HEEEeeeelp....

Im sittng here so bitter.  After having an Ok day today, and was out and about here and there. I slept zero last night.  My legs and feet are on fire.  I just had a serious panic attack about an hour ago and I dont dose till midnight.  My ears sound like air coming out of a tire......and its very loud!  My poor b/f, all I seem to do is cry or cuss.  I just cant freaking believe this is happening to me.

 

What do I do???

hot chocolate

 

seriously

So I've got a couple of dorky things that I've done to help me (at least for the panic). I purchased several different aromatherapy oils - one for grounding, one for sleep, and one that is cedar to release emotions. I have this smooth river rock I've been carrying around so when my thoughts get crazy/scary I will place it on my desk or put it in my pocket and just hold it for a reality check. Use your other senses to distract you when necessary.

 

Also find a safe person that you can call. Someone you trust who won't judge and use them as your crisis hotline. Just to speak your fears aloud can take away some of the scariness from them.

 

When in doubt - walk it out. If you are really freaking out, get outside and walk until it stops. Hope this helps - I'm no expert but these are a few things that I've used to cope.

I went for a walk, and took 50mg of Vistrial.  Im settling down a bit now, but skin is on fire and ears are blowing.

Thx for the advice.  Chocolate makes my s/x's go crazy, as just about anything I eat cept baked chicken, and any smells including cologne gives me nausea.

I'm at 6 mg and still so far to go........

Hey sunburnt, look how far you've come! From 40 down to 6, that's amazing 

 

Coco- great advice

yopu are doing amazing hang in there!!! I got a book and a pen and I wrote like crazy, I wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote!!

I drank tea lots and lots of herbal tea!

I played games on the computer like bingo or tetris

 

my favorite I would literally lie on my bed and make my husband squish me while I deep breathed, (note he did not suffocate me!lol) but it felt great to be squished heavily when I was feeling like I could not get away from me!!

 

sorry if you think these ideas are silly!! they really helped!!! thinking about you!! keep us posted!!

Chance

"I can't believe this."  I've said those words so many times on this journey.  I don't know about you, but my legs actually feel better when I'm walking.  A short walk outdoors seems to help me.  As far as the tinnitus, I find background noise that I find enjoyable and can tolerate helps.  I try to tell myself this is temporary, and I can get through it.  Sometimes I just cry it out.

 

You're making huge progress as I see where you started and you are down to 6 mg!!  Hang in there.

 

Sunnyside

 

 

Hey Sunbrnt....i am so glad you posted this cuz i am sitting here feeling the same....hang in there and keep tapering....it is hard for sure....i know.

 

I love all of the suggestions...especially the one about finding someone you trust...i am still working on that one....my ears are driving me nuts and I cant believe I have to deal with 24/7....i cant relax at all.

 

Keeo touch...maybe we can support one another along the way.

 

BB.

I like Chance's suggestions, especially the squishing part!  It seriously does help though, putting weight on your body triggers the release of serotonin and is very relaxing.  Some people actually buy weighted blankets to sleep with.  I would sometimes rock my 8 yr old, the weight and the affection just really help.  The stone idea is great too, for grounding.

 

Here are some of the things that have helped me cope:

 

Talking to my fear as if it were a scared child version of me that I need to comfort

showers

prayer

petting my dog

journaling

reminding myself of the month, day, time

looking at photos of myself when I was healthy

looking at photos of my kids

having a good cry, and I mean really wailing it out

throwing (unbreakable) things into the shower

Saying a mantra or affirmation over and over while doing some repetitive activity like folding clothes or crocheting

taking walks outside

wrapping myself very tightly in a blanket (this helps for the same reason the weighted blanket does)

rocking

singing lullabies

playing nature sounds

 

For distraction:

computer games

word search puzzles

crocheting

movies and books if your mind can handle it (they have to be light and positive)

 

For sleep:

 

Books instead of screens in the two hours before bed

stretches

reflexology

holding and smelling an onion until I fall asleep (don't laugh, this seriously helps!)

not trying to sleep unless I'm truly sleepy

Telling myself that I don't have to sleep, and if I can't, just sitting up in bed and staring at the dark until I feel sleepy again. (This takes the pressure off)  Telling myself that if I don't sleep tonight, it's okay, I'll sleep later.

