Benzos Blackout risk associated with benzo-/thieno-diazepines?

[TheAppleCore]

So, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is my anxiety disorder, I'm thinking it might benefit me to have a 'diazepine on hand. I was thinking of ordering some etizolam, in particular.

However, what makes me a little bit hesitant is all of the reports of "blackouts" that I've read. I've lost count of how many times I've read about someone compulsively redosing on one of these substances, blacking out, and ending up nearly getting themselves killed by doing incredibly dangerous things, like consuming their entire stash of drugs.

So, this is not a risk I am willing to take. I'd like to know, in all honesty, is this something that I can be guaranteed of avoiding, as long as I treat these drugs with respect? In other words, can I completely trust myself to safely and responsibly use a drug like etizolam? Or is there an inherent risk of judgment being clouded to a dangerous degree on these substances?

 

[madog11]

Not that I had intended to anyway but if it was offered to me I wouldn't try it based on what I have read.

 

[GBM]

The stories you read about blackouts are of people that are taking these pills recreationally to get high. The reason they keep redosing is because they want to get more intoxicated as well as have the high last longer. Blackout doses are a lot higher than therapeutic doses. A friend of mine was prescribed 1mg Ativan as needed for anxiety, but when he took it to get high would be taking 10-12mg before hitting his blackout dose.

If you want some for anxiety, use it for only anxiety. If you feel a panic attack then take 1 pill as advised. They are fast acting medications but still give it a good half hour to kick in before deciding if you need more. Chances are the 1 pill will be plenty for your anxiety.

 

[ErgicMergic]

^Yup. Benzos only cause amnesia/blackouts if you're dosing higher than your tolerance allows, start with low dosages if not tolerance to benzos (5mg diazepam, 0.25mg alprazolam, etc.). Too many uninformed, benzo-naive, people wonder why they black out on a Xanax bar, without realizing it's a very high dosage.

 

[tricomb]

2mg xanax will FLOOR everyone I've met who didn't have a tolerance.

 

[arctica]

The quickest way to blackout (and/or die) from benzos is to mix them with alcohol. Even therapeutic dosages of benzos + alcohol can easily cause a blackout.

Etizolam looks like it has a pretty short half life, but also remember that some benzos have really long half lives (especially Klonopin 18-50 hrs. and Valium 20-100 hours), so take that into account when dosing other substances, even the next day. It feels like it's out of your system long before it actually is.

That being said, in general, benzos are very safe and hard to fatally overdose on even at mega doses unless you are combining them with alcohol or other substances. The dosage that will cause a blackout is much much lower than the dosage that will kill you.

I think the biggest risk that you are taking is becoming dependent on benzos. They can be very addictive and are ridiculously hard to withdraw from.

Do you trust yourself with other substances, like alcohol, or are you a binge drinker? I don't think the risk of benzos clouding your judgment and causing you to redose to the point of blackout is any larger than the risk of having alcohol cloud your judgment and causing you to drink until you blackout.

 

[Tommyboy]

SI'd like to know, in all honesty, is this something that I can be guaranteed of avoiding, as long as I treat these drugs with respect? In other words, can I completely trust myself to safely and responsibly use a drug like etizolam? Or is there an inherent risk of judgment being clouded to a dangerous degree on these substances?

The problem with benzos is that once you take them, they alter your judgement which may lead to making poor decisions that you normally would not make. That isn't to say that you can't avoid the compulsive re-dosing that you have heard about, but you have to take the proper precautions.

I have been prescribed benzos for a while, and since my body is dependent I know that I can't run out of them, so I take them as prescribed. If I get extras though, that is a different story, and I have woken up several times in odd positions, looking at a now empty prescription bottle (the ones I bought, not the ones I was prescribed) that I did not recall finishing.

The best way to avoid blacking out with these is to avoid alcohol. The other key thing is to just take one regular dose, and not try to chase some imaginary high. Benzodiazepines are not really euphoric, so a lot of people expecting a lot more out of them end up taking more and more thinking that they are not working, and then wonder what happened when they wake up without remembering how/when they fell asleep. You best bet is to accept benzos for what they are good for (sleep, relaxing, stopping panic attacks) and use them sparingly for time when you experience the symptoms that they can treat.

 

[sekio]

From my POV, it's best to treat BZDs as a tool rather than a recreational drug. Don't get 'high' with it.

I also think that anyone with an anxiety disorder should stay a million miles away from unregulated nonprescription BZDs because in the end I have seen too many people just exacerbate their condition to the point where they're 10x worse off as well as dependent on BZDs.

 

[MizzCharmz]

everyone has like a "number" kinda like every guy knows exactly how many pumps it takes to... yeah... anyways, as far as the black out number for me is 2 1/2 bars. I can do 2 and be PERFECT, remember every detail.... i take that last half... BLANK... so yah, you should be ok

 

[TheAppleCore]

Thanks a lot for the helpful info, folks.

I also think that anyone with an anxiety disorder should stay a million miles away from unregulated nonprescription BZDs because in the end I have seen too many people just exacerbate their condition to the point where they're 10x worse off as well as dependent on BZDs.

You're not the first person to tell me this. Which is why I haven't touched the drugs yet. I do have a sneaking suspicion that the concept of an instant cure for anxiety in the form of a little pill is probably too good to be true.

Sometimes my anxiety is so painful that I think I would do anything and risk anything just to experience some form of inner peace, if only for a little while.

 

[Bezoluv&respect]

It is a Trade-off for sure, I take 3, 2mg Klonopin a day, and don't feel a thing. It takes 10mg of etziolam to feel anytype of relief. Alprozolam works but short-lived and not recreationally. Benzos suck, and yet are important for many reasons. On benzodiazapine alone it is vurtually impossible to overdose, that is why they have replaced barbs. The Irony is the payoff is marginal, and the withdrawl is indeed deadly! Ironic. I can honestly say kicking Bzs is worse than heroin or better yet methadone. I speak from experience; I'm also a Bio Chemist, I should know better, I will say I'm consistantly a few days early on my refill, but I do not black-out, and I do consider myself in recovery. I used to have a medical License and my opiate addiction took that all away, however I'm at baseline with Benzo's, and have expressed interest in a taper. I would advise against etzi, however I have activley sought out the FLub-Lam. Yet to try it.
I have a few questions so please anyone, opinions,concerns advice, I'm all ears even though my egoism, will inevitably answer my questions. I had the option to switch the K-pin script to 120 5mg Diazapam, opinions? also I had the choice between triazolam (Halcion) and 30 1mg Alprozolam. I went with the Xanax, turned off of a two hour half-life on the Halcion? opinions, I am a insomniac, and the 40 mg of d-amp straight Molikrodt tabs contributes. But 30 1mg xanax lasts two weeks, not 4. Any advice pm me or repluy to post.