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Any Other Benzedrex Addicts in the Heezy?

Lady Codone

Lady Codone

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 6, 2008
Messages
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Hey all, just checking in to see if anyone else in this forum can relate to what I'm going through.

My situation is as follows: I take Benzedrex (propylhexedrine) orally daily in very small doses, like 25-75 mg. One inhaler contains 250 mg. and lasts me about a week on average. I'm finding that it's very hard to go a day without my little boost, which is obviously a problem in most peoples' minds. This has been a daily thing for about 6 months now. I've noticed no negative side effects and always keep the dose low, but am concerned about what could happen health-wise if I keep this up. Not much info about long-term propyl use out there.

I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which makes daily life very hard. Nothing else has worked at all, and I know that amphetamines are sometimes prescribed for patients with this condition. Would a "standard" dose of amphetamines daily really be safer than a miniscule dose of propyl?

This may sound trivial to all the "hard" drug users out there, but it's relevant to my life so please be respectful. I find that propyl is far more difficult to take breaks from than my daily poppy tea--at least psychologically. I had the same relationship with ephedra when it was legal.

I guess what I'm looking for here is someone who can relate, or who knows about the risks of daily low-dose propyl use. How does it compare to amphetamines, caffeine or ephedrine? If I'm feeling better now than I ever have, is my use a "problem" behavior? Where does self-medication end and drug abuse begin?

So many questions....

Thanks for listening
 
I would advise talking to a doctor about your chronic fatigue syndrome if you havent alresdy done so. A checkup would be a good idea as certain things like anemia, vitamine deficincies, sleep disorders, etc can cause chronic fatigue. If you are diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome it should really be treated by a doctor as opposed to taking something like propylhexedrine or ephedrine everyday. I can't see taking propylhexedrine everyday being healthy at all even in low doses but then again there isint a whole lot of info on it so theres no telling just how dangerous it is.

Amphetamines are sometimes used to treat chronic fatigue syndrome but they are just one group of medications used to treat it. There are many medications and treatments besides amphetamines used to manage chronic fatigue syndrome. In anycase this is something best treated by a doctor and not through self medication with propylhexedrine.
 
I can relate to the desire to use stimulants daily in moderate/mild doses, six months is a long time to hang with benzedrex, that stuff can be harsh! I admit when I first discovered adderall and ran out I did the benzedrex thing for a minute, never daily because it was too harsh on my stomach and the lavender/menthol taste started to make me nauseous after my third time. I can't take it at all anymore due to that.

I used poppies daily for over a year in addition to other pharmaceutical opiates so I can relate to how you feel from just the drug combination alone. That poppy tea will make most people crave something stimulating to balance it out at times, at least I'd think it would .For me the poppy drought lead me to Heroin to satisfy my opiate habit, which in turn led me to a pshychiatrist which lead me to Suboxone and Ritalin scripts. I sometimes take too much sub and that makes me lethargic but nowhere near as lethargic as the poppys did and having a script for ritalin has balanced me out a bit since I have a regular supply of a decent stimulant and have learned that I have alot of ADD traits I wasn't aware of. I still buy dexedrine off friends when it's around and I prefer it.

Anyway, I'm getting off topic, as usual. My opinion is that you are doing what I was doing (and still am doing to a lesser degree), self medicating. My two cents would be to go to a doctor and describe your symptoms, you may find that you have underlying conditions that have lead to your drugs of choice and you may find that they can prescribe you something that will work better for you. Or not. It's up to you, it's expensive when you don't have insurance. It took a Heroin habit for me to realize that a Psychiatrist is well worth the money if they are good.

Benzedrex imo is not good to use daily. I think you'd be better off taking Adderall daily or an Antidepressant like Wellbutrin. I think a trip to the Doctor is a good idea.

If you have been diagnosed with CFS do you not see a doctor regularly for this? I would think you could bring up the idea of getting prescribed a stimulant with your doctor and then you wouldn't have to deal with the benzedrex even though it's cheaper.

Opiates and Amphetamines are obviously a double edged sword, but you seem to be taking them responsibly to treat a condition. I think there may be better ways to treat your condition but I'm not a doctor. Best of luck in finding what you need. Sorry for this scattered post, I really should be sleeping right now.
 
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Thanks for the input guys!

To answer your questions, I've never been formally "diagnosed" with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but the nature of my fatigue is definitely severe and chronic, starting at the age of 13 and continuing to the present day (I'm 26). I've been tested for hypothyroidism and anemia, both came out fine. Most docs just assume it's depression (which it very well could be) and prescribe antidepressants. So far, Please do not use SWIM - PA has taken Cymbalta, Effexor, Prozac, Lexapro, Risperdal, Luvox, Anafranil, Elavil, Wellbutrin, St. John's Wort, 5-HTP, Trazodone and probably others I'm forgetting. The effects of these are subtle at best and don't help my fatigue whatsoever.

I've also tried all sorts of alternative therapies--meditation, self-help books, journaling, vitamins and herbal supplements, counseling, special diets and exercise routines, all to no avail. I've spoken at length with several doctors but never really got anywhere. The most help I've gotten was being prescribed Provigil, which prevented me from sleeping but did nothing for the fatigue/drowsiness itself.

I recently was on a forum where a man claimed to have taken Benzedrex regularly for 30 years. He even recalled when the product was outlawed for a short period in the (80s?). The only other long-term user I know of was the Oklahoma man who died from injecting the stuff--he injected 5 inhalers a day for 20 years before dying. Propyl was also prescribed as a weight loss aid in Europe under the name Eventin, but I can't find much on it's side effects/risks.

