• Select Your Topic Then Scroll Down
    Alcohol Bupe Benzos
    Cocaine Heroin Opioids
    RCs Stimulants Misc
    Harm Reduction All Topics Gabapentinoids
    Tired of your habit? Struggling to cope?
    Want to regain control or get sober?
    Visit our Recovery Support Forums

Benzos What are warning signs of dangerous benzo withdrawal?

treezy z

Bluelighter
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,154
I quit opiates cold turkey about month ago. Haven't done any since then.

I've been going at the benzos a bit too hard since then though, particularly this last week.

I've been physically addicted to benzos and alcohol before but never had to taper, just deal with being physically jittery for a few days.

About a week ago I got 2.5g 3,4 ctmp. I've never done multi-day long binges on ritalin or ethylphenidate so I figured it was a cheap way to get through work if they had sitting on a phone that day or whatever. It ended up being more akin to A-PVP or MDPV and I went at it for 5-6 days with maybe 6 hours sleep. Definitely had some psychotic symptoms, mostly visual hallucinations, illusions, paranoid peeking out the window type shit. Flushed it last night, it looked like I had only gone through about a gram.

During this time period I probably went through 100mg of etizolam, ignore the dose though I generally do absurd amounts of drugs that would leave the average person dead or laying on the floor.

Anyway, I'm definitely a little shaky but able to function.

I feel like I'm going bonkers though. The problem is that I'm on the first day off a psychotic stimulant binge (slept well last night, about 10 hours, just got off opiates, and am a day off benzos (I'd rather nip this in the bud now if possible.)

As of right now the plan is to get a ride to the ER if the shakes worsen, just wondering what else to look out for.

Also anyone addicted to opiates reading this, if you're not planning on dropping drugs almost entirely I say stick to the opiates. I never felt like I was going ballistic on opiates.
 
So you took around 100mg of etizolam in a week?
Etizolam is a thienodiazepine, but I guess withdrawal is more or less identically to normal benzos.
I'm not sure if it's enough to cause a seizure, or if you'll just experience bad anxiety etc, but better have someone around just in case you seize.
 
Warning signs are: Rebound insomnia, anxiety, shakiness and unpleasant thoughts about things you repressed. Getting startled easily, tremor (mostly seeable with your hands) etc.

I think you will be fine with probably some mild rebound symptoms but nothing serious. Just do not binge on Benzos (or Thienodiazepines) like that again, they can be very helpful tools when used right but abuse them and they will bite your ass with the mightyness of a royal tiger.
 
I also done the same ~100mg binge of Etizolam in 5-6 days. One of the more stupid things I've ever done, the rebound anxiety and panic attacks were nothing short of a nightmare.

Thankfully after 3-4 days I started to feel my normal self again, just a little shaky with an inability to focus for any length of time.

Abusing Benzos/ Thienos is always a really, really bad idea.

Stay safe.
 
Your ok. The stimulants just have you on edge a little a bet. a month isn't shit when it comes to benzos from what I have been told by doctors. Its when you have been going hard for 6 months plus you should worry. In your situation a taper will probably on make this mess worse. Also don't forget that a month off opiates your still going to feel anxous as hell just from that so its probably cumulative.
 
In a way it's almost too bad that you quit the opiates because that was the one way I was always able to tell that I was 100% addicted to benzodiazepines again, if I did a shot of heroin after 3 days with no clonazepam or 1 1/2 days with no xanax and still felt sick no matter how much dope I shot I knew I was back on that ride. Definitely cease all stimulant use, I use to put myself through hell shooting up meth while withdrawing from benzo's, you'll start to feel like you're having a bad acid trip-benzo withdrawals by themselves are already a seemingly never ending nightmare. I used to tolerate them very well but now I'd rather kick dope any day over benzodiazepines and that's saying a lot.

Now to answer your question IME early signs of benzo withdrawal usually include feeling overly emotion (breaking down crying for no reason), feeling electric sensations riding up your body, having shaky hands (stimulants will exacerbate the fuck out of this, for me it was once so bad that I could barely hold a pencil), insomnia, feeling like you're constantly crashing from crack when you haven't smoked any etc... If you find yourself shaking you should really go to the hospital, as I'm sure you know benzo withdrawals can be fatal, seizures are no joke.
 
Your ok. The stimulants just have you on edge a little a bet. a month isn't shit when it comes to benzos from what I have been told by doctors. Its when you have been going hard for 6 months plus you should worry. In your situation a taper will probably on make this mess worse. Also don't forget that a month off opiates your still going to feel anxous as hell just from that so its probably cumulative.

A doctor told you that? Four weeks of any type of regular benzo therapy should be tapered down. The seizures are real, people. Ive had eight. What id do to get those brain cells back...
 
I've known people that have had grand mall seizures after just two days, granted they were taking like twenty bars each of those two days, but yes death is a reality, as it often is.
 
Top