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Post withdrawal panic attacks/anxiety


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Hello everyone,

 

I have been about 1 month benzo free and was doing fantastic regarding anxiety/panic attacks. The reason I was put into clonazepam was exactl that. Now, since 4 days ago my anxiety has gone to the roof and last night I had a panic attack episode while sleeping. I woke up in the middle of the night with my heart racing, hyperventilating, then I felt the adrenaline in my body, sweating, feeling feared and terrified, wanting to go to the bathroom, pain in my left arm, so on and so forth.

 

After about 5 minutes I managed to calm myself and the heart went back to its normal rate and within 30 minutes I was sleeping again.

 

Does anyone has suffered or suffers from anxiety/panic attacks after being off the benzos? Is it only me due to my panic attacks issues or is this fueled by the withdrawal as well?

 

Many thanks for your input.

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Hi Wien,

 

Yes, I went through the same thing coming off of xanax. I've been off 4 1/2 months now (after 12yrs on).  I had several panic attacks in month 1; however, month 2 was the worse--numerous, major panic attacks. I do not want to discourage you, but in month 2, the panic attacks were so bad that I could hardly do anything (I have made a couple of posts about this). 

 

Everyone is different (as you know); it doesn't mean that you will have these as bad as I did. But, if you do, you can make it through it--stay determined! I've found that exercise is the best thing to really get this thing behind me. I am doing very well now; occasionally, I will have an episode, but it is short and not very intense.

 

Be blessed!

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What you're dealing with now has nothing to do with what you were like before benzo's, this is due totally to the drug withdrawal.  You won't know what is the drug or what is you for a long time, many, many months.  Please don't let your fears of your old anxiety push you into thinking you need the drug.  The tools you're acquiring now to deal with this horror will serve you well the rest of your life, because after this, you'll find normal anxiety and panic will be much easier to deal with.
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Hey wien,

 

Haven't been on for awhile but I decided to come back because I am having to deal with anxiety again..thankfully no panic attacks just the constant pounding heart and chest tightness every minute all day. By nature I am not an anxious person and its not like I have anything on my mind that causes me worry. Therefore I know it is completely biological and that it must be related to benzo withdrawl. Coming up on 3 months off next week woohoo! Like sir William said, excercise is a must..just a 15-20 minute jog will do wonders and help with your sleep.

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It took about 3 months for the panic attacks to subside after my last dose of xanax.  After that I did have a few more but with much less intensity.

 

Patty  xo

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I was originally put on meds for anxiety and panic attacks.  

 

My experience post-benzo was this:  I went from having numerous severe panic attacks a day while on the meds, and when I quit the benzo, my body was going absolutely nuts with symptoms, but for some odd reason I wasn't really going into the panic attacks and my anxiety was lower.  I don't really understand that, considering everything else that was going on that was so frightening.  I was dumbfounded by how well I was handling the fact that my body was waging war against me.  The anxiety I did experience was more like, what in the heck is going on with my body!!??  Why do I feel like I am knocking on death's door?  (Normal anxieties.)  Suddenly after a few weeks, the hardcore anxiety came back, just like it sounds like it came back for you.  Throughout this I have really only truly had a few all-out panic attacks a month (more in the earlier months), and in time I noticed the intensities of them lessen, and now my overall anxiety/mental symptoms are improving.  It is still not fun to deal with, but I can actually see and feel the improvements...I get bigger breaks from the anxiety, and when it does come on, it's much less intense than it was in the beginning.  I have really come a longgg way from where I was and you will, too.  I even have hopes that once this is over, that because of this experience I will have learned many coping methods, and I am quite convinced I will never feel anxiety like I have felt while on the meds and then during withdrawal/recovery, and hopefully this will make future anxiety situations seem so very minor and more easily handled.  I know only time will tell, but I think it's a real possibility just based on everything I have learned about myself and life and the strides I have already made.  Just a few months ago I never in a million years would think I'd be saying these things and believing them....I assumed I was doomed for a life filled with panic and anxiety and misery.

 

Right now rest assured what you are feeling is not your own panic attack issue...it is being caused by a body healing from benzos.  Keep holding on.....it really does get better.  It just takes time.

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I feel ya, so sorry your not feeling well..I would like to say I went thru the samthing u did for months actually. When I finished my taper I felt great and exactly one month off all hell broke loose....Woke up in the night with constant adrenaline, heart, pounds sweating, chesttightness u name it. I would also like to add the Wine I was drinking may have given me the setback, but not sure.....I am now 8 months free and feel almost healed....I know this is WD and not in my head because just about all my s/x have subsided.
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Thank you so much for all your replies.

 

I feel like this journey is a long process and it is not a good idea to start running. My past week was hard, but this one has been quite good and except for today my anxiety has been low and under control. Today I woke up anxious and with my heart racing. It is gone, but still feeling the adrenaline and anxiety.

 

I have found a lot of relieve here on BB and I feel blessed to count with all of you.

 

I will centre my mind into knowing that this is not an inmediate process and it will take some months until I am recovered and fully healed, but it is good having beautiful windows.

 

Thanks again for the comments and suggestions.

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Hi Wein I wanted to ask you wer you put on the benzo for panic attacks/ anxiety? You mentioned that you still suffering from that off the benzo, my question is does it go away or will we have panic attacksand anxiety for the rest of our lives I'm so worried that when I'm not in withdrawal anymore I'm still gunn a have that problem!
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I would say that was my worst s/x of all the adreniline rushes and horrible anxiety, like u just wanna crawl out of oyur skin. I had it for a good couple of months and finally feeling better....I know it's uncomfortable, but it will pass.
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  • 2 weeks later...

My panic attacks started coming due to perimenopause (which I didn't realize at the time).  My panic attacks would only come at night, would mostly come in 3s, and after an episode, would be far and few between afterwards. On occasion I would have a panic attack in other places, but it was rare.  I decided that it was time to get off of the klono because I felt that my panic attacks were under control.  My panic attacks rarely came during stressful times; they came mainly while I was alseep and during calm and peaceful times (crazy huh).  I was expecting that my panic attacks would be greater once I jumped from the klono, because of the "rebound effect," but again, my panic attacks were far and few between.  I had the most trouble with the panic attacks while tapering klono.  For me, the further I got away from klono, the less I was visited by any panic attacks.  I am nearly 19 months benzo free, and my last panic attack was nearyl 19 months ago. I have this sense of peace and calm with regards to panic attacks, in that I feel that I will never have them again.  I hope that this is consolation for anyone of my fellow BBs that are going through this withdrawal symptom.  It does get better.

 

Continue to stay the course.

Retire2010

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I will centre my mind into knowing that this is not an inmediate process and it will take some months until I am recovered and fully healed, but it is good having beautiful windows.

 

hi w i had some today just lying on couch, its normal i think.

 

sucks a lot

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I wake up, barely awake and my heart pounds and I'm sweating, then go back to sleep.  I never had them before the withdrawal, and I wake up and say "what the heck" and go back to sleep (when I sleep).  my vote is on withdrawal.
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