Cne2007: Burning pain and akathisia

[Cne2007]

Here is my story:

 

12/27/21 Panic attack with buzzing in head
12/29/21-1/26/22 Sertraline 25mg-buzzing in head “seemed” to turn into facial spasming, tinnitus, facial pain, internal vibrations, head pressure, eye going dark and eyelids spasming,  terror-quite cold turkey
1/15/22-2/7/22 alprazolam.25 off and on one pill per day
Absence seizures
10 and 20 minute bout of tachycardia
2/7 Intense facial burning started occipital burning 
2/7/22-3/3/22 Lorazepam .5 tapered  3/4 tab for one week, 1/2 tab one week, 1/4 tab one week.  Internal vibrations began at night before my next dose
2/14 gabapentin 300mg at night for intense facial burning. Went up to 600-800 per day for two weeks, tapering down as burning was relieved a bit.  Still on 100mg at night. 
After last dose of lorazepam body went numb then Burning pain all over my body intense motor all day akathisia set in. Severe insomnia. 
Small Facial spasms and neck spasms which are constant. 
Burning mouth with weird taste. 

 

My question now is how do I continue on my road?  I don’t feel like reinstating the sSri is a possibility.  I’ve been off of the lorazepam for about 20 days.  But the akathisia is not letting up.  I had burning in my face after the sSri discontinuation but after the lorazepam I now have is all over my body.  Do I reinstate the lorazepam to try to relieve the akathisia and body burning? I’m nervous to be on gabapentin for too long, but I feel like I’m being tortured. I don’t think that it is nerve damage as I have had a few windows from the burning.  No windows from the akathisia, just lessening and worsening. I have intense insomnia.  Maybe slept 1 hour last night. Is the burning permanent? Is the akathisia permanent?.  I apparently did not taper properly as I had no help from the doctor who prescribed them.  

[Cne2007]

Reinstate? Please help, akasthia, insomnia, burning pain

 

I need help know what to do. I am currently 24 days off lorazepam.  I am still having akathisia All day and night, like micro muscle spasms in all parts of my body.  I feel like I made a mistake in tapering.  I did not taper the sertraline as it was causing bad symptoms.  I tapered the .5 lorazepam for three weeks, during which time I developed widespread akathisia and intense muscle spasms in my neck.  I had all the other symptoms from being on the sertraline (had internal chest vibrations with sertraline but they were different than what I have now.) there has been no remission of the akathisia or neck spasms.  I’m worried that I’m make a big mistake by not reinstating and following the slower taper which I’m now learning about.  I am terrified to have all these symptoms for the rest of my life.  What should I do about the lorazepam? I do not feel I can go back on the sertraline. 

 

12/27/21 Panic attack with buzzing in head
12/29/21-1/26/22 Sertraline 25mg-buzzing in head “seemed” to turn into facial spasming, tinnitus, facial pain, internal vibrations, head pressure, eye going dark and eyelids spasming, terror-quite cold turkey
1/15/22-2/7/22 alprazolam.25 off and on one pill per day
Absence seizures
10 and 20 minute bout of tachycardia
2/7 Intense facial burning started occipital burning 
2/7/22-3/3/22 Lorazepam .5 tapered 3/4 tab for one week, 1/2 tab one week, 1/4 tab one week. Internal vibrations began at night before my next dose
2/14 gabapentin 300mg at night for intense facial burning. Went up to 600-800 per day for two weeks, tapering down as burning was relieved a bit. Still on 100mg at night.
After last dose of lorazepam body went numb then Burning pain all over my body intense motor all day akathisia set in. Severe insomnia. 
Small Facial spasms and neck spasms which are constant. 
Burning mouth with weird taste. 
worried I might be getting pssd-burning

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic and reformatted text

[Frogie]

@Cne2007

 

Welcome to SA. We are a volunteer run site, helping members like you taper off antidepressants and benzodiazepams or have tapered off and are now healing.

 

This is your introduction page where you will receive information, ask questions and meet other members. We ask that each member only have one introduction page so we can keep all your information in one place.

 

First, can you please create a signature. Thank you.

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

 

Just reading what you wrote, you were on "1/15/22-2/7/22 alprazolam.25 off and on one pill per day". Did you taper off? 

 

Then, "2/7/22-3/3/22 Lorazepam .5 tapered 3/4 tab for one week, 1/2 tab one week, 1/4 tab one week." This was way too fast a taper. Your body becomes dependent on a benzo in as little as 2 weeks.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

What is withdrawal syndrome?

