Need help with protracted withdrawal - Biscotaki

[biscotaki]

Thank you so much Joy ..I am so sorry that you are suffering these days ..:( I am sending you prayers to find some serenity and releif today and every day ..
I went through the dreaded speech problem yesterday, and I too thought I was having a stroke ..!!
It was the scarriest experience ..Joy did you reinstate a tiny amount of your AD to help with WD?
And if so, did it help you?
Thank you also, for all the help you are sharing with me, how neat is that ..:) I will try the magnesium ..Can you tell me where you found it? Would it be at a drug store,?
I am grateful Joy for your kindness and support..
I pray that you will have peace ..xx

[Joy]

Thank you for your prayers Biscotaki, that is kind. I agree it is very neat to think you can talk to people from other countries and help each other. I had been on various medications for the last 18 to 20 years..initially my complaint was anxiety. Things got worse on AD's and I fell prey to the belief that the doctors knew best and were my only hope..and they said I need drugs so I took them..Never again! I tapered off my medication fairly quickly. I thought it was ok, but I see people do it much slower on here and I am sure that must alleviate some of the discomfort. I took Omega 3's from the beginning so I think that helped me too...but personally I wouldn't want to start back again. However, I understand the wisdom behind reinstating at a low dose and then tapering very, very, slowly. You have to decide based on your symptoms and ability to cope with them. I am done and don't want to ever look back.
You can't buy the magnesium in a pharmacy but possibly in a health store, mine came from a company, HEALTH AND WISDOM INC. They have a website that you can order off of.. www.health-and-wisdom.com
I have magnesium chloride and add it to honey 2x a day. The chloride is easier for your body to absorb. You can take it as food as well as use it as a foot rub if you wanted too. There is a lot of study that has been done on it..but look it up for yourself and see if it is right for you.
I hope you are enjoying your day.
Your healing buddy,
Joy

[biscotaki]

Thank you Joy, our stories sound similar ..I wonder how long has it been since you went off the AD 'S completely ..It has been a bit over 3 months for me ..I was hoping that as time goes by, that symptoms would lessen ..But it was not to be ..The 4 th month started with new and debilitating symptoms ..:(
Was it the same for you?
Thank you for sending me the magnesium link ..That was very kind ..I think I will do as you ..Purchase the oil mix with honey and use ..Do the directions tell you how much of each to use?
I assume you eat it Joy, is that right?
I am asking you so many questions ..I hope I do not tire you ..
Also Joy, are you able to move about freely?
Because most of my symptoms are in my head and neurological system, I am limited in what I can do ..Walking in my home for instance to the door and back 3-4 times, floods my head, I become dizzy, and need to rest ..
What a horrible situation that befell us ..:( But as you say, we will recover and be whole again ..
Wishing you a peaceful and blessed night ..
Thank you for all your support ..I believe you are an angel ..xx

[biscotaki]

Sheila, I wonder if there are any other fellow sufferers here, who 's AD symptoms are in the head mostly.
I experienced a very frightening episode yesterday, that totally incapacitated me ..
Also are there any people suffering from benzo interdose withdrawal ..?
And can you please tell me what other options are available, besides reinstating a small dose of an AD ..?
Thank you ..I am grateful for any help ..biscotaki

[Sheila]

That’s great your hypothyroidism is in remission and you don’t have to take anything for it.

You have a lot of new information here to absorb and think about. You have to weigh the current w/d symptoms and what they do to your BP against going back on a small dose of, say, Lexapro with the aim of tapering off it slowly. There is no guarrantee that that would work. If you reinstate 2 mg of Lexapro, I think the worst case scenario is that you will feel the same, since you’re already in rough shape.

The other option is to tough it out with your current virtually cold turkey w/d, slowly adding some helpful supplements like Omega-3 and magnesium. And maybe find a way to have less interdose w/d on the Ativan at the same dose.

Think about it, read more, ask questions, heed your intuition and guidance. You will definitely recover from this w/d, bisco.

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Would it be OK with you if we moved this thread to the Journal Sub-Forum where it can continue to be your on-going journal? That's where we put threads like this, which is basically one person's journal. People will have no difficulty finding it there and continuing to post on it.