 

 

Thx sagemom...i just love all of your suggestions....Actually have tried some of them, too.

 

I like the other ideas of squishing, too but had no idea it effects the sertonin levels....the rock awesome....

 

BB.

I could have written this myself when I was going through wd.  Oh man does it suck.   

 

You have to sometimes take this one minute at a time and know that wd simply isn't forever.  One minute at a time, then one hour at a time and then one day at a time.  Baby yourself.  Look at your home as your hospital. 

 

Rest

 

Distract yourself (watch some mellow funny movies)

 

Drink gatorade

 

Eat a popcycle or some ice cream

 

Take a bath

 

Put a heating pad on (or ice pack) whatever the case may be

 

Ask for help when you need it

 

Rest some more

 

Love yourself.  This is not your fault.   

I dosed at midnight.  Did Vistrial at 11pm.  Went for a walk outside.  Now just burning btm feet and air hose with a whistle coming thru my ears, and anxiety has let up.  I NEVER had anxiety before benzos.  Heard the word, but never knew exactly what it was UNTIL NOW!!! Was put on benzos after a bad reaction to Cipro. 

 

Feel very calm now, but very unsure about my future.  Just in case something happens, I put my b/f on my deed only to find out 2 weeks later the paper work I had done took me off the deed and him on the deed.  Worked all day trying to get this corrected, and have to go back to the court house tmw.  Got all paper work this evening from lawyer.

 

Geez, I dont want to deal with the court house AGAIN  tmw, and I cant believe this got all farked up.  Im very stressed at this cause I lose my homestead exemption now, and she said it could take up to 6 weeks to fix.      This kept me up all night last night, and stress today is just too light of a word.

 

Lawyer did corrected paper work for free, but Im sure the court house is gonna charge me another $400...........I screamed all day, then cried, then screamed.  Seems like EVERYTHING i do get derailed now.  Im college educated with a real estate license, and still missed it because of benzo brain.  FML!!!

 

My b/f tires to calm me down saying "what can you do about it"?    Well  today I got on phone and found out correction and had lawyer draw up more papers but the time element is killng me.  Every day I think Im going to die because it seems the s/x's are getting worse and worse and Im holding since 8/27........I dont know what to do.  WHY DONT THEY HAVE DOCTORS TO TREAT US???    All of them guess......EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!!!  No one knows what to do with us and we are left ot our own devices!!  I cant eat anything without s/x's    lost about 30lbs in one year.  Was a gym rat 45 times a week, looking good, feeling good and eating right until I had a infection that was treated with another evil arse drug CIPRO........NEVR take this drug.  Ithink someone here referred to it as being Floxed.

 

Im just venting!!!

 

GDR  I'm bitter!111

Hello i am dd58

i hope you don't mind me saying hello i live in the u.k I don't know where you are in the world I hear what you are saying about doctors not treating us it is the same here in the U.K. I am sat here in bed it is just gone 6.00 am and my body is shakinng  so bad.I stupidly took my old tablets Nitrazepam sleeping tablets worse to come off than heroin you probably not heard of them i took 7.75 mg and i think i took them for 4 days and when i relised last night I went back on my valium that i was using to taper off the nitrazepam and took about 3.5 mg of valium and in a matter of about 6 hours my body is trembling,and there is no point asking doctors as they wont know what to do.You are right that we are left to our own devices yet if i was a street drug addict i would get help.i reaaly do know what it is like i was sent to psych hospital because of w/d but they said i was depressed,i recently spent 4 months in hospital because of w/d.

 

for you

Im in Fort Lauderdale FLorida USA      Im sorry your shakeing and trembling.  I have been all night until about an hour ago    1:30 am here.

Just read on the Nitrazapan, and it is indeed another benzo.  im useing Baclefen Hydrozyzen, and clondine to help with withdrawl, but all this stress with my house etc is jsut eating me alive.  I am about to run out of $, and its pretty hard to get Social Security.  I'm having awful thoughts cause I know the llst 6 mg's will prlly take me a year....then who knows on recovery.  I did the Cipro and its eating away at my muscles now. so I got it double....benzos anad Cipro.  I cry and cry all the time.  I dont want to be broke and on the street and still sick.  My b/f dosent make enough to keep the hosue going, and Im surviving on cashed in retirement and savings which are going fast.  I dont want to spend every thing I have and still be sick and no place to go.  Im at my wits end!!

