Is a case of permanent CNS damage from cold turkey-ing Klonopin possible?

I cold turkeyed off 0.5mg K approx 4 years back. Was only on it for 6 months. I still have weird but extremely debilitating neurological symptoms(burning brain/brain fog/off balance/fatigue/weakness/etc) and full blown painful neuropathy. I was also diagnosed with small fibre neuropathy with no known cause.

 

Was wondering if there are people on here who have made a complete 100% recovery after a CT attempt. Or should I be worried that this is some sort of permanent damage?

I CT'd alprazolam in 2008.  I can't say the recovery was complete and permanent, although I did get much, much better within a couple years.  I had a setback in 2012 caused by medical treatments I could not handle and ended up back on a benzo.  I tapered that for two years and healed as I tapered.  I got off in decent shape in 2014.  I do think I have damage to my CNS that did not completely resolve, but even so I have lived a full, happy life for the 8 years I've been off all benzos.  I'm having a setback right now due to having Covid, and it's been pretty miserable.  But I think I will heal from this too as long as I stay off the pills.

I cold turkeyed an eleven-year usage of 1 mg of xanax back in 2010. I had miserable symptoms for about 6 months -- dizziness, headaches, panic attacks, DP/DR but they gradually ebbed away. I really felt okay. I went back to my old job of grant-proposal writing.

 

Then some miserable interpersonal things happened and I went on another benzo -- Ativan -- which did not agree with me and I gradually crossed to Valium.

 

My taper from Valium was awful and I always wonder if I had been '"sensitized" to benzos because of my Xanax CT. I'll never know.

 

I hear you about permanent damage, rabit.

 

I've *mostly* recovered from my valium taper and am leading a productive life. But I do wonder . . . if I hadn't CTd my Xanax, would the damage (and I do believe there is damage) to my CNS be less?

 

That being said, I am better. So do I believe damage done after a CT is permanent? No, I don't. I think our brains are plastic and can make repairs. There's an interesting book called "The Brain That Changes Itself" by a neurophysiologist. You can look it up.

 

I think even we CTers get better . . . maybe not 100% better . . . but we get better. It just takes time.

 

Just my opinions, based on my experiences.

 

Best to you,

 

Katz

Thank you Oregon and sage for the hopeful outlook. I want to heal and be whole again.  I felt 95% for a few months after acute but now in what I believe is an antibiotic set back. I want to be better again, but when you're in the wave it feels like forever.

 

Sage, Ive been hoping for your health lately! 

Thank you Oregon and sage for the hopeful outlook. I want to heal and be whole again.  I felt 95% for a few months after acute but now in what I believe is an antibiotic set back. I want to be better again, but when you're in the wave it feels like forever.

 

Sage, Ive been hoping for your health lately!

 

Thank you so much!  I hope your health returns soon as well!  If it was an antibiotic, I wonder if replacing your gut flora might help?  There are probiotics that supposedly decrease anxiety.

I cold turkeyed off 0.5mg K approx 4 years back. Was only on it for 6 months. I still have weird but extremely debilitating neurological symptoms(burning brain/brain fog/off balance/fatigue/weakness/etc) and full blown painful neuropathy. I was also diagnosed with small fibre neuropathy with no known cause.

 

Was wondering if there are people on here who have made a complete 100% recovery after a CT attempt. Or should I be worried that this is some sort of permanent damage?

 

I did a CT a few years ago from 8mg a day of clonazepam.

On my bad days (muscle cramps) I took another 4, 8, 18 mg of clonazepam.

8+ years.

I was off the clonazepam in six weeks and never looked back.

Yes I had some weird feeling and things but what I did was to never let it consume me.

After a year off I took 8mgs of clonazepam just to see if it would cause me any effects.

It didn't.

I don't understand why anyone should have any damage.

I just don't get it.