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  • EADD Moderators: axe battler | Pissed_and_messed

Etiz taper and dealing with WDs

tribal girl

tribal girl

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
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Hi guys, I've risen from the ashes to make this post which is not at all easy for me. FWIW I couldn't find a suitable thread to post this in during my search either, so please feel free to move it if I've overlooked something (though I'd rather you didn't for the time being though).

I'm gonna try to keep this concise. I've been using/abusing benzos for years due to anxiety issues. Now, I've always kept my dose as low as possible, and last year I was on max 1.5 of etiz a day 5 days a week. In around October I dropped to an average of 1mg a day, and that's mostly what I've been sticking to ever since. I don't consume any on weekends, and I get on average 9 weeks holiday entitlement from work a year which is generally where and when I go cold turkey. I know this is technically inadvisable but it has always worked and been fine up until now. For the record - I no longer consume any other drug, and I seldom drink these days either. The irony is I've actually been taking good care of myself by getting into yoga and going vegan and all that hippie crap lol. I've been feeling good.

Anyway, these past couple of days some wds have kicked in. This also happened once around a month ago but I shrugged it off as eating something which didn't agree with me. When this happened again last night it occurred to me what this was and after looking up benzo WD symptoms I was practically ticking them all off in my head. So I took 0.5 etiz and felt like I stabilised the situation. I also had some insomnia last night, and woke feeling a bit dodge this morning (palpitations) so took another 0.5.

I'm really apprehensive about talking to my family about this, and also in regards to going to a doctor. Is this something I'll be able to tackle myself? FWIW I have the next couple of weeks off work so I feel like this is a good time to start tapering off this evil drug for good.

Any advice is appreciated. <3
 
My post just got deleted and I'm heading out in a minute! :!

But very briefly, 1mg a day and none on weekends isn't too drastic, so it would probably be OK to swiftly taper using your etizolam, dropping by about half a milligram every couple of weeks. If you experience discomfort between doses, a longer half-life benzo (read: diazepam) might work better to taper. 5mg diazepam would probably be a good starting point, and dropping down from there. Obviously you don't want to be using dodgy black market valium for tapering though!

Good luck!
 
Etizolam has a short half life so it is likely that after using so regularly for so long has caused some dependance and withdrawal between doses but like Ordinary Mind said your at an advantage being on a low-ish dose.

My advice would be to switch to a longer acting benzo like diazepam or diclazepam if you only have access to RCs. I successfully tapered off a 3 - 4 year habit of between 1 and 3mg of diclaz or the equivalent of another benzo recently. Went to my GP and was given a daily diaz script and I tapered off from 15mg diaz to 0mg in about 4 months, wasn't easy but I feel great now so the misery was more than worth it, good luck!
 
^^Thanks for your response. :)

This is kinda what I was hoping someone would say, so this is what I'll do for now. Any idea how long this process should be repeated for?
 
headfuck123 said:
Etizolam has a short half life so it is likely that after using so regularly for so long has caused some dependance and withdrawal between doses but like Ordinary Mind said your at an advantage being on a low-ish dose.

My advice would be to switch to a longer acting benzo like diazepam or diclazepam if you only have access to RCs. I successfully tapered off a 3 - 4 year habit of between 1 and 3mg of diclaz or the equivalent of another benzo recently. Went to my GP and was given a daily diaz script and I tapered off from 15mg diaz to 0mg in about 4 months, wasn't easy but I feel great now so the misery was more than worth it, good luck!
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Thank you. I don't have access to anything besides etiz, but feel sure that switching to a longer half-life drug would be more beneficial. I may have to visit my GP after all, which tbh is a horrifying thought for me but there you go.
 
tribal girl said:
Thank you. I don't have access to anything besides etiz, but feel sure that switching to a longer half-life drug would be more beneficial. I may have to visit my GP after all, which tbh is a horrifying thought for me but there you go.
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If you go to speak with your GP, it might be worth printing out some online info regarding equivalent doses between etizolam and diazepam. This might help them appreciate your situation a bit better.

Its definitely worth asking, but don't be too surprised if you don't get a prescription - most GPs don't feel comfortable prescribing benzos at the best of times, the fact that there is a pretty high chance they won't know much about etizolam definitely won't help!
 
Ahhh, old etizolam seems to haven gotten to quite a few of us in the end. :)

I'm in a similar situation and coming off a pretty hefty amount of both etizolam and alprazolam powder. I'm currently on a taper with my GP (4mg in the morning, 2mg in the evening) and things are going perfect.... so don't despair, it doesn't have to go horribly wrong. :)

My first piece of advice is to switch to a longer acting benzo, i.e diazepam, as has already been said. The 2mg tablets which are available would be perfect.

