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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

I have this weird feeling..help

ldawg616

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 25, 2012
Messages
261
Location
houston tx
About a month ago my doctor gave me a 30 day script of alprazolam 1-2mg a day. I basicly stopped taking them and tapered off some, but i feel like im in withdraw still, i feel disassociated wih my body, Im very shaky and whenever i try to touch something or grab on to it, it just feels really weird almost like i can't grasp on to it and my heart is beating really fast and it's hard to breathe.

is this benzo withdraw?
 
Sounds, like a high degree of anxiety. It is probably the combination of both. If you feel like you are dying or feel the world is closing in on you, go to the hospital and get checked out, if you cannot deal with it. Better be safe then being sorry.

Hope you feel better.

Benzo withdrawls are fucked....so if you feel really messed up you might need hospital assistance to get off those withdrawls.
 
Seems like it, yes. Although 30 days is quite short, alprazolam is strong and known to be addictive compared to longer half-life benzos.

Don't take uppers (coffee, tea, tobacco), if you can have some antihistamines take some, take a hot bath or shower, drink plenty of fluids and eat well, and your withdrawal symptoms will fade away quickly. 30 days is really not long enough to give you a massive withdrawal, although YMMV.

Good luck and keep us informed ;)
 
30 days of continous benzo use is not long, generally speaking, however alprazolam is a short acting benzo and requires more re-administration. Some consider alprazolam to be more addictive than other benzodiazepines, and frankly I can understand why, but all benzodiazepines have the potential to be equally addictive. Any way, you do seem to be going through benzo wd's, which really do suck and if severe enough can be dangerous. If you are a generally anxious person, benzo wd's may seem worse than what they are as VK pointed out. If they feel too overwhelming I might suggest a trip to the ER, where they will likely give you a benzo on the spot, and maybe a small script of probably Valium or Librium to taper of off. A taper is always best when kicking a benzo habit, but tapering with alprazolam can be VERY hard. If you are pre-disposed to seizures or are taking any drugs that lower the seizure threshold I might suggest a trip to the ER now just to make sure you don't have a seizure. When was your last dose of alprazolam, and does the wd seem to be getting worse or better?
 
Well the thing is that he had me on klonopin for a month, but i stopped taking it because it wasn't helping with my panic attacks. My doctor told my parents to give me the doses because of my addictive personality, and he told my mom to throw out the klonoping, but im so lucky that she didn't. i told her the situation and she told me she kept them just in case...so since i have only 10 1mg klonopin, what would be the best advice in helping me with this withdraw?
 
You can use the clonazepam to taper down...clonazepam and alprazolam are basically equally potent, except for the fact that clonazepam lasts a long time and takes longer to kick in than alprazolam does.
 
didn't read every post so forgive me if someone has already mentioned rebound anxiety. A large majority of the people who use benzo's short term experience heightened anxiety upon discontinuation due to 1. finally dealing with the issue the benzo's were being used to treat, and 2. whatever receptors which were receiving the effects of the alprazolam are no longer receiving it so they are screaming for more. It really is crazy what a few weeks of benzo "therapy" can do to your brain chemistry!

Try a hot shower. If that doesn't help enough you would do yourself a favor to go out and get some chamomile tea and/or other stress relieving herbals (make sure you check with your pharmacist for interactions with other medications you may be taking) to use as a crutch if things get really unbearable. Nature Made (the vitamin company) recently came out with a sleep gel that works great just for relaxation (of course you can use it for sleep purposes also).

You are not likely at all to have any kind of seizure unless you have some sort of condition that lowers your seizure threshold(you may or may not know about) and the best thing to do if you want to be benzo free is ride it out, but if you have any concerns that you may have a seizure go to the hospital. However, If you go to the ER they are just likely to prescribe you a few days supply of benzo and tell you to see your doctor asap.

I know it feels terrible I must have done it at least 50 times already, but I can tell you the jitters are gone in 2-3 days. You might still feel like you want to take a xanax if you run into a rough situation, but if you stick it out it will be over before you know it.
 
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I have been addicted to Xanax, a short acting Benzo and yes the WDs are bad and like you describe. The best thing I would recommend is what I did. Print out the ashton manual regarding your use and type of benzos and switch to a longer acting Benzo, like diazepam. My dr. Read it and scripted me first the Xanax I was addicted to and the same equivilant amount of diazepam. It's taken me longer than a year to taper but I was abusing for years.

30 days of using a short acting Benzo shouldn't be that hard to quit CT but everyone is different that's why I suggest a taper. Don't fuck around with benzos, worst drug on earth. I know several benzo addicts that have quit CT and have had seizures.

What people have said before is all true. Rebound anxiety, etc...

Benzo WDs are the worst but if you taper correctly, it's not too bad. I'm on the same boat. My mom doses out my medicine because I would probably take a thirty day supply in a few days. God bless moms :-)
 
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