Visual distortions from Xanax?

Hi there. Not sure where to post this, so will just start here.

My signiture might be wrong, will update ASAP...too struggling right now. I hope you all are doing well. I'm having some scary symptoms that I thought were from another Medication, but it's well out of my system, now. They started with that med, for sure, I thought, but I also started Xanax(In addition to my klonopin, at that time, switching out 1/2 of my klonopin for equal doses of Xanax)this past Dexember. (I've spoken to the doctor for the other med & my primary care about this. They didn't think it was the other med, nor my benzos. )

Then I thought, maybe I was having side effects from both the discontinued med as well as my benzos & just didn't realize it was partially the benzos causing side effects untill discontinuing other med. This could be anything-but maybe is a benzo combination & or withdrawal problem.

Does anyone take both klonopin & xanax? At the same time? Or any other benzos that you felt caused you these symptoms? Ever had any interactions? Like visual disturbances? Things don't look right(hard to explain-one example is liquids or anything reflective is extra sparkly or too shiny, it's harder to see the details of objects, sometimes faces look off-misshapen, like my dogs nose will look longer, or cheeks droopier, my face is sorta unrecognizable, although I look like me, it's off, not quite right, like I can't connect & sometimes the shape is a bit different, photos look like colors are extra vibrant & somtimes look a little air brushed/soft, sometimes look fake like an old movie set)Derealization? Dissaciation? Feeling disconnected emotionally from what's going on around me, like the world is going on without me, not always. That's the worst part. Bad short term memory. Blurry vision? I feel lke Im looking through like glaring glass at things, sometimes, sometimes it's like I'm looking through fog, sometimes it's clear, but people, places & things are distorted.Poor eye hand coordination?

I've been taking klonopin daily for ten years. I believe I'm tolerant to it & my manufacturer was discontinued & I had to switch which messed me up. I've taken both Xanax & klonopin before in the past, with no problems, but never dosed both at the same time-i.e. both at bed time. I took Xanax as needed during the day & klonopin at bed in past. Now I'm on both,(maybe not the wisest decision), as I was miserable for so long on klonopin & xanax is so much more effective, I switched for quality of life(not just mine, but my loved ones). Thought I'll continue taper & figure it out as I go along, keeping the longer half life of klonopin(& what my body is used to) in me, along with the effectiveness of Xanax. But now I'm wondering if these awful symptoms I'm having are from the combination of the 2 at bed. Taking .25 Xanax as needed during day, 1X at bed with 1.75 klonopin(tapered down from 2) @bed.(kpin cut to 1.625 5/16. Anyone ever have the strange side effects I mentioned above or know others on these 2 meds or with similar side effects? Sorry so long. I've never had any ongoing symptoms like this in my life.

 

Any thoughts or ideas on how to stabilize in my situation?

Switch everything over to valium or Librium?

Just keep cutting?

Chance going back to klonopin?

The Derealization is soo hard for me. Thanks

Visual disturbances the type you describe hallmark symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawal/tolerance just like depersonalization and derealization. Unfortunately I have been experiencing them all, exactly the same way as you do. I developed tolerance to my prescribed dose of clonazepam. At one point I was on xanax and clonazepam both but managed to wean off of xanax without problems. With my visual problems I have visited multiple doctors, eye doctor, neurologist, migraine specialist and I was diagnosed visual migraines. Instead of course I was having tolerance withdrawal symptoms. My visual symptoms were seeing vibrating lines, visual snow, light flickering, distorted shapes, visual field looked like a tunnel, could not make out shapes, kind of like when you come up from under water. Scary experiences, very slow to improve.

Thanks again for sharing Sherpa. Sorry this is my same post under different title as my brain tells me everyday my symptoms are from something else, instead of withdrawal. I'm having such a hard time accepting & don't know what to do next. I know it sounds like DR but I don't understand how I could be having these sxs without & before other more obvious withdrawal sxs? I'm having anxious early waking, inter-dose depression of the Xanax doses, general anxiety, bad cog fog, but no tremors or anything else that I didn't write.

 

Part of me hopes someone will come along & say, oh that happened to me on Xanax & I crossed to xyz & got better.

 

Did you you ever have the part where reflective surfaces are extra reflective?

 

I don't know what to do. I'm on such a high dose of both meds to be this way.

I'm not tolerant to Xanax, it's effective when active in my system, but I am pretty tolerant to klonopin(thus adding the Xanax & removing half of my clonopin)

 

I hope you're continuing to heal & feel better.

 

SC

Thanks again for sharing Sherpa. Sorry this is my same post under different title as my brain tells me everyday my symptoms are from something else, instead of withdrawal. I'm having such a hard time accepting & don't know what to do next. I know it sounds like DR but I don't understand how I could be having these sxs without & before other more obvious withdrawal sxs? I'm having anxious early waking, inter-dose depression of the Xanax doses, general anxiety, bad cog fog, but no tremors or anything else that I didn't write.

 

Part of me hopes someone will come along & say, oh that happened to me on Xanax & I crossed to xyz & got better.

