Benzos If I have taken temazepam, etizolam, diazepam, ghb, baclofen, and f-phenibut in the past and not found them very compulsive will I be ok trying xanax?

[Tieeurrrop]

All on different occasions of course .

I hear so much talk about xanax being the worst of the worst hell of withdrawals but if I didn't have any compulsive feelings taking those other drugs then xanax should be no worse right?

All benzoes in general (and gaba b too) of course not specifically xanax but I tried the other benzoes listed before the times when I would research the danger of drugs in any great detail so I took them only then in of ignorance of the risks.

I only took those others a couple of times or once with others, and most years ago, but diazepam I had a whole gram of it at the time and it was in some of my most reckless days before I had any thoughts of harm reduction and even with that more immature mindset I never took it to excess.

It was just a very useful tool to have around for comedowns, though I hated the long half life as I would feel out of it for several days which is why I think xanax might be more suitable to my requirements now (not looking to do stims but still a shorter half life is better cos I don't want anything dragging on).

So xanax should just be like that right? I read that .5 is like 10 mg diazepam or something like that.

One of the other problems with xanax I see from my research is there are so many fakes with dangerous stuff like fent put in them so you gotta be really careful to know the seller is selling legit ones.

 

[Xorkoth]

If you didn't have a problem with temazepam or etizolam, you're unlikely to have a problem with xanax. temazepam is generally considered one of the most euphoric and recreational of benzos. Xanax is really good for anxiety and pretty sedating, but it's nothing special over other benzos, I think it's just so popular because it got branded/pushed by the pharma companies very effectively. And made it into mainstream hip-hop in a big way.

The concerns over fake pills is a very real one and it's prudent to be cautious of that. I just wouldn't bother, honestly... you're not missing out. I like etizolam better personally, they're pretty similar but etizolam is more euphoric. There could be anything in fake presses.

 

[Keif' Richards]

OP, please don't think that I'm trying to be a dick here; If I knew literally everything about your history with drugs, your life story and everything in between... Well, the best answer I could give you is "Alprazolam may or may not be effective for your needs"

 

[Derschieber]

I suppose you could ask your doctor. If you already think the doc will say no, then you're kinda doctor shopping here lol

 

[Tieeurrrop]

If you didn't have a problem with temazepam or etizolam, you're unlikely to have a problem with xanax. temazepam is generally considered one of the most euphoric and recreational of benzos. Xanax is really good for anxiety and pretty sedating, but it's nothing special over other benzos, I think it's just so popular because it got branded/pushed by the pharma companies very effectively. And made it into mainstream hip-hop in a big way.

The concerns over fake pills is a very real one and it's prudent to be cautious of that. I just wouldn't bother, honestly... you're not missing out. I like etizolam better personally, they're pretty similar but etizolam is more euphoric. There could be anything in fake presses.

Ye etizolam seems a lot easier to find product that is legit but I am kind of a hypochondriac and I read that some benzoes are carcinogenic and/or genotoxic and xanax being one of the best studied and most widely available I found some papers saying it is neither but etizolam doesn't have any such toxicity studies done on it, and given that some benzoes are and some aren't that makes it a gamble as to whether etizolam would be or not.

 

[Dr. Extract]

In the UK study on the long term side effects of benzos, Alprazolam was rated as one of the most carcinogenic with diazepam being less-so to potentially chemoprotective. The simple answer doesn't exist. All benzos depress the action of T cells, so if that is your worry then benzos might be the wrong choice. Also etizolam has been used in other countries since 1983 without much problem. The true RC benzos like c-lam, flubro-lam, phenaz, etc are the worrisome ones.

 

[Xorkoth]

Yes that's true, etizolam is a prescription medication in some countries and has been for almost 40 years.

Interesting, I didn't realize that alprazolam (xanax) is actually rated as one of the most carcinogenic benzos. In fact I didn't know any benzos were considered carcinogenic.

 

[Tieeurrrop]

In the UK study on the long term side effects of benzos, Alprazolam was rated as one of the most carcinogenic with diazepam being less-so to potentially chemoprotective. The simple answer doesn't exist. All benzos depress the action of T cells, so if that is your worry then benzos might be the wrong choice. Also etizolam has been used in other countries since 1983 without much problem. The true RC benzos like c-lam, flubro-lam, phenaz, etc are the worrisome ones.

Where is your source for that? because the paper I found online titled "Genotoxicity and carcinogenicity studies of benzodiazepines" (which you can download if you look up how to download paywall papers for free) cross referenced all the journals etc they could find for all occurrences of a litany of benzoes and alprazolam was one which they found some of the most references for and non of the findings showed either it to be carcinogenic or genotoxic and that is from like 9+ separate sources and you are claiming 'some british paper' did with no source. Show dat source son.

Also https://www.drugs.com/pro/xanax.html in that link. They do not say the source but drugs.com is an authoritative website and I think looking at the bottom they get that data from pfizer itself. I doubt they would use pseudoscientific data on drugs.com anyway even though a concrete source would have been proper:

Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility

No evidence of carcinogenic potential was observed during 2-year bioassay studies of alprazolam in rats at doses up to 30 mg/kg/day (150 times the maximum recommended daily human dose of 10 mg/day) and in mice at doses up to 10 mg/kg/day (50 times the maximum recommended daily human dose).

