor or finally try to convince my doctor about this,moreso,i want to be safe as to the kind of benzo i shul continue with,bearing dat i was on valium before i stopped abruptly

thanks again jakie,i never knew cold turkey was dangerous after i quit the drug n started to reaearch more abt it,but as my doctor said,i was over the danger line,but wat i dont like however is the manner in which the cold turkey is making me feel,it makes me not able to do common everyday task dat i used to do,cnt go to work,cant hang out with friends and basically not functional

I did a benzo withdrawal.  And withdrawal from Trazodone. too.

It took 10 months to come off, and I have been done for 10 months.  It was a complete nightmare. |Something   thought I never had to go through.

I am in protracted withdrawal still.  My waves are windows are changing.  My windows are becoming longer, and the waves are getting shorter.   But |I am still going through this crap.  Mostly physical stuff

 

what dose of Valium are u presently taking?

are u tapering off?

have u stopped the Valium? PLease consult the ashton manual and join as many groups on support fro benzo withdrawal as possible.

 

i stoppped cold turkey 3 weeks ago,i. was on 20mg in a day,10mg in the morning,10mg in the evening...right now i dont take anymore but the withdrawal symptoms are very severe and brutal

i stopped cold turkey,but am not finding it easy at all

How long ago did you stop CT?

about 3-4weeks ago...

Imo, just look at it this way, you are gradually stopping without having to suffer, it is better than quitting and suffering, the main goal is to quit remember? So u are only choosing to achieve this slower and in a less hurtful or brutal way... ok?

@ama,am in my 4th week,so wont i be at risk of kindling becos i will be going back?i want clarity on this plz

Yes. You are according to what yr dr says over the acute wd stage. I think you are at risk of rekindling if you go back to taking it.

hes off it 3 to 4 weeks ago.

if youhave been off it for 3 to 4 weeks it is not advised to reinstate or updose.This means staying it off it. Your dr has said you are past the acute wd stage and not at risk.

@jackie,yh thats wat my doctor said,but i have had serious muscle tension over the past 3days,sometimes in my head,neck,back,around the waist and chest...i wanted to know if thats normal about withdrawal and how long those symptoms  might last....cos the info am getting online doesnt please me cos some say am experiencing PAWS and it might last years...

plz,also wanted to find out if u have any idea why i shul still be experiencing strong withdrawal symptoms after staying off the drug for 3-4weeks?cos i leanrt the acute withdrawal symptoms are strong and dangerous,but i supposedly have passed that stage and at this stage,though i shul still experience some symptoms which shul atleast be minimal....cul it be due to the fact that i quit the drug abruptly?

Hi again. I think that ct is dangerous. However what is done is done now no use looking back. The risk now is reinstating as this will produce kindling.have muscle spasms after tapering off clobazam for 23 years. I tapered over 6 months taking last minute dose 12 weeks ago. I unknowingly tapered too fast.

My dr says the average time for people to heal is 12 months. I have waves. I would never ever take another benzo . Each person differs in their withdrawal and the length of time and also the recovery, healing time. I prefer to take a day at a time , be positive.

recovery is slow but it is taking place. I avoid any supplements, Prof Ashton does not advise them.

I prefer to keep positive.

Hi again Yes muscle tension is normal during withdrawal but does ease. Everyone I s[peak to says it will go in time. Problem is no one can put a definitive length of time for this 'process' to take place.

