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Extreme Scalp pain and Burning...should I hold? Please someone help me.


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I started my taper from .25 Xanax on 7-20. I initially cut too much, for a few weeks, and the BB taper advisors told me it might be best to get on a stable does and begin the taper.

I have been holding for at 10% less dosage since 7-30.  I take 0.06ml compounded liquid from the pharmacy - 3 times per day.

 

I have continued to have the burning skin and scalp.  This week, I tried a few days by reducing .001ml from the syringe to see how it felt. ( I basically stopped the draw at the line just above the "6" on the syringe.

 

I have had extreme burning and now stabbing pain in my scalp.  I had planned to continue my taper at 5% less beginning next week... but I dont' see how I can if I am feeling this bad and just this very little amount of difference that I tested.

 

I feel so much pain and I don't really feel like my body has been stable from the start.

Deep stabbing pain in my skull and nerves in my head.  I can hardly catch my breath sometimes because it is so painful.

Is there a medicine that I can get on to help with this? Would Gabapentin or a Beta Blocker help me?

 

I realized that I am drinking a lot of veggie and fruit smoothies from whole foods, but they dont have sugar. Someone told me that is probably making my histamine really amped up.

 

I don't want to be stuck where I am, but I am in so much pain, and don't know what to do.

I am going through a lot of stress at work and home as well.

 

Should I just hold another month at my current dosage and continue to try to get stable and let my body calm down?

 

Please help me and advise. I am under great distress.. and my anxiety is so much worse as well.

I don't see how I am going to get through this. I am truly feeling hopeless.

Thank you.  :-[

 

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I wish I knew what to suggest but I'll reach out to some with taper experience to see if they can offer any advice.  I'm so very sorry for your pain, you sound so miserable.

 

Please know that you're going to get through this, you're going to survive and thrive, even if you can't see it now, I can.  Hang on, please.

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jordan

I am so sorry this horrible symptom continues to plague you.  I cannot imagine that histamine in the fruit juice would be causing such a problem --- unless you had like severe histamine intolerance and then I am still now sure.......it sounds like severe and debilitiating withdrawal ---

 

is it more stabbing burning or is it more like a bad migraine?

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I wish I knew what to suggest but I'll reach out to some with taper experience to see if they can offer any advice.  I'm so very sorry for your pain, you sound so miserable.

 

Please know that you're going to get through this, you're going to survive and thrive, even if you can't see it now, I can.  Hang on, please.

Thank you so much Pamster. I pray you are right.  I’m feeling very broken.

My pharmacist said today that he thinks perhaps when I initially started my dry cut taper, it was too much. And then the kind folks in the tapering group advised that I should updose to get stable.

So that’s what I did. I also began using a compounded liquid dosage that my pharmacist creates.

He advised today that I should probably hold for another month to get stable with the compounded dosage and allow my CNS to calm down. 

This heightened anxiety is unlike I’ve ever had. The stabbing pain in my scalp is very painful. It takes my breath away sometimes.

I truly don’t know how I’m going to get through this. I’m shaking now even as I write this.

I appreciate all your encouragement. Bless you Pamster🙏❤️

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jordan

I am so sorry this horrible symptom continues to plague you.  I cannot imagine that histamine in the fruit juice would be causing such a problem --- unless you had like severe histamine intolerance and then I am still now sure.......it sounds like severe and debilitiating withdrawal ---

 

is it more stabbing burning or is it more like a bad migraine?

Thank you 300days. Yes, this is the worst thing I’ve ever been through. I don’t know how people make it through the other side. The burning is like an ice pick being poked in my scalp and sometimes feels like hot lava on my head. It’s pure torment.  I’m also having horrible anxiety symptoms and feelings of despair because it doesn’t seem like I am healing. I have a very stressful job as well and I’m starting to panic.  I really am troubled, so I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Bless you. 💛

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JJ,

I don't and haven't had that exact symptom but I have had the burning for sure and it can certainly drive us into despair.  that said, my friend geraldine burns who runs a benzo podcast, once told me of a woman she was helping and talking through it felt like she had a meat hook up in her rectum for over a year.  I tell you that not to scare you but to show you how insidious and screwed up these drugs can make us feel. 

 

what I truly believe in your case, however, is that your suffering will be relatively short lived if you can not make any more changes......okay, so you updosed and now changed to compounding -- two, it sounds like, smart and necessary changes= but changes nonetheless-- and your taper was VERY fast.  I am sure there are many on here who can chime in after they have gone through a rapid taper off a short term use -- many have suffered a lot.  simply because you still have a bit left to taper does not mean your brain was not going to feel that rapid taper. 

