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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

How many times a week can you actually take xanax?

O

Okiv99

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 8, 2024
Messages
88
Hi Ive managed to moderate my usage of xanax much better now by just starting with the lowest effective dosage (0.5mg for me) instead of jumping straight to 1mg minimum. Been using it once every week or two, but the previous phases of my life when I was using xanax I always went into it with the mindset of getting high and so im not so sure on the exact rules that are best to follow.

This leads me to ask if you ever have to use it more than once a week what rules are best to keep in place to avoid tolerance/dependance? Minimum a 3-4 day gap between dosages? If you ever use it two days in a row do you then take longer off than you would after using for one day?
 
Once at the most but what would be the point unless you are in a regular situation where stress is a factor.
Taking xanax or any benzo once a week leads to taking everyday of the week .
It's of little recreational value unless taken with other drugs
Those who can pick and choose their benzo use I tip my hat .
Can I ask why you use it once a week or two ,is it to ease the previous nights hangover .
You said you used to take it to get high so you would know yourself how much is required for tollarence
Minimum 3 to 4 day gap ,what about the days in between ?
 
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It's far to short acting so if your looking to limit your use switching to another benzo like clonazepam or diazapam might be a better solution .
Alprazolam has one of the worst withdrawl symptoms of any of its compatriots
Personally if your only taking 0.5mg of xanax every 2 weeks seems bizzare
 
The half life of Alprazolam is right around 11 hours. 5 x a half life and the substance will be eliminated from your body, 5 x 11 =55 Then give it three days to be absolutely safe from dependence. 55 + 72=127/24=5.3 days. So IMO you will not develop a dependency if you use for a day or three and then weight five days before your next use.
 
Xanax is great when you are having panic attacks but xanax is NOT a recreational drug in my opinion.

No euphoria just made me bland and felt empty and sleepy most of the day. Xanax is not recreational.

With that said, I just don't understand why people easily become addicted to it when its just making you sleepy all day without any euphoria...
 
My rule is, no more than once a week. I've broken that a few times and the insomnia I get coming off benzos after 7 days in a row reminds me why I have that rule.

I don't find it at all recreational, not even a little, but I am a pretty anxious and sleepless person so there is a tendency to self medicate with it.
 
drfeelgood1 said:
Xanax is great when you are having panic attacks but xanax is NOT a recreational drug in my opinion.

No euphoria just made me bland and felt empty and sleepy most of the day. Xanax is not recreational.

With that said, I just don't understand why people easily become addicted to it when its just making you sleepy all day without any euphoria...
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It probably depends on the person ,some with low self-esteem, shy,or introvert will almost definitely have a new found sense of confidence .
Then it just becomes another tool for the brain to cope with everyday problems
 
neversickanymore said:
I was on it for over twenty years.. when i kicked it i got the super long acute withdrawal.. 1.25 years. I still remember exactly where i was when it finally cleared. It literally cleared fully in less than five minutes after all that time. And Poof it was finally gone.
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Ive been on benzos about 20 years myself off and on mostly on. I wet through cold turkey off 6mg of clonaz in the psych ward but cant remember any of it so i dont know how bad it was. Now im careful to take breaks so i dont get addicted
 
drfeelgood1 said:
Xanax is great when you are having panic attacks but xanax is NOT a recreational drug in my opinion.

No euphoria just made me bland and felt empty and sleepy most of the day. Xanax is not recreational.

With that said, I just don't understand why people easily become addicted to it when its just making you sleepy all day without any euphoria...
Click to expand...

Well, statistically Alprazolam (Xanax) is the most abused benzodiazepine in the US. Medical journal studies stated that compared to all other benzodiazepine drugs,Alprazolam enduces a significant increase in dopamine and due to its Triazolo ring it also features antidepressant properties in addition to its robust anxiolytic properties

Diazepam (Valium) 10mg the “Gold Standard” is a potent anxiolytic with robust muscle relaxant properties and featuring a very long half-life due to its 3 active metabolites

Alprazolam (Xanax) 0.5mg is a very good rapid acting compound with antidepressant/anxiolytic properties that could be used as needed for “breakthrough anxiety/panic attacks” ….on top of a daily Diazepam 5/10mg dose

It is a fact though Xanax is the #1 abused / sought after benzodiazepine, perhaps due to its rapid onset, short duration, significant increase in dopamine (as compared to Lorazepam (Ativan) and moderate mood-boosting / antidepressant properties


My personal favourites (including Valium & Xanax)…..

Etizolam 1mg & Deschloroetizolam 6mg (thienotriazolodiazepime) a2 & a3 Anxiolytic prominent
Diclazepam 1-3mg (2-Chloro Diazepam) > Delorazepam > Lorazepam (Ativan) AMAZING Long acting super Valium
Avizafone 60-80mg (Pro-Diazepam) water soluble, rapid acting pro-drug metabolizes into Diazepam (Valium) 30-40mg reaching significantly higher C-Max and faster T-Max of 0.5h (compared to 1.5h oral Diazepam)

The most therapeutic useful combination however is a longer acting Diazepam base plus rapid acting Alprazolam if needed for panic attacks and/or the dopaminergic mood-boosting / antidepressant effect…..in addition, a super tolerant long term user like myself would also be on a therapeutic dopaminergic stimulant (Ritalin 50-70mg IR) and an Opioid . Again, 20+ years of daily usage, extremely tolerant to all substances
 
