XANAX for electrical zaps

mrsD · 03-16-2013, 04:55 PM

I don't think you will have a problem switching to Klonopin.

But alot depends on the doses involved. If you are on the high end of Xanax, then the Klonopin dose may be too small, but there is
alot of wiggle room for adjustment, and people are different.

Your PN could be due to the Xanax... it is a hard thing to wrap your head around, but the pain comes back bigger and bigger, over time with these drugs.

Marie33 · 03-16-2013, 05:46 PM

[QUOTE=mrsD;966643]I don't think you will have a problem switching to Klonopin.

But alot depends on the doses involved. If you are on the high end of Xanax, then the Klonopin dose may be too small, but there is
alot of wiggle room for adjustment, and people are different.

Your PN could be due to the Xanax... it is a hard thing to wrap your head around, but the pain comes back bigger and bigger, over time with these drugs.

MrsD,
Do you mean the xanax could have actually caused my PN?

I am only on .5 xanax 3 times day. Is there a Klonopin dose that could cover this amt? I find sometimes, when Im having a PN flare up , (I think) the xanax helps calm it dwn a tiny bit. Ive never noticed that the xanax causes "rebound" PN pain, but it deff causes "rebound anxiety.

mrsD · 03-16-2013, 05:49 PM

So when the Xanax wears off you have more pain, and want another Xanax.... it is a very common trap.

There is alot about this on the net. I just haven't put it all together yet. But Cyclelops here ran into this problem. If you search members list for her recent posts, she goes into her
battle with Klonopin.

So yes, in the short run there is relief...but as time passes you enter into the cycle of more pain, needing more Benzo. It is rather inevitable IMO.

Synnove · 03-16-2013, 07:17 PM

[QUOTE=Marie33;966580]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Synnove

Hi Marie 33
I take Lyrica 100 mg in the morning, 100 mg at 2 pm, and 200 mg at bed time. Lately, this not completely control my pain. So the doctor has told me yesterday I can increase the dose with another 100 mg in afternoon. I have not tried that yet, that is a very high dose. The maximum dose, the doctor said, is 600 mg daily, but that is very high, usually it is 400 mg a day.
I have recently seen a neurologist that is a teaching professor in neurpathy. He has sceduled some tests. I hope this doctor can help me find the cause for this terrible neuropathy. The most scary and disturbing, is the same as you also have, the vibratin buzzy feeling that I feel coming down my back and vibrating in torso. This new doctor told me that this symptom is also neuropathy. I also have leucocytoclastic vasculitis, and have a rheumotologist that is treating me and so far, we really have not found any other autoimmune disorder, other that I do have hypothyroidism. And I do have old herniated cervical disc.
Yes, I find the Xanax helps me at bed time. I have had many, many sleepless nights due to vibrating and buzzing in body, and burning all over.

How are your symptoms with the vibrations in torso? Do you have an autoimmune disease? Do you have any muscular disease? What testing did you have?

Hi Synnove
Sorry you are suffern with this horribe "disease".

You are on a high dose of lyrica, with not much relief. I thought 400 was the max. Do you have any side effects? I can not get past 100 day! My neuro/doc wants me to start amytryptiline (elavil) start at 10mgs. Have you tryed Elavil this yet? maybe you should consider tryn elavil instead of increasing your Lyrica, seems you are already "maxed" out and its not helping you too much. They say elavil can help you sleep too..
I get terrible painful pins & needles in my legs mostly. Sometimes the pins & needles feel so "tight" , it gets so painful. I also get buzzing and tinglin in my legs ,its not in my torso, but I feel buzzing up and down both legs and sometimes it feels like vibratory feelings in my legs..uugh! I also get Painful pins & needles in my fingers & toes, burning under my feet, even burning patch-like feelings on my back and on my stomach. Im startn to feel tinglin on right side of face and around my lips amd inside my mouth. Im a mess..Its not everyday but its constant and sypmtoms move around!

