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How do you know if it is benzo WD?


[Gm...]

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If you need to see 5 different types of doctors to address your symptoms.

 

If they prescribe you a Benzo to cure your symptoms.

 

Your doctor ups your dose of Benzos.

 

If everything is fine 45 minutes after taking a pill

 

If your reading this. :thumbsup:

 

Did I miss anything?

 

 

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I have one to add...

 

 

if you have never had these symptoms before benzos or benzo wd...it is highly probable it is caused by the benzos or benzo wd... ;)

 

TC

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I agree.........!!! i was and still ask same question all the time!!! is this w/d..?..........again ive never felt soo sick in my life, 6 days to go! so, close...

 

and yes, shrink docs always say it us.. your anxiety.. bla bla.. ya right! tremors, shakes, stomach pain, burning skin etc.. the list of w/d...

 

hang in there GM

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I have one to add...

 

 

if you have never had these symptoms before benzos or benzo wd...it is highly probable it is caused by the benzos or benzo wd... ;)

 

TC

Hi Buddies :)

 

When all tests come negative, and you are still hurting. When you get windows of clarity, where all, or some of the symptoms are gone. And finally, when you wake up one morning and it's simply gone...the heart palp. the anxiety, the brain fog, the ocd, the confusion etc.  And as time passes, the weeks the months....and it's still gone! You know!! And even for those who do not get the windows, as TC said- if it wasn't there before benzo...

Wishing all  speedy healing. :smitten:

 

Shelly

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Hi, As to your question about withdrawl symptoms.  Generally, if you have something wierd that you never had before and it happens during withdrawl then I attribute it to benzo withdrawl syndrome.  I have enclosed a list that I often look at when I get hit with something new.  I think I have had a good bit of them at one point of time or another. But, I have found they stay around for a little while and then go.  They wax and wane in intensity and often go away for good and sometimes are replaced by other ones. This is a list compiled from many benzo boards and some are duplicate, do not think that you will get all of these though.  We are all different with what we get.  Hope this he

 

There are several sites on the Internet that have lists of benzo withdrawal symptoms. Visit the Benzodiazepine Symptoms List and Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Symptoms.

 

The list below is an attempt to bring all those lists together. It contains duplicate symptoms and it is also likely that there will  also  be symptoms that do not appear on the list.

 

If a symptom is particularly worrying then it is always wise to get it checked out by your doctor to rule out any other causes.

 

 

 

Abdominal pains and cramp

Aching jaw

Aching joints

aching muscles,

Acute hyper excited state,

Aggressive behaviour

Agitated sight

Agitation

Agoraphobia 

Allergic reactions

Allergic reactions to foods previously tolerated,

Allergy & nasal symptoms exacerbated,

Anger,

Anxiety

Apathy

Appetite - either loss of, or voracious appetite with constant desire to eat,

Arms and legs feel detached from body,

Ataxia - can't coordinate muscle movement,

Back pain,

band around head,

Bladder incontinence

Bladder irritation - feeling of having an infection or cystitis,

Bleeding between menstrual cycles

Bleeding from the nose

Blepharospasm - eye twitches,

Bloated stomach, distended abdomen, (benzo belly),

bloated, diarrhea, constipation,

Blood pressure fluctuations,

Blurred vision       

Blurred vision, seeing spots, flashes, vivid vision

Body feels like jelly

Body odour - stinking sweat,

Body temperature fluctuations,

Body temperature reading higher or lower than 98.6,

Brachycardia - slow heartbeat/pulse,

Brain moving within the skull

Breasts - heavy, over-sensitive, swollen, enlarged, painful,

Breathing difficulties

Breathlessness,

Bruxism (teeth grinding)

Buildings appear to be leaning       

Burning along the spine

Burning sensation around the mouth

Buzzing, burning, tingling limbs,

Changes in perception (faces distorting and inanimate objects moving)

Changes in skin colour, tone, texture,

Chemical sensitivities

Chest tightness,

Chills - (can feel like the heebie-jeebies you get when viewing a scary movie),

Choking

Claustrophobia,

Clumsiness

Cognitive impairment,

Confusion,

Constipation

Cracked and sore lips

cramping in stomach,

Craving for sweets and sugary foods,

Crying jags,

Cuts and abrasions take weeks to heal

Dark circles under the eyes,

Decaying teeth and gums,

Dehydration,

Delirium

Demented and murderous thoughts     

Dental pain,

Depersonalisation (a feeling of not knowing who you are)