My second piece of advice is to have somebody administer the dose (parent/partner/friend), if you think you might struggle to not be naughty when benzo's are lying around. That said, your use seems pretty controlled to me so perhaps you will be fine.

You could be experiencing something akin to post acute withrawals from long term use, and the most important thing to remember is that they tend to last only a few days. If it makes any difference, I feel better than I have in the past six years, which had been a really shitty time for me.

Also, don't be scared to tell your doctor. I remember that you looked like a respectable person, which really goes a long way when negotiating with a doctor. It can also really help to have a relative/friend as an intermediary. Be prepared to argue your case. If you don't already know, The Ashton Manual (available here), is the go to document for understanding benzo withdrawal/tapering. It can also come in handy to cite when speaking with a GP. They probably haven't read it, at least fully, and neither have I, but my GP certainly thinks I have. Things like that help.

ordinary mind said:
If you go to speak with your GP, it might be worth printing out some online info regarding equivalent doses between etizolam and diazepam. This might help them appreciate your situation a bit better.
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Yes, definitely this. A nurse I was speaking to got the ratio completely wrong, and was convinced that diazepam was ten times stronger so I'd need less. No amount of trying to convince her had any effect at all.

Good luck, and feel free to wing me a PM. Like I say, I'm currently going through all of this :)
 
Any benzo taper I've ever done. And that's more than one would like to think, the best option really is always switch to diazepam, because of the half life.

I did manage to taper straight off xanax once. But it was a nightmare and I was constantly on edge. Tapering off Diaz is far easier going on the old anxiety.
 
This is the first time in a very long time that I am needing to use Bluelight for some actual drug/ HR advice.

Im basically in the same boat as Tribal Girl (thanks for creating this thread). Been taking Etiz on and off for 5 years, for me it has been always for sleep so I take one before bed. But about the last 4/5 months this has been every night.

So after a mental 3 day long New Years drink and coke binge I decided it time to give up Etiz. Cold Turkey.

I believe Im suffering some withdrawls. Insomnia and anxiety. My head has been doing a million MPH when I'm trying to settle down for sleep. I ve managed 2/3 hours max sleep for the last few nights. I have 1 nytol, some Etiz, and some indica hash at my disposal.

I'm in two minds whether just to ride this out or to go down the half Etiz route for a few nights. I just hope I can get back to a drug free sleep ASAP as I'm absolutely no fucking use to anyone on this little sleep.

How long should it take for the side effects to clear.
 
If you have been without all week I personally would be inclined ride to it out fella.. I would expect etizolam to behave like a short / intermediate acting benzodiazepine and any dangerous wd effects would have (probably...) manifested themselves by now - anxiety and insomnia are to be expected really and if these and other hypersensitivities are not getting any worse then they can only keep getting better at this point. If you are managing a couple of hours sleep at least then this is promising and will only get better - resorting to re - dosing at this point would be counterproductive if you plan on stopping using them nightly anyway. The ganja could go both ways - I love my smoke but really find it doesn't help my anxiety when experiencing rebound effects after a couple of months blasting away benzos every day.

Of course the best way to go with this would be to get an assessment and some medical management (i.e. a short taper with a longer acting drug like diazepam or chlordiazepoxide) but it appears that even folk with dangerously serious issues are just not been taken seriously with this :X and if you have managed up until now with only massive anxiety, insomnia and no further deterioration I wouldn't hold my breath...
 
Cheers 2ees

This will be night 3.

I ve been out for a massive walk today to try and tire myself out a bit more. I think I m going to just hang on in there for the ride. I was pretty ropey at work following Hogmanays partying. Tomorrow I'm going to be a total sack of shit if I get a night like the previous two.

Only myself to blame. Queue eyebags and a highly irritable worker. Hopefully be fine by this time next week :/
 
Combining all this with a ny hangover always seems to happen (it's an annual rite of passage in this house) and never helps but it sounds like you're managing even if it's early days... keep up the walking and the fact that you're facing up to work is really encouraging... keep busy - but don't overdo it and make sure you let your colleagues know (they don't have to know the details and it's always worth utilising your OH department / provider if your employer has one) if you really don't feel well at work.