I agree that daily use is not a great idea and plan to take more breaks and cut back some. Just because I don't have any side effects doesn't mean the damage isn't occurring. Still, it's hard to imagine how something that causes so many FEWER side effects than even caffeine can be harmful. But my rational mind knows it can. Thanks for your feedback.

Oh, and I currently don't have health insurance and can't really afford to go from doc to doc for something as non-specific as fatigue. Even when I did have insurance, I wasn't taken very seriously by doctors and just kind of gave up. One doc even told me that I'd feel a lot better if I told my family I was gay! Why not just CALL ME a malingering hysterical psychosomatic liar?! Would've been nicer :\
 
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There is some consensus of a suspicion that propylhexedrine might be cardiotoxic, due to its significant adrenal effects. Probably not the best idea to be taking it daily. I would taper down (not that you would experience any serious withdrawal effects aside from extreme fatigue, but it'd probably be a good idea to minimize that) and see a doctor.

Sometimes, chronic fatigue isn't psychosomatic - sometimes there is an underlying condition that you shouldn't ignore. Even if you don't have health insurance, you can go to a free clinic and get looked at. Search on the internet for one in your area.
 
Ugh, that's what I was afraid of. It's definitely dangerous when injected, I just wish there was more info on the effects of oral use. Most people take whopping doses of one or two whole inhalers at a time, so any info regarding oral use is usually focused on these cases--not smaller doses over longer periods.

I definitely plan to reduce my usage from daily to maybe 2 weeks out of the month or smtg. Gonna be hard though. I've never had any luck getting anything other than antidepressants for ANY condition when I go to the doctor, so I guess I should research how to get an amphetamine prescription. Stimulants are the only thing that's ever helped the fatigue, and all the exams I've gone through--heavy metal poisoning, food allergies, anemia, hypothyroidism--have all turned up normal. I don't look sick, so that makes it even harder to get help. Maybe when I'm older it will be easier to get the medication I need? Hope so.

Thanks again. Any additional info on propyl's pharmacology/effects would be great if anyone has any.
 
If none of the regular anti-depressants have worked for you there is a chance you'd get prescribed something that actually works like Adderall or Ritalin, you need to see a psychiatrist though, they'll work with you more than a GP will. I've noticed if you complain about being depressed and fatigued they'll put you on the usual SSRI's the Wellbutrin and Effexor, ....etc. But if you're Psych is good they will not quit on you, they will allow you to try different meds within reason to help you feel better. Ultimately they are getting paid to help you feel better and be more in line with your personal goals.

I know it's expensive but it's very worth it and a good psych will not laugh at you, they will take you seriously especially if your goal is just to be happier and functional and not depressed. Obviously if they think you're just using them to get high you won't get much out of them. You don't seem like you're just trying to get high, that's why I suggest getting real help however you can. I'm self employed and I figured out a way to afford it once I realized that I really needed it.

I just think you can get better results with a medical pro on your side, it takes persistence sometimes but if you are determined enough you will find a way.

The problem with self medicating is that it can lead to desperate situations where you do things you wouldn't normally do, you don't seem to be in much danger now but hypothetically you could be back on this forum asking if it's alright to just use a "little" meth everyday to keep your mood up..... in the long run it's cheaper to bite the bullet and do what you need to do and get whatever help you need.

Maybe things will improve on their own and you won't need anything, for me it took a benzo withdrawal induced seizure behind the wheel and head on collision with an innocent teenager (the teenager was fine, I miraculously only had some broken bones and a sprained ankle, both cars were totalled) and then an escalating opiate addiction that turned into a Heroin habit for me to finally make the decision to see if there could be a better way to handle my problems.
 
Thanks for the support, Unsettled. It's a breath of fresh air on this forum.

I definitely plan to see a mental health professional of some kind once I can afford it. I work from home and make decent money but have no insurance, so health is kind of taking a back seat for the moment (as bad as that sounds). I have no doubt that I'd enjoy meth and other stimulants and am probably lucky to have never encountered them...if I'll overdo Benzedrex, who knows how it'd be with meth! :/

Prescription stims I think I could handle responsibly. I already have an opiate habit, albeit a small, well-controlled one. Along with my daily Benzedrex I take a couple sips of poppy tea in the evenings and have done so for a little over 2 years now without increasing dose or frequency. I really feel that my use is more of a self-medication pattern than an abuse/addiction pattern, and it's good to hear someone finally understand that I'm not lying, in denial or seeking attention...even if it's not a doctor.

Thanks again. :)
 
I've been taking whiffs of the benzedrex stuff almost daily for about a week. It's very adrenergic, so sometimes I get ragey on it and need to excercise it off. Sometimes on it, I'm focused. Sometimes confident, but not always. Propylhexedrine really indirectly helped me cut down on caffeine. I almost feel like "with a stim this cool, who needs caffeine". I hope I can cycle it though. I've used DMAA and cycled it a lot. However, DMAA isn't addictive and it's mostly for exercise. DMAA got ragey when I stopped cycling and used it without cycling off. Propylhexedrine, like any stimulant, need to be cycled(some time on and some time off). I don't have chronic fatigue. Just normal fatigue sometimes and sometimes mild laziness. As for your chronic fatigue, talk to a doctor or a psychiatrist. Best of luck. Hope you get through it all. I don't know if propylhexedrine could become a problem or not. I hope it doesn't become a problem for me. It's harsh on the cardiovascular system and adrenal glands. I'm tapering to a lower dose though.
We're all in this together.
 
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