How do you KNOW it's the benzo?

I would indeed like your feedback on this.  How do you know it's the benzos?  In my case, I've had MDD before.  I was on a low dose of Xanax forever...and suddenly started experiencing agitation during the day.  I assumed it was the Xanax and did plenty of excessive freaking out at the thought of being dependent.

 

I had plenty of anxiety BEFORE I started my taper, much of which I attribute to Rebound anxiety.  But how do we...how does any of us know for sure.

 

I mean, when ya can't sleep, don't wanna eat...alternate between agitated and depressed...you tend to get a bit obsessed about what you are feeling.

Thoughts?

come on, there is someone brave enough to touch this

Okay, I'll bite.  You're sounding a little obsessed with anxiety. 

 

Seriously, here's how to have a pretty good idea whether or not it's the benzos…if you didn't have it before benzos, you probably won't have it afterwards.  If you had anxiety before and you haven't learned to deal without medication, you might have anxiety again.  Most of us learn some excellent coping skills during withdrawal because we have to.

 

Challis 

When all medical tests are normal.

However, I have read that some people have had surgeries only to still have the same symptoms afterwards and they symptoms leave after recovery.

I can't imagine having my organs removed only to find the symptom was w/d.

This is why it becomes so difficult.

With my mom, she has a ton of bad blood work problems, but we don't know which is benzo w/d and which isn't.

We are waiting until she recovers to determine what's left.

I wouldn't recommend this approach because there are so many real problems that should be checked out.

With my mom, I think she has an allergy to the benzo's.

 

 

Oh…I just read your signature…you're tapering Xanax right now.  Yep, you're going to have anxiety, in my opinion.  And insomnia. 

 

It is probably NOT normal anxiety, for me it was physical anxiety, which feels almost exactly the same as mental/emotional anxiety.  The difference for me was that I had nothing to be anxious about.  That was my tip-off that Xanax was causing my anxiety, not helping it.

 

You've been at the Xanax Support Thread, right?  Are you getting your concerns answered there? 

 

Challis 

 

P.S.  At 20 months off Xanax, I am less anxious now than ever in my life.  I don't really know why…but benzo withdrawal was at the top of the list of bad things to get through in my life and maybe I'm just grateful for health and happiness.

Thanks for your response.  I would say I'm obsessed with every nuance of how I am feeling, which sucks badly.....Introspective to the max....

I know.  I've been though it.  What else have you tried for distractions?  Distractions, breathing exercises, anything help for coping with the anxiety? 

watching TV, Wellness books like Claire Weekes.    I've had to square breathe myself out of several panic attacks.....  talking to you is distracting in a good way because you are not focusing on scary symptoms.  That is the tough part of this board...choosing what you should read...what you can handle......

 

For me the problem is not the drug, it is the withdrawal from it...

 

Benzo's do not cause anxiety themselves in most cases, it is the interdose withdrawals or taper/ct withdrawals that's what causes the symptoms.

For me it's how quick hitting it is and how quickly it leaves.  It is first depressing then creates rebound anxiety when it leaves.  what a drug!

I beg to differ Oscar but I think benzos do cause anxiety for quite a lot of people, it is a paradoxical effect as is anger and a myriad other untoward symptoms they are responsible for.

 

Hi:

 

I think you have some good opinions here. The symptoms you are feeling must be due to the xanax. Interdose and tolerance withdrawal. Causing the panic thoughts just makes it worse. Like the BBer's said, you won't know til afterwards and behavior modification helps them deal with it. I also has anxiety pre benzo days, whenever THAT was :). Right now I'm getting cog therapy, listening to quiet music, reading up on everything I can find re anxiety, exercising, etc. to help reduce the anxiety. I know this is generally a non med forum but since I had pre benzo anxiety, my doc put me on 60 mg of BuSpar daily. It really helps. I plan to stay on it post withdrawal, continue with my therapy until I'm dead, and if that doesn't work as well I'll stay on the BuSpar. Then I'll be dead my then and will take my anxiety to the grave.

In the long run benzos do cause anxiety if not the dose could stay stable forever and that's not the case. I have felt anxious right after taking a dose for example.

I've known this for a long time and even a psychiatrist I used to see agreed with me on the anxiety causing affects of benzos.

 

watching TV, Wellness books like Claire Weekes.    I've had to square breathe myself out of several panic attacks.....  talking to you is distracting in a good way because you are not focusing on scary symptoms.  That is the tough part of this board...choosing what you should read...what you can handle......

 

It's good that you realized reading the scary stuff is counter-productive.  I never focused on the scary stuff because I didn't believe it would happen to me.  And most of it didn't.    When it did, I understood what was happening to cause it.

 

Breathing was very helpful for me.  So was a microwavable flax (rice works too) bag…I must have heated it 500 times.  I'd put it on my chest and could feel the muscles relax and the tension ease up. 

What were your symptoms?

 

I believe I hit tolerance of my 2mg dose and then my body just wanted more.

-agitation

-anxiety

-depression

-derealization

-fear of going insane

-blah

-blah

-my PDOC says agitated depression or benzo withdrawal...he doesn't know.

Sure looks and quacks like a duck.

 

I have been on Lexapro low dose, for 10 years and I don't think it was or is the problem.

If only I could quit being quite so introspective that would solve a lot of my problems.  but the introspection is fed by what I feel.  It's a cycle, I get that.

Jerryk: 

Tapering from 3.0 MG Xanax...down to 2.25 in ..0625 increments.

 

When did you start tapering?

Are you cutting by 0.625mg or 0.625% of the last cut?

How often are you cutting the dose by, in other words how long are you holding between cuts?

 

first .5 was no big deal as I wasn't really needing it.  I cut .0625mg per an afternoon dose to start and held it for two weeks.  that is pretty much my plan if I have the will power to do it.

 

honestly, I don't think I can...at least today.