djami
03-04-2014, 05:49 PM
hi everyone
about 5 months ago i started getting strange physical symptoms. my doctor has suggested anxiety as a cause as practically everthing else has been eliminated. i did have some anxiety problems a few weeks before these started. i was trying to come off citalopram (which i had been on for about 7 years) for depression and probably tapered more than i should have. the anxiety was really bad so the doc gave me some xanax while i upped my dose of citalopram. i took the lowest possible dose of xanax (.25) and no more than 8 or 9 tablets over a 2 week period until i felt the Citalopram kick back in
here are the symptoms:
tinnitus in both my ears. nothing severe but definitely noticeable. the tinnitus seems to change in response to head and jaw movements. but it hasn't got any worse or better since the day its started and is present 24/7
head zaps, or electric shocks started across my forehead, just above the eyes. they are not painful but feel like a throbbing or pressure sensation on top of my forehead (rather than deep in my head). its been nearly 5 months now and they have gotten progressively worse. they are there pretty much 24/7 and from time to time make me dizzy and/or nauseous. whats even stranger is that they seem to get worse when i hear noise (any kind of noise, even some wind outside my bedroom window). putting in ear plugs to block out external noise helps. but i also notice that if i get up and walk around, or even just tap my leg gently the head zaps stop! sitting still and being exposed to noise seems to make them worse. so studying or working at a computer is very difficult for me now
it was only out of sheer desperation that i took a xanax tablet that i still had from my previous prescription and surprise surprise it helped. it numbed the brain zaps significantly, although didn't stop them completely. also i find that alcohol seems to have the same effect with numbing the zaps. but obviously i cant depend on alcohol as a long term solution. my doc suggested it may be anxiety which is causing it but since i went back to my original citalopram dosage i dont feel any anxiety at all
sorry for all the info but i just have 2 questions for people out there who know a lot more than me about this stuff:
has anyone experienced anything like the physical symptoms above? particularly the brain zaps that are there 24/7 and get worse when you re exposed to any kind of noise?
or is it possible to have withdrawal symptoms from such a low dose and such a short course of xanax that still persists 5 months after finishing? from the stories I've read online most people with withdrawal issues are coming off benzos after being on for months or years
about 5 months ago i started getting strange physical symptoms. my doctor has suggested anxiety as a cause as practically everthing else has been eliminated. i did have some anxiety problems a few weeks before these started. i was trying to come off citalopram (which i had been on for about 7 years) for depression and probably tapered more than i should have. the anxiety was really bad so the doc gave me some xanax while i upped my dose of citalopram. i took the lowest possible dose of xanax (.25) and no more than 8 or 9 tablets over a 2 week period until i felt the Citalopram kick back in
here are the symptoms:
tinnitus in both my ears. nothing severe but definitely noticeable. the tinnitus seems to change in response to head and jaw movements. but it hasn't got any worse or better since the day its started and is present 24/7
head zaps, or electric shocks started across my forehead, just above the eyes. they are not painful but feel like a throbbing or pressure sensation on top of my forehead (rather than deep in my head). its been nearly 5 months now and they have gotten progressively worse. they are there pretty much 24/7 and from time to time make me dizzy and/or nauseous. whats even stranger is that they seem to get worse when i hear noise (any kind of noise, even some wind outside my bedroom window). putting in ear plugs to block out external noise helps. but i also notice that if i get up and walk around, or even just tap my leg gently the head zaps stop! sitting still and being exposed to noise seems to make them worse. so studying or working at a computer is very difficult for me now
it was only out of sheer desperation that i took a xanax tablet that i still had from my previous prescription and surprise surprise it helped. it numbed the brain zaps significantly, although didn't stop them completely. also i find that alcohol seems to have the same effect with numbing the zaps. but obviously i cant depend on alcohol as a long term solution. my doc suggested it may be anxiety which is causing it but since i went back to my original citalopram dosage i dont feel any anxiety at all
sorry for all the info but i just have 2 questions for people out there who know a lot more than me about this stuff:
has anyone experienced anything like the physical symptoms above? particularly the brain zaps that are there 24/7 and get worse when you re exposed to any kind of noise?
or is it possible to have withdrawal symptoms from such a low dose and such a short course of xanax that still persists 5 months after finishing? from the stories I've read online most people with withdrawal issues are coming off benzos after being on for months or years