xanax withdrawals / Emergency Room

[lisa20020]

I have been out of Xanax for a week now.  I have already been to the Emergency Room where I was given 10 Ativans.  That lasted for 5 days at 2 mg per day.  This is day one with no anti anxiety medications at all.  I was taking xanax for years at 3 mgs a day and moved to another state 2 months ago.  I have no money and no insurance yet and thought my body was going to give out yesterday as the withdrawals started again.  I feel like an animal that can get no help.  My blood pressure medication helps slightly (Clonidine), I feel a little better than yesterday but I don't know if I will make it.  I feel detached from my body, my heart is racing, every part of my body feels tingly with hot flashes, I am sweating and feel I will die. My body is exhausted from fighting this feeling. Will it be easier this time since I have been on Ativan for a week now with no Xanax.  Should I go yet again to the Emergency room or WAIT TILL I DIE FOR THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY TO HELP ME?????????????????????/  I have called NAMI, I have called all the numbers I have been given for medical help as referrals all with dead ends.  That was over 20 #'s.  Should I just tough this out ??? I am so embarrassed over this.  How many times can I go to the ER?  

[nursegirl6572]

EVERYONE has a different story when it comes to these types of meds.  I personally have had a tremendous amt of success on Zoloft, Prozac, and Lexapro.  Sure, I had to withstand some uncomfortable side effects at first, but I can honestly say that I did not suffer withdrawal coming off ANY of these meds.  I consider myself lucky, b/c I know a lot of people do suffer w/d's, even during a taper.

Thing is....I don't get where "psychiatrists deny the existance" of w/d?  I think that is painting with quite a braod brush.  All doctors?  I disagree.

My p-doc, along with my pcp warned me of the effects of stopping these types of meds...including my very first experience with an SSRI, which was Zoloft (my max dose being 200 mg daily) back in 1991- 1992ish?  Maybe I got lucky with good docs, but I dont entirely buy that either.

Even professionally....pretty much since being in the field of nursing...my patients have always been educated about possible w/d phenomena, and observed for it.  To me, it has always been common knowledge.

Just like not every experience is like mine...not every one is like Paxilled's either, and I think that is important to mention...ESPECIALLY on forum where people are coming for insight who have never even heard of these meds, let alone taken them.  

Therefore....for readers...always remember that knowledge is power and certain things are important to know....but there is no guaruntee that YOU will have these types of experiences.  Reading and posting here for a long time....I have seen horror stories, and stories where these meds have changed lives.  Allow yourself to have your own experience...and be prepared, but do not EXPECT the worst.

Oh, and the good ? that Paxilled raised...can one ever live without these meds?  Answer is yes.  I have functioned both on and off these meds.  Anxiety disorders work in cycles...so when I start having problems...I generally seek the help of Lexapro until I feel comfortable enough with my OWN coping mechanisms to not need it anymore.  It's a process that has worked pretty good so far.

[Paxiled]

Oh, and I still maintain, who cares if Xanax is addictive?  If it's the only thing that helps, why not use it?  Better to have an addicted life than a life of constant suffering.  This thread has left me very disturbed; I can't believe people are being abandoned when they face the real threat of seizure and death from abrupt discontinuation of benzos.  It's not as if this isn't well known.  This should be criminal negligence.

[Paxiled]

The lawsuits about Zoloft began with GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturers of Paxil, way back in 1996.  Most of these have been long settled out of court, and the statute of limitations is probably up.  There are still some lawsuits pending, particularly regarding suicidal thoughts and use during pregnancy, for some ssris.  The suits weren't malpractice suits, they were because all these companies withheld from the public that their medications caused withdrawal and suicidal and violent thoughts and actions despite having discovered this to be true during the development phase.  Malpractice suits would be against psychiatrists and physicians, not the pharmaceutical companies.  I have a good one against the psychiatrist who took me off Paxil because at no time did he ever inform me of the possibility even while I was going through it, and three years later my emotional state is a complete wreck -- the withdrawal never ended.  This is of course rare if not unprecedented, lucky me, but that's how malpractice could come into play.  (I didn't sue, if you were wondering).  Problem with malpractice is, you have to incur enough monetary damages to get an attorney to represent you, and it has to be provable in court.  Since psychiatrists mostly deny withdrawal even now, with a warning label required by FDA right on the prescribing info due to what was discovered during these lawsuits, it's hard to prove, and attorneys don't take cases that are hard to prove.  This is a little known fact about malpractice --  doctors always complain about it, but it has to be pretty obvious with a lot of monetary damages to even get a lawyer to represent you.  And physicians brought these suits on themselves by refusing for years to testify against one another and altering admission slips on hospital forms until, finally, in the late 1950s, courts finally said forget it, if you're just going to lie we're just going to assume that if something strange happened you're liable.  If physicians had been honest about their capabilities and what they did all along, we wouldn't have this problem with lawsuits.  But withdrawal's a hard one, given psychiatrists deny its existence.  At least the FDA finally admits it exists!  On the other hand, don't be so afraid of it; very few people have committed suicide or acts of violence because of it.  It happens, but not frequently.  Most people get through it.  Some don't.  What I worry about is, once you're on these meds, can you ever function again without them?  Even a few year later you keep reading how people ended up back on them.  My newest question is, do they alter the way the brain functions so much that the brain has a hard time for some people to ever function comfortably again without them.  I don't have an answer, but after my situation, and reading so many of the posts on sites like this one, I am forming the question.