 

but we never know how its going to go for us - that is why we all landed here.....things worked until they didn't.  but please listen to all of the people that have gone before you and have been burned---- I know you want this poison out of your system -- believe me every day as I box my symptoms for 8 to 12 hours or more a day I think "just stop taking it already" - but THINGS CAN ALWAYS GET WORSE ---- worse in a way we cannot even comprehend.  from short term use.  from cold turkey. 

 

so, I know you are in a tremendous amount of pain -- but I promise you it won't be forever.  but even 20 minutes is longer than a human should have to endure any of this stuff. 

 

sometimes when the pain/burning/agitation/Incredible Hulk trying to come out of my chest is too much for me to bear I kind of psych myself into a weird almost existential acceptance of it -- I will tell myself that this the pain I have to endure for now, it is my lot in life......I didn't get lymphoma at 8 years old, I didn't get breast cancer at 28, I was born with all of my limbs and lungs intact, I did not have an accident at 20 that left me paralyzed, I wasn't a male in the 1960's drafted off to Vietnam and lost a limb or my mind - --- this is what I got -- and it sucks.....but one thing I do know is that no matter how much it sucks or for how long -- is that we heal from this?  we get our lives back.  eventually.

 

so, sometimes I tell myself - okay, I don't know why but this is what I was given and while I do have free will and could choose to end this suffering early --- I tell myself I will either 1) be transferring this pain to someone else or 2) have to simply complete the task of endurance in another life ---- so, even though I don't like the prize I got behind curtain number one - I have NO IDEA what is behind curtain 2 and 3 and from what I have seen and learned IT COULD BE WORSE.

 

so, rest assure, if you can, that you WILL heal and that if you can simply endure this -- that is all this crap is -- one big test of endurance -- but play stupid games, win stupid prizes.  meaning, not much you can do to make it better but a whole lot you can do to make it worse.  just hang in there.  see if 4-5 weeks of NO changes starts to allow your brain and CNS to calm down -- when your brain is searing hot and your scalp is feeling poked with an icepick (I'm sorry that is so horrible pal) know that your CNS is pissed off and letting you know. 

 

dig deep into some part of you --- a faith, a philosophy, something that allows you to bed surf until you can get on the other side of this.  believe me I have hours of each day where I want to scream and yell and feel like I want to YANK the withdrawal off of me and out of me as I feel truly chemically restrained and chemically tortured.  but we can't get it out of us -- we have to accept the power of these awful drugs and know that time and the fewer changes the better are our best friends in this.

 

keep us posted, please.  and do not give up.  it could lift at ANY MOMENT we just don't know that moment

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2013-2014- Lexapro - 10mg

Oct 2014-Aug 2020 Viibryd - 20 mg - ultimately weaned to 10mg - 5mg - Sept 2020 - Stopped Viibryd

4-23-21 - prescribed .25 Xanax 1 x daily for Anxiety

6-20-21 began weaning Xanax, skipping doses

7-12-7-30 began true taper of X taking 3/4 of .25mg pill per day, split up in 3 doses.

7-30 to current - Switched to compounded Xanax liquid dose, taking 0.06ml (0.075mg) 3xday (0.225mg/day)

WD sx: Burning skin/scalp, hypersensitive skin, insomnia

CBD Isolate 150-300mg at night

 

jj, just so I don't sound like some hard ass-- just wanted to show you what I meant, okay?  you took a small amount of Xanax for two months -- certainly long enough to develop a dependency.  then they had you skipping doses in starting your taper - that method leads most often to an aggravation of the CNS because Xanax is very short acting so skipping days - you are in essence coming off and on the drug fully -- then you are down 25% of your dose in one month (6/20 to 7/12) that is an enormous reduction and then you go to dosing three times a day -- so now your body is getting MUCH LESS drug although keeping serum stable its still another change  -- then you switch to compounding -- another change for the CNS.....so, I'm pointing this out to show you the evidence for why you are struggling.  I think sometimes when we can see "oh it makes sense that this is happening it can make it a bit more bearable but also give us the answer for how to help us out of our predicament -- CNS likes homeostasis -- yours has been hit with changes non stop for five months - YOU WILL FEEL BETTER!

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I am so sorry you are having to go through such pain and discomfort. I am new here, but it seems we all have a 'weak' area that we get a lot of our horrible symptoms there when we are in w/d.  I am only about 2 months into my taper, but i go have weekly acupuncture that really helps with all my symptoms. today is a yucky sick day, although i am still functional...so i am going to acupuncture...to help with my stabbing h/a, and severe muscle pain in my back.

 

acupuncture takes away all my symptoms, and also helps with the overall detox. Have you ever thought about giving it a try?  I think it has really helped me remain functional so far.

 

I will say a prayer that you feel better soon...we are all here to support you as best we can.

