Mental Health My life is a Groundhog day

[xkid95]

Im 19, for the last 3 years I've been on benefits on grounds of mental health. I wake up each day at around 2pm and take my 200mg Sertraline, my 80mg mod release Propranolol and an antibiotic for acne, and by 5pm I'm usually under the influence of cannabis, and then at night I take a 2mg lorazepam tablet. This isn't a substancial dose but when combined with 400mg Gabapentin,200mg of tramadol and 50mg of trazodone, it can make even me, a fairly tolerant individual, a bit wobbly. What concerned me was the reaction my friend had to the same dose (just 2mg lorazepam) He was knocked for six and was barely able to keep his sentences going. I've been using them now almost once per day for the past two or three months with the odd break of 4 or 5 days here and there. I find the drug helpful at getting me out and about and for sleep though I never take more than one a day. I even play live drums at a club in town (I am a decent drummer), but the classic thing is creeping on me, 2mg just isn't cutting it. I need to do something about this. If I escalate the dose to 4mg per day I'll just be back here with the same story in a month with a worse memory. What adjustments can I make to my lorazepam use to stop this tolerance from building when I can't feel comfortable without a certain level of sedation? Is the best bet just to discontinue it for a couple of weeks? I suppose I'll never get knocked out from lorazepam 2mg like my friend did (benzo-naïve) again. What I want is a benzo or theinodiazepine with a short to moderate half life (2-8hr) high anxiolosis, and most importantly, low amnesia. I've got myself into a mess with these drugs before so I know exactly how they effect me. Valium makes me belligerent, careless. I want to go to college and study and be an active part of the world, but right now I feel locked out. My doctors are very reluctant to give out seds and would even rather prescribe super benzos (typical Antipsychotics) than standard benzos, but I don't want tardive dyskenisia and reduced brain mass in 5 years (sp) thanks.

I am a drug addict and I fully accept that, not to any one thing, but to being sedated in some way. I'm slowly losing hope and its even crossed my mind to just increase the dose forever and just let my life pass by because I have stacks and stacks and stacks of valium and lorazepam. I know how weak that sounds but the discomfort I feel without anything makes me wonder why being fully conscious is such an attractive thing.

Sorry it's been a rant but the question is, what can be done to combat benzo tolerance so they still have therapeutic value?

Cheers

Matt ?

 

[Rachella666]

Hi Matt, how are feeling today? Xxx Rachelxxx

 

[UncookMyBrain]

You have a mental health problem and you are also over medicated, I dunno why some people in the US are on such big cocktails of medications especially at a young age.

Benzos lose their effect and you do need to keep increasing them, its not worth doing.

You need to exercise, take fish oil and magnesium and get therapy, possibly DBT. You should set yourself some goals for the following few years such as become more healthy, reduce unnecessary meds and confront your anxieties.

 

[wezface]

You have a mental health problem and you are also over medicated, I dunno why some people in the US are on such big cocktails of medications especially at a young age.

Benzos lose their effect and you do need to keep increasing them, its not worth doing.

You need to exercise, take fish oil and magnesium and get therapy, possibly DBT. You should set yourself some goals for the following few years such as become more healthy, reduce unnecessary meds and confront your anxieties.

While your opinion is certainly valid, you can't hope to diagnose and treat a person based on two paragraphs from them describing, largely, their tolerance to one specific medication. Some people legitimately need medication. Not always forever, not always for years, but at least to get them to a point where they can help themselves. Also, advising anyone to cease the use of their prescribed medications is not only foolhardy but is dangerous and potentially very problematic, especially benzos which can have devastating effects when ceased cold turkey.

OP, the only real way to lower your benzo tolerance is SAFELY doing a taper and taking a break. This is something you want to talk to your doctor about, though, because even at your dosage it can cause seizures and other nasty w/d effects.

 

[Groundhog]

Just thought I would say hello Matt...
This thread kind of caught my eye for some reason (see my username!) and also because after reading your post, I found that it sounded quite similar to what I have experienced too. I have also been unemployed for just over 3 years now, due to mental health problems, and I am medicated with quite a high dose of benzos. I have a long history of drug abuse/addiction, and my drug(s) of choice over the past few years have primarily been stimulants.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I understand how you feel, every day for 3 years has been groundhog day, hence my choice or username! Just lately though it has become really intolerable, it really has been driving me nuts not living how I think I should. I also have shared the same view about not seeing how being fully conscious is attractive, its a conflict I have had for most of my life actually....

I have been recommended those godamn awful anti-psychotics and have had a year long battle against them for the very same reason - Tardive Dyskinesia! Who wants to risk suffering that! The doctor's are recommending drugs that are more dangerous than any of the numerous substances I've ever used, I swear they have been trying to kill me!!

As to what you asked about the benzos, I think has already been sensibly answered. The more you use the less effective they are going to be, and the bigger the problem grows..

I hope you're doing ok, just thought I'd share my very familiar story with you!

 

[CrypticArc]

You could alternate your benzo use with herbs. For anxiety/stress/sleep, the sedating strains of kratom should work, and kava and mulungu are also worth checking out. Do your research, however.

 

[aq.]

You have a mental health problem and you are also over medicated, I dunno why some people in the US are on such big cocktails of medications especially at a young age.

Benzos lose their effect and you do need to keep increasing them, its not worth doing.

You need to exercise, take fish oil and magnesium and get therapy, possibly DBT. You should set yourself some goals for the following few years such as become more healthy, reduce unnecessary meds and confront your anxieties.

Before my relapse, DBT was amazing. I was in a 1 week long intensive out patient women's only group. It made me feel so relaxed, confident, and like I could cope better with the world and the obstacles it throws at me. But then I relapsed on heroin. That's a different story.