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Chemical anxiety


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I have debilitating chemical anxiety (can’t work, lasts 9am - 3pm daily). I can barely function. I’m at 11.5 weeks. Otherwise, I sleep 5 fragmented hours, have windows nightly from 3pm on where I feel back to myself and no other symptoms of withdrawal other than occasional skin tingling and tinnitus. Did anyone else get this and if so, at what point were you no longer debilitated? I was a low, dose short term user but severe symptoms due to C/T.
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The rebound anxiety is def rough...so sorry. Everyone's timeline is different for this letting up. And as women its worse for hormonal fluctuations( We've had this discussion  ;))

 

I can have calm days now, and then out of nowhere I have a day of anxiety not necessarily related to anything - definitely chemical.

 

Then I can also say I have some triggers lingering (that were never there before this hot mess of benzos..) but its not all the time.

 

Suffice to say it does improve, but can "visit". 3 months is till so early - I'm so sorry.

 

things that help: distraction/mindfulness, nature, walks. Sensory changes - like doing dishes helps me bc of the hot water running over my hands, showers, avoiding certain foods (you'll figure out what makes things worse).

 

Mornings can be rough bc of the notorious "cortisol surge". Then when tired symptoms can creep up a bit.

 

Hugs... :smitten:

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Pacenik, yes, you are right. The equivalency according to medscape is Valium 5mg = Xanax 0.5mg. Not that it really matters. Was your point to say that I was not on a low dose so my anxiety is expected? Not sure what you are saying...

Yes, that and well, short-term is less than two weeks use. You could've probably gotten off easier with a taper, but what's done is done. Some people find help against anxiety by taking sesamin in the morning and taurine 1000 mg taken with 15 gr inositol in the evening. Others recommend N-acetyl-glucosamine 700 mg twice a day on an empy stomach and 15 ml flaxseed oil with lunch.
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I am pretty sure that .5 mg Xanax is equivalent to 10 mgs Valium.  And this matters because you were on a higher dose than you realized.  short term use is 2 weeks or less.  You were on for 9 months.  This matters because it explains a little more why you are struggling after a cold turkey from that dose for that length of time.

 

As far as the symptoms, these are really typical for your situation.  You do get some sleep, so that's good news.  You do get some windows, also good news.  This likely means you are getting better and better.  How long it takes to be really good is individual.  Hard to say.  You are not quite 3 months out.  Early days. 

 

 

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If you're getting windows every evening, and anxiety is your only remaining symptom I'd say you are doing really well @ 11.5 weeks. I know it probably doesn't seem like it, but it helps to focus on the positive.

 

The anxiety is a bitch, distraction and acceptance. The more you fight it, the worse it becomes (difficult I know). There's always the option of trying a supplement, won't cure you but might help a little with the acceptance

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That's extremely positive, fluffernut. I think you should mentally prepare for the likelihood of symptoms springing out of nowhere for the next few months, though. I say this not to alarm you but for the opposite purpose. I want you to understand that it's normal under the circumstances to get symptoms months or even years after using benzos the way you did. I'm not judging you. I wouldn't be here either if I appreciated the consequences of benzo dependency well enough and soon enough. Being aware of the possibility of setbacks means that you are more likely to take it in your stride if and when you get one.

 

I think you've got the right attitude and there are some promising signs. Keep it up and don't waver is my advice. It might last a little longer than you hope but you're doing really well. There's no magic bullet, just sticking to your guns while time does its trick.

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You’ll get there mama!  I had a great week not too long ago where I had rough mornings but felt completely normal the rest of the day from 10AM until I went to bed around 9PM. But once I hit 95 days, it completely flipped on me. Now I get mild anxiety upon waking but it only lasts like 5 minutes and then I feel normal with no symptoms at all until around 10:30AM. Then it’s mild to moderate from like 10:30 until 5pm and around 5pm a bunch of symptoms start creeping back in. I will get tachy, dizziness, my hands get weird feeling in them after I wash them(the skin on my hands gets really tight) some adrenaline surges(usually mild but still there), quite a few more but I can’t remember off the top of my head). I think Pacenik experienced the same thing where around right after 3 months it flipped and there was no consistency to it.  Not saying this will happen to you, but it’s something to look out for.  I’d say you were healing a lot better than I am too. I say that because I’m on Metoprolol twice a day so that helps to desensitize the nervous system through this. You only take your beta blocker as needed so you are on a faster track to healing quicker than I. Keeping going strong, you’ve got this!!!  😊
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey fluffernutter123,

 

I'm sorry. For my part, I do sometimes find it difficult to strike a balance between realism and sensitivity. That said, I know that nobody's conclusion in this thread is you might get horrid symptoms for years. I came closest to saying that but it's not what I said nor is it what I meant. I started by acknowledging the positive signs and I'll elaborate here by telling you that not everybody has good days at your stage, so I think it looks very good for you. However, I still think you might get symptoms popping out of nowhere. It has already happened. This is normal, that's all I am trying to explain. In fact it is still relatively normal to have symptoms pop up after years but that doesn't mean I think it's likely for you. The positive signs suggest it is unlikely for you.

 

Why say anything at all? Because with the extreme ups and downs, people often feel GREAT followed by not so great. When they feel GREAT, they think they're out of the woods and then they are CRUSHED by the presence of a few symptoms. Do you know that members get angry for not being told things too? Imagine that nobody said anything about the possibility of more symptoms and then they hit you in a month and we all say "oh, that's just a wave, it's normal". And they say "if it's so normal, why the hell didn't you tell me?".

 

Is it better to share this information when somebody seems to be doing alright and risk unsettling them?

Or, is it better to tell it when someone is struggling already, since their day is already ruined?

 

That's the dilemma and I try my best. I might be able to do better next time. I'm sorry if my inability to get the balance right here has caused any harm. I really do think you're doing great, not just saying it.

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I'm glad to hear that. I sometimes get in a bit too deep, trying too hard to explain. I am optimistic to the point where it sometimes gets me in trouble :o, I'm glad this wasn't one of those times.

 

You might be more like me where I am still dealing with it but it's more of a nuisance than anything distressing. I don't know whether it's so much easier because I accept it or I accept it because it's so much easier. Probably a bit of both.

 

Hope you're feeling alright as you read this, if you are reading this.

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