Benzos Need some advice been using benzos again

[96ghost]

Hey,

I'm not sure where to put this since I'm new to this forum. Anyways I'm 25 years old male and I've been using/abusing Benzodiazepines on and off since early 2017 when I was only 20. I also abused the z-drug zoplicone for a while but haven't touched it since 2018. The benzos I used the most was oxazepam but I've also used quite a bit of diazepam. I've dabbled a bit in other benzos as well but not enough to be consindered problematic use.

I also have a bit of drinking problem but never been addicted physically to alcohol as I would only drink once a week but when I drank I would often drink till I blacked out.

Anyways I initially got clean of benzos the first late august 2017. Then relapsed again december 2017. Got clean for a short period in November 2018 but relapsed just weeks after and then got clean in late january 2020 was clean till around may-june 2020. Then I got clean in April 2021.

So I've been through multiple withdrawals already unfournately. But both of my last withdrawals were pretty smooth actually due to slow tapering and I managed to cure my chronic insomnia that was terrible during my first 2 withdrawals when I didn't taper it correctly.

Now to the point of why I'm making this thread in mid June 2021 2 months after not touching benzos at all I suffered a severe panic attack and took a small dose of oxazepam only 10mg as a rescue dose. This was not a problem but....

Weeks later in July I was having some personal problems, and ended up going through a lot of stress and existential crisis and severe anxiety so I started to take benzos again but this time only once a week. Prior when I had my problems I would usually take them everyday...

I don't remember exactly for how long but I think I've been taking benzos once a week for approximately 7 or 8 weeks now. The first few weeks it was only oxazepam in relatively low dosages usually 15-30 mg with execption of 40-45 mg one day. But the last 3-4 weeks I've been taking diazepam. It's been dosages ranging from 10-40mg until last friday when I fucked up and took 50mg the highest dosage of benzos I've taken in a long time.

But I've been spreading my dosages out and made sure to never take more than 1 dose a week. Anyways now I'm still a bit scared about getting withdrawals and possibly seizures due to my past history with benzos and PAWS. If I had never had been addicted to them in the first place I obviously wouldn't be scared but consindering that diazepams half life is pretty strong would I be in risk even tho Ive spread out dosages 7 days apart?

I want to stop taking benzos all togheter for a really long time hopefully forever, but I'm not sure if it's safe for me to just quit them or if I have to reinstate a very low dose and taper it off slowly again due to possible kindling?

I already suffered some kindling in this process but believe me or not wasn't from the benzos but alcohol. After a heavy nights of drinking in the beginning of august my sleep quality immidetaly worse.

Anyways sorry for the rambling. You think it's ok for me to quit cold turkey since Ive only been using once a week lately? Or should I have to taper due to my past history with the drug? I don't really feel too many symptoms compared to before execpt for worse sleep quality and worse anxiety at times.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Hello @96ghost

I think i am not going to write about tapering / going cold turkey or anything like that. Wiser people can do that, and some already have done that.

What i want to write about, is that you mentioned panic attacks. And i know that they can be hell. I had them almost daily when i was a young man. Then after my first psychotic episode, the panic attacks just stopped completely.

I am not sure if this is very responsible from me, to recommend that you would keep a SMALL amount of fast-acting benzos at home. You have addiction tendencies towards them so... Fuck it, i am going to recommend it. In case of a panic attack. You want something that works quickly. Oxazepam is not the one.

 

[Sk1500]

Hey,

I'm not sure where to put this since I'm new to this forum. Anyways I'm 25 years old male and I've been using/abusing Benzodiazepines on and off since early 2017 when I was only 20. I also abused the z-drug zoplicone for a while but haven't touched it since 2018. The benzos I used the most was oxazepam but I've also used quite a bit of diazepam. I've dabbled a bit in other benzos as well but not enough to be consindered problematic use.

I also have a bit of drinking problem but never been addicted physically to alcohol as I would only drink once a week but when I drank I would often drink till I blacked out.

