Presents:
SYMPTOMS LIST FROM
1. ACUTE
YAHOO BENZO SUPPORT GROUP
2. PROTRACTED
3. PARADOXICAL
4. TOLERANCE EFFECTS
(including toxicity)
5. SIDE EFFECTS
6. CATEGORIES OF SYMPTOMS
1. ACUTE:
Aggression
Anxiety
Agoraphobia
Apathy
Ataxia
Breathlessness
Chest discomfort and tightness
Choking
Constipation
Convulsions (muscle usually)
Dental pain
Depersonalization (feeling of disassociation from environment)
Depression
Derealisation (feeling of estranged self)
Diarrhoea
Distortion of body image, misperceptions
Dry, itchy skin
Electric shock feelings throughout the body
Dysphoria
Excitability
Fasciculations
Flushing
Formication (sensation of bugs crawling over skin)
Head sensations
Heart palpitations
Hyperacusis
Hypersensitivity to stimuli
Hyperpyrexia (overheating)
Hyperventilation (overbreathing)
Insomnia
Irrational rage
Irritability
Jumpiness
Metallic taste
Nausea
Nightmares
Panic attacks
Perceptual disturbances and distortions
Photosensitivity
Psychotic symptoms (obsessions, intrusive thoughts, memories)
Restlessness
Seizures (on abrupt discontinuation)
Sensory disruption scalp burning
Sore tongue
Sweating, night sweats
Tinnitus
Tremor
Vomiting
Weakness, ‘jelly legs’
Weight loss (this may be quite rapid)
2. PROTRACTED:
Anxiety
Aching joints
Ataxia
Allergic reactions
Blepharospasm (eye twitching)
Breast pain
Anxiety
Apathy
Constipation (often alternating with diarrhoea)
Cravings
Dehydration
Dental pain
Depersonalization (loss of sense of orientation in environment)
Depression
Derealization (loss of sense of self)
Diarrhoea (often alternating with constipation)
Dry, tickly cough
Dysphagia
Fluctuations in blood pressure
Electric shock feelings throughout the body
Fasciculations
Formication (sensation of bugs crawling over skin)
Gait disturbance (the ground seems to move underfoot)
Gastritis
Glassy eyes
Hair loss
Heartburn
Heart palpitations
Heavy flu like symptoms
Hyperaesthesia (sensitivity to stimuli)
Insomnia
Iris colour changes
Leukonychea (whitening of nails)
Libidinal changes
Menstrual irregularity
Muscular rigidity
Muscular spasms
Myoclonic convulsions (muscle/nerve spasms)
Nausea
Neurological problems (topical nerve anaesthesia)
Nose bleeds
Oedema (especially of ankles and face)
Oesophagitis
Paraesthesiae (numbing, burning and tingling; pins and needles)
Poor concentration
Poor short-term memory
Perspiring, night sweats
Severe headaches
Sinusitis
Skin insensitivity
Sore, itch eyes
Stomach cramps
Thirst
Thrush-like symptoms
Tremor
Tinnitus
Tiny pupils
Urinary problems (bladder either ‘all on’ or ‘all off’)
Vertigo
Visual disturbances (blurred, double, vivid)
Vomiting
Water retention
3. PARADOXICAL
Agitation
Aggressive behaviour
Anxiety
Breathlessness
Excitability
Fear
Hostility
Hyperactivity
Irrational rage
Insomnia
Nervousness
Nightmares, vivid dreams
Phobias
Restlessness
Restless legs, arms
Sleep disturbance
Tension
Tremor
Panic attacks
4. TOLERANCE EFFECTS (including toxicity):
Anxiety
Apnea (night)
Breathlessness
Dyspnea (breathing problems)
Fibrositis
Fatigue
Gait disturbance
Impotence
Leaden heaviness
Lethargy
Libido disturbances
Loss of self-confidence
Menstrual irregularity
Neurological problems
Panic attacks
Phobias
Severe muscle rigidity
Short-term memory impairment
