Alprazolam withdrawals.

[Escapedysphoria]

Other than weaker benzos such as valium, ativan ect. are there any other good medications (besides a benzodiazepine) recommended for benzo withdrawal syndrome and to wean off of benzos smoothly?

 

[unsettled]

honestly, none. if you have a serious xanax habit you need to taper off with another benzo, preferably a longer acting one.

If you're desperate you could drink alcohol for momentary relief.

You could also try Kava Kava, Valerian Root...etc..


I don't know what your situation is but if you have a real dependency on alprazolam go to a doctor and get help immediately. If it's just a short term binge you're riding out then it's not as serious and lots of things could help.

Hopefully others will chime in with more suggestions.

 

[quest92]

masterbate!

 

[Surgeon General]

​

Hydroxyzine is effective in combating these withdrawals, but it would need to be taken in high doses. It is also non narcotic and safe. Go to Wikipedia or something and read up. I have used this medication. It works. The most important question is the degree of suffering. How bad are your withdrawals?

​

Benzo withdrawal is a very serious thing. Benzo's and alcohol both affect GABA receptors in the brain, GABA functioning as a chemical messenger that has a depressing effect on the entire CNS. That is why alcohol and benzodiazepines are the only two classes of chemicals with withdrawals that can cause death.

​

I have experienced very serious alcohol withdrawals, which are similar. I can never describe what they feel like though because it is like trying to explain the color blue to a blind person.

​

If the withdrawal is serious don't hesitate--get medication. interestingly if you go to the ER for this, they would prescribe you more benzos, as I'm sure you have learned by now. It's interesting that they treat fire with fire like this.

​

Having said that, alcohol is effective in treating withdrawal symptoms. I would only recommended this in dire moments as a last resort.

​

In my opinion, Hydroxyzine is a prime choice to wean yourself off with. Talk to your doctor about getting a prescription; having them around would benefit you anyways. Stay away from stronger benzos like alprazolam and you should be fine. Only resort back if you really must. And make sure your doctor talks with you about the long term risks associated with Hydroxyzine.

 

[banana101]

You didn't say what your Xanax dose was. That would be helpful to know.

SWIM knows about Xanax addiction and withdrawal, and is sorry to hear that you're going through it.
If your daily dose was high--which is hard to define-- but anything more than 4mg's a day, then you will need to preferably do it with a longer acting benzo, such as Valium. Hydroxyzine is also a choice, and yes, it would have to be taken in large doses. SWIM had it rx'd to him at 25-50 mg's and it did nothing for his anxiety.

A benzo withdrawal can leave someone *very* depressed, *very* suicidal, and, the worst, *very* disassociated from themselves and reality. It can also cause major seizures. You need to do this with medical help if the dosage is high enough. Yes, you can simply walk into the ER and explain it to them and they will help you.

 

[kokaino]

Other than weaker benzos such as valium, ativan ect. are there any other good medications (besides a benzodiazepine) recommended for benzo withdrawal syndrome and to wean off of benzos smoothly?

First of all, neither Valium nor Ativan are "weak benzos" and second diazepam (Valium) is what's recommended for any kind of benzo withdrawal.
I wouldn't go with the Ativan, as it is just as addictive (physically) as alprazolam, if not moreso. Diazepam is the one to use.

But no there really isn't anything else besides benzos to help you wean off of them. It's not like opiate withdrawals, it's a totally different story here. Maybe alcohol or barbs, but in the end that only makes things worse and not better.

 

[NeighborhoodThreat]

banana101, we don't use SWIM here at Bluelight. We know it's you and it makes it really hard to read your posts. Please edit SWIM out of your post, thank you.

Surgeon General, benzodiazepines and alcohol and barbiturates can be deadly in withdrawal, due to seizures. They are also cross-tolerant with each other. GABA is a inhibitory chemical, not a chemical messenger. It exerts its action by reduction of excitatory states in other neurons throughout the CNS (including the brain).

I do not recommend using hydroxyzine or any other antihistamine (or any other drug besides a benzo) to taper off Xanax (alprazolam). See a doctor for a long-acting benzo taper and do it right. Ativan (lorazepam) is only slightly longer-acting than alprazolam is, and, as kokaino mentioned, is not appropriate for benzo withdrawal.

