AFCFS
Thanks for your reply. Really helpful. The very reason I asked the question above is because after 8 days of taking Diazepam 5mg + Clonazepam 0.25mg at night daily, I had stopped taking them two days back. It was because I had developed a cold and sore throat, because of the weather here. So I started treating that with Benadryl and Cetrizine. Knowing that these anti-allergics induce sleep, I stopped the benzos, thinking of possible over-sedation.
So in that two days after leaving the Benzos, I developed two major issues: mood issues and shortness of breath.
Mood issues can further be described as irritability,anxiety,frustration. Laughingly so, in my mind I have been calling everyone I meet "a little piece of sh**". I have also been feeing really mad and at moments I think I could become really violent. But the enormous energy I have been pouring in self control and the arduous effort to maintain sanity, I have not yelled that very phrase at people, but have said other disturbing and irritating things. So I think you understand what I mean. The exaggerated irritability and as you so rightly mention, the loss of control between thought and expression ..I can feel it. It's not their fault, the people around me. I am still in that zone only, so I'll let you know if at all I yell at someone with the same phrase as you did. Maybe we can Hi5 then?
So coming back to the problem,I consider the following as the causes for the symptoms which I describe above:
1. Benadryl/Cetirizine: I have faced issues like sedation, confusion, and little irritability with Benadryl before,but this was way too much. I started thinking about possible effects of anti-histamines,leading to what is called overmethylation. I posted a thread yesterday on this:
Histamine and MethylationI even tried 500mg of Niacin, only to find insignificant relief.
2. Benzos: I did not consider Benzos causing this because after just 8 days of use and after stopping them, having these symptoms in just a day looked to me like a no-go. So after considering the possibility of it, I posted here. After reading your experience, I think Benzos might be it. So you really think after 8 days of usage,going cold turkey and facing such symptoms the very next day are withdrawal symptoms? I have read things about interdose withdrawal but in such a small duration of 8 days, I have not read anywhere that tolerance can be developed.
3. Electrolyte Imbalance: As I had stopped taking B12 a while back, I was also looking at potassium imbalances or something of that sort.It is difficult to estimate how much potassium is required after stopping B12 take. I am taking a bit of potassium and magnesium,hoping that it helps calm me down.
So,what do you think? I think it's either the anti-histamine or the benzos.Or it could be both? After reading that both of us are thinking of other people as sh**, I am inclined to think of Benzos being the possible cause. But then again, in just 8 days??
I really want to solve this case as I'm really frustrated, and also need to manage my cold. I'm so frustrated that I'm tempted to tell everyone around me to go f*** themselves, storm out of the house, and drink myself to oblivion.
You know the feeling when because in that moment you are so irritated and frustrated,everything around you and everything that has happened to you also feels the same way. That is the climax stage, when I can do anything and am really on the edge. Thankfully till now I have controlled those moments in a good manner, and those around me might not even know that, because this is the inner world after all. I really need a fix for this.