Who's Stuck on Benzos?

[RandomAccess10]

Be careful with these drugs - I had my life ruined by mirtazapene, quetiapine and lorazepam... Which one I don't know however turned out to be ototoxic or other I assume.
Have hearing loss, Tinnitus, and worse of all eye movement issues where my eyes won't stop moving...
I was taking lorazepam for 2-3 months, 5 months ago, no idea if these problems I still have are drug withdrawal or not assuming this is permanent

 

[Kelvin]

Be careful with these drugs - I had my life ruined by mirtazapene, quetiapine and lorazepam... Which one I don't know however turned out to be ototoxic or other I assume.
Have hearing loss, Tinnitus, and worse of all eye movement issues where my eyes won't stop moving...
I was taking lorazepam for 2-3 months, 5 months ago, no idea if these problems I still have are drug withdrawal or not assuming this is permanent

Lorazepam is a horrible FILTHY drug - see my previous comments. Took it in 1997. Have never forgotten it...

 

[Cal18]

Thanks Kelvin.

 

[Cal18]

@RandomAccess10 I have also been ruined by Paxil and then again by 5mg of Celexa. Post Celexa reaction I was provided with a low dose mirtazapine which I refused.
I have heard of the eye movement thing, I think it seems to be more prevalent with antidepressants. Did your lorazapam use overalapp your AD withdrawal? I wondering if it covered it up then appeared once you stopped the lorazapam. I don't think it's going to be permanent. How many mgs of lorazapam were you taking?

 

[RandomAccess10]

It was 2mg of Ativan ( Lorazepam ) as and when needed.

He gave me a lot of those little 'Blue Perils' - as I now call them.

They are FILTHY drugs, but very effective. They do save some peoples lives if they are having a bad seizure for example. Just watch a film of someone having a seizure and being given a Benzo Like Ativan to see how powerful it is !!!

Like you I was so so mad that I wanted to sue my GP, but I found out its almost impossible and very expensive. He has since died young - Karma X

Its crazy they still prescribe this stuff in 2017 for longer than say Three days. They are being negligent as they know full well that lots of people suffer badly when they withdraw. It was less well know or reported when I withdrew in the 1990's

Just go real SLOW, even though you are probably dying to get them out of your system.

Hopefully you have a good GP and he will advise on the length of time and method.

Sounds like you are clued-up and you will be fine with a supportive GP.

I wish you a happy and smooth landing X

Why did the doctor die?

I was on lorazepam for 3 months pushed on me when my anxiety was high, which was all the time due to not wanting to take anything. I got hearing loss virtually straight away from remeron, seroquel, and lorazepam all ototoxic or side effects... I didn't know what the hell was happening making it my anxiety go out if control!
I'm screwed now, gaze instability, hearing loss and tinnitus...
The hearing loss was fluctuating, it's not anymore, but I wrecked high FREQ by having oxygen therapy assuming these withdrawal symptoms (if they were) were CO poisoning... I could of been right who knows, either way I'm screwed. The audio career i had is gone.

I just wish the eye wobble from my vestibular disorder would stop!

Anyone think this could possibly be withdrawal? Last benzo etc was 5 months ago...I know my hearings done

Good info about the dangers here;
http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/beware-of-benzodiazepinesnasty-time-bomb-ambushes-the-unwary/

 

[RandomAccess10]

@RandomAccess10 I have also been ruined by Paxil and then again by 5mg of Celexa. Post Celexa reaction I was provided with a low dose mirtazapine which I refused.
I have heard of the eye movement thing, I think it seems to be more prevalent with antidepressants. Did your lorazapam use overalapp your AD withdrawal? I wondering if it covered it up then appeared once you stopped the lorazapam. I don't think it's going to be permanent. How many mgs of lorazapam were you taking?

Thanks for the reply. I was withdrawing from lorazepam during antidepressant withdrawal. The eye wobble thing started when I was coming off mirtazapene.

Have you heard of it before? Any success stories? My vision is completely screwed visual snow, dim, wobbling, all seem like symptoms of optic neuropathy which scare the hell out of me, but it could be drug withdrawal? ¿ I lost control now paying for it! forced into hell...

 

[Kelvin]

Why did the doctor die?

I was on lorazepam for 3 months pushed on me when my anxiety was high, which was all the time due to not wanting to take anything. I got hearing loss virtually straight away from remeron, seroquel, and lorazepam all ototoxic or side effects... I didn't know what the hell was happening making it my anxiety go out if control!
I'm screwed now, gaze instability, hearing loss and tinnitus...
The hearing loss was fluctuating, it's not anymore, but I wrecked high FREQ by having oxygen therapy assuming these withdrawal symptoms (if they were) were CO poisoning... I could of been right who knows, either way I'm screwed. The audio career i had is gone.

I just wish the eye wobble from my vestibular disorder would stop!

