I got new frames recently, but the nose piece arms seem to move fairly easily, which throws my vision out of whack...and then I have to go get them adjusted again, which is a nightmare. Would acetate frames be better? Is this even normal? Could it be a problem with the lenses? Here's my Rx:
Right eye - 4.25 -4.25 x011
Left eye -6 -2.75 x170
Reading +1.25 add
Hello! I have been on clonazepam for years PRN for sleep with no issues. I would go through a bottle of 60 in six months or more. I had a refill on June 15th, and used 14 pills in a six weeks (0.5 - 1mg). I had really bad anxiety and derealization that was brought on by a severely overcorrected pair of progesssives that I had worn way too long (three months), and took 1mg clonazepam every night for 9 days.
When I got my new glasses, I stopped the clonazepam my anxiety went away the moment i put the new pair on. I started having anxiety and depressive episodes a few days later, and thought maybe I should start a taper. I took 0.5 mg a week ago Friday, still had anxiety that went away when the new lenses were fixed - the new lenses didnt match new prescription (24 hours after my last dose). I still took another 0.5 mg that night despite feeling better. Sunday, woke up feeling depressed and anxious. Thought the clonazepam might paradoxically be causing the feelings, and tapered down to 0.25 mg. Did that for three days and was able to fall asleep without taking anything last Wednesday night/Thursday morning, until i woke up at 2am and had trouble getting back to sleep. I accidentally took 0.5 mg instead of 0.25mg, then had my doctor's appointment last Thursday.
He told me I could stop the clonazepam, and he gave me propranolol along with a referral to a psychologist since I've been struggling with life events. Ive been having insomnia/light sleep for a few nights, plus anxiety and intrusive thoughts. I went to a psychiatric ER on the recommendation of my counselor. I was told i didnt fit the profile of someone going through clonazepam withdrawal. She gave me trazodone for sleep for five days. Every SSRI I've tried to take over the last couple of weeks has left me with brutal activation, and Trazodone has similar mechanisms for its effects. I started getting low-level activation and anxiety at midnight last night. I at least got five hours of sleep, but have been left with a lot of anxiety and intrusive thoughts.
I am a big guy, so the trazodone half life is around 13 hours instead of 5-6. So many variables, but I'm wondering how much of what I'm feeling is from rebound anxiety from the clonazepam, vs lack of sleep and leftover trazodone, since the metabolite of trazodone causes anxiety. What can I do to sleep, which is what I know i really need. Is it possible that i'm not even going through rebound anxiety?
And if I am, how long will it take to stop?
WARNING: LONG STORY
I finally bought new glasses after 18 years (I have a fear of eye doctors), and the place I went ran a 10 minute eye exam. They said there was a huge jump, and that I needed bifocals. Okay, no problem. I asked for progressives because I wanted to be bougie, I guess. Anyway, here's the old and new prescriptions:
Old prescription:
Right eye -4.75 -4.5 x015
Left eye -5 -3.25 x170
New prescription:
Right eye -4.25 -5.5 x010
Left eye -6.75 -2.50 x160
Reading +1.75 add
From day one, I didn't like them. They just made me feel off, and I tried to adapt to them. After a month, I took the glasses back and had them checked. I was told the visual center was too low in the right eye, and got the new lenses ordered. The new lenses made me feel worse, but I decided that I would tough it out. After a month, I took them back. I was told that the prescription matched and the lenses were fine, but the frames and lenses were too big and that brain was probably picking up extra distortion. They ordered me smaller frames and lenses. They also made adjustments to the frame to straighten thing out. I felt like it made things worse. Again.
