Terrified!

[Melly1209]

I think a few of you know that I switched from Alprazolam to Lorazepam. And now aI don't know what 's wrong! I'm having burning sensations, swaying floor feeling, pounding heart at night, severe tension, insomnia, no appetite muscles jerking and twitching in legs at night, fear. Could it be the transition? This is scary. And I can't get the Alprazolam again until the 19th. Somebody please help! I'm scared I'm going to have a seizure. I have nobody to talk to about this.

[amandalouise_]

I would get an emergency appointment with your doctor or take a trip to the hospital.

You really need to get your bloods taken.

[Melly1209 in reply to amandalouise_]

I had blood tests ran last week. They were all normal. You don't think my symptoms are due to switching?

[amandalouise_ in reply to Melly1209]

If they came back normal, I would say it could be from switching. You will have to talk with your doctor again. Sounds like side-effects.

[Melly1209 in reply to amandalouise_]

Yes they all came back normal. I think Xanax is way stroner than Ativan. I don't know ehat else this could be and I am absoltely scared to death!

[rebecca3455 in reply to Melly1209]

Yes they are from switching and possibly a bit of withdrawal symptoms. Nothing to stress about❤️

[Dolphin14]

Why did it get switched

[Melly1209 in reply to Dolphin14]

I asked him to. I thought the alprazolam wasn't working but looking back, it was. I just wish someone could help me. Maybe then I could calm down. Thank you for your reply!

[Dolphin14 in reply to Melly1209]

I'm sorry you are going through this. Sounds awful.

My only suggestion is to call the md.

[Melly1209 in reply to Dolphin14]

He won't listen to me. Not anymore. I had a horrible surgery last March on my colon, and had to see him once a week for a long time. Now, when I go in there he acts like he can't stand me. So I'll get no help from him...at least not until the 17th. But I'm going to run out on the 15th. That gives me 3 days going cold turkey. Then I will be in the hospital. All the best to you. 💜💜

[Dolphin14 in reply to Melly1209]

Oh boy, cold turkey is not good as you know.

Drs can be so maddening.

[Melly1209 in reply to Dolphin14]

True but it's what I'm facing. And I'm scared and don't know what to do. I guess the only thing I can do at this point is wait and go to urgent care. 💜💜

[Dolphin14 in reply to Melly1209]

Agree.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Dolphin14]

Just a thought could you try cutting the dose in half

See how you do? Mayb stretch the drug out a bit. I'm not sure I'm allowed to say that here lol.

I don't see it working that great of you are already having problems.

I would hope urgent care or someone would order three pills for you since having none would not be good.

I would take a firm stand and speak up for myself. I always say I'm not there to make friends. I try to be kind and understanding at appointments but I won't keep quiet if something is in my best interest.

[Melly1209 in reply to Dolphin14]

I don'think that will work. I really don't think I'm gonna get out of this one alive. Not being dramatic, but this is horrible. Now my bottom jaw is jerking. I'm so scared that this is something serious...like a brain tumor. Oh but wait! I thought I had a brain tumor in 2007 while coming off of Xanax. And I was tapering with Librium in a controlled setting. I remember the other patients coming off of it felt like they had brain tumors too. And these drs. like mine. They all want to throw anti-depressants at us. Well, I've tried several of them and they made me so sick I threw them out. It's sickening that ppl had to start abusing and selling them. They're the ones who got us into this mess in the 1st place. Now a person who really needs them and doesn't abuse or sell has to suffer. 💙💙

[Dolphin14 in reply to Melly1209]

I had a dependence on Ativan and it was awful. Over time the body just requires more. The antidepressants are supposed to help decrease the need for the Benzo. However you do have to find the one that works and that can take weeks to figure out.

I wish I had some solid advice for you. But someone has to listen to you. Do you deal with a psychiatrist?

