Benzos Benzo withdrawal

[Goodland36600]

Yes I went from being completely dependent on Xanax to only using Clonazepam or Diazepam only when it is absolutely necessary, I don’t take them for recreational purposes as I Only use them for severe anxiety days. I have been doing this for years now with no problems. The way I do it is I NEVER taken them for longer than 2 weeks in a row, and give myself at least a months break before I would consider taking them again Also the original shock of multiple seizures and hospitalisation from daily use of Xanax was enough to put me of. However I believe Benzodiazepines are the devil, if you do struggle with chronic anxiety the best way to treat this is through CBT therapy, meditation, excercise, reading, yoga and listening to music... these have all shown to help cope with anxiety. You could also try an anti depressant tailored to treat anxiety...

I developed a dependency on Xanax myself, originally prescribed by my Doctor for severe anxiety. With benzodiazepines the body becomes dependent on them very quickly, it only takes about a month of continuous use before you are dependent. Like yourself I had been using Xanax continually for around three years and I made the huge mistake of quitting cold turkey which led to me having multiple seizures and hospital visits (in my defence I was very young and naive) in my opinion Xanax is by far the worst benzo out there as it has such a short half life and is by far one of the strongest. I had to taper of slowly over the course of a few months. I’m not going to sugar coat it, it was hell on earth! When tapering of benzodiazepines you need to use one with a long half life, diazepam/Valium or even Klonopin/Clonazepam is best for this. I would also strongly advice getting some cannabis just to take the edge of, also cannabis is great for preventing seizures. Benzodiazepines are probably one of the hardest drugs to withdraw from but it’s so worth it! I hope I have helped in some way and please feel free to message me for any advice I have a lot of experience in helping people withdraw from benzodiazepines. P.s. this is not something you can do on your own it’s best to find an outpatient rehab or even a family member to hold on to your medications.

 

[HoldBack]

I’ve strugggled with Benzo addiction on and off for 15 years. IMO they have caused irreparable damage due the extent of my abuse at times. I’ve detoxed from practically every drug, but benzos were by far the worse. Be sure to take your time with your taper. It’s absolutely imperative if you want to do this as safely and as gently as you possible.

Sounds like your doing an okay job, but IME withdrawals after Valium tapers don’t really begin until 1-2 weeks after the last dose, in fact I had a seizure 2 weeks after (granted I was on a higher dose). maybe have a 2.5 mg dose around to take when your a week out.

I would be very weary of attempting to use benzos responsibly after a taper. I abstained from them 3-4 years and utilized cognitive behavioral therapy as well as exposure therapy. My incapacitating anxiety eventually prevented me from leaving my room and It left me utterly incapable of maintaining relationships, but after learning to deal with my anxiety bit by bit I’m in a much better place.

Ill always recommend utilizing healthier methods to combat anxiety as Benzos tend to exacerbate the issue even more. Having said that, I have used benzos a few times over this past year to deal with some emotionally difficult transitions and managed My intake responsibly, but I’m still very conflicted about it and haven’t used since.

Try to give it some time and work on your anxiety issues through other methods before considering that option. Also, be sure to order the smallest quantities available In order to limit yourself. I’m hoping you can get to a place where you can deal without it. The feeling of naturally combatting and controlling your anxiety is much more empowering and satisfying than relying on them.

that thing about the withdrawal not really starting until 2-4 weeks in from last dose of diazepam was true for me.

I tapered from 140 mg to 10 mg mostly effortlessly. Then held at 10 mg for a year (did not realize that just 10 mg is still a reasonably powerful dose).

I jumped off from 10 and was surprised how easy it was. I realized some time later that I was experiencing the withdrawal months later. All and all it was decently easy with gabapentin to assist:

 

[iLoveYouWithaKnife]

these days I don't tolerate any benzos at all anymore.

even a tiny, sporadic dose is like a can of gasoline on a smouldering ember.

Me too.


Too be honest, I just got a crazy amount of anxiety even thinking about it (and just posting in another thread of an incident that happened 4 years ago)

 

[dmtmixalis]

Update :

I abstained for 62 days with pretty much no issue whatsoever. I'd booked a holiday to malaga mid-september and knew the rebound anxiety from alcohol consumption with my friends meant it was likely I'd need a dose. For purely functional reasons. I dosed ~20-30 for 4 days and felt slight rebound anxiety/muscle spasms the following sober days, but by day 6 I felt pretty much back to normal. I'm assuming this is just a valium 'comedown' opposed to withdrawal? I was dependant for so long I'd completely forgotten it actually has a 'comedown' of sorts.

Either way, the familiar and anticipated voices managed to persuade me I can take them sporadically, so I dosed 30mg on Sunday. That's still working it's way out of my system but I don't fear it will cause much issue. My main concern is I've popped the lid off the pringles and I'm not sure how easy it will be to abstain completely.

I tapered from 140 mg to 10 mg mostly effortlessly. Then held at 10 mg for a year (did not realize that just 10 mg is still a reasonably powerful dose):

How long were you taking 140mg for? That's a heavy dose so kudos for getting off!

 

[OntarioGuy]

I have successfully detoxed though am currently re addicted. I tapered all the way from 100 mg of diazepam a day to 1 mg and jumped off using pregabalin......though where i am etizolam is not illegal and like i said i re established a habit as domestically aquiring the stuff is dirt cheap and was soon taking 6 mg or so when i woke up in the morning. was on about 10 mg a day of etizolam for maintenance and once again trying to get off....currently in treatment and am up to 5 mg of clonazepam a day now and i feel fine. 2 mg when i wake up, 1 mg in the afternoon and 2 mg before bed. im going to ask to switch to diazepam im thinking and start tapering

 

[HoldBack]

I have successfully detoxed though am currently re addicted. I tapered all the way from 100 mg of diazepam a day to 1 mg and jumped off using pregabalin......though where i am etizolam is not illegal and like i said i re established a habit as domestically aquiring the stuff is dirt cheap and was soon taking 6 mg or so when i woke up in the morning. was on about 10 mg a day of etizolam for maintenance and once again trying to get off....currently in treatment and am up to 5 mg of clonazepam a day now and i feel fine. 2 mg when i wake up, 1 mg in the afternoon and 2 mg before bed. im going to ask to switch to diazepam im thinking and start tapering

In my experience, a Benzo comedown and Benzo withdrawal are distinct experiences. However, I never had Benzo comedowns until I got myself addicted.

I was at 120 mg Valium, tapered down to >5 msg but couldn’t finish the taper and was at 10 mg for a couple years.

got cold turkeyed at rehab from the 10 mg and got off for about 8 months until I got myself addicted again. At least I’ve been able to keep the dose at 2 mg kpin

 

[dmtmixalis]

What are peoples thoughts on dosing once a week, say ~20/30mg? With diazepam and it's obscene half life, the drug would obviously still be in your system but would this lead to physical dependancy?

I ended up dosing as a weekend treat last night (30mg). I can see this pattern continuing, albeit I have no ambition to dose daily anymore (famous last words)

 

[HoldBack]

What are peoples thoughts on dosing once a week, say ~20/30mg? With diazepam and it's obscene half life, the drug would obviously still be in your system but would this lead to physical dependancy?

I ended up dosing as a weekend treat last night (30mg). I can see this pattern continuing, albeit I have no ambition to dose daily anymore (famous last words)

diaz is deceptively strong. Even 20 or 30 mg once a week will eventually get you physically dependent. Might take 2 or three months but I assure you it will eventually happen with consistent dosing