best and least addictive benzos/other anxiety drugs

[narcomick]

Hi. Hope bdd is the right place for this. Anyway, I'd like to explain my situation. I'm 18, live in the uk and two years ago I developed depersonalisation derealisation disorder (dissociation) with extreme anxiety. After being prescribed all sorts of things I am now on zopiclone, clonazepam and clonidine as well as duloxitine (snri) and risperidone (antipsychotic). Of all of these only zopiclone makes a very noticeable difference but after two years it's effect is waning. I am more recently on clonazepam which is the only other thing that even takes the edge off for me. I'm fucked, I know, but I'm going to see my psychiatrist soon to talk about this and I want to come off either the zopiclone or clonazepam in favour of something better. I hear valium has a huge half life and is more uplifting and less sedating than clonazepam. I'm not sure about it though as I fear it may be more addictive but I really can't tell. I should get to the point. Is there anything that will be better for my anxiety than zopiclone/ clonazepam? I know I could up the dose but I'm not really sure I should. If anyone can throw some names out there that might be of use to me, or better yet names I haven't heard, that wold be wonderful I fear the side effects of zopiclone are messing me up and I'm not longer getting much benefit. Im happy to be addicted untill this gets better (hoping to get cbt) but right now I'm willing to try anything. I know of gabapentin, pregabalin buspar and beta blockers. Is that all there is? If so is there a better benzo I could take? Please help if you can, really don't know what to do right now. Thanks so much if anyone can come up with an awnser.

TL;DR: what's the BEST benzo for anxiety? Is valium more addictive than clonazepam? Are there any more obscure drugs that are successful, long term if possible, for severe anxiety/panic? Thanks.

 

[keeping]

i'm from the UK too and though i haven't been prescribed anything other than valium and zolpidem i have used clonazepam on various occasions and i can safely say that valium is the best.

i always found clonazepam too much of a muchness, valium is the perfect all-rounder
on and p.s buspar was useless for me and all i was having was anxiety/panic-attacks, don't think it would do much for your depersonalization

 

[narcomick]

Thanks for your reply. Didn't know they prescribe zolpidem, only known of zopiclone but that's cool, and yeah valium looks promising, clonazepam is supposed to work for 8 hours but I only usualy notice it for two, sometimes I'll nod out after the peak has worn off and have some trippy dreams/daydreams where I think I'm awake in the place I fell asleep, like an out of body experience almost. Back in the day I'd get benzos off freinds who had them or got them illegally,valium made me euphoric while clonazepam I thought were duds as I didn't know they can take a while to kick in.. I must have eaten 4-8mg clonazepam and it only made things worse.. didnt even sedate me! I thought they were sugar pills but im now prescibed the same ones so i know theyre not and they work now which is odd.. anyway, I shall look into valium

 

[keeping]

yeeah i feel you man, but bear in mind that taking gratuitous amounts of your anti-anxiety meds is kind of an elephant in the room vis-a-vis your problem.
abusing benzos may be the reason that you're finding your largely sedative-based medications are no longer effective?
but anywho - i hope that valium helps you out man.

oh and yeah i got prescribed zolpidem because the zopps made my mouth taste like pennies 24/7 :D

 

[narcomick]

Yeah that's why Imy hoping for cbt and using other relaxation techniques, but nothing compares to benzos/other sedatives and I will use them with other methods for as long as it takes, and I'm okay with that tbh. Ps did you notice a cross tolerance between zopiclone and zolpidem? How long did you use zopiclone before switching? I wish I could just try different benzos, from what it seems xanax compares best to zopiclone so if that were true for me I'd ideally be on xanax (3 days a week) and clonazepam or valium.. not sure which is best for me you know.

 

[keeping]

did you notice a cross tolerance between zopiclone and zolpidem? How long did you use zopiclone before switching? I wish I could just try different benzos, from what it seems xanax compares best to zopiclone so if that were true for me I'd ideally be on xanax (3 days a week) and clonazepam or valium.. not sure which is best for me you know.

yeah they're both z-drugs so there is a cross-tolerance as there would be with most benzos.
i only used zopiclone for a week and a half before i switched - the taste was so bad that i couldn't eat
xanax kicks in pretty fast, i'd call it the crack of the benzos.
tbh mate i think the less benzos you're on the better as it'll only increase your tolerance to the point that they become ineffective at treating your condition you know?

