Benzos How to not get addicted to diazepam (Valium)?

[bbirdman]

I have diazapam off the dr and it works a treat for sporadic anxiety attacks much better than SSRIs for me

On average I take one to two does 5-20mg a week for both anxiety and alcohol hangovers. If I can I would like to take this dose have this protection for a long time.

Is there a chance I'll come addicted. It just seems to good do be true.

I had an alcohol problem in past as hangovers were like massive anxiety attacks so I continued drinking to stop this. Now I take a diazapam and im ok.

I have a feeling this method might stop working Ill need higher doses over more days? If this happens then its back to not drinking at all.

 

[Mr.Scagnattie]

If you're only taking one or two doses a week, and can stick to that, the chances of developing a psychical dependency are very slim. As far as the psychological aspect goes, it's a powerful thing.

With the tolerance concern, that also shouldn't be much of a problem if you're only taking it once or twice a week. If you begin to take it more, possibly even every day, then that is where you're going to develop problems.

 

[HCandKROD]

I would be careful. You can be walking a fine line before you know it. I've had good intentions with benzos before and it's turned to shit quickly. Good luck.

 

[shreddedlettuce]

Tolerance will come in the 4th week.
This is the sign you need to take seriously.
Cutting down doses and finally quitting would be the best action in this situation.
Doing this now would be even better.

 

[opiatekrzy]

as long as your not taking it daily multiple times a day i think you should be fairly safe, however psychological addiction can develop the second the pill takes effect on you, physically it takes 2 weeks of daily use..

 

[HCandKROD]

I think even skipping days with diazapam isn't a sure way to avoid withdrawals. The half life of diazapam is crazy long. The last time I withdrew from diazapam it was day 15 before I started to feel crappy. I don't think there is a sure fire way to avoid w/d if you want to pursue a long term relationship with any benzo.

 

[opiatekrzy]

valium is one of the ideal benzo's used to taper off other benzos, it has virtually no rebound, it has a stupid long half life..

 

[Sweet Jane]

I have diazapam off the dr and it works a treat for sporadic anxiety attacks much better than SSRIs for me

On average I take one to two does 5-20mg a week for both anxiety and alcohol hangovers. If I can I would like to take this dose have this protection for a long time.

Is there a chance I'll come addicted. It just seems to good do be true.

I had an alcohol problem in past as hangovers were like massive anxiety attacks so I continued drinking to stop this. Now I take a diazapam and im ok.

I have a feeling this method might stop working Ill need higher doses over more days? If this happens then its back to not drinking at all.

I've had a prescription for 10 mg of diazepam for over 12 years. I stopped getting that lovely high from them very early on, but never 'chased' the high -- I never took more than one a day (until recently, on the advice of an urgent care doctor). So, I'd say I was taking 10 mg a day for about five years, before I changed jobs, and was travelling five days a week, ten months out of the year. I just forget to refill my prescriptions -- literally! I went weeks without taking the diazepam, and I didn't even notice. I kept forgetting to refill my prescription when I was in town. When I finally got around to it, I was really excited, thinking I'd get that wonderful tranquil feeling back, but I didn't. Even though I had gone weeks without taking it.

So, my conclusion is that, if you're not taking large doses, you can take diazepam for a pretty long time without developing a dependency. But you won't ever get that 'high' back once you've taken it for some indefinite period of time. Although it doesn't sound like you're chasing the high, so you should be fine. JMHO. I'm not a drinker, so I don't know how it is for a hangover. It does still seem to help with stress, but I'm taking it mostly as a muscle relaxer now, and I'm back to not taking it very often.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

It really depends on the individual.

That said, I know that I would become dependent on diazepam if I took that much per week. There's a school of thought (which is the most popular in medical literature) which suggests that the longer-acting benzodiazepines are more addictive because the system becomes more used to them (as, obviosuly, they stay in the body longer). I still became mildly addicted (in both a physical and mental sense) to alprazolam taking .25-1mg per week for about two months, though the withdrawal really only lasted two weeks (with maybe three weeks of very soft symptoms). I would say they're equally addictive. They'rer furthermore quite so.

My verdict ultimately is that you should stop both drinking and taking diazepam. If you drink enough to have panic attacks in the aftermath as well as to have to take a benzodiazepine so that you can keep your sanity you definitely exhibit behavior consistent with both GABAergic tolerance and dependance; I mean, your experience is "textbook" regarding the latter.

