Occipital neurolgia

Anyone have this? If you look this up this seems like my symptoms to a T. Its continuous for 15 months is this common?

Nobody? This site is useless

Hey Bucks. I had to look it up first and see what you were talking about. Lol. I do not have it but if you put it in the search box on this site you will see that many people have had it during withdrawal.

BRUHHH . MessGe me

I swear we’re like peas in a pod cause we have all the same things !

I have so much pain all around my neck, a tickle inside my throat that makes me cough all the time, rice krispies sound when I move my head around, a crackle noise from my throat at night, sleep apnea, etc... All of this I didn't have before I started my taper. Most people improve around the 2 year mark, so hang in there and focus on the things that have improved.

 

It's hard to find somebody with the exact same symptom that frequents the board at the same time as you, search is the best place to get answers, and changing up the terms usually gets the answers you need.

Yes, I had occipital neuralgia/cervicogenic head issues.  Mine started about 4 months out (C/T Valium).  I had never had anything like it before.  Started up with severe back of head pain, shooting pains, terrible pain behind ear (all on left side), shooting/burning jolts on top of head, etc.  Evolved into less "nerve type" bolts, to severe ice pick kind of pain.  Couldn't lay on the back of my head, side wasn't much better.  Pains in neck.  Crackling sound when I turned my head.  Pressure over ear/side of head.  Would wax and wane through the day.  Sometimes heat helped, sometimes not.  Sometimes ice.  I just had to do what felt the best. 

Found exercises for neck (bending head forward chin to chest, and turning head side to side) on the internet - helped. A fellow BB told me to try Tigerbalm (it helped him).  It helped me, quite a lot actually.  Learned not to sit forward (head forward) no matter what (at desk, in chair, etc).

Just hung in, did all of the above.  Around 6 months it began to diminish.  I still have some cervicogenic pain/headache from time to time - but immediately do exercises, tigerbalm, heat/cold and it lessens. 

I could actually feel the muscles on the back of my head tighten in a ripple like pattern at times. Also caused vertigo/dizziness.  It was clearly from the tightening of muscles in the neck, head, in the ear, etc. from the Benzos. 

Was horrendous.  Hang in.

 

Hope this helps. 

Yup yup yup. This symptom lasted almost 8-9 months for me. On and off the first 6...then perma  on for 3 months. Did the tiger balm thing ( the best results)  Did the physio thing ( useless )  Did all sorts of things...and you know what. It went away when I started focusing on other symptoms. Muscles problems now baby !

 

Now I hardly ever have a headache. Maybe one a week...under a ton of stress. But my muscle and nerve issues are now an even bigger concern ! I’d swap for the headache to be honest.

 

But hopefully in the same amount of time my muscle and nerve will go the way of the dodo...like the headache did !

You were (A-M-) the one who set me on to Tiger Balm! YAY! :-)

 

And oddly enough, now that most of my head pain is gone...i TOO have muscle /nerve pain as my number one residual issue!

Mine is mostly in my leg (but some other random stuff)....

I'm with you - just waiting this out!

Yes ! The legs. That where it started. Like buzzing in my left leg. Then a weak feeling in my right. Then hip pain. Then left hands and now a little right hand. Still have all my strength. That’s the only things that’s keeping me sort of sane.

 

What works for the nerve / muscle pain is hot bath. Hot water bottles. Light exercise ( swimming ) and trying my best to just relax and stay off the ALS forums.

Sounds like sinus problems which is extremely common in WD. I have it.

A-M-

You have an excess of glutamate (imo) - out of balance because your GABA is downregulated by the benzos.  That excess glutamate (read up on "excess glutamate symptoms" ) - causes an enhanced perception of pain, fibromyalgia type pains, MS mimicking pains/weakness (this can easily be searched on)....and so there you have it.  SO how do you lower glutamate or stop it being overexcited (also totally researchable on dozens of sites)....avoid high glutamate foods, especially wheat.  Avoid excess calcium.  Avoid excitatory substances such as alcohol, sugar, aspartame, etc.

It sucks but it works for me and has decreased it tremendously. 

But when i eat wheat or sugar...the pains in the legs and weakness are back (and i can barely walk upstairs then! UGH!).  It's hard to track...because it's not like you eat wheat or excess glutamate foods and 10 minutes later you react.  You have to write it all down and track it. Ugh.

so there you have my thoughts...

you and i seem to have the same damn symptoms lol ...no you dont have ALS.  Absolutely not.

it's the increased glutamate and not enough GABA.  My opinion but there you have it...

It's nice to know other people have the pain and weakness. Anyone have teeth pain and numbness?

I have been thinking a lot about fibro this last week. My symptoms seem to pair up nicely...

 

The calcium thing...I do take a CAL / MAG everyday. Heard it was good for the twitching. Should I skip the calcium and just find a magnesium product?

 

Thank you for all that !

