CT on Xanax - Rebound anxiety for years? Is it common?

[astralica]

I was going CT (due to sudden multiply paradoxical reactions) of a 7 years daily use of Xanax 2-3 mg.
As when the WD started, the anxiety was horrific intense.
I'm now 2 years off and its not as bad as it was but still struggling with high anxiety, it is not my "normal" anxiety that I had before benzos.
My question is, is it common to have this rebound anxiety for so long?

 

[FnX]

It may not be the most common experience, but there certainly are reports of and from people that have taken a benzo daily for a decade or so at a decent dose, which describe what is basically partially never ending withdrawal symptoms. It's like some people even after years (maybe never?) still haven't 100% stopped feeling withdrawal effects, almost like they were some partially learned autonomic behavior. Abrupt cessation (CT) or tapering too fast is said to increase the chance of having symptoms even after years of stopping use, as is a taking them daily for many years. From what I can remember, some people just try to live like that, some eventually try to go back taking some daily benzo indefinitely and some try to find the lowest possible dose of benzos they feel stable at and symptom free, then do a new slow taper from there, as if teaching the nervous system how to not be haywire 24/7 and how to feel other stuff besides stress.

It's possible that what you are suffering from won't fix itself by just waiting alone. Has there been noticeable progression with your symptoms in the past 12, 6, or 3 months i.e. does it feel like you're getting better and better, or has progress halted?

 

[astralica]

Thank you so much for your reply,
I notice improvements, many symptoms has passed but it's just the anxiety and the "disconnected" feeling that is still amped up, although the anxiety was even worse one year ago. So it is getting better but very slow.

This is also my second benzo withdrawal.

 

[Troglodyte]

I've read about many cases like yours, they tend to be much more common with CT cessation, as FNX said. My heart goes out to you. i know withdrawal of several kinds, and years of such torment, even just the lingering dread, is terrible. i hope you find relief.

It seems many people go back to benzos for a short peroid of time and taper to a very low dose. you mentioned a paradoxical reaction to xanax, have you tried other benzos? just because you had that reaction to xanax doesn't necessarily mean itll happen with all of them, it could, but not necessarily.

Also, there is a drug that can actually erase a benzo addiction in a day. its not free from side effects in some cases, but it seems quite effective. i have noidea why its not more well known and used often. maybe there is a reason, but from what ive read its very effective. it might help your case. but of course i dont remeber the name. it's been years. let me look around for you

 

[Troglodyte]

Ok, im pretty sure its Flumazenil i was thinking of. it seems to have the ability to reset your GabaA receptors when administered properly. After years of benzo use, your receptors change the way they behave and just stopping the benzos, esp CT can leave them altered. from the literature, Flumazenilseems to be able to fix that. I'm not a doctor, so go talk to one, and if they are stubborn and don't seem to know what it is, yet refuse to look into it, try another doctor to talk to, or somewhere that advertises that they use it online. but also do your own research. in addition, there are other, non-benzo, drugs that work for anxiety. you might want to talk to your doctor about them too. Good luck with everything, i hope you find peace.

 

[astralica]

Thanks, thanks a lot for your reply, I appreciate it very much. Also thanks for the Flumazenil tip, it's interesting.
I've tried Oxazepam/Serax long time ago, and my doc prescribed it again few days ago, but I haven't taken it as I'm reading about "kindling".
I'm thinking about to give the time a chance to see if it gets better, I heard it may take up to 3 years until Post Acute Withdrawal is over for some, is it true that it can take so long time?

Thank you very much once again

 

[astralica]

Bump

 

[femaletrouble]

What is this kindling regarding benzos?

 

[astralica]

Kindling is when Withdrawal gets worse every time you try to get off it.
Kindling is the phenomena which occurs as a result of repeated withdrawal from benzodiazepines or alcohol that leads to increasingly severe withdrawal symptoms, including an increased risk of seizures.

 

[Keif' Richards]

OP, first of all, welcome to Bluelight! I'm about to give you a diatribe that is probably going to be unappreciated, but here we go. Benzodiazepines are meant for strict applications of 2-4 weeks at most, as when they are used chronically, pesky and long-lasting symptoms tend to emerge. Withdrawal from these drugs is known to be quite devastating to the user. One of the primary issues faced by long-term Benzodiazepine users is the fact that their Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome tends to be debilitating and long-lasting.

I've written about my Grandmother and her fucking shmuck physician in the past, but yes, she is going through something quite similar right now. She is experiencing Benzodiazepine withdrawal and the woman has never smoked a cigarette. The syndrome tends to take quite a long time to fully abate. I see and talk to a lot of long-time prescription-users, many of whom were never illicit drug users, combing "the streets" for loose Benzodiazepine pills, "not so I can catch a buzz, just so I can feel normal". It's often overlooked, as the spotlight is really on the Opioids right now, despite Alcohol continues to kill at exponential rates.

The PAWS is most likely to last for the foreseeablt future, but there are things that you can do to help mitigate the symptoms. Are you a Cannabis user or would you consider becoming one? This is just the start. I've got a lot of shit in my wheelhouse guy.