xanax losing its effectiveness

[manboychef]

I have stockpiles of different benzos and z drugs.

I have clonazepam, diazepam, .5mg xanax 1mg xanax pretty much more than one would need, over 90 30mg temazepam. Yes it is a nice little stash.

I have extremely bad panic disorder and at first .5mg of xanax would slow my mind down just enough to get me to the point of being able to focus on something else.

this has progressed over the year out of rehab and now its taking me 8mg to feel just normal...panic attacks still happen.

why does the effectiveness wear off so fast, and what can I do about it?

 

[Tanner Blaze]

The best advice: try natural, healthy ways to combat your anxiety.. chamamiel tea, herb, meditation, exercise, or cbt therapy. If you really need an extra kick to a benzo for a panic attack I would wash it down with a glass of alcohol. Ive been taking benzos since on and off since i was 14, (I'm 40 now). I still get relief from them, but i no longer get that warm, floaty feeling you get when you take a large amount ( i just fall asleep). Honestly, im not preaching, but really these things are not meant to be taken for more than 2-3 weeks and can mess with our memory.

 

[Man in the Dark]

Have you tried taking the Klonopin 3 times a day daily, with a dose you feel would help maybe 1-2 mg 3 times a day. That what has worked best for me. You could keep Xanax around in case u have a panic attack. If possible exercise may help along with the benzos. I have been on and off for 13 years and the daily Klonopin has helped.

 

[Drderms]

I would lay off the Xanax , because 8mg Xanax is equivelent to 160mg diazepam , that's not really necessary . Taper down using your temazepam . 1 or 2 mg Xanax is still a lot to take in one day , i actually feel sorry for you , having to take that many benzos to function . I mean I take 10mg diazepam every few days when required . I think all benzos wear of if you take them everyday .

 

[Burnt Offerings]

The only thing that results in a high tolerance is the repeated, consistent use of a drug (unless someone just has a naturally high tolerance, but that doesn't seem to be the case here). The only way I know of to lower tolerance is to discontinue use for a certain period of time. Benzodiazepines are one class of drug that results in users having to take LONG periods of abstinence to lower a high tolerance once it has been established, or at least that seems to be the consensus of many on this board.

 

[MrRoot]

Tanner, I would have shovelled chamomille tea in your behind if you would have told me to use those alternatives instead of a alprazolam when I started to have PTSD related panic attacks, but retrospectively I would have praised you for recommending those instead of that bastardly drug.

It took a year out of my life even with therapeutic doses as I don't recall much from the period I used that drug. I started going to CBT half a year after starting Xanax and it really didn't do anything before I switched to Klonopins and the best gains happened when I ceased using that too few months after.

Three years of CBT including Mindfullness exercises and I was in control of those panic attacks and other PTSD related symptoms.

 

[Invisible Helper]

Holy tits 8 mgs!!! Wtf that's insane ... And the guy telling him to drink tea and chamomile and relax or whatever he's taking 8 mgs Xanax right now ... Tea is not what he needs bro even at 1 mg a day baby habit of Xanax tea and natural ways to relax wouldn't do SHIT. Natural ways only help when he stops, all I can tell you bro is take it easy on the short half life benzo which you know is Xanax , and try to supplement it with Valium and temazepam cause temazepam is like a half benzo idk that's my advice . I'm myself tapering Valium down to 5 mgs a day now or 5 mgs every other day

 

[Man in the Dark]

Tanner, I would have shovelled chamomille tea in your behind if you would have told me to use those alternatives instead of a alprazolam when I started to have PTSD related panic attacks, but retrospectively I would have praised you for recommending those instead of that bastardly drug.

It took a year out of my life even with therapeutic doses as I don't recall much from the period I used that drug. I started going to CBT half a year after starting Xanax and it really didn't do anything before I switched to Klonopins and the best gains happened when I ceased using that too few months after.

Three years of CBT including Mindfullness exercises and I was in control of those panic attacks and other PTSD related symptoms.

MrRoot wish I had the same results as you. I have PTSD and severe anger and axiety issues. I have done CBT and it has only made me more dangerous. I take 3 mg of Klonopin a day along with some opiates all prescribed by the VA kudos to you for successfully getting off the benzo's I have to first try to get all of these opiates and then work on the benzos. I just fell I digging my hole deeper. I do have to say the opiates have helped me to be able to deal with my family better.

 

[MrRoot]

I hope you can get off those benzos in future as I must say that after I had stopped using and got the CBT working it was the biggest positive change in my life.

I had same kind of Klonopin habit as I had prescription of 2mg to 4mg per day total and also used roughly 60mg of Oxycodone per day.

My PTSD was due combat experiences and also had some anger issues too which mostly were present because I still considered myself being in a risk and was on the edge all the time thinking every other person as a potential threat to myself.

I would say that opiates did help also the anger issues and I believe it is because they lower testosterone levels too along with calming you down. You should ask your Dr. to check out your levels too as I had normal levels when on oxycodone and they jumped up when I discontinued the use.

CBT didn't do anything but get me pissed off more during and right after the sessions when I was on benzos and I guess it is because benzos hinder the ability to learn by making it harder to form memories.

 

[manboychef]

I am sorry to hear that root. My problems stem from abusive childhood, and natural disposition to OCD. It is 7:12am here I just took 2mg. When I take my next two footballs, I am going to use an emery board to shave just a little off one of them. Do that for two weeks, then shave off just a little more till one of the footballs is a half. Do that for two weeks, then make on of them a third. I emailed my doctor about this, (we are gardening pals) and he told me, he will write me, .5mg (which I already have, for when I run out of those) and .25mg (for when I need those).

I still have flashbacks to things that happened in my childhood...CBT works. The cognition of what happened, or the triggering thing you see that brings back that memory can only be stopped by changing your behaviors...and your behaviors are you and they can only be changed with therapy...please give it a try whole heartedly.

 

[Cherrygirl24]

Hey man boy can u pm idk how I'm new to this

 

[manboychef]

okay so this is what I am trying......I already shaved off a little piece of a pill today and I only had some mild twitching.....tapering xanax