Binging then quitting Benzos abruptly

[smoothgroove]

I respect you guys... this is my first post, but I've always relied and referenced Bluelight.

So I've been prescribed 3mg/daily Klonopin for 4 months. My tendency is to binge for the the first week or so of each month, then typically end up with 1 mg for each day on the second to last week, then down to .5 mg's per day for the final week of the month. I'm a benzo addict, so self-control is difficult despite my authentic need for them medically. My question: I've already eaten 90mg in 10 days + 12 mg. Xanax through the course of yesterday. So now I'm down to ZERO, because I'm a stupid addict. I repeat this pattern each month and usually only suffer a day or two. Mind you, I drink plenty of craft beer on a daily basis, which plugs up those GABA receptors and helps a ton with the benzo w/d.

What do you guys think?
Am I in for a big crash in a week or two?
Should I buy phenibut to help prevent W/D?
Do any of you have a similar pattern of abuse? If so, when does your eventual withdrawal strike?

(Thankfully, I have a friend who owes me 8 pills of 2mg Kpins, so that should last for the rest of the month if I divide them up, wouldn't you think? I don't have anyone to talk to about this, and you guys are smart with great advice and experience. Any feedback is appreciated.

Cheers! :D

 

[theGirlWithBlueHair]

You've been doing this for four months? Yeah, I would say you're going to feel something.

Phenibut would be a good idea, but you have to use it correctly. It's dosage is 500-750mg three to four times a day. Don't use it any other way or you're just going to end up in even MORE trouble...

Yeah, the 2mg clonazepam's should last. Start with taking .5 bid for a few days, and then cut it to .25 bid and try to make that last, but remember that the month is only half over... The phenibut is really a good idea.

I would recommend you get it and take 750mg every 4 hours until you get your next script, but then you would need to wean off this as well for a week or two, to minimize effects as phenibut is notorious for withdrawals effects.

I'm sure you probably know this, bu this amount of benzo use with the beer you drink is going to leave you in a severe state if you ever abruptly stop the two, probably in a state where you need to be hospitalized. You just need to keep this in mind. The WDs could kill you if you find yourself in a state where you can't get benzos or alcohol. So take care and be careful.

And keep in mind that alcohol also significantly blocks the NMDA glutamate receptor (one of the major excitatory receptors in the brain), blocks the AMPA glutamate receptor (THE MAJOR excitatory receptor in the brain) in high dosages, blocks high voltage gated calcium channel, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, GIRK channels, and glycine receptors (the other major chloride inhibitory receptor, other than the GABA A), amongst who knows what else.

It is not simply a GABA modulator. So it is doing quite A LOT in your brain.

 

[smoothgroove]

Thanks so much for the informative reply. I'll take your great advice on the phenibut (as well as eventually lowering my ethanol intake and later quitting benzos altogether while I'm ahead). This has been a life-long problem for me, but only recently has it been prescribed. It was enlightening to see the brain effects from booze, so this is something I'll research further. I just figured the ethanol might slow down benzo w/d. Are both acting on GABA A? And phenibut is on GABA B, right? You're a saint for reading, caring... thanks again...

 

[theGirlWithBlueHair]

Oh your welcome! That's what we are here for!

Yes ethanol and benzos affect GABA A. Phenibut affects GABA B and in higher dosages GABA A. Here is an EXCELLENT paper on phenibut for your reading:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1527-3458.2001.tb00211.x/pdf

Phenibut affects the GABA B, but also affects the alpha2delta calcium modulatory site, like neurontin and lyrica, as well as antagonizing an endogenous substance in your brain known as phenethylamnine, which is your natural amphetamine chemical. It also ramps up dopamine activity.

Yes, the ethanol will slow down the benzo withdrawal, but at that use, you will still feel it, as benzodiazepines and ethanol both work on separate modulatory site on the GABA A receptor.

It also talks about baclofen, phenibut's derivative. Interesting, GABA B agonists are used to treat alcohol dependence, so you could stay on the phenibut and use it for that, and look into baclofen with your physician.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/847201

Both phenibut and baclofen can substitute for benzodiazepines as well. For therapeutic effects, though, they will not substitute for them in emergency withdrawal situations

 

[smoothgroove]

So...seriously...750mg every 4 hours??? In the past I would usually take about 3 grams in one dose and felt pretty shitty when all was said and done (after abusing it for a week or so). I realize this isn't something worth using incorrectly, but just wanted to correct your dosage recommendation. Thank you.

