Treating Benzo withdrawal Symptom

[Valium]

I'd like to hear from people who have or are detoxing from benzos:

I am current detoxing for a 1/4 gram diazepam, and wondering if there are any other medications to treate the more severe symptoms. Carispiradol doesnt help the twitch, i have yet to try flexeril, and i KNOW phenobarbital works wonders, but is more addictive than the benzo itself. I know neurontin, and chloral hydrate have been used as well. Im not looking for so much a sleep aid, but rather something to deal with the physical twitching and discomfort. Any ex-benzo addicts have some insight that has helped them?

- negro

I have tried Neurontin and the others in that happy list, but they did not remove the discomfort and cravings. I have been through it all in that sense - have taken every single med used for benzo detox. But unfortunately, the only thing that helps (and as you said, 'works wonders') is indeed phenobarbital. I detoxed from a 10mg xanax habit [took it in lower doses, from 3-5mg for about 5 months before and then 10mg for 2-3 months] in a period of 3 weeks with pheno. I also used 250mg of Depakote ER to 'stabilize' myself, and that helped as well.

The thing with pheno is that you can go down on the dosage very quickly [on both the pheno and the benzo]. I started out with 150mg twice daily and after 5 days went down to 100 twice daily. 5 days later, lo and behold i was taking 50mg thrice daily, and in a week I was down to 100mg a day. Another week was all it took to get down to 50-75mg a day [divided in small doses throughout the day], and after that, I would take 2mg valiums in the most dire of emergencies, to relieve the angst that comes after you complete detox. So in short...phenobarbital is, in my professional benzo-junkie opinion, the best method by far; no twitching, no anxiety [I feel it's a better anxiolytic than any benzo out there], no insomnia...nothing.

 

[twgburst]

I wish you the best with your detox, My exgirlfriend detoxed off a
30-40mg daily alprazolam dose, as well as 70 mgs of methadone at the same time, cold turkey. She was in a hospital of course, but said it was the worst month of her life. Hopefully you can gradually get yourself to a low enough dose to where you don't have to worry about dying from wd.

 

[BlackOut]

30-40 mgs of ALPRAZOLAM? You sure?

And about using GHB: I really don't think it is particularly effective in wds because of its short halflife. You would have to keep check of adiministration constantly, and the risk of overdosing is increased if used this way. Stick with long-acting meds.

 

[PhorIndicator]

I would stick with staying on Valium untill at least 50mg or so [with an eventual switch to most likely Ativan and down to Librium eventually], I would reduce my taper from 10% to about 5% once I hit the 100mg mark, which would leave me roughly at 1mg per day reduction. I also would cater my doses toward a 2 day withdrawl response dose [meaning I would have my dose staggered in a way that would allow for the greatest amount of reduction of dosage for 1-2 days and on the 2nd-3rd day returning to my staple dose that would hold w/d's at bay. This way I get to push the envelope of reducing my dosage and getting my body used to a reduction only to return to my standard dosage 2 days later before any major w/d symptoms would persist. Confusing, I know but anyways.

Once I was comfortable in a slow reduction I would once a week take a 10% overall/in one day decrease of my dosage [its a hell of alot easier to do this when you are still on a high'ish dose, rather than when you really start to get into it and your at around 30-40mg daily, that would be the time I would make a switch to a different benzo. Reasoning behing the switch? So I would change the schedual on what my body received drug-wise with the ultimate goal in mind being the hope that it would make the ultimate cessation of taking a benzo easier by switching up the actual intake of '____-such-and-such-a-drug', in the same matter of thinking switching from Nasal doses of white heroin to nasal dosages of tar heroin, as something might click in my head aiding in my attempt to cease taking the drug completely.

I would use a long acting benzo such as Librium, Tranxene, or possibly Klonapin as an aid in smoothly dropping that 10% in one day. Once I got onto a lower more manageable dosage [when definite noticeable w/d feelings are brought on by a tiny reduction such as 1mg/.01mg valium/ativan, i.e. dosage range: 30mg of Valium/3mg Ativan] I would use a phenobarbital preparation [liquid or injections] as a mode to alleviate w/d symptoms and prevent seizing. OK I am starting to ramble...