All things considered if you don't start feeling worse you should be right as rain come next w/e. Just be careful not to fall back into the trap of daily use (it's just another roundabout I've spent the last 15 years spinning on)
 
^IMO stopping benzos cold turkey is a terrible idea; just watch out for twitches/brain zaps, i.e potential seizures. If that happens, get yourself to ER. From what I know, tapering can also prevent damage to your glutamate receptors.

Far too many people are concerned with going to the GP, I tend to find. A lot of people seem concerned with tarnishing their hospital record or something. It shouldn't make absolutely any difference whatsoever. It's confidential information and it's your record. Don't be afraid for it to say you're a drug user; I can't think of it ever exactly mattering.

:)
 
Tranced said:
^IMO stopping benzos cold turkey is a terrible idea; just watch out for twitches/brain zaps, i.e potential seizures. If that happens, get yourself to ER. From what I know, tapering can also prevent damage to your glutamate receptors.

Far too many people are concerned with going to the GP, I tend to find. A lot of people seem concerned with tarnishing their hospital record or something. It shouldn't make absolutely any difference whatsoever. It's confidential information and it's your record. Don't be afraid for it to say you're a drug user; I can't think of it ever exactly mattering.

:)
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Couldnt agree more. Faster tapers are more likely to cause lasting damage and generally be more physically and mentally agonising. Be honest with your GP, bring info about etiz and RC benzos. When I went to my GP about this issue I brought print outs of info but he didn't seem that interested but did make sure to prescribe me an equal dose of diazepam. The rate of my taper was up to me but I stuck to my guns of making a reduction every week or 2 even if it was small, never increased my dose and kept ontop of the daily pick up for the most part. I must admit it was a shitty situation to be in but there was a way out which I stuck to and i'm now out the other end far more healthy and happy!
 
Tranced said:
^IMO stopping benzos cold turkey is a terrible idea
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It's not just your opinion Tranced - it's fact and if the member had expressed this ahead of time then your response would have been the most appropriate.
 
Tranced said:
Far too many people are concerned with going to the GP, I tend to find. A lot of people seem concerned with tarnishing their hospital record or something. It shouldn't make absolutely any difference whatsoever. It's confidential information and it's your record. Don't be afraid for it to say you're a drug user; I can't think of it ever exactly mattering.

:)
Click to expand...

It 'shouldn't' matter, but it does. Once you have 'drug user' on your record, you are forever labelled as a 'drug seeker'.
 
Just thought I'd give an update on my progress.

I decided to tell my mum, along with several friends what's been going on for the last 8 years (and they've all been wonderful, including the blers who've reached out to me. Thank you! <3).

So I visited my GP after having to re-register (long story), which meant first making an appointment with a nurse. Then my GP was unwilling to help and just referred me to the local drug clinic where I had to undergo an assessment before being referred to one of their doctors. Phew. So all in all I had a three week period of hellish withdrawals whilst trying to spread out my etiz doses opposed to upping the dose even further. All this plus 6 weeks of rushing to the toilet meant that I've dropped a size. Everyone keeps tellin' me how great I look and they wanna know what my secret is. Srly, you don't!

I initially told the folk at the clinic that I'd been taking alprazolam as I was worried they wouldn't have even heard of etiz, but then I was faced with a urine test and I began to panic that maybe etiz wouldn't test positive for benzos etc. However, I did manage to find an ancient stash of diaz prior to my test and only took 2.5mg, but decided to come clean prior to the urine test anyway. I just explained that I was worried they wouldn't know how or be willing to treat me and chose the closest drug to etiz. I also printed a PDF on etiz (click here for link). And mentioning the Ashton manual really helped too as the doctor hadn't heard of it, and he actually thanked me. So in regards to whether it tests positive or not...I'm not sure.

Long story short - I began a diaz taper almost a moth ago and I've comfortably-ish dropped from 15-12mgs. It really is the best and only decision I could have made imo. And I feel a stronger person as a result. I will cross the bridge of what lies install for me after I've gone through this process nearer the time, but it seems as though they're overly keen to put me on SSRI's which I'm not even considering as an option atm. I'm a firm believer that diet plays a huge part in not just our physical health, but our mental health too. A ceratin bler recommended Rhodiola powder to aid with anxiety and depression and it's helped me a lot. Ashwagandha has also been mentioned and purchased, but I will sample that next week when I have some time off work. :)

So to all you guys struggling with this shit, just do your best to get off it ASAP cuz the withdrawals are horrific. I thought I was gonna die, and I was on a relatively low dose. I wish you all luck and strength. <3
 
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