• Select Your Topic Then Scroll Down
    Alcohol Bupe Benzos
    Cocaine Heroin Opioids
    RCs Stimulants Misc
    Harm Reduction All Topics Gabapentinoids
    Tired of your habit? Struggling to cope?
    Want to regain control or get sober?
    Visit our Recovery Support Forums

Benzos Help ! Is it possible to have benzo withdawal after only 5 days use ??

espltd32

Greenlighter
Joined
Jun 11, 2010
Messages
12
Location
chico, ca
Okay so I m on here hoping somebody might give me some insight beyond what the doctors have told me already. To give a little background 32 Y/O M Until about 4 months ago I had been an alcoholic or at least alcohol abuser off and on for 10 years started and stopped numerous times but I ve finally kicked it thank god, tried it by myself and then gave in and was given some librium. Anyway since then I ve had on again off again anxiety never unbearable but still annoying, 2 weeks ago I finally broke down and let my DR give me some low dose ativan .5 mg " to be used as needed" Well I used it for 5 days as neeeded for about 9 or 10 mg total, and decided I d stop for a bit, felt ok the first day though the usual jitters. Second day out of nowhere started shaking, tremors, muscle spasms, sweating like crazy and some very strange thoughts almost like hallucinations. Took the ativan and back to normal in just a bit. Went to the DR next day and he says well maybe your sensitive heres a low dose diazepam 2 mg to try. So I try that 4 days feelin ok still just a little jitters, only about 10 mg total, now same thing didnt take any for a day definitely having pretty bad anxiety and shaking but I said thats ok I m not in a total panic so I ll hold off. Next day I m feelin the same and suddenly the shaking and muscle twitches get pretty bad, plus my face muscles feel all tense and clenched so I get up to go lay in bed and all of a sudden I get this kind of head rush/ electric pulses going straight through my brain, totally disoriented so bad that it felt like my head was gonna pop, my fiancee was ready to call the ambulance as she thought I was gonna collapse right there but I didnt. I went ahead took 3 mg of the diazepam and went to the ER as the feeling past pretty quick and everything checked out ok. Today back at the DR he says its not any kind of withdrawal but rebound anxiety, now I ve had plenty of anxiety before but nothing like that. So to anyone whos read this far thank you and I d love to here any input, could I really be that sensitive to such a small and short dose ?? The dr said to quit taking all the benzos right away and that seems like a good idea but I wonder could I be at risk of any serious complications, the constant shaking and spasms is what makes me worry about that. Any advice would be greatfully appreciated as I sooo dont want to find myself addicted to benzos after finaly kicking booze. Oh yea as I write this I m still having a vague bit of the pulsing lightheaded feeling, kinda like faintness mixed with electric shocks.
 
I think that due to your long use of alcohol, that the benzos just maked the alcohol withdrawals, and now that you stopped them, you are feeling the alcohol withdrawals again.

I have seen some longtime alcoholics still have "the shakes" well over a month after stopping (not to get you worried, i'm just saying).

After 5 days of using benzos, I would say that at the most, it should be a little difficult falling asleep. Any other symptoms should not be attributed to stopping the benzos IMO.

Taking benzos affects alcohol withdrawals, and vice versa.

also, break your posts into paragraphs, otherwise it is hard to read, and many people will skim over it.
 
^^Agreed. Having benzos will greatly help your withdrawal from alcohol, and if used correctly you won't have any dependence issues with the benzos, but only use them as needed, since you've got ativan (lorazepam) .5's, I would say try breaking them into halfs so you have .25's and see if that resolves your issues.

If you're getting rebound anxiety (which it sounds like you are) you may want to speak to your doctor about switching from the lorezepam to a longer acting benzo such as diazepam (valium).
 
Hey guys thanks for the quick respond, and thanks for the heads up about paragraphs tommy boy I wasnt thinking real clear earlier.

Anyway I can see your points about the residual from alcohol use but like I said its been almost 4 months now since quitting, and while I still had some anxiety issues in those 4 months, they ve come back again so much worse these last 2 weeks since trying benzos again is what made me concerned. Plus all the physical symptoms, when I stop the benzo for a couple days, I guess maybe I m just super sensitive.

Well thanks for looking anyway guys, any other thoughts are more than welcome
 
If you sat down and took as many triazolam tablets as you could over a 5 day period, yeah maybe you're going to have withdrawal. Or, if you went through a whole bunch of ampules of midazolam or something, probably going to have withdrawal.

Merely taking a tablet once for five days, especially for a short acting benzo, won't cause withdrawal IME. I have only done this once in the past, I don't like to take benzos that frequently anymore.


It sounds like you are just sensitive to cessating benzos.

I would taper off of them as carefully as possible, and ride out the withdrawal effects if you are actually experiencing them. If you have 2mg diazepam tablets, then you can get down to 0.5mg of diazepam if you have to.
 
Thanks capitan
ya contrary to my docs advice I was leaning towards what you said and taper down the diaz, I m thinking that at such a small dose I should be able to do it fairly quick.
I ll tell you one thing for sure it may just be sensitivty or whatever but its very real, more than just a little insomnia, this shaking is driving me nuts. But oh well I guess its what I get for years of alchi abuse, I ll make it and definitely dont plan on messing with the benzos anymore..... the anxiety I had aint worth feeling this way ever !!
 
Good luck, try quitting 10mg plus daily for 10 years.

Stop it now. And you'll be okay. after a while.

