Antidepressant and Benzo Withdrawal SUCKS! Friends Chat About Protracted Withdrawal Hell

[@kylemacdonald9496]

I was on benzos for 12 years and had 3 years of withdrawal but thankfully I wasn't on an antidepressant. You guys will heal though eventually.

[@Carnivorelion]

Ya benzo withdrawal is the worst. I've been worse with Cymbalta withdrawal but it also gets worse the more you kindle these meds. Anyway, ya I look forward to the day I'm past this stuff.

[@debrag.3900]

I have several of these symptoms from vector-borne illness. This video is helpful to me. Here is to healing for all of us. Thank you for your vulnerability. You are brave. Best of luck to you.

[@Carnivorelion]

Thanks for listening Debra.

[@jenrich111]

Keep up the good fight. Suffering is hard and so is loss, grief, the 3rd year of pandemic, the recession and inflation and poverty. Keep believing in our worth.

[@Carnivorelion]

Thanks Jen. Really appreciate it.

[@dragonfly1126]

Great talk guys. Dan, I also was an admin on a national benzo support board, and did it for about 4 years. I know what you mean that you see all the horror that the members don't, and it becomes a trigger, and one has to step away. That is normal, even for crisis counselors who are not sick. We can only take in so much of other peoples trauma, and the suicides and deaths from malpractice...Appreciate your discourse, and it helps to hear how these symptoms are so common in my experience, and the experience of friends. It doesn't trigger me, but confirms these sxs are typical. I have found guided meditation very helpful, FYI. My next best tool is exercise, I yoga, bike and do the gym as I can. I get fed up with being sick and say fuck it, I am going to ride my bike for a couple hours. I live in a ski town, so a bike ride is about 15 minutes of pumping, then 45 minutes of sitting in nature, and so on. I could not do that if I were in a city. I have to have a life, even if it has the potential to make me feel worse. I am sick anyway, so why not do healthy emotional, physical and mental things when I can. Keeps me out of despair unless I go acute. I don't go to the market, too much stimulation, but rather order grocery delivery. I know what is too much stimulation. And sometimes, I have to do it. I take care of my grandchildren a couple weeks a year when my daughter has to travel for work. It is over stimulating, but at the same time delightful, because I love those children so much, and they love grandma and grandpa very much as well. We are very fortunate to have that bond, and they will have good memories of us when we pass. They will be here tommorow for a week. I am accepting that it will overwhelm me, so I will focus on the best parts and then devote myself to recovery when the children go back to Mommy. You both have a lot of experience with wd, and it shows. You accept and take a lot of it in stride. Peace upon you both independent of the illness.

[@Carnivorelion]

Thank you Beverly. Your comment means a lot and I wish you peace, love and happiness.

[@NolanHawkeyeAnthony]

I stopped taking benzos (Xanax and Klonopin) 1 year and 1 month ago cold turkey (Not for everyone) after about 7-8 years of use. I am now a program coordinator (Management) my KZbin channel has 1K subs and counting, I go to church every Sunday, my social life is way better, I’m shredded again like I used to be when I played college water polo (Workout big time), Go to the gun range, ref basketball games and I. Looking to several other things as well. I still have symptoms but I’m so glad I stopped and my life has improved immensely. I’m also glad I came across this channel as well!

[@Annalwayslearning]

It’s beyond me that they can put you on this stuff but not give you support to help get you off again. I’m so sorry you’re suffering like this and wish you all the strength and patience in the world to get you both through it 💛

[@Carnivorelion]

Thank you Anna.

[@bethesky_yogi]

You will heal provided you start adding healthy natural foods be it any diet. Apart from diet and excercise, the actual yoga which means union of mind body soul will be the key in any healing. Which has healed me. If you want I can share my experience over email. May we be in union with the mother nature all the time. Aum!