You surely will have to take higher doses as time goes on (if you keep this up). I would either seek professional help, or if you really can't, taper down with diazepam, and most importantly stop drinking. I can tell that it's hurting you.

 

[Nicsdragon]

Sorry for this question but is diazepam anything like tizanidine? I take this for muscle relaxer and some anxiety. There is so addition I feel to this drug. Other than when I run out I wish I had one to relax. But no WD at all.

 

[HCandKROD]

Sorry for this question but is diazepam anything like tizanidine? I take this for muscle relaxer and some anxiety. There is so addition I feel to this drug. Other than when I run out I wish I had one to relax. But no WD at all.

No it's a totally different class of drug. I don't know much about tizanidine but I've never heard of addiction problems.

 

[bbirdman]

Thanks for peoples responses thay have been mixed responses. I dont find it enjoyable like alcohol and just take it for panic attacks and hangovers. I just makes me sleepy.

Theres no doubt in my mind that taking it for panic attacks is much better than taking alcohol. The next day when using alcohol my anxiety is even worse.

Using it for hangover cure might be dodgy but the bottomline for me is without alcohol I will remain single for the rest of my life and I just cannot handle that thought. I've used it twice so far for hangover cure since january.

I hate SSRIs the only other alternative they make me over excited, completely kill my sex drive, I dont have anxiety all the time so want deal with lighter episodes naturally and SSRIs don't work at all in really bad anxiety that I get occasionally.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

If you need alcohol to mate you should see someone. And SSRIs are only one class of drug used for depression. There is a plethora of other substances people are prescribed for the disorder. You probably wouldn't experience anxiety if you didn't drink.

 

[bbirdman]

I hardly drink these days. Two nights this year total. So anxiety happens regardless of alcohol

 

[Valium]

You're setting up a serious problem for yourself.

1. Diazepam is a very powerful drug, with a very fast onset of action. It is also the most addictive benzodiazepine which remains easily accessible due to the fact that it's exceptionally cheap and it works very well for a long list of unpleasant symptoms we wish to have alleviated. It's the 'golden standard'. It's classic trademark name makes it sound like something rather simple one not think twice about. But it's been around for a while now, and it is taking a backseat to other agents in the class, for many reasons.

2. The drug and active metabolites take a long time to be eliminated from the body. For use in anxiety disorders, you will find that 4-6 hours is pretty much the limit before the next dose. The 'therapeutic effect' of one dose is limited to a short duration, such that causes the medication to be given several times a day. When properly done, for treatment of short term disorders followed by a few weeks of tapering down to 0, with mild discomfort perhaps, this is ok. in YOUR case, this is probably hazardous:

a. you use it to get rid of hangovers from alcohol. This medication is used in the clinical setting to achieve rapid detox in the alcoholic patient. It is then stopped and alcoholism is treated in a variety of ways, with quite a few therapy options to choose from. Since it is used for alcohol detox, that would make one think it's very similar to alcohol in many ways...and that it is. What is, then, more of problem in the long run...a drinking binge now and then? Or a small drink you can have any time of the day by merely reaching into your pocket and feeling a pleasant buzz anywhere, anytime. Doesn't that sound like it might lead to something VERY bad?

b. If you have anxiety issues [and here it's hard to tell, is it anxiety from drinking, or is it anxiety that is desperately curbed by drinking? it all boils down to the same] you need HELP FOR YOUR ANXIETY DISORDER. See a doctor and don't be ashamed to talk about this. You have the right to see another doctor if you don't like the approach of any physician you see for whatever reason.

c. Once you know what you have, it's going to be very necessary to put the drinking under control, you do agree, no? With control of your anxiety problem, these nasty binges you have will become a memory of something you overcame [it's doable, seriously...you don't sound like you've been going on for ten years, sounds like you're just starting...which is good, you will have little difficulty stopping..you'd be amazed.] and they will not repeat once you realize how detrimental they may be and inevitably DO wind up becoming. Antidepressant agents are not only SSRIs, there are things with long and scary names you've never even heard of and some of these drugs are more geared towards alcohol cessation and management than correction of mood/anxiety. Often, most of these will cause anxiety during the start of therapy, and this is quickly taken away by a bit of a newer, cleaner, benzo....gradually, if the antidepressant works, the benzo is slowly removed, and you adjust and you're fine. Sometimes anxiety disorders respond ONLY to benzos [very rarely, but it is possible], in which case life becomes quite complicated [I was on the benzo for a decade till recently and it was an existence based on rotating life around appointments and refills..it was a nuisance i'm glad is coming to an end]