 

Lisa :smitten:

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I started my taper from .25 Xanax on 7-20. I initially cut too much, for a few weeks, and the BB taper advisors told me it might be best to get on a stable does and begin the taper.

I have been holding for at 10% less dosage since 7-30.  I take 0.06ml compounded liquid from the pharmacy - 3 times per day.

 

I have continued to have the burning skin and scalp.  This week, I tried a few days by reducing .001ml from the syringe to see how it felt. ( I basically stopped the draw at the line just above the "6" on the syringe.

 

I have had extreme burning and now stabbing pain in my scalp.  I had planned to continue my taper at 5% less beginning next week... but I dont' see how I can if I am feeling this bad and just this very little amount of difference that I tested.

 

I feel so much pain and I don't really feel like my body has been stable from the start.

Deep stabbing pain in my skull and nerves in my head.  I can hardly catch my breath sometimes because it is so painful.

Is there a medicine that I can get on to help with this? Would Gabapentin or a Beta Blocker help me?

 

I realized that I am drinking a lot of veggie and fruit smoothies from whole foods, but they dont have sugar. Someone told me that is probably making my histamine really amped up.

 

I don't want to be stuck where I am, but I am in so much pain, and don't know what to do.

I am going through a lot of stress at work and home as well.

 

Should I just hold another month at my current dosage and continue to try to get stable and let my body calm down?

 

Please help me and advise. I am under great distress.. and my anxiety is so much worse as well.

I don't see how I am going to get through this. I am truly feeling hopeless.

Thank you.  :-[

 

All kind of fruit contains fructose and thats a sugar. This form of sugar is even more complicated to a non stable body because it needs the liver to be processed, an organ which is a lot under stress in withdrawal. Same of veggies like carrots. Any veggie that would taste a little bit sweet if you cooked it, like a carrot, some cales.. do contain fructose. The problem with smoothies and processed drinks like that is the amount of fruit and veggies.

on the one hand the fructose as sugar, which pushes the insulin levels up, that means, your CNS gets more unstable on top of withdrawal, causes more craving and a lot of other "side effects" you dont want right now. On the other hand as I said, the amount - and: the lack of enzymes. When we eat a banana, or a carrot, normally we would chew the food, and the saliva would bring digestive enzymes into the mouth, then the stomach, and so on. Without enzymes, you cannot profit from vitamins, minerals and even from the starch. It would be pushed through the digestive system mostly non processed, which causes bloating, and inflammation. And for all this you have to pay a lot of money.

Also - the mixture of food does make it impossible to develop a feeling for a)what your body needs and b) on which you might react.

So: Keep it simple. Eat the fruit, but not more than one piece a day, stick to fruit that tastes less sweet, like blue berries. Same for the veggies.

And: Add good fat - because the good vitamins in your greens NEED fat to get into your cells.

 

If you want to make sure what is in your foot, get the app or go on the website chronometer - then you get a list of everything that is contained in what you ate during the day - and you can also learn, which food is good for you or not.

 

Seems you have to learn more about a good diet though.

To stabilize the blood sugar is key while tapering (in the hole life:-) - so I would eat every 3 hours, but then a PROPER meal, with good fat, with a lot of greens, good protein (protein can stabilize the CNS better than a benzo if you know how to use it thats my experiencE).. and learn more about how to stabilize the body with food. Food is nutrition. Without having the amount of nutrients your cells need, there is still inflammation.

 

I am not an expert in tapering, since I did it too fast for many reasons. I can only tell you that I was in tolerance from Lorazepam from the beginning of the taper til the end, meaning, suffering like in acute withdrawal from the first til the very last moment. But I did it, others did it.

 

In the end, you have to listen to the body - but also stick to a plan. And no one can tell you how exactly this plan has to look like. But it seems to be true, that you will find your own path out of this hell. I tapered a lot of meds, some too fast, others I had to hold for half a year on a dosage... but diet and healing my symptoms with food was key.

 

and my last tip is: Do not be harsh on yourself if something did not work out. You cannot trust the body right now. You might be doing the correct thing while feeling like dying or you could do the wrong thing with reinstating but it feels better. Pain and agony were not really the biggest helper in my experience - first I tried things and failed, failed, failed. I personally did never reinstate and so I do not know if that would have been better or not, and so does not know anybody else. The only thing we almost all agree is, there is a way out of hell, it takes persistence, but you can do it.

 

Maybe some more experienced people will give you good advice - Good luck, hang in there and do not dare to give up on yourself. Never.

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I started my taper from .25 Xanax on 7-20. I initially cut too much, for a few weeks, and the BB taper advisors told me it might be best to get on a stable does and begin the taper.

