One Year Off, but . . .

Tomorrow, 6/20/09 will be me free from Valium one year anniversary. I've made a lot of strides in this time period, like being able to go back to work.  I exercise regularly and watch what I eat.  I'm not fully recovered, as I'd hoped to be, but I'm fully of hope now. 

 

I still stuffer from chest tightness, head pressure, tremors, teeth grinding, feet still feel like their sinking into the ground, and now I'm suffereing a few weeks now from auditory hallucinations.  Not cool.

 

I was hoping that no new symptons would arise, but no such thing. 

 

Has anyone else experienced hallucinations after a year or more off of benzos?

Tomorrow, 6/20/09 will be me free from Valium one year anniversary. I've made a lot of strides in this time period, like being able to go back to work.  I exercise regularly and watch what I eat.  I'm not fully recovered, as I'd hoped to be, but I'm fully of hope now. 

 

I still stuffer from chest tightness, head pressure, tremors, teeth grinding, feet still feel like their sinking into the ground, and now I'm suffereing a few weeks now from auditory hallucinations.  Not cool.

 

I was hoping that no new symptons would arise, but no such thing. 

 

Has anyone else experienced hallucinations after a year or more off of benzos?

 

Hi Hope Wells,

 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!!

 

Congrats on being one year free!!  We have a few people that suffer with w/d symptoms after being off for one year. How long were you on benzos and how did you tape off of them? Tell us your story!!

 

We're glad you're here!!

 

 

T2

 

 

Tomorrow, 6/20/09 will be me free from Valium one year anniversary. I've made a lot of strides in this time period, like being able to go back to work.  I exercise regularly and watch what I eat.  I'm not fully recovered, as I'd hoped to be, but I'm fully of hope now. 

 

I still stuffer from chest tightness, head pressure, tremors, teeth grinding, feet still feel like their sinking into the ground, and now I'm suffereing a few weeks now from auditory hallucinations.  Not cool.

 

I was hoping that no new symptons would arise, but no such thing. 

 

Has anyone else experienced hallucinations after a year or more off of benzos?

 

I have those kinds of symptoms that come back when I least expect it. Even some of the creepy ones like hallucinations can come back but usually I can find something that triggers it. I have the movement and sensory probs still effecting me on a fairly regular basis but the really creepy stuff only gets bad for about a day and that happens every few weeks or so and then I seem to be fine again. I think it is just going to keep getting milder and milder. Congrats on your one year free!!!

In February of 2007 my quack of a shrink, who had me believeing that I was ssychotic depression (turns out the Wellbutrin was causing me to hallucinate), put me on Valium because of my fear of flying.  A fews months afterwards I noticed that not only was I getting dizziness upon standing, and rapid heard beats, but agoraphobia.  Of couse I spoke to him about it and he just kept upping my dose of Valium.  I kept telling him that I'd like to gte off of this stuff, but kept flipping off when I tried decreasing my dosage.  By late that year I was in and out of the doctors office and the hospital complaining of being ill for no reasing and trouble breathing.  I kept my shrink abreast of what was happening and he just let me know when you get a diagnosis.  By February of last year I was walking with a stick because my breathing had become too difficult.  I saw a cardiologist and a lung doctor, who both gave me the all clear.  I was resigned that perhaps I had a mystery illness and was dying.  So I called my brother in March and told him we'd better start planning my funeral.  He was alarmed, but said, let's just give it more time.  My sister urged me to just stop taking the Valium because she thought my body was sensitive to meds, because I started having violent panic attacks.  BAD IDEA.   A few weeks later,  I had to take a cab to and from work because I was too weak to walk the three blocks to the train station.  In early June of last year I callopsed at my job and was forced to leave.  If it was for the shrink in psychiatric emergency at UPenn hospital explaining what was going on with me, I'd never have know of my Valium dependency and what could have happened on my cold turkey withdrawal.  I was then placed in detox for a week (unfortunately).  I moved in with my sister for a couple of months afterwards, and eventually moved back home.  The last year has been utter hell, but I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Hi Hope,

 

I have been off Xanax for 10 months and still have breathing problems.  I have not had hallucinations but odd symptoms still pop up at this time.  I am so happy that you are/were able to endure your tapering process.  There are a few members here that are still symptomatic at your/our stage.  Keep hanging in there.

