Benzo withdrawal? Or messed up CNS?

[Napdmd]

Hello all.

My story is weird. I think I am one of those strange cases. I was using 12 mg of Xanax every other day for like 5 months or more (Stupid I know). The day I was off the Xanax I used baclofen or phenibut. The reason why I was on this high of a dose is because of past use and past tolerance never really went down. I never had any withdrawals before this. I thought I was untouchable and would not get any problems using the Xanax every other day. I ran out of Xanax and thought I was fine untill after 2 weeks I started getting really forgetful and off balanced. I was still using baclofen or phenibut every other day that time. Then all of a sudden I got strange thoughts and started feeling really off. I felt really anxious and extremely paranoid. That night some major insomnia kicked in and I started feeling some weird anxiety I never felt before. It was like feeling electric sensations in my body and my skin felt like burning. I also quit the baclofen and phenibut after this and did not expierence any GABAb withdrawal. I had phenibut withdrawals before and this felt nothing like that.

Then after this lack of sleep, anxiety, paranoid and extreme stress I thought I was possessed and that people were out to get me. It also felt like I was dying from liver or kidney failure and felt really weird. I also had really vivid nightmares that I was going to hell or was having a seizure. Because during this dream it felt like my body and brain were shocking uncontrollably. When I woke up I felt extremely confused and cold. I had problems using my limbs and was extremely weak. I had problems with putting food in my mouth and drinking. I had problems with my coordination and could not focus on anything. My motor skill was so bad that I forgot how to use my hands and arms properly. It felt like dying. I don’t remember how I made it through the days after that but I remember being really paranoid, weak, confused, anxious, depressed for a few weeks. It has been almost 2 months since then and I still feel really off. The weird thing is I do not have constant panic or anxiety attacks now, but I do have these symptoms;

Agoraphobia (never had this before)
Social anxiety (Had this before but not this extreme. Also the reason I started using benzos and baclofen)
Light and sound sensitivity
Brain fog
Dry eyes
Frequent urination
Anhedonia
Strange taste
Hand tremor
Body vibrations
Visual snow and eye floaters
Bad sleep with nightmares
Agitation
Depression (comes in waves)
No energy and motivation
Weak muscles and joints
My skin feels weird
Very sensitive for stress

Is this normal for benzo withdrawal to be delayed for some weeks? Is this part of benzo withdrawal or did I messed up my CNS and GABA system?

 

[Moreaux]

I can't say for certain that it is benzo withdrawal, but after a ten year run with Xanax I felt those symptoms for over a year and a half. They eventually went away. I wouldn't expect withdrawal to be long lasting for the length of time you were on them, but your dose was extreme.

Regarding benzo withdrawal, there is acute withdrawal that happens immediately and then there is a protracted withdrawal (PAWS) which produces symptoms beginning around the forty day mark which can last for a while. Using the length of time PAWS lasts is proportionate to the dose and amount of time you were on them. If you mix in other GABAergic drugs that could also have synergy and contribute to the duration of PAWS.

It gets worse before it gets better, but it will get better. Are you still taking anything benzos, phenibut, etc?

 

[Napdmd]

I am clean from every drug at the moment and wish to stay away from them. In the past I have used almost every kind of street drug including a 3 week oxycodone/morphine binge, but the GABAergics were my downfall. The dosage of phenibut was as high as 23 grams, baclofen 450 mg and in the past the extreme dosage of 10 grams of pregabalin powder. My start dose of xanax used to be a 2mg bar, start dose of phenibut 4 grams and 600 mg start dose of pregabalin. I developed a fast tolerance to them without becoming physically dependent on them (except phenibut one time). I suppose all those mega doses of GABA drugs must have messed up my GABA/Glutamate system in the long run. I hope what you say is true that my brain will balance itself out again. I feel very timid and can't even look people in the eye. I hope this goes away and did not fuck my brain up permanently. Did you also experience a sharp hot sensation in your stomach/groin area x_benzo_girl?

 

[Moreaux]

You're brain will balance itself out, it just takes time. Getting enough sleep, taking vitamins, eating healthy, and forcing yourself to exercise will all help to speed up the process. Just keep in mind it gets better, even if it gets a little worse before it gets better. I literally felt like I had an electric current under my skin for a few months - it was horrible. I would lose it every time something or someone touched me. I couldn't even sleep with covers. I didn't have any particular pain in my groin area or stomach, though my stomach was a mess. I vomited continuously for a while, and lost a lot of weight, like 35 pounds in a month. I went down to 105 pounds, and looked terrible. My hair started to fall out. I got a script for Indural (propranolol) to help with the anxiety, and it kind of helped the electric feeling as well, at least took it down a few notches. I rarely went out in public, and when I did if I ran into someone I knew they asked if I had cancer. I couldn't look people in the eye for months after quitting - not just strangers but friends and family. I really thought I was going to end up in an institution. I pretty much didn't leave my house for a year and a half, and when I did it was for doctor's appointments. They were so ignorant about benzo withdrawal they kept checking my thyroid and running all kinds of tests, even though I told them it was withdrawal. I wanted to give up so many times but I kept hoping something would change or I could learn to live this way. Fortunately, it did start to get better. I didn't notice it until two years later, but my parents say that I started improving after the first year. I doubt your experience will be as intense. Just be patient and focus on the fact that IT IS temporary.

