A few desperate questions

Hello everyone, just a few questions regarding withdrawal symptoms as I am fairly desperate for any support at the moment.

I am a very fit person ( not withstanding my substance misuse.) and I was able to do three to five hundred burpees at a time before withdrawal but since then my ability has been severely compromised and I can only do a handful of push-ups before my muscles start shaking and trembling.

Is it normal for physical performance to be affected?

And finally is it normal for the symptoms to increase in severity and if they do is it a good or bad sign? I just legitimately can’t remember what it’s like to  I feel good at this point and it seems the fatigue and muscle weakness, particularly in my legs is getting worse, almost as if they are about to start trembling but they never do.

Sorry to pester the group I’m just at my wits end and feeling fairly low.

Hi Alex

 

Your symptoms are absolutely normal. Your central nervous system is extremely sensitive during this process and can be easily destabilised by many things, including overexerting yourself. That overexertion for some can be even the tiniest amount of exercise. You will have to find where your sweet spot is when it comes to exercise, which for some, can be a relatively intense workout (for the lucky ones), and for others, much like myself, little more than a daily walk can overstimulate their CNS and trigger/increase a plethora of symptoms.

 

Here is a link to a symptoms list, although, nowhere near an exhaustive list.

 

Ashton manual symptom list

https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha03.htm

I too was extremely physical but I'm just over two months into my CT withdrawal and even now just walking briskly makes my heart pound and causes breathlessness. The weakness in my legs comes and goes but severe the last few days. I feel weakness throughout my body and an inner trembling or nervousness I can't control too.

Thank you for the support. How are you feeling now Birdypie? Have you noticed any improvements?

It’s so bizarre because I feel confident it is the withdrawal one minute and I relax and then the next I think that there is no way it can be this bad and strange and I convince myself it’s MS or something.

I think you get a free helping of health anxiety aswell as everything else.

Hi,I'm.still about the same, jelly legs again today, inner trembling that even affects my voice a little. I wake with awful anxiety but it subsides usually within an hour or so.Evenings I get jittery and I can't stop clenching my jaw, I pain off sensations in my jaw and pressure on my temples. I too doubt it's the withdrawal at times and I think it's only natural to worry. It just seems never- ending doesn't it?

Try to stay busy if you can, it definitely makes the symptoms less noticable at times. All the very best to you 😊

 

Yeah it definitely seems never ending. I wake up everyday day praying for  some-kind of improvement but it doesn’t happen. You feel OK for a bit and then you get slammed. I forced my way through a Muay Thai class which was really stupid of me but I just refused to let the symptoms  control my day. I definitely will not be doing that again. Thank you for the support. I wish you all the best.

Looking at your signature, you're still in the early stage of withdrawal after a rapid taper. Your symptoms are typical of this stage and as Winter's sun said, your CNS is highly sensitive to all sorts of stimuli. From what I've seen on the forum and from my own experience, pushing yourself too hard is an almost a guarantee that your symptoms will be intensified. This is very challenging going for folks who are athletic. It doesn't mean you need to become sedentary, just perhaps be more moderate in your exercise.  But as you heal you will gradually be able to push harder.  It takes time. 

Thank you brighter day. It’s just very frustrating which in itself is a vicious cycle and deep down I know I’m being impatient with myself because I love exercise lol.

Hi Alex

 

This experience creates a training ground through which we ‘must’ learn condition ourselves into a state of deep acceptance around our circumstances, as acceptance eventually quells our impatience. We learn to accept any and all limitations now imposed upon us and live within those limitations for the duration of  the process.