Help! Infection -possibly shingles, triggering Panic Attacks??

Have any of you experienced panic attacks with infections after your withdrawal?  I need encouragement this morning.

 

I spoke too soon yesterday when I said I haven’t had any full blown panic attacks since jumping Xanax 2 months ago.  I was up all night last night  with panic attacks and chills - but no fever. The glands under the left side of my chin are swollen and all my teeth on that side hurt. 

 

I also have a couple of suspicious blisters on that side of my face and wonder if it’s shingles.  The nerves on that side up to my eye have been sensitive for a couple of days.

 

I debated all night whether to call the dentist or PCP this morning.  I’m going to start with the dentist as soon as they open.  I’m freaking myself out about going there with no sleep  and all this anxiety.

 

I know it’s an infection of some sort for sure. 

 

Being up all night with panic attacks is awful!  I’m hoping this won’t become a regular thing! I’ve been doing so well.

 

 

Did you have chicken pox as a child? If not, it can't be shingles. May be another viral infection

Did you have chicken pox as a child? If not, it can't be shingles. May be another viral infection

Yes sleepyjo.  And they were in my face .  Still have a scar. 

Go get it checked out.  Nobody on here can tell you what it is.    I had blisters once during acute on my back neck and face.    It was not shingles.  I had shingles years ago and trust me they hurt and mostly appear on the back side of your body.    You don’t know if it’s an infection. Don’t assume anything.  I had many aches in my face jaw teeth gums.  My lymph nodes swelled in my neck and hurt but that was a brief sx and went away.  If you look at the list of sx in the Ashton manual it is listed as a common sx.

And remember you are still very early in this.  WD causes some crazy sx remember that.  Try to do whatever you have to get calm.  You will recover it does  get better.

And remember you are still very early in this.  WD causes some crazy sx remember that.  Try to do whatever you have to get calm.  You will recover it does  get better.

Thank you.  I’ve got an appointment this morning with the dentist and a call into my PCP. 

I found the answer to my question in Ashton’s Manual.  So, it’s not uncommon at all to experience this with an infection or other environmental stress.

 

Recurring Symptoms After Successful Withdrawal

“In nearly every case of apparent recurrence, the precipitating cause for the return of symptoms turns out, on close inspection, to be an increase in environmental stress. The trigger may be a new stress or worry which may be unrecognised so that the return of symptoms seems to occur out of the blue. Contributing factors can be an infection, surgery, dental problems, work problems, fatigue, bereavement, family problems, loss of sleep, adverse reaction to a drug, change of environment - almost anything.” Ashton Manual

I hope you get this checked by your PCP.  If you have shingles, early antiviral tx can make a big difference in the course of the disease.  Let us know Gitfiddle.

Gitfiddle, I'm so sorry to hear that you are struggling.  Shingles is no joke and I hope that you are okay.  Keep us posted!

Have any of you experienced panic attacks with infections after your withdrawal?  I need encouragement this morning.

 

I spoke too soon yesterday when I said I haven’t had any full blown panic attacks since jumping Xanax 2 months ago.  I was up all night last night  with panic attacks and chills - but no fever. The glands under the left side of my chin are swollen and all my teeth on that side hurt. 

 

I also have a couple of suspicious blisters on that side of my face and wonder if it’s shingles.  The nerves on that side up to my eye have been sensitive for a couple of days.

 

I debated all night whether to call the dentist or PCP this morning.  I’m going to start with the dentist as soon as they open.  I’m freaking myself out about going there with no sleep  and all this anxiety.

 

I know it’s an infection of some sort for sure. 

 

Being up all night with panic attacks is awful!  I’m hoping this won’t become a regular thing! I’ve been doing so well.

 

I experienced something like you when I first began this ordeal with Z-drugs/benzos. It was horrible because I was already in a frenzy mentally/physically and NOT knowing why I was having all these unusual symptoms.

 

At some point soon after these bumps began appearing only on my face, I was diagnosed with shingles I think at the ER. I looked like I was "dribbling" from my mouth...a cluster of bumps, tiny if I recall, and red, began from near the lower lip and streaked down my chin. I also had similar bumps near my right eye, nose area and cheek bone area all on the right side of my face.

 

I wonder if it was even shingles...there was no pain if I recall. The drugs I was put on did, in fact, clear up the problem. I remember going to the pharmacy late at night, coming home and first getting the prescribed drugs for it. I also remember my friends car wouldn't start back up and her husband had to come pick us up at the pharmacy. One of many strange/unusual events as I journeyed through the land mine of Z-drugs/benzos. I still need to get the shingles shot...that's my plan.

 

Do have it looked at. It is important to do it as soon as you can. Try to stay calm. Even if the doctors aren't sure if it's shingles, they still may put you through the required drug program. If I recall...one doctor said it was one thing and another said it was something else.

