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Do people write success stories even when they know they are med sensitive?


[Mi...]

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Hello all,

 

I'm enjoying doing much better these past three months. I'm driving more, doing more around the house, and in the yard. I'm very slowly starting to get back into making greeting cards for my company. There's no pressure there. It's more like a hobby right now.

 

Everyday I wake up rejoicing in how far I've come. I haven't been waking up feeling awful anymore. Instead I wake up refreshed and happy to greet the day. Boy do I have much appreciation and gratitude that I've come this far.

 

I know I was intolerant to the regular flu shot back in October,  seven months ago. It took me four months to get back to baseline, and now I'm better than baseline. Don't worry. Most people don't have a med sensitivity/intolerance, and if they do they usually don't last that long. I'm talking about "regular" meds like vaccines, and antibiotics.

 

These are my remaining symptoms: I still have tinnitus 24/7. I thought maybe it was lessening and going away once, but it didn't. I still have some occasional ear muffling when going from a sitting to standing position. This only happens like once a week, and it's gone in seconds. I do get a very faint vertigo feeling when I turn my head sometimes, or change positions. This only happens a few times a week also and is gone in seconds. I'm not as fatigued as I used to be. I may feel a bit tired for a spell, but now I can muster through and move on with my day. I can also get crabby easily when I do have symptoms.

 

What symptoms I have now are manageable. I only have these issues about four or five days a month. The rest of the month I feel really good, and most days I feel totally healed.

 

I've come a VERY long way. I had many symptoms both mental and physical on my withdrawal recovery journey. I'm trying to go the "avoid stress" and meditate route now, and practicing mindfulness to get myself stronger. I am just starting out with this, and I have not been very disciplined with it and I need to be. I also eat healthy, get sunshine, and walk in nature daily. I take no meds nor supplements. 

 

I feel close to being healed, but it's like I'm on that "cusp" where if I would need an antibiotic or something that would "fire things up" I feel as though I'm not strong enough yet to not have a setback.

 

I'd write a success story, but this med sensitivity fear holds me back.

 

Do people with med sensitivities still write success stories & just hope that someday the sensitivity goes away?

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Wonderful questions here. I’d love to know the answers too, and I’m so glad to hear you’re doing so well! ☺️
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I wrote two success stories.  I still had symptoms but I was no longer wrecked.  I functioned well.  At the second success story I was even better.  It’s been a few months beyond that.  I still have short waves rarely.  They can be enough to send me to bed, so not something I can ignore when it happens.  But rare and only last a couple hours.  The COVID vax knocked me out but maybe that was just the vax anyway.  Felt like a wave.  I’ve gone several months at a time symptom free.  After a short wave I’m back to better than baseline. 

 

I think you get to decide for yourself.  There is no perfect.  There wasn’t before benzos and there isn’t now. 

 

I’m doing great and I feel I’ve successfully got away from benzos. 

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[2c...]
I'm in the same boat at 30 months off I don't really have waves or symptoms anymore but I have apathy and I feel soulless , I know I am still med sensitive and not 100% healed. There are a ton of success stories where the people still have a wave or a symptom here and there. Yes, that is a huge success but it is still not 100% fully healed, that is the reason they are called success stories and not 100% healed stories. I think this takes a lot longer than any of us ever thought it would to FULLY recover. 
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Thank you for the stories. This is great. I had my eyes dialted yesterday and got a small tattoo to do something with my husband. I have been 3 1/2 weeks of Benzos. Just want the madness to stop. These stories are inspiring. I wonder if I had a sensitivity to the tattoo or eye dilation drops. Did not know you could develope me sensitivities.
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I have numerous sensitivities (supplements, medicines, etc) and had ZERO issues with my eye drops during the eye exam, so I don't think that is something to worry about.

 

Miss F - I am so happy to hear you are doing so well.  I look forward to that stage even if it isn't 100%.  I can imagine that it takes many more months/years to get to 100% if that is even in the cards for me.  But I'll take 95% and able to enjoy like again with no pain.  Please Please Please....

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I was recently in discussion with another member about what classifies as healed. Like if someone gets back to 100% their former selves thats awesome, but I am trying to be realistic and say that healed doesn't mean your not going to have a "scar" from all this, or maybe have to live life making healthier choices or avoiding insane stress. In other words we may have to live with some adjustments/limitations - but that does not mean you are not healed.

 

For example I had a back surgery in 2012 for a blown disc. It healed well enough that I can do a lot of things and have no pain from it. However, I am not stupid and realize my back is going to have limitations, and there's some activities I avoid if I don't want to aggravate it and have surgery again.

 

So if you feel sane and have a functional life, and can find simple joys again - thats a far cry from where we all were:) :smitten:

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I relate to this and have had the same question in my mind. I’m almost 4 years off and am doing heaps better. I sometimes feel 100% however I do have sensitivities. I had a horrible reaction to the flu vaccination this year, if I’m under a lot of stress or if I overexert myself sometimes my symptoms can flare up, also even a tiny amount of alcohol will for sure send me back into a wave. Because of this I know I’m not completely back to how I was prebenzos but I’m starting to wonder if I’m even going to heal much more. Maybe this is what I’ve got to put up with for the rest of my life. I can to some extent avoid these triggers so maybe this is as good as it gets for me. I’ve held off writing a success story because I kind of see that as admitting that I’m not going to get any better than I am right now, and I still hope that I will improve.
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It is very good to look on the bright side and be grateful for the fact that we'll heal for the most part.  But I can't help feel a loss and/or get very angry about the fact that our bodies and brains have been "permanently damaged", even if it's only 5%.  This should be reflected in the package insert for these drugs! The manufacturers of these drugs definitely have "failed to warn" us of the potential risks.  There should be a class action lawsuit, seriously.
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[2c...]

It is very good to look on the bright side and be grateful for the fact that we'll heal for the most part.  But I can't help feel a loss and/or get very angry about the fact that our bodies and brains have been "permanently damaged", even if it's only 5%.  This should be reflected in the package insert for these drugs! The manufacturers of these drugs definitely have "failed to warn" us of the potential risks.  There should be a class action lawsuit, seriously.

 

I agree with you 100% that there could be a permanent 1-5. % hard to say

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These are such great replies everyone. Thank you!

 

I posed this same exact question on another benzo support site. In summary I was told (by someone who was very sick in withdrawal for two years who experienced a very short bout of med sensitivities themself that went away in time) Anyway, I was told that most people who have med sensitivities and intolerances from benzo withdrawal will no longer have these issues once they are fully healed. I'm still not fully healed because I am still having some symptoms. Meaning I'm not yet to the end of the road on my healing, therefore I may still have med sensitivities.

 

All in all on my path, I do still have some challenging moments here and there. It's true.

 

A success story does not have to be 100% healed. It even says that in the guidelines on this forum on the "success story" board. The benzo buddie success story guidelines are as follows:

 

"When posting your story, you should be:

 

benzodiazepine-free for at least two months;

(mostly) recovered from your experience;

feeling positive about the future and this should be reflected in your Success Story."

 

I've also heard it described as "declaring oneself healed" ; and even though I've come so very far, and I have many good days, I really still at this moment can't say something like: "I declare myself healed".

 

This can be looked at different ways for sure, and there are no wrong answers. There is just celebration to be shared when we are feeling better.

 

As for myself, because I still have some challenging days,  I just don't "feel it" yet. I think I need more time to recover. It's okay though because I can find joy while I'm still "fine tuning".

 

Sending wishes to all of us to find strength during our moments of suffering to hang on. Keep going. Keep moving forward and embrace those moments of joy when they come.

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