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I also have dealt with Anxiety most of my life. My doctor put me on Lorazapam. I kept asking him "am I going to get addicted" and he said that " if you don"t
have to take more and more to get it to do the same thing you are not addicted. Well it happened after 38 years!! Now at 70 I am trying to get off it.
When I got anxiety over the years I had different physical feelings go along with it. I have had sore stomachs, tension headaches, and brain fog. My thinking was wonky, and I had a terrified feeling. I think I was scared to get scared again. "fight or flight". Apparently when trying to get off Benzos You go through things that you took it for in the first place. Now I get a dizzy feeling in my head;. it is like I am wearing someone elses reading glasses. I don't have that feeling in my head when I am sitting or lying down ;only when I am standing or walking? I wonder if that could be withdrawal.I am on Effexor and it is helping with everything but the dizziness. I have had it since August 2019. Sady
Replies to "I also have dealt with Anxiety most of my life. My doctor put me on Lorazapam...."
Good afternoon @sady. @lisalucier has asked me to join the discussion about your anxiety. I think you described the level of anxiety that I have known and that is "fight or flight". I think that reaction was given to us so that we could be aware of the danger and escape it. Maybe what I tend to do is maximize the anxiety for more and more situations. After my SFN small fiber neuropathy diagnosis, I was in real trouble with anxiety that is initiated by pain. Then the anxiety takes over and in so doing produces more pain.
My anxiety was interfering not only with the quality of life but also in being able to handle daily challenges. Although I protested, neuropsychological testing identified anxiety as a major deterrent to quality of life. I often had that dizzy feeling and what felt like sparklers spraying around my head. With support from my PCP, I started duloxetine and gradually increased the dosage until today, I feel rather calm. So here is the result. After months of settling down from anxiety, I am ready to go try to get my driver's license. It means I have to pass the test. That will be my Christmas present to myself.
What would you do? Is this the type of activity that sets off your anxiety? I have learned that anxiety and depression can increase pain. I think I know enough now from my time on Connect and talking with clinicians that I can withdraw from nortriptyline, an anti-depressant. I am in the third month and at the third level of withdrawal this week and have begun a journal. So far. trouble falling asleep has been a major symptom. Do you have trouble sleeping or falling asleep? Do you sleep uninterrupted for at least 6 hours?
Have a day of comfort and ease. Chris
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Hello, @sady - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thanks for sharing what your body experiences when you have anxiety.
I'd like to introduce you to @trellg132 @mostlybill @gingerw @artscaping @stsopoci and others in this discussion on what your anxiety is like.
If you are interested in talking with others more about tapering off lorazepam specifically, you might check out and participate in this thread https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tapering-off-of-lorazepam-ativan
When you experienced the physical sensations like sore stomach or brain fog, what did you do to counteract the symptoms? Did you find anything that helped you?