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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Is alcohol good or bad during benzo withdrawal?

K

kx_

Bluelighter
Joined
Nov 28, 2006
Messages
144
Since alcohol targets same receptors in the brain as benzos, is it correct to assume that alcohol is bad during benzo withdrawal? What are pros and cons?
 
While alcohol can help deal with withdrawals, due to its duration, unspecific effects, and dosage, it'll usually just make your WDs last longer without actually helping you get off the drugs.

If you're WDing off benzos, the best thing you can do is taper using benzos, particularly long acting ones such as valium. If they're serious and you have trouble getting hold of them, the best thing I can recommend is talking to your doctor.

Could you give some more information about your benzo use though - what benzo, what dosage, how long have you been using, etc.?
 
Terrible as it can quite possibly bring up seziures as I am on Klonopin for Tourettes syndrome and I went off it cause I hate it sometimes...anyways holy crap I thought I was gonna mother freaking die it sucked. And my dr said you can die from benzo withdrawl and alcohol withdrawl...be careful!!
 
Very bad, it makes you feel like shit when it wears off for about two days. Also, it can cause seizures as it wears off.
 
I've only ever used alcohol as an absolute last resort to try and prevent a benzo WD induced seizures, It does hot the same GABA receptors so it should ease WD to some extent. Benzos are are standard treatment for WD from alcohol so some logic follows.

I agree with the above though I cant see how you would build an effective and successful taper using alcohol, you need a long duration Benzo like Diazepam.

You don't give an indicating of you current usage but this is standard reading and worth it's weight in precious things, thanks Ms Ashton:-

Dr. Heather Ashton Benzo Manual
 
Who said I wanted to taper with alcohol?

I am not on benzos. The last time I took Klonopin was in June 2010 (2 years ago). Prior to that I was using Klonopin on and off since 2006 (few months usage then off for several months, then on for few months etc.).

To this day I think that Benzos are the worst souvenir of 20th century.
 
^^^

no one mate, read the responses and show a little more respect for people just trying to offer a little HR information, on the scant enquiry in the thread you started.

.....and 2010 would be the 21st century.

I'll leave you to it from here on in not sure what you question actually is or for what purpose you are asking it but, I for one have better things to do than deal with your attitude....like picking my nails or summit:?
 
Benzos were invented in previous century, so that would be 20th century. That's why I didn't say 21st century.
 
think he may have been referring to the previous century in which benzos were discovered and widely prescribed? :)

Cons: may cause seizures on its own and will worsen the withdrawal effects once it wears off. There are no pros to alcohol after benzo addiction IMO, for many people the 'high' from alcohol changes and is never quite the same. Benzos and alcohol dont hit the exact same receptor (gaba-a vs gaba-b).
 
btw thanks all for answers.

Even though 2 years have passed, I consider myself still recovering from benzos. I watch people taking this stuff on daily basis and I really feel sorry for them.

As far as alcohol goes, I meant 1-2 beers a day... or 1-2 glasses of whine a day, after dinner or something. Still, I think person recovering from benzos would be better off without any alcohol for a while.
 
alcohol is a bad idea during benzo WD for a million reasons.

drugs seem to work differently during BZ WD, with paradoxical effects. even when alcohol does help, the hangover during WD is hell. since it's so short acting and potent, alcohol seriously lengthens the taper length as well.

it technically does not help with possible seizures. i would still say though, very rarely, there is a place to bring down anxiety symptoms with alcohol if no other options exist and you're literally cowering in a corner from the chemically induced panic, or crunched in pain, and you can't wait a week for a doctor's appointment. those events should not go unmedicated, the "just tough it out" school of thought leads to brain damage and actual trauma.
 
^ I agree, toughing it out can be unnecessary at times, but there is a better alternative if you are desperate: go to your nearest health food store, and buy Kava Kava tincture in the glass bottles, the Pharma Kava types, as they have a much longer half life and are much easier to taper with than alcohol. Kava Kava is also very physically relaxing, which is great during benzo WD. I used Kava Kava tincture (the legit kind) to taper off of a maintenance, tapered dosage of Valium, and it's the only thing that worked for me.
 
