Symptoms: Akathisia, brain zaps, emotional blunting, sexual dysfunction, cognitive impairment, insomnia, depersonalization/derealization, suicidal ideation, tinnitus, neuropathy, severe anxiety/panic, muscle/joint pain, anhedonia, GI disturbances, sand in eyes, sharp eye pain, running nose, coughing, tachycardia, chest pain, tooth pain, difficulty swallowing, exercise intolerance, jelly legs, noise intolerance, irritability, brain fog, extreme heat sensitivity, headaches, paranoia, dizziness, hallucinations (visual and auditory), fits of rage, bladder pain, amnesia
I was prescribed clonazepam in the late 90s for bladder pain and spasms. I was told I had Interstitial Cystitis, but now I’m not even sure if that’s a real disease. I was told, “Take this. It will relax your bladder.” It did. I took it only as prescribed. Within a few years, I began having more health issues. I just thought I was sick. I went to doctors all over the US and was always given some kind of bogus diagnosis. For about 15 of these years I was prescribed opioids for pain along with the benzodiazepines, until the opioid crisis hit. I cold turkey’d every opiod with no side effects that I remember. I began having insomnia after being on clonazepam for about 5 years, so I was prescribed Trazodone. Then depression hit. Although I’d never been seriously depressed in the 50+ years of my life. I was prescribed Lexapro. I went off after a couple of years and didn’t feel withdrawal. I returned to my psychiatrist with more depression and was prescribed Pristiq. I was told my depression had returned and that I never should have stopped the Lexapro.
Two years ago I decided I wanted to taper 2 mg of clonazepam, due to cognitive decline. (I had taken up to 3 mg, as prescribed). I tapered according to my doctor’s recommendation. (Cut one pill in half, wait a few weeks and cut again). I eventually jumped from.25 mg and all hell broke loose. I reinstated at 1 mg, tried to stabilize for seven months and I’m now doing a micro taper of 2% per month. I still have a lot of symptoms. A year ago, I had to move out of my house and away from my husband of 45 years because I couldn’t take the noise and the stress, even though I love him very deeply. Our lives have been severely impacted by these drugs that were always taken as prescribed.
I’m 64 years old and wonder if I’ll ever be well enough to live with my husband. I hope to eventually taper the SSRI and the SNRI. I was given absolutely no informed consent and if I ever recover, I’d like to help fight for this.