So what do you want? Continue to drink to the point that you need valium in order to calm yourself in the morning? In that case, why not go with the old Russian method and wake up to a nice big shot of hard liquor? This is how it's done in the motherland, and somehow these people manage to live past 60 in certain cases and hold down jobs. You're ADDING a second drug of abuse to your regimen......that is HORRIBLE.
If you go on, you are NOT going to take 5mg-20mg per month, ask anyone who has been in the situation. Anxiety is tamed by valium at the same dose for years, usually no adjustment is needed unless it's used for some other reason or is used to 'feel' a buzz. A hangover is not exactly anxiety, it's a small withdrawal. Titrate with alcohol if you use alcohol, is my advice...if you think drinking like this is a feasible option. Do not add valium in there, your addiction and dependence will go up tenfold and tenfold that in the following month...


If you have questions, PM me...i have too much experience with this. What you're proposing is just ridiculous.
I wish you well

 

[RobotRipping]

if you have panic attacks then don't drink alcohol. Alcohol somehow gives me anxiety while drinking it and the day after, well yeah massive panic attacks, feels exactly like benzo withdrawal, because it is very similar. That is why diazepam works to cure a hangover for the most part.

if you just have panic attacks then i'd switch to xanax/alprazolam. Diazepam is much better suited to general anxiety disorders. And even just using it 2-3 times a week can cause a slight dependence, not a big deal if you take small doses, but eventually it can become a serious issue. At least alprazolam is out of your system fast, so you can take it 1 day and it'll be gone the next. Diazepam's half life is huge. Even so, if you never abuse it, or needlessly raise your tolerance, you will avoid the majority of issues with it and at worse, have a mild withdrawal upon cessation. It's a fine line to walk though and i've never been able to do it.

 

[bbirdman]

Well forgetting using it for alcohol withdrawall and just go back to not drinking

If just using it for anxiety attacks I don't understand how you can get addicted to something that I hardly take and doesn't give me any buzz. All it does is make me drowsy. I play sport virtually every night I don't want to be drowsy.

Also if I start taking more regularly I can just stop. I just wanted to know how regular too regular is.

I developed an alcohol problem, I dont drink now just twice this year. So I know about addictions. I know exactly how it happened it was gradual. It didn't happen overnight. I don't want another one and I cant see how I benzo which i find far less appealing than alcohol is just going to grip me.

Encouraging people to drink in the morning after to relieve hangovers is incredibly stupid. People in russia are dying of alcoholism. Drinking to relieve hangovers just prolongs the hangover you just keep drinking and drinking a build up worse hangovers until they become full blown DTs.

I just thought aswell as using vallium for anxiety I could have used it for hangovers.

 

[bbirdman]

if you have panic attacks then don't drink alcohol. Alcohol somehow gives me anxiety while drinking it and the day after, well yeah massive panic attacks, feels exactly like benzo withdrawal, because it is very similar. That is why diazepam works to cure a hangover for the most part.

if you just have panic attacks then i'd switch to xanax/alprazolam. Diazepam is much better suited to general anxiety disorders. And even just using it 2-3 times a week can cause a slight dependence, not a big deal if you take small doses, but eventually it can become a serious issue. At least alprazolam is out of your system fast, so you can take it 1 day and it'll be gone the next. Diazepam's half life is huge. Even so, if you never abuse it, or needlessly raise your tolerance, you will avoid the majority of issues with it and at worse, have a mild withdrawal upon cessation. It's a fine line to walk though and i've never been able to do it.

Yeah you sound like me a bit. Thanks for the warnings people. I will use diazapam only when drastically needed.

 

[Valium]

Also if I start taking more regularly I can just stop. I just wanted to know how regular too regular is.


Encouraging people to drink in the morning after to relieve hangovers is incredibly stupid. People in russia are dying of alcoholism. Drinking to relieve hangovers just prolongs the hangover you just keep drinking and drinking a build up worse hangovers until they become full blown DTs.

I just thought aswell as using vallium for anxiety I could have used it for hangovers.

Listen, you have to stop the alcohol, then do the benzoour thing....