 

[HezzaD]

I'd say diazepam addictive due to long half life say its like the methadone of benzos in terms of half life sense.
and XANAX or TEMAZEPAM no klonopins in this country, I get 8mg diazepam a day used to be on 30mg gonna ask to be put back to ten, and I also get 7 20mg temazepams a MONTH, they don't work for insomnia so I use them for a bit of fun lol good to have couple beers on not too many or be out cold.

 

[narcomick]

Long half life is a trait of a less addictive drug, sure methadone (and valium) are addictive, but they are used as a less addictive substitute to other similar drugs with a short half life.

 

[Keif' Richards]

The addictive nature of drugs is always going to be a highly subjective experience, but as a general rule, the drugs (and accompanying route of administration) that cause the blood levels of the drug to increase at the fastest rate have the greatest propensity for psychological reinforcement. For example, smoking Cocaine is typically going to be a highly reinforcing experience compared to say, dropping some Cocaine into a beverage.

If we're discussing Benzodiazepines specifically, you'll probably note that the most commonly sought after Benzodiazepine on the street is your Alprazolam (Xanax), Lorazepam (Ativan) and to a slightly lesser extent, Clonazepam (Klonopin). You don't commonly see, say, Chlordiazepoxide (Librium) on the street for sale. The shorter-acting, more potent hit is always going to be more sought after.

I don't feel that switching from Clonazepam to Diazepam (Valium) would produce a radically different effect. They are both fairly long-acting Benzodiazepines. While Diazepam has some potentially long-lasting metabolites, its noticeable effect is going to be similar to Clonazepam.

Are you familiar at all with Gabapentinoids? These would include Gabapentin (Neurontin), Pregabalin (Lyrica) and Phenibut (OTC). They are great for reducing symptoms of withdrawal and won't contribute to your tolerance, as they work upon a different system than the Benzodiazepines.

 

[narcomick]

Yes im familiar with those, and like you say I don't know how I'd react to specific drugs, I wish I could try them first but that's not exactly an option to my knowledge. While clonazepam to me is very opiate like and good socially, it does induce fatiuge that persits the whole day, even into the next, which is why the short acting benzodiazipines are also of interest to me, especially as I'm trying to get off a z drug, zopiclone, which is more addictive/effective than benzos to me and has a short duration and rapid onset.

 

[MoreFeens4Morphine]

IME valium is the most effective benzo. I will not speak to its addictive qualities. That is a very subjective characteristic that varies across the spectrum for different people. I would talk to your doctor about switching meds. Tell him you find yourself taking more clonazepam than you are prescribed to achieve the same effect and you want to give a valium a try. At least that's all I would tell my doc. They can usually tell when you're being honest and genuinely need it.

Good Luck,
-MF4M

 

[DigitalScript]

(I'm not going to write about benzos because I only have experience with klonopin and xanax and don't feel fit to give advice about that.) so, I don't know that much in depth about your anxiety so I'll just tell you what works for me. I know these get a lot of stick, but I find they work like a charm and are not addictive, and they still can be dangerous but not as much as others. Beta-blockers and Alpha-blockers. My beta blocker of choice is atenolol and the alpha blocker that works best for me is Prazosin (minipress). These kinds of drugs really help (for me) with panic attacks because it slows your heart down, lowers your blood pressure, all that good stuff. Makes you a little drowsy, so it is commonly used for insomnia. Correct me if I'm wrong, but what I like about prazosin is that if your anxiety/PTSD/whatever you have causes you nightmares, prazosin gets rid of them. It blocks adrenaline so nightmares cannot occur, I usually have super calm dreams when sleeping on it. Other than that, it seems Valium is a choice you are considering. Talk to your doctor and just be honest, they can tell when you are truthful. I hope you find what you are seeking, I know how much anxiety can suck. Good luck!
(Just to throw this in, you said long lasting and the first thing that comes to mind to me is some kind of SSRI, although a lot of times that can only treat mild anxiety and they won't usually help people with serious anxiety. Plus, it's not FDA approved for anxiety so I would be surprised if your doc gave it to you.)

