Panic/anxiety or Clonazepam withdrawal

[hassasin]

Hi

I got off 0.25mg of Clonazepam usage on and off a month back. I used it for a duration of about 6 months (3-4 times a week before bed) mainly for sleeping issues. I had several jaw cramps that turned out to be due to low vitamin D around November 2016 which triggered health anxiety and sleep problems for me.

I was prescribed 0.25 mg Clonazepam to help me sleep which I took about 3/4 nights a week for sleep, until I noticed that it wasn't really helping sleep and my cognition was getting impaired. I tried taking one a week and so on, which didn't help, so I just stopped a month back on 26th of May. Since then I have had a myriad of symptoms but the most concerning of them happened this week when I started waking up with pounding heartbeats and mild chest and back tightness. I went to my GP and an ECG was taken which turned out fine. Next day, I got a call from the GP that I needed to go to the ER ASAP as my blood Potassium level was at 6.9. I rushed to the ER with my friend and what happened next scares me the most. While filling out the forms, I was asked for my DateOfBirth, I didn't think much of it. When I sat down with my friend he mentioned why did I say XXJun1984 instead of XXJun1985 - I obviously insisted I did no such thing. When I was taken away for another ECG and blood tests, I noticed that the tag indeed had XXJun1984. This scares the hell out of me as I cannot think why I would have got the year wrong as 1984 instead of 1985. Could this be anxiety/panic, or something more sinister neurologically? I have had mild cognition issues while coming off the Clonazepam like rarely struggling to find words while speaking, and typing incorrectly on the computer at times. Should I be concerned that I got the year of birth wrong and insist on further checks? Incidentally, the potassium level turned out ok in the ER blood test, and the ECG was fine as well.

[Kenjae]

My bodys tinckles all over my body ok

[Paxiled]

While the dose was very low and you didn't take it daily, which is good, meaning you shouldn't have a huge problem quitting -- and if you've seen what people go through when withdrawal is really bad and that's not you -- it could well be you have some level of withdrawal going on.  You always should taper off these drugs slowly just to be safe, and you didn't do that, which increases the possibility there is some withdrawal going on, but since it's so mild as you describe it -- other, that is, than the heart beat situation, which I hope only happened the one time but could well have been a withdrawal reaction -- I think time will have you feeling back to your old self.  And everyone forgets things and makes mistakes sometimes, as with your birthdate.  That's just being human.  But worrying about it as much as you are, well, that's a sign of anxiety.  The question is, do you have irrational fears?  Are you overly anxious about things?  Are there things you used to do easily you don't attempt now because of irrational avoidance?  If you don't do these things, you're not overly anxious; if you do, you are.  Quitting a benzo can cause anxiety even if you didn't have it before taking them, which is why they aren't a good option for helping a person sleep -- besides which, over time, you need more and more to sleep and they interfere with REM sleep.  But researchers have found that taking benzos for a long period of time interferes with the brain's ability to learn how to deal with stress in many people.  I just don't think on the dose you were on and the frequency and duration of taking it that you're one of those people.  I bet in a few weeks this will be in the past.  

[hassasin]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply Paxiled. I do feel I have gotten more anxious since the jaw pains started which caused me to lose sleep and led to the Clonazepam presription. Since the jaw incident, I have been overtly worried about my health and probably have a fear of getting something bad. This has led to a much decreased output at work and probably mild depression as well.
But, I was flabbergasted by incorrectly stating the year as 1984 instead of 1985, and now am in the fear of having something going on in the brain - either as an effect of the Clonazepam or something else altogether.

[Paxiled]

It sounds like it's time for some therapy so you can get past this way of thinking before it becomes your way of life.

[hassasin]

I am trying Mindfulness meditation, but the symptoms like a pounding heart (starting this week - a varying heart rate from 55-120 bpm), sometimes going to 0 (as seen on the Welltory app) and a cold right hand is making things a bit of a problem.

[AnxiousNoMore]

Since the jaw incident, I have been overtly worried about my health and probably have a fear of getting something bad. "
You Vit D levels will be normal by now if you took a proper amount so I assume your jaw is fine now. You have no heart problem either, so the key to peace is to accept the healthy diagnosis instead of second guessing the doctor and over-analyzing your body looking for clues to what you call "a fear of something bad", because this could go on forever.

It is very doubtful that your right hand has gone cold, and the pounding heart is likely just from you tensing up in fear that something is wrong which provides negative feedback to your nervous system.
I doubt your heart rate is bouncing from 55-120 and sometimes down to zero. You would not be vertical with a zero heart rate!

I would throw away this app and stop checking your pulse - the EKG said there is no problem and if the heart was doing what your app says then it would have shown up in the EKG.
I never check my heart rate because I know there is nothing wrong, and it is abnormal to think it needs checking after your EKG is fine,

This constant checking is an example of over-analyzing your body in fear is making psychosomatic symptoms seem real - until you stop doing this abnormal activity you will not be able to relax so your meditation will likely be a failure.

[hassasin]

Thanks for your insight !