[@Carnivorelion]

Ya please do. I'm currently doing limbic and mindfulness training which is really helping. [e-mail]

[@bethesky_yogi]

@Martin Adien I just do what my body conciously guides me to😊 It not only heals the nervous system but also enhances creativity and strength

[@NolanHawkeyeAnthony]

I’m also going to start a high meat diet and let everyone know my results

[@GCT1990]

16 months off Ativan and holy crap I've gone back into acute. My symptoms currently 1) So many forms of weakness just throughout my body. Even heat sets me off 2) left arm, left leg feeling like they're pulling/weakness and numbness which shouldn't be possible 3) Head pressure and sensation is stupid crazy. 4) Food sensitivity. Everything including water bothers me 5) Visual and perception dysfunction is fucking crazy. Visual snow, yellow spots, seeing things, flashing lights when eyes are closed, hallways stretching, grainy vison, hyper focused with no way to turn it off and helluciations Currently had 136 symptoms but these are my main ones.

[@Carnivorelion]

Do you know what set you off?

[@syntholshoulders1842]

How lomg where you on them thamks

[@Carnivorelion]

@@syntholshoulders1842 myself 3 months.

[@derekyates7394]

Hi Guys, I gave up Alcohol 5 years ago and the benzo experience you mention mirror my moods and experiences. I am still having milder anxiety and horrible thoughts and realize the same nuero transmitters are targeted by Alcohol and benzo's thus should not be a suprise. Perhaps it would be useful if you could link the two drugs withdrawal horror?

[@azeminasuljic1558]

Can you please explain to me to concept of kindling. I googled it I still don’t understand fully what it means.

[@Carnivorelion]

Simply means going on or off or up and down on these drugs.

[@azeminasuljic1558]

@@Carnivorelion So if you Kindle what kind of symptoms do you have?

[@sea_hous]

Do you have a video on your shift from Lion to Gaps? Is there a reason you attribute your brain changes to the diet instead of the med your tapering or some residual damage?

[@Carnivorelion]

No but I should chronicle my GAPS switch. My brain atrophy may be due to something else but I know I was quite undernourished on carnivore.

[@Tilr701]

I have been going through benzo withdrawals for the last 3months and one of the symptoms is insomnia. I have been thinking of going on to anti depressant. Really don't know what to do

[@Carnivorelion]

Please don't!

[@Tilr701]

@@Carnivorelion hey I got some gaba powder. I thought I would see if would help in some way. What do you think, have you tried it?

[@Carnivorelion]

@@Tilr701 please don't. It will prolong your withdrawal even if it makes you feel better short term which it probably won't anyway.

[@Tilr701]

@@Carnivorelion thank you. Yes I am also hesitant to use gaba.

[@susangraham1203]

Do you think it is safe to take vitamins and probiotics?

[@Carnivorelion]

No. Everyone is different but it's like playing with fire. Use food and sun for nutrition. Probiotics are useless waste in my opinion.

[@susangraham1203]

@@Carnivorelion Thank you for your response. Do you think it will harm me or just prolong the withdrawal? What about homeopathy? Lexapro gave me acute pancreatitis and I just got out of the hospital where of course they gave me opioids. I have been 6 months off of Lexapro and now I feel I will have to start over again. I just want the good Lord to take me home. Even if I wanted to go back on antidepressants I couldn't because of all the side effects of the drug itself.

[@Carnivorelion]

@@susangraham1203 opioids for a day or two won't set you back really I don't think. I've had to take them as well for kidney stones. I might try some fasting and really working on your diet and mindset as best as possible. You're probably getting constant immune reactions to food.

[@davidkruse4030]

I don’t mean to be jerk here but it really seems like there is something else going on with these guys. He really wasn’t on them that long nor at that high of a dose. There are different autoimmune problems that can manifest that mimic benzo withdrawal syndromes. The body is way more complicated that I know. I don’t disagree that the antidepressants/benzos had an effect but it seems there is more at play in both of these guys. I really enjoy this content . Please do not take my comment as dismissive or attacking either of you.

[@Carnivorelion]

Well we continue to taper these antidepressants and we both have gut issues/leaky gut which I believe plays a significant role in protracted cases. Autoimmune disease is always associated with gut dysbiosis but I don't have autoimmune disease... yet anyway.