 

[narcomick]

Thanks op I would like to be on a low dose of an ssri as high doses made me hypomanic. Instead I am stuck on an snri called duloxitine which is infamous for its side effects and withdrawal and short half life.

 

[LoveSexDreamz]

Hydrixyzine pamoate might be useful. Make sure it's not the hcl which is just an antihistamine they swapped it on me before because the script just said hydrixyzine. Anyway gabaiebtin can be used up to like 4200mg/day.
The best benzo ive used for anxiety was hands down Ativan. Im is best.
Hydrixyzine pamoate
Buspar
Gabapentin
I say try Ativan if you can for sure.

Maybe discuss antidepressants with your doctor as they can help with anxiety too. I've tried Prozac, celexa, Wellbutrin, lexaoro so there you go.

 

[narcomick]

Hi guys. Saw the doc today and got put on 50 mg pregabalin and will be coming off duloxitine over the weekend and switching to sertraline. Will be on lorazepam (ativan) for three days to help with withdrawal.

 

[keeping]

Hi guys. Saw the doc today and got put on 50 mg pregabalin and will be coming off duloxitine over the weekend and switching to sertraline. Will be on lorazepam (ativan) for three days to help with withdrawal.

really happy for you man

 

[mortuaryscience]

I'd caution you against taking ANY benzo. These drugs screw with the GABA system in a very profound way. BTW, benzos will cause brain damage if used long enough. I'm sorry to hear of your troubles, but your attitude is worrisome. I don't think that you realize the PERMENANT damage all of these drugs will cause you if you continue using. Pills are cheaper than therapy, and put more money in the pockets of pharma companies than mental training ever will. Try meditative breathing and acupuncture before "kindling" your nervous system any more. This might be the most important post you ever read.

 

[white55]

Pyrazolam is probably the best one if we are talking about taking it only when necessary. Works fast, very good anxiolytic, lacks classical benzo effects so no temptation to get high on it. Low affinity for the gabaa subtypes responsible for cognitive impairment and addiction so it might be slightly safer in that regard although it's probably still addictive if taken regularly for long enough. It's a rc sadly and since it's not really recreational a rare and relatively expensive one at that. Of the pharma ones I'd say bromazepam is worth a shot as it's another mostly anxiolytic one (pyrazolam = improved version of bromazepam). But all benzos should really only be taken occasionally since that's when they are the most effective and least addictive and don't mess with your cognition.

For something that can be taken regularly, has no bad long term side effects, actually works and is something a doctor would/can actually give you the options are kinda shitty. SSRIs work for some people and are easy to get but come with their own side effects, pregabalin/gabapentin works for some and is also relatively easy to get (can be a bit expensive however) but can also have side effects. I wouldn't touch antpsychotics with someone else's 10 foot pole but that's just me since I got some really bad side effects from a few low doses (made me aggressive, couldn't speak, walked funny) with no benefit. Low doses of dissos work quite well but no doctor is going to give you that and the long term safety is probably not awesome (if you chose to try that get some 3-meo-pcp which is cheap, works, just be sure to stick to very low doses, the goal here is not to get high but to help with your problems). There is a few more things you could try but they are all still mostly something you'd have to do on your own and the safety is very debatable.

Therapy is probably the best and safest choice you have.

 

[gonnaod]

zolpidem is shit after 2 nights on it. I get 30mg valium daily and its way better than that pish only lasts for 3 hours

 

[CosmicG]

Have you considered trying a more natural approach before jumping on to drugs to help with your anxiety? If addiction is a cause of concern for you, I would suggest trying vitamins and minerals combined with exercise and meditation before you go straight to the doctor for pills.

Chelated magnesium does wonders for anxiety, helping tremendously even in acute/post-acute benzo withdraw. And it isn't one of those minerals that takes a while to build in your system. If you buy a good brand the effects are noticed the first time. Most people are deficient in this vital mineral anyway, so you would be doing yourself a solid no doubt. It's a win-win in my experience. Magnesium (chelated) also helps in preventing seizures. But no doctor I have talked to has ever suggested this. They would much rather prescribe you meds and have you keep coming back for more ime.