Hello my name is lynn and Im really feeling lost. i hope you dont mind listening to my story because ive had alot of things complicating my health situation.

About 9 months ago i had a drug overdose and started to have panic attacks which is something i never had before. One month after my overdose, I was in a accident on a bus where the driver slammed on the breaks and I was thrown about ten feet into a metal bar. Luckily I had no visible damage and my catscan and MRI were clear. However after the accident i started to get severe headaches, intense muscle tension around my head and panic attacks triggered by the pain.

For the first time in my life i sought out psychiatric help which is something i have always disliked because i dont like pharmacuticals. I took robaxin for the head pain and alot of motrin. that helped. I then started on zoloft and propanoal to calm my anxiety but had horrible experiences of feeling to hyper and dizzy with those medicines. I then switched to gabapentin but that too also made me feel dizzy and out of it. At this point my anxiety started to become so intense- i would wake up with morning anxiety and started having racing thoughts along with all the head pain.

It got so bad my doctor put me on Geodin. that stopped 99 percent of the problem however it made me very tired and very out of it. I stayed on Geodin for a month and half and then couldnt stand it anymore so i asked my doctor to taper me off. As she took me off I had horrible dizzines and vertigo that got so bad i could barely get up and walk . my doctor then tried a sample of lexapro for a few days as substitute but that failed (same hyper feeling) and as I was getting of the Geodon she added ativan to the mix of drugs. I stayed just on ativan at a low dose for 2 months.
my mornings were horrible- very lightheaded when i got up, bad morning anxiety, nauseous and then feeling out of it all day.

the scary thing is i started to have moments when on ativan where my head felt slowed down and sluggish like i was going to faint and i would have these massive headrushes. I also started to get faint and weak on the ativan. i got really scared because i didnt know if these symptoms were post concussion or part of the effects of the meds. Every med i took i seeemed to have alot of side effects and was very med sensitive.


so after 2 months on ativan i switched to klonopoin and for a week that stuff was a miracle. No more morning anxiety- no more weird faint sluggish head feeling and i felt alot better but then i started to get way way to cloudy and brain fogy and i couldnt think straight. so after a month on klonopin i tapered entirely off all benzos. my total time on benzos with the taper was
2 months on ativan, 2 months on klonopin with the taper. As i tapered off, i had HUGE problems- severe dizziness, intense brain fog and depersonalization, panic attacks i never had before in my life, heart fluttering (constantly speedinup and slowing down), muscle spasms, weird traveling nerve sensations, feeling like my head was so buzzy and fuzzy i couldnt think straight. these things all came in intense waves.

Here is my question after all this-- I am currently 70 days off benzos- i am still having a roller coaster of problems that sometimes seem almost as intense as when i first came off the drugs. When i wake up i have morning anxiety and then as i get up and move around i become increasingly foggy,dizzy and out of it feeling. throughout the day this feeling morphs into differnt things that mimic either benzo withdrawal or post concussion or anxiety disorder- i get extremely dizzy and get pressure in the back of my head and throughout my body when i walk around and then sometimes that changes into a overpowering buzzing head sensation where i can barely think straight . i get piercing headaches that arent as crushing as the ones were when i first got hurt but pretty bad. the SCARIEST sensation i get is a feeling like that sluggish slow feeling i had when i was still on ativan. i start to feel like the blood is rushing out of my head and i feel far away and faint.
usually if i drink water i feel better. im always afraid im going to faint.

ive been to a cardiologist and have had my heart checked and its fine. I do not seem to have any visibile orthostatic hypotension or POTS. I also am 10 months sober and do not drink or use drugs nor do i drink caffeine. I am in trauma therapy and my psychiatrist and neurologist seem to thnk this is combination of post concussion syndrome and benzo withdrawal.

I feel really lost because sometimes i dont know what im caught up in. I get such intense head sensations they scare me. When i get that slow sluggish feeling i get scared i will fall and hit my head again. I also dont like how the head symptoms seem to be getting more intense lately. i was getting slightly better for awhile but it seems to have gotten bad again. Sometimes when i get up and move around i feel so almost immediately out of it and the back of my head feels heavy and i wonder what is going on in my brain.
When i was on meds i could exercise pretty good. but off meds if i exercise i get faint and weak several hours later and it kicks my symptoms up worse. somtimes i can just be getting up in the morning and ill get random bouts of faintness throughout the day and that scares me too.

I just want to know what im battling. I keep hoping its benzo withdrawal because some of my symptoms seem to really match it and ive talked to alot of people on the benzo support site who have these symptoms but then i also recognize that alot of my symptoms could be post concussion and im wondering if this what im going thru even tho i didnt have most of these symptoms on the meds. I wonder if maybe they were protecting me from them.

in any event i feel horribly at the mercy of my condition and am very depressed and have huge fluctuating changing head conditions throughout the day that scare me half to death. i am in constant communication with my doctors and my psychiatrist really wants me to ride it out without drugs to see what happens and to see if it clears up or if is post concussion. its something i wanted to do to. I had been hoping that most of my problems were caused by med sensitivity but i dont know anymore.

all i know is feel broken and scared about all the crazy things happening in my head. i hope someone here can shed a light on all this. i feel worse then i did 8 months ago and not knowing if my symptoms are a bad come off of benzos or if this in fact what im left with after the benzos and maybe this is such an intense state of anxiety its effecting my head so badly and these symptoms are the post concussion. its hard to tell. i know sometimes i feel so scared from everything ive been thru and some of these head sensations worry me.

thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate any advice, thoughts and comments.

