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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Benzos that are less habit forming

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lostinspringtime

lostinspringtime

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Jun 10, 2012
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Hey everyone. So, right now I've been prescribed xanax to manage anxiety. It's not prescribed for daily use, but my anxiety has been out of control lately. I have limited experience with other benzos and will be talking to my doctor. But because they are addictive doctors are hesitant about prescribing them to me for daily use. Any medications you have found helpful and not as sedating as xanax? It makes me quite tired and I can't function fully on it.
 
Xanax has the most powerful "punch" or whatever, and lasts a short amount of time. So it's pretty habit forming. The one's with longer half lives like klonopin and valium last much, much longer but with less sedation IME. But all of them are habit forming, but I think xanax especially so
 
not to sound pretentious but i don't think benzo's really have a scale as such, in any sense of the word habit forming - opioid withdrawals really are a cake walk in the park in comparison. it's going to come down to personal choice of what you "like", even then they're all a motherfucker to kick once you've gained dependency from use.

i've suffered from months long post acute withdrawal symptoms from a few different benzo's and they've all been equally torturous symptoms. less potency by weight doesn't equal lessened addictive properties.
 
I guess I meant ones that cause less physical dependence. My anxiety really is awful, and I just need some relief from it. Xanax is just a bit intense for me, so I do crave it more than I would like because of how potently is helps to relieve my anxiety.
 
If your having to take it on a daily basis, for more than 2-3 weeks, you definitely don't want to stay on Xanax. It becomes a vicious cycle of taking more and more and before you know it, your physically dependent and won't be able to stop without going through terrible withdrawal. Unfortunately, all benzos are addicting and NOT something you want to take for a long time if you can help it.

There are a couple, non benzo, meds that help with anxiety. I was put on a low dose of Zoloft years ago for anxiety and it helped greatly. It takes about a week to really kick in but once it does, it works very well for anxiety...at least in my experience. I was only on it for about a year. I did a slow taper off with no problems.

For a more immediate result, there are also some prescription anahistamines that are approved for treating anxiety. Ask your doctor about them. These will cause drowsiness but at least won't cause physical dependence.

Have you tried any homeopathic treatments? If you go to any nutrition store, they have something called 5-HTP. Start taking 50 mgs 3 times per day for anxiety. It takes a couple days to really kick in but it works well in my experience.

Whatever you do, do NOT stay on xanax for more than a couple weeks. Staying on Xanax longer than that and you run the risk of physical dependence...meaning you'll have to take it just to stay out of TERRIBLE withdrawals that will make your anxiety seem like nothing in comparison.

Hope that helps. Best of luck...
 
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sorry, no benzo or benzo analouge are non-habit forming.

dont take benzos if you dont want to get addicted, simple as that.
 
i have no experience with this but what do people think about something like gabapentin or pregabalin (neurontin/lyrica) for anxiety? Yes they cause a dependence but from what i've heard it's not nearly as bad as a benzo dependence.

I really don't think ativan is less addictive; it certainly causes a strong dependence. It will still cause an awful withdrawal either way.
 
RobotRipping said:
i have no experience with this but what do people think about something like gabapentin or pregabalin (neurontin/lyrica) for anxiety? Yes they cause a dependence but from what i've heard it's not nearly as bad as a benzo dependence.

I really don't think ativan is less addictive; it certainly causes a strong dependence. It will still cause an awful withdrawal either way.
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Gabapentin is actually very good at reducing anxiety but good luck getting a doctor to prescribe it for that. It can't hurt to ask your doctor about it.
 
I'll be talking to my doctor soon. It's pretty hard for me to get benzos prescribed because doctors are so hesitant about prescribing them, especially at college. I know that benzo withdrawal is awful so I'm open to other meds. This advice is really helpful. The thought of taking an SSRI kind of freaks me out though. I don't really know why.
 
You could try oxazepam.
I'm sure your doctor would rather prescribe it instead of alprazolam (xanax).
It is a pretty weak benzo, but if used as prescribed it might be the lesser of two evils.
 
The problem with pregabalin (and gabapentin) is that daily use yields some extreme weight gain which will exacerbate social anxiety.

Out of all benzos, I find clonazepam to be the longest lasting and it's effect are very subtle. I would normally say to avoid benzos but if you want to stay with them (think twice!), clonazepam is possibly the best for managing day-long anxiety.
 
Please stop using benzos and try cognitive therapy, counseling, or other non drug treatments. Trust me, I have been addicted to clonazepam, lorazepam, and alprazolam for years and now I am going through a accelerated taper planned by my doctor and it's hell. You don't want anything to do benzos. Opiate withdrawal is a walk in the park compared to that of benzos; there is a possibility of protracted withdrawal that can last for months to years after cessation.
 
entheo said:
Please stop using benzos and try cognitive therapy, counseling, or other non drug treatments. Trust me, I have been addicted to clonazepam, lorazepam, and alprazolam for years and now I am going through a accelerated taper planned by my doctor and it's hell. You don't want anything to do benzos. Opiate withdrawal is a walk in the park compared to that of benzos; there is a possibility of protracted withdrawal that can last for months to years after cessation.
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^Wise words...

Sometimes benzos are absolutely necceasary but should not be taken lightly. They should only be viewed as an option after exhausting EVERY other possibility for help. It really is a life changing decision when deciding whether or not to take benzos on a daily basis.

If you could live one day in the body of someone going through true benzo withdrawal...I believe you'd never touch them again.
 
If a daily benzodiazepine dosage is completely required to manage your anxiety to function: I would only suggest low dosage clonazepam or diazepam for long term and day-to-day dosing. Clonazepam may be more potent, by the way, but diazepam tends to have a high rate of causing sedation due to it's mild, but present hypnotic properties. Clonazepam is more prominent in the anxiolytic and anti-convulsant properties.

I STRONGLY suggest you chose another route than benzos, speaking from my own years of prescribed addiction and that of many others, as countless others have went through.

I do HIGHLY suggest giving Pregabalin (Lyrica) or Gabapentin a shot, if you can get your Doc to look into the actual theraupeutic anxiolytic effects of these two drugs. Importantly, these drugs have less physical/mental addiction or none IMO.
 
Maybe try some good psychotherapy?
Benzos are meant to be for short time therapy or taking one from time to time in stressful times or trouble sleeping.
AFAIK long acting benzos are a bit less dependency causing and quitting them is a bit easier. Eg. clonazepam and diazepam. I find the first less sedating than the latter.
Still, you won't find long time solution in benzos.
 
My anxiety really isn't usually this bad, I just need something to take occasionally that isn't as sedating. I am in therapy and working on it, but right now it's just inhibiting my life and keeping me from getting sleep so I really just don't know what to do.
 
For occasional use try hydroxyzine or low dose fast-acting benzos sublingually (IE 0.5mg lorazepam or 0.25mg alprazolam).

For insomnia I suggest mirtazapine or, again, hydroxyzine. Neither addictive
 
She gave me alprazolam at a very lose dose and the choice of 3 SSRI's. I'm hesitant to take an SSRI for some reason, I don't know.
 
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