ErgicMergic said:
Very bad, it makes you feel like shit when it wears off for about two days. Also, it can cause seizures as it wears off.
Click to expand...

This! As alcohol leaves your body your seizure threshold is lowered. This is just one reason why they tell people with epilepsy to avoid alcohol or atleast limit it to only a few drinks.

If you need to get off benzos doing a benzo taper is the only way to go. No doctor that has the least bit of humanity left in them would make you go through benzo WD without a proper taper. Valium works best to taper with because of it's very long half life and adjustable dosage.

Some doctors use phenobarbital but i would really only suggest that as a absolute last resort. However bad coming off benzos is coming off a barbiturate is much worse i would imagine.
 
When I was in benzo w/d, every time I drank to be honest it would just make me really depressed because I missed the feeling the benzos gave me.

+ what everyone else has said.
 
I ran out of my Klonopin today and have been on it for over a decade. I'm dreading what is coming so bad and already feel shit. I also drink beer every night so I can never really tell what I'm withdrawaling from alcohol or benzos.
I have like 8 days until a Dr appointment and am afraid to call and tell him I'm out. honestly what's worse, benzo withdrawal for eight days or risk getting cut off. I also have scripts for adderall, baclofen, lyrica, tramadol, and temazepam. if I get cut off of all of those at once, then I'd be screwed. I don't know if any of those meds can help, but I certainly know some of them will make it worse. I think my Dr created a potentially fatal recipe
 
Temazepam is also a benzo so that should be enough to cover your K-pin withdrawal while the baclofen should cover any alcohol withdrawal. You can also use the gabapentin to ease the pain of withdrawal, though it won't actually take the place of either drug. Avoid tramadol and adderal for risk of seizures and increased side-effects. A stimulant is the last thing you'd wanna take in benzo withdrawal. If you've got a good supply of those drugs you should be set.
 
As someone who has gone through benzo withdrawal myself over the past couple of months after somewhat regular use, I'd advise that you be extremely careful withdrawing from benzos without being in a detox. It's extremely common for someone to go into seizures and even die from getting off of benzos cold turkey. If you were go to detox, they would monitor you and give you something along the lines of clonidine and ativan or something like that or maybe phenobarbital. I would definitely not be getting off of benzos cold turkey, or even if you weren't planning on getting off them and just couldn't find them for a day or two, you should seriously consider getting yourself into a detox or even the hospital. I have a million horror stories that I could tell you about people that either have died, seized and got lucky because someone got them to a hospital, or seized and ended up with some kind of life-long impairment because their brain was deprived of oxygen for long periods of time.
 
hey guys thanks for replying. to answer the replies saying that I should take the temazepam, well I've been out of that as well. as far as the clonazepam withdrawal the question I had was do you think that medically as lyrica is an anti consultant that it can prevent me from going into seizures? this is day three and I've been through some mental anguish and insomnia, which I can handle.. I've been there.. but I have family that is depending on me not to have a seizure. I keep telling myself I can think my way out of this but I have a feeling I can't. thank you for your responses they are very helpful. as far as going to a hospital , I'm really hoping I can get my dr to call in more pills. but until and if I can get in touch with them, I'm using the experience of you guys.
 
thank you guys so much for your help. my doctor called in more klonopin. I just wanted to let you guys know that the lyrica helped a lot. but you have to have a lot on hand because I really was going through them. also the baclofen helped provide me with some rest on night two but it was a very uncomfortable sleep worrying that I could wake and have a seizure. also the baclofen produced some nausea. but for anyone else going through this that thinks maybe you could handle it, you can't. get to a hospital. take their advice these people are extremely wise <<plasticity>> I can't figure out how to pm but thank you so much for your straight to the point advice it helped me tremendously
 
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