Anyways I initially got clean of benzos the first late august 2017. Then relapsed again december 2017. Got clean for a short period in November 2018 but relapsed just weeks after and then got clean in late january 2020 was clean till around may-june 2020. Then I got clean in April 2021.

So I've been through multiple withdrawals already unfournately. But both of my last withdrawals were pretty smooth actually due to slow tapering and I managed to cure my chronic insomnia that was terrible during my first 2 withdrawals when I didn't taper it correctly.

Now to the point of why I'm making this thread in mid June 2021 2 months after not touching benzos at all I suffered a severe panic attack and took a small dose of oxazepam only 10mg as a rescue dose. This was not a problem but....

Weeks later in July I was having some personal problems, and ended up going through a lot of stress and existential crisis and severe anxiety so I started to take benzos again but this time only once a week. Prior when I had my problems I would usually take them everyday...

I don't remember exactly for how long but I think I've been taking benzos once a week for approximately 7 or 8 weeks now. The first few weeks it was only oxazepam in relatively low dosages usually 15-30 mg with execption of 40-45 mg one day. But the last 3-4 weeks I've been taking diazepam. It's been dosages ranging from 10-40mg until last friday when I fucked up and took 50mg the highest dosage of benzos I've taken in a long time.

But I've been spreading my dosages out and made sure to never take more than 1 dose a week. Anyways now I'm still a bit scared about getting withdrawals and possibly seizures due to my past history with benzos and PAWS. If I had never had been addicted to them in the first place I obviously wouldn't be scared but consindering that diazepams half life is pretty strong would I be in risk even tho Ive spread out dosages 7 days apart?

I want to stop taking benzos all togheter for a really long time hopefully forever, but I'm not sure if it's safe for me to just quit them or if I have to reinstate a very low dose and taper it off slowly again due to possible kindling?

I already suffered some kindling in this process but believe me or not wasn't from the benzos but alcohol. After a heavy nights of drinking in the beginning of august my sleep quality immidetaly worse.

Anyways sorry for the rambling. You think it's ok for me to quit cold turkey since Ive only been using once a week lately? Or should I have to taper due to my past history with the drug? I don't really feel too many symptoms compared to before execpt for worse sleep quality and worse anxiety at times.

I'd personally, your in the UK aren't you? Ask to switch to only Oxazepam, if your getting it on prescription.... just noticed you said taking once a week, in that case I personally would just stop taking. I'd be shocked if you have a physical addiction already.

I've been back on diazepam 40mg daily for about 3 years. I managed to quit semi cold turkey, when I was on 70-100mg daily (2015), I was on that dose for over a year. Decided to get help so tapered down to 30. I was also prescribed 8x dhc daily. I went cold turkey from there and apart from the mental aspect of it I was ok.

If I could go back and give m myself advise I'd say only take if you are having a full on anxiety attack, which is leading to physical symptoms, then I'd take them. I'd stop totally otherwise if I was you, you shouldn't be addicted enough to have physical symptoms (which is why you can go 6 days a week clean). Plus you're obviously concerned enough to write the post.

Trust me, hope it works out well

 

[Pickledlemons]

You don't have anything to worry about withdrawal wise if you are using only once a week. However, things could certainly get nasty if you let your use continue to develop. I mean honestly ask yourself if you feel like you can continue to use only that one time every week or if you think it'll eventually get out of hand. It seems to me like you could use another out for your anxiety. Its tough one. Have you tried cycling or some sort of physical activity? Sometimes I just go on a long hike to deal with anxiety... but I also use benzos once or twice a week so I'm not one talk hehe.

 

[Xorkoth]

Kindling from previous dependence COULD produce some minor withdrawals even from once a week, but you may very well not have any withdrawals at that rate of usage, despite paste dependence. I would imagine you may experience some periods of anxiety and possibly difficulty sleeping. What I would do is try to just stop, and if you notice real withdrawal (you know what this feels like), then you'll have to do a taper. But once per week gives you a lot of time without benzos in your system between doses, even with diazepam. So you are likely okay. But definitely get a handle on it now before it escalates further.