Benzos Benzo withdrawal and drinking

[hotelyorba]

Hi everybody,

I'm new to the forum (well I read it a lot but never post), but was just wondering if somebody could give me some insight to my problem.

I was put on a low dose of klonopin for 8 months. I averaged about .5 a night, some days more. To make a long story short, I did a slow taper that took about 4 months and have now been off the benzos for about 7 months.
I am still having very small symptoms..nothing like they were... However, I find that anytime I take something that is cross tolerant with benzos (such as alcohol or steroids) my withdrawal "comes back" or I get a "flare" of symptoms for weeks.

Has anybody gone through benzo withdrawal of similar nature and had similar reactions to drinking? Its almost like my withdrawal is brought back by a night of moderate drinking (only 3-4 beers). To top it off, before benzos I would pass out after drinking and sleep like a baby. Now after I drink I will only sleep for like 2 hours that night and then wake up with all of these withdrawal symptoms that I had after I came off of the klonopin.

I know your GABA receptors need to "heal" but I'm hoping somebody could give me a similar experience that confirms they eventually do heal and you can drink again in the future.

 

[BIGsherm7272]

If I were you I would avoid all gabaergic drugs for quite some time.....It can take years after getting off them to feel normal again, and even then you are still at risk to develop withdrawals very quickly.

 

[bignbrown]

i get the same thing mate, any drinking brings back benzo wd like symptoms, but after my last drinking binge it was so bad im just stopping now as you need to give your brain and body time to heal.

 

[hotelyorba]

BIGsherm, were you on benzos before? I am really curious to know if I will ever be able to take a gabaergic drug again, even if it is just one night of getting drunk without having withdrawals the next day. It seems that very long term users (years of usage) cant tolerate anything post withdrawal. But I was on for 8 months, with a 4 month taper, so I'm hoping that even if its two years from now, I will be able to occasionally drink again.

bignbrown--how long were you on benzos for? and how long have you been off?
I find that it doesn't put me into the exact same withdrawal, but rather, I am just very edgy, spaced out, and crappy feeling the next day...and my tinnitus comes back really badly. Its not as bad as when you are first off benzos, but its not fun and really makes drinking almost impossible.

 

[UnSquare]

BIGsherm, were you on benzos before? I am really curious to know if I will ever be able to take a gabaergic drug again, even if it is just one night of getting drunk without having withdrawals the next day. It seems that very long term users (years of usage) cant tolerate anything post withdrawal. But I was on for 8 months, with a 4 month taper, so I'm hoping that even if its two years from now, I will be able to occasionally drink again.

bignbrown--how long were you on benzos for? and how long have you been off?
I find that it doesn't put me into the exact same withdrawal, but rather, I am just very edgy, spaced out, and crappy feeling the next day...and my tinnitus comes back really badly. Its not as bad as when you are first off benzos, but its not fun and really makes drinking almost impossible.

Yo Capt'n
I was on xanax 8mg a day for seven years;
also a chronic alcoholic the whole time,
sometimes up to a bottle of vodka a day
for days straight...

I had a f. horrendous withdrawal
that stopped me from leaving
the house for months,
couldn't drive a car,
had paralysis in my face ect.
Badcore shit.

At 9 months 3-4 beers would
make me feel WRECKED the next day.

At 16 months I can comfortably
drink a bottle of wine,
and get less next day effect than I ever did.

I now look after myself holistically thou;
good diet, exercise, meditation et al all help.

Dude get clear of your side effects,
integrate healthy living practices
+ you'll be able to drink socially fine if you can manage
alcohol.

It takes time, everyone's different, but you'll get there.
Benzo withdrawal has that way of making you feel
there's no light at the end of the tunnel,
but there is!

Hope This Helps
PEACE
UnS

 

[SteeleyJ]

Drinking during benzo withdrawl has a few bad downsides in my experiences. First is.it tend to exacerbate my anxiety and edginess especially when the alcohol wears off and it has caused a seizure for me when the alcohol wore off. I would avoid at all costs.

 

[hotelyorba]

Yo Capt'n
I was on xanax 8mg a day for seven years;
also a chronic alcoholic the whole time,
sometimes up to a bottle of vodka a day
for days straight...

I had a f. horrendous withdrawal
that stopped me from leaving
the house for months,
couldn't drive a car,
had paralysis in my face ect.
Badcore shit.

At 9 months 3-4 beers would
make me feel WRECKED the next day.

At 16 months I can comfortably
drink a bottle of wine,
and get less next day effect than I ever did.

I now look after myself holistically thou;
good diet, exercise, meditation et al all help.

Dude get clear of your side effects,
integrate healthy living practices
+ you'll be able to drink socially fine if you can manage
alcohol.

It takes time, everyone's different, but you'll get there.
Benzo withdrawal has that way of making you feel
there's no light at the end of the tunnel,
but there is!

Hope This Helps
PEACE
UnS

Thanks for replying! This definitely gave me some good hope.



Steeley---How long were you on benzos and how long have you been off?

 

[robatussin]

this thread is making all too much sense.....I always thought of myself as prone to feeling alcohol wd, but haven't really been through it yet...

 

[SteeleyJ]

I've been off benzos for about 2 months and before that I was on one benzo or another since I was 13. I'm 22 now. At the point I seized both times 4 - 6mg day of clonazepam and both times as alcohol wore off.