Benzos AARRRGGHHHHH Xanax

[WarChild]

I've got a problem....

I've been using Valium (Diazepam) for anxiety as a PRN for a good 3 years or so. I went for a period of about 3 months of heavy use (40-50mg a day) but kicked that habit fairly easily - a lot easier than i thought. And its never been a problem - always there when i need it, especially for dealing with comedowns or stressfull situations. Its great stuff when you use it properly (IE when you're not seeking a high)

However, I recently asked my doctor if there were any other benzos which would work better or give a mood lift as well as anti-anxiety qualities. He recommended Xanax. I asked about addiction, and his response was you'd need to be daily for a month or more to get addicted.

So 1 - 1.5mg daily for 8 days, and then i went cold turkey, as it worked EXTRREMELY well and i felt great. Day 9 was okay without it, a little sketchy and anxious, but tolerable. But half way through day 10 I had what I can only class as a TOTAL panic attack! My hand tremors were so bad i couldn't poor sugar into a mug. I was sweating, hyperventilating, having hot flushes, etc. And the worst part is that it happened at work, who don't know I have mental health issues!! By pure luck i had accidently left some valiums in my bag, so i had 12.5mg valium and that calmed me right down and took away the tremors.

To throw a complication in - I have been drinking heavily for the last year or so, and the episode i have just described was also day 2 of cold turkey from the booze. BUT i've done booze cold turkey MANY times before without any kind of attack, asside from just REALLY wanting a drink. So i don't think the booze was a major factor - although maybe it did contribute a bit.

So - WTF??? It took 8 days to get to the point of a fucking severe physical withdrawal? AGRH! I am back on it now and its been more than a month. I am trying to only use .5mg a day (.25 in morning and .25 in mid afternoon) which seems to JUST keep the cravings at bay.

My friend who is an experienced benzo addict reckons I should switch to diazepam and come off that, due to its longer half life. But the switch wouldn't be a ratio of 1 to 1, it would be more like 1 .5mg xanax = 3 x 5mg valium. I don't like the idea of being back on 5 valiums a day, for many reasons.

So ANYONE! WHAT SHOULD I DO???? Benzos are GODS GIFT for vanquishing anxiety, but why are they so fucking addictive???



WC

 

[xxxyyy]

well, for one, benzodiazepines really aren't exceptional in this regard. all GABAergic drugs are a nightmare to withdraw from and even before you reach full blown physical dependence they cause significant rebound symptoms.
and benzodiazepines with long half-lives (like diazepam) are generally said to cause less rebound symptoms, something which i can correlate from personal experience.
use that to taper off. eight days at 1.5mgs of alprazolam is by no means a habit that should be hard to kick. tapering with diazepam works best with an oral solution (in case that is available to you), as you can drop small increments with the proper measuring tool.

 

[pbuilder]

well, for one, benzodiazepines really aren't exceptional in this regard. all GABAergic drugs are a nightmare to withdraw from and even before you reach full blown physical dependence they cause significant rebound symptoms.
and benzodiazepines with long half-lives (like diazepam) are generally said to cause less rebound symptoms, something which i can correlate from personal experience.
use that to taper off. eight days at 1.5mgs of alprazolam is by no means a habit that should be hard to kick. tapering with diazepam works best with an oral solution (in case that is available to you), as you can drop small increments with the proper measuring tool.

Yea but if I read that correctly she just switched to xanax from a habit she already had with valium. It's possible since xanax is shorting acting the infamous withdrawals of the benzo actually did hit you this time, after only 2 days, where as valium has a half life long enough that if you'd been abusing it daily you'd have enough built up in your system that you might not feel withdrawals for up to a week, maybe even longer.

 

[xxxyyy]

my bad. yeah. that's entirely possible. i've also noticed that with benzos length and regularity of consumption is more important in determening the severity of withdrawal than dosage.

 

[WarChild]

Thanks guys. So I am right in assuming the booze is not a major factor? Or should I be coming off that too?

And if I am switching to Diazepam, what dose should I start with, given a previous Xanax dose of about 1.5mg a day? And a suggested regime for each day and rate of tapering?

Thanks for your help. This has really got me by the balls.

 

[shreddedlettuce]

Out of all the drugs that are out there the two that are most dangerous to quit cold turkey are benzo's and alcohol (as far as I know).

Thanks guys. So I am right in assuming the booze is not a major factor? Or should I be coming off that too?

In other words if you are going to quit drinking and benzos, at the same time(or on their own), Cold Turkey, then both are major factors( eg benzos might be needed to get through the alcohol withdrawal first).
I'm sorry that I don't have any suggestions, other than to seek a professional opinion before stopping either of those two cold turkey.
Good luck and hope you manage to get the right advice to get through this as safely as possible.

 

[WarChild]

I used to think that i was blessed having a doctor that is so free with his prescriptions, but this time it seems to have backfired. Valium has saved my arse more times than i could possibly count, and when i discovered Xanax i thought all my Christmas' had come at once!! Now i just want to be off everything. There is something so nice about depressants, especially after a hard day at work. I'd say more than 50% of the population have at least one standard drink every night. Giving up booze will be hard because i use it as a reward for a hard days work, and look forward to it each evening. What do I replace it with? Exercise and healthy living perhaps. Argh!

 

[shreddedlettuce]

What do I replace it with?

I wish there was a quick, short or definitive answer to this question.
But I guess trying to find out what that answer is, is the only way to move forward and become wiser.
Damn that sounds so "cheesy", sorry.