I was taking very small doses of chlordiazepoxide (Librax/Librium) nightly for 4 months, usually 5mg and occasionally 10mg, NOT for anxiety but as a muscle relaxant for a pesky digestive-level problem. When I started taking it, in fact, I had zero anxiety and had never experienced it before. Now I live with it daily following a panic attack 2 months ago, and it's bad, and I've started seeing a psychiatrist.
I abruptly stopped taking the chlordiazepoxide one week ago. I knew there might be withdrawal symptoms, but I thought I could swap in a different medication if it got very bad. I did so, but it's taken quite some time to get the dosing right. I had another panic attack about 5 days after stopping the chlordiazepoxide, back to the ER ("chest pains" this time haha).
Since anxiety is so new to me, I am lost and would appreciate any help, specifically with the following: 1. Does it seem likely the spike I'm experiencing right now is due to the withdrawal? It's hard for me to know, since I was on such a small dose. How long can I expect withdrawal to last? 2. My hypothesis is that the anxiety onset was actually CAUSED by my taking the chlordiazepoxide. First time I'd ever been on a pyschotropic drug. I wonder if my body got used to the small dose and then wanted - needed - more daily. This might explain why I was inexplicably feeling generalized anxiety in the late afternoons each day, when the drug had mostly worn off since my bedtime taking the previous dose. This is why I really want to get off all these drugs ASAP. Thoughts on this?
THANKS!