Temazepam fuckup

[UpInFlames]

Okay, I've been on 30 mg of Temazepam for sleep for ten years. (Yeah, my old shrink was an idiot and i didn't know any better until recently)

I now have a new shrink who for the time being is keeping me on the med because she's more worried about the risks of detoxing me than she is about the risks of me continuing to take the med.

Anyway, for 10 years, I've taken 2 15mg capsules at bed time. My new prescription is for 1 30mg capsule.

I was taking my nightly meds about an hour ago and without thinking, took TWO of those 30 mg capsules out of force of habit of taking two capsules and not one.

I know it won't kill me as haven't had any alcohol and haven't had any other respiratory depressants this evening. I do anticipate being VERY loopy.

Here's the weird thing. I'm not sleepy. Instead I'm quite fucked up. It's not all that unpleasant a sensation either, other than feeling like I need to have hand touching a wall when I walk to steady myself.

Why on earth would half a dosage make me sleepy and twice that doseage make me alert but wasted? Also, based on half-life, I should be should still be under the effects of the meds when i wake up tomorrow. Is this something I should plan on sleeping off, or will food and caffeine be enough to clear this stuff out of my system.

Any other ideas of flushing excess, leftover Temazepam out of one's system? I have family coming over on Tuesday and had planned on spending later today getting the house presentable. Being in a drug induced fog was NOT in my plans for later Monday. I have a good stock of vitamins and herbal supplements and ready sources of most others, but won't take other drugs to counter these effects other than caffeine/theine/etc.

 

[Bearlove]

You should be fine when you wake up, have some breakfast and maybe schedule your housecleaning a bit later in the day. The 'high' off temazepam can be quite nice (if you avoid alcohol) but I do also know that it can make people act violently.

 

[UpInFlames]

Well, I'm still up and still quite pleasantly fucked up. I know understand why people do these things recreationally. Wouldn't consider mixing alcohol with them as they don't do wonders for balance and general coordination at all.

Haven't found any inclination to be mean, but have noticed a loss of inhibitions which has kept me off of Facebook for the duration as I suspect I'd make rather an ass of myself at best, and start a flame war at worst. Luckily, I don't have a violent streak.

I just made a cup of chamomile and valerian tea (blech! flowers and dirty sweatsocks) and am going to bed after i choke that down).

Luckily, I had some left over from the old RX so won't run out before my next apt as the idea of withdrawals from this stuff scare the crap out of me.

 

[Zerwas]

Why on earth would half a dosage make me sleepy and twice that doseage make me alert but wasted?

Paradoxical reactions are pretty common with benzodiazepines in higher doses.

 

[Stargazer]

Being that you have been taking it for so long, I think you'll be ok. Indeed, it is a very pleasant feeling. I was taking it recreationally a long time ago. I didn't get mean, but I did do some outrageous shit...that I'd cringe about after I ran out of them.

However, as with any substance, fun quickly turns into living hell. You don't seem to have abuse problems w it....but clearly see how it would be easy to. Enjoy your company, and now you know to be deliberate every time you open the bottle. Shit happens. All the best to you. Be safe.

 

[UpInFlames]

Well, I woke up at 10AM, still high,had some breakfast and a couple of large mugs of strong, English style tea. (Mum's a Brit) I seem to be over the worst of it other than being very spacey and "who gives a fuck".

No, I've also been on Lorazepam, starting at one mg in divided doses 2x daily and increasing to 1mg 2x daily about 5 years ago. I've never taken them other than prescribed.

Unfortunately, I discovered, after running out of lorazepam while visiting family, and having horrible rebound anxiety, that I've managed to acquire a benzo habit nonetheless.

Before moving from Northern WI down to milwaukee metro, my old GP was worried about me running out of my benzos to the point of telling me to call her if Icouldnt find someone to write down here and she'd write to cover me until I found a pdoc or GP who would write for the meds.

She was the one who told me that benzo withdrawal could be fatal and needed to be done (per her) in a hospital setting initially, and then supervised by a physician for at least a year after hospitalization.

So, now? Like a lot of folks here on BL, I guess, I live in fear of my doctors cutting me off, which they could do at any time for any reason.

I'm hardly the stereotypical picture of an addict, just like so many of you here. I'm a "nice, middle aged lady who happens to have been hooked on benzos by the medical community that now basically holds my life in their hands." sweet, huh?

So many of us are what i call "medical addicts". We got our start using a substance prescribed to us by doctors we trusted. We followed directions and took those substances because we trusted our doctors and wanted relief from debilitating symptoms. And, our doctors lied to us.

"Oh, you won't get addicted if you take them for pain. Oh, you won't get addicted ifyou take them as prescribed." Oh, if you take them as prescribed, you'll just feel off for a few days when you quit."

Yeah, I've heard it all, too.

 

[Mad Dash]

Jeez just what you need... you were on a benzos for 10 years not getting high on it. Then because of one mistake you find out you enjoy abusing them. Please do not let this become a habit.

 

[Hodor]

but have noticed a loss of inhibitions which has kept me off of Facebook for the duration as I suspect I'd make rather an ass of myself

In my opinion anyone who still has that kind of insight on a hefty dose of Temazepam is probably one of the few people worthy of getting a script for this stuff.

 

[cj]

In my opinion anyone who still has that kind of insight on a hefty dose of Temazepam is probably one of the few people worthy of getting a script for this stuff.

I had a prescription for it when I was younger. I really don't understand what all the fuss is about compared to xanax or klonopin.

 

[UpInFlames]

Well, I don't intend on doubling the dosage again. It was a complete accident, and while i found the experience not unpleasant, the feeling of not being in complete control of myself was rather frightening.

My normal dose of Temazepam basically relaxes me and shuts down the squirrel wheel in my head so i can sleep. The other thing that happened that I found rather frightening was that I found myself on a shopping site very tempted to spend a couple of hundred dollars on stuff I didn't need. Luckily, I had enough shit together to get up and hide my credit cards.

The only problem is that now I can't' remember where I put them! I know they'rei in the apartment and have sufficient cash and my debit cards to survive until I dig up the CCs, so no biggie, but apparently overdoing it on benzos also wipes out my impulse control, not good.

I'm the sort of person where "liking the high" is enough to frighten me away from trying a high again. Same thing happened when I tried heroin in the 70s. Snorted it once, and smoked it once. Loved it, and swore I'd never touch it again. Benzos fall in the same class. I'll never take more than the RXed dose again because I liked the high. I KNOW when i could get myself in trouble and have enough willpower to stay away from those things.

Bad enough I'm already dependent on them due to prescription dosing. I don't need to add psychological dependence to the mix.

 

[Stargazer]

I was put on OxyContin and told in was a non-addictive, long-acting medication that was much better to take than say 5mg Percocet....??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have chronic pain...and I curse that day. It opened the gate of hell.

To fast forward--I ended up using IV heroin. Believe me when I tell you, if anyone would've told me that was going to happen, I would've bet my life on it that it would never happen. I grew up in a nice Suburban neighborhood etc.

Mad Dash....Lol...right?? Isn't that a bitch!! I guess that why addiction is often called insidious...because it is. UpInFlames, I'm glad you're getting a handle on this before it grips you completely.