Can joint and tendon pain be benzo?

Hi Benzo Buddies

 

I have been having significant pain in my shoulders, elbows, and wrists ever since changing a flat tire for someone. The lug nuts were on very tight, and I have lost a lot of strength due to wasting away in bed. I really had to crank on the tire wrench and my arms have hurt ever since. I'm worried that I may have torn my rotator cuffs or stained the tendons etc. I have agoraphobia so bad it is very difficult to leave the house, so I dread the idea of going to a doctor or having surgery.

 

Oddly though, I've had unrelated pain in my knees and heels. All my joints pop now as well. I googled possibilities and have worked up a major case of health anxiety. Fearing everything from cuff tears to Lyme disease, to cancer.

 

Now that I've lost my job my new insurance does not cover much at all, and I don't want to spend money because I'm trying not to lose my house.

 

Sorry for the long rant. I'm struggling a great deal with mental symptoms and the physical problems are pushing me to my breaking point. Has anyone had experience with joint problems during the benzo battle, and did you see a doctor? Thanks

 

Tom

Hi Tom,

 

Joint pain can absolutely be due to benzos and other psych drugs. Throughout my withdrawal from ADs and Ativan, I had significant pain in my shoulders, hips, knees, and wrists, to the point of being partly disabled from it, at times. And yes, too, to the joints popping.

 

Like you, I have agoraphobia due to withdrawal. So I couldn't visit a doctor, and I decided to wait things out. Now, at 19 months off, I can confirm that the pain has almost completely disappeared. The knee pain might very briefly flare up during waves (and no longer intensely at all), but then vanish again in a window. I now know that it was part of the healing process -- and it will go away completely, with a little more time.

 

The pain you describe is almost certainly from withdrawal. Hang in there.

 

Best of luck to you, Tom.

 

Wildflower

Thank you so much wildflower for sharing your experience! I'm so relieved to hear that it can go away.

 

I'm too have the exact muscle and joint pain on all my joints and piping out.

 

Wouldn't believe the physical damage these drugs can cause.

 

 

Thank you so much wildflower for sharing your experience! I'm so relieved to hear that it can go away.

 

I'm too have the exact muscle and joint pain on all my joints and piping out.

 

Wouldn't believe the physical damage these drugs can cause.

 

You're so welcome, 4mom. I know how scary it is.

 

I hope you see much more healing in the year to come.

Oh yes, there's even a muscle pain support group. Many of us are in pain due to this. Some more severe than others so don't get scared when you see posts from people who are very badly affected.

Ditto to everything Wildflower and Valiumnomore have said.  Every single one of those symptoms Tom and 4 mom. It is totally bizarre. 

 

Only one I didn't have was pain in heels, yet during a set back a couple of days ago there it was, pain in heels.  Thanks for confirming this for me Tom. 

 

In hope that it might help, the setback I had has now almost completely resolved.  Symptoms are of shorter duration now.  Feels like they are petering out.  I think I'm beginning to heal.  Even my heels. 

 

It's withdrawal Tom. 

 

Keep batting. 

 

Dee

 

 

Can I ask if everyone has tightness and rigidity as well as pain?

 

 

Can I ask if everyone has tightness and rigidity as well as pain?

 

Ajusta yes I do. Tightness and rigidity from my middle back to tailbone. Bending hurts. Putting on my shoes or picking up something from the floor is a struggle. I know you have it much worse so I'm not complaining. My mental symptoms are worse than the physical ones.

Valiumnomore,

 

I'm so sorry it is that bad for you too.

I haven't been able to dress myself since down to 0.5mg due to complete lock and rigidity of all my joints, especially neck, spine, shoulders and hips. My whole person is a hard one piece stick. It got even worse after jumping.

 

If this one goes, I can handle much better.

 

Merry Christmas to you all!

4mom

Do you have it in your face and jaw and abs as well 4mom.

Valiumnomore,

 

I'm so sorry it is that bad for you too.

I haven't been able to dress myself since down to 0.5mg due to complete lock and rigidity of all my joints, especially neck, spine, shoulders and hips. My whole person is a hard one piece stick. It got even worse after jumping.

 

If this one goes, I can handle much better.

 

Merry Christmas to you all!

4mom

 

4mom I'm so sorry it's so severe and that is since last February.  I hope it gradually gets better, I mean if you've already jumped, your body is doing the healing although it can take a long time.  At least you're off the poison already. That sure must give a feeling of no longer being in prison, depending on a prescription every month. Does your family dress you then? If I ever come to that, I guess I'll wear dresses instead of trousers, although someone has to put your socks on. It must be very painful. I hope it gets a bit better in the evening. Mine does some days.

