Help please - my fiancé may be suffering from withdrawals - help

Hello out there -

I'm new to this forum and I'm not even sure I'm in the right place, but I saw this site on CNN and thought that perhaps this might help...

She has been taking Xanax on and off for years as a method to help her for sleep issues and a little bit of anxiety, but only like a half or a "crumb" as she says...

In July she had an incident where she choked on a sandwich on the plane and had a severe panic attack and anxiety thereafter and then couldn't swallow.  She lost twenty pounds and was freaking out so she started to take more xanax every day for about a month or more.  It helped her a little like it always had.  But the panic and anxiety actually seemed to get worse and she started to have crazy dreams and ideations, etc.  And over the course of these last few months she started to shake, internally, all the time.  and she's tried all sorts of things to stop shaking and nothing has worked.  She said she feels like she's been electrocuted all day long and she can't understand what's wrong with her, and SHE CANNOT SLEEP.  So it's been weeks that she's gone without more than just a few hours of sleep.  The shaking is so bad that she can barely think. 

SHe's had EVERY TEST YOU CAN imagine, MRI's, blood work, etc.  Doctor's say, "There is nothing wrong with you.  You are fine.  It must be anxiety."  Meanwhile NO PERSON I've ever heard of has panic and anxiety shaking non-stop for weeks on end... I feel so helpless.  Her mind is quite clear in that she knows that she is not having a heart attack.  She knows she suffers from a little panic and anxiety, but the shaking and inability to go to sleep prompt her to want to take something, but nothing works and she's also afraid to take anything.  Meanwhile, she needs to go to her job...

Is any of this making any sense?  I'm tempted to have her put into a medically induced coma or something... Lost and need help please.

Hi LJ221    Welcome to the forum.

Thank you on joining for advice and support for your girlfriend, members supporting close ones are always welcome here at BB.  Forgive me , I am not sure where you are at right now.  Has your g/f stopped taking  her Xanax!  If so when was her last dose?  Benzodiazepines should be tapered slow and careful.  A medical detox is usually a very rough road, The nature of benzos is that they are best tapered slowly, at a suggested rate of 5/10% every 10/14 days. 

You could try and encourage your loved one to join also,  please tell her  we understand what she is going through, we know how tough this is for her  We also know its hard for you too, I get that you feel helpless but  just by being there, can be enough for us. Support from loved ones, and support from people who understand is important. 

I would suggest you check out the Ashton Manual, It is a great resource for understanding the effect benzo’s have on our body.  It provides tapering and withdrawal information and includes a list of common symptoms 

The Ashton Manual

Here are some links, for taper/withdrawal support:

General Taper Plans

Withdrawal Support

This board is for members who have stopped these drugs abruptly!

Cold Turkey Detox & Rapid Withdrawal Board

If you would like to add a signature (history of meds/doses etc) it helps members give you relevant advice.  Go to the top of the page and select PROFILE then choose forum profile then insert drug history into the text box and remember to click change profile

Welcome Aboard

Magrita

Thank you.  I'm still unsure of whether or not she really is having withdrawals because her doctors say she never took enough to have an addiction, etc.