I would go armed to the doctors with a print out of what rapid withdrawal from benzodiazepines does to the mind and body. If you are denied medication I would pull out the piece of paper and in my sarcastic way would state.. perhaps you aren't aware of this..

[Melly1209 in reply to Dolphin14]

He still didn't believe me Dolphin. The last time I saw him I told him about my stress induced seizure activity and wds from benzos. He was such a jerk. I don't think he believed me! He put me on xanax almost 7 years ago. He even accused me of trying to get him in trouble. Broke my heart as we had a great dr. patient relationship. I don't know what to do. I'll try urgent care, but I don't they'll help unless they see me in a seizure.

[Dolphin14 in reply to Melly1209]

Wow that is so crazy.

Keep me posted.

[rebecca3455 in reply to Melly1209]

You will get out of this alive. Go to an urgent care of ER and they will cover you for a few days as cold turkey is dangerous. Also almost every Dr I work with will not prescribe a benzo alone. First they want you to try an SSRI or an SNRI and they might give a benzo short term until your body gets used to the new medication. Lexapro and Zoloft work well for anxiety disorders. So you may need both?

[Elfje in reply to Melly1209]

How much whas you taken from the alprazolam? Because the switch you can but no lorazepam is stronger but another molecule

I taken aprazolam to 1 mg in the morning I have too always wake up with fight flight mechanism

My psychiatrist told me taken enough

So you learn the know your anxiety than taken less if days goes better

I taken ones lorazepam when the anxiety whas huge

Never again that knocked me out

[rebecca3455 in reply to Melly1209]

You don’t have Ativan or Xanax until the 17th? You can’t stop benzodiazepines cold turkey

[Melly1209 in reply to rebecca3455]

I can get them refilled on the 17th. The actual fill date is the 19th but he can fill them 2 days early. I really don't have any choice. I have to abruptly taper to 1 mg then for 4 days I won't have anything. I don't think this will turn out well and I'm scared. I can't take anti depressants of any kind. I've tried them before and they all shot my bloid pressure up and gave me horrible panic attacks. I don't know what to do!

[rebecca3455 in reply to Melly1209]

What about propanol, it’s an old blood pressure med that they use for anxiety, or have you tried seroquel? Even though it is considered an antipsychotic, taken at night it helps sleep and also lowers anxiety. Another one to try is lamictal which is an anti seizure med but helps with anxiety. Just throwing out options to consider.. just seems like lowering your dose so fast, you might need something to help you through the tapering process❤️

[Cicinoodle]

Here is a list of side effects

Drowsiness

Dizziness

Tiredness

Muscle weakness

Headache

Blurred vision

Sleep problems (insomnia)

Loss of balance or coordination

Forgetfulness or amnesia

Difficulty concentrating

Nausea

Vomiting

Constipation

Changes in appetite

Skin rash

I would stop taking it until you discuss with your Doc.

My Mom took it and was hanging over her wheelchair when I went to visit.

It's not a good med for the elderly, so why wold it be good for anyone?

[Melly1209 in reply to Cicinoodle]

A person can't just stop taking it. That causes withdrawals that could result in seizures and death. My anxiety is so severe that I don't have the side effects that you mentioned. And anxiety disorder runs in my family. It'even striking my 2nd cousins. Thank you for your reply. All the best to you! ❤❤

[Cicinoodle in reply to Melly1209]

Sounds like there could be seizures either way if you are having bad side effects.

Go back to the prescriber and let them know what's happening and also try yoga/ meditation. vagus breathing.

They took my Mom off the Ativan and she was much better. Everyone's different.

Once you get on the medication bandwagon I guess they have people convinced there's no turning back. Might be why there are so many addicts in this world. Just be cautious.

Good luck to you.

