Occasional usage of Benzodiazepines

[TAVOR]

I take benzos (Xanax and Ativan) 1-3 times max. per month for recreational purposes and I strictly maintain this schedule. I have read many medical studies that showed how a prolonged usage of benzos may negatively affect the brain, however in regards to a minimal usage like mine there is no information.

I'm pretty sure that a usage of once or twice a month won't have any repercussions on the brain and its very probably healthier than getting drunk once or twice per month, though I would like a confirmation and more information from more knowledgeable posters.

Thanks!

 

[RDP89]

Yeah, no one knows for sure but all signs point to minimal use like that shouldn't pose many risks and would be healthier than getting drunk because of alcohol's toxic metabolite acetaldehyde. However, you didnt mention what doses you use.

 

[TAVOR]

Xanax between 1.5mg-2mg max.

Ativan between 3mg-4mg max.

 

[aced126]

It is probably a lot healthier than drinking as you said; have you ever gone against these restrictions?

Another thing to consider is with alcohol (especially in the form of beers), not much could go wrong. It takes time and effort to drink to levels of danger. Obviously with higher concentration drinks like vodka, this is no longer the case. Now compare this to benzodiazepines. It is incredibly easy to keep popping bars until you black out and from there it's just really downhill.

Also another thing to consider is when using recreationally, you could actually end up drinking a couple of beers having already taken alprazolam and now you might be in a really bad situation. We all know benzodiazepines on their own have a very wide therapeutic index (they increase the frequency of the chloride channel opening, but they need GABA itself bound for the channel to even open, something which your own body is in control of). But alcohol itself (I think) can directly agonise the GABA binding spot on the channel and then you've got big problems.

You know, if there was a drink which contained a low concentration of a fast onset benzodiazepine (maybe a drink consisting of 500ml liquid and 2.5mg-5mg diazepam), I think that could really effectively replace beers and do society a lot better than alcohol.

 

[TAVOR]

Yes, only once I thought it was a good idea to pop another 0.5mg of xanax when I already had taken 2mg on an empty stomach.
My inhibitions decreased (I still wasn't in blackout) and i started taking more xanax, ended up taking 5mg in 3 hours, I became pale and passed out for 1 hour. The effects lasted for 6-7 hours although they had faded quite a bit after I slept 1 hour.

Never happened again though, I also never mix benzos and alcohol, not even a beer.

 

[aced126]

Also in social situations would you just say you don't drink alcohol then? Or do people know you're on bars?

 

[Memantine]

Tolerance usually goes hand in hand with brain shrinkage. So as long as you do not develop significat tolerance there is probably not allot of brain damage.

 

[TAVOR]

Also in social situations would you just say you don't drink alcohol then? Or do people know you're on bars?

Yes they know, somehow though they perceive it as a "hardcore" thing despite some of them have taken multiple times MDMA.

 

[opanabanana]

Xanax, and benzos in general have the tendency to cause you to feel less 'fucked up' than you actually are. i.e., feeling mentally "sober", while actually being and acting extremely inebriated. In my experience, my most regretable nights have all involved benzos.

OB

 

[Epiper888]

I don't think your Brian will shrink with your use. But to the other conversation, id have to disagree that it could replace alcohol socially. Many benzo addicts would spring up and withdrawaling from benzos can have effects that last much longer than alcohols withdrawal peroid. But still an intresting idea

 

[aced126]

I don't think your Brian will shrink with your use.

looool

 

[belligerent drunk]

You know, if there was a drink which contained a low concentration of a fast onset benzodiazepine (maybe a drink consisting of 500ml liquid and 2.5mg-5mg diazepam), I think that could really effectively replace beers and do society a lot better than alcohol.

Funny you mention that, I actually (jokingly) discussed a similar idea with a friend of mine. About opening a bar where the drinks served would contain no alcohol, but something else (benzos, opioids, whatever pleases the customer) in small quantities so it could be drunk like beer.

To the OP, I have not come across any evidence that once or twice a month could cause any kind of irreversible brain damage. Even with prolonged non-stop use, the damage upon quitting is more or less reversible (although it does take a lot of time to recover). I don't believe that the brain circuitry has enough time to significantly modify itself during the short period of time you have alprazolam in your system, and it has a sufficiently long half-life so that there will be no "crash" in GABAergic function after the night's over. Now the more important question is, will you be able to maintain such seldom use? If you can, then great, but playing with benzos is like playing with hellfire.