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The Benzodiazepine Thread v. IV

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I think I was alright. Last week I didn't have any Valium from Sunday through to Friday evening (and it was only 5mg). I don't think I had any withdrawal, although I did feel a bit shitty and anxious in the later part of the week but it came and went. It didn't feel like benzo withdrawal ie. shakes and nausea.

How long does it normally take for low dose withdrawal to occur? In the past I have noticed withdrawal within a day or two. However that was from higher dosages and daily use.

I would like to be able to keep taking it. Honestly, using it a few times a week at therapeutic doses makes my quality of life so much better. However, I know first hand how bad withdrawal can be.

This is kind of a difficult question, but what would roughly the maximum you take therapeutic doses a week without becoming physically dependent?

Any takers for answering my question?
 
^ Sorry mate, no idea. It would surely depend a lot on the persons body weight, whether they have previously had a habit with benzo's before and maybe even have to do with diet and alcohol intake as well. I don't think there is a one size fits all answer for that type of question.
 
Try and get your hands on the benzodiazapine withdrawal scale from nsw health and compare your symptoms with that. Usually if you are ok after 3 days you are kicking goals. One thing I learnt was different people, different places, different times.
 
Psytaco: It's a really tricky thing to know how often you can use benzos without getting dependent - especially with diazepam due to its (very) long half life. After being scripted it and using it as prescribed (mostly....), I tapered too quickly and I felt shitty like you described for a few days thinking that was it, then, to my horror, the shit really began after day 6 of the last dose.

Of course, this was after months of daily use, so your situation may be different.

But, I'm afraid keeping to a strict schedule with benzos just doesn't seem doable for many people.
 
Any one else get a depressed side-effect from the thienodiazepine - Etizolam?

It's weird. I find it kills anxiety for a LONG time, 8 hours or so. Then wake up with reduced anxiety as well. Nothing works better.

However, it is starting to make me depressed. I've only just started noticing this. I don't take it every day, more like three times a week. I had thought it was just me in bad mood but I'm not so sure? It's feels like Tuesday blues but not as bad. I can't be bothered with anything and feel down-

Nothing else works for anxiety when I need it. Except opiates but not doing them.

Wondering if it is from the Etizolam. I'm not doing any other drugs except weed.
 
^yes, all benzos make me (more) depressed with continual use.

How long have you been taking them in that "three times a week" fashion?

Even taking it every second or third day will not stop the drug from having an effect on your mood if it's continued for a while.

I may be off the mark because I don't know your circumstances, but basically this is the reason that I think it's a well-intentioned fallacy when people try to make a schedule with benzos or opiates which involves a regular pattern of use; for instance, only twice a week, or never more than three days in a row.

Benzos have a rebound effect which can creep up insidiously and wear down even teh most strong willed people, and even using a small dose once or twice a week can, after a while, create enough pyschological craving to push it to three days and week, then four, and so on.

Sadly, I don't think you can have your benzo cake and eat it too.* Simply, ask yourself how often you would be able to withstand feeling poorly, while knowing that you have a pill in your pocket that can alleviate that feeling. If you can go without for long stretches, you can probably get by without it at all. If you find that on your 'off days' (ie. when you don't dose) you feel worse and find yourself thinking forward to the next dosing day, then there is nowhere to go but into addiction and dependency. Maybe it'll happen very slowly, maybe quickly. But there's just no way to maintain a once or twice a week benzo or opiate habit for most people, I believe.

*<For any non native English speakers, the above expression means 'you can't have everything the way you want it'. As an idiom, it doesn't make much sense>

Take care and best of luck with whatever you choose to do.
 
Halif -

I have been using Etizolam for just under two months. So not a lot. And will often have 5-7 day breaks between doses.

Did benzos a lot longer ago, but I don't ever use them anymore and no withdraws felt from them as never got dependant. Valium was the only benzo I could feel anyway. But it has such a small anxiolytic effect compared to Etizolam. Though good thing about Valium is that it wont make me depressed like Etiz. Anyone think it could be the mild snri effect from Etiz that causes the depression in me?

I'd choose having depression over anxiety any day, but as someone who is almost _NEVER_ depressed - it isn't really a good feeling, hey!

I was an opiate 'chipper' for 3 years. two days a week I'd use them, and suffer no withdraws. However, indeed, you put it very correct - it catches up on you, I was only looking forward to those two days and after all that time it just wasn't good for me. So I had to stop. I have only used tramadol once in the last 9 months and feel better for it! I feel even my face looks better and i look way more healthy. Stopping the first month was the hardest, then it became almost too easy. However, then, it becomes hard - as bordem sets in. 9 months and I want to go back. But **** that after all the work i've done.


