(Etizolam) - Experienced - Notes/One Month Use

[pr0d1gy]

It has been quite a while since I have felt the need to post a TR, but a recent one month binge with etizolam has produced some results I found interesting and feel compelled to share.

First a bit about me: I am my first year of graduate school, my first semester just ended and I am taking only one course over the holiday break. Lacking any intellectual stimulation, I revert to older patterns of drug use. This is a common pattern for me albeit I am far more cautious in my use then I once was. I have no benzodiazapine tolerance, am in good physical condition, and take a low dose of RX'd amphetamine daily.

Dose/duration of use: Over a period of exactly a month, I used an average of 5mg of etizolam a day. I didn't spread my dose out throughout the day but rather took large doses in the evening when I had no obligations. The effects of the drug itself were very typical of benzodiazapines. In terms of effects it seems like a rather safe benzodiazapine, after a few days I built up tolerance and doses >10mg did not lead to any blackouts or similar adverse effects. Nearing the end of 30 days of continuous use, I felt compelled to avoid a taper and end my use immediately. Over a course of 8 hours I ingested about 20mg to eliminate my remaining supply. This was obviously very dangerous and stupid of me, but surprisingly did not result in any blackout or any other ill effects.

Notes on possible physical effects and effects of rapid termination of use: Over the course of the month, I noticed a significant loss of hair. I am 24 and thinning but over this month I literally began balding. This trend began to reverse after about a week of abstinence and seems to have been temporary.

I experienced some symptoms of withdrawal. 2-5 days after my last dose I found sleep very difficult and experienced some major manic episodes. These manic episodes generally involved me becoming very violent and belligerent. Mentally, they felt very exhilarating, almost a sort of Hyde alter ego sort of thing. I found my self savoring conflict and looking for fights. I found a few but didn't hurt anyone or myself. This was very uncharacteristic of me and was disturbing in retrospect.

I also experienced some visual hallucinations. On multiple occasions I noticed visual fuzz and tunnel vision. I also witnessed LSD like illusions in which peoples faces and my own hands would appear to rapidly age and morph between old and young. After about 6 days, the worst of the aforementioned effects had dissipated. Currently it has been about a week and a half since my last dose. I still am experiencing some shitty sleep quality and REM rebound but the worst seems to be over.

Anyway, I just wanted to type this to share my experiences and perhaps be of benefit to anyone who finds them self in a position similar to mine. Thanks for reading

Tagged by HeadphonesandLSD
substancecode_etizolam
substancecode_benzos
substancecode_gabaergics
explevel_firsttime
explevel_experienced
explevel_retrospective
exptype_neutral
exptype_healthissues
roacode_oral

 

[bluedolphin]

Etizolam withdrawl is dangerous just like benzos. Benzo WD makes people psychotic, depending how severe the WD is. It can run the full spectrum.

I would suggest you put this experiment behind you and not try to repeat it. Sounds like the after effects / withdrawls were not pleasant. And you were lucky it actually could have been worse.

Many people will say Etizolam WD is mild compared to benzos. But I have extensive experience with many benzos including hospitalized detox and multiple withdrawls. And Etizolam certainly didn't feel much safer to me. It's the duration and lack of sedation that fools you into thinking it might be safer.

In reality clonazepam is a much easier drug to taper off.

 

[amanitadine]

Figured a good spot to report on some of my etizolam experiences over the last few years. I went on a 6 month binge in India in 2009 averaging 60 mg Valium a day, 4-8 mg alprazolam, and 2-4 mg of clonazepam a day, uninterrupted. I came home and CT, having never experienced benzo withdrawals before. What followed was a month of solid hell, extreme tachychardia, horrible anxiety, and the rest of it all. So, after 6 months I took 2-4 mg clonazepam a day for a week, no taper, and experienced pretty bad withdrawals, although nothing like before. A day or two of a conventional benzo would get rebound anxiety like crazy in the months that followed. I first tried etizolam in 2010 and went through 100 mg in 7 days, quick increase in tolerance, and upon cessation nothing more than a little insomnia and slight anxiety for a few days. Very surprised!

So, every few months I'd get 1-200 mg tablets, and take 8-15 mg a day, with minor withdrawal upon cessation.

Came across a few studies like this, that might explain something:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16107249
Low tolerance and dependence liabilities of etizolam: molecular, functional, and pharmacological correlates.
Sanna E, Busonero F, Talani G, Mostallino MC, Mura ML, Pisu MG, Maciocco E, Serra M, Biggio G.
Source
Department of Experimental Biology, Section of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. [email protected]
Abstract
The effects of prolonged exposure to and subsequent withdrawal of the thienotriazolobenzodiazepine etizolam on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A receptor gene expression and function were compared with those of the benzodiazepine lorazepam. Exposure of rat hippocampal neurons in culture to 10 microM etizolam for 5 days reduced the amounts of alpha5 and gamma2S receptor subunit mRNAs, whereas etizolam withdrawal was associated with a persistent reduction in gamma2S mRNA and an increase in alpha2 and alpha3 mRNAs. Neither chronic exposure to nor withdrawal of etizolam affected the acute modulatory effects of etizolam or lorazepam on GABA-evoked Cl- current. Treatment with 10 microM lorazepam for 5 days reduced the amounts of alpha1 and gamma2S subunit mRNAs and increased that of alpha3 mRNA, whereas lorazepam withdrawal was associated with persistence of the changes in alpha3 and gamma2S mRNAs and an increase in alpha2 and alpha4 mRNAs. Parallel changes in the abundance of alpha1 and alpha4 subunit proteins induced by chronic exposure to and withdrawal of lorazepam, but not etizolam, were detected by immunocytofluorescence analysis. Chronic lorazepam treatment resulted in a reversible reduction in the modulatory efficacy of this drug and conferred on flumazenil the ability to potentiate GABA-evoked Cl- current. The anticonvulsant action of etizolam was not altered in mice chronically treated with this drug, whereas lorazepam-treated animals became tolerant to the acute anticonvulsant effect of this benzodiazepine. These data suggest that etizolam is endowed with a reduced liability to induce tolerance and dependence compared with classical benzodiazepines.

So, that brings me to the current binge, and some odd effects as the dose has increased. I've been taking anywhere between 20-50 mg a day for the past 4 weeks (rapid escalation of tolerance!) and as I've upped the dose I've had some off effects. I know etizolam has a slight effect on serotonin, and on high dose days I get that kind if pinging, albeit on a much slighted scale, that something like buspar gives. Also, I've had some pronounced RLS on the higher dose days, which makes me wonder if etizolams effect on prolactin has inhibited the release of dopamine, however counterintuitive that may seem, that a high dose benzo could increase RLS. . .

I have no intent on not tapering this time around. These high doses lack the euphoria of low dose etizolam, and almost makes me wonder if there is a ceiling effect on the GABA subunit etizolam is more selective for than most benzos ( or thieonos, for those who feel the need to point out the obvious) or if this is just normal tolerance at play. Or my individual chemistry at play. I suppose the litmus test will come when I taper off of this gargantuan bender and see how I feel then. But for me, etizolam, for whatever reason is substantially less physically addictive than conventional benzodiazepines.

And yes, the tolerance. I can down 20 mg and experience virtually no amnesia, no slurring, and not even sleep through the night. Time will tell. And of course, YMMV. I find the equivalency charts way off , 1 mg of etizolam is equal to 5 mg of diazepam at best,or maybe .25-.5 alprazolam, with a considerably different profile of course. And yes, these, are pharm grade Intas etilaam, cheaper than a hens tooth bought legally through pharmaceutical distributors.