Benzos Alprazolam withdrawal HELP PLZ

[david david]

I've been prescribed Xanax XR 2mg and Venlafaxine ER 225mg for five months now. I just recently threatened to take my own life (though I wasn't serious), my mom calls the police and long story short I end up somehow in the chemical dependency unit of a hospital. A few days later, I went to see my shrink and he refused to give me ANYTHING (which seems like bad practice to me). I AM GOING THROUGH HELL RIGHT NOW I CAN HARDLY LEAVE MY ROOM I'M SO ANXIOUS any advice?

Worth noting that I had an existing benzo tolerance about six months even before I got the script... I was getting hold of zanniebars and klonopin, taking about the same dose as I am (was) currently prescribed. I can't really get anything without Rx now, I'm away from that scene.

Any help would be great.

To the moderators- I'm new here and the benzo withdrawal FAQ sends me to a dead link.

 

[i are spectre]

you should tell us how much you were taking, per day, for that 5 month period. if it was only 2mg it will be a rough couple weeks but should subside in about 20 days. if it was any more you should seek medical assistance as benzo wd can be dangerous to your health, even life threatening.

to help with the symptoms, i would get these things:

magnesium
potassium
kava kava
valerian root
melatonin

exercise is the last thing you probably want to do but that along with a scheduled diet of healthy food will help your body the most.

hopefully this will deter you from further benzo use. withdrawal was enough for me to stop.

 

[david david]

Sorry if I didn't clarify that the 2mg extended-release were for daily use. I also should have mentioned that I was prescribed zolpidem tartrate 10mg for almost three years prior (but not during), so possibly some existing cross-tolerance.

I was wondering if maybe cyclobenzaprine would help at all? I do have slight access to that.

Also, one other thing I was considering, alcohol? I know this is ass-backwards because benzos are used for alcohol withdrawal, but I truly despise the legal intoxicant so I don't worry that I'll just transfer my addiction.

I do genuinely have BAD generalized anxiety, OCD, and slight panic disorder... so if this gets straightened out I intended to go back on benzos. Good or bad idea?

Thanks for the supplement tips.

 

[Drifter74]

I've been prescribed Xanax XR 2mg and Venlafaxine ER 225mg for five months now. I just recently threatened to take my own life (though I wasn't serious), my mom calls the police and long story short I end up somehow in the chemical dependency unit of a hospital. A few days later, I went to see my shrink and he refused to give me ANYTHING (which seems like bad practice to me). I AM GOING THROUGH HELL RIGHT NOW I CAN HARDLY LEAVE MY ROOM I'M SO ANXIOUS any advice?

Worth noting that I had an existing benzo tolerance about six months even before I got the script... I was getting hold of zanniebars and klonopin, taking about the same dose as I am (was) currently prescribed. I can't really get anything without Rx now, I'm away from that scene.

Any help would be great.

To the moderators- I'm new here and the benzo withdrawal FAQ sends me to a dead link.

Without knowing more about your past usage it's kind of hard to give more advice. If you just got out of the hospital I'm guessing you're past the physical / life threatening issues associated with abrupt cessation of benzo use, in which case i are spectre gave some good advice.

How long were you in "detox?"

If you've been using more, for a longer period of time, this post may be of some assistance:

http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=510637

With more details we may be able to offer a bit more assistance.

Feel free to PM me if you have any concerns you don't want pubic.

Good Luck!

 

[david david]

I explained my past usage, the five months on alpraz. XR 2mg daily, in addition to an equivalent dose of klonopin and zanniebars (usually in fragments) for about six months prior off Rx. Off Rx I will admit I went over that amount frequently, so say ~2.5-3 mg worth of klonopin or xanax for that period. I don't drink at all, and almost three years of regular ambien usage ending right before all of this.

I was only in the hospital for 4 days (7/1-7/4), given 30mg of phenobarbital twice there, then went back on my regular script until I saw my shrink a week later (7/9).

Again, very curious about cyclobenzaprine's potential help, and possibly even alcohol to ween.

 

[Pegasus]

^You need benzos to safely taper. I recommend seeking different medical opinion, either at clinics or hospitals. Medical professionals that know even the basics of benzodiazepine treatment will understand that you must taper the benzos to avoid a whole host of horrible side effects, both physical and mental. If mental stability if the issue, withdrawing someone from their benzos immediately is the absolute worst course of action. That goes against the ethics of a doctor, and you should find another that will act appropriately.

