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Could this be interdose withdrawl? or at all related to my benzo?


[He...]

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Please move if not in the right board.

 

I have been on clonazepam for the last 9 years, I was at 1.5 mg daily for about half of that, then was advised I could go up or down a half a pill at a time.

I never went over 1.5, most of it I landed around 0.75.  Last month I asked my new Dr. to taper, I'm currently on 0.25 total a day. But I do wonder...

 

Could my "mysterious" anxiety issues be benzo related?

 

Btw, I usually dose AM and PM (currently 0.125)

 

I always has severe panic disorder, that's what got me on clonazepam in the first place. I was always super cautious of meds, but I was told my case was severe and I needed to stay on. Always took as prescribed, but I did have an issue where a former Dr. didn't follow through with renewing my rx in a timely manner, in which he knew I was going overseas. For 10-12 days in Japan I had to take partial dose and skip. I didn't have a great trip.

 

When I came back I felt ok. I returned to my regular dose at the time. A couple weeks later my symptoms and panic attacks got way worse.

I was given the option to up my sertraline (which I'd been on concurrently with clonazepam at around 50-75 mgs) or try Effexor. I tried Effexor.

It was not good for me. The WD was horrible, and from then on I've had constant depersonalization/derelization issues on top of my panic and generalized anxiety. Depression also began for the first time. 

 

Now, I'm ok I guess. Still feel really stuck in life, and sick. My brain just doesn't feel right. Despite having a thryoid issue in the past, my numbers are only slightly below optimal. I just had 22 labs run. They all said I'm essentially 'fine" but I don't feel fine.

 

I've had the DPDR symptoms before for brief moments or minutes during panic attacks in the past, but ever since I came home from Japan two years ago, I've been in a constant state of feeling like I'm "offline" so to speak. Despite this I managed to find and hold down a new job. I just wish I could enjoy anything. Everything feels kind of pointless.

 

Has anyone else ever felt this so acutely?

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Usually in interdose withdrawal, there is some period of time where you are receiving noticeable benefit from the drug.  But some hours after dosing, that 'coverage' begins to wane and you begin feeling withdrawal symptoms creeping in.  So if you're OK for a while, then feel lousy toward the end of your dosing period, then interdose withdrawal sounds appropriate.

 

If you're just feeling lousy all the time, then your dose is probably below what your body is demanding (due to tolerance and dependence).

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Ah, that makes sense! It sounds like tolerance was the case. I mean, perpetually feeling like crap and having never upped it past the initial dose from 8/9 years does seem like a long time. Who knows, maybe I'll actually feel better after my taper  :laugh:
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  • 2 weeks later...

Usually in interdose withdrawal, there is some period of time where you are receiving noticeable benefit from the drug.  But some hours after dosing, that 'coverage' begins to wane and you begin feeling withdrawal symptoms creeping in.  So if you're OK for a while, then feel lousy toward the end of your dosing period, then interdose withdrawal sounds appropriate.

 

If you're just feeling lousy all the time, then your dose is probably below what your body is demanding (due to tolerance and dependence).

 

I can attest to this. I was having horrible interdose withdrawals for the longest time before I knew what was happening. Now that I'm tapering, that doesn't seem to happen as much but I feel pretty crappy most of the time. But, that crazy shakiness, irritability, anxiety, chest tightness and other sx that used to happen between doses was awful. I would keep looking at my watch to see what time I could take my dose. That has lifted somewhat into a perpetual state of sx but at least I'm plodding along with my taper.

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