The gab receptors have to recover from the detrimental effects of the benzos. Have u hear of Christy huff, cardiologist and benzo victim. Take care.

thanks jackie,but right now i also feel my brain is numb and i dont feel like my ownself anymore,everyday practically comes with its own symptoms,i dont know de kind of symptoms am now getting,i dont have waves just from one symptom to anada every single day,i might have some symptoms in de morning and a different kind in the afternoon,and evening might come with anada set of symptoms...i feel too bad

@nigel,i had my CT scan yesterday and it came back clear,so the doctor said is obviuosly the diazepam withdrawal and i should try and cope with it with patience and we see how my symptoms will improve,but i’ve been having muscle tension and ranging from chest tightness,head tightness and back tightness,but they do come and go...my symptoms seem to peak during the daytime and subsides by night,but surely,i see improvements as the days go by....tnx very much

Hi again

I can relate to all of that. You are going through the withdrawal proicess from these awful drugs. It will ease. My dr told me it is called derealisation, a disconnection from the world. Try not to worry . Despite it being unpleasant it will not kill you.

Your dr said you are over the acute withdrawal stage. That is very reassuring and encouraging.

Are you able to have a nice warm/hot bath, not too hot though in order to try to relax your muscles?

It is a slow process but it will ease. The gaba receptors are recovering .

I would avoid all supplements , NO alcohol as that is liquid benzo . You are over the worst it can only get better BUT one has to be patient.Take care.

 

Ignore these negative comments. It is early days and according to drs the process starts to show an improvement around 3 to 6 months. You will need to wait a while longer sadly. You generally start to see a improvement and/or lessening of signs and symptoms at the 3 to 6 month mark according to drs. Keep positive and ignore negativity

@jackie,fortunately i dnt take alcohol,but de supplement,do you mean those drug supplements?cos if it is that,i dnt take it at all...but i will be patient as u said,My doctor told me is natin but withdrawal symptoms,but i told him to conduct a CT scan of my head to ensure i dnt have any head inujury or problem with de brain that i might not beware of,but he told me to calm down n i insisted,he finally did the test and it came back all clear,i guess i just have to be patient and channel all my eneegy towards the recovery.i dont want to be negative,i rather want to be possitive as u said,i want to be as fit as possible so that i will get back to work...tnx very much

i cannot thank u much @jackie,u are such an inspiration...now u can rest assured and hope that the sympoms subside with time,wat i’ve learnt in almost what everybody post is that,de best medicine for benzo withdrawal process is time,one has to give the gaba receptors more tims to heal,so i will be patient and endure the symptoms for sometime with the hope that i recover faster...tanx so much once again@ jackie,u are such a darling

Hi Jackie, he still insists he is suffering thats why i think he may need a slow tapper, not from the original dose of cause, but from like 2.5mg the 1.25mg then everyother day... this was what i had to do...

Also my suggestions is again based on my advice for him to go on anti anxiety medications on the advice of his Dr. Which we know will make his symptoms worse first before clearing them,so while he is on the low benzos dosage it will also take care of the side effects of the anti anxiety medication...

@ama,tnx very much,but after four weeks staying off,do u think i wont be at risk of kindling?moreso,for the past two or three days,i’ve had cough,chest tightness,blocked nostrils,and body weakness,thats some flu like symptoms,is it normal with benzo withdrawal?

Let nature take its course. It was the anti anxiety meds that caused all this distress and alarm in the first place. It is a grave mistake to reinstate or updose due to the risk of kindling, all the literature states this. 

Hi yes flu symptoms are very common in benzo withdrawal and whilst taking this stuff as well Take care time is the healer, magnesium is a weak benzo according to some people. I went into a bad wave after one tablet my dr agreed that the mag caused another wave. x

s

did u ct?

what anti anxiety meds are u referring to Ama?

Jackie, I am on Escitalopram, Dr just increased from 7.5mg to 10mg.

Its helped stabilize me, i dont need Benzos like i used to anymore because benzos give you just short term relief, benzos cannot treat anxiety or depression, it can help with insomnia and give u instant but short term relief from Anxiety/Panicks...

All your symptoms are normal, but just follow your heart on decisions, what works for me may not work for you.

I am on Escitalopram 10mg right now, it has arrested the anxiety and im getting my normal life back now, benzos give short term relief from panicks and once u quit, horrible symptoms emerge, but since you've been off 4weeks i think you are already coping with the withdrawal, so hang in there if you feel its the best thing to do.

