Can benadryl help with xanax withdrawal?

I'm 4 days in with withdrawal and suffering from all the symptoms - Depression, anxiety, de-personalization, shaking, unable to do normal task, can't drive, no appeite, dizzyness, insomina, fast heart beat....

Can benadryl help with some of these symptoms? If I take it at night? Or in the day as well?

I know I did a few post on anxiety with my issue, but I need to know if this can help?

[erin626]

The hospital recommended benadryl to me when I was withdrawing from xanax. It helped a little with the muscles and tenseness but unfortunately did nothing to help me sleep. I think I was up for over 50 hours. I eventually just crashed.

[greenlydia]

It can't and won't help in any real, long term way to withdraw from Xanax. It is a very short term "fix," as in, take it TONIGHT until your appointment with your doctor TOMORROW.
And that is what I recommend you do. Withdrawing from Xanax must always be done under the guidance and supervision of a doctor.
Peace
Greenlydia

[Gustav85]

Will do...thanks for all your input! I'll take it tonight and see how I feel in the morning...I don't have high expectations for the next few days but at least a supportive family

[man007586]

Hello Friend, i did not like when u wrote that u do not have expectations for the next few days. You should always be positive in life, though however much difficulty you are going through. Withdrawal from Xanax will induce few of the physical and emotional symptoms, but its onto your mind that everything is played. Control your mind, be a mastermind..meditate and listen to nice cool music. If the anxiety comes, just try to ignore, though it is difficult..But remember if there is a will, there is a way as well.

[greenlydia]

Sorry, but I beg to differ strongly on your point that "withdrawal from Xanax will induce FEW of the physical and emotional symptoms.........."
It is my guess that you've never had to w/d from this particular med.
Your message to "control your mind, be a mastermind, meditate and listen to cool music, ignore the anxiety if it comes........" is oversimplified, even naive.
If only it were that easy!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Peace
Greenlydia

[Gustav85]

I actually stopped it last week because my doctor wanted me on antriplyine I stopped that after 3 days because xanax withdrawal was riding over those symptoms amplfying it times 100...then I took one .25 during sunday afternoon...

So far everyday this week has been progessively worse symptoms...I been crying in the morning, shaking, unable to do normal things such as eating right...anxiety, heart racing

I call it brain fog where you feel like your in a bubble and everything else is on the outside...music does not help much, it sounds so distant and non-existant...when I have it on...

Your right benadryl does not help at all I woke up at 4am 4:30 4:57 6am with heart racing and then crying when I spoke with my parents because of the extreme foggyness and back of the head pressure I can't take naps because my heart seems to speed up...

I took .25mg for 3 months everyday I know its a small dose, but I been under a lot of pain from a digestive issue and was in the hospital nearly all of september...

Then I probably mixed it was amtriplyine abit with the half lifes over riding...took amtriplyine only 3 days this past weekend it was...

Anywasy I need support, how long will these crazy symptoms last? My digestive issue as well is being affected and I can't even take care of myself...

Should these symptoms already went away? Or not yet since its been 4 days since my last dose of xanax...also please send me friend adds as well if you went through xanax withdrawal...every support maters...

[greenlydia]

I think you're in a bit of a mess with all the meds........starting and stopping and adding.........all on top of a pre-existing digestive problem. If you are seeing a Gastroenterologist, I would recommend you make an appointment with him and go over all the medications you're taking or have recently stopped. He needs to be aware of any meds other doctors are prescribing for you.
Please make it a habit to take a list of all your current medications and their dosages each and every time you go to a doctor.
I hope you can see your doctor soon so you can begin to feel less like a shipwreck.
You'll be fine.
Peace
Greenlydia

[Gustav85]

I did, I was told to stop xanax and take antriplyine...that was the instructions...I didn't know I would end up like I did...with severe symptoms...I am seeing my doctor tomorrow actually gastroenologist prescibed it and I already told him about my situation I called the office...