Thank you - I have really listened to your advice and I can easily understand it - from me and opiates. I will stop using Etizolam unless I really need it for something important where I have to take something.
 
^Hey, no problem - and thank you for responding to my post. It's actually pretty rare that someone directly thanks a poster for their personal contribution. (or maybe that's just my experience, because my posts are often longer than most, which seems to cause people to zone out and skip them!)

You know, with all the info you've given, it sounds like you've been really controlled and conservative with you benzo/opiate use. Not an easy thing to do.

I know you said you almost never depressed, but do you think it's possible you actually do suffer from depression? Have you every taken anti-depressants? (personal question - feel free to skip it or PM me)

To me, it doesn't make sense that etiz would make you feel depressed. Most people who use it infrequently say they feel better the day after using it.

Also, you mentioned using tramadol and feeling better. Did you know that tramadol has an SNRI effect? It is an atypical opioid, as it has two functions - analgesia achieved through a weak opioid function, and through SNRI function. The response you had to that (you percieve that you even look physically better), and the other info about chipping and being very careful with benzos/opiates (then becoming bored after sustained abstinence) sounds familiar to me.

I used codeine via CWE for about two and a half years once to two times a week without giving in, but I eventually caved and actually made a conscious decision to use more often and even let myself become a full blown opiate addict. You don't hear people saying they chose to become completely depdendent often, do you?

The reason for this in my case was that I have suffered from depression basically my whole life, and until my early twenties I didn't even know it. All I knew was that I drank more than my friends, and frequently did it alone (actually, I preferred drinking alone). Then later I raided my mum's temezepam supply (she was a night duty nurse and was scripted them). Then later again I found out about CWE and it changed my life.

Depression, even hardcore, life-long genetically encoded version, isn't a;ways obvious and doesn't show up in the stereotypical ways: people not getting out of bed, being withdrawn, "looking sad", etc.

I am in my mid-thirties and have only just know been properly diagnosed by a psych as having 'Treatment Resistent Major Depressive Disorder". I am considered to be high functioning because I've had a pretty fill life - career, travel and living abroad for a total of six years, long term partnerships, etc. But I have always struggled to function, and I've always used drugs and alcohol (basically everything - first drink at ten, weed at 12).

OK, this is too long already.

Take care
 
Wow, mate - I'm happy to post here as there's a chance it might help someone else. You seem very mature, even for 30s. like you've experienced it all. I am starting into my adult 'life' - life has never been harder. I am 24. I really want to sort my shit out. I am sometimes super under-confident and have never had a true GF.

Indeed - I think if i didn't stop opiates when I did I'd become more addicted and possibly end up using daily. I loved Oxycodone and Tramadol. Yep - Tramadol made me extremely happy while on it, killed anxiety feelings and didn't suffer any bad moods at all from it (except the normal mild opioid withdraw after a dose... after all those years, which wasn't bad). I think my liver converted tramadol into an opioid like a beast + feeling the anti depressant effects. And atm I am working on my life, trying to get my first girlfriend, travel, make good friends etc. But it's hard for me. I am learning though. And continued stopping of opiates will give me a much greater success, I believe.

"I know you said you almost never depressed, but do you think it's possible you actually do suffer from depression? Have you every taken anti-depressants? (personal question - feel free to skip it or PM me)"

Boom - I was thinking about this the other day. depression and anxiety are easily misdiagnosed. I have never been to a doctor about it though. I kind-of have just diagnosed myself with anxiety. Now, to answer the question; yes! The thing that put me off taking any sort of anti-depressant is that you have to take them EVERYDAY for them to work. Only thing I trust with doing that is weed @ nights. With opiates or benzos, you do not have to take daily. And I am extremely careful what I put into my body as I have a full-time job that requires me to be 'straight' - no way I could handle going through any withdraw at work.

I took 1.5mg Etizolam on Saturday, killed my anxiety. (had to meet up with a girl). Find out from asking her in conversation, she is now moving in with her boyfriend, but she tells me that they are 'off and on'. Yeah right >.< which may of effected my feelings I think. Felt depressed Sunday and Monday. Also did feel happy or normal sometimes, I guess it was mood swings. It's now Tuesday and I think I'm coming right. I'm going to wait as long as I can before doing etizolam again. & quickly get over my crush on this girl, she is just liking the attention and trying to egg-me-on, i think.

