Benzos Any drugs with similar efffects to benzos that you can take long term/ no tolerance

[bdomihizayka]

I have been suffering immense anxiety and OCD since I was about 10 years old. I am 23 now and still haven't completed college or made much of myself because of this.

I began using (never really abusing) drugs partly because of this.

I found out that Adderall COMPLETELY eliminates my OCD, and significantly reduces my anxietys..... I know, it's completely paradoxal, but it's true. HOWEVER my tolerance skyrockets and the comedown completely sucks after using for a couple days on end. Therefore I use it a couple times a month to "rewire" my brain or as needed.

Even to this day, my OCD in particular has become much more controlled after my initial use of Adderall. I feel it rewired me or something.

The only other thing I find helps is benzos..... but here we go with the tolerance thing again. I've only been on for a couple days.

I know that If I start out on 10mg of oxys, in one month I'll be up to 120 or more mg. How does benzo tolerance go up compared to opiate tolerance?

And also, are there any drugs out there that act as long term benzos for anxiety relief BESIDES antipsychotics which essentially make you a zombie?

All input is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[AminoAcid]

These are some drugs approved for treatment of OCD:

Clomipramine (Anafranil)
Fluvoxamine (Luvox)
Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva)
Sertraline (Zoloft)

OCD sucks bad, I had it when I was younger. The key to beating it is not to give into the fear. Fight it. Good luck.

 

[Coraline]

The only thing I can suggest is a antidepressant. Not all of them makes you a zombie.

AminoAcid has a pretty good list.

With the drugs you been taking, you will develope tolerance and want more and more for the same desired effect.
That's just the way it is.

OCD sucks. It is very debilitating. Talk to your psych dr and try to come up with a plan of action.

 

[bdomihizayka]

Thanks for the input from both of yous. I have an appointment with a psych next week and definitely want to try some meds I never tried, such as anafranil which I've heard about in the past, thanks for jiving my memory.

I have one question though. About benzos.... I know they work on the alpha, beta and gamma receptors..... could you avoid tolerance if you switched up the benzo you were using based on the type it was?

For example.... 2 weeks with a benzo that acts on alpha.....then onto one that acts on beta, then onto one that works on the gamma...then repeat....?


Thanks again.... never really liked the stigma of antidepressants especially since I study/ live part time in Russia where mental illness is totally denied and misunderstood as in most of Eastern Europe. But I'm desperate.

 

[NeighborhoodThreat]

It's not that simple. All benzodiazepines are cross tolerant with each other (and a slew of other drugs, such as ethyl alcohol, valerian root supplements, the z-drugs, barbiturates, etc). Benzos are effective for treating anxiety but can cause serious problems if used long term (including making your anxiety worse). As AminoAcid and Zoeylynn said, there are other options that carry less risks. Speak to a psychiatrist about this - not a GP. I suffer from anxiety and didn't find something that worked for it until I spoke to a psychiatrist that specialized in anxiety. Phenibut is a drug that is commonly used for that purpose in Russia and other CIS countries. It may be worth giving a shot, and is available without a prescription in the United States (I don't know what other country you live in besides Russia).

 

[The.Ghost]

You may want to check out Wikipedia's page on anxiolytics. Of note is Buspirone, although it may not work for you.

It is not generally considered to be effective, nor does it have regulatory approval treatment of discrete panic attacks, or for other types of anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and social phobia, with or without agoraphobia.
...
Buspirone shows no potential for causing addiction or dependence, and the development of tolerance has not been observed.

May be worth a shot. Just throwing it out there.

 

[xxxyyy]

using phenibut habitually will also cause dependence.
there are the first generation antihistamines, like promethazine and hydroxyzine, that can be helpful without having any addictive potential. benzodiazepines are still the best drug out there for acute anxiety, however even when used on an as-needed basis they can cause a slew of rebound symptoms that are absolutely no fun.
benzos should be taken as seldomly as possible, and always in the lowest possible dose.
antidepressants like SSRIs and SNRIs are considered effective for anxiety, as is pregabalin.

 

[mrflowers00]

benzos should be treated as last resort medications

 

[Znegative]

I have been suffering immense anxiety and OCD since I was about 10 years old. I am 23 now and still haven't completed college or made much of myself because of this.

I began using (never really abusing) drugs partly because of this.

I found out that Adderall COMPLETELY eliminates my OCD, and significantly reduces my anxietys..... I know, it's completely paradoxal, but it's true. HOWEVER my tolerance skyrockets and the comedown completely sucks after using for a couple days on end. Therefore I use it a couple times a month to "rewire" my brain or as needed.

Even to this day, my OCD in particular has become much more controlled after my initial use of Adderall. I feel it rewired me or something.

The only other thing I find helps is benzos..... but here we go with the tolerance thing again. I've only been on for a couple days.

I know that If I start out on 10mg of oxys, in one month I'll be up to 120 or more mg. How does benzo tolerance go up compared to opiate tolerance?

And also, are there any drugs out there that act as long term benzos for anxiety relief BESIDES antipsychotics which essentially make you a zombie?

All input is appreciated. Thanks.

wow, I relate a LOT to this post, as I've dealt with OCD since the same exact age (and I'm 24 now). I was initially treated with sertraline (zoloft), but hated the weight gain and insatiable appetite, so when I was 14 I started drinking, and experiencing with drugs. Heroin was the first substance I used that completely relieved me of the constant anxiety (duh), but I experienced similar effectiveness with benzo's as well as amphetamines. The problem is, like you've noted, tolerance. It's a real pain in the ass, because I feel like I really do need these drugs (or at least some of them, I know heroin isn't a 'must'-I also just like to get high...), but I always have problems getting them prescribed due to my history of substance abuse, and buying them off the street becomes very expensive and time consuming.

In short, I wish there was a real answer to your problem, because it would help me out a lot too. I really refuse to try anymore SSRI's/SNRI's etc, yet I know using opiates, amphetamines or benzo's is not really the longterm solution. I know that when I was young, Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) did help a lot, but you have to be open minded for that kind of treatment (which is a lot harder for me nowadays.)

Gabapentin may be helpful. It definitely has anxiolytic properties, and is a lot more difficult (at least IME) to become dependent upon it. Tolerance can be a real bitch with this drug, but if you keep your dosages low (no higher than 600mg/day), you get pretty consistent effects from it.