Benzos Opiate vs. Benzo withdrawal...Suboxone?

[TimKT9]

I've been addicted to various types of opiates off and on for the past 4 years. Been through withdrawal so many times, i know what to expect and when to expect it. Currently have been on Suboxone for about 4 months. Also have been taking Xanax recreationally for a few weeks. Usually about 2-3mgs a day, usually at night. Just wanted some info on the actual effects of withdrawal from benzos, compared to opiates. Like physical pain, anxiety, RLS, cold/hot flashes, etc. Also, i don't know if this will be a dumb question, but would Suboxone do anything to ease benzo withdrawal, (help with anxiety) or anything? Any info would be great!

 

[T. Calderone]

I'm not sure if suboxone will help but you can try it. The one time I had binged on benzos and quit cold turkey, it was hell. It's similar to opiate withdrawal but for me was more intense. I had the hot sweats/cold shivers, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle spasms like with opiate w/d. But worse because I couldn't rest and everytime I closed my eyes I was dizzy and the room was spinning. It went on nearly a week.

Maybe you might get lucky since it's been just a few weeks of using for you. If you have access to pregabalin or gabapentin that might help too if you suddenly have to stop Xanax. I'm sure someone else will chime in with better advice. Good luck Tim!

 

[TimKT9]

Thanks alot for the info T.Calderone! If i'm correct, you've given me info recently on another post or two i've posted the past few days. I'm still kinda new here. But yea i haven't been taking the Xanax for too long, and currently still taking them. Sometimes I'll only take like .5mg a day, sometimes 2-3. I've also recently done the stupid thing of going back of going back to my DOC opiates like oxy, little bit of H, etc. But still have some Suboxone for after.

I hear all the time that benzo withdrawal is absolute hell. Is it really that bad, like worse than a bad oxy or heroin habit?

For me, the worst part of withdrawal is the RLS and anxiety. Even before i ever started using opiates, i was always anxious and at night I'd toss and turn and everything.

Also, anymore info on if Suboxone would do anything during benzo withdrawal?

 

[RobotRipping]

sub would ease some aspects of benzo withdrawal.

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha03.htm <- there's a serious amount of info on benzo withdrawals; perhaps reading it will scare you out of going any further with your xanax use. At this point, you aren't in a world of shit yet but if you end up getting dependent and are on benzos for over 6 months, you will experience a large majority, if not all of the symptoms listed on that page. At least i did. I never even recovered from them, i still get fucking muscle spasms yet i have never done anything in my life that would cause them and never had them before benzo abuse.

it's kind of impossible to explain how different they are but i'd definitely prefer a heavy opiate cold turkey withdrawal over a moderate benzo withdrawal with tapering. I've done a CT benzo withdrawal and that's probably what caused all the issues afterwards, like permanent DP/DR, agoraphobia, muscle spasms. I've never been the same since, whereas with opiates i eventually recover/ed.

if you are dependent you must taper, even if you have to go to the ER, with xanax especially you have a high chance of seizure if you have been using it every day for over a month, so just be careful and try not to get in that deep cause it's a world of pain in comparison to the worst opiate withdrawals.

 

[TimKT9]

Wow, thanks for the info. I haven't read your link yet, but i will in a bit. What was your dosage/tolerance when you were on Xanax?

 

[RobotRipping]

i was never dependent on xanax in particular but usually a mixture of several benzos. First benzo withdrawal CT was off of about at least 10-15mg of phenazepam, i was blacked out so much that i can't remember the doses i was taking but 3 months of incredibly poor memory and having somehow gone through 5 grams, i have no idea but it was the worst withdrawal i could imagine, full blown psychosis didn't even hit until 3 weeks after my last dose.

the rest of my withdrawals were either with xanax/etizolam/lorazepam/clonazepam/diazepam (different combos but always on at least one or two) and one other with phenazepam again. Never really learned my lesson there Tolerance was/is insane, over 10mg for xanax/etizolam/lorazepam at least and couldn't even get my hands on enough diazepam to match those doses, i just used it for tapers and even then tapering with it fucking hurt.

Diazepam and phenazepam/clonazepam were the worst ones, etizolam the easiest, lorazepam and xanax are more intense but shorter lasting at least. The long acting benzo were the worst simply because of the massive amount of time spent in acute withdrawal, like a good month each time then protracted withdrawals after.

I'd rather be an opiate/speed addict but benzos/etizolam are far cheaper and have the least side effects for me. If you just have to be on something for severe anxiety, i personally find etizolam is a much better option than any benzo, much less withdrawal, much less cognitive issues, no memory loss and a clear head, tolerance doesn't develop as fast and it's a very effective anxiolytic.

 

[TimKT9]

Approximately how long you think it would take for the withdrawals to start after quitting CT from Xanax?

 

[RobotRipping]

24 hours at most just based on its half life and my experience but that would just be the start, the withdrawals won't peak until a few days in and they get really fucking bad, definitely do not CT xanax.