I just wanted to introduce myself. I've read a lot of Bluelight over the years but only just now became a member. I'm a Researcher for a California based publication and I'm currently (2017) in Los Angeles researching a Music piece, but I normally work out of San Francisco where I've lived for the past 20+ years. If there's anyone here who's familiar with southern California or the Bay Area, hit me up. I'd love to hear from you. Right now, I'm just in the "lurking" phase - trying to find the threads that are most relevant to me and my interests. I have significant years of experience with drug use and drug knowledge - I was a researcher for a psychopharmacologist before my current position. I have a lot of experience with MDMA and MDMA tolerance, amphetamines (both crystal and prescription,) DMT smoking, nitrous oxide use and nitrous oxide tolerance, and severe experience with Xanax and Xanax withdrawl. I had a script for alprazolam from 2009 until 2017 (with a proceeding script for Lorazepam from 2003-2009) and from 4/2011-6/2017, I attempted to detox from xanax without success. Constantly struggling with the onset of seizure like muscle spasms - which would NOT stop - in my arms, face and neck. In July of this year (2017) I had ankle reconstruction surgery outpatient and was given Oxycodone for the post-op pain. (The nurse "missed" telling me that xanax and oxy were contraindicated, but even if she had the longest I'd ever been able to go without taking at least .5mg/xanax was 2 days before the onset of the seizing muscle spasms, and the post-op pain was expected for at least a week.) Since, of course, I didn't realize the two were contraindicated, I ended up taking 5mg/oxy and 12 hours later taking 2mg/xanax - this combination put me in the ICU for over a week, numbed my entire right side from my scalp to my toes and took away 65% of my hearing. All the symptoms that set in as a result are apparently permanent since it's been almost 6 months and my hearing loss is still present and severe neuropathies set in my right hand and right foot. Only 300mg/daily dose of Lyrica kept the nerve pain at bay. However, while I was in the ICU - almost 100% of the time unconscious - hooked up to feeding tubes and being constantly monitored hourly by Neurologists, RNs, Internists..etc. 24/7, I FINALLY managed - in the 6 days I was in the ICU - to detox off Xanax completely without suffering through any seizure like results. It's honestly hard to say that the losses I did suffer in that time weren't worth it because I don't think I would've been able to detox off the xanax otherwise. I spent years calling all sorts of Psychiatrists, Detox clinics...etc (Weirdly, one of the main problems with the majority of detox clinics - at least in Northern CA - that I called was that for 3 years prior to my reconstruction surgery, I was in a wheelchair and that apparently excluded me from being able to come in for treatment.) The regular medication manager, whom I was working with at the time, told me that normally detox would simply be placing me on another benzo in order to get off the xanax and that would be it. I'd be interested to hear any other stories of alprazolam detox. So I didn't mean for this to be so long. Sorry
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