Would you recommend possibly trying antidepressants? I would only do this from help with a doctor though, but even then i am nervous to talk about it with a doctor because it's just too hard for me to explain.
 
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Just got some 2mg clonazepam which is pretty rare around here. Im interested to see how different it is to the normal xanax I get around here but I like valium more than xanax so I think this clon will be nice as my back has injuries so the muscle relaxing properties should be helpful.

Just hope im not getting a habit coz ive been getting 20, 2mg xanax a week, just got 13, 2mg cloncaz and tomorrow im getting 20, 2mg xanax then every week after that I can get 20, 2mg xanax(all legally of course!). Its fucked coz im legitemetly extremely panicy and anxious but I dont want a habit again. Its weird, I have a big tolerance, I went into detox for using like 16mg+ xanax a day a few months ago, now about 4 months later I started using 4mg and that was 'just' working. Benzos are losing their effectiveness at any dose anyway :/

Just had 10mg clonaz coz I didnt really care if I got sloppy. Im just feeling like ive had a bit of valium.
 
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be careful ketaman. you know how easy it is to become dependent, if not addicted, when youre a long term user. ime clonazepam has pretty decent muscle relaxation properties but personally valium trumps all.
 
Sorry perhaps I should have said no long term therapeutic use for anxiety. Sorry I was at work and busy and I have a life.

Believe it or not, I've been on a relatively low dose of Xanax for almost 8 years now, and I haven't felt the need to increase. I'm not proud of my "accomplishment" because it's anything but that. And I don't doubt that benzos can ruin lives. In my case however, I guess I'm fortunate that my body appears to be well off with a lower dose.

I've been on it since October 2005 for Panic Disorder.

If there is one adverse long-term effect I can think of (apart from physical dependency) regarding chronic use of Xanax for years, it definitely has got be short-term memory problems.

In the end however, both I and my doctor believe the benefits still continue to outweigh the risks. And I do plan to attempt to get off eventually, but atm, I've other some other very stressful things to deal with which take precedent.

I will not lie that I have tried in the past to get off. However, the manner in which I did it was wrong - which was basically cold turkey. It's extremely unpleasant, even at the dosages I'm on. I became delirious, and convinced that there was a man with a knife trying to slit my throat. I also had a seizure. The fact that I'm also on Wellbutrin XL may have exacerbated that reaction.

Edit - I believe I started off in early October 2005 with 0.25mg BID. After a month, this was increased to 0.25mg TID. Then in September 2010, my dosage was increased at the behest of my psychiatrist (after we spoke about increasing panic attack frequency due to increasing stress related to a recent promotion at work) to 0.5mg TID. Unless my memory is completely shot, that's the honest to God truth.
 
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@ro4ev The short term memory rapes me, I'm shit as it is being a daily cannabis user.
(@ro4eva u fallout fan, me too).

My friend helped me install a rangehood the other night, same day I got refilled. Anyway we had a beer each whilst doing it, had fun, installed excellently blah blah blah.

Next day I got home from work and couldn't work out how my rangehood had been installed, took me a good few minutes to work it out. Not good, not fun, adds to the stress of wondering whatever the fuck else I've done that night.

Anyone got views on what benzos are best for keeping amnesia away? I mean, I'm pretty sure it's the beer that tipped things off (was a 500ml 9%abv, and I bearly drink these days). And the fact that I'm naughty when I get filled up.

I'm thinking too, it had to do with my low bezo tolerance, had some issues with them a few years back and I try my hardest to steer clear, unless life calls for it, which for some shit reason seems to be a lot lately.
 
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Been eating way too many benzo's the last couple weeks, which has lead to a few fuckups socially, financially and otherwise. Started out with too much free meth but seems I have kept on going well past the comedown... Been off them the last few days and it has really increased my cravings for and tendency to drink through the daytime lately.

For me benzo's cause amnesia pretty equally, the more potent ones are maybe a little worse but that is to be expected given their increased potency. I would say I probably get by the best on diazepam, but that could easily have more to do with the fact that it is the main benzo I use than anything else. Certainly any benzo + alcohol will lead to difficulty with memory for me, not to mention a difficulty to not act like a complete fuckwit more often than not.

Benzo's are great drugs, they have helped me through many stressful periods, bouts of anxiety, detoxing type situations, comedowns and a plethora of other shit, still though, you must respect them or they can bring you twice as much pain as the relief they can give.
 
Any one else get a depressed side-effect from the thienodiazepine - Etizolam?

It's weird. I find it kills anxiety for a LONG time, 8 hours or so. Then wake up with reduced anxiety as well. Nothing works better.

