Benzos Benzo Tolerance Issues... Questions

[Jolly-R]

I used benzos I was prescribed late last year/early this year. I was using lorazapam first and I had some level of tolerance by the time I stopped but I think 2mg was having more or less the same effect 1mg had at the start. After a fairly short break I was prescribed diazepam. I found I had to start taking 10mg for the desired effect fairly soon, I think. I can't remember exactly how long I was on it. Maybe a couple of months or a bit longer. Anyway it ended up being too long. I found that while it had the anti anxiety effect it didn't put me to sleep at all and I could still lay in bed awake for hours. I got prescribed lorazapam again and it was the same deal.

So I tried staying off them for 2 weeks. That didn't help at all. Then a month - that didn't help either. lately I didn't touch them for 6 weeks I think it was, and still when I took them I was just as tolerant as I was when I was taking them every day.

So I'm really frustrated and annoyed at myself for letting that happen. It feels like it's not possible to reset or lower my tolerance. I don't think I took them for a particularly long time nor abused them. I truly appreciated the way it made me felt and its ability to put me to sleep quick. I think I've taken 3mg / 15mg and that's not done anything, too. The other day I even tried mixing them, and I think I took 4-5 tablets and still, nope. I just felt rather unanxious and amnesic.

So I'm wondering about what your experiences are:

-Have you succesfully lowered your tolerance? How long did it take? How much were you taking?

-Would it be possible achieve that same effect I used to get with an even larger dose? How often can you take it without increasing your tolerance further?

-I know there's cross-tolerance with different benzos, but is it possible a different benzo I've not used before could work like new for me? Or am I stuffed and they all kinda overlap?

-I've read there's also cross tolerance with alcohol? I drink fairly often and heavily and my alcohol tolerance is pretty high (although I've never mixed the 'hol with benzos; Information online seems to imply a drop of it while on benzos will kill you). Would cutting out alcohol potentially help?

-Also how about zopiclone / zolpidem etc? Is the effect kind of the same? I tried asking the psychiatrist about trying it but he said they're only used for sleep (I'm prescribed primarily for anxiety).

 

[jhjhsdi]

Just be honest with your doc.
Also if you're mainly using them for sleep why don't you try taking some sleep aids at night alongside or instead. You can get good ones without prescription.
Diphenhydramine
Promethazine
Valerian root, to name a few.

If they're not working for anxiety the doc should put you on propranolol or maybe even pregabs

 

[Jolly-R]

Just be honest with your doc.
Also if you're mainly using them for sleep why don't you try taking some sleep aids at night alongside or instead. You can get good ones without prescription.
Diphenhydramine
Promethazine
Valerian root, to name a few.

If they're not working for anxiety the doc should put you on propranolol or maybe even pregabs

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check those out. I'd read there isn't much evidence valerian does much though. What should I be honest with the doctor about?
The benzos still seem to work for anxiety although I'm not sure they're as effective as they once were. I don't have a whole lot of situations to test it though since I'm not doing much these days.

I tried again last night. Took 3mg lorazapam and 5mg diazepam. I felt less anxious but not super chilled out or anything. I just remember when I first started taking the lorazapam; I could take one and within an hour I'd be looking for the nearest bed to crawl in to.

edit: and it looks like both Diphenhydramine and Promethazine are prescription only here lol

 

[Jolly-R]

i take 100mg prezepam every 20 days, i always get mild anti-anxiety effect

no that not possible, if you switched to super strong benzo your waiting time (20days for me) will be less

there will be pratial cross tolerance lets say (80% ), it not worth trying

there a cross tolerance with alcohol and yes stoping it will bring back some effect when you started taking benzo again after long tolerance break

there will be pratial cross tolerance lets say (80% ), it not worth trying

What's the strong benzos? Like xanax?
Bugger, I thought I'd read that benzos and zopiclone don't have cross tolerance; seems I misread.
So basically I'm stuffed? My understanding of tolerance is that even if it does lower, once you partake a few times your body realises what's going on pretty quickly and your tolerance rapidly returns to what it once was. I'm guessing that's the case with benzos.

 

[Hylight]

What's the strong benzos? Like xanax?
Bugger, I thought I'd read that benzos and zopiclone don't have cross tolerance; seems I misread.
So basically I'm stuffed? My understanding of tolerance is that even if it does lower, once you partake a few times your body realises what's going on pretty quickly and your tolerance rapidly returns to what it once was. I'm guessing that's the case with benzos.

i am hoping that isn't the case. i am struggling with benzo's right now.

they are making me crazy.

However, this is true with pain medication for me, and also the is pain miserable now.

and back to the benzo's, i don't want anymore memory loss.

 

[Ballz_Trippington]

I am an insomniac and rely on etizolam sporadically to sleep but I limit myself to a maximum of twice per week and I NEVER use benzos recreationally.
Benzodiazepines cause you gain tolorance to your own GABA system in the brain which your brain's natural (hit the breaks -slow everything down - go to sleep) system.
Doing benzos or ANY drug excessively or even very regularly will cause you to have diminished effects of that drug by altering your brain chemistry s your training your body to think it's normal to get this exogenous chemical on a regular basis.
Fucking with your brain's natural relaxing system WILL only cause more severe problems down the road.
If anyone takes benzodiazepines regularly they are just digging themselves into a deeper hole than they realize. As someone who needs this kind of medication to get a decent sleep some weeks (also struggle with anxiety) I understand and sympathize greatly with how miraculous benzos can seem at first to control insomnia and anxiety but it's a temporary short term solution or a "as sporadically as possible " type of medication.
There is a zero percent chance you can take something like a benzodiazepine regularly without negative consequences.
Say safe and best wshes .