? Do Our Brains Know The Difference ?

This is copy/paste from my post on Withdrawal Support:

 

After taking (as prescribed) for 15 years,  I tapered off alprazolam 46 days ago. I’ve tapered clonazapam from 1mg/day to .72mg/day where I’m more than likely going to hold now while trying to stabilize.

 

I’ve suffered horrific nausea before my taper began more than a year ago and that includes time I wasn’t even on clonazepam.  That was a bad crossover by an incompetent psychiatrist.  I’m still suffering with nausea.  It’s been the one constant every single day.

 

I’m wondering if it’s possible alprazolam is still causing nausea?  Does the brain know I’m off the chemical of alprazolam and continues to rebel?  Does the brain differentiate between chemicals or does it just recognize there’s still a benzo on board?

 

Maybe I’m in a protracted withdrawal from alprazolam?  I don’t know if that’s possible since I’m still on it’s chemical cousin clonazepam.

 

It would give me hope that it’s just a time related issue.  I realize 46 days off a benzo is a drop in the bucket. Is my brain healing from that drug being out of my system or it’s still being bombarded by clonazepam?

 

Does anyone know?

 

Curious.    :

 

SG

I guess no one has any thoughts on this topic?

 

Disappointing. 

My body does. The Clonazepam works completely differently on muscles than the diazepam does.

SG I have a few thoughts on this but don't know how germane they are.

 

My chief s/x on my taper was nausea. Horrid, soul-sucking, debilitating nausea. I lost about 40 pounds. I did find something to help me -- indica mj -- but I suffered plenty before that and nothing touched it.

 

So I'm thinking that it was the presence of the benzo, no matter which benzo (I was on xanax, then ativan, then valium) that made me so ill. Holding during my taper never helped a bit. Updosing did not help. My prescribing NP unhelpfully said this was caused by anxiety, but she was wrong. Anyhow, after I got off the last bits of my valium, the nausea left. (I'm sure the indica helped, but I only took it in the evenings. I took it for sleep, also. So I had to whole day to feel sick  ).

 

SG  I think you may be on to something. Your brain may very well recognize that there is a benzo on board and be rebelling. If so, you'll probably feel a whole lot better when every bit of every benzo is out of your body. No one can know this for sure, but I suspect this may be so. Some of us here seem to be just like that -- benzos literally make us sick.

 

So those are my thoughts. Maybe others will chime in. So sorry you're suffering so badly. It is an awful s/x.

 

 

Katz

 

P.S. Ginger tea helped somewhat in the afternoon.

SG I have a few thoughts on this but don't know how germane they are.

 

My chief s/x on my taper was nausea. Horrid, soul-sucking, debilitating nausea. I lost about 40 pounds. I did find something to help me -- indica mj -- but I suffered plenty before that and nothing touched it.

 

So I'm thinking that it was the presence of the benzo, no matter which benzo (I was on xanax, then ativan, then valium) that made me so ill. Holding during my taper never helped a bit. Updosing did not help. My prescribing NP unhelpfully said this was caused by anxiety, but she was wrong. Anyhow, after I got off the last bits of my valium, the nausea left. (I'm sure the indica helped, but I only took it in the evenings. I took it for sleep, also. So I had to whole day to feel sick  ).

 

SG  I think you may be on to something. Your brain may very well recognize that there is a benzo on board and be rebelling. If so, you'll probably feel a whole lot better when every bit of every benzo is out of your body. No one can know this for sure, but I suspect this may be so. Some of us here seem to be just like that -- benzos literally make us sick.

 

So those are my thoughts. Maybe others will chime in. So sorry you're suffering so badly. It is an awful s/x.

 

 

Katz

 

P.S. Ginger tea helped somewhat in the afternoon.

 

Hi Katz...

 

Nausea is terrible.  It’s gotten exponentially worse the past two weeks.  I had umbilical hernia surgery and then the pharmacy changed manufacturers of clonazepam.  I do believe it put me in a withdrawal situation that has finally come to a head. 

 

Thankfully, today I spoke with the pharmacist and she swapped out the remaining “new” tabs to the previous ones I’d been on since starting this poison.  Praying that will smooth things over soon.  I did pick up the pace of the clonazepam taper with the thought if I get off this shit, or at least reduce it to a lower dosage, the nausea would subside. I’m recovering pretty well from the surgery so I’m trying to be optimistic.

 

I am holding right now.  I don’t know how long.  I’m hoping getting back on clonazepam that  I’m used to and recovery moving along will make a difference.  Up dosing is not an option for me.

 

My former psychiatrist insisted I too was suffering from “anxiety” driven nausea.  I vehemently disagreed with him but to no avail.  The best thing that happened was he left the practice and the state.  Good riddance. I found a psychologist who “gets” me.  She never dismisses my symptoms. I love her!

 

I always appreciate your perspective on issues.  I’m happy to have read your thoughts.

 

Thank you!

 

SG

💜