Dextro .45 said:
Well, statistically Alprazolam (Xanax) is the most abused benzodiazepine in the US. Medical journal studies stated that compared to all other benzodiazepine drugs,Alprazolam enduces a significant increase in dopamine and due to its Triazolo ring it also features antidepressant properties in addition to its robust anxiolytic properties

Diazepam (Valium) 10mg the “Gold Standard” is a potent anxiolytic with robust muscle relaxant properties and featuring a very long half-life due to its 3 active metabolites

Alprazolam (Xanax) 0.5mg is a very good rapid acting compound with antidepressant/anxiolytic properties that could be used as needed for “breakthrough anxiety/panic attacks” ….on top of a daily Diazepam 5/10mg dose

It is a fact though Xanax is the #1 abused / sought after benzodiazepine, perhaps due to its rapid onset, short duration, significant increase in dopamine (as compared to Lorazepam (Ativan) and moderate mood-boosting / antidepressant properties


My personal favourites (including Valium & Xanax)…..

Etizolam 1mg & Deschloroetizolam 6mg (thienotriazolodiazepime) a2 & a3 Anxiolytic prominent
Diclazepam 1-3mg (2-Chloro Diazepam) > Delorazepam > Lorazepam (Ativan) AMAZING Long acting super Valium
Avizafone 60-80mg (Pro-Diazepam) water soluble, rapid acting pro-drug metabolizes into Diazepam (Valium) 30-40mg reaching significantly higher C-Max and faster T-Max of 0.5h (compared to 1.5h oral Diazepam)

The most therapeutic useful combination however is a longer acting Diazepam base plus rapid acting Alprazolam if needed for panic attacks and/or the dopaminergic mood-boosting / antidepressant effect…..in addition, a super tolerant long term user like myself would also be on a therapeutic dopaminergic stimulant (Ritalin 50-70mg IR) and an Opioid . Again, 20+ years of daily usage, extremely tolerant to all substances
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Xanax has always worked weird for me. When i have a tolerance beyond the initial use (at which point u just black out easily if you try and take above the therapeutic dose) what I found is the low doses 0.5-2mg make me relaxed and reduce anxiety but also blunt my mood.

When i abused them i felt more of doapminergic/mood boost feeling effect when i would start taking the higher amounts and would be staggering 6mg over the span of maybe 3 hours.
 
Has anyone gone through severe benzo withdrawal?

The more you take the more you need, the worse the withdrawal becomes which causes seizures and can kill you. Everyone is different so who knows how many times you can take it…but trust me, it is the worst withdrawal imo…I never listened to the warnings. I always had to find out for myself, because no two experiences are the same
 
I think it depends how long you are taking it overall and more importantly if you have been physically dependent on the past due to the kindling effect which is when you have been dependent on something before and when you take it again the withdrawals start much quicker than at the beginning.
 
I'm curious, why if you can moderate your usage so easily, do you even mess with these drugs at all? Most people who use Benzodiazepines intermittently do so for conditions like Panic Disorder/PTSD. You mentioned you like getting high off Benzodiazepines. This is where what you're writing and what, forgive me please, I feel the true nature of this situation is. I assume you're just now beginning to use them again after some abstinence. That is what I'm getting from the way you have worded things.

I talk about this a lot. I call this the "bargaining phase" to steal from the stages of grief. This is, as you have done here, when we have decided that we can't fully say no to a substance, we have given up on that idea, now we have to figure out how much we can take, the maximum, without anything terrible happening. I'm sure you're a smart individual. You likely know that this is heading for "everybody thought they had the answer, none did". Nobody who starts using any drug, I don't care who they are, does so believing that using that drug could lead to the catastrophic ruin of their entire life. Well shit, it happens anyway.

You really should think about just not using these. If you've enjoyed misusing them before, it is not impossible, but highly unlikely that you would be one of the few people to learn how to use these both chronically and effectively. If you have a panic attack once a month, fine. You can use Benzodiazepines probably your whole life with little incident. If you need them daily, say for a traumatic event in your life, 4 weeks maximum with the goal always being getting your strength back mentally with the Benzodiazepines helping you to do so.

I see others have provided estimates for your question. I honestly feel like I'd be doing you a major disservice by guessing at something that could ruin your life. Individual experience varies, addiction is always a possibility and nobody can answer a question of this gravity with the reciprocal level of surety.
 
paranoid android said:
Ive been on benzos about 20 years myself off and on mostly on. I wet through cold turkey off 6mg of clonaz in the psych ward but cant remember any of it so i dont know how bad it was. Now im careful to take breaks so i dont get addicted
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How long were you on 6mg? That seems to be pushing the seizure risk. Clonaz is such a horrid long lasting wd. I’ve been dependent on Xanax and various other benzos but clonaz actually gave me really bad PAWS from taking them a few times a week for a couple months
 
PenguinWithNapalm said:
How long were you on 6mg? That seems to be pushing the seizure risk. Clonaz is such a horrid long lasting wd. I’ve been dependent on Xanax and various other benzos but clonaz actually gave me really bad PAWS from taking them a few times a week for a couple months
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I ws on 6mg's for about 10 yrars or so. Was def pushing the seizure risk but that shrink didnt give a fuck
 
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