Benzos Prescribed Klonopin + etiz abuse PLEASE HELP?

[speedballs_over]

Please I seem to post often and rarely get many useful replies - not knocking you all, but I've never been on my knees before... this time I need you guys! Please...

I take 3-mg of prescribed clonazepam a day. I have taken this for years. No problems. I started to use etizolam to supplement and for fun (I know know I will pay back that "fun" 100x over). I'm scattered and a bit high, sorry for the grammar. Also, I take bupe - no naloxone. 8-mg/day. Any help from that, that anyone knows of?

Shit, I am in a desperate situation! I have a good supply of RC benzos, all but 1-g of etiz in a safety deposit box that takes a lot of will power to go get to, so I'm good there.

My question, my situation is kind of unique - I am not gong to be going off the clonazepam. It works. I will likely take it the remainder of my natural life, or if I do taper we're talking doing it a decade.

Has and how has it gone for anyone who is prescribed a benzo and continued taking their normal dose while tapering etizolam. I have no use, desire or want to abuse my clonazepam, it works very well.

My habit, I do not exactly know - I'm trying to figure that out now, it's around 10 - 20mg/day. Probably closer to 10-mg. Once I have that figured out, in a few days I want to get going on a taper. My psych is an option, she knows I've abused benzos in the past (3 years ago - 4-mg Xanax/day on top) despite my prescription. She may just not understand that it's possible (I'm full of shit), and/or get the equivalence to diazepam wrong. I have decent will power, I've tapered bupe 12 to 8 to 6-mg in the past and am at 8-mg now (I want to reduce that again back to 6-mg but that's for another couple years.)

Has anyone out there done a taper in my situation, with a prescribed benzo underneath?

I'm thinking poorly, but maybe a very slow reduction (Aston style, but on the quicker side) while still taking their prescribed benzos? Or can I go quicker b/c I have that Klonopin 3-mg/day?

Did you change your prescribed benzo use to assist the taper (do not know how this would assist but asking nonetheless)?

Any advice from those that didn't have to CT or go all the way off benzos, but had an orignal script that they wanted and would be allowed to maintain once the etizolam is tapered.

I want to tell my doc, but fear of to rapid a taper and misunderstanding, plus my third addiction since stating treatment for heroin abuse a decade ago make me look hopelessly stupid and destined to ruin myself.

Please, I am desperate for any kind of advice, or feedback good news or bad news I need help - ultimately I know I will tell my doc, but I'd like to get this etiz down to where I can say I've been taking Xanax 6-mg/day rather than an unapproved thienodiazepine (sp?)

Last? I've searched a bit but am in a bad state right now, does anyone have a decent equivalence from etiz to xanax?
Assuming my powdered etiz is pure? It is good stuff.

Thank you to anyone who can give solid advice to augment and help me talk to my doctor!

 

[speedballs_over]

sorry to bump my own post. I have some, I think 30 x 300-mg gabapentin (sp?) capsules from a few years ago, well 29 I guess, I took one back then and didn't need or like it. Any help or a good time to save/use these? Right now and cut my etiz dose significantly while on gaba, or wait until the end days of w/d etiz to use the gaba? Thanks.

 

[beforethebeginning]

I don't think your etizolam is good stuff look at what its doing to you,
you're playing with fire to escape facing your issues you will have to face eventually.

I would not tell your psych you are abusing your meds because if he is a bad one he will cut you off,
or even writing it in your med records might cause u to never be able to get benzo's anymore when u stop seeing him - this may cause a harsh withdrawal situation one time.

1 mg of etizolam === 10mg of diazepam === 0,5mg of xanax (appromixately)

not sure whether ur trying to cut down on the etizolam or on the opiates or both,
but you should try to first stabilize your etizolam intake.

make a commitment to learn to be happy in a sober way,
use as little etizolam as possible,
and when you discovered the lowest daily dosage of etizolam u are comfortable on you can start tapering the etizolam.

once you've tapered the etizolam i suggest throwing it all away,
dont even give it away don't bring this addiction into anybody elses life.

if klonopin is so helpful to you why would you risk the possibility of it no longer working so well just for a bit of fun.
benzo's work by influencing the body's GABA system if you use additional benzo's for fun this will probably lead to tolerance, withdrawal, interdose withdrawal, and so on.

whatever it is your running from try to come clean it will be well worth it !
good luck



ashton style is tapering 10% of the current dosage every 2 weeks with preferably an equivalence of the shorter lasting benzo to a long lasting benzo,
for example u take 1 mg xanax its better to take 20 or 15mg of diazepam to give a more stable blood level of benzo's

if u can taper faster than ashton style try doing 10% every week, or every 3,5 days...
but no point in rushing if it means u will fall over ur own feet.

 

[speedballs_over]

Thank you, very motivational, and I agree about finding the least amount of etiz that I can get through the day with, allowing for some w/d discomfort. The discomfort is required so that I know that I am making progress as I drop down. I wouldn't give this stuff away, knowing how fast it can grip you.

Can anyone address the benefits/problems with taking my prescribed clonazepam, other than it will help prevent seizures whilst I drop my etizolam dose?

Any information / opinion - that isn't unnecessarily harsh, like that above which is firm but kind, is very, very motivating and appreciated - I'm a very sensitive person and I like that anyone gives a fuck about my situation. It means a lot to me.