Alprazolam was not mutagenic in the rat micronucleus test at doses up to 100 mg/kg, which is 500 times the maximum recommended daily human dose of 10 mg/day. Alprazolam also was not mutagenic in vitro in the DNA Damage/Alkaline Elution Assay or the Ames Assay.

Alprazolam produced no impairment of fertility in rats at doses up to 5 mg/kg/day, which is 25 times the maximum recommended daily human dose of 10 mg/day.

 

[Tieeurrrop]

Yes that's true, etizolam is a prescription medication in some countries and has been for almost 40 years.

Interesting, I didn't realize that alprazolam (xanax) is actually rated as one of the most carcinogenic benzos. In fact I didn't know any benzos were considered carcinogenic.

Now I think of it I think the guy who said that is confused with zopiclone because there was indeed a british study on zopiclone and that was found to be most carcinogenic over benzoes. People are too free and easy on the internet throwing around vague recollection as fact.

Another quick search shows a british study that says it is relatively more toxic than other benzoes but that is acute toxicity; nothing to do with the subject matter at hand. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1884537/

Anyway with that said if some of these substances are indeed genotoxic and or carcinogenic what is the relative increased risk in taking them once or twice a week? Maybe nothing to mention once in a blue moon but it adds up if you take them on a semi regular (never daily of course but on a couple times a week over time) basis doesn't it.

It is still best I think to find the least toxic one/s of the given available data.

 

[Tieeurrrop]

Yes that's true, etizolam is a prescription medication in some countries and has been for almost 40 years.

Interesting, I didn't realize that alprazolam (xanax) is actually rated as one of the most carcinogenic benzos. In fact I didn't know any benzos were considered carcinogenic.

Just cos it has been used for a good while doesn't mean it doesn't do latent long term damage that they haven't correlated to it especially since it is used in countries with less rigorous checks than the west.

 

[Xorkoth]

Yeah that's true. Well, I appreciate your efforts to educate yourself. You might try posting this question (focused more on the relative safety rather than "will I be okay") in the Neuroscience and Pharmacology Discussion subforum.

 

[BzCurio]

In the UK study on the long term side effects of benzos, Alprazolam was rated as one of the most carcinogenic with diazepam being less-so to potentially chemoprotective. The simple answer doesn't exist. All benzos depress the action of T cells, so if that is your worry then benzos might be the wrong choice. Also etizolam has been used in other countries since 1983 without much problem. The true RC benzos like c-lam, flubro-lam, phenaz, etc are the worrisome ones.

We get it, they're bad, but ignoring the fact that they're incredibly safe alone just makes you lose credibility.

There is a reason why benzos are the targets of scare-campaigns. They work. Well. This is very problematic for companies trying to manufacture new anti-anxiety meds. Just like SSRI's fought to smear benzos when they arrived, new meds will as well.

 

[Dr. Extract]

Where is your source for that? because the paper I found online titled "Genotoxicity and carcinogenicity studies of benzodiazepines" (which you can download if you look up how to download paywall papers for free) cross referenced all the journals etc they could find for all occurrences of a litany of benzoes and alprazolam was one which they found some of the most references for and non of the findings showed either it to be carcinogenic or genotoxic and that is from like 9+ separate sources and you are claiming 'some british paper' did with no source. Show dat source son.

I, in fact, also cannot find the study, so I'll retract my statements regarding the specific carcinogenicity of alprazolam and diazepam.

We get it, they're bad, but ignoring the fact that they're incredibly safe alone just makes you lose credibility.

There is a reason why benzos are the targets of scare-campaigns. They work. Well. This is very problematic for companies trying to manufacture new anti-anxiety meds. Just like SSRI's fought to smear benzos when they arrived, new meds will as well.

I wasn't saying that they were bad in general and never negated the fact that they are "incredibly safe" alone. I specifically listed super potent benzos as worrisome.

 

[BzCurio]

I wasn't saying that they were bad in general and never negated the fact that they are "incredibly safe" alone. I specifically listed super potent benzos as worrisome.

Define potent? 1mg of Xanax and 1mg Klonopin are considered equal in potency but have notably different effects.

 

[Dr. Extract]

Define potent? 1mg of Xanax and 1mg Klonopin are considered equal in potency but have notably different effects.

Clonazolam, flubromazolam, etc.; triazolobenzo RC benzos stand out in my mind (even triazolam is too potent in my opinion). I have not stayed up to date with the current RC scene so there may be others that I'm not aware of at the moment. I would say phenazepam but its potency isn't its problem, though it is rather potent, the duration of action is the true problem with that one. And for the record I'm not attacking benzos. I realize that they are very effective where few other drugs are, with an immediate onset (unlike SSRIs and buspirone type garbage) which makes them priceless in a panic attack type situation. But I and many others have seen the hell and lasting damage that can come from these drugs. Benzo withdrawal leaves a deep mark on one's body and mind.

 

[BzCurio]

Benzo withdrawal leaves a deep mark on one's body and mind.

Dr Heather Ashton (creator of the Ashton method) would argue otherwise. In many cases if you are tapered properly then withdrawal is nearly asymptomatic. Unfortunately this isn't the case for street users, who will be admitted to a detox center and given anticonvulsants and rapidly tapered over a mere 14 days and suffer through the ordeal.