Looking for a way back to wellness for my wife

    My wife's health has been in decline for at least two years since around the time she gave birth. She's become intolerant to most foods, deals with a slough of symptoms like muscle pain, nerve problems, vertigo, light headedness, IBS, cardiovascular problems, and fighting for breath among others. I suspect the xanax she has taken for seven years for anxiety has something to do with it, but she does not agree and insists it's the only thing that helps her. Before she got pregnant she had been taking 1mg thrice daily, but upon discovering she was with child the doctors rapidly tapered her dose to zero during her pregnancy. After she gave birth she was put on .25mg thrice daily. I believe she is experiencing interdose withdrawals that have gotten worse as she continues to take at least a dose and a half daily. Numerous specialists have been unable to identify the cause of her symptoms and nobody we've seen seems to be familiar with the potentially iatrogenic effects of benzos; which I had no idea about before I started searching the internet for answers. Considering how hard the road to recovery from benzodiazepine injury can be, I wouldn't wish it on anybody. But it makes the most sense to me in explaining my wife's condition. If somebody could perhaps confirm that some or all of these symptoms might be tied to the xanax it could go a long way towards getting her better.

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.  Rapid withdrawal from benzos is essentially the same as a cold turkey, and cold turkeys often cause long term symptoms.  Tolerance during benzo use, and tolerance withdrawal are also common.  Symptoms like your wife's are typical.

 

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.  Chapter III contains excellent descriptions of common symptoms such as muscle issues, anxiety, and hyper-awareness.

 

Withdrawal Support (during your taper)

 

Once again, welcome!

Welcome! Unfortunately it does sound like W/D Symptoms but you wife can overcome this. You're a Good & Supportive Husband!

 

 

Sounds exactly like the same symptoms when I hit tolerance. The last 3 years that I didn't know I had hit tolerance have been a joy. I've been misdiagnosed with a whole bunch of fun stuff, fibro and RA amongst them. Have the same symptoms intensified going through WD, but getting better everyday.

 

I hate to be a wet blanket, but take it from an old druggie who managed to actually get old...if your wife doesn't want to quit, chances are she won't. Everything I've CT'd off of, I wanted to get off of. Specialists didn't know the cause of my symptoms either, and that was a whole lot of money down the drain for nothing. I suspected the benzos were the cause of my symptoms, as I'm chemically sensitive, have bad reactions to most every pharmaceutical. Started wondering what the benzos and Z's were doing to me exactly. She may think they're helping, but they're doing the exact opposite.

 

You're facing an uphill battle, friend, and I wish you the best. Hopefully she'll find a reason she wants to quit soon. I'd keep looking for a doctor that has a clue. There's got to be more than just a handful out there. You say she's taking a dose and a half? Even if her doctor is clueless, he's not going to put up with that for very long. Maybe you could get him a copy of the Ashton manual, and maybe he'll come around.

Hi Gu4, glad you are here.  It definitely sounds like interdose withdrawal.  We are not Dr's but we have all experienced many of the same things.  I was having stomach issues, had like 5 tests, including colonoscopy, found nothing.  My husband thought it was the Xanax but I did not want to believe it.  It was still working great for my anxiety, I even put the list of drugs I was taking in the Dr's

hand.  He said "no" nothing there. I still hurt though and my husband finally found a short article about benzo's and stomach problems.  So, I had to admit it and find a way to get off.  I made many mistakes until I found bb. 

The moderator gave you links to some good information.  If you would fo me a favor, go back to the Homepage and click on your profile, look down and you will see a place to put her signature, which is a drug history.  That gives us the best way to give you help with your wife's tapering.  It is very hard to find a Dr with benzo withdrawal knowledge.  Most of us are teaching our doctors as we go, that doesn't mean don't try to find one, some have been very lucky.  Most of us, not so much.

If you go to a Dr, please print out The Ashton Manual with you.  It promotes tapering and not being cold turkey'd or given a short period of time.  She will need quite awhile to come off without terrible withdrawal symptoms.  Again welcome to bb, you being supportive of your wife, will be her best medicine through this period.  Please fill out the signature, and again welcome to bb.  Mary 

Welcome Gu (and wife)!

 

My background was Xanax and a 6 week doc forced rapid taper!  I would have quit much sooner had I known about the dangers of benzodiazepines (and withdrawal).

 

I have had and have all the symptoms you listed since day 3, post CT.  I hope you can get your wife onboard in believing the Xanax is probably causing her problems.  Feel free to pm me.

 

Sara