 

 

Bluerose, thank you for sharing.  Yours does sound like a pretty classic case of shingles.  You are very fortunate because they were by your eye and shingles can cause blindness.  I’m sure the stress of going through withdrawal is what triggered this. 

I hope you get this checked by your PCP.  If you have shingles, early antiviral tx can make a big difference in the course of the disease.  Let us know Gitfiddle.

 

Kate and Rogerthat - I went to my dentist first and he took X-rays and sent my to urgent care.  Definitely shingles.  Right now it’s only on my left cheek but my left eye has been itching a little.  They told me to call my opthomalogist immediately if the rash spreads to my eye. Shingles can cause blindness.  I’m tired tonight but feeling calm now that I know what it is and am on antivirals. 

 

Thanks to all for your thoughts and kind words. 

 

 

Being up all night with panic attacks is awful!  I’m hoping this won’t become a regular thing! I’ve been doing so well.

 

Gitfiddle, do you have the Calm app?  It's pretty great and I think there's a free trial to see if you like it.

 

Did he sample test it?  How many blisters do you have?  Are they painful?  Mine were classic shingles years ago on the back of my arms, back of my legs, back of my neck and all over my back and the pain was severe.  There were hundreds.  I have quite a scar from it on my back almost like a burn scar it covers 1/2 my back  It is crucial to take the anti viral.  It took  about 3 weeks to heal.  When I had a blister outbreak in wd it was not shingles and it was a small patch on my back and a few on my face.  They were gone in a a few days just disappeared.  They were more like a surface blister and less like a shingle. 

 

Bluerose, thank you for sharing.  Yours does sound like a pretty classic case of shingles.  You are very fortunate because they were by your eye and shingles can cause blindness.  I’m sure the stress of going through withdrawal is what triggered this.

 

Thank you for your kind words. Yes I was fortunate. The toxic anxiety was at its worst, when I went through this event that was likely shingles. I still didn’t have a clue that the drugs were causing all my unbearable symptoms. I hope you get through this unforeseen event soon.

Thank you for letting us know Gitfiddle.  Fingers crossed the course of your disease will be mild. 

 

Being up all night with panic attacks is awful!  I’m hoping this won’t become a regular thing! I’ve been doing so well.

 

Gitfiddle, do you have the Calm app?  It's pretty great and I think there's a free trial to see if you like it.

 

Rogerthat, No, I don’t- I’ll have to check it out. Thanks!  I slept really well last night and wasn’t anxious at all.  I think the initial outbreak of the shingles triggered the panic attacks- and not knowing what was going on caused the anxiety to spin out of control.  I’m still learning how to deal with anxiety without pills - like normal people do! LOL!  Being sick weakens the defenses though.

Did he sample test it?  How many blisters do you have?  Are they painful?  Mine were classic shingles years ago on the back of my arms, back of my legs, back of my neck and all over my back and the pain was severe.  There were hundreds.  I have quite a scar from it on my back almost like a burn scar it covers 1/2 my back  It is crucial to take the anti viral.  It took  about 3 weeks to heal.  When I had a blister outbreak in wd it was not shingles and it was a small patch on my back and a few on my face.  They were gone in a a few days just disappeared.  They were more like a surface blister and less like a shingle.

Upperleft,  That is just awful! I’m so sorry you had such a bad case.  No they didn’t need to test it as it was self evident.  So far the  patch on my face has 3 small blisters and one my lip. They also broke out inside my mouth - along the left side of my tongue and on my throat .  Not fun at all!  But the good news is, it was less than 72 hrs before starting antivirals.  They say if you can start treatment within that window it’ll really alter the outcome. Fingers crossed!  Thank you for sharing! 

So sorry to hear this, Gitfiddle. It sounds like you're on the right track now and feeling better.

 

The farther I got from my last dose, the lower my anxiety got (health anxiety, mostly). It became "normal" anxiety with a vague feeling of unease and a little rumination, but it was fairly easy to let go. You won't have nights full of panic attacks every time something happens indefinitely. I didn't realize before just how much the lorazepam was increasing my anxiety overall, rather than lessening it. And now it's out of our lives!

So sorry to hear this, Gitfiddle. It sounds like you're on the right track now and feeling better.

 

The farther I got from my last dose, the lower my anxiety got (health anxiety, mostly). It became "normal" anxiety with a vague feeling of unease and a little rumination, but it was fairly easy to let go. You won't have nights full of panic attacks every time something happens indefinitely. I didn't realize before just how much the lorazepam was increasing my anxiety overall, rather than lessening it. And now it's out of our lives!

BB - that is SO encouraging!  I'm looking forward to that day.  Congratulations!