Weird head sensations benzo w/d??

I just wanted to add, congratulations on getting off with what sounds like a reasonable, slow taper after having been on for so many years!  You are bound to have some aftermath. after such long term use.  How did you feel earlier on?  Recovery occurs in a windows and waves pattern, where you might feel bad (wave), feel better (window) and then have another wave.  This is probably what is happening.   The key is to not let fear take over with these wave symptoms; tell yourself "there's withdrawal again, but it's a sign that my nervous system is still getting sorted out," and Accept that this is recovery and that it won't be like this forever.  Good luck!

Hi thanks for replying I have been on some sites, I think the problem is I can't believe people suffer like this from prescription meds I have lost all faith in doctors, also I find it hard to describe the sensations and keep doubting it's withdrawal.

Dr crossed me over to valium then tapered that as I couldn't get lower than 1.5 mg xanax. I had a rough enough time anxiety got worse panic came back, terrible body aches pains,depression, racing thoughts,stomach problems, ear and sinus problem. Had dizziness on and off.. In February I had these weird head sensations and a constant headache for 3 weeks. I just got them back tonight,

Thanks for advice I will try to tell myself it's withdrawal

I also have lost faith in Drs. I've got cervical dystonia , neck tilting uncontrollably, now due to a med I tried out for depression. That's the logical cause.

I just can't believe it.

Absolutely they do!!!  It is a hard thing to accept since we were all taught that the doctor knows best and of course he is prescribing to help, so how can a medicine be harmful?  I am a mod on an antidepressant withdrawal site and let me tell you, there's tons of suffering and the pattern happens over and over and over again.  The repeatability of withdrawal is mind-boggling; it absolutely is real.

See, all these psych meds create un-natural conditions in the nervous system, whereby the drug causes a change in the level of a neurotransmitter, and the nervous system pushes back by making compensatory changes to restore "homeostasis."  It is these changes that are still in play when the drug is removed that are causing all the problems.  The nervous system doesn't just snap back to the predrug condition when the drug is removed; it takes months and even years for the nervous system to restore itself.  This is why the best known peer support forums recommend doing a 10% per month taper to get off these meds; because it allows the nervous system to gradually return back to the factory setting without the crazy withdrawal syndrome causes by large imbalances caused by removing the drug too fast.

Hi Tess.

my daughter has just been prescribed amytrytilene for insomnia and ahe says it's working for her.

whats your opinion of it.

obviously it works differently to zopiclone.

is it also addictive.

 

Hi Vivien,

Anyone trying to take more than the prescribed amount will soon feel very unwell indeed, and could actually die. I'm not trying scare you. I was prescribed it once (as a painkiller, which is one of the other things it can do) and although it worked, the side-effects weren't very nice - dryness of the mouth,dryness of lips (tell her to get lots of lip salve in) Tremor in the fingers is another one that drove me mad. But it was better than putting up with the pain. Oh I forgot - nausea.

Amitryptilene is a very old  treatment for depression. Having said that, I found it helped my chronic pain.

I don't think there's much evidence that it causes addiction, if any. I'm sure that if your daughter takes it exactly as prescribed she'll be fine. And it definitely makes you sleepy. Do you know what dose she is on?

I think it's 10mg.  She was told to take it at least three hours before bedtime.

is that what you did.  She said you don't feel sleepy on them, but she is able to get to sleep.  She also has a nine month old baby, but couldn't even sleep when he slept. Her gp is willing to prescribe them long term if needed, but not zopiclone.  Anyway, they seem to be working for her.

given a choice, which one of those two would you choose.

she said I could try one, but haven't done so yet.

Will wait and see what centre suggests next week.

What tablets and dosage are you on at the moment, if you don't mind me asking.

Hi Vivien,

I used to be on massive amounts of zopiclone but when I found that even after taking the whole 28 tabs in the box, I didn't sleep, I decided to get help.

The clinic immediately swapped me over to valium (diazepam) and startedme on 30 mg a day, in divided doses.

I'm now down to 26 mg a day. I try to ensure that I have 10 mg left for bedtime, but infact, I've had very little trouble with sleeping since I was changed to diazepam.

Back to your daughter...........are you sure it's 10 mg because that is a tiny dose. Most people start on 25 mg and go up, if necessary, to 100 mg.

Having said that, if 10mg is working for her, that'ss excellent. She shouldn't take it if she's breastfeeding.

If I was given the choice, I'd (personally) choose zopiclone, but that's only because I was addicted to it for so long, and also, as I said,about five years ago I was prescribed amitriptilyne for oain (trigeminal neuralgia) which has completely gone now.

I'm not going to suggest that you take any of your daughter's medication, simply because it wasn't prescribed for YOU. In reality I doubt if it would harm you, but I don't know your full medical history, so please don't take any of your daughter's tablets, to be on the safe side.

I'm longing to find out how you get on next week. Love Tess.