Recovery How long do you have to be off Klonopin to drink again?

[Mycophile]

So, I've been on Klonopin for a LONG time, about 20 years, and I'm going to have to slowly taper off at some point. I'm worried about whether or not I'll be able to find other meds for my anxiety, but that aside, I know that I've done damage to my GABA receptors not only by being on Klonopin for so long but also so frequently drinking so heavily while on it. I have been told by people on here that when you wean off of a benzo you then have to avoid alcohol for a LONG time, like years, or else it can actually put you back into GABA/Klonopin WD. Is this true? Cause I'm pretty sure it is.

So, then lets pretend I manage to get off Klonopin: how long am I going to have to wait before I can get drunk again? I'm not going to lie, I'm an alcoholic, and imagining life without EVER being able to drink is very hard. Someone on here who knows about this topic told me it would probably take like 4 or 5 years for my GABA receptors to heal, but I want a 2nd opinion.

*Also, I was once CRIMINALLY and abruptly taken off my Klonopin cold turkey by a stupid doctor 10 years ago. SOMEHOW I was a freak of nature and got ZERO WD (I wish I'd stayed off of it) and I have no explanation for that. Also, I got drunk probably 20 or more times during that 9 month period that I was off Klonopin, and it never put me into withdrawal. So if it didn't put me in WD then, why is it a guarantee that it will next time?

Is it also a problem of your GABA receptors just not healing properly if you continue to bombard them with other GABA drugs? Cause I get that, but if my brain was THAT damaged wouldn't I have had issues drinking when I was off of my Klonopin? Plus, it's one thing to tell me not to drink for a year or a year and a half. When you start talking about like 4-5 years or more, then I start freaking out lol.

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

When I quit 1 year habit, hangovers had been A LOT worse and multi-day drinking led to pins and needles and all that stuff, and even nowadays can do that, but it is better. So, it is basically true, but how accurately, well, you might need to find it out yourself. But I'd be off at least for many months after you have jumped off.

There are some freak outliers like you that don't get much of benzo wds, it is very rare but these people exist.

I accidentally rubbed chili on my eye just now BTW.

 

[TheFunkeeJunkee]

The effect you are referencing is called kindling. You may find even a decade after ceasing Clonazepam use that subsequent use of any GABAergic drug causes rapid onset tolerance and subsequent physical withdrawal.

It's hard to say how long this will happen for. It could be lifelong although we just don't know exactly what is going on neurologically in respect to this kindling induced rapid onset addiction. It's likely it doesn't have much to do directly with your GABA receptors as they (and all receptors) are being continuously metabolised and produced. We are talking days to at most weeks here. As I said before the exact mechanism behind kindling causing rapid onset addiction isn't clear enough to give a rough timeline of when you can drink some alcohol.

I quit all Opioids for half a decade and even after that long of a break as little as 2 or 3 doses of Heroin (100 or so milligrams) causes a mild but noticeable withdrawal syndrome.

In your situation I would have a standard drink and assess how you feel the following hours and days. From there you can find an amount that you can tolerate.

 

[Mycophile]

When I quit 1 year habit, hangovers had been A LOT worse and multi-day drinking led to pins and needles and all that stuff, and even nowadays can do that, but it is better. So, it is basically true, but how accurately, well, you might need to find it out yourself. But I'd be off at least for many months after you have jumped off.

There are some freak outliers like you that don't get much of benzo wds, it is very rare but these people exist.

I accidentally rubbed chili on my eye just now BTW.

Ok, but do you think it's possible that after a couple years, if not maybe more, that then later in life I'd be able to drink again once I'm off Klonopin?

 

[Mycophile]

The effect you are referencing is called kindling. You may find even a decade after ceasing Clonazepam use that subsequent use of any GABAergic drug causes rapid onset tolerance and subsequent physical withdrawal.

It's hard to say how long this will happen for. It could be lifelong although we just don't know exactly what is going on neurologically in respect to this kindling induced rapid onset addiction. It's likely it doesn't have much to do directly with your GABA receptors as they (and all receptors) are being continuously metabolised and produced. We are talking days to at most weeks here. As I said before the exact mechanism behind kindling causing rapid onset addiction isn't clear enough to give a rough timeline of when you can drink some alcohol.

I quit all Opioids for half a decade and even after that long of a break as little as 2 or 3 doses of Heroin (100 or so milligrams) causes a mild but noticeable withdrawal syndrome.

In your situation I would have a standard drink and assess how you feel the following hours and days. From there you can find an amount that you can tolerate.

Well, I really hope I'm going to be able to drink again someday when I've been off my Klonopin long enough. The idea of NEVER being able to drink again is downright terrifying.

You aren't saying that it will DEFINITELY happen like that right? Couldn't it be possible that after a year or two off of the Klonopin I could be fine to drink?

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

Ok, but do you think it's possible that after a couple years, if not maybe more, that then later in life I'd be able to drink again once I'm off Klonopin?

I think so.