L

 

[theGirlWithBlueHair]

I mean simply four times a day, so say you wake up at six. Take it at six, ten, two, and six. It's because of it's half life. Baclofen and gabapentin are frequently used four times a day.

I don't mean literally every four hours of the day - that would be six times a day.

But considering your alcohol usage consider maybe 500 tid.

 

[smoothgroove]

Gotcha, that's what I figured you meant. I had a really terrible experience with overdoing Phenibut, so I won't go there again. This is purely a preventative measure. I think this is a(nother) wake up call for me...if I can't take something responsibly I probably shouldn't be using it at all... (sigh) Guess it's time I talked to my Psychiatrist about tapering off, or just continuing to abuse what truly helps me. I suppose I need to really learn to live with anxiety rather than masking it...

 

[theGirlWithBlueHair]

Is there a way you think you can control your abuse? or do you think it's just a losing battle?

did you read the paper?

if so, what do you think of the possibility of using phenibut as a replacement?

 

[JennCajun]

Hey there,
I've been on Clonazepam and Ativan for quite a while and can sympathise. For me, I was prescribed 4mg Lorazepam/Day for Trauma related to a gunshot accident. In the beginning I would just take them everyday even if I didn't need them. This is a terrible idea and I suggest it to noone. It only takes 3 days of taking a benzo to develop a physical dependance, so with the dosage your on I would prepare yourself for some terrible withdrawl. I hate to sound mean, but you should really look into some help man. I know its hard, and benzo's are great, but in the end its so not worth it. There will be many more months where you run out of meds and won't know what to do. Trust me, the difference between me when I was taking a bunch of benzo's a day everyday and the difference between me now (I take the prescribed about PRN) is HUGE. You won't notice until you're off them, but benzos really just fuck up your memory. They'll erase your mind until you forget everything. Good luck, let us know what happens.

 

[boolightspecial]

That's a lot. I managed to somehow get a doctor to put me on hydromorphone and 2mg clonopin 3x a day. Though most of the time I could handle the kpins, I was sometimes seen nodding off or had people catching me before I face plant into a dinner plate.

I went through nasty withdrawals that probably lasted about two weeks. My tropical climate didn't help, never gets below 80F at night so along with insomnia I suffered from severe sweating.

That was about a year ago and I kicked kpins to the curb.

I respect you guys... this is my first post, but I've always relied and referenced Bluelight.

So I've been prescribed 3mg/daily Klonopin for 4 months. My tendency is to binge for the the first week or so of each month, then typically end up with 1 mg for each day on the second to last week, then down to .5 mg's per day for the final week of the month. I'm a benzo addict, so self-control is difficult despite my authentic need for them medically. My question: I've already eaten 90mg in 10 days + 12 mg. Xanax through the course of yesterday. So now I'm down to ZERO, because I'm a stupid addict. I repeat this pattern each month and usually only suffer a day or two. Mind you, I drink plenty of craft beer on a daily basis, which plugs up those GABA receptors and helps a ton with the benzo w/d.

What do you guys think?
Am I in for a big crash in a week or two?
Should I buy phenibut to help prevent W/D?
Do any of you have a similar pattern of abuse? If so, when does your eventual withdrawal strike?

(Thankfully, I have a friend who owes me 8 pills of 2mg Kpins, so that should last for the rest of the month if I divide them up, wouldn't you think? I don't have anyone to talk to about this, and you guys are smart with great advice and experience. Any feedback is appreciated.

Cheers! :D

 

[MrRoot]

If you want to totally abuse your drugs just take the whole script within weekend and do some stupid things and blackout. If you do this once a month you won't get withdrawals but most probably end up being hospitalized for a while, kill yourself due some seriously stupid thing such as driving a car after eating half a bottle of 150 2mg Klonopins or such. Or just being an asshole or doing stupid things online or fuck fat ugly chicks after hooking up with them online.

But you don't get withdrawals.

I've never done anything stupid while taking Klonopins because each time I get a bottle of them someone goes into my house and knocks me out for a few days and leaves an empty bottle of those Klonopins somewhere.