 

[amandmang]

she completley took you off of everything even the Venlafaxine ? becuase if so then your shrink does not know anything and shouldnt even be one. like everyone else said you need to taper off of benzos it can be a serious problem if you dont, and even with the venlafaxine, theres terrible withdrawl effects with that too.

 

[hobhead]

'Z' drugs are nearly indistinguishable from benzo's in terms of long term damage to the mind .

This is the stuff of dependency, severe escalating depression and more and more trips to the rubber room or worse .

It is either you dry out now or you dry out in an institution (perhaps not of your choosing) in the future . These are really strong meds that you have been fooling around with . I hope that you choose to show them your back and man up to the withdrawal misery .

You are in a hospital, therefore you will not have untamed convulsions . If you were in a county jail or state prison - well there is by no means the level of care that you are i incensed about now.

As a young man it would serve you well to get a grip now and forgo self medication . Preaching to the choir as there is hardly one among us BLers who would recommend anyone continuing with long term benzo or Z drug abuse .

 

[qwe]

alcohol will put you in a worse position than benzos have. it'll continue your tolerance and dependence, it doesn't last as long as most benzos or XR xanax so you'll have a harsher rebound and more desire to redose, and it has a host of its own problems

how much of your use is recreational? any big doses?

 

[david david]

Yeah I did abuse it a little, but I took notice and went on the XR for that reason. Since then I was clear of all mental addiction cause it comes on and off easy.

I do want to repeat two things here though that are important- I am LEGIT with my anxiety, it has haunted me all my life and progressed as I entered college. Xanax seems to be the only real thing that helps. Secondly, I absolutely DESPISE alcohol and I mean that. It does not sit well with me, I can get sick to my stomach after a single hard lemonade. I also piss continually while drunk, to the point where my dick hurts, and get a massive hangover the next day. I do not drink under normal circumstances which is why I thought alcohol would make sense to taper.

Now, with that in mind, should I go to the ER or something? I don't want to go to rehab for something that was prescribed to me... it just seems shameful. I'm about three days removed and getting massive rebound anxiety, tremors, minor headaches and muscle aches.

I'm trying to get hold of my doctor just to get ANYTHING to taper but he wont pick up dammit. Will the ER supply me with something to taper?

 

[qwe]

i am in a similar situation. doc cut me off (ran out early, shouldn't have even asked for some to get me through till the next refill, this doc is a hard ass). didn't let me taper or anything

didn't precribe shit either to get me through with adequate sleep etc

they told me i could get some help at the hospital. when my panic was high enough and i had enough of the rebound anxiety insomnia etc, i did go to the nearest hospital. they tried to give me zophram (edit, might be misrememberning name) for nausea after i did not complain of nausea at all. they tried to give me clonidine but i already have it saved up, it lasts too short for me anyway, during the worse parts of w/d i get a rebound effect from it if i use it for a day. they wouldn't give me anything else. you might have better luck

i don't like our healthcare system :/

if you want a taper, you'll probably have to do therapy most likely (how much would depend on who you go to)

 

[tyler5]

about the benzo w/d:
exactly for how long (i mean daily), and how much (dosages and names of the benzos) have you been consuming?
is this your first time being addicted to benzos?

 

[Cface]

I used to take the same drug (though in higher quantity) Xanax XR 2 mg plus xanax ir 1mg like 5x a day for 8 months and quit cold turkey.

In the US I believe you should see a medical doctor (not therapist) for your benzo withdrawals. Because this is not just a mental health risk. It is a phsyical risk and the doctors should know if a person is being prescribed benzos for long periods of time and plan on taking you off the drug they should put you on a long-term tapering (of atleast 3-4 weeks).

See a real doctor about this. Tell him how long you've been taking benzos and the dosages per day. Tell him the level of your w/d's and tell him you're worried about seizures. If you start having seizures and the therapist cut you off cold turkey i think you could even sue him for something like this because it was his responsibility to give you a plan on a safe way to quit.

I hate benzo w/d's i hope you seriously see someone, even if you have to buy off the streets and get yourself situated so you atleast have a tapering down plan. It is completely irresponsible what your current doctor/therapist is doing and i'd threaten him legally.