Benzo Toleration is a BITCH.

[supercollider]

Since last fall I've been prescribed a various number of benzodiazepines.
I started on lorazepam, moved to clonezapam, then diazepam, and now alprazolam.
My prescribed dose is about 10mg per day:

2 Xanax XR (3mg)
4 Xanax IR (1mg)
These are spread evenly throughout the day.

Even if I wanted to abuse these like I used to, I built up such a high tolerance that they aren't amounting to shit. The other day I took 25 2mg diazepam (Valium) and felt no physical/psychological effects. It was as if they were placebos.

I loved being able to pop 1 2mg bar of Xanax and get a good high. (We call 'em school buses)
How long would I have to stay off of the benzos to get back my lower tolerance or "lower threshold" for a benzo high.
I miss it.

Any and all advice/answers/tips are welcome.

Thanks,
supercollider

 

[PotatoMan]

A long time. Not exactly sure how long exactly but long. Taper off SLOWLY and then take a LONG break. Watch out for seizures. Go to a doctor and get a taper plan. May need to switch back to a more longer acting benzo as well.

GOOD LUCK! Fly safe!

Ps: you may want to change the name of the thread for more replies. More detailed.

 

[SpiralingOut]

Honestly, at that daily dose of short acting benzo, there is no safe amount you would be able to take for recreational effects. I am not sure why you were switched from longer acting (K-Pin) to Xanax, but I would highly suggest you talk to your DR. about getting back on a longer acting med. The tolerance will begin to make your current dose less effective as well and you are already close to the daily maximum that any Dr. is likely to prescribe.
I have been on K-pin (3 mgs a day, recently cut to 2 MG and then 1.5 mG's a day) for 8 years for GAD and I can tell you that even at this relatively low dose, there is no amount I can take that would give me that relaxing stress free feeling that you get when you first start taking them.
The worst thing you can do is chase that feeling by doubling up your dose or trying to use a few more pills to get through breakthrough symptoms; In most cases, you don't feel any better and then you have a shortage to make up for.
On the shorter acting benzo's, the withdrawals come very quickly when you miss a dose or take a smaller dose than usual; besides making you feel 10x worse than whatever problem resulted in you being on the medicine, they can also be very dangerous; ie: Seizures.
PotatoMan is not kidding about tapering SLOWLY; a 10% reduction in your dose is usually safe and manageable. How long you go before the next cut depends on many things, but if you go to fast; you are likely to end up going back up to attempt to recover from rebound anxiety that demands attention!
Take Care.