I would love to do an extremely fast taper from this stuff if I thought (or better yet knew) that 3 - 5-mgs of Klonopin I take daily - I only take 3-mg now but have a stack from when I didn't take them b/c I was using other (RC) benzo agonists) would allow a CT, ten or twenty day taper to be safe. I don't care so much how much I get sick, I just don't want to fucking die. I know it will be much worse than heroin and methadone w/ds were for me in the past. I know it's (hell * hell), but if it' safe I'd like to taper quickly (weeks, month... not much more. I've been using etiz 3.5 months, not that it matters or does it?

Thanks, best to you each...

 

[InterestingFACT]

Wish I could offer good advice, but I've never been addicted to benzos. The nice thing about stimulants is you can just cold turkey and you feel mostly better after about a week.

Obviously, your safety is paramount here. I think klonopin is particularly strong in it's anti-seizure activity? (someone correct me if I'm wrong). If you've got a lot of motivation, and the above statement is true, you can probably chop a pretty hefty chunk of your etizolam dosage off right away without risking harm to yourself.

The main thing is, don't let yourself fall into the trap of supplementing one addiction with another: Eg don't start using your opiates, or alcohol more heavily. I suppose you could consider a heavily sedating SSRI to help with some of the rebound anxiety and/or help you sleep, though I don't think they're supposed to be particularly effective here.

I would probably recommend that you not use baclofen/phenibut/etc. because it would just be setting you up for a third addiction. The "real" answer is Flumazenil, though probably not really warranted in your case and also maybe not available outside of Italy.

 

[beforethebeginning]

no problem, at least this site gives me a kick;
sorta makes me a wanna be psychologist or doctor with lack of professional skills and diploma
but hey we're here to help blue light is good stuff.



so u take around 10mg etizolam per day on top of the klonopin u already take
10mg etizolam = 5mg klonopin,

try taking 2,5mg etizolam + 2,5 mg EXTRA klonopin for 5 days, (extra meaning on top of the amount of klonopin u already take daily)
if you feel bad take 2,5mg extra etizolam for 5 days,

and then try again taking just 2,5mg etizolam + 2,5mg of EXTRA klonopin.
if that works out fine maybe wait another 5 days and then drop the etizolam completely,
if after 5 days you feel good again, maybe you can already start to take a little less klonopin.

i figure the klonopin will mask the withdrawal from the etizolam since klonopin is pretty strong,
but i've personally never been in the exact same situation as u,
and everyone's body makeup is different so.

if u dont want to go 10% every two weeks maybe thats not necessary cuz if i remember correctly people that take a lot of benzo can taper a bit faster in the beginning,
its when they start going lower that tapering becomes harder.

but again dont take this for granted listen to your body and your GOOD SENSE (not the bad sense like: "hey lets order a bunch etizolam and get fucked up for a few months")
and before i forget: CALENDAR

write down on your calendar the exact amount of which benzo u take,
and avoid using alcohol cuz alcohol works like a benzo it takes the GABA system and gives a false sense of being over withdrawal when you are really not,
and it can also prolong withdrawals.

also don't think this will be SUPER HARD etc,
maybe its going to be easy just go step by step,
if it's too hard u take a little bit more,
if it's smooth enough, keep going.

step by step taper the benzo's,
if u wanna rush tapering then this alone will give u anxiety, add to that the shock u give to the body by going too fast and u know what the outcome will be.

for now keep those etizolams safely stashed cuz u have quite a benzo dependency there and if for some reason u cant get legal benzo's anymore then how are u not going to break down?
but ya its a good idea to come clean,

instead of seeking excitement by taking MORE drugs and taking MORE bad decisions,
why not seek excitement by taking less drugs and taking more good decisions...



and sorry but won't using flumazenil cause instant withdrawal or something ouch :D

 

[InterestingFACT]

and sorry but won't using flumazenil cause instant withdrawal or something ouch :D

Read the wikipedia page

It actually reverses benzodiazepine tolerance while preventing withdrawal. Seems like kind of a miracle cure to me.

EDIT: though I just read a few studies which do seem to indicate that it precipitates withdrawal. Either the wikipedia page is misleading me, or there's something I'm not quite getting. Hmm.

EDIT2: This might help:http://www.thecolemaninstitute.com/rapid-benzodiazepine-detoxification-faq

 

[speedballs_over]

BTB - thank you for replying and trying to help. You've lifted my spirits just by giving me a ray of hope, coming from outside my own mind, rather than self-recited 'I will be fine, I am strong, I am ....', stuff 12-ateps is into.

My CBT guy has joked with me about self-affirmations, he prefers to teach me useful techniques for preventing panic attacks and dealing with GAD during the daytime for at at work and different methods for relaxation and sleep at home. So I have him, but he's not getting to help me with this until I get it under control, unless it goes on too long. Then he and I will go over it, I don't see him for like a month so I should be feeling worse maybe, but much on the return t normal.

I'm optimistic and also scared - if that makes any sense. I'm a little unsure of practices, I like BTB and his ideas, he thought for me about my care - isn't this place sometimes beautiful? Often you'll see light in the strangest of places if you just read it right. (yeah, yeah deadheads I know, bad rip-off)

Still looking for input... never can have too much advise, esp., anyone who has the particulars understood and maybe in the same situation with prescribed benzos that are not going to be reduced or fucked with, and for good measure I have 55 extra 1-mg tablets of K-pins. Wish that were diazepam tablets, but for half-life clonazepam has a decent one.

Benzos - why fuck with them? They'll eventually fuck you back until you're, a lifer (like me), doing two year tapers to get completely off after having only used for a year... People, it's not worth it. I didn't listen either, now the voices in my head are repeating that...and laughing.