The next day, the racing thoughts and anxiety started. A day later, the derealization kicked in, and it was terrifying. I somehow made it through the week, and got the new frames and lenses. In the meantime, I saw posts about people going through something similar after changing their lenses because the scripts were wrong. I started to think that's what was going on with me. I tried on the new frames, and things were blurry but manageable. The next day, the mother of all panic attacks kicked in and lasted all day, exacerbated by the fact that no one looked real. I came home, took the new glasses off and put the old ones on. INSTANT RELIEF. I figured i'd call the optical shop on Monday and let them know. However, my old lenses were bent, and the lenses were scuffed and cloudy, so things still looked like a dream. I got worse. By Tuesday, I was ready to go to a mental hospital if things didn't get better. I went to a different eyeglass shop though, and had THEM check my eyes and my prescription. What they found surprised all of us:
Progressive lens prescription:
Right eye -4.25 -5.5 x010
Left eye -6.75 -2.50 x160
Reading +1.75 add
Newest prescription
Right eye - 4.25 -4.25 x011
Left eye -6 -2.75 x170
Reading +1.25 add
We also discovered that my corneas have an issue that make progressives not a good idea. The optometrist explained that my old, overpowered glasses were forcing my brain and eyes to work overtime to try to fit everything together, and over time it can burn your nervous system out, and can also activate the "fight or flight" reflex. I got new, single vision lenses in the new Rx, and my brain finally quieted down. I still get flashes of anxiety and derealization, but I was told it can take 2-3 weeks for things to go back to normal. Still, i'm better than I was.
However, this also means that my prescription still went from
Right eye -4.75 -4.5 x015
Left eye -5 -3.25 x170
to
Right eye - 4.25 -4.25 x011
Left eye -6 -2.75 x170
Reading +1.25 add
Which my brain is fighting me on, probably because of all the trauma my brain and eyes have been through.
WARNING: LONG STORY
I finally bought new glasses after 18 years (I have a fear of eye doctors), and the place I went ran a 10 minute eye exam. They said there was a huge jump, and that I needed bifocals. Okay, no problem. I asked for progressives because I wanted to be bougie, I guess. Anyway, here's the old and new prescriptions:
Old prescription:
Right eye -4.75 -4.5 x015
Left eye -5 -3.25 x170
New prescription:
Right eye -4.25 -5.5 x010
Left eye -6.75 -2.50 x160
Reading +1.75 add
From day one, I didn't like them. They just made me feel off, and I tried to adapt to them. After a month, I took the glasses back and had them checked. I was told the visual center was too low in the right eye, and got the new lenses ordered. The new lenses made me feel worse, but I decided that I would tough it out. After a month, I took them back. I was told that the prescription matched and the lenses were fine, but the frames and lenses were too big and that brain was probably picking up extra distortion. They ordered me smaller frames and lenses. They also made adjustments to the frame to straighten thing out. I felt like it made things worse. Again.
The next day, the racing thoughts and anxiety started. A day later, the derealization kicked in, and it was terrifying. I somehow made it through the week, and got the new frames and lenses. In the meantime, I saw posts about people going through something similar after changing their lenses because the scripts were wrong. I started to think that's what was going on with me. I tried on the new frames, and things were blurry but manageable. The next day, the mother of all panic attacks kicked in and lasted all day, exacerbated by the fact that no one looked real. I came home, took the new glasses off and put the old ones on. INSTANT RELIEF. I figured i'd call the optical shop on Monday and let them know. However, my old lenses were bent, and the lenses were scuffed and cloudy, so things still looked like a dream. I got worse. By Tuesday, I was ready to go to a mental hospital if things didn't get better. I went to a different eyeglass shop though, and had THEM check my eyes and my prescription. What they found surprised all of us:
Progressive lens prescription:
Right eye -4.25 -5.5 x010
Left eye -6.75 -2.50 x160
Reading +1.75 add
Newest prescription
Right eye - 4.25 -4.25 x011
Left eye -6 -2.75 x170
Reading +1.25 add
We also discovered that my corneas have an issue that make progressives not a good idea. The optometrist explained that my old, overpowered glasses were forcing my brain and eyes to work overtime to try to fit everything together, and over time it can burn your nervous system out, and can also activate the "fight or flight" reflex. I got new, single vision lenses in the new Rx, and my brain finally quieted down. I still get flashes of anxiety and derealization, but I was told it can take 2-3 weeks for things to go back to normal. Still, i'm better than I was.
TL;DR - overpowered lenses worn for too long can make you almost go nuts.
I was on clonazepam for about two weeks because I was suffering from anxiety and derealization (later attributed to a bad eyeglass prescription of all things, which has since been corrected), and I stopped the clonazepam because all my other symptoms reduced greatly. It's now been 50 hours since my last dose, and I started having anxiety last night over worry that my symptoms could come back. I am laying here at 12:35 am, woken up by anxiety, and I don't know if it's because of not taking clonazepam or because I am relapsing despite the new glasses.