If you have serious anxiety, it's probably ok [is it?] to use valium WHEN you have anxiety.
you're saying why not kill two birds with one stone? I agree. This has nothing to do with diazepam however, alcohol and diazepam are the same stone in this case, and there's a flock of birds going in different directions anyway...
If you could AVOID using valium to attenuate symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and use valium only for anxiety as needed,....that could work, of course. Especially because miraculously, you actually get sedated by 5-20mg though you are a regular drinker.
Why not take valium for alcohol withdrawal? Dependence. Cross tolerance. In an intoxicated state, one does not use valium. Valium is one of those 'strictly no alcohol' benzos...every benzo is like that, but psychiatrists will foam at the mouth [or fail to mention it at all] when speaking of valium and alcohol. They go 'too well' together.
You'll be more addicted to both if you depend on valium to get you through the next day, while drinking....and while drinking you'll be thinking, 'its ok, i'm gonna have my valium safety net' so you might drink more. I don't mean to make you sound like a moron...quote your thoughts as if this is how they are. I'm trying to tell you it's A BAD IDEA to do what you're intending to do.

As for recommending the 'Russian method', you've got it wrong. The trick is to have a shot upon awakening, but to not go past that....am I advocating this? I advocate all things Russian in general..so NO, i do not advocate this. I DO think it's better to do the shot in the morning than take valium to soften the blow. The shot in the morning is ungodly...nasty. It creates aversion itself...it 'eases' certain aspects of WD, for a while, but during that while a small amount of ethanol is in you while you get used to carrying on and getting rid of the shit feeling from yesterday. The morning shot wears off eventually....it's not meant to be repeated.

If we could all just cure a hangover with a pill and it were widely acceptable and all over the pages of the Saturday Evening Post, as i'm sure Miltown once advised us [im assuming..], we would have a SERIOUS problem wouldn't we? Sometimes it's good to get hurt from the binge and have a nasty hangover - your mind puts two and two together and so on...Yes you feel shitty, but if you never do...how in the world will your drinking NOT escalate?

Have you tried taking SERAX? no longer produced by the original, its generic oxazepam is readily available. It doesn't interact with ethanol nearly as much as diazepam does BUT it will help with anxiety [up to 60mg per dose] is short-intermediate acting, doesn't have much of a 'feeling', this is unpopular....but it provides anxiety relief if that's what you want...and it's used for detox maintenance for months following detox. It's one of those forgotten benzos. It's dangerous too, addictive, but as it gives no serious rush or fuzzy sedating feeling, it's usually treated like a failure....such is not the case. Give it a try....Read about it. Don't listen to people [and even many doctors] curse it like the devil. It's pretty effective. Why go with valium, the most addictive benzo by far, if you can go with others?

you keep saying you don't see how a benzo you don't find appealing will take hold over you...i understand it's hard to get. It DOES, it does....it starts to control you, ask anyone who will admit to having a problem with a benzo for at least one day in their life.

 

[bbirdman]

As for recommending the 'Russian method', you've got it wrong. The trick is to have a shot upon awakening, but to not go past that....am I advocating this? I advocate all things Russian in general..so NO, i do not advocate this. I DO think it's better to do the shot in the morning than take valium to soften the blow. The shot in the morning is ungodly...nasty. It creates aversion itself...it 'eases' certain aspects of WD, for a while, but during that while a small amount of ethanol is in you while you get used to carrying on and getting rid of the shit feeling from yesterday. The morning shot wears off eventually....it's not meant to be repeated.

Thanks for your expertise and warning vallium.
You say you advocate all things russsian then say you dont advocate it. bit confused with that
Alcoholism Im an expert on I have had multiple Delrium tremmens trying to get off alcohol. The hangover and dealing with hangover by having a small shot is what created and is the crux of my alcohol problem.
I remember the first time i tried this method. Wow the ultimate hangover cure one shot and I was away. Eventually if you keep doing this you need more than one shot. eventually it turns into an extra day then another . Hair that bit the dog was the biggest contribution to my alcoholism.

I always used to say if they could cure hangover I would go back drinking it was the hell hangovers that were the problem. Thought I might have had it with vallium. One shot of vallium and Im ok. it tapers works and doesn't create hangovers yet.


Admittedly I admit if I used this method a lot, probally like alcohol I would need not just vallium the day of the hangover but maybe more and the next day. If started to happen I would bail out and just not drink again.

Also people keep misunderstanding I don't drink regularly anymore, twice this year for one night only and once last which was binge through anxiety i didn't have vallium then.

Life without alcohol is problematic when single for me. last time i had any female stuff was 2 years ago. bars are where all the girls go realistically and alcohol, like many people, gives me huge confidence. Being a female its a lot easier just sit back and wait for the offers to come in. lol