PAWs just for opiates or aburpt from benzos as well?

[disasterinprocess]

This has been ugly, messy and brutal.
Background:  Was prescribed valuim 40mg/day with hard core opiates morphine, roxicodone, soma, topamax, etc.  Came off aburtly and hit the seizures.  All one doctor.  
Time prescribed:  roughly FOUR years
Off of all since mid Aug 2010 then put back on valium with a few others for a few months to try & stabilize but a rollercoaster with other cold turkey episodes
HOW LONG?  No real guidance here despite becoming familiar with issues.
  
1.  Isn't PAWS also physical?  The electrical currents through left side & horrid shocks in the head/temples with constant headache?  Stomach & digestion?  Infections?  Numbness?  Random spasms?  Heart palpitations & tremors?  Teeth still overly sensitive.  Taste still off after months not as metalic & sour.
2.  Is PAWs just from opiates or also benzos?
3.  Exhausted and not sleeping much still.  Better than initial stretches of 72hr awake but still segmented, punctuated sleep of best 4 - 6 hours/48?  And that is segments of 20min to an hour?  How much longer not functioning.
4.  Does my mind come back?  When?  Energy?  Feeling vaguely human?
5.  How can a dr prescribe that cocktail and switch aburptly from valium to restoril and not realize the danger?  
6.  Stress factors increased by any rational measure and no idea how to manage.  
Does sheer will work at some point?  
Thank you.

[disasterinprocess]

Thank you for reading and sharing.  I will get to a doctor as possible; life became a ton messier in this disjointed, unmanaged rollercoaster.  From learning in general think I have some central nervous sys issues from this process now and need a dr to offer some direction.  

What was PAWS like for you?  Seems like terms are used rather loosely.  
Did it also incl some seriously disruptive physical symptoms or primarily emotional?  (I have the emotional - sanity test but work w/rationalizing.)

I understood valium (from research after the fact) was longer lasting and the preferred benzo for detoxing from benzos.  There appeared to be a conversion table for amt in Dr Ashton's recommended method.  Better to read that before.

Going to try to sleep.

[worried878]

Valium is weaker than xanax, ativan and klonopin, but u were on 2 other drugs that would cause seizures when stopped abruptly.  I hope u found another doctor?

[worried878]

I am pretty sure it is addiction in general that is associated with PAWS...even alcohol.
Not everyone experiences PAWS...we are all different.  I did...and folks hhave a different definition of what theses feelings are as well...hard to pin point for some

good luck to u

[udoschoices]

I made a mistake with benzos and took way too many high mg Klonopin for about a month and a half as a way to get off opiates and it took 3 weeks for me to get through the withdrawal/ rebound anxiety from them. And that is only 1.5 months... i learned my lessons and realized that benzos are not to be messed with and really hard to come off of, so maybe you are still having that rebound anxiety after 2 months?  It was the worst thing i ever experienced, way worse than the opiate withdrawal and i had no idea being on for such a short time..  it was horrible

may not help much, just my .02

time heals all wounds... not what you want to hear, but true

[IBKleen]

On the benzos, it istoo soon. On the opiates--it is possible. I think your best bet is to get with your doctor and get a good checkup. It could be a whole host of things. You may want to start there and rule things out. Good luck.

[vicki595]

Okay...PAWS will come and go. Some of it can be related to anxiety but not all. It's just not the regular course of detox. It's a syndrome and it just gets better with time. Try not to stress over it.

We discuss the dangers of benzos here all the time. I can't speak to why the doctors don't mention it. Maybe they think we should research all meds ourselves as consumers?

There's some info on PAWS in the health pages,upper right of this page. Read that,it will make you feel better.

You know, after that cocktail you were on,it's going to take some time to get back to "normal".  Our brains need to heal and they do!

Things that help:  Vitamins,minerals,and good food. Exercise;can't emphasize that enough.  Recovery care; hands down will help you quite a bit.  

Personally, it took me 3 months to feel good and I only took one drug and tapered it. I took it for a long time though...

Hope this helps!

Get some Melatonin (an amino acid) for sleep. Beef up on the B vitamins...good for the brain!

[disasterinprocess]

Feb for benzos
mid -Aug for opiates (morphine 60mg.dy, roxi 90 - 120/dy)

Began with a car accident and then major surgery for car accident.

How long have you been clean?  What from?
What process?

[IBKleen]

How long have you been clean?

[disasterinprocess]

Thank you.  Last valium february and that was pretty ugly.
If PAWs is uncommon - is there any way to reverse it?  Have been told by drs that is what this is.  (Don't have much confidence in drs at this point; more with those who also find themselves in this storm.)  Not with a dr since Jan.  

Have begun to believe the valium is worse than opiates but since both hard to separate.  Why does no one mention the danger of benzos?  Why do so many doctors seem so unaware of this?

Wasn't taking the topamax when seizure hit hard enough to be carried out by paramedics in bucket seat.  Suspect had a few other more mini ones given some random physical issues and new experience.  Went cold turkey again from valium & soma around thanksgiving - messy.  Then a steep drop from Dec to Feb from Valium.

Had been switched from the valium to restoril by doctor in Aug.  Called and tried to get guidance.  Lasted about 10 - 14 days before seizures.  Happened as taken off opiates with suboxone for 5 days (not long enough) given amt of opiates and time period.  Then back on valium to 60/dy back down to 40mg/day and then 25% - 50% drops monthly then weekly.

Not on anything period.  Had 4 advil yesterday; none today.

[vicki595]

You can fall into PAWS from almost anything you can withdraw from. But,it's not common and generally happens months and years after detox. It is physical,as well.

It doesn't matter though because you're feeling bad no matter what the cause!

Seizures are likely with abrupt withdrawal from benzos and sometimes from Soma. The topomax should have covered you...It looks like the Valium may be the bad guy here. It's really awful to detox from...(they all are,really).

So,when did you last dose with Valium?