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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

3 weeks to 1 month benzo usage..what to expect with dependancy/withdrawal

stuckinaloop

stuckinaloop

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Joined
Aug 29, 2009
Messages
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Location
NYC..the northern most borough.. Bronx BITCXH!!
For the past 3-4 weeks I have used primarily alprazolam daily..an average of 4mg (2x 2mg xanax bars).

I have not taken benzos long enough to become dependant in the past..but now I have crossed that mark now because I feel withdrawals if I stop for more than 24 hours.

Obviously..I can google benzo withdrawal symptoms, but I am just asking anyone who has been in a similar position..what was your experience? How bad/long do you think withdrawal will be at my level?



I want to get out now b/c I am already on methadone..xanax was never addictive to me in the past when I had oxy or heroin, but now that I don’t..it’s SUPER addictive.
 
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Dude, you are doin the right thing. I have been a Xanax "Junkie" for at least 3 years now and I am on 4-5 mg daily. It is hellish to try to stop, but you can make it thru.
1. TAPER: start to cut your daily dose by as much as you can as often as you can- This is uncomfortable, but much better than quitting Cold Turkey!
2. POT: try to get some weed to calm your nerves and alcohol to help u sleep.
3. Grapefruit Juice: If u have any xanax left now, take much smaller doses BUT drink Some real Grapefruit Juice (not from concentrate) about 30 min. before dosing.
4. PM me. I have more info.
5. Be strong, take deep breaths, and know that each day that you cut down is a "baby step" in the right direction.

Much Love-Good Luck
 
You really think itll be that bad that I gotto taper and all that after 3 weeks?

I know you have the experience obviously. I am just curious, becuase after 3-4 weeks on an opiate I would advise someone to stop cold turkey.

I dunno honestly if i'll be able to taper, I don['t have willpower. I dont have anyone who can hold the pills for me.
 
Not that bad after 3-4 weeks, but more comfortable to taper and use the Grapefruit Juice. If u go cold turkey, with that high of a dosage, you will be hatin life the 1st 2-5 days tho.
 
I wouldn't taper. I mean why drag it out for another month? I don't see that you will have any severe physical w/d symptoms, from the sound of your post it seems to be more mental then anything.
 
Your withdrawls shouldn't be too bad. For the past two months I have been using temazepam and lorazepam daily and multiple times a day. I realized that I was getting out of control so I decided to quit cold turkey and expect the worse to happen. Surprisingly I'm halfway through my third day and I'm not experiencing any withdrawls at all. It could just be me tho as I've never really gotten withdrawls from anything, even when I quit smoking after 3 years cold turkey I didn't get withdrawls. You need to want to quit to actually do it.
 
Cold turkey should be feasible. I had a thoroughly shit time all because of two weeks of abusing alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam and tramadol, but I took all of those drugs every day in doses larger than 4mg alprazolam. Withdrawals lasted two or three days, and that's about it. If you've got cannabis and maybe a few bars left you should have no problems whatsoever - taper with tiny amounts if you really feel like you need it, 0.25-0.5mg, for a few days, and then stop.

3 weeks might make you feel a bit shit for a few days but really shouldn't be much worse than that.
 
BabyGurl3171 said:
I'd agree to tapering. I'm on Xanax now and I recently ran out and felt like I was going crazy. Tapering is best, but if you want to cut cold turkey at 3-4 wks, it shouldn't feel too bad.
Click to expand...

How did you handle it when u ran out, BabyGurl? Did you taper down or just stopped cold turkey? Even the TAPERING process is hell to me, so I can't imagine stopping Cold Turkey. I have had to do it in the past, but that was before I was a TOTAL xanax addict, and I still felt like I was crawling outta my skin. I was well on my way to becoming totally dependent on xanax though! Not good, but so hard to stop.... 8)
 
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The longest amount of time I spent on benzos was about 3 months on phenazepam and cold turkey wasnt fun in the least, I wasnt expecting such extended and intense anxiety that came with it. I never used a benzo regularly since then. I'd say its a good thing you're quitting now, as the wd you experience now is nothing compared to if you wait several months or years to quit.
 
420marley said:
How did you handle it when u ran out, BabyGurl? Did you taper down or just stopped cold turkey? Even the TAPERING process is hell to me, so I can't imagine stopping Cold Turkey. I have had to do it in the past, but that was before I was a TOTAL xanax addict, and I still felt like I was crawling outta my skin. I was well on my way to becoming totally dependent on xanax though! Not good, but so hard to stop.... 8)
Click to expand...

I barely handled it! Seriously, it was the worst feeling I've had in awhile. I felt my skin crawling, I started having panic attacks, I couldn't sit still, felt like I was jumping all around inside...just on and on. I tried using weed to help and it did a bit but soon as the weed wore off I was back to being a mess.

I had to go cold turkey b/c like an idiot, I blew through 75 mgs of Xanax in a week and it was suppose to be a 2 week supply. Finally 4 days in I called my dr and told him a fib (I know wrong of me, but I couldn't take it) and he pre-authorized an early refill "just this one time".

I'm now trying to take as prescribed and so far so good. I take 2 bars twice a day and 1 mg at night. With all my night meds I don't need the 1 mg so I'm saving them just in case I run low on the bars again.

He also called me in a week at a time now so if I do run out (which I'm trying my hardest not too) I won't have to wait as long to get more.

I admit it, I'm totally addicted to Xanax now and dread the day I have to come off of them! If I ever do...
 
What I would do is quit cold taper down if you don't think you can quit cold turkey. I just realised the amounts you were doing, 4mg is quite a bit of Alprazolam to be taking everyday.

If you taper yourself off try using benzos once a week instead of everyday, it'll let you enjoy the drug but keep you from becoming addicted.
 
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