What are Waves and Windows? Protracted Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

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Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.

[phillipkopp]

Sometimes I will experience windows and waves several times in a DAY. I try to acknowledge and be consciously GRATEFUL for every moment I am not suffering.

[MichaelJLink]

This is exactly what I've started to experience. I had 3 days of feeling improvement followed by a week of symptoms again.

[brendansmyth]

I’ve had a little wave this week. You are correct that the waves do improve and get shorter and less brutal. I’m 4years 9 months PAWS after my gp dropped my Cymbalta from 30mgs 0mgs. It took me months of research to find out what was happening to me. After I was severely injured I went on a mission to find out how this happened to me. I investigated 13 doctors and the ER docs and nurses here in Australia. I was shocked to find out that they were all unaware or at least didn’t admit they had knowledge of PAWS. My latest wave just had me anxious and overthinking, agitated. I remember the first few years of my illness and can’t believe I made it this far. I’m a lucky man to have family support 🙏🏻 love to all going through this❤️ hang in there and keep going. eat healthy, don’t drink alcohol, light exercise, listen to your body, educate yourself, avoid stress, be kind to yourself, Get sun ☀️, magnesium, improve sleep. 🙏🏻

[BarryMann]

This is very true. It is spoken of by David Powers at Power benzo coaching.

After 5 mos off, I have been hit by a sudden wave.

Up until this point, it was window/wave for about 3 months before finally abating (despite what you read online, most benzo recovery does occur within 3 months - the outliers cluster in online Benzo groups - giving the false impression that nobody heals)

consider your TRAJECTORY - this is what is important. For this reason, I am not that worried about my current wave, as I know it will abate and subside.. usually healing is on the other side

[kimballscharff]

This feels accurate for PAWS from Cymbalta. Thank you for this new way of looking at my last 11/2 years. It is slowly improving but feels like the insomnia is killing me. Hope you get licensed in MO soon.

[TrinityTacticalOperationsGroup]

You keep giving me Words to express these symptoms. This video popped up at just the right time

[ladyscarfaceangel]

I call my cycles lows & highs. When I'm cycling through a low i have extreme anxiety with agrophobia, tremors/shaking. I know that during these times i can't have caffeine because it makes it worse, any hormonal shift in my body makes it worse, even being hungry can trigger a bad episode. That's why for the longest time I thought it was low blood sugar, but my levels are fine. I'm hypersensitive to everything! I had to come off my birth control because i couldn't tolerate it anymore. Pregancy, menstrual cycles, anything like that makes it worse. When I'm cycling through a high, these things still affect me but not as catastrophically. I can manage.

[kathleendinsmore]

I'm tapering from a different substance from benzodiazapine but what you describe is very similar. I think I'm getting through it and then get hit with a wave of feeling poorly both physically and mentally. But the waves do seem to be decreasing in frequency and severity. This information is very helpful. Thank you.

[garygreen]

100% accurate ....Love the windows
Understand the waves...
Waves suck
But knowing is a blessing

[JPD_]

My worsened symptom is by far catastrophic thinking

[zee]

For me, my waves are usually triggered by over exercise. I think any form of stress can potentially trigger a wave.

[lonnievisch]

Please mention antidepressants too!! Thank you!

[jewel]

I find your videos so helpful as I go thru this myself at this time. Grateful for you.

[QQ]

I took Ativan for only about 2 weeks and when I started cutting down...that is when all HELL broke lose...for nearly 3 years... ZERO WINDOWS. Things started getting better very very slowly after my 2.5 year taper ended. Also this was the first drug I had ever taken... besides antibiotics.

[tammycarlson]

I’ve been in withdrawals from cymbalta since mid February 2024.

It’s been a living hell. My first window lasted 4 days and my second window lasted 2 1/2 weeks.

I journal my daily progress and feelings so I absolutely have realized that intense stress triggers my waves.

I’m currently in a wave now after a 2 1/2 week window. I’m now learning that food high in histamines may have contributed to this wave as well as an intense event of stress.

Anyone else ever have long windows lasting weeks or beyond…?

Blessings to all.

[snowps]

I'm having this same experience coming off Lexapro after being on and off it for years. I'm completely off for 3 months now. Waves and windows... Perfect description. I get waves of sadness, melancholia, anger, depression. I'm trying to hold on and wait it out, but it worries me that it could take years.

[Tempo]

I am 32 months off of a 30 day “ taper” of Wellbutrin and Lexapro. I didn’t have one window until month 24. I forgot there were such things and it lasted for about three weeks. I thought I was on the road to recovery. I was horrified when the symptoms came back with a vengeance. I’m now 32 months out and I only get a few days of windows here and there. It’s pretty unbearable a lot of the time.

[stephaniewestrick]

Im 2 years out and my waves have not decreased in intensity.

[treesaremadeofwood]

The 1% -2% is dependent on the taper for that individual and is a big deal in their tapers.

[atomicblonde]

I never connected my severe fatigue with benzos!! For the past 15 years, I've suffered from the worst fatigue in my life..been to so many doctors and not one connected it. Now im reading this and im living in a hell. I am now taping off bc i can't continue to live like this. Im in bed all day! I was not like this till i started taking Alprazalam. Its like i have zero energy, and i get these windows every once in a great while to leave the house. How can i get better?