 

[Escapedysphoria]

I've been prescribed 1.5 mgs of klonopin a day and then I switched to 1 mg of xanax a day and I take 30 mgs or more of temazepam at night (taking these everyday for a year or so). I sincerely have GAD and panic disorder, but I've also abused benzos countless times at moderately high doses. I'm supposed to come off the xanax soon and I want to, but there's been days where I didn't have my dosage for the day and I definitely exprience horrible benzo wds: Very uncomfortable diassociative feelings from reality and myself, constant sweating with cold hands, heart pounding, dizziness and my vision seems off, and obviously horrible anxiety and it seems like constant panic attacks which almost makes me feel like i'm going into psychosis. Btw kokaino, sorry for sounding ignorant, I meant longer-acting and mellow, I was referring to strength as in potency on my op. I hope to be able to taper with diazepam as I know it's supposed to be very effective for that. Would lyrica be of any help for benzo wds?

 

[NeighborhoodThreat]

Lyrica can help, but it's not a replacement.

The symptoms you mentioned are right in line with severe benzo WDs.

Please get on a diazepam taper as soon as possible.

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

Lyrica helped me get off benzodiazepines and it worked incredibly. I was taking 8mg of Klonopin/60mg Temazepam daily and once I tapered down to 2mg of Clonazepam I switched onto an equivalent dose of Diazepam to make the taper smoother. During this time I was put onto Lyrica. Tapering with Diazepam really helped but the Lyrica nearly got rid of all the withdrawals and felt no discomfort as I went off from 5mg Diazepam onto nothing.

4 years ago when I tried getting of the Clonazepam I went though some nasty withdrawals but not this time around and I had been on Clonazepam/Alprazolam/Hypnotic for 11 years. I'm still on Lyrica which I don't recommend staying on after tapering unless you have another reason to be on it like fibromyalgia. It doesn't help with cravings as I did relapse. I only used for like a couple weeks and now I'm off them again.

 

[chromedreams]

]

Neurontin Helped me considerably off benzo wd..wouldnt have made it without it...therefor Lyrica is the answer as it's more powerfull and similar...but neurontin is very easy to get your hands on...good luck....they are both anti seizur meds which you need also

 

[BrokedownPalace]

Yes. Neurontin/lyrica are literally god's medicine when it comes to benzo w/d for me. I am prescribed klonopin, as well as neurontin. I routinely run out of my klonopin early and the neurontin (in high doses) basically nullifies the withdrawal. I may be a bit more anxious but nothing like hardcore xanax withdrawal cold turkey that I went through a few years ago.

 

[Z Y G G Y]

I've been prescribed 1.5 mgs of klonopin a day and then I switched to 1 mg of xanax a day and I take 30 mgs or more of temazepam at night (taking these everyday for a year or so). I sincerely have GAD and panic disorder, but I've also abused benzos countless times at moderately high doses. I'm supposed to come off the xanax soon and I want to, but there's been days where I didn't have my dosage for the day and I definitely exprience horrible benzo wds: Very uncomfortable diassociative feelings from reality and myself, constant sweating with cold hands, heart pounding, dizziness and my vision seems off, and obviously horrible anxiety and it seems like constant panic attacks which almost makes me feel like i'm going into psychosis. Btw kokaino, sorry for sounding ignorant, I meant longer-acting and mellow, I was referring to strength as in potency on my op. I hope to be able to taper with diazepam as I know it's supposed to be very effective for that. Would lyrica be of any help for benzo wds?

I have a friend who is going through something similar. She is having horrible panic attacks. I told her it's probably from benzos.

Go see a doctor. Benzo w/d is very serious and if you have been taking them for a year or so definitely don't stop w/o medical supervision.

If you want to stop you might even have to go into the hospital so they can take you off with other meds, that would be a good idea IMO.

But definitely don't do anything on your own. Find a professional who knows about this and see what resources you have.

All you can do on your own is maybe slightly cut down on your meds. By like a few percent every week or two. Then the doctor will give you other meds like Lyrica to sleep.