 

Patty  xo

In February of 2007 my quack of a shrink, who had me believeing that I was ssychotic depression (turns out the Wellbutrin was causing me to hallucinate), put me on Valium because of my fear of flying.  A fews months afterwards I noticed that not only was I getting dizziness upon standing, and rapid heard beats, but agoraphobia.  Of couse I spoke to him about it and he just kept upping my dose of Valium.  I kept telling him that I'd like to gte off of this stuff, but kept flipping off when I tried decreasing my dosage.  By late that year I was in and out of the doctors office and the hospital complaining of being ill for no reasing and trouble breathing.  I kept my shrink abreast of what was happening and he just let me know when you get a diagnosis.  By February of last year I was walking with a stick because my breathing had become too difficult.  I saw a cardiologist and a lung doctor, who both gave me the all clear.  I was resigned that perhaps I had a mystery illness and was dying.  So I called my brother in March and told him we'd better start planning my funeral.  He was alarmed, but said, let's just give it more time.  My sister urged me to just stop taking the Valium because she thought my body was sensitive to meds, because I started having violent panic attacks.  BAD IDEA.   A few weeks later,  I had to take a cab to and from work because I was too weak to walk the three blocks to the train station.  In early June of last year I callopsed at my job and was forced to leave.  If it was for the shrink in psychiatric emergency at UPenn hospital explaining what was going on with me, I'd never have know of my Valium dependency and what could have happened on my cold turkey withdrawal.  I was then placed in detox for a week (unfortunately).  I moved in with my sister for a couple of months afterwards, and eventually moved back home.  The last year has been utter hell, but I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies, Hope. 

 

 

You were really through the wringer, weren't you? Congratulations on resuming your life post-benzos.  Are you familiar with The Ashton Manual?  Prof. Ashton said that protracted withdrawal symptoms usually only occur in someone who cold-turkeyed from a high dose.  IMO, a week of detox is little better than a c/t.  That could be what is going on with you.  I didn't get the more disturbing psychological symptoms, such as derealization or hallucinations, but I feel sure you aren't alone in this.  I am curious about what kind of auditory hallucinations you get.  I know there have been times when I though someone called my name and they didn't but never thought of that as a hallucination. 

Well, I usually just hear wispering that seems as if it's coming from the left of the room.  Other times, I swear I hear my name.  I was startled at first, but quickly researched that this was a possible withdrawal symptom.  I try not to let it bother me.  I'm more aware of it when I'm lying down sleeping or reading. 

Hm-m-m-m.....never thought I had hallucinations until I read that hearing a loud bang many times just as I was falling asleep was an auditory hallucination.  I thought I heard my name called many times while tapering. 

 

Patty  xo

Tomorrow, 6/20/09 will be me free from Valium one year anniversary. I've made a lot of strides in this time period, like being able to go back to work.  I exercise regularly and watch what I eat.  I'm not fully recovered, as I'd hoped to be, but I'm fully of hope now. 

 

I still stuffer from chest tightness, head pressure, tremors, teeth grinding, feet still feel like their sinking into the ground, and now I'm suffereing a few weeks now from auditory hallucinations.  Not cool.

 

I was hoping that no new symptons would arise, but no such thing. 

 

Has anyone else experienced hallucinations after a year or more off of benzos?

 

Congrats on being 1 year off, although you don't feel perfect, do understand how much improvements you have made. The road to recovery can take sometime but the healing does come around. Being able to go back to work is amazing, this is healing in itself, work can distract us from our Wds and that is wonderful. Keep being strong and you shall reach your goal eventually.