have a nice morning
Lynn

Welcome to Neuro Talk. You found the right spot to get a little compassion and help. I hope alot of others will jump in and talk to you too. PCS forum have alot of good folks, going through what you are. This PCS doesn't just got away. It takes time from my understanding. After 70 days off the Benzos, I don't really think withdrawl is an issue anylonger. You really were not on them all that long to begin with. Your doctors need to address this situtation a bit more in a concrete way. If you have to seek another professional, don't be afraid to do so. If you are this upset all the time, that doesn't help your recovery. I hope you get more support while going through this. If you can get by with a natural approach, suppliments etc. it may do more for you than going back on a medication. Before I accepted more medication I would seek another opinion. Sorry this happened to you. We do care here on Neuro Talk. Folks have been through alot. Mark from Idaho, knows alot about PCS, and I hope he responds to you. Private message him, if you don't get a responce from him. Very knowledgeable person on this condition. I hope you heal quickly. I care too. ginnie

Lynn,

I am so sorry for all that you have been through and all that you are going through right now.

I am not a doctor, but from what you have described, it seems as if you need to try something different.

First of all, you said that you have seen a psychiatrist. But have you seen a therapist? At this point, talk therapy, maybe cognitive behavioral therapy or something along those lines would help. Therapists do not prescribe medications, but they could help you to deal with the panic attacks.

Another thing that I would recommend, just based on my own experience, is meditation. There has been a lot of research done by Jon Kabat-Zinn in Mindfulness Meditation. The course that he developed is given all over the country. I think that UCLA even has an online course.

I would highly recommend his book called Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. His program has helped countless numbers of people with all different kinds of problems. You can get the book in any library or online.

The way that Minfulness Meditation is taught it is not affiliated with any religion. You don't have to believe in anything to see if it can help you.

The third thing that I would highly recommend is finding a skilled acupuncturist. A good acupuncturist can certainly help with anxiety and panic attacks. Acupuncture is also used to treat people who are addicted to drugs and can help with drug withdrawal - even though it sounds as though your problem is more related to PCS than to drug withdrawal. But one never knows.

Another simple thing to try is Rescue Remedy. It is completely natural. It is one of the Bach Flower Remedies. You can get it in any health food store, and they can tell you how to use it.
It works very gently and naturally. A friend of mine uses it on her cats when they have any trauma.

I hope that you find something that helps you. If you have any questions, you can private message me.

Please let us know how you are doing. The people on this website really care.

All the best, ShellyK

lynnR,

Your post is hard to follow regarding your meds. Your history and combination of meds suggest you need to go slow. Your body and brain have a lot of recovery ahead. You need quiet rest to limit the risk of anxiety and allow your brain to heal.

You should also be icing your upper neck as often as possible. 15 on, 30 off with a soft icepack. 1 part rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol to 3 parts water in a zip lock baggie will make a flexible ice pack. Make a couple so an ice pack is always ready.

Check out the thread called "Vitamin supplements" for my suggested vitamin regimen. You likely need to plan on 2 months of quiet rest and good nutrition to start to see lasting improvements.

Keep us informed. Please limit paragraphs to 5 or 6 lines so those of us with visual struggles can read them easier.

My best to you.

did you ever try the Keppra

Hi thanks for answering my post Ginny,shell and Mark

Mark - sorry its a bit hard to read. i'll try to break the paragraphs up better

Just to sum things up . Where i am at 70 days off Benzos-

my current symptoms are morning anxiety with increased dizziness,brain fog as soon as i get up. My head often feels so out of it and dizzy when i walk its been pretty extreme. Im also having what seems to feel like periodic drops in my blood pressure (even tho i havent really caught it dropping below 100/82)I get random bouts of feeling super slow head and sluggish and weak and faint.ive been to heart doctor and have been cleared of heart problems.I was starting to feel a bit better coming off benzos but it seems to have taken a turn for the worse and instead of having some evening window times where i feel good i often feel awful all day.

I get random nerve sensations moving in my arms and hands. I also recently in the last two days have had this new thing where i feel a crawling sensation in my throat that causes it to tighten a bit and then the crawling sensation moves into my chest and into my stomach. Last night i got a random painful cramp in the side for no reason. My heart still palpitates alot and has done this since i came off benzos. I also have alot of days where i get piercing headaches and head pressure and chest pressure along with feeling very out of it.

I feel like my whole body is out of whack and its overwhelming. Alot of these thiings i never experienced before being on medication.


I am not working and am regularly seeing a psychiatrist and i have neurologist. I also have a good therapist.
Is any of this common symptoms for post concussion? i think my fear is that i am getting more and more disabled by all of this. i dont know what part of it if any has anything to do with benzo withdrawal or with my body trying to recalibrate itself.

Mark- If there are any tests, scans or anything you recommend me doing please let me know. would be great to hear your story /experiences

thank you for your time. this is a very difficult chapter of my life and i often fear that after years of drug use, overdose, head injury and bad pharmacutical experiences that i have somehow caused brain damage or some major malfunction and that i will never be well again, this is the worst ive ever felt in my life.

lynn,

My first concern is that you have a neck injury. It get aggravated from time to time and gets inflamed. This inflammation decrease nerve function. So, you have two things to focus on. One, get a doctor to look at your upper neck. Sometimes, a physiatrist (Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine) may be a good choice. Second, ice your neck and pay close attention to your neck posture, especially when you sleep. Sleep with a straight neck with minimal pillow.

You drug history will be with you for life. These nerve symptoms sound like they are treatable. Make good friends with your ice packs. Get going on a vitamin supplement regimen. Your abused brain will need the regimen for life. Even without neck treatment, you can minimize the neck caused symptoms. Ice and good posture.

Hope you can get some relief.

My best to you.