I had many, many tests (since 2011) so much bloodwork in the last 2 yrs and more tests done recently, (except for the Athena Lab bloodwork-which is supposed to help find hereditary markers).Everything comes back NORMAL. I do not have any autoimmune disease, no muscular disease, twice I had EMG & NCS, both times a yr apart were normal. I feel well , I have strenght but have all this pain , this is ruining my life! Finally in Oct 2012 my Neuro did punch skin biopsy, that showed My SFN!! normal range is 5.6 and above, my test showed 4.70. No other signs of any diseases or disoders. I guess I am fortunate in that way, but I am suffern with so many symptoms and still have no cause!! I live in pain and fear from day to day not knowing where this Beast will progress too. So far no autonomic sypmtoms, but lately I have been feeling little bouts of feeling warm & sweaty even when its not warm in the room, guess its startn to mes with my sweat glands(?)..hmmm.

Hope your doing better today, How do you like your "teaching professor?" I have been to 6 Neurologist , I Live in Long Island NY, I have been to the South Shore and now im seeing a "teaching" Neurologist on the North Shore at Stony Brook Univ. I have an appt for 3/20 with a Neurologist at Cornell/Weil Mediical Ctr in NYC., Im actually contemplating if I should go! Where do you live? Can you relate to any of this crap!! No ryhme or reason..just suffern that has taking away my quality of life

sorry this is so long....

Hi Marie33
I have had EMG some time ago, negative. I started to feel real sick with a lot of different symptoms later on. Now I have a lot of numbness. Numbness has increased over the last few months. Now I have numbness up to knees. Urinary problems has increased, due to neurogenic bladder. I have had MRA s of head, neck and brain to rule out systemic vasculitis, negative, thank God. I have had ct scan of lungs. Latest, I had bronchoscopy, it showed some bilateral bronchial stenosis. I have had cardiac work up. Now I am waiting and hoping this new neurologist can find the reason for my neuropathy. I am sceduled for EMG of , I think all 4 extremeties. We did discuss regarding a nerve biopsy. I want that biopsy, it might help in diagnosins. When the burning pain first started, the rheumatologist prescribed Neurontin, than she later changed it to Lyrica. Now that is not holding And this medicine do cause dizziness. And it is expensive.
I hope we all get better sooner than later.

Synnove · 03-16-2013, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrsD

I understand the need for some relief. And Benzos like Xanax, etc do work in the short run.

But in the long run the pain, zaps, and whatever will increase, and you will have breakthrough events until the next pill. Basically they are affecting and enhancing inhibitory neurons and have some anti-seizure effects. Valium is given for post-icthal seizure stabilizing when people have grand mal seizures. This is to prevent slipping back into another grand mal.

The benzos have different 1/2 lives, and wear off differently.

Xanax is the fastest acting, not meant for long term use for pain.
Ativan is moderately acting...
Valium is long acting.
Klonopin is the longest acting, and will have the least breakthrough. But it is the most addictive.
As people age, they cannot clear these drugs properly and so
warnings for the elderly are up for the whole Benzo family today.

All of them are discouraged today, because of the rapid habituation to them. Getting off these drugs is very painful and takes weeks to months.

I am going to add this drug family to our Medications post in the subforum, soon. But I have been too ill to do it until about now.
Maybe this week or next.

So they do give some relief in the beginning, and seem wonderful. That effect does change with time however.

Mrs. D
Thanks for your input.
Can you give me any clue regarding when this kind of nerve pain attacks will ease off?
When people have neuropathy, I know it becomes and is cronic. It does not realy heal. But does it sort of go into some sort of remission??

My struggle has lasted for about 1 year now.Before that, I thought the numbness I felt was MS, due to the fact I had MS lesions on my brain MRI. But I believe they have ruled that out now, ( the pain was not so bad until a few months ago, now getting worse.)
Taking this medication for these symptoms is not good for long term, it is just symptom relief. I can not imagin me taking this Lyrica for very long. I feel very bad. And I can not imagin having these pain burning, vibrating and feeling like fine tremors inside. Regarding the Xanax, my PCP prescribed that to me some time ago, just after I had been off from my job a few weeks due to a small CVA. I have had a lot of issues, and it was making me a little anxious.