I gave him before a print out of all my meds...believe me I been in the hosptial a lot this year and 2 surgeries 1 gallbladder 1 sinus surgery....

I will keep you posted

[greenlydia]

Be very open and frank with your doctor and don't leave his office until ALL of your questions and concerns have been addressed.

I'm afraid I've gotten a bit lost and am not sure how long you were on the Xanax. You need to taper very slowly from Xanax........for some reason I've gotten the idea your doctor told you to just stop cold turkey. If you had been on it for any length of time, you would have bad rebound anxiety and other symptoms which it sounds like you are.

Well, I wish you the best tomorrow.
Stand up for yourself. THEY work for YOU!
Peace
Greenlydia  

[Gustav85]

I been on xanax since August 28th...when I had my first gallbladder attack...they didn't know what it was and they thought it was in my head

Had gallbladder out Sept 28th

Been on xanax since august...everyday .25mg

He just told be to stop xanax and take amtriplyine...for digestive track for sleeping

So I stopped the xanax and took amtripyline the same day...

I did not know about the severe side affects of both meds

So here is the time table

Wednesday stopped xanax at night and took amtripyline before bed instead


Continued antriplyine until saturday and decided to stop because to SEVERE fatigue

Sunday took one xanax in the afternoon and from here this was the last one I took

I take protonix everyday as well...but shouldn't have a affect

Also, I have so much heavyheadedness I cannot manage my digestive issue, and the digestive issue has been preventing me from driving or going out so you can imagine the shape i'm in...

So off xanax for 4 days now...and amtriplyine which I only took for 3 days off for 6 days...just can't get over these extreme side affects and can't sleep and awake feeling like my heart is coming out in the middle of the night...

So, hope I clarified a bit...please keep posting I need all support I can get..thanks to everyone so far

[greenlydia]

If I am understanding you correctly, the only medication you are currently taking is the Protonix? Which, as you said, would not be an issue as far as side effects go.
You took Xanax for three months, every day, at the lowest possible dose of 0.25mg per day, is that right?
But even at the low dose, you DID take it daily for three months and need to taper off it slowly. Everybody is different in how we metabolize meds, so if your doctor says you "should" be able to cut your dose in half every day and be off in 4 days, that may not be the best for YOU. You are the one who must determine the rate that taper. Go at your own speed and only drop down when YOU feel ready.
If you stopped the Xanax cold turkey 4 days ago, there's not much doubt that you will be feeling some nasty withdrawl (withdrawal) symptoms. Perhaps you should discuss going back on the Xanax until your system settles down and then do a proper taper.

Whichever doctor you are seeing tomorrow, please talk to him about ALL of this stuff.
I wish you good luck and hope you'll let me know what he says.
Peace
Greenlydia  

[Gustav85]

Thanks for the information Greenlydia

I will post a message when I get back from the doctors or depending on how i'm feeling...I will keep you posted

Thanks very much,
George

[Gustav85]

Doctor told me to take Ativan for when I need it 0.5mg I read about this a bit and the symptoms are just as bad as xanax and affects same receptors...

Should I take it at night? I kinda want to withdrawal completely...but suffering bad symptoms

Last night I had severe symptoms again severe shakes when I awoke at 4am, leg twitching, severe head pressure, nausa, weird dreams...

Day 5 of withdrawal...

Whats your opinion Greenlydia? And in the morning I was supper anxious and cried because my head hurt so bad and I have no coordination...my family is even starting to tell me to just get over it and go out when i'm shaking and caving in...how long the symptoms will last and should I go on the other drug?