[Elfje in reply to Melly1209]

No not true

That is what Google say

I have experience in switch and I had never seizures

So don't make someone more anxious

The doc know what he do

But whe don't know how much the doses is so

[Hidden]

Call a pharmacist, doctor, or visit an emergency room if things get overwhelming, though it sounds like you might be at that point. While technically speaking a benzo for another benzo should be okay, it depends. Some hit more receptors of the brain than others which is why, even with benzos, tapering off of one and onto another is the way to go (Ashton method). For instance, alprazolam hits more receptors than clonazepam. In some cases, moving from one to another is okay and I'm sure your doctor opted for this. That said, I was moved from Xanax to Ativan briefly and experienced worsened anxiety, felt awful, and so on....and this was in one day. Much like any medications, some work better for some than others. Ativan should hold you over but it does sound related to the transition if you have no other conditions that would cause all that you're feeling. I will say this...depending where you are from...if you are in the US, be prepared for skepticism and being called a drug abuser if you do opt for an ER visit. Many will only fill you a small script if any at all. They'll sustain you, likely with a shot instead of a pill, so that you have enough until you can see your doctor. I say this not to scare you, you'll be okay, but more in that ERs hate the bitter dispute of handing out controlled substances and taking care of the patient. Obviously, it is all in that specific doctor's opinion. Get help when possible for now and make plans for a doctor's visit to straighten this out. Depending how much, how long, and how often you've taken Xanax, you may need a tapering dose off of Xanax to the Ativan. Ativan is pretty strong, but Xanax is strong in its own right. Just make sure to be honest, truthful, and open about what happened so you don't come off as a habit seeker. I have been there and it felt awful being lumped with those folks. I truly wish you the best as I know this feels terrible. Take care, go get some help at an ER/urgent care for now, make an appointment with your doc and please update us how things turn out.

Edit to add: I saw a psychiatrist when switching from Xanax to Ativan. The biggest mistake she made was dose equivalency. Each one has its own strength. In my case, I was given an amount of Ativan that was only a quarter of the Xanax I had taken daily....so it was basically nothing but fanning the flames. Check out, just for your own knowledge, a benzo equivalency calculator. It allows you to see the best educated guesses of how much of Med X = Med Y.

[Melly1209 in reply to Hidden]

I know what you mean about urgent care/er visits. They treat you like scum if you even mention the word anxiety. But I don't know what else to do. My dr. won't help me either. He knows that I don't abuse because in all the time he's had me on Alprazolam, I've never had an early refill. Not once. He's always been very understanding...until the last time I saw him. I'm hoping he was just having a bad day? I'm so scared of these symptoms. I have had seizures from withdrawal and stress before. My heart pounds, legs twitch and jerk, vivid dreams, anxiousness, but the weirest symptoms are the floating feeling and the icy feeling in my upper back, upper arms and chest. My dr. has me on the same dose of lorazepam as I was on Xanax. I remember having severe anxiety in 1997 and another dr. gave me lorazepam and it really didn't do anything to help me. But when aI was switched to xanax a few years later, man. I just transitioned overnight and I couldn't believe it. They worked so well. Much better than lorazepam ever did. So there has to be something to the xanax theory. My own experience, my sister's and my brother's and although I don't sell drugs I did date the drug cop in my hometown, and he told me the best sellers were Valium and Xanax. Sad, but true. Thank you so much for your reply. If you have anything to add, I'd appreciate it. ❤❤

[Hidden in reply to Melly1209]

Absolutely and yeah I think it would be good to just tell the ER exactly what you said here. It's clear Xanax is the better medication for you. Your doctor might be getting heat from boards or above prescribing it. My own psychiatrist has said all benzos are now seen as the enemy....understandably so...but for those of us who do need it, I would think your case of going back to it would be strong. I've felt the same things you mention and it seems almost exactly how I felt. Nothing feels right...and the moment you take Xanax, I would bet if the feelings going away, there's your answer. Scary that it holds that much power. I'd get the quick fix for now and then let your doctor know what happened and what it did to you. Hope it all goes well and I'm sure all will be okay.

[Indigojoe in reply to Melly1209]

Some meds just do not agree wit you.