Anyone think this could possibly be withdrawal? Last benzo etc was 5 months ago...I know my hearings done

Good info about the dangers here;
http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/beware-of-benzodiazepinesnasty-time-bomb-ambushes-the-unwary/

My doctor died of brain tumour.
I wouldn't wish that on anyone but it felt like Karma to me.
My doctor swore that the physical effects of withdrawal couldn't last longer than the drugs half-life. About a day !
However a psychologist later said to me that this was just silly. He had seen many people take their own lives withdrawing from Benzo's. Including an athlete who had been given a Benzo for Knee pain - FFS.
My physical effects ended from abrupt withdrawal following 3 months of Ativan about SIX months later .
The psychological effects lasted over TWO years. To be honest it still haunts me a bit now. So sorry If I sound like a anti-benzo preacher.
Its CAN be that bad if your 'sensitive' to it.
The word sensitive her is not meant to imply a weakness just BAD LUCK.
These PHARAM companies are just drug pushers in a suit.
That said, there are clinical uses for Benzo's but they are limited to emergency 'fitting' and anxiety.
I wish you all the luck in the world buddy - things do improve.

 

[Cal18]

@RandomAccess10 You should check out the surviving antidepressants forum. Symptoms can last a long time unfortunately but they do go away. The fact that you withdrew from both at the same time has definitely made things a bit harder on your body (we never expect these things to happen because we aren't warned by doctors or told how slowly we need to come off).

 

[Cal18]

@SleeplessSoul Sorry to drag you in on this thread but I read that you had a worsening of T after cutting your Ativan dose. I was wondering (and hoping) if that had settled down for you eventually. A few of us are freaking out on here.

 

[RandomAccess10]

@RandomAccess10 You should check out the surviving antidepressants forum. Symptoms can last a long time unfortunately but they do go away. The fact that you withdrew from both at the same time has definitely made things a bit harder on your body (we never expect these things to happen because we aren't warned by doctors or told how slowly we need to come off).

Yeh the stupid doctors in my case said thetes nothing wrong when I'm sitting there unable to hear and my eyes jittering about all over the place...so stupidly I took matters into my own hands and had oxygen therapy that created lots of nice reactive oxygen species permanently screwing my hair cells when they might of been OK... Thanks NHS you absolute c*"ts.
Tho If this is drug withdrawal it's pretty harsh, my eyes wobble and have a haze over them too. The TV and faces appear double, yeh Suicide is something I think about hourly
Can only hope things improve

I had no taper off by the psychiatrists who prescribed just given like sweets to shut me up, horrific practice really

Checked out the surviving antidepressants forum thanks for the info

 

[Cal18]

@RandomAccess10 I have been there, trust me. The good news is you're off the drugs, unfortunately it happened the hard way, but you're still off. The first few months are the worst for sure. I actually went to ER for bad double vision after my recent reaction and also had blurred vision for months with my Paxil withdrawal but it all got better. You will keep thinking you have been permanently damaged but it's not true. You can't let these thoughts get the best of you.

 

[Alue]

So, I know it's not a benzo, but what's the deal with wellbutrin? I've seen several people on here say they got T from wellbutrin, but it's not listed as ototoxic, tinnitus isn't even listed as a side effect.

 

[Cal18]

@Alue You can get T from an antidepressant but it's much more likely to happen during withdrawal. I have not seen any kind of scientific explanation as to why some people might get T while starting or being on them as they aren't "really" ototoxic. I read it might have to do with fluctuations of serotonin. But if that's the case, not sure why some are bigger offenders than others. Drugs suck.

 

[Kelvin]

Yeh the stupid doctors in my case said thetes nothing wrong when I'm sitting there unable to hear and my eyes jittering about all over the place...so stupidly I took matters into my own hands and had oxygen therapy that created lots of nice reactive oxygen species permanently screwing my hair cells when they might of been OK... Thanks NHS you absolute c*"ts.
Tho If this is drug withdrawal it's pretty harsh, my eyes wobble and have a haze over them too. The TV and faces appear double, yeh Suicide is something I think about hourly
Can only hope things improve

I had no taper off by the psychiatrists who prescribed just given like sweets to shut me up, horrific practice really

Checked out the surviving antidepressants forum thanks for the info

Yep, all those symptoms could easily be due to Benzo withdrawal.
I was told by a highly qualified Psychologist that the list is almost endless.
Go easy on yourself buddy.
The depression will clear but probably takes the longest time.

www.benzo.org lists some possible symptoms as - you will see eyes, vision and motor changes ( twitches etc ) figure heavily : -

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha03.htm#8


"the nerves to the muscles are hyperexcitable, leading to tremor, tics, jerks, spasm and twitching, and jumping at the smallest stimulus. All this constant activity contributes to a feeling of fatigue and weakness ("jelly-legs"). In addition, the muscles, especially the small muscles of the eye, are not well co-ordinated, which may lead to blurred or double vision or even eyelid spasms (blepharospasm)."

 

[Willpowered]

@Cal18 How are things going with you? Im another one on the benzo train. 1mg of klonipin. Dont think its doing much just helping me sleep. Thinking of checking out the 5htp just to help my mood but it seems like anything that effects seratonin sends my t through the roof. Hope your hanging in there. Let me know when you can. Thanks.