Depression

Derealization

Diarrhea,

Difficulty in writing slowly       

Difficulty swallowing

Difficulty writing or holding a fork, due to muscle weakness,

difficulty writing,

Discharge from the breasts

Disorientation       

Distended abdomen

Distortions or hallucinations

Dizziness - in general, or a feeling like you are falling off the couch/chair/bed,

Double vision       

Dry mouth

Dry throat, sore tongue, and thrush

Dry, itchy skin

Dry, tickly cough

Dyspepsia (indigestion)

Dysphagia (difficulty eating or swallowing)

Dysphoria (inability to feel pleasure or happiness)

Dyspnea (breathing difficulty)

Earache       

earache, and sinus problems,

Electric shock feelings

Emotional blunting - can't receive or give,

Encopressia (faecal incontinence)

Oesophageal spasms,

Excitability

Exercise - exacerbating all benzo symptoms,

Exhaustion,

extreme cold,

Extreme lethargy

Extreme thirst

Extremely disturbed       

Extremely nervous and jumpy       

Eyes - sore, tired, seeing floaters, spots, itchy,

Falling hair

Fatigue, leaden heaviness

Fear

Fear of being a burden or unlovable,

Fear of being alone

Fear of dying,

fear of insanity,

Fear of losing control       

Fear of never recovering,

Fear of water       

Faeces - appears abnormal looking,

Feeling bloated

Feeling like the ground is moving beneath you, as if on a cruise ship or boat,

Feeling of extreme cold

Feeling of impending doom       

Feeling of vulnerability       

Feelings of shaking inside and out

Feelings of shame, despite realizing this was all accidental and not your fault,

Feelings of the spirit being out of synchronization with the body,

Feelings of unreality

feelings of worms under scalp

Female ejaculation or incontinence during orgasm,

Fingernail problems - median nail dystrophy (line/ridge down the centre)

Flashbacks

Fluctuations in blood pressure

Flu-like symptoms

Flushing,

Formication (sensations of bugs crawling on skin)

Fuzzy feeling in head,

Gait disturbance - hard to walk straight,

Gastritis

Glassy eyes

Goosebumps - very visible to the eye,

Grinding teeth

Hemorrhoids

Hair - loss, thinning, dullness,

Hallucinations (auditory and visual)

Headaches - mild or severe,

Heart palpitations, pounding or racing heart,

Heartburn

heavy arms, legs and head,

Heavy pounding heart

Holding onto the walls in the shower,

Hostility

Hot flashes,

Hurts to wear clothes, a car seatbelt,

Hyper sensitive (unable to watch the news, see films, read the newspaper),

Hyperactivity

Hyperacusis - profound hearing sensitivity, hurts to talk on the phone, music, etc.,

Hyperosmia (sensitive sense of smell),

Hyperreflexia (‘jumpiness’)

Hypersensitivity to being touched,

Hypersensitivity to light, sound, and other stimuli

Hypersensitivity to stress,

Hyperventilation (over breathing)

Hypnologic (hallucinations, sleepwalking),

Hysterical and inappropriate laughter

IBS - irritable bowel syndrome,

Impacted bowels,

Impairment of motor coordination,

Impotence

inability to comprehend the simplest things,

Inability to concentrate,

inability to cope with a lot of information

Inability to draw a satisfying breath,

Inability to make a decision,

inability to read or write,

Incontinence, frequent or urgent need to urinate, unable to hold or pass urine,

Increased saliva

Indigestion

Insomnia       

Intense fuzzy feeling in the head               

Intense jaw pain       

Intrusive thoughts,

Iris in eyes changes colour       

Irrational rage

Irritability

Jaundice,

Jaw, tooth, neck and shoulder aches and pains,

Jaws clamped together

Jerks in arms, legs fingers.