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's withdrawal symptom checklist

 

You tapered off the gabapentin much too quickly also. We don't suggest more than 10% a month, and a lot of members go slower than that.

 

Tips for tapering off gabapentin (Neurontin)

 

At this point, I would go back on the lorazepam. You need to take it every 8 hours to be steady in your bloodstream as it only lasts about 10 hours in your system. Will you be able to obtain a prescription so you can stay on it quite a while and taper off of it very slowly?

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

 

We don't suggest a lot of supplements on here because they can be very stimulating to the central nervous system. We do suggest 2. If you want to try one, try it in a small amount and wait a few days before introducing the other.

 

Magnesium

Omega-3 Fish Oil

 

After you read these links please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

 

 

 

 

[Cne2007]

I did not taper the alprazolam as I was told I could switch to the lorazepam.

 

What do you suggest for the gabapentin?  I have not quit taking it yet.  

 

Am I still in a good window to try to reinstate the lorazepam?  Stopped 25 days ago.  I really don't want to make things worse. I was on .5 once a day.  What amount would I reinstate?  I assume my doctor will provide the liquid if I ask for it.  Thanks so much for your time.  

[Cne2007]

adding onto my previous message...

 

My problem in reinstating is that I don't know exactly what symptoms I will be trying to lessen by reinstating.  After starting to taper from lorazepam is when the full body akathisia and neck dystonia really ramped up.  As I had referenced before, I have ended up with quite a few side effects from the sertraline before using or discontinuing the alprazolam and lorazepam.  In regards to the akathisia and neck dystonia, how do I figure out if the akathisia and dystonia where a result of decreasing the lorazepam or whether it was a symptom of the sertraline which was being covered up by the lorazepam and then emerged after lessening the lorazepam?

 

 I do feel like I am getting waves of symptoms getting worse throughout the day.  The symptoms do not go away in between, just lessen.  A wave for me during the day looks like a chemical taste coming into my mouth, followed by a dry feeling in my nose, my ears start getting pressure and vibrating more, along with more burning and vibrations all in my body and head.  I also have waves in regards to how good or bad the weeks go.    How do I even know that adding in the lorazepam now would help things at all, or would it just end up hurting me in the end? 

 

I had hoped that things may have started to turn around a bit, but it seems like my nervous system is getting more sensitive the farther out I get.  If I lay my arm on something for awhile the nerve starts burning, if I try to sit down for awhile, the nerves in my sacrum started to feel sensitive and i get coldness, numbness, burning in my lower body.

 

I am definitely nervous with the amount that my nervous system feels sensitized to both reinstate or not reinstate.  Thank you so much for reading my message and helping me as I feel so alone right now.

[Frogie]

@Cne2007

 

Thank you very much for creating your signature.

 

I would hold on the gabapentin and not stop it or taper it. You tapered it too fast and you need to stabilize on it.

 

As far as the lorazepam, yes you could reinstate it at .5 mg, however, you need to split that into 3 doses a day. So you would take .167 mg every 6-8 hours and it needs to be taken consistently and on a schedule. Liquid would be best so you can take an exact dose it that is possible to obtain.

 

Here is a link on your brain benzos.

 

 

The sertraline could be reinstated at 1 mg to see if that would help. It would take about 7 days or so before your body registers the reinstatement and we could always updose a little as needed. It is easier to start at a small dose and move up a little at a time that take a huge amount and have to taper off of it if it causes too many symptoms.

 

I know this is a hard decision to make. I would re-read the links I provided and see what the best option for you. Please reach out with any other questions you may have. 

[Cne2007]

The sertraline was giving facial muscle spasms all over my face, tinnitus, internal chest vibrations as well as altering my thinking.  I really feel that withdrawal from the sertraline caused all my burning facial pain.  Do you usually recommend reinstating if there are adverse reactions to the meds?  But I also don't want to  have intense facial burning pain forever either.

 

 

Do I just ask for lorazepam in a liquid form or is there a specific concentration I am asking for? I tried to find that info in the reading but wasn't successful.  

[Cne2007]

Do you have any thoughts on the adverse reaction to sertraline? In regards to reinstating or not. 

 

is there a specific concentration of lorazepam liquid To ask for? I feel like I am in the late part of the window for reinstating but if it would help with the akathesia or burning then I would do it. I’m very nervous about having prolonged akasthesia.  Do you know of people who have reinstated and found relief of these two symptoms?

 

Thanks so much for your time, I really appreciate it. 

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by ChessieCat
Resized font