However, it is starting to make me depressed. I've only just started noticing this. I don't take it every day, more like three times a week. I had thought it was just me in bad mood but I'm not so sure? It's feels like Tuesday blues but not as bad. I can't be bothered with anything and feel down-

Nothing else works for anxiety when I need it. Except opiates but not doing them.

Wondering if it is from the Etizolam. I'm not doing any other drugs except weed.

Mate give the etizolam a break. I fucking love this stuff as well but over use and using it to self medicate is just a big no go zone. Try Avanza as it's easy to get a script from a GP and has hypnotic effects and anti-anxiety (knocks me out for a day if I have a full 30 mg dose). It may take up to 2 weeks to clear the etizolam enough so that you can use them again. Depression from over use of them little blue pills is common and means you need a break, probably at least 1 week. That said I tend to use them every now and again and usually in combination with space cakes. Not the best for coming down off stimulants as I find I need 3-4 mg vs 2 mg xanax.

As for the whole black out thing I never mix benzo's and booze. I've blacked out after almost ODing myself on various stimulants/psychedelics/ RC's and taken a handful of bennies to prevent stroke/seizure/heart attack but that has been the drooling laying were you slump kind of black out. Don't usually take them for recreational purposes except maybe the odd space cake n benzo with the predictable result being a drooling stupor/sleep as opposed to any crazy antics.
 
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^^ haha, sorry I shouldn't laugh...

No, go right ahead, it is funny when you look back, my friend thinks its pretty funny.

I think D_M's right, the heavy hitters are the ones that sometimes bring on the amnesia. And Pseudo too about the alcohol.

Never had trouble with diazepam,temazepam and recently oxazepam in this regards. But when your playing with alpra etc etc you should be careful, thats if you like to remember what you did yesterday. And I do.

Kept waking up all week wondering what day it is, and weather I'm heading to work or its the weekend.

I'll be honest in saying I have indulged a little too much, but its because I'm trying to not be so dependent on opiates. It will backfire if I keep it up, sick of all this crazy head shit, and my brain zapps from stopping lexapro last year have returned (always happens when I drop the opiates from whatever shedual (sp?) I'm at.)

I, to be quite honest, hate the amnesia, makes me feel so insecure. I cant remember who I'm in the the good/bad books with or whether im in them at all, if you catch my drift.....
 
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^ I know what you mean dude, I blacked out at a party last weekend and had no idea how I got home or acted before I left. Couldn't fucking get in contact with anybody who was there the day after either, so stressed about it for more than a day before finally getting onto someone and confirming that on that particular occasion I wasn't too much of a twat.

When I was younger it seemed funny and I didn't care to black out, but as the years get on and more and more bridges have been burned as a result of blackouts nothing gives me fucking anxiety worse than waking up with a bad hangover and a lack of memories from the night before.
 
Benzos are a no-go for me on nights out drinking, back when I was a chronic binge drinker I made a fool of myself enough.

I live in a small town, and apparently "I' know a lot of people, that of course I can never remember meeting. They all think I'm funny bloke, and are up for a chat in the street!! Get me on a bad day and i'll look at them like "ah, who the fuck are you". Especially if my doc was't friendly to me that week. I'm not so good at social settings these days without substance (I know this is bad, and I should fix it asap). Especially if I swear I've never met them.

Memory sucks, someone buy me a terrabite external hardrive that sockets into my head. (Christmas wish-list maybe).
 
Yeah I don't mix benzo's and nights out drinking anymore either, sometimes diazepams long ass half-life catches me off guard though. I smoked some meth the night before and chucked back a handful of valium or so to catch some respite in the early hours without thinking about the drinking session 18 hours away.

I know what you mean, I don't really live in that small of a town and I have semi moved away from the area that used to be my old stomping ground, but I used to have people come up to me all the time all friendly and shit like I knew them and I could hardly remember any of them. Back then though it was more cannabis, alcohol and MDMA that were fucking with my memory than benzo's and grog. Seemed like back in those days I had the memory of a fucking goldfish, I distinctly rememer walking home one time after a really messy night on the E's and my best mate from school pulled up next to me, instead of recognizing him (he didn't look any different lol) I was preparing myself for a fight convinced some random guy had pulled up to rob me...
 
Ha, would have been interesting if you'd had a swing at him, lol.

Yep, have to agree with the MDMA and grog. Think I just got carried away in the wrong thread, lol.

Da good ol days. Too many tales to tell , don't think my stomachs in the mood for laughing so hard from remembering.

Face palms hurt too, not at first, but after a heap of em
 
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