Joint aches and pains,

Joylessness,

Jumpiness,

Jumping toe,

Lack of concentration

Lack of co-ordination

Left/Right-sided symptoms,

Legs arms and head very heavy

Leukonychia (whitening of nails)

Libidinal changes - variances in sex drive,

Loss of balance

Loss of concentration

Loss of confidence,

Loss of control of movement,

Loss of interest in people and/or things,

Loss of memory

Loss of self respect

Loss of taste or metallic taste

Loss or changes in appetite

Lung pain,

Memory problems - short term,

Menstrual problems (painful periods, irregular periods, cessation of periods)

Mild hypertension

Mood swings,

Morbid thoughts

Mouth and tongue soreness,

Muscle spasms

Muscle tone, wastage,

Muscle wastage

Muscle weakness,

Muscles locking and rigidity,

Muscular aches, pains, cramps, spasms,

muscular rigidity,

nausea, flu like symptoms,

Nervous ticks or twitches,

Nervousness

Neuralgia       

Neurological problems - topical nerve anaesthesia,

Night apnea

Night sweats,

Nightmares

Nose bleeds,

Numbness - around the face, mouth or any other part of the body,

Numbness, pain,

Obsessions

Obsessive behaviour,

Oedema - especially face or ankles,

Oesophagitis

Orgasm changes - big setbacks after orgasms,

Outbursts of rage or aggression

Over breathing

Painful scalp

pains in neck and shoulders,

Pains in temple,

Pains in the chest       

Pains in the lungs

Pains in the neck 

Panic attacks

Paraesthesia (numbness, tingling)

Paranoia

Passing gas continually,

Penis and testicle sensitivity,

Persistent, unpleasant memories

Perspiring, night sweats

Phobias (hydrophobia, agoraphobia, monophobia,

Pins and needles

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,

Premature menopause,

Premature wrinkling around the eyes and face,

Problems of decaying teeth

Psychotic symptoms - usually transient and confined to rapid withdrawal,

Pupils of eyes become minute

Pushing away friends,

Racing thoughts,

Rage,

Rapid blinking of the eyes

Rapid changes in body temperature

Rapid mood changes

Rapid weight loss

Rashes and blotches on skin,

Recurring mild sore throat,

Repetitive thoughts       

Restless legs in bed at night

Restlessness

Saliva running from the mouth at night

Scalp pain and burning,

Screwing up of the eyes

Seeing spots before the eyes

Seizures (fits) 

sensation of brain moving within the skull,

Sensitive or painful teeth

Severe cramping in the stomach       

Severe headaches

Severe muscle rigidity

Sexual problems - no sex drive or ultra high sex drive,

Shaking - inside or out or both,

Sharp throbbing pain in the wrists

Shivering - feelings of extreme cold or hot,

Short-term memory impairment

Sinus pain

Skin problems - dry, itchy, rashes, slow healing, tickling, burning,

Sleepwalking,

Smell problems - everything smells bad,

Smelling bad, but only to you,

Sore and tired eyes

Sore mouth and tongue

Speech difficulties

Stomach cramps

Stuttering,

Suicidal feelings

Swallowing difficulties       

Sweating

Swollen breasts

Teeth - pain, throbbing, sensitivity, feel like they are falling out, grinding,

Tension between eyes,

Thinking you are dying,

Thinking you have some awful disease other than benzo withdrawal,

Thirst

Thrush-like symptoms,

Thyroid disturbances,

tickling and itching

Tight band around the head       

Tight band around the legs and ankles,

Tightness in the chest

Tightness in the head

Tinnitus (buzzing or ringing in the ears)

Tiny pupils

Tiredness       

Toe and finger nails change colour

Tongue - sore, burning,

Total loss of confidence       

Toxic naps - feeling worse upon wakening,

Tremor or feeling of inner vibration

Twitching of the head

Unable to walk

Under-eye puffiness,

Unusually sensitive (unable to watch the news on television or read the newspaper)

urinary problems (continence or incontinence)

Vaginal discharge, or extremely dry or wet vagina,

Vertigo

Visual disturbances - waves, sparks, flashes of light, seeing spots, floaters,  blurry

Voice quality changes,

Vomiting

vulnerability,

Walking side to side, like a drunken sailor,

Weakness - "jelly legs",

Weight loss or gain (can be rapid),

Yellow coating on the tongue (which can yellow the teeth)

lps you.  Ginia ;)

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Wow except for the penis and testicle symptoms, :-\  ......I have had them all and then some.. :o ....whew thank Gawd I didn't have the penis pain that mighta pushed me over the edge. ::)
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Wow, Ginia, what a list!  I would add:  (if not already there)

 

low blood sugar

carbohydrate metabolism messed up (couldn't think of the proper scientific term for that  :D

time distortion

 

And Gman, I would add to your very good comprehensive list.....if you've been off your benzo for many months and are still sick with a "mysterious" illness with many different symptoms, then.....(it's no doubt benzo w/d's)