Negro, this is obviously probably the most obvious advice.... I assumed you were asking about ways to help benzo withdrawals without the actual use of other benzodiazepines.

If you're going to use another benzo to taper with (which I would HIGHLY reccomend, personally, although it might be difficult getting your psych (or addictionologist) to rx such a large dose of benzos... 2000 mg diazepam. lol) I would DEFINITELY use klonopin, without a doubt. It is the longest acting of all benzos, and has the mildest withdrawal symmptoms, and can be tapered very easily, although it will take a longer time to taper.
I have personally tapered using klonopin twice from an addiction xanax.

I would NOT use ativan (you know this already, ativan is a fairly fast acting benzo) and i would not use librum either, it's only 48 hours half-life (which you already know). Klonopin is, hands down, the best benzo to taper with (at least off other benzos). Alcohol is a different story.

Asode from that, as someone posted earlier, I would take massive quantities of gabapentin (Neurontin) and massive amounts of GABA supplements. Also, another excellent supplement to take which I always use when tapering from any benzo is B-Complex vitamins. Take shitloads of them. When an alcoholic is going through the DTs, the one of the first things the Doctor will do is give him an IV of B-complex.

 

[himynameis]

edit:

Pot...

I find that pot helps extremely well during benzo w/d's especially when taken with Sonata, Ambien or something of the sorts. On the other hand I find pot to be very unhelpful during opiate w/d's. Only way I suppose is to smoke and find out for yourself.

I can't agree with you on the benzo level as I have never detoxed a heavy benzo habit, BUT...

I HAVE used pot for comfort/relaxation/getfuckinstonedoutmymind to alleviate pains/irritations from the dreaded opiate/opioid w/d's and I will say this..........

EVERYONE is different, our healths... are all different. What's good for me or you, will kill the person sitting 2 towns over on his PC posting on BL, etc. Case in point -- cannabis has helped & HINDERED me in separate occassions.

My own conclusion to this is relatively simple; for mild to moderate opiate w/d's weed is good in its own right because of its definite power to "space-out" ones mind or distort ones thoughts, alleviating discomforting anxiety, etc. BUT -- for more severe, very real & vivid, w/d's [ie. heroin, oxycodone, methadone, fentanyl], pot just seems to intensify or double the complications experienced at the said time.

With that said, pot will definitely help one person, and ruin the others day (even MORE). ie. if you're anxious, nervous, panicky...... you better prepare yourself for an ALL-OUT panick attack, not the most pleasent thing to experience on top of a .75-1gr (decent quality NE.US dope) daily intake, to relatively cold turkey type conditions...

POT ** USE AT YOUR OWN RISK **

 

[sub-di]

Just wanted to give a thank you for this thread. I will be sure to bookmark it, for one day (maybe soon) I will have to come off Xanax.

Lots of good advice here, but always remember what works for one person may not for another. I'm on 1200mg of Gabapentin daily as well (anti-depressants didn't seem to do the trick for me) but if I run out or forget my Xanax the Gaba doesn't seem to help with any benzo withdrawal symptoms--but again, that's just me.

And good call on the weed: if you're subject to anxiety and panic to begin with (and if you're prescribed a benzo that's pretty much a given) pot can definitely make things worse. It can help with depression. I've had the bad habit of wake and baking way to much because I wake up feeling the Xanax rebound anxiety, and a little bud can get your mind off it. But since pot by itself can cause panic/anxiety attacks in some people, please be careful.

I'm on 3-5mg a day; I can't imagine the dosages some people have listed. All I can say is my WDs from a comparatively small dose are horrible, so I have a taste (a small taste perhaps) of what negro and others are going though. I once went 6 days without my Xanax due to complications getting my prescription filled and probably slept a combined 3-4 hours that week--it's bad enough feeling like hell all day, then finishing your day twisting and turning trying just to lose consciousness to relieve your suffering if but for a short while. It sucks bad, and only those who have experienced it themselves understand how bad it is.

best of luck to all.

 

[gritty404]

i tried flexeril. it made me twitch a little when u stop taking it. it works but it gave me anxiety