Do you have it in your face and jaw and abs as well 4mom.

 

Ajusta I have TMF tightness but I learnt how to massage it before it got worse and it sure has helped. I massage it compulsively while talking to people sometimes. They think I'm nuts but I really don't care.

Try massaging it but doesn’t help. Just like hard lump of drizzle like wherever muscles attach to bones now.

Ajusta, yes I have it everywhere, constant on my left head, face, jaw, and sometimes move to eyes, nose allover the face.

 

Valiumnomore,

I live alone, when my sister was here taking care of me, she dressed me. Since she left in May, I hired a friend to shop, cook, and do everything around the house, but can't rely on her to dress me. Luckily I found dress aids from Amazon for pulling pants up,  and putting socks on without bending, I also bought couple trash pickers to take my pants and socks off. As for shirts, I can still dress myself with some difficulty when upward arm stretch is needed.

 

It's no

I was going to gym and work even with a bad back injury until day 5 on valium. Totally crippled overnight by this most insane substance.

 

 

Also, all areas are very painful, numbing along with rigidity.

 

The most disabling part is when the contraction and joint locks are unevenly distributed across head and body, I have the head and body turning to one side.

Wonder if anyone has it like me or purely rigidity.

4 mom it all sounds really tough and I'm very sorry. You really have a good brain and ability to find solutions as you've proven hiring your friend and buying those devices to help getting pants on. If I ever need it I'll ask you for sure. You started getting this when you went on the Valium? Not due to coming off?

Valiumnomore,

 

I am very grateful to these tools otherwise I really don't know how to survive. I searched up and down and found them all in Amazon. Very cheap but works great for my needs.

 

The muscle stiffness started the first few days I was taking 2.5 mg valium. I thought it was from my back injury. Initially I felt very stiff entire back of me thinking I had stiff person syndrome caused by the back injury. When it ramped up I would take tiny dose (0.5mg v) then felt better for couple hours before getting back again. For that reason I was doing 5 times each day to just control the stiffness.  After I dropped the daily dose to 1mg with a single dose at night, it got really bad all the time before dosing. It kept getting worse all the time during tapering and after jumping.

 

I lessoned some after couple weeks post jumping, then I started getting reactions to various food and chemicals. Along with all other sx, the muscle stuff kept getting worse after each reaction.

 

Looking back, I think I had interdose wd only after couple days on valium then full blow wd the rest time.

 

 

Thanks for all the replies. I am curious about your experiences with shoulder pain. I cannot sleep on my side anymore because it makes the shoulder hurt. Have any of you experienced this?

My shoulders are pain stiff with limited range just like all the other joints. Can't reach up or forward or side ways without pain.

Yes yes yes.... I was just hiking with my dog tonight (and lately) feeling my knees hurting for the first time.  All my joints and muscles hurt more than normal if I do any repetitive work since I started w/d.  Its getting worse as I get further along.  Glad to hear I'm not alone!  Its like some days my body is 100 years old.  I hope to recover fully as body pain is a new thing. 

Can I ask if everyone has tightness and rigidity as well as pain?

 

Oh absolutely yes! Sometimes my neck and shoulders feel like they are made of cement! I put on this collar type of massager and let it thump on my muscles until they relax a bit . I have read here in BB many posts about muscle tension and tightness.

Thanks for all the replies. I am curious about your experiences with shoulder pain. I cannot sleep on my side anymore because it makes the shoulder hurt. Have any of you experienced this?

 

 

I have this in both shoulders but worse on right.

 

It hurts right in up against neck, deep in middle of shoulder and on outer shoulder where is pressing on bed. I have the same in hips and side of ribs and neck and jaw.

 

My right shoulder got much worse after Neuro put me on Baclofen for dystonia and woke up the next day with shoulder pain so excruciating couldn’t sit on loo or use arm at all. Never been the same since as as dose gets lower pain is going down arms esp right. Arms also go numb.

 

Unfortunately I cannot lie on back at all even shock knees up as dose gets lower so have no choice but to lie of extremely painful shoulders.

 

That is why I have reinstated 3 times but adverse reaction to all drugs now even paracetemol

 

I know of several ppl who got frozen shoulders in this that took a couple of years to ease.

 

 

Hips, knees, wrists,  backbone,  fingers, toes, and counting...  :'(