Vasovagal attacks
Vertigo
5. SIDE EFFECTS:
Anti-social behaviour
Apathy
Breast enlargement
Chemical sensitivities, allergies
Dry, itchy skin
Depression
Dysphoria
Fatigue
Flu like symptoms
Hair loss
Impairment of motor co-ordination
Lethargy
Mild hypertension
Nausea
Oedema
Pulse rate changes
Shivering
Speech difficulty
Thyroid disturbances
Water retention
Weight gain
Xeroderma (dry skin)
6. CATEGORIES OF SYMPTOMS:
CARDIOVASCULAR:
Fluctuations in blood pressure
Mild hypertension
Shivering, feelings of extreme cold or hot
Heart palpitations
DERMATOLOGICAL:
Allergic reactions
Chemical sensitivities
Dry, itchy skin
Dry throat, sore tongue, and thrush
Formications (sensation of crawling on skin)
Glassy eyes
Hair loss
Leukonychea (whitening of nails)
Nosebleeds
Oedema
Paraesthesiae (numbness, tingling)
Perspiring, night sweats
Rashes, blotches
GASTRINTESTINAL:
Bladder incontinence
Constipation (sometimes alternating with diarrhoea)
Diarrhoea
Dyspepsia (indigestion)
Gastritis
Heartburn
Nausea
Oesophagitis
Stomach cramps
GENITOURINARY:
Impotence
Libido disturbances
Menstrual irregularities urinary problems (continence or incontinence)
Encopressia (faecal incontinence)
MUSCULOSKELETAL:
Aching joints
Blepharospasm (eye twitches)
Formication (sensations of bugs crawling on skin)
Gait disturbance
Jaw, tooth, neck and shoulder pain
Muscle wasting
Muscle spasms
Rapid weight loss
Severe headaches
Severe muscle rigidity
Tremor or feeling of inner vibration
Vertigo
NEUROLOGICAL:
Blurred vision, seeing spots, flashes, vivid vision
Bruxism (teeth grinding)
Dysphagia (difficulty eating or swallowing)
Electric shock feelings
Fatigue, leaden heaviness
Hypersensitivity to light, sound, and other stimuli
Neurological problems (e.g. topical anaesthesia)
Severe muscle rigidity
Speech difficulty
Thirst
Tinnitus (ear buzzing, popping, ringing, hissing)
Tiny pupils
Tremor
PARADOXICAL:
Agitation
Aggressive behaviour anxiety
Breathlessness
Excitability
Fear
Hostility
Hyperactivity
Irrational rage
Insomnia
Nervousness
Nightmares, vivid dreams
Phobias
Restlessness
PSYCHIATRIC:
Apathy
Anxiety
Delirium
Depersonalization (feeling of estrangement environment)
Depression
Derealisation (feeling of estrangement from environment)
Distortions or hallucinations
Dysphoria (inability to feel pleasure or happiness)
Fear
Hyperventilation
Hyperreflexia (‘jumpiness’)
Hypnologic hallucinations sleepwalking)
Lack of concentration
Nightmares
Obsessions
Paranoia
Phobias (hydrophobia, agoraphobia, monophobia, acrophobia, anthropophobia and others)
Rapid mood changes
Suicidal thoughts
Short-term memory impairment
RESPIRATORY:
Breathlessness
Choking
Dry, tickly cough
Dyspnea (breathing difficulty)
Hyperventilation (overbreathing)
Inability to draw satisfying breath
Night apnea
Sinusitis
These lists are pretty comprehensive and include
symptoms reported by members of the benzo egroup.
It is mercifully unlikely that any one person will
experience all the symptoms recorded here.
They are given purely for reference purposes.
Note: It is difficult to determine exactly
which symptoms are acute and which are protracted.
Everyone’s experience is clearly different.
Ray Nimmo, Irene Mazis and others from the benzo egroup. 2000.