Seriiously I hardly feel 5mg and I regularly take it with Vodka (as you can tell by my posts).
 
You should definitely be fine with stopping your dose after like a 4 day taper.

The only other explaination for what you are experiencing is this;

Since alcohol and benzos work on the brain almost the same way, the benzos may be "bringing back" some of the alcohol withdrawals.

For example; When you first start drinking, it takes a damn long time before you to become dependent to the point of experiencing withdrawal when stopping. But after that, you could go on a week long binge and experience withdrawals.

So what i'm thinking is the 5 days of benzos are mimcing that week long binge in a way.
IDK though, it's just a theory.
 
Yea its funny cause I had kind of the same theory about the bringing back of the alcohol WD feel, but my doc thought it was too soon.

Anyway I ve only had a tiny amount ( like 4 mg diazepam ) in the last 3 days and am starting to feel a little more normal, just the usual anxiety and a little lightheaded still. I think I m just gonna keep with the plan hold out long as possible and use the smallest amounts I can till this passes. Thanks again you guys for all insight

%)
 
Thanks for the heads up on the exploding brain thing pontifex, never heard the term but I think I actually experienced something like that when I quit drinking 4 months ago, like being almost asleep and hearing this huge BANG, kinda like someone hitting a garbage can with a hammer but it wasnt really there. This thing the other day was different though more like the lightheaded feeling you can get from standing too fast but amplified 100 times, really constricting and dissorienting.

Anyway its sounding more and more like several of you guys said and the alcohol seriously messed with my GABA receptors over time, its really funny how all these years " partyin and having fun " I never heard from anyone or had an inkling how bad alcohol can mess up your brain, but I m just thankful to finally be done with that one.

Anyway I ll keep posting any of these symptoms if and when they come though I m starting to wonder if this was just a short ( acute ) type reaction as I m at 4 days with no more than 4 mg diazepam total the whole time and slowly coming back to normal ( crossing fingers ) I d definitely be curious if theres anyone whos been in a similar situation as this.

Oh yea and to answer you pontifex I have plenty of the diazepam from the doc, so I ll make it through with that I m sure, just minimizing it much as possible.
 
So one more new things been going on with me that seems odd, besides a pounding headache I m getting the brain zaps or what I would describe them as. Kinda pulsing regularly and super intense with any loud or unexpected noises, like if the rooms quiet and someone suddenly talks or bumps something. Really weird cause I m remember the same feelings when I first stopped drinkin. Looks like it keeps going back to the former alcohol usuage, and not the benzos themselves.

I wonder if theres anyone else had this happen ? Or had it happen and didnt make the connection ?
 
Benzos are given to help with exactly those withdrawal symptoms that alcohol gives. Both drugs exhibit similar addictions and withdrawals, and benzos actually can substitute for alcohol and prevent withdrawals. Alcohol unfortunately can't do the same for benzos, though...

Anyhow, I agree that the alcohol withdrawal is what you were feeling like that from. Benzos were doing what I just described to prevent the withdrawal, and you felt it when you stopped. I'm not sure if tapering the benzo would help, but I suspect it would...
 
It may not be withdrawal in the classic sense, but I know that I have taken klonopin and valium for a week or so straight, then the first day I don't take anything, I feel different. I won't be able to sleep and I'll feel anxious. I don't think it's withdrawal, but maybe more that you're like me and your body gets used to things quickly and reacts when those things are present.
 
Heheh yea thats the funny part too, you see I expressed that exact concern to my DR and he assured me that I would have no trouble at lower doses. Last time I take his word for it....

On the plus side the symptoms seem to be getting less severe and more spaced out ( very little shakiness now, less anxiety etc ) I figure its almost 5 days now I havent had any valium at all, and a week since anything more than a tiny dose, must be getting out of the system. But I still cant shake this damn lightheaded tingling zappy brain thing.... ecchh. I think its the most annoying feeling ever.

All I have to say is that to anyone and everyone out there suffering a TRUE and serious withdrawal from these nasty little pills, my heart really goes out to you cause even a couple weeks of feeling like this feels like hell...
 
Nahhh if I remember reading correctly theres something like 2 or 300 reported symptoms of WD from benzos, seizure, pychosis and convulsions being the most severe. Fortunately I dont feel like I ve been anywhere close to any of those 3 during this little stretch.
Anyway I m feeling generally better especially the last couple days now that I ve been eating more, kinda thinking there was a little low blood sugar playing a part in some of these symptoms. For some reason when I was on the valium I had hardly any appetite, couldnt even stomach much turkey on TX givin.
 
Ok so heres a new thought I m hoping for some opinions on.... I havent had any of the valium now in 8 days and that was only the small 4 mg amount I took with a big panic episode. Before that was the small amount of 2 mg a day over a week period to try and calm my bad reaction to ativan. I stopped that dosing 11 days ago.

Now I m still ( unfortunately ) having some really nagging anxiety with occasional but brief "mini attacks", that tingly lightheaded feeling, and all sorts of twitches, ticks and occasional brain zaps. However all things considered its getting slightly better everyday. My biggest ?? is does it sound like I might be out of the woods for the most serious symptoms of this ( mini WD ) I have concern cause my doc went ahead and gave me the green light to get back to work tommorow as I ve been out for 2 weeks. Probably just the anxiety ramping up my worry..... paranoia? But I drive a lot for my job and worry about it safetywise, especially with my apparent extreme sensitivity to all these drugs. Any ideas guys ??
 
Top