 

[AnythingEverything]

Nobody on a forum can say for absolute sure but I had every one of those symptoms during benzo withdrawal, to the point I couldn't get out of bed. Twitching, jerking, fogginess, skin burning and feeling like it had electric current running through it, anxiety to the max, my resting heart rate was around or over 100bpm (normally 55 or so) tremors, sensitivity. paranoia, depersonalisation, and more more more, ugh there is NOTNING worse. My pupils were always huge like inwas on meth. I've done it a few times, last time from a higher dose of xanax (25mg plus) and could never make it through. My only optjon was to jump back on and taper which ive been doing very slowly for a few years now.

My symptoms also started after the second week, week three was the worst but it never really got better. I had the sharp stomach pains you mentioned on and off but I came off opiates at the same time. I also lost a lot of weight and didn't have any to lose to begin with.

People say it gets better, I never got to that point but im scared for when this taper comes to an end.

It sounds exactly like Benzo withdrawl to me, the symptoms, the tkme line, everyting, if you think it might be something else on top or feel like it's just not going to get better or you feel like you're going to have a seizure, please seek help. Best of luck, there really is nothing worse

 

[Storms-Of-Life]

Sounds just like benzo withdrawal. All the symptoms you've mentioned, it can be quite bizarre. But in time, it does eventually start to fade out....I had all of these symptoms years ago when I was withdrawing from benzos, and thought I was stuck in those symptoms forever...I had abused them for 10 years in the past, didn't know what else to do I remember just being desperate for help so I put myself in a rehab yet even after that I was still feeling very ‘off’ and not quite back to my old self. The only thing that helped, was forcing myself to eat right, going on walks to get some sort of exercise, and even prayed and used meditation to help with it, and actually, I've found just keeping things quiet as possible and trying out some meditation actually helped. After about close to 1 year it finally left...Wish I would have never touched benzos to begin with. I feel for you at the OP, I wish I could help more but like benzo girl said, and I believe this as well, that everything eventually will balance itself out...It seems like forever I do know but the only thing you have is time...Its a process you have to take it day by day. Wishing you the best at the OP.

 

[Napdmd]

Alright I am pretty sure this has to do with my benzo use now. Last night I slept only 1 hour or so in total. I tend to fall in a light sleep with some weird dreams just to wake up after 15 minutes feeling depressed and restless. Then I stay awake for an hour or so with racing thoughts. This whole cycle repeats itself the whole night. I talked to my psychiatrist today and according to him this is caused by anxiety and has nothing to do with my benzo use. I never had this kind of anxiety and these symptoms in my life! This guy is a quack! He wants to put me on a SSRI and seroquel. He dismisses that SSRI's and seroquel can cause a discontinuation syndrome and says pregabalin only starts working after after 2 weeks of usage. (From my experience it starts within 2 hours) I will take the seroquel for sleep but no way I am going to use a SSRI. I wish all of you the best in recovery and healing from this crazy drug.

 

[Moreaux]

Alright I am pretty sure this has to do with my benzo use now. Last night I slept only 1 hour or so in total. I tend to fall in a light sleep with some weird dreams just to wake up after 15 minutes feeling depressed and restless. Then I stay awake for an hour or so with racing thoughts. This whole cycle repeats itself the whole night. I talked to my psychiatrist today and according to him this is caused by anxiety and has nothing to do with my benzo use. I never had this kind of anxiety and these symptoms in my life! This guy is a quack! He wants to put me on a SSRI and seroquel. He dismisses that SSRI's and seroquel can cause a discontinuation syndrome and says pregabalin only starts working after after 2 weeks of usage. (From my experience it starts within 2 hours) I will take the seroquel for sleep but no way I am going to use a SSRI. I wish all of you the best in recovery and healing from this crazy drug.

I recommend you read some of the threads in the Mental Health section on Seroquil and Antipsychotic Drugs. I also recommend you do research on Seroquil before you begin taking it. If the seroquil is for sleep, there are other effective and less harsh options available, such as trazodone and melatonin. You may want to discuss those with your doctor. Trazodone and melatonin together allowed me to sleep during benzo withdrawal. Good luck!

 

[AnythingEverything]

Alright I am pretty sure this has to do with my benzo use now. Last night I slept only 1 hour or so in total. I tend to fall in a light sleep with some weird dreams just to wake up after 15 minutes feeling depressed and restless. Then I stay awake for an hour or so with racing thoughts. This whole cycle repeats itself the whole night. I talked to my psychiatrist today and according to him this is caused by anxiety and has nothing to do with my benzo use. I never had this kind of anxiety and these symptoms in my life! This guy is a quack! He wants to put me on a SSRI and seroquel. He dismisses that SSRI's and seroquel can cause a discontinuation syndrome and says pregabalin only starts working after after 2 weeks of usage. (From my experience it starts within 2 hours) I will take the seroquel for sleep but no way I am going to use a SSRI. I wish all of you the best in recovery and healing from this crazy drug.

Yep, definitely lots of us who have gone through exactly this in benzo withdrawal. It's awful, I still get it and im not finished my taper. I can't believe he said it was nothing to do with the withdrawal! Yes it's a lot to do with anxiety but the heightened anxiety is BECAUSE of the withdrawal! The worst anxiety I've ever had was in benzo detox, the very thing they are supposed to treat.

I found that for me, Serequol made the lucid, waking dreams a lot worse. I used to head the weirdest sounds and see visions on both serequol and zyprexa. However, I do know people it works for so do your own research and I guess its a bit of trial and error Unfortuntalely. Best of luck,it's not fun at all.