My doctor dropped (C/T) ed me from 4 mg per day of Xanax to 2 mg per day!

If anyone can advise me, I would be so, so grateful.  I was on Xanax FOR 20 YEARS which gradually increased in dosage to 4 mg per day because I have a cancer-predisposing condition and have had cancer three times which caused me enormous stress!  Anyway, I have survived those but now have neoplasms in my pancreas which are being carefully monitored.

 

About 2 years ago I had to select a new primary care physician because my long-term physician moved away.  I spent an hour with the new physician as she looked over my extensive past medical history.  When she got to the medications part, she said. "You're on 4 mg Xanax per day?!!"  I said, Yeah", and she said "We've got to get that monkey off your back!"  So she saw fit to drop me from 4 mg per day to 2 mg per day.  For the past two years, my feet and legs have been completely numb, and actually it's my whole body including my face and tongue.  My feet (and legs) are so bad my life has come to a complete standstill.  I can't walk because if my feet stay on the ground for more than a second, the numbness travels up my legs and this stops my ability to walk, and then I burst into tears.  For almost 2 years, I have been unable to drive a car, to go to a store--ANY store--because concrete floors are impossible for me to walk on, to do my usual household chores, or to do my lawn work. In short, my life has been brought to a complete halt. 

 

After 2 years, the numbness hasn't gotten any better.  By now, I feel like I want to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the doctor, but it seems that other doctors do not want to say that, yes, the very rapid withdrawal from Xanax is what caused your numbness.  It seems they stick up for each other, and I would need someone to testify for me in court.  Of course I know when my all-encompassing numbness set in because my legs and feet were fine before the very rapid Xanax withdrawal!  Please, someone, can you give me some advice?  How can I find an expert to help me with my lawsuit?  Of course it goes without saying that when that huge amount of Xanax left my system, I had a period of four days, 24 hours a day, of writhing on the floor in agony while having constant diarrhea.  I learned later that I could have died from a seizure!  At my next doctors appt., the same doctor said, "Well, we'd better put you back up to 4 mg per day!"  And I thought, NOW? NOW YOU WANT TO GIVE ME 4 mg per day after I've been through hell on earth?!!  Again, please, I'm SO sad.  I think I will never be able to walk again or have my life back.  I'm frightened that cancer will shorten my life, but this 2-year nightmare has stolen an additional 2 years from me.  I'm so, so sad.  Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.  I know it is a long entry.

 

Hello lilyofthevalley,

 

I'm sorry to hear what you've been through and are still going through, when you said you were writhing on the floor in agony, it brought back horrific memories for me. 

 

I'm not sure if you accepted your Dr's recommendation to go back on the 4 mgs, are you currently benzo free?  If you are, then we'll get you over to the cold turkey section where you can connect with others suffering as you are.

 

I didn't experience problems with my legs and feet, but I've read of others who have, perhaps you could start a thread putting your issues in the subject title to get more precise replies.

 

Pamster

I seriously doubt that this persistent numbness is due to the 50% cut 2 yrs ago. It may be neuropathy of some sort maybe not. You may think about getting off the X entirely.

Sounds like neuropathy. It probably did come from tapering the benzos too quickly if that's what makes sense to you, cause it is definitely possible from what I've read. It is strange how it stayed for two years and remained constant? Does the pain wax and wane at all?

 

What kind of cancer did you have before that you beat? What are the symptoms of neoplasms in the pancreas? Are they in the pancreatic duct? Sorry for your struggles. Hope you get better soon.