Benzo Tolerance and Other Issues

[STEROIDS4kids]

As someone who has had to deal with severe panic disorder and generalized anxiety order on and off since i was a teen (now i'm 26), i can understand what you are going through and my sympathies go to you. What i have noticed during the years is that you should be as HONEST as you possibly can about your situation and drug usage to your doc. Most doctors will understand and are willing to help. After all these are just MEDICATIONS, granted i'd say most everyone has abused them to some degree, but they still are medications. I know i couldn't live my life without benzos (i take about 4 mg xanax per day + occasional temazepam for sleep). There has been a couple of doc's during the years who have been anti-benzo/anti-everything, but i simply switched doctor(s) and founded someone who has been helping me immensely.

My advise to you is go to the doc, be honest and if you can't find a path together (and i'm not saying this concerning just about the meds), find a doctor who can better understand your situation. After all it's YOUR LIFE AND BODY and the fact that you have used "more than you were given" doesn't necessarily mean that you took too much, but that they gave you too little!

All the best and trust me things will get better!

 

[Stay.Blazed.420]

ugh you do not wanna be on kpins long term. i mean, out of everything it's the better choice but, i ended up in the ER four times from WDs. i started on .5 and in five weeks was prescribed 5 mgs. i moved to NY where benzos are considered narcotics and was treated as a drug seeker and forced to go into WDs abruptly if i couldn't find a doctor to help me (which i couldn't for three weeks.) i was turned away from medical detox centers because i wasn't an 'abuser', i said if the legal dosage is 8mgs and i'm having to take 10mgs a day i need to get off this stuff NOW, maybe i'm not abusing it but my tolerance is building way too fast! they just told me to go to a psychiatrist the next day while i'm convulsing..

klonopin tolerance builds fast and high. i did go through an abusive stage.. where i snorted it to catch my breath faster.. but 98% of the time i ate them as accordingly. but i was in the same boat, i've had to buy xanax off the street to make it through the month/work even. no one knows/sells kpins on the streets.

i told my doctor and she put me on a 4mg dose of xanax a day and i still had to end up taking 10mg a day. she put me on an anti seizure/mood stabilizer med (which i dont take) and said that will help with panic attacks and put me back on two mgs of klonopin a day, coming from 5mgs. so you can only imagine how that is, i am defiitely abusing my pills right now due to lack of proper dosage (snorting them, hell i've considered banging them), but i'm also on an anti psychotic seroquel which when i have anxiety i take and it knocks me out perfectly.

this is why i asked for a sleep aid in the first place was so i didnt have to go on xanax. i would suggest you do the same. it's just self preservation. sonota, ambien, seroquel, they've all worked great when anxiety hits me all at once.

i mean they call them drug seekers but in reality we're all just trying to get through the day

Thanks for the reply,

I am already on 25mg seroquel.

 

[Stay.Blazed.420]

As someone who has had to deal with severe panic disorder and generalized anxiety order on and off since i was a teen (now i'm 26), i can understand what you are going through and my sympathies go to you. What i have noticed during the years is that you should be as HONEST as you possibly can about your situation and drug usage to your doc. Most doctors will understand and are willing to help. After all these are just MEDICATIONS, granted i'd say most everyone has abused them to some degree, but they still are medications. I know i couldn't live my life without benzos (i take about 4 mg xanax per day + occasional temazepam for sleep). There has been a couple of doc's during the years who have been anti-benzo/anti-everything, but i simply switched doctor(s) and founded someone who has been helping me immensely.

My advise to you is go to the doc, be honest and if you can't find a path together (and i'm not saying this concerning just about the meds), find a doctor who can better understand your situation. After all it's YOUR LIFE AND BODY and the fact that you have used "more than you were given" doesn't necessarily mean that you took too much, but that they gave you too little!

All the best and trust me things will get better!

Thanks alot for the reply, i have re-scheduled my psych doctor to may 26th so i'll just stay off the drugs for 2 days.. Today was a lot better than yesterday was, and i still haven't taken my last clone yet.. I'm going to see if i can even save it until tomorrow if possible.

also, is it normal for my jaw to be clenching and my back to be aching? I usually have back pain but it's alot worse now, and i can literally feel my jaw muscles acting as if i'm having a case of bruxism (e jaw) and it feels satisfying to just clench my teeth together..

