Marine, PTSD, Anxiety, Depression

4-5 years of Clonazepam prescription for panic attacks.  Didn't know it was a short term medication, shame on me for not researching this poison of a medication.  I tapered off early 2018.  Last dose late March 2018.  December had a problem that I ended up in the Emergency Room, and back on Benzos, this time Lorazepam.  I felt I had to take them to control the panic attacks.  I stopped taking them late January, didn't really taper, just kinda cut my dose in half, till I was taking .25 mg once a day, then just jumped off.  Hopefully my symptoms (Head pressure, fatigue, sleepy, crappy sleep, ANXIETY, depre........the) are withdrawal related.  And not some other condition, as I've lost faith in Doctors. 

 

So this is the little bit about me to introduce myself.

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!  We are glad you decided to join us.  You'll find a lot of support and information on this forum, which is the only one of its kind online.  The symptoms you mention are normal after a fast taper or cold turkey.

 

For those starting a taper, we generally recommend starting out at a rate of 5 to 10% every 10-14 days, then adjusting the taper to suit your own needs.  Note: very short term users may be able to taper faster.

 

Withdrawal symptoms, which vary widely but commonly include anxiety and insomnia, often occur during a taper, but these are temporary and will get better in time.  In general, first tapers are easier, but cold turkeys or multiple withdrawals may be more severe and longer lasting.  Here are a few links to get you started:

 

The Ashton Manual, a concise reference for tapering and symptom issues.

 

Cold Turkey, Detox, and Rapid Withdrawal

 

Once again, welcome!

I wanted to be more concise, type a little better, include a more detailed picture of myself, but I'm just not been feeling good at all.  Right now, feel like I got this pressure in my head, and tired all the time, uugh.

A rapid taper can leave you feeling worse than the original problem that led to benzo use did. It will take some time, but your brain will rebalance itself and you will feel better. It is even possible that the process or learning how to deal with the withdrawal can help you with your original complaints.  Have hope.

I started getting panic attacks again in December.  So, it was roughly 5-6 weeks of Lorazepam.  After a week, a limited my dose to .5mg a day.  and after a couple more weeks I switched to .25mg twice a day, then a few days later i went to .25mg a day, did that for about a week, then jumped.  I guess I just figured the short time didn't require an extented taper. 

 

I had been doing pretty good.  Then one night I had an ER visit, and back on pills I went.  Previously was on Clonazepam for 4 or 5 years, I actually don't remember when I started.  But I jumped off March 2018.  This time around the withdrawal is horrible, if it's actually the Benzos that are causing this, i'm not completely convinced.

A lot of people are not convinced that benzos are the cause of their current problems and some are correct, but when you have new symptoms that match the listed symptoms to be expected during a benzo withdrawal, then your duck is walking and talking like a duck.

 

If your nervous systems was already stressed, it would seem reasonable that you would be pretty sensitive to the withdrawal effects of a benzo and could have actually been experiencing interdose withdrawal symptoms between doses. Having gotten off a benzo and then reintroducing one fairly soon after also has the potential to make things worse. Don't expect the average doctor to fully understand the potential for mayhem that the benzos they prescribe are capable of. Spend some time reading a fraction of the tens of thousands of posts on this forum and you will see what I mean. It is not a case of mass delusion.

I have read a lot on this forum.  I do not really even trust my psychiatrist anymore.  She left me on these pills for way too long.  And when I wanted off because I thought they were creating more harm than good, she just didn’t have the knowledge of how bad these things are.  Thank u for the reply, it sure does help.

I do wish you the fastest possible healing! You have been through enough.

Hello and welcome Rudolph, first I want to start out by saying thank you for your service. Men like you go unnoticed, and I apologize for anything you may have seen, that you didnt neccisarily want to see. I had a girlfriend get stuck in Greece during the like fallout over there and she said the things she saw you wouldn't believe so I undoubtedly wholeheartedly believe the PTSD bit. I've always had a "soft spot" for people on medication who actually "need" it. Or at least have some sort of legitimate claim. I'm just a junkie who likes drugs. But anyway that's neither here nor there.

I can promise you one thing. The symptoms will slowly get better over time, I KNOW the feeling of impending doom, like this is somehow permanent. But that's just it, life is so impermanent that it couldnt possibly last forever. Think back to a bad thing that happened as a kid, I got rejected to some stupid dance and I thought my world was over. Come to find out life kept on going. I didn't temporarily, I got stuck, but I eventually accepted it and moved on. This doesn't take away from how you're feeling now which I'd imagine is probably as shitty as I did if not worse. I'm still fairly new and am barely beginning my journey but it is getting easier every day.

Best of luck and remember people like you and I are always here to help.

I read Phosphatidyserine helps with depression.  Google it.

Thanks for the replies, I sure helps getting reassurance.  Atm still fighting fatigue, I got a tingle or slight inflamed feeling in my brain, kinda weird.  Shortness of breath feeling, though that may be from acid reflux.  Had a decent day, but still feel useless and am useless for now.

 

Also, anyone have problems with Doctors, 4 ER visits, 3 reg visits, plus my psych, and no one catches my acid reflux problem??  I thought it was my lungs, but after a pulmonary test, full test, my lungs are good.  So their response is it’s all PTSD all in my head.  So what else are they wrong about.  Ugh!

Get ALOE VERA GEL and drink it regularly.  It helps digest your food as well as coating your stomach and helping calm that acid reflux.  Take Enzymes when you eat your food and avoid all SUGAR for years.  Get ProBiotics that can pass through stomach acid and take every morning on an empty stomach.  Avoid coffee and stuff like that.

 

 

Thx, I’ve been slowly making changes.  I’m limiting sugar, but it’s added into everything.  I’ve just wondered today if I’m mistaking the feeling in my stomach as anxiety, could it GERD? 

Thx, I’ve been slowly making changes.  I’m limiting sugar, but it’s added into everything.  I’ve just wondered today if I’m mistaking the feeling in my stomach as anxiety, could it GERD?

 

I remember reading that that stress on the nervous system can cause GERD. My GERD got worse since my withdrawal, but that may not mean anything. Try taking OTC Pepcid AC before bedtime. I find it to be pretty safe and if your symptoms go away it probably is normal GERD and you can then make some lifestyle changes to control it.