Synnove · 03-16-2013, 08:10 PM

Mrs.D
Thanks for the input and information.
Can you give any information on what is normal for people with neuropathy. Any idea regarding : I understand neuropathy is a cronic condition.
But does it ever ease off, like come into remission?
I can not immagin having to take this medication for long term. Lyrica is for symptom control only. I am so fully aware of that. This is what is scaring me. I also can not immagin not having any relief from this terrible condition.

Is ther flare ups and remission in this condition?
You see, I do not have pain under feet and only that, as in diabetics neuropathy. I have it ALL OVER.
And in addition to burning, I am trembling inside.
Regarding Xanax. PCP prescribed that due to anxiety due to all medical issues. The neuropathy pain kept mee up many nights.
But I have wondered if I should ask for something different. I am not actualy so anxious

Marie33 · 03-16-2013, 10:27 PM

[QUOTE=Synnove;966674]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marie33

Hi Marie33
I have had EMG some time ago, negative. I started to feel real sick with a lot of different symptoms later on. Now I have a lot of numbness. Numbness has increased over the last few months. Now I have numbness up to knees. Urinary problems has increased, due to neurogenic bladder. I have had MRA s of head, neck and brain to rule out systemic vasculitis, negative, thank God. I have had ct scan of lungs. Latest, I had bronchoscopy, it showed some bilateral bronchial stenosis. I have had cardiac work up. Now I am waiting and hoping this new neurologist can find the reason for my neuropathy. I am sceduled for EMG of , I think all 4 extremeties. We did discuss regarding a nerve biopsy. I want that biopsy, it might help in diagnosins. When the burning pain first started, the rheumatologist prescribed Neurontin, than she later changed it to Lyrica. Now that is not holding And this medicine do cause dizziness. And it is expensive.
I hope we all get better sooner than later.

Hi Synnove
When did your neuropathy and all your symptoms start? Why did you have your first EMG? Did you have a skin punch biopsy to dx your PN? I hear the nerve biopsy is painful and can injure the nerve and leave permenant pain and numbness. The golden standard test today for dxing small nerve neuropathy is the skin biopsy. Thats how I was finally diagnoised. Are your bladder, cardiac and lung issues related to something else , or is the neuropathy causing these problems for you?

My neuropathy started with burning feet and tingling in my calves. It slowly moved up to my arms and hands. Now I have pins& needles, buzzing, tingling in my arms, legs , hands and burning in my feet and sometimes on my torso. I do not have any numbness. Are you gonna stay with the lyrica, why take a higher dose if the 400mg is not helping? Have you thought about trying something else? Do you take any supplements like Aceytal L Carnitine, R Lipoic Acid or Coq10. I am taking these and I find they are helping, but its a slow process. Hang in there..

mrsD · 03-17-2013, 02:40 AM

There are hereditary neuropathies that really have no treatment other than symptom relief.

There are neuropathies due to some nutrient imbalance, and when that is fixed, these will improve.

There are neuropathies from trauma. These may heal but take time. Some viral infectious ones are in this category too.
Spinal pressures or nerve root compression are examples.

Neuropathy from autoimmune disease, has to be treated for the autoimmune aspect. If that is reduced, then the neuropathy can recede.

If you use a drug that is a known neuropathy causer, then continuing the drug will cause more damage. Same for toxin exposure, heavy metals, solvents, pesticides, etc.

The general postings here have been negative for sural nerve biopsy. But the sensory skin biopsies do show if nerve densities
are low or not and don't cause long term damage. All you need do is keep the skin biopsy area clean and free from infection.

The sural nerve biopsy can cause permanent damage and pain in that part of the foot. They don't always heal up well. This biopsy doesn't show much either. You already know you have problems. That is all it shows. It doesn't show WHAT is causing anything.

There are hereditary neuropathies that cause numbness and loss of muscle mass over time. Charcot Marie Tooth is the general name for them. They are diagnosed with DNA testing, but this is expensive for some people.

