Didn't know I was addicted to my sleep medication until I ran out

I apologize for responding 4 months later! I don't recall getting notification that someone had replied. So I have not taken any since September 17th, the numbness in my mouth and gums and skin have not improved they are the same. I am still suffering from incredible insomnia and huge mental fog and fatigue. I have tried over-the-counter Tylenol PM type things, I am currently trying hemp oil, and nothing helps whatsoever. It is very very difficult to try and function some days. A few friends of mine have shared things like boiling bananas and using cinnamon that I can't try due to dietary restrictions at the moment, so I just trudge through everyday. It is getting very very old.

Oh, my doctor. When I contacted the office when she was still out on surgery, they reached out to her and she wanted me to check into an addiction Clinic so they could monitor my withdrawal and make sure I didn't have seizures. I certainly don't have the time or money for that so I did not. I am not predisposed to seizures and I guess that's when it would become pertinent to be under a doctor's care. I've not seen or talked to my doctor since 3 weeks before I ran out, so not since August. I will have to make an appointment soon to get my blood work done for my thyroid medication and that will be the first time communicating with her since all of this. I am still a little disgusted with her.

Hi, @wiserranter -- wondering if you would tell us a little bit more about your experiences with taking Alpralozam and then with going off of it cold turkey?

Doctor prescribed when I had a panic attack one morning on the way to work. Was able to manage it until I found that I needed more so I ended up taking the full legal does of 2m three times a day but could function or thought I could but it got me thru that period of twenty six years. Thinking back on what I could remember I might have done some things that at the time I thought were good decisions. They were not after remembering just little things or saying things that just was not me. Don't remember the first couple of months after coming off and from what I was told it was best. Coming off the drug affected my CP and my back muscles so that has left me with bent back syndrome which is called CAMPTOCORMIA. When I tried to stop taking it myself I would go across the street and become stationary as I could not move anything until I could calm down enough to get across. So that led to avoiding things again. But now that I have a clear mind I am in no pain just bent over. I lost so many years being on the drug that time has flown by so quick. It is a mind altering drug and should be better regulated.

Hi, @tooncinator -- not to worry it's been a bit. Very glad to hear from you. I am saddened to hear all those side effects are still plaguing you.

Since you have to go to your doctor shortly to get blood work done for your thyroid, what do you think about telling her what your barriers were for checking into an addiction clinic and telling her that you ended up having to do this solo and are still experiencing the effects?

@wiserranter -- that sounds like quite a rough time realizing you weren't completely yourself on the Alpralozam and then with the effects you've had coming off of it.

A few others on Connect who have talked about this medication and whom you may want to meet are: @vdouglas, @cheineck, @lg1963, @sadiesmom, @mrser52, @watermelon, @alfalfa, @gman007, @bekinprogress and @jimhd.

Have you had any more panic attacks recently?

Hi Tooncinator, It is not necessary to check into an addiction clinic to withdraw from Alprazolom and I believe it may be harmful. The important thing to avoid seizures is to titrate off the drug very, very, slowly. Do not under any circumstances withdraw cold turkey. Many doctors, mine included know a lot about “ the take off” but very little about “ the landing” Please read the Ashton Manuel which many consider the Bible when it comes to benzo withdrawal. It is full of information about how to withdraw and what to expect. For about ten years I took a benzo for sleep. I never abused the drug and never increased my dosage. It stopped working and I decided to quit taking it rather than increase my dosage or change to a more potent drug. I was on Estazolam, the generic equivalent of Soma. My psychiatrist suggested I titrate off the drug over about a week. Well, I didn’t sleep more than six hours over a three week period. During those frightening nights I spent a lot of time on the computer and found the Ashton Manuel. I reinstated with Valium and spent the next 18 months withdrawing from the drug. I am 10 months free, but still experiencing insomnia and intermittent high anxiety. It is slowly getting better. Many people normalize much quicker than me so don’t let my continuing symptoms scare you. There is a great book, called “ The Benzo Book” by Jack Hobson-DuPont which will also help you understand what is happening to you. Good luck and keep in touch.

Lisa mentioned me, but I have never taken this medication. I have been dependent on many things and addicted to two in the way I look at them. I take opiates and there is likely a chemical dependency there, but I have been up and down on dosages from very high levels to zero and back and forth because of the variance of my pain. The weaning process is never fun, but I have done it often enough to know that my stomach will be upset and I better stock up on some immodium, my nose is gonna drip, so I need some allegra or something similar and I know my joints are gonna hurt badly, so I better have some aleve or other OTC painkiller and I never take tylenol. That being said, these things help, but the symptoms you describe with stopping Alpralozam are not anything I am familiar with, but sound horrid and you having no awareness of that possibility explained by your doctor is inexcusable. I think doing a bit of research on anything your Dr. wants you to take is advisable and if you decide you don't like the side effects, find out why the doctor thinks this drug is necessary, and if there is an alternative. I realize you are now many months into your w/d and have not seen that doc since August, but I would certainly ask the hard questions that he/she may not like answering, but whether I continued seeing that physician would greatly depend on their answers and reasonings. As a physician told me, someone finishes first in every med school class, but someone also finishes last and if possible, I am gonna weed that person out of my portfolio .

Lisa, as moderator of this blog, are you employed by Mayo Clinic? If so, are you sharing the information with doctors there? I'm VERY surprised many of us lived to tell our stories about detoxing from Effexor. My doctor weened me off in a month. It should have taken MONTHS. I truly lost my mind. One night I overdosed on Xanax just to get some relief from the HORRIBLE side effects of withdrawal and ended up in the hospital with a bp 44/11. This DRUG should not be on the market and anyone who prescribes it should be personally responsible for seeing that their patients successfully leave this drug behind....forever. Anyone who quits cold turkey is signing their death certificate. Not only the physical pain but the mental anguish, hallucinations, FEAR, and wondering if it's worth living with what you are going through is enough to kill an elephant. I know we are all different but that's the problem. Doctors lump us all into ONE group and if Suzy withdrew in a month, you sure are heck should be able to. NOT SO. I told my doctor in the middle of the withdrawal that I had to live to see this through for my beautiful daughter....that I was contemplating suicide and it would devastate my daughter if she even knew I had these thoughts. She responded, "Are you sure?" What the hell kind of answer was that? I walked out of her office and only see her on a monthly basis to get a Xanax prescription. And I hear that Xanax is even harder to withdraw from than Effexor. I'm so screwed. My mantra these days is don't put anything in your body until you have totally researched it and know what the whole story of taking that drug is from beginning to end....

Hi @sadiesmom, the moderating team are employees of Mayo Clinic. You can learn more about why and how we moderate here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/about-our-moderators-and-mentors/
Mayo Clinic Connect is an online community where people can share their experiences and connect with those who've faced similar experiences. It is an open, public forum, which means medical professionals can read and learn from the patient perspective, an important and necessary ingredient for improving health care. In fact, we just launched a new blog series last Friday called Experts by Experience to help bring the patient narrative to the general public and all those involved in delivering health care. You can read more about the initiative here: http://mayocl.in/2E6cDTf

I hope that you shared your experience in detail with your doctor. Tapering off a medication is definitely not "one size fits all".