Yeah, Lyrica and Neurontin are your best bets here for medication that will ease w/d. Lyrica is much stronger than neurontin. It will help you sleep. It works on similar things in the brain that benzos do, but not quote the same and it's not, as far as I know, as addictive as benzos.

 

[mrflowers00]

kava would be best

 

[kokaino]

The worst withdrawals come from the benzodiazepines which bind strongly to the γ2 subtype of the GABA(A) receptor. The short to intermediate acting benzo are the worst, with the intermediate acting benzos being the most difficult to withdraw from.

Temazepam, brotizolam, triazolam, alprazolam, lorazepam, loprazolam, midazolam, flunitrazepam, clonazepam, lormetazepam, flutoprazepam, nitrazepam, nimetazepam, and estazolam are the benzo that bind most strongly to the γ2 subtype.

Among these, the long-acting ones are easier to withdraw from (clonazepam, flutoprazepam, nitrazepam - this one is borderline intermediate/long acting, so it probably is more severe than clonazepam and flutoprazepam)

The short-acting ones have more severe withdrawals than the ones listed above (brotizolam, triazolam, midazolam, loprazolam, alprazolam)

The intermediate ones are the most severe because they are just as bad as the short-acting ones plus the withdrawals last longer (lorazepam, temazepam, lormetazepam, nimetazepam, flunitrazepam, estazolam)


Regardless, ALL these benzos have extremely difficult withdrawal syndromes. These are the benzo that are capable of killing people in withdrawals. In medical literature, there is records of death from temazepam and nitrazepam withdrawals.

Diazepam, oxazepam, chlordiazepoxide, and the rest are softer - still they are tough, but nothing like the above benzos.

 

[Violenza666]

If you don't have any benzos at all go to the hospital. Benzo WD can be very dangerous.

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

If you don't have any benzos at all go to the hospital. Benzo WD can be very dangerous.

They won't necessarily treat you unless you are currently suffering really dangerous symptoms like spasms, convulsing, shivering or other symptoms of an upcoming seizure. If you just go in and ask for benzodiazepines to taper they may just look at you like your drug seeking. Most likely they'll administer a script of benzodiazepines to you if your suffering physical symptoms while checking you out.

 

[BananasAndOranges]

They won't necessarily treat you unless you are currently suffering really dangerous symptoms like spasms, convulsing, shivering or other symptoms of an upcoming seizure. If you just go in and ask for benzodiazepines to taper they may just look at you like your drug seeking. Most likely they'll administer a script of benzodiazepines to you if your suffering physical symptoms while checking you out.

Youre better off shopping black market seriously I think hospitals are required to give you ativan atleast where I used to live they did. I would honestly switch to diazepam unlesssss clonazepam works for you...

 

[Supeudol]

Other than weaker benzos such as valium, ativan ect. are there any other good medications (besides a benzodiazepine) recommended for benzo withdrawal syndrome and to wean off of benzos smoothly?

Yes, ask your doctor prescribe you a beta blocker (Preferably Metoprolol) as this will reduce benzodiazepine symptoms greatly, and reduce the tachycardia and high blood pressure from benzodiazepine withdrawal. Also something like Hydroxyzine (Atarax) will help with sleep, or get something like Trazodone 100mg at night time for sleep. The Metoprolol 50mg BID (twice daily) should help reduce w/d symptoms greatly. Eat healthy foods and try and get as much exercise as you can. Do not consume too much caffeine or nicotine as this can irritate your benzo w/d.

Good luck.

 

[Supeudol]

Youre better off shopping black market seriously I think hospitals are required to give you ativan atleast where I used to live they did. I would honestly switch to diazepam unlesssss clonazepam works for you...

Clonazepam is a better choice for tapering off benzo's than Diazepam is IMO. Since Clonazepam has a much longer duration of action (but shorter half life) than Diazepam. It still has a long enough half life to be used well for treating B/Z withdrawal symptoms. As Clonazepam can go from doses as a high as 2mg, all the way down to 0.25mg.

This is what I am doing now.

Clonazepam 2mg BID for ~ 1 week
Clonazepam 1mg BID for ~ 2 weeks
Clonazepam 0.5mg BID for ~ 2 weeks
Clonazepam 0.25mg BID for 2-3 weeks (depending on how I feel).