 

[CheapHighMan]

Ok man try this. If you havn't heard of it theres this legal benzo called Phenazepam. It is great for benzo withdrawel, anxiety, pretty much everything a benzo is good for and is pretty potent. It also brings little euphoria witch means lower chance of addiction and has a 60 hour half-life (yes you read that right). I suggest you order it online with priority shipping (google vendors).

 

[dhopeless]

No i got my first bottle of 68 and then realized i was 7 days short and was about to make an appointment but then went to jail and the jail doctor took me off it completely just to make my time there worse (maybe because i wasn't going to be in there for very long so he wanted to make it hell)

then i got out of jail on the 27th of april and received another 68.

Then upon realizing once again that i have used too many (even with my added lorazepam which i was only supposed to take one daily) i made an appointment with my family doc asap, but he's not available until the 31'st which is my next pick up date!

so should i go see a walk in clinic or just wait it out? Also, if i do wait it out, should i not bother mention that i was a few days short and just tell him it's not working as effective anymore? atleast this way he won't think i'm just in it to abuse them

I went to jail over the summer and had to ct off 4mg klonopin and 24mg subutex daily. Those cold hearted bastards don't give a fuck. It was a fucking nightmare.

I would recommend you tell your doctor everything you just told us. Some people, like you, and I for that matter, need higher doses of benzos (or any drug) to get the therapeutic affect. Doesn't sound like your abusing them to me. I think he'll see that if he has half a brain. And the biggest piece of advice I can give you is: If your doctor isn't helping you, FIND A NEW DOCTOR. Shop around a little. There IS someone you can pay to give you what you need. Good luck.

 

[Stay.Blazed.420]

agh i gave up. took my last clone. Now i have nothing for tomorrow. Ughh

My jaw is actually getting sore from all the clenching!

 

[STEROIDS4kids]

And the biggest piece of advice I can give you is: If your doctor isn't helping you, FIND A NEW DOCTOR. Shop around a little. There IS someone you can pay to give you what you need. Good luck.

I agree with you 100 % and i know this sounds weird, but the truth is we are patients, but we are also CUSTOMERS and as such have at least some rights.

 

[Stay.Blazed.420]

I agree with you 100 % and i know this sounds weird, but the truth is we are patients, but we are also CUSTOMERS and as such have at least some rights.

I live in Canada, where healthcare is free. I pay 12 dollars for a bottle of 68 .5mg clones.

Just a quick question: I'm not on anti-depressants, just clonazepam, lorazepam, seroquel, and lamotrigine (but i don't take that stuff) but i'm diagnosed with severe depression. I don't exactly know why when my psychiatrist prescribed me my second benzo he didn't give me any anti-depressants, but i find myself taking more benzo's when i'm feeling really down, to try and let shit bother me less.

I find my depression and anxiety are very closely linked and when i'm feeling manic depressed and have these overwhelming thoughts of suicide i pop twice my dose. Should i just seek anti-depressants and maybe i wouldn't be so dependent on benzo's?

I was prescribed citalopram a while ago but stopped taking it due to a big increase in my mood swings, as well as it killed my libido and ability to get an erection. (pretty sure this is common with most SSRI's) but i want to know what kind of anti-depressant i should look for, and then just take the benzo's to even out my mood.

 

[STEROIDS4kids]

agh i gave up. took my last clone. Now i have nothing for tomorrow. Ughh

My jaw is actually getting sore from all the clenching!

^ That doesn't sound normal at all, hope you get your meds soon. I'd advise loaning money from your mom or a friend instead of stealing meds from her. (I'm not judging, but she might need them herself). Also if you just can't take it anymore i'd say get REALLY F:n drunk!

I think the getting drunk part is harm reduction in a sense that if your out of anything, it's still a better option than shaking and sweating in fear. That Phenazepam was also good info for you.

PS. Hang in there, it's not that long until you see the psych doctor. %)

 

[STEROIDS4kids]

I live in Canada, where healthcare is free. I pay 12 dollars for a bottle of 68 .5mg clones.

I know and i also live in a country where "healthcare" is free, the thing is the "free healthcare" is total BS. here these days that's why i go to a private clinic now to get BETTER treatment.