Lyme disease affects the nerves, and can be difficult to diagnose as well. Did you have IgG and IgM tests? Tests for antibodies? All those blood tests?

mrsD · 03-17-2013, 07:26 AM

Here is one article: Protracted withdrawal syndromes from benzodiazepines:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...40547291900234

I don't have a membership so we are limited to this abstract.

This article discusses brain damage and cognitive impairments in chronic users:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...story-minor-tr

There is quite a bit of information available on the net about the cognitive worries concerning long term use of these drugs.

This is the Wiki on them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzodiazepine

And do not suddenly stop your Benzo if you have been using it every day for a while. These drugs lower the seizure threshold over time and sudden abrupt discontinuance may cause a seizure in patients otherwise not labeled as epileptic.
A careful taper is best, therefore, and supervised by your doctor.

Synnove · 03-17-2013, 05:19 PM

Hi, thank you Mrs. D
I think I need to explain my condition better.
Neuropathy started 18 months ago, first I thought it was MS, due to Lesions of demyelating suspessious of MS. I think it has just about been ruled out now. I have had repeat MRI every 6 months. I had the MRI due to cerebral aneurysm. The aneurysm was repaired, and I went on to recover. Was on dual antiplatelet theraphy. Had a small stroke due to coming off the Plavix too soon, so I was off work for a little bit. Was started back on Plavix. Had a few cerebral angiograms to check on aneurysm stent, due to suspecious stenosis noted.
I have an old C-6-7 herniated disc, this have had some flareups witht the radiculopathy type pain usually treated with Medrol dose pack. So I know what "pins and needles are
In April I had acute brachial neuritis with neuromuscular i8nvolvement. Tthe pain was the kind of pain one has in labor pain. I could actually see the muscle going in to spasm in arm.

Then in the fall I started to have autoimmune type of symptoms with Levido Reticularis everywhere on skin, mostly extremeties, and aslso other discoloration of skin on legs. Was diagnosed with vasculitis

The Neuropathy pain started late fall, and rheumatologist started me first on Neurontin, than changed it to Lyrica in January. It has helped the pain, but makes me a little dizzy.

I have now seen a neurologist that Has finally diagnosed the small fiber neuropathy. He is a professor at a medical school at University Hospital specializing in neuropathy. He took a good history and did a good neuro examee. He said" for sure this is polyneuropathy" He said no need for nerve biopsy. He also notised in my medicak that I had club foot as a child which I had surgery for as infant and repest in first few years. He concentrated on this and started to investigate re genetic history. I did not know there was a connection.
I now hav scedule EMG.
Lately: Due to the fact that I had commented regarding Xanax, I must mention that I have never been a person taking any kind of medicine like this before. I took Percocet only once or twice in my life, and that was after surgery, and that is it. My PCP had ordered it due to I had so much struggle and worries with all this illnesses. I have been taking )0.25mg daily as needed, and taken it sometimes at night. Belive me, I have had sleepless nights. And I am aware of side effects. Regarding the Lyrica, I know it needs to be slowly tapered off.
My neuropathy pain is not like only pain under feet( I actually never had that, like diabetic pain) Now I have burning all over body, and tremor like feeling down inside my spine. The neurologist said it is neuropathy. I have many nervesd involved, also autonomic.
But it is very good you educate regarding the danger of Benzodiazepans.

My goal is that the doctor find the cause of the neuropathy. I think I might need a LP.
Hopefully the cause is something treatable ( I know there is some that are not) I think they have ruled out Wegeners, even though the bronchoscopy showed bronchial stenosis. Yes I have had all the blood tests, Lyme negative, Sjogren negative( even had lip bx), was treatedall lupus tests negative. IgM IgG negative, HAD mra OF ALL THE MAJOR BLOOD VESSELS. NEG

So I was saying, I do not have diabetes, I do not have alcohoIism, do not have HIV, I do not hav liver disease, I do not use any drugs, so now we have to find any auto immune. Perhaps it is due to the vasculitis, or possibly to some genetics

I have stopped Lipitor, And stopped Plavix, stopped Plaquinil for now due to eye problems. I take some supplements

Thanks for support, rest asure, I do not have any dependancy problem, I only mentioned that this had helped for my sleeping at night.
I now

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