[nursegirl6572]

Zoloft definitely has to be tapered.

I don't know where you got that info...but I would be very surprised if it is possible to receive compensation for w/d symptoms.

Reason being...for any type of malpractice case to be successful, there has to be long-term "injuries" or disabilities.  There has to be some type of permanent negative outcome.   Also, when it comes to prescriptions, the patient has the responsibility to accept that there are risks when taking any new med, including side effects, and are supposed to educate themselves, despite what a doctor did OR DIDN'T say.

That is why every med now comes with an educational monograph outlining the potential risks and side effects.  The patient is supposed to read those carefully and weigh the benefits vs risks.  

Unfortunately, a lot of doctors either fail to mention these things...or down play the severity of the side effects.  The other thing that will unfortunately go against you in any kind of attempt to be compensated is that you discontinued the medication without asking your doctor first....and as general rule...you shouldn't stop taking ANY med without first checking into how it should be safely d/c'ed.

Therefore, while you have really gone thru a lot of he**, maybe just consider it a hard lesson learned about being more knowedgeable about the meds you're taking?  And, believe me...I do not mean that in a bad way AT ALL.  A lot of people put so much faith in their docs (which you really should want to do that)...that they maybe fail to do their own research about things.

And always read the insert that comes from the Pharmacy.  As a rule, they'll scare you to death and make you NEVER want to take another pill in your life (lol).....but they are very informative.  You can always ask your Pharmacist for a one on one about a new med..they are GREAT resources that people don't use enough.

So, while it certainly may be worth looking into, just don't get your hopes too high.  The liability factor is covered pretty well when it comes to prescription meds and most times, the onus is on the patient.

[lisa20020]

I just made an appointment with a doctor for next Tuesday who is going to help me taper off klonopin very slowly.  Actually, now that I have some klonopin to get me by for at least a week, I might shop around a bit more and try a find a doctor that is educated or at least aware the problems with benzo withdrawals.

As for now I am not going to start taking Zoloft again until I do more research on it and become more informed.

I read this and dont know if it is true or not:

"If you or a loved one has had to undergo Zoloft withdrawal, then you know how painful the symptoms can be. Patients who are currently taking Zoloft may wish to discontinue its use in order to reduce the potential symptoms of Zoloft withdrawal, rather than waiting until the body has become even more addicted. Under no circumstances should patients taking Zoloft discontinue or scale back its use without consulting a physician. Patients who have endured Zoloft withdrawal may be entitled to financial compensation from the drug's manufacturers and distributors. To learn more about lawsuits relating to Zoloft withdrawal, you may wish to contact an attorney who represents clients affected by Zoloft withdrawal."

[nursegirl6572]

Oh boy lisa......sounds like maybe the Zoloft withdrawal may have been playing a factor here, too, yikes!  Yes, the SSRI meds have a withdrawal phenomena of their own, and also should not be stopped abruptly.  Unlike benzodiazepines, that may result in seizure activity if abruptly d/c'd....the SSRI w/d's aren't necessairly "dangerous" in the same ways...but w/d can be absolutely wicked.

Have you found a new p-doc who you can work with to set up a solid treatment plan?  It's great that you're now oon the Klonopin, that's a great start...but I think you need to find a caring doctor who can set up a treatment plan and work with you to meet your goals, including if you are going to stay on Zoloft...or another kind of maintenence med.

Keep in mind as well that it isn't uncommon to experience a significant amount of emotional w/d's after discontinuing Zoloft (and other SSRI's)....so keep that in mind.  If you haven't taken any Zoloft in 2 weeks...then most likely you'll start noticing an improvement in those symptoms pretty soon.

Sorry you've had such a rough time, things will start looking up real soon for you.  Good luck!