 

hey Wonder Woman....I"m like you, with just about all those symptoms!  I love your way of seeing the glass half full (no penis pain)...yuk yuk.  :laugh:

 

 

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Gee is that all !!!  :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

 

well heck what if it starts while you are on a benzo????  doomed????  this is my new favorite word these days.  I went up on my dose per my doctor and felt almost normal but then I started to feel less normal.  Okay doomed?????? this should be my new user name  :'( :'( :'(

 

Bummer

Mary

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or if your doctor, who specializes in psych meds, tells you it's YOU...... :o

 

Yeah, I love that one.  "Yes, doc, my foot is twitching and my ears are ringing because I have generalized anxiety.  Nevermind that I never had such an 'anxiety disorder' before you prescribed me benzodiazepines."  Idiots.

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Gee is that all !!!   :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

 

well heck what if it starts while you are on a benzo????  doomed????  this is my new favorite word these days.  I went up on my dose per my doctor and felt almost normal but then I started to feel less normal.  Okay doomed?????? this should be my new user name  :'( :'( :'(

 

Bummer

Mary

 

Mary,

 

If it starts while you are on a benzo, it could be a side effect of the medication.  Oddly enough, many of the sx of Klonopin mirror the klonopin w/d effects...crazy stuff this klonopin.....

 

TC :)

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I went to my GP a few weeks ago and tried to educate and explain the benzo withdrawl symptom that I was going thru.  He asked me what my symptoms were and I pulled out the list that I have posted and I said "Take your pick of symptoms and it depends on what day you ask me as to what symptoms I have "  .  He looked at me like I was nuts.  I have found that doctors do not like it too much when you know more then they do.  :pokey:
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Ginia,

 

I think this happens alot with "paternalistic" type docs.  I went to one of these for years, and never had any real health issues, so I never really cared that he acted this way, because I thought...hey ..he is the doc....

 

After my benzo experience....and his denial that there could be side effects to the meds....and his lack of knowledge of the wd effects of these drugs..I view him in a different light....of course, I have to view him in my mind...because I will never go back to that guy again...and I had been a patient for well over a decade....my father also quit going to him...after he saw what happened to me..and my dad has been his patient for over two decades....

 

I was lucky enough to find a pretty progressive doc....he does not know a whole lot about benzos, and does not prescribe them...but at least I have someone to go ...that won't push meds.....as the only solution.....to anything that may come up in the future...

 

TC

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I should send this benzo list to Oprah.  Seems that is the only way to get any public awareness out there anymore.  I asked a pharmacist why they give out benzo's like candy to patients and he said " Because they work"  .

It keeps the patients coming back to their doctors for more.  Unbelievable !! :tickedoff:

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or if your doctor, who specializes in psych meds, tells you it's YOU...... :o

 

Yeah, I love that one.  "Yes, doc, my foot is twitching and my ears are ringing because I have generalized anxiety.  Nevermind that I never had such an 'anxiety disorder' before you prescribed me benzodiazepines."  Idiots.

 

 

ha ha that is a funny comment "yes doctor  the world keeps moving causing vertigo  because I have generalized anxiety which makes the world look sideways"  funny because before you described benzo's the world did not move around.... thanks for adding some humor :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee:

Mary

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Ginia,

 

I want to preface this by saying I do not regularly watch Oprah ;), I think the last time I watched was back in the late 90's... ;)  but the complaint I always see on the forum is that Oprah rarely, if ever, focuses on benzos when she has the drug problem shows, and usually focuses on opiates....is that true?  ANd if so...maybe she needs to be made more aware of the benzo problem....you may be on to something... :)

 

TC

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Love the picture of Oprah !!  I now watch her show alot because I am homebound temporaily because of Benzo's.  I thought it very interesting that she is campaigning against cell phone and text usage while driving.  I think it is a great idea and needs public awareness.  What was so interesting is that when she did that,  it was on all the major news networks and the gov. then passed a bill forbidding text usage for big trucks. It seems you need to have Oprah on your side if you want anything done !! :D I have noticed all the media have focused on other addictive prescription medications but not benzo's.  As we know in some instances benzo's are known to be harder to get off of then any other prescription med.  Well, I think I might give it a shot and write to Oprah tomorrow.  Probably won't pan out, but why not give it a shot.  If it saves but one life, it will be worth it.
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