Benzos Etizolam .5 to 1 mg Per Day...Withdrawal Risk?

[Lady Codone]

I generally dislike downers (aside from opiates) but have been taking 1/2 to 1 etizolam to sleep lately. Just wondering 1.) can it cause withdrawals if you take only one pill daily for a while and 2.) would I have to worry about seizures if it did?

I don't know much about benzo withdrawal other than it can be physically dangerous. Does that just apply to recreational users or anyone who takes medicinal doses over long periods? Say someone took one pill every day for a year and stopped suddenly: what's the risk of dangerous w/d symptoms like seizure?

Thanks!

 

[Bobbyptsd]

The risk is there for regular users as well. I guess it does on the person, as with anything, but it's certainly there, especially the longer you take it.

I've never taken Etizolam, but to my understanding, it is relatively potent? I've had WD efects coming over a (relatively) regular low dose of Clonazepam. Not to mention PAWS and all that mess. I'm sure many people more well versed on this particular benzo can say with more accuracy, but afaik, the risks would be there, yes.

If it's 1 now, why not 2 later? You are coming up from the .5, so you can see why I'm making that point.

So, for short answers to your questions, I'd say A)Yes and B)Yes

And believe me, I'm still taking the Clonazepam, I wish the answer to those questions was no.

 

[mydrugbuddy]

Are you in the UK Lady C ? I think the ideal thing would be to switch to diazepam, as 1mg etiz is supposed to equal 10 mg diazepam. So it would be easier to do a taper down off the diaz. As you probably already know Diazepam is not as easy to get hold of as etiz though. You could try your GP and see if they are helpful and sympathetic enough to refer you to drugs services, who will assess you. If you are very lucky you will get a diaz script. (I had no luck trying this route for opiate w/d, they wouldnt give me anything, but I'll try again next time for diazepam when my etizolam taper is down to 2mg or 1 mg)

 

[Praline]

I took about 2 mg a day for 4 months and I got pretty bad rebound anxiety..felt close to a seizure, but may have just been a panic attack. Can you go every other day at .5 mg? Or get some neurontin in case of problems?? I was surprised how much it affected me. I shudder to think how people take tons of Benzo for years then quit cold turkey..

 

[tybayv1]

Anyone who takes it for long enough will become addicted. I would say only take it when you REALLY need it. If you find you are having problems taper your dose. .5-1mg a day is not a lot and as long as you havent been taking it for several months you should be fine. Just be mindful.

 

[Lady Codone]

Yikes. That's what I was afraid of. I have zero desire to abuse it and take higher doses, but if .5 mg can cause seizures I will be avoiding it from here on out. I've only been taking it to sleep for a week now, so I'll just stop while I'm ahead. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Halif]

I've only been taking it to sleep for a week now, so I'll just stop while I'm ahead

Yes, that's exactly the right attitude and approach.

0.5mg to 1mg daily for a week or so isn't likely to cause any real problems upon cessation. There may be a little rebound anxiety/insomnia, but I don't think you need to be concerned about seizures given that you've had a modest dose for short period of time.

If it's possible to break the tablets (or measure the powder, if that's what you're using) down to quarters, you could take 0.25mg for a couple of nights and then stop completely just for the peace of mind and minimising any potential rebound effects.

It's just important to repeat what others have said, and what you yourself said: stop now while it's easy to do so.

 

[Sweet Jane]

I don't know about Etizolam, as I've never taken that, but I know from experience that you will not become addicted to benzos like diazepam if you're taking less than 30 ml per day. Even then, it'd take years. Sorry about being a broken record on this subject; I just find it so amazing that these misconceptions about valium still linger. More likely, you'll just stop taking it because you aren't getting high from it anymore long, long before you get addicted.

 

[mydrugbuddy]

I thought LC had been taking etiz for 1 year, not 1 week. That makes my post above totally inappropriate. I loved etizolam too much after the first pill, too much to heed all the warnings, and was and still am unable to stop at the moment.

 

[Praline]

Yea, etizolam was some insidious stuff. You think cause its so easy to get it cant be bad, then all the sudden you're like "oh crap I'm really in a hole here", but just taper off, and be reasonable with it.. I still say neurontin for coming off, or MAYBE phenibut if you're really in a jam. Valerian and kava helped me a lot, too.

 

[Lady Codone]

Thanks again for all the feedback. I was just curious what would happen if a person were to take .5 mg to 1 mg every day for an extended period. Not that I plan to do it! The seizure/withdrawal thing is totally hypothetical at this point.

I truly don't enjoy the effects and have no desire to use it recreationally. In fact, it makes me kinda bitchy like alcohol. It's just an exceptional sleep aid.

Back to kava and valerian I go!

 

[InHerOwnWrite]

it makes me sad that such a powerful drug is so easily/cheaply attainable in large quantities, without the consult of any mental health professional. it is dangerous self-medicating. then again, i'm only 5 days clean off heroin, so who am i to talk at all?