 

[STEROIDS4kids]

I live in Canada, where healthcare is free. I pay 12 dollars for a bottle of 68 .5mg clones.

Just a quick question: I'm not on anti-depressants, just clonazepam, lorazepam, seroquel, and lamotrigine (but i don't take that stuff) but i'm diagnosed with severe depression. I don't exactly know why when my psychiatrist prescribed me my second benzo he didn't give me any anti-depressants, but i find myself taking more benzo's when i'm feeling really down, to try and let shit bother me less.

I find my depression and anxiety are very closely linked and when i'm feeling manic depressed and have these overwhelming thoughts of suicide i pop twice my dose. Should i just seek anti-depressants and maybe i wouldn't be so dependent on benzo's?

I was prescribed citalopram a while ago but stopped taking it due to a big increase in my mood swings, as well as it killed my libido and ability to get an erection. (pretty sure this is common with most SSRI's) but i want to know what kind of anti-depressant i should look for, and then just take the benzo's to even out my mood.

Most SSRI meds. only made me feel worse and Lyrica made me into a zombie. If you are able to find an SSRI that suits you take that along with the benzos.

 

[Stay.Blazed.420]

I'd actually prefer something to make me into a zombie. I have too many stresses right now, and i let too many (little and big) things bother me too much which results in high anxiety and breakdowns.

I'm shivering non-stop and my legs and back feel ice cold (not to touch, they just feel like that)

 

[STEROIDS4kids]

I'd actually prefer something to make me into a zombie. I have too many stresses right now, and i let too many (little and big) things bother me too much which results in high anxiety and breakdowns.

I'm shivering non-stop and my legs and back feel ice cold (not to touch, they just feel like that)

Well i can understand that feeling like a zombie would be a better option at least for now.

Those symptoms sound like WD's...

 

[Stay.Blazed.420]

feel quite a bit better on day three... Seeing psych doc tomorrow to either get a refill or see if he can increase my dosage until these court issues are dealt with. I'm so stressed they're gonna find me guilty when i'm not. They just have my cell phone and i hooked up a buddy with weed that day so for all i know that's enough evidence to say i really was 'trafficking' (just cuz he wanted an o and i found him one, i also have texts from people asking for budder because i was the only one with the hook up at the time.. but i legitimately quit selling weed/budder quite some time ago, and i was just getting my dealer sales.. [fortunately for him i always delete his texts to keep his ass outta trouble just in case] so i'm very anxious/stressed that this is all happening now)

 

[Stay.Blazed.420]

I think my psychiatrist is a fucking retard. my family doctor is a good doc, and he said this guy was the best in the business (which seemed to make sense when i had to wait THREE MONTHS for our first appointment) but he seems pretty out of it.

we met today, and he forgot he had prescribed me lorazepam. He asked 'who prescribed you that' and i said 'you did' and he said 'well did i know you were already on clonazepam? [as he looks through his notes]' .. I said 'yes, i told you' and then he says 'oh yes, here it says you are on 1mg clonazepam a day.. i must have forgot'.. WTF? Then he asked how the citalopram is working for me and i told him (again) 'as i said last time, I stopped taking the citalopram after two weeks due to the increased mood instability it caused me. I would get very agitated easily' and he said 'oh yes, yes.. that's right' (it's been over 4 months since i stopped taking the citalopram to date.)

Today is my 19th birthday. I definitely did not fail to mention this as i remember him wishing me a happy birthday. Then when he writes out my prescription he writes down my wrong health card information, and writes my birthday as 'FEBRUARY 12, 1957' ... LITERALLY! How the hell do you get the wrong health card info and forget my birthday, and not realize after you've written down '1957' that that's not the year of my birth?? Now i'm waiting on the pharmacy (i waited for 15 minutes before they finally said 'oh we need to call and verify the information because he wrote the birthdate and your healthcard number down wrong') so now i'm waiting for a call back from the pharmacy, but i don't even know if they'll reach anyone so i guess i'll probably end up waiting until tomorrow for my meds.

He keeps pushing this lamotrigine shit on me. Originally i was against taking it because i'm already on seroquel, clonazepam, (and was on lorazepam) and i wasn't comfortable jamming all these different pills down my throat, especially after reading up on all the side effects this drug causes people, but he was pretty ignorant of my concerns and just said 'i havent seen a case of a bad rash in 30 years'. I then asked for an increase in my clonazepam dosage while i deal with these court and girlfriend matters and he denied and said i'm keeping you on the same dosage of clonazepam, but taking you off of the lorazepam. I said i think i've developed a tolerance and he said not to worry about that and just let the drug do it's thing... WTF.