George

[greenlydia]

Hey George,
While I can understand you not wanting to take this particular kind of medication, sometimes we just have to decide if feeling better is worth a little discomfort at first. If you had a bad infection, you wouldn't hesitate to take antibiotics, if you needed surgery, you'd go under the knife, if someone you loved was suffering and a medication would help them, wouldn't you urge them to take it?
Almost all of the benzos target the same receptors in our brains, because those are the receptors that control these feelings.
Your day 5 of withdrawal sounds terrible and it's will get a great deal worse before it eventually begins to get better. But there is no need to put yourself through that kind of torment.
My advice is to take the Ativan, which is a good medication, when you NEED it..........forcing yourself to wait until bedtime really doesn't make sense and defeats the purpose of the drug. I assume he gave you a prescription to be taken "PRN"......AS NEEDED?
You really have to get out of the withdrawals and get yourself calmed down and feeling "normal" again. Right now you're spiraling out of control. Get yourself centered and then discuss this situation with your doctor. Look into a long term antianxiety med like Klonopin and most definitely some therapy. You may be able to skip meds altogether..........once you've withdrawn from them properly. Many people do just therapy and do very well.
Stop trying to push that rock up a hill. Take a break. This IS fixable.
Keep talking to us.
Peace
Greenlydia    

[Gustav85]

I was orginally put on xanax because they thought when I went to the hospital in Aug that I had anxiety...later it was found out I had a severe bad gallbladder....and still possabilty of a bile duct block....

I continued to take one at night to get through the pain...

I didn't know about xanax withdrawals while being on the med...was not informed sadly...

Is it possible to tough it out? I just scared to take anymore benzos and will that affect my withdrawal period, because I cannot start over from this...

And again, thanks for all your post so far...your my guide through this very bad time in my life...

Thanks,
George

[greenlydia]

Let's start with the fact that Xanax is NOT an analgesic and should not be used for that purpose. It CAN help people sleep, which is also not it's main function....but I fear many doctors just feel that if it knocks people out so they don't feel pain and sleep, then who cares that it's highly addictive and they are quacks.

Withdrawing from Xanax is a ***** no matter which way you slice THAT pie, but as with any of the potent benzos, withdrawal is an issue. BUT...........w/d does NOT have to be the nightmare everyone makes it out to be. If done properly, slowly and at YOUR pace, a w/d often takes a long time, but it can be done safely and comfortably.

Yes, it's possible to "tough it out," but there is no telling how long that will take and you'll be going through hell the entire time. Your dose was small, so you don't need to be overly concerned with this, but people who have been on LARGE doses of Xanax for LONG periods of time can and often do go into seizures and die from "toughing it out." I just don't know why you would want to suffer through that when you don't have to.......if you went back on a dose of Xanax now that stopped your anxiety, then began your taper from that point, at the dose you were on, it would probably only take you a month to be completly off everything without anymore suffering the w/d effects. But this is your decison.

Take the Ativan when you need it, George! Talk to your doctor about how he wants you to dose it. PRN (as needed) or just at bedtime. Personally I think taking it just at bedtime is totally defeating the objective of even having the stuff in the house.
Hang in there, OK?  There's light at the end of this here tunnel.
Peace
Greenlydia

[Gustav85]

Going to take the Ativan...starting at 0.5mg tonight, then i'll take it every other day....and then cut down the doses...felt like my brain has not slept since last Friday so guess this will help with the extreme tiredness...

Thanks again for all your help...you given me a lot of confidence and I also told my family that someone on the med forums was giving me advice.. I been driving them batty especially in the morning with my symptoms...and I can explain to them better what I been going through

Weird too, like in the morning is the worst everyday, then I have a low-grade fever by mid afternnon this week and then evening is just extreme tireness...its amazing how your brain dosen't get what it wants at what time and causes crazyness..


Thanks again many times, I will message you on how i'm doing from time to time

George

[Gustav85]

Day 7 - Still extreme fatigue, back of the head pressure, and still unable to sleep...Atrivan .5 I took the past 2 days in the middle of the night when I had the bad shakes and fell asleep for only 4 hours ... will try to skip it tonight

So, still in bad shape, but bearing with it I heard it may take 1-2 weeks more before I can ACTUALLY sleep lol instead of waking up with bad shakes and severe dizzyness...and major fatigue/dizzyness most of the day...