Stay strong 🤗🤗🤗

@ama,my anxiety knows no bound now,is now very intensive as i cant just get happy any longer,i feel so alone and hopeless,besides,i have been struck with something new,i dont know weda dats flu or cold induced pneumonia,but it started like cold or flu,i had some morning chills,body aches,loss of appetite and temperature sometimes,but is now gotten to a new level where i had a very painful chest pain on friday afternoon which stopped on friday night and i started coughing with mucus yellowish in color,the cough still persists,i dont know weda dats also a withdrawal symptoms or something else?

Do you manage to sleep on escitalopram.  I have been using diazepam to help sleep but its not so efficient now.

Hi again I am sorry to hear that your anxiety knows no bounds , hoeever this is part of the recovery process . It will ease but there is no easy solution. Drugs will not help according to my GP. People have to accrept that withdrawal is not easy I am afrad. This is very hard when going through tis process but what I find helps me is totell myself that it will come to an end. Healing and recovery from the dreadful effects of benzos does end.

thanks jackie,i very much appreciate all the help u’ve given me,all the hope i’ve had from u and everytin.i do pray and hope that this ends soon,it has been a very horrible experience.

Its ok. It is a nightmarish experience. New guidelines say the benzos should no be prescribed for more than 2 to 4 weeks. My dr said he would be looking at 2 weeks. Evil , evil drugs.

@jackie,my doctor didnt try,he put me on anada medicine(prednisolone)which has anada withdrawal,now i want to stay off that drug as well,he drew the schedule on which i can reduce and finally stop but i think the schedule is too fast,but i really wanna stay off any drug of any kind especially those dat has withdrawal,but now am on 7.5mg a day but i didnt take it today and my body is starting to feel funny,i want to reduce it to 5mg a day and take dat for three days and den 2.5mg a day for anada 3days and den just stop so that i will see what happens next...i feel so tired cos coming out of one and still finding it hard and he decided to put me on anada,am just confused,dont know what to do,my life is turning out to be something else

jackie,i hv not heard from you for some days now,hope u are gud?anyway,i have anada symptom thats strange,i hv bssn experiencing some burning sensation from my legs to my back when i sit to rest,but wen i walk,it stopss or i dont experience that,but as soon as i sit or lie down,it burns so bad,it has been that way with me for 3days now,i dont know weda dats a benzo withdrawal or wat,plz help me...

I am not sure why you think because you have been off for 4 weeks that you would not have withdrawls. I am 10 months since I stopped my benzos and I am still getting withdrawals. This is a very long process

@lolasmom,for the withdrawal symptoms after just four weeks is expected by me but i atleast expected the withdrawal symptoms to be less severe,rather,i still have severe withdrawal symptoms,but am very cool about it becos i have stopped experiencing some of the symptoms and am sure with time,they will gradually vanish ...but my problem here is that i was put on prednisolone last month and i have been tapering it down since last month from 60mg a day for a week,20mg a day for a week,and the doctor moved me to 45mg a day for 4days and 10mg a day for 3days,7.5mg a day for 2days and 5mg a day for every two days,but am afraid i migh experience its withdrawal symptoms,i dont want anada withdrawal as i have been through hell with the benzos already....do u think my taper was too fast or is ok?

Benzos do affect balance though. This can be reversed by discontinuation of this very nasty drug.​

I am sorry but I do not know anything about prednisolone. But with any drug that is to be weaned, this would be a very quick withdrawl. It does not sound like you were on it very long, as you mentioned you were put on it last month.

I do know that benzo withdrawal is a b***h and post withdrawal is not better.

How long have you been off benzos?

Good luck to you

@lolasmom,i have been off benzos for a month now,but some of the symptoms are moving away gradually,but new symptoms emerge everyday but by hook or crook,am going to manage to cope with the symptoms as it is best to stay off drugs...thanks so much for all ur best wishes