 

 

They say healing 'can' happen.  For me, I dont think Im going to be part of that group dealing with benzos, and Cipro Toxicity.

Thx for your ear my U.K. friend!

I wish I could do more but I can,'t we have to hellp each other on here and yet they are still giving people benzos even now right this minute somewhere in the world somebody is being given a benzo,you are new to the forum i have only recently joined myself.

It may take a couple of days to stabilize after all that Natrzpain (sp)  Im sure you know that you should stay away from other benzos and benzo agonist while your tapering.  Are you useing a solution, or still dry cutting?

 

I dont sleep worth a D*@m, but Ive learned jsut to lay there and If i sleep, I sleep.  I quit worring about it long ago, but this skin being on fire is for the birds, and it gets really bad when i think of something taht stresses me out, which is pretty much Always.....I also have tinitus.

 

What are your most bothersome s/x's?

Oh NO!  Cipro is a no no when taking benzo's.  So sorry you went through that.  Yikes!

 

Hope you get feeling better soon. 

Hey Cedar....why is Cipro bad while on Benzos?

 

My Dad has been on Klonopin for years and has been put on Cipro for chronic UTIs....shud i tell him?

 

BB.

Hey Cedar....why is Cipro bad while on Benzos?

 

My Dad has been on Klonopin for years and has been put on Cipro for chronic UTIs....shud i tell him?

 

BB.

YES, please tell him to not take this with benzo's.  It is very dangerous.  I'll try to find you the link about it. 

 

Also, I've heard countless horror stories about people who've mixed the two.    :'(

Yup.......Im one of the horror stories.  People talk about suffering.  This is'nt suffering,  Its AGONY.  18 months now    5th pill I had seizure.  Docs put me on more benzos.  I was on Xanax, Clonapin and Ambien all at the same time and getting worse.  Flourquinlion Toxicity Syndrom, and its eating away my tendons and muscles

My doc told me in August that my recovery was not probable.

 

Never take Cipro for anything....  Its evil and can stay in your body for life and stalk you.  May not have symptoms for weeks, months or years.  Usually attacks tendons with arthritis like symptoms....then it jsut goes to hell!!

I ended up on the valium after a long course of Cipro for antibiotic resistent UTIs left me with terrible insomnia after I had finally healed from previous bz CT. So wasn't on the 2 together but it must have kindled my still sensitive CNS.

 

Cipro & the flouroquinolone class of antibiotics are GABA antagonists & may block the K from binding & trigger wdwls.

 

It's tricky with UTIs as Cipro is certainly effective but if poss, an alternative class of antibiotic would be better.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_effects_of_fluoroquinolones

 

http://www.benzosupport.org/quinolene_antibiotics.htm

 

There are many more links on the web if you want to google "benzodizepines and ciprofloxacin".

 

Sorr you went through that Ihope.  UTI's can be controlled with whole cranberry juice. That works well for me and then I don't have to take any anti-biotics.  Instead I can take my "pro-biotics". 

Thanks Cedar. Unfortunately not all infections can be prevented or relieved with Cranberry. I have used it chronically & the newer herbal Hiprex formula which has had some good results in clinical trials but they just don't work for all infections. Mine tend to get nasty very quicly with a lot of blood in the urinary tract & Mds are always concerned about spread to the kidneys. Whenever poss, I wait a few days to see if it will clear naturally but as at today, I am back on the Cephlex which is fine, just have to load up the prebiotics.

 

Sunbrnt, I wanted to say that I am now doing well after 2 bz wdwls & a long term course of Cipro so think your md is being a bit negative. You are obviously very sensitive so it may take longer for you, (I am around 80% healed at 7 weeks off), but you can heal, even after medication chaos. Sorry you are having such a tough time now.

Bummer that the cranberry doesn't work for you.  I only take it for UTI's. 

@[Ih...]

My doc jsut looks at my symptoms.    Had small fiber neuropathy test done that came back conclusive.  Cipro completely frid my CNS, and Benzos jsut finished me off.  I can barely walk or type, and my muscle mass has pretty much completely disappeared.  blah blah .........Now benzos give me burning skin, and with the SFN, im jsut in a pickel.  SFN is not reversible and will prollly turn into large fiber.  Ill have MS, without having MS  (multiple scorisis)  sp?