He also kicked me out of his office 10 minutes before the one hour session was up, AND he was late almost 15 minutes to come and get me from the waiting area.

Should i request a different psych doctor? This guy's apparently 'the best' but i don't see it at all, this guy seems loopy.

 

[STEROIDS4kids]

Firstly happy birthday!

Secondly: get yourself another "doctor" because this one seems pre-occupied with his other patients, private life/something else, is full of himself or simply very out of all of it. Yes even good doctors make mistakes, but to me it doesn't sound like he has your best interest at heart...

PS. My current doc (the good one) once wrote in my script, ALPRATSALAMI instead of ALPRATZOLAM and the girl at the pharmacy were like: "this is the worst forged script ever!" I just said call him.

 

[Charles Ferdinand]

I may be a little late, but:
Try Pregabalin, commercially Lyrica or Gabrika (or Gabapentin [Neurontin] for it's cheaper) for anxiety and benzo withdrawals (it will stop them right away at the right dose).
Also ask your Dr. for Topiramate, it increases the action of GABA at certain receptors and is a mood stabilizer.
Both drugs don't cause tolerance and/or withdrawal.
Best Regards!

 

[Stay.Blazed.420]

xanax is definitely helping alot more than clonazepams were.

 

[anterrabae]

Xanax works better than Klonopin for me as well. It doesn't last as long but the effects come on quicker and are more effective in my opinion.

How did you get the Xanax? Did he write you a new prescription and switch you onto it? Your last post said you just got a refill for clonazepam and that he took you off of lorazepam.

As for your question of switching doctors, I would recommend yes, being as you don't seem very satisfied with your current one and he doesn't sound normal, in a bad way. Doctor shopping can be a pain in the ass and you can't be guaranteed that they'll prescribe the same drugs, but I think it's very important that you can relate to your doc and get on well with them. That way you're most likely to keep honest, develop a good and meaningful rapport and receive the best treatment.

 

[Stay.Blazed.420]

well i had a doctors appointment with him (family doc, not idiot psychiatrist) last tuesday (not yesterday) and i was in a very depressive state of mania and i had just finished cutting myself the night before and when i went in i was in tears telling him how i think suicide is my only option and that 2 clonazepams a day weren't helping with my anxiety (i had taken my full prescribed dose before[1mg] i got there at the same time[and hour before] and was shaking uncontrollably and he checked my heart rate and blood pressure) and he said it's okay to take up to 2x my prescribed dose if i need to but not to go over 2mg. then i mentioned i had been posting on a mental health website and one of them suggested trying xanax and i didn't want to mention it to him because i was scared he would think i was a drug seeker (I literally said this). He said take up to 2mg a day if needed and rescheduled me for next week and said if it still isn't helping like he wanted then he would put me on xanax.

so yesterday when i went in (as usual, having a panic attack but not so much the depression) I showed him how many clonazepams i had left and he wrote me out a new script for clonazepams. I asked about the xanax and instead of treating me like a drug seeker he just said 'oh yeah, xanax used to be the number one prescribed drug for panic attacks for almost 15 years, it's a very helpful drug' and then crumpled up the clone script and put me on 1mg xanax (2x 0.5mg) a day.

after taking just .5mg of xanax i had already noticed a huge increase in anxiety drop. (and this is from going from 1.5-2mg of clonazepam a day). xanax seems to work amazingly, and i don't think i need to worry about taking more than i'm prescribed if it works this well.

also - in order to get my script for xanax, i had to borrow the ($11.78 ) from my mom and she said 'oh you're on so many medications i don't know if i want you on this, bla bla, bla' and i said 'mom it's replacing the clonazepam it's for anxiety' and she told me she'd only give me the money to get my xanax script if i gave her the rest of my clones.

WTF... i'm 19 years old, and when i asked the doctor after he filled the xanax script, 'so are you gonna take these back?' he just said 'no, take them on top of the xanax if you ever feel the need'. but now i don't even have my clones (in case) cuz my mom took them.