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Tell me, again, what precisely you mean by head symptoms, and I’ll think who has had them. But, I can assure you already – you are not alone.

Read what I wrote above, think about it, and then we can discuss if there are any other options we haven’t mentioned yet.

I don’t think there’s anyone here right now with benzo interdose w/d. Check out the sites Parox gave you.

I know this is very scary. But it *is* temporary. And others have trod this path before you and come out the other side. It’s all a very bizarre experience, but what you’re going through is classic and common and will end.

[biscotaki]

Aww Sheila, thank you for all the information ..I will do as you suggest ..read, digest and weigh the options ..
Yesterday, I went through a very painful crisis ..I wrote about it earlier ..
My problems start with my head ..There are sensations of squeezing in the back of my head, shivers, numbness, fullness, some sort of electrical zaps, headache, dizziness, nausea, and just total distress to my head ..This brings my blood pressure up, and my whole being is in distress and in a debilitated state. ..I cannot support myself, I have total body weakness ..I am frightened to open my mouth and speak, because it feels as though words may come out making no sense ..
It is the scarriest I have gone through ..Yesterday it lasted most day ..I think neurological problems joined in too, because of the weakness, the tingles beneath the skin ..Just a horrific state to be in ..:(
..
And so, I wonder if anyone else has gone through this ..
I do not mind you moving my thread at all ..I have not had a clear head to gett acquainted with the site yet, but I am
sure that I can find it ..
Thank you again for the support and reassurance ..It helps so very much ..I am frightened with all this, and I appreciate the support ..God bless ..xx

[Luc]

I know precisely what you're describing, Biscotaki. In one of your previous posts, you mentioned it felt like having a stroke, total weakness of the body along with other symptoms. It's your body trying to adjust to new conditions (functioning without drugs). Part of this experience might have been also fuelled/or it then caused panic attack/s, which in itself are a WD-symptom. It feels terrible, but it always passes. Very many people who suffered from WD experienced it too. Hang in there!

[Joy]

Good Morning Biscotaki,

I hope today you are feeling better again.
I would have to look up to see how long but it must be 2 months or close to it that I have been completely off of AD's.
The magnesium oil I got through a friend..and never had any directions, but it was purchased from the website I gave you. I take approx. 1/4 teaspoon 2x/day, and extra when I feel upset. Some people will have diarrhea with it so start at a lower amount. I never had that problem with it. Initially it caused a little rumbling though. Yes, you eat it..however you can also use it on your skin..and there is a gel version of it if you want to do a foot rub. with it. I mostly like to eat it with honey to hide the bad taste. I just use a teaspoon of honey or less and the mix in a little bowl with the magnesium oil.
No, Biscotaki, you do not tire me out. Yes, I can move about freely. I have some different symptoms than you. But tiredness and feeling unable to cope or face the world or the social demands it makes and the noise, light..are some of mine. At times I unable to physically or mentally do anything. I would be hard pressed if I had to go out to get my own groceries or had to depend on myself totally. I would suggest, not that I have mastered this yet, that you just go with it...don't push it..do what you can or want and then if possible lay down. Gradually, I would expect you will find your mobility will increase. Other times I will fee very good and free, and for a short while I forget that I have a problem. I am hoping one of those times drops by soon.
You are welcome for the support. It isn't one sided, it helps me to talk to you too!
Joy

[biscotaki]

I woke up this morning with terrible weakness ..I have not been able to do simple things ..I can feel my head being enveloped with numbness, and the weakness, and dizziness start..I have been laying on the couch waiting for it to pass ...Unfortunately "it just does not want to let go ..:(
Along with that problem, I am experiencing breathing problems ..My sinuses feel plugged, (do not have sinus issues) my chest feels constricted, my heart is palpitating, and my stomach is bunched up and hurts.
I assume this may be anxiety .. Has anyone gone through this? Please respond if so ..
These symptoms are so hard to bear, especially when they show up together ..:(
I would appreciate some encouragement ..Thank you, and God bless all who are hurting ..

[Luc]

Yes, Biscotaki. These are WD symptoms; palpitations, chest-tightness, numbness, dizziness. The anxiety is, too, chemically-induced, by which I mean it's caused by the very fast (almost cold turkey) taper of SSRIs. We're thinking of you.