 

 

A-M-

You have an excess of glutamate (imo) - out of balance because your GABA is downregulated by the benzos.  That excess glutamate (read up on "excess glutamate symptoms" ) - causes an enhanced perception of pain, fibromyalgia type pains, MS mimicking pains/weakness (this can easily be searched on)....and so there you have it.  SO how do you lower glutamate or stop it being overexcited (also totally researchable on dozens of sites)....avoid high glutamate foods, especially wheat.  Avoid excess calcium.  Avoid excitatory substances such as alcohol, sugar, aspartame, etc.

It sucks but it works for me and has decreased it tremendously. 

But when i eat wheat or sugar...the pains in the legs and weakness are back (and i can barely walk upstairs then! UGH!).  It's hard to track...because it's not like you eat wheat or excess glutamate foods and 10 minutes later you react.  You have to write it all down and track it. Ugh.

so there you have my thoughts...

you and i seem to have the same damn symptoms lol ...no you dont have ALS.  Absolutely not.

it's the increased glutamate and not enough GABA.  My opinion but there you have it...

A-M-

I really think that it's just firing up (the glutamate) your pain perceptions, etc (fibromyalgia mimicking) -

Calcium balances magnesium ...but if it were ME (just my opinion) I'd try a mag supplement without the Calcium and just try it.  I have found Magnesium Taurate to do the best for me (helps sleep too).  Taurine helps counter glutamate and Mag/Taurate is least likely to bother your stomach/colon, especially if you're not taking the calcium

 

Here are two quotes for you and the link (It's an article by an MD, Nancy Mullen)

 

"Calcium is another factor in the glutamate GABA story. If glutamate is like a gun, then calcium is the bullet. Glutamate creates the scenario for excitotoxicity to happen, but the agent that actually destroys the nerve cell is the influx of calcium. The combination of excessive glutamate from any source and too much calcium is major."

 

"If you keep the total amount of glutamate in your body under control, you can prevent neurologic symptoms. One way you can do this is by eliminating gluten and casein from your diet. You also want to eliminate glutamate and anything that sounds like that, and aspartate and anything that sounds like that, from your supplements."

 

The entire article is very helpful to understand about glutamate.  I am not pretending I know this is all "right" but it's the science I happen to believe.  Draw your own conclusions. 

http://www.rlcure.com/glutamate2.html

 

 

It's worth a try and won't hurt you any.  If it does nothing after several days and you feel the twitching is worse then go back to the original....

 

today my leg is hurting - yesterday, nada.  Day before, my hip. Lol. It's nuts.  My symptoms fits fibromyalgia perfectly.  But I never had it before benzos (for what it's worth).

 

I still owe you for your great "Tigerbalm" referral! :-) 

Thank you very much for all that info!

 

Yeah it’s nuts. Yesterday my right knee and hip hurt. Usually it’s my left hip. The constant is the weird feeling I get in my left hand / right leg. Once these symptoms are gone I’ll be healed...

 

When I head home I’ll be passing by the store. Taurine and mag it is ! I’ve starting taking a cortisol blocker for the last 3 nights ( ash, theanine, magnolia, epimedium, phosphadiserine sp ? ) im now reading that theanine may not be so good for excess glutamate ? Your thoughts ?

 

Thank you ! My pleasure. Happy something helped !

 

actually theanine IS ok  for the glutamate and sleeping issue. 

 

"

    L-theanine directly mimics the calming effects of your natural GABA

    L-theanine also helps you make more of your own GABA

    It is believed that L-theanine’s effects are due to its ability to block glutamate receptors, thereby dampening the ravages of excessive glutamate activity

    By blocking glutamate receptors, L-theanine indirectly supports GABA activity by freeing it to perform other important duties "

 

 

https://www.integrativepsychiatry.net/blog/ltheanine-good-for-what-ails-you-and-your-neurotransmitters/

 

 

If you don't think it's bothering you, stick with it longer and see. Keep in touch and let me know how you are doing!

Fingers crossed for both of us

I have terrible migraines and tension headaches. I also thought I had occipital neuralgia and probably due to some degree. I went to a headache clinic in Philadelphia and was recently admitted to the hospital for headache treatment. It was pretty brutal. I don’t think I’ll ever do that again. I noticed as I’m decreasing my Ativan I started to get more tension headaches.  I didn’t realize it until after the fact but I had the worst tension headaches behind my neck, shoulders, traps, back of the head, top of the head, side of the head. you name it it was one big tight muscle. I’m now doing a slow taper and still have daily headaches But praying they will start to get better. I’m still working with my neurologist to try to get around these headaches.  My pain management doctor want to do an occipital nerve block but I’m not really certain that I want to go ahead and do that at this point. I think I want to continue with my slow taper and see what resolves on its own. Sometimes less is more. I  met some at the headache clinic that had bad occipital neuralgia and had a neuro  stimulators implanted  to decrease the pain. She said it was helping her.  I don’t even want to think about that!

Hoping you are feeling better by now.