Timeline for taking Benzos and no WD

[Kratomcody]

Hi All:
How long can you take benzos in a row and safely stop without any wd? How many days? I am prescribed Valium for anziety but rarley take it. However, the next 3 weeks I will need to take a 10MG per day for an anixety induced work setting.. Long story.. But anyway, is it safe to take for 3 weeks and get off w no WD? And I dont like Benzos so I dont want to take it so my question is just will you be phsycially ok to stop.. If not, how long can one take them w/o any WD when stopping?

 

[shreddedlettuce]

But anyway, is it safe to take for 3 weeks and get off w no WD? And I dont like Benzos so I dont want to take it so my question is just will you be phsycially ok to stop..

The main answer is No.

The smartass answer is (There will be withdrawal if taken daily for three weeks whether you like benzos or not.)

If not, how long can one take them w/o any WD when stopping?

It depends on the benzo.A long acting benzo (Diazepam/Valuim) stays in your system for many days, whereas a short acting benzo (Alprazolam/Xanax) would stay in your system for many hours. And we don't know what type of benzo you are referring to.

As a "global" answer for all benzos, I would say that you plan a "timeline" idea of how long you would be using them and include a taper into that timeline. This would reduce WD.

But the only true answer to your question would be Never.

Everything else depends on different strokes for different folks.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

Everyone is different, every benzo is different, and it depends on the doses you are taking and how often, your metabolism, your unique brain and body, whether or not you have dependent on any GABAergics or alcohol before, etc. Physiological dependence is a very complicated thing - it's definitely not as simple as saying something like "dependence starts after X weeks of use". If you are going to take 10mg Valium per day (and I have no idea whether you mean just 1x a day or multiple doses totaling 10mg per day), for 3 weeks you should taper off of it when you stop.

 

[DavidWhy]

If you HAVE to take them, take them. You won't get devastating withdrawals from 3 weeks on 10mg of diazepam. You say you don't like benzos so I am guessing these are doctor prescribed so at least you have them to see after the 3 weeks and they will give you a taper. You won't need a long taper from that amount I don't think.

I read an extract from the Ashton manual a bit ago and apparently it says that addiction can occur after only 2 weeks, but people coming off who have been on them for less than 8 weeks are not likely to have particularly bad WD's.

 

[shreddedlettuce]

but people coming off who have been on them for less than 8 weeks are not likely to have particularly bad WD's.

Where did it say that?

 

[Swimmingdancer]

^^I can't find that statement anywhere in the Ashton Manual, but it does make sense that someone taking a benzo for less than 8 weeks is going to have milder withdrawals/ an easier time getting off them than someone who takes them longer. Ashton does say "benzodiazepines should in general be reserved for short-term use (2-4 weeks only)" and that "psychological and physical dependence can develop within a few weeks or months of regular use".

Maybe you saw this article (which is not actually from the Ashton Manual but references Ashton and several others)?

The rate at which people become dependent and to what degree differs. As a general rule people who have been on benzodiazepines a short while for example less than 8 weeks should usually be able to reduce their dose fairly quickly whereas those who have been on benzodiazepines for years or especially decades may need to reduce their benzodiazepines very slowly perhaps taking up to 4 or even 6 weeks in more severe cases between cuts. However, there are always exceptions to the rule and some people become rapidly and significantly physically dependent on benzodiazepines after only a matter of weeks of use and there are others who have taken benzodiazepines for years who are only moderately dependent and can reduce quicker than those who have been on benzodiazepines for a shorter time. This reinforces the fact that tapering advice given by organisations and representatives of organisations and healthcare professionals can only be taken as an educated guess.[source]

Anyway, the medical literature can't agree on how long it takes to build a dependence or the likelihood of dependence.

I read one study that found that after 8 weeks of daily use of alprazolam 60% of the people they studied experienced withdrawal and/or re-bound symptoms.

Another source said:

Benzodiazepine therapy can give rise to physiologic and psychologic dependence based on the drug's dosage, duration of therapy and potency. Thus, dependence will develop sooner (such as in one to two months) in a patient who is taking a high dosage of a high-potency agent such as alprazolam than in a patient who is receiving a relatively low dosage of a long-acting, low-potency agent such as chlordiazepoxide.
Some elements of withdrawal are believed to occur in a majority of patients who have taken therapeutic dosages of benzodiazepines for more than a few months, although the severity of withdrawal symptoms generally depends on the amount of the original dosage, the rate at which the dosage is tapered, the selection of patients and the definition of withdrawal symptoms
[source]

Another factor they didn't mention is what the patient is using the benzo for, that can have an effect on dependence/withdrawal/rebound symptoms.

One review says:

It became clear that use [of benzos] beyond 3-6 months was associated with a clear withdrawal syndrome when dosage reduction or discontinuation was attempted. [source]

Other studies/reviews that state wildly different timelines and liklihoods for development of withdrawal symptoms upon cessation, for example one said only 27% of people taking benzos for an average of 3.5 yrs got withdrawals, which I find extremely hard to believe and wonder how they determined that. One thing to keep in mind is that they all define withdrawals differently and many do not include rebound symptoms (the return of original symptoms but worse, sometimes far worse) as "withdrawal symptoms", and some don't include non-observable symptoms.

Benzos are also known to cause kindling, so someone coming off relatively short-term use of benzos for the first time will have much less severe withdrawals than someone who has been dependent on benzos before.

 

[ATLGIRL]

Honestly I am just gonna claim personal experience because that's all I got to go on. When I run out, I feel like shit for a couple of days, can't seem to self-soothe but give it 3-4 days, I am okay after. I take like 90 1mg lorazepam in a 3-4 day period.

 

[Pagey]

I wouldn't recommend taking them daily for 3 weeks but if you need them go ahead, you won't by any means have strong WD symptoms after that period of time. You might feel a bit shit for a couple days but nothing life-threatening, which isn't always the case with benzos. I just hope you'll continue not to like thme.

 

[RobotRipping]

if it's your first time with benzos 3 weeks is fine, one month max. 2 months you'll get some mild withdrawals, after 6 months you'll be praying for death. It's a dangerous game (i say this as 4mg kpin are kicking in).

 

[shreddedlettuce]

The best way is to include a taper period into your supply, stick to it and you'll be fine.