I have been holding for at 10% less dosage since 7-30.  I take 0.06ml compounded liquid from the pharmacy - 3 times per day.

 

I have continued to have the burning skin and scalp.  This week, I tried a few days by reducing .001ml from the syringe to see how it felt. ( I basically stopped the draw at the line just above the "6" on the syringe.

 

I have had extreme burning and now stabbing pain in my scalp.  I had planned to continue my taper at 5% less beginning next week... but I dont' see how I can if I am feeling this bad and just this very little amount of difference that I tested.

 

I feel so much pain and I don't really feel like my body has been stable from the start.

Deep stabbing pain in my skull and nerves in my head.  I can hardly catch my breath sometimes because it is so painful.

Is there a medicine that I can get on to help with this? Would Gabapentin or a Beta Blocker help me?

 

I realized that I am drinking a lot of veggie and fruit smoothies from whole foods, but they dont have sugar. Someone told me that is probably making my histamine really amped up.

 

I don't want to be stuck where I am, but I am in so much pain, and don't know what to do.

I am going through a lot of stress at work and home as well.

 

Should I just hold another month at my current dosage and continue to try to get stable and let my body calm down?

 

Please help me and advise. I am under great distress.. and my anxiety is so much worse as well.

I don't see how I am going to get through this. I am truly feeling hopeless.

Thank you.  :-[

 

All kind of fruit contains fructose and thats a sugar. This form of sugar is even more complicated to a non stable body because it needs the liver to be processed, an organ which is a lot under stress in withdrawal. Same of veggies like carrots. Any veggie that would taste a little bit sweet if you cooked it, like a carrot, some cales.. do contain fructose. The problem with smoothies and processed drinks like that is the amount of fruit and veggies.

on the one hand the fructose as sugar, which pushes the insulin levels up, that means, your CNS gets more unstable on top of withdrawal, causes more craving and a lot of other "side effects" you dont want right now. On the other hand as I said, the amount - and: the lack of enzymes. When we eat a banana, or a carrot, normally we would chew the food, and the saliva would bring digestive enzymes into the mouth, then the stomach, and so on. Without enzymes, you cannot profit from vitamins, minerals and even from the starch. It would be pushed through the digestive system mostly non processed, which causes bloating, and inflammation. And for all this you have to pay a lot of money.

Also - the mixture of food does make it impossible to develop a feeling for a)what your body needs and b) on which you might react.

So: Keep it simple. Eat the fruit, but not more than one piece a day, stick to fruit that tastes less sweet, like blue berries. Same for the veggies.

And: Add good fat - because the good vitamins in your greens NEED fat to get into your cells.

 

If you want to make sure what is in your foot, get the app or go on the website chronometer - then you get a list of everything that is contained in what you ate during the day - and you can also learn, which food is good for you or not.

 

Seems you have to learn more about a good diet though.

To stabilize the blood sugar is key while tapering (in the hole life:-) - so I would eat every 3 hours, but then a PROPER meal, with good fat, with a lot of greens, good protein (protein can stabilize the CNS better than a benzo if you know how to use it thats my experiencE).. and learn more about how to stabilize the body with food. Food is nutrition. Without having the amount of nutrients your cells need, there is still inflammation.

 

I am not an expert in tapering, since I did it too fast for many reasons. I can only tell you that I was in tolerance from Lorazepam from the beginning of the taper til the end, meaning, suffering like in acute withdrawal from the first til the very last moment. But I did it, others did it.

 

In the end, you have to listen to the body - but also stick to a plan. And no one can tell you how exactly this plan has to look like. But it seems to be true, that you will find your own path out of this hell. I tapered a lot of meds, some too fast, others I had to hold for half a year on a dosage... but diet and healing my symptoms with food was key.

 

and my last tip is: Do not be harsh on yourself if something did not work out. You cannot trust the body right now. You might be doing the correct thing while feeling like dying or you could do the wrong thing with reinstating but it feels better. Pain and agony were not really the biggest helper in my experience - first I tried things and failed, failed, failed. I personally did never reinstate and so I do not know if that would have been better or not, and so does not know anybody else. The only thing we almost all agree is, there is a way out of hell, it takes persistence, but you can do it.

 

Maybe some more experienced people will give you good advice - Good luck, hang in there and do not dare to give up on yourself. Never.

 

So this is interesting about fructose and the liver. I am having a very hard time keeping blood sugar balanced and having what feels like high insulin moments followed by a rebound drop or hypoglycemia. I eat a half an apple twice a day to make one small apple and a serving of  1 cup of blueberries. My blood sugar does seem worse after the fruit. Could this little amount really be causing a problem? If I don’t have the fruit my blood sugar will go to low. But what I am doing is not working for me right now.

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