Relax, and let tHe med wear off next time. lay down and chill if this happens again. In the 70s this was a welcome response to a drug, it was called, a trip.

Trust yourself to know what works and what doesn't, but don't let freaky creepy symptoms mean anything, if you can help it.

They suck, they go away, and you tell the doc, NOPE, not taking THAT again.

You OK now?

[Melly1209 in reply to Indigojoe]

I love your reply! I was thinking about doing this earlier. I haven't taken a lorazepam since last night. I am hoping that when I take it tonight I will feel something other than this horrible anxiety. My muscles are so tight on my back, neck and even my bottom jaw. I'm just severely worried about having a seizure. Again, your reply was awesome!!! 💖💖

[rebecca3455 in reply to Melly1209]

Ok now it makes sense all of these symptoms... he took you off Xanax and prescribed the same mg strength of Ativan? Not close enough so what you are feeling are withdrawals. Not a medical emergency but super uncomfortable. Hopefully your dr will put you back on Xanax, but if he is unwilling perhaps he will increase Ativan dose? Let us know

[Elfje in reply to Hidden]

Degree

[rebecca3455]

Xanax is almost twice as strong as Ativan so if you were taking day 1 mg of Xanax you would need 1.5-2mg of Ativan. Some drs change to Ativan as it lasts a bit longer and has a longer half life. You will NOT have a seizure as they are both benzos so even though you are most likely having a bit of withdrawals, you are not in medical danger. Although I’m sure it feels like you are. So is the dr going to put you back on the Xanax on that date? I hope so if it was working for you.

[Melly1209 in reply to rebecca3455]

I hope he does. I'm going to see him tomorrow. I didn't realize that Xanax was stronger, unfortunately I've found out the hard way. The problem is that I've taken way too many to get the same effect that I got from the Xanax. So now, I'm going to have to taper down to 1 mg. Alprazolam then for 4 days I won't have anything. He'll never fill them this early. My question to him is what can I do to not have a seizure. I've had those before and they're awful. I can't get them filled till the 19th. Some of them went missing too, when I had the bottle in my hand and my arms flew out uncontrollably causing some of the medicine to go down my air conditioning register. Otherwise I'd be much better off than I am now. Getting drs to believe us is another problem. And this one never will. He thinks Xanax and Ativan are of equal strength. I think he'll dismiss me as a patient tomorrow even though I've never had an early refill, haven't asked him for painkillers and always saw him every three months like I was supposed to. Thank you for replying. That means a lot to me. 💜💜💜

[Agora1 in reply to Melly1209]

Melly, the time that my Lexapro flew out of my hand and practically a full bottle

was spilled onto the floor, I called my pharmacy and they said they would give me

another bottle. They can only do this one time but since accidents do happen, I

got a full bottle of my medication.

Another thing I found out is that if your doctor is out of town and you run low on

your prescription, sometimes they will give you what is called a "bridge" prescription

to tide you over with just enough until you see your doctor. Good Luck tomorrow xx

[Melly1209]

But is lexapro a controlled substance Agora? I'm not sure. These drs and pharmacists around here make us feel like drug seekers. I don't think they'll do that here. They'll tell me to go to my dr and have him deal with it, which he won't. They won't even give me a few of my heart pills to tide me over. They never have and that's very dangerous. This whole thing makes me mad. Thanks to all the dealers and abusers out there!

[Agora1 in reply to Melly1209]

I know Melly in that it's unfortunate that the good people who respect and follow the orders from their doctors pay the price of having to stop suddenly. The whole thing

makes me more nervous than anxiety itself. It's worth a try. Since you are seeing your

doctor tomorrow he will advise you as in how to proceed with this issue. (I hope) xx

[Melly1209 in reply to Agora1]

Thank you so much. I'm going to try. I'll let everyone know what happens. If he does nothing, I'll be haunting the ER for days I guess. And even they don't believe in the hortors of withdrawal. Maybe it's a Kansas thing!