 

Did you you ever have the part where reflective surfaces are extra reflective?

 

I don't know what to do. I'm on such a high dose of both meds to be this way.

I'm not tolerant to Xanax, it's effective when active in my system, but I am pretty tolerant to klonopin(thus adding the Xanax & removing half of my clonopin)

 

I hope you're continuing to heal & feel better.

 

SC

Thank you Scardie for the good wishes, I am trying! It is so scary to feel day after day the same symptoms and not feeling better even after 60 days off. To answer to your question about reflective surfaces, yes reflective is blindingly bright, I wear sunglasses sometimes even in my home to help with light sensitivity. Also, sometimes I cannot even watch the TV. I think I have already wrote about that Xanax and Clonazepam are both benzodiazepines and there is no way to tell if Xanax or Clonazepam withdrawal/tolerance are causing your withdrawal symptoms. You might feel that Xanax is helping you because you use it like a rescue pill to shot down clonazepam withdrawal symptoms. As Xanax is short acting, comes on quick and goes out fast. But when it leaves you experience a sudden drop in your blood serum level and with that withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, palpitation, head aches, visual disturbances etc. If you think that instead of clonazepam, diazepam (another long acting benzo) could be helpful you might try to transition from your xanax and clonazepam to only diazepam and continue your taper from it. Sorry if I already brought this up, I do not remember. Benzodiazepines are really tricky and everyone reacts differently. The symptoms you are feeling are from withdrawal and your body is trying to accommodate the changes as you decrease your intake. The symptoms should improve and many people have no problem with recovery. My visual symptoms had been stubborn but eventually they improved. The depersonalization/derealization is still hard to take, also kind of a "visual experience" since things look distorted. I feel too tall, my arm feels short, my bed looked huge yesterday, buy the morning it looks normal. It is very difficult to feel not crazy.

I hope you manage to sort out your symptoms and get answers to your questions! Feel better soon!

Thanks again for sharing Sherpa. Sorry this is my same post under different title as my brain tells me everyday my symptoms are from something else, instead of withdrawal. I'm having such a hard time accepting & don't know what to do next. I know it sounds like DR but I don't understand how I could be having these sxs without & before other more obvious withdrawal sxs? I'm having anxious early waking, inter-dose depression of the Xanax doses, general anxiety, bad cog fog, but no tremors or anything else that I didn't write.

 

Part of me hopes someone will come along & say, oh that happened to me on Xanax & I crossed to xyz & got better.

 

Did you you ever have the part where reflective surfaces are extra reflective?

 

I don't know what to do. I'm on such a high dose of both meds to be this way.

I'm not tolerant to Xanax, it's effective when active in my system, but I am pretty tolerant to klonopin(thus adding the Xanax & removing half of my clonopin)

 

I hope you're continuing to heal & feel better.

 

SC

Thank you Scardie for the good wishes, I am trying! It is so scary to feel day after day the same symptoms and not feeling better even after 60 days off. To answer to your question about reflective surfaces, yes reflective is blindingly bright, I wear sunglasses sometimes even in my home to help with light sensitivity. Also, sometimes I cannot even watch the TV. I think I have already wrote about that Xanax and Clonazepam are both benzodiazepines and there is no way to tell if Xanax or Clonazepam withdrawal/tolerance are causing your withdrawal symptoms. You might feel that Xanax is helping you because you use it like a rescue pill to shot down clonazepam withdrawal symptoms. As Xanax is short acting, comes on quick and goes out fast. But when it leaves you experience a sudden drop in your blood serum level and with that withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, palpitation, head aches, visual disturbances etc. If you think that instead of clonazepam, diazepam (another long acting benzo) could be helpful you might try to transition from your xanax and clonazepam to only diazepam and continue your taper from it. Sorry if I already brought this up, I do not remember. Benzodiazepines are really tricky and everyone reacts differently. The symptoms you are feeling are from withdrawal and your body is trying to accommodate the changes as you decrease your intake. The symptoms should improve and many people have no problem with recovery. My visual symptoms had been stubborn but eventually they improved. The depersonalization/derealization is still hard to take, also kind of a "visual experience" since things look distorted. I feel too tall, my arm feels short, my bed looked huge yesterday, buy the morning it looks normal. It is very difficult to feel not crazy.

I hope you manage to sort out your symptoms and get answers to your questions! Feel better soon!

Oh Sherpa, much thanks for the thoughtful feedback. So helpful. Sorry to hear you're still having the DP DR & feeling scared. I Understand the difficulty, although I'm still on my meds while experiencing it..ugh. You're not crazy, you are strong. You sound really clear in your writing if it's any consolation. I wish I could write more back to you, but brain isn't cooperating right now. Hey, you said by the morning your bed looked normal-that sounds hopeful that you are healing & you've had other symptoms improve. I feel for you & wish I could offer a solution. I'm sure you've already read others that have had similar symptoms/experiences as You & healed? They are on here, if you havnt-hopeful stories. TV can be difficult for me too. Thanks again for the great ideas. Wishing you speedy recovery, hope, & peace