posted
I'm hoping for some stop-gap advice in case I can't reach my LLMD's office this weekend.
As I've posted about recently, I've had sleep problems for several years that have become more severe and persistent, and are starting to have a negative impact on my life.
I saw my NP yesterday, and she referred me to a sleep neurologist, which is good. But she also took me off Soma, which I've been taking for 3 years, and had recently been told to increase to 2 tabs a night, and put me on Zanaflex instead.
All day I've been feeling increasinly more ill (anxious, jittery, nauseated, chills) and it finally occured to me to look up Soma withdrawal.
Apparently, you're not supposed to just stop Soma. I bet you're really not supposed to go cold turkey after 3 years.
I just took a half to try to get things in check. My instinct is to go back on it tonite, forget about the Zanaflex, and talk to them on Monday about either staying with it til I see the neurologist, or getting advice on tapering off.
Which is a shame, because til I started feeling bad, the Zanaflex made my body feel much better than it had in a long time (my worse symptoms are tight tendons and muscles).
I'm assuming it's okay to go w/ a 1/2 tab until tonite when I resume my normal dose, thought the stuff I read gave dire warnings re: withdrawal. Thoughts?
monkeshines
Posts: 343 | From Northern VA | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
cantgiveupyet
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8165
posted
Could you possibly call your pharmacy and ask them for adive until you can reach your dr?
Soma is pretty strong......my body couldnt handle it after a few days, so im now on zanaflex.
But zanaflex also has some side affects, such as lower blood pressure.
Hang in there.
-------------------- "Say it straight simple and with a smile."
"Thus the task is, not so much to see what no one has seen yet, But to think what nobody has thought yet, About what everybody sees."
-Schopenhauer
pos babs, bart, igenex WB igm/igg Posts: 3156 | From Lyme limbo | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
char
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8315
posted
I vote for taking your usual dose of Soma tonight and Sunday night and getting in touch with your dr. Monday. (unless there is a dire reason they wanted to take you off it?)
My daughter went thru horrible withdrawl when a cardiologist's nurse told us to just stop Trazadone when it interacted with a new med. We are happy she is off it; but I would never do it that way again. We sat and watched dvd's thru the day and til bedtime because they distracted her from unmanagable panic...I think it bad for about 2 wks. But she is really sleeping great now with just a little medicine.
I really should have known better. They do say you need to taper. I imagine some people react more to changes in meds than others.
Also, there are some nasty viruses out there and I wonder if you might have something on top of stopping Soma discomfort. Which would put me back to idea of back tracking a bit. Maybe this new med isn't a good one for you. Just a possibility.
5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
Make sure your withdrawl is carefully directed by your doc..
If its any thing like klonipin go real slow... I was told to nick a tiny piece out of it a week...go real slow & then slowly very slowly back down and even that may be pianful withdrawls. Been on it for soo long. Too fast & I could have sezieures.
Good luck & hang in there Dana
-------------------- 5dana8 Posts: 4432 | From some where over the rainbow | Registered: Sep 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks so much for the responses. I took a half a tab this afternoon (I must be so used to it, it didn't even phase me). I'm going to go back to my usual dose and talk to the doctor on Monday.
I really wish they had been on top of this, but it has taught be a lesson to do my own homework before starting/changing meds, too.
Good nite to all!
monkeyshines
Posts: 343 | From Northern VA | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I agree with others that it makes sense to go back on Soma until you can make a plan for withdrawing safely.
I recently withdrew from Klonopin after 12 years of use for restless legs and insomnia. I tapered down over about 4 months and probably would have benefited from going more slowly that that. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't horrible either.
Now that I am off, I am amazed at how much better I feel. (I've been off it for a month.) I thought the 1 or 1.5 mg of Klonopin I was taking each night was the only thing allowing me to get any sleep at all. I was sleeping about 1-2 hours at a time for a total of 3-4 hours a night. And it just seemed to be getting worse.
In hindsight, I realize I had already developed tolerance to Klonopin and by not increasing my dose, I was actually beginning to experience withdrawal. One of the most common withdrawal symptoms from a benzodiazepine like Klonopin or Xanax is insomnia.
Now that I'm off I'm sleeping about six hours a night (sometimes more), usually just waking once during the night. I wish someone had recognized what was happened years ago and helped me withdraw safely. Although getting off wasn't easy, I haven't regretted it for a minute.
Good luck!
Posts: 164 | From USA | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic