Why does it take years for alcohol addiction to develop but only weeks for benzos?

[behindblueeyes]

I'm asking cause they work in similiar ways and are cross tolerant.

I also ask because of a personal issue... I am RX'd klonopin and take it about 2-3 times a week at 1mg a day at most, but this past memorial day weekend I drank for 4 nights straight (didn't take klonopin since friday night), and now it is tuesday and took a .5 klonopin to get through the day as I have horrible GAD and panic (esp after a night of drinking).

Since they are cross tolerant would this increase my likelihood of getting some kind of rebound anxiety from the alcohol/klonopin? My anxiety in general is very bad (almost unbearable) and hope I am not putting myself in deeper shit.

 

[TheLostBoys]

Was there a study done of how long it takes to get addicted to alcohol? Ive seen people drink like alcoholics their 1st year in college.

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

There is no way to know when you've become dependent until you begin to start feeling withdrawals. Nobody can tell you when. But yes, I have noticed from watching many of my friend's substance abuse problems over the years (as well my own) that it is much easier & quicker to become dependent upon benzodiazepines than it is with alcohol. I don't know why this is, maybe because you can't dose alcohol properly but benzos you know the exact dose you are taking. The habit of popping a pill seems much easier than pouring some drinks. I don't like the taste of drinking while I very much like the minty taste of clonazepam, not that it has to do with anything. I'm an EX-alcoholic and drug addict. I'll tell you that I became dependent upon benzos much quicker than it took with drinking alcohol.

And as far as your other question goes, yes the rebound anxiety will be worse if you take benzodiazepines with alcohol than just drinking alcohol.

 

[Korn3x]

I get bad anxiety after a heavy night of drinking. i pretty much don't drink as heavily as i used to because of this. This was only after massive quantities of alcohol though (much more than the average consumer).

lately i've been learning my limit, and i've been able to drink MUCH more frequently as a result. try not to drink for extended periods of time (i used to just drink for hours and hours, and drink as much as i could every time in my early college years. waking up with the shakes is not fun, and there's been days where i literally had to lay in bed the entire next day due to bad alcohol-induced anxiety).

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

Benzodiazepines + alcohol = Bad idea (doesn't exercise good harm reduction...even though many people ignore this...I used to as well.)

 

[panic in paradise]

i drank for most of my life, once i started a klonopin script i had never drank so much before. it seemed that they just boosted each others tolerance up and up into an intense physical tolerance/addiction like i have never known in a matter of 2-3 months.

then w/d-ing from the alcohol, when ever i would need to take a klonopin this would seem to instigate the physical w/d symptoms from the alcohol upon its on-set.. this was of no help for DT's i was experiencing as it seems it should.

went from a pint catching me slurring, to 4-6 pints to only stop the tremors in maybe at the most 70 days.


ive had to notice, and feel it worth throwing out there that: it appears to me that benzos suppress the sub-conscience, while alcohol magnifies it.

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

I was a relatively bad alcoholic who abused benzos but I've never suffered from DT's before. I've gone through convulsions before and don't know if I'd call it seizures. I don't know what the difference would be. I was able to prevent withdrawals because if I had no alcohol I'd just pop 4-6mg and be good for about 12 hours. I had a script for 8mg/day so I had easy access. I also had a massive tolerance. When I ran out of benzos I'd drink like a fish. All day. But it was hard for me to get alcohol because I was only 20. My friends wife was the main source so I'd have to be real nice to her so she would get it. She'd buy tons at a time. In which I needed it.

 

[hydroazuanacaine]

alcohol is often trumped up as extremely physically addicting drug. people love to say how withdrawal from it can be fatal. and they are correct, it can be. but in my experience and observations, significant physical dependence on alcohol is a (very negative) feat to achieve. it does not mean that the issue should be ignored, and it seems once an individual in physically dependent they are very far gone and in a very bad place. but i think the mentally addictive aspects of alcohol should be of more concern to a non-problematic drinker, not physical dependence.

Since they are cross tolerant would this increase my likelihood of getting some kind of rebound anxiety from the alcohol/klonopin?

^i do not understand this question? the use of GABAergic drugs is associated with rebound anxiety, as you have noticed from your drinking. that said, if i drink heavily on a night out, i have horrible anxiety the next day. if i take my prescribed low-dose of klonopin, i do not experience significant rebound anxiety the next day. i can only imagine higher doses and more frequent use would dramatically change that.

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

if i take my prescribed low-dose of klonopin, i do not experience significant rebound anxiety the next day. i can only imagine higher doses and more frequent use would dramatically change that.

Klonopin has a long half-life and a long duration so rebound anxiety is less likely, especially in low doses. It stabilizing. I used to take it for insomnia/anxiety as well.

 

[laCster]

because drinking produces hangovers and benzos don't....atleast for me. and i can be zonked out during the day and still be able to function on benzos but allcohol is a whole different story. most of the time when i get too drunk i do stupid shit and fucking hate myself the next day but i've never really done that on just benzos. i never over indulge on benzos but frequently drink too much....

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

because drinking produces hangovers and benzos don't....atleast for me. and i can be zonked out during the day and still be able to function on benzos but allcohol is a whole different story. most of the time when i get too drunk i do stupid shit and fucking hate myself the next day but i've never really done that on just benzos. i never over indulge on benzos but frequently drink too much....

I think I'm able to function better on benzodiazepines also, I make an ass of myself when I drink too much alcohol. If I take an equivalent amount of benzodiazepines (whatever that be) I'll basically just pass out.

 

[kokaino]

I don't believe that it takes only 2, 3 or even 4 weeks for benzo physical dependence to develop (yeah, there may be some rebound insomnia or anxiety, but no real withdrawal syndrome). Psychological dependence may develop in this short span, but not true physical dependence. It will depend on the benzo and it usually takes at least 6-8 weeks for physical dependence to develop and where withdrawal symptoms, as minor as they may be at the start, begin to show. There are a lot of factors to consider aswell like which benzo as I mentioned already, dosage, and frequency of use.

Now physical dependence occurs quickest and is most intense with strong short-intermediate acting hypnotics such as temazepam, lormetazepam, nimetazepam, flunitrazepam (although it has long-acting metabolites, so it may be the softest among the group), triazolam, brotizolam, loprazolam, and midazolam.

I'd include alprazolam, lorazepam, and bromazepam in this group - but not as intense as the above.

Clonazepam is a long-acting anxiolytic, so it may or may not take longer to develop a physical dependence, but whatever to case, physical withdrawal symptoms are not as intense as with the benzo's mentioned above, but they are much longer in duration.

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

I've read literature that shows withdrawal symptoms from Halcion can appear after only 4 weeks. I think this may have just applied for insomnia and anxiety rebound. Not sure where I even read this.

 

[laCster]

I don't believe that it takes only 2, 3 or even 4 weeks for benzo physical dependence to develop (yeah, there may be some rebound insomnia or anxiety, but no real withdrawal syndrome). Psychological dependence may develop in this short span, but not true physical dependence. It will depend on the benzo and it usually takes at least 6-8 weeks for physical dependence to develop and where withdrawal symptoms, as minor as they may be at the start, begin to show. There are a lot of factors to consider aswell like which benzo as I mentioned already, dosage, and frequency of use.

definitely after 1-3 weeks of daily usage, i only got some rebound anxiety, no shakes or seizures or aches. it was relatively mild, a little more intense than weed w/d, and probably equal to a lyrica w/d.

Now physical dependence occurs quickest and is most intense with strong short-intermediate acting hypnotics such as temazepam, lormetazepam, nimetazepam, flunitrazepam (although it has long-acting metabolites, so it may be the softest among the group), triazolam, brotizolam, loprazolam, and midazolam.

I'd include alprazolam, lorazepam, and bromazepam in this group - but not as intense as the above.

Clonazepam is a long-acting anxiolytic, so it may or may not take longer to develop a physical dependence, but whatever to case, physical withdrawal symptoms are not as intense as with the benzo's mentioned above, but they are much longer in duration.

fter taking temazepam for a week straight, i did notice rebound anxiety and insomnia. it wasnt terrible like the 5month straight benzo fest that i had, but it was still uncomfortable. i feel like that since these drugs hit like a truck rather then a steady release of klonopin is the reason why kpin is a little easier to stop. especially because the drug has a long halflife and is easier to taper. its rather hard to taper with temazepam and i ended up just trying to get high again lol