Benzos Xanax Rebound Anxiety?

[caliboi123]

I have been taking Xanax on and off for about 2 years. I will use them for 3 or 4 days heavily (usually 2-4mg per day), then stop for a WHILE, then repeat. My question is, How long does the rebound anxiety last after each binge. Its hard to gauge for me sometimes, but does it get longer each time I use the drug?

 

[tricomb]

I was on it at very high doses for years and even now almost a year after getting off I still feel benzo PAWS.

 

[Znegative]

Yeah, long term use can be brutally, I did them for a year straight once amd detoxed off of them and methadone simultaneously, I don't know what PAWS was the opiates, and what PAWS was from the Xanax, but that was a good seven or so months of misery.

 

[tricomb]

Yep mine is steadily fading, but still after what I've been through I wouldn't recommend benzos to anyone except the minority who actually require them to function at some level within society, (and yes, everyone on benzos THINKS they're part of this minority, but I guarantee most are not) it's so hard to see people get off this shit, and some never do.

 

[ErgicMergic]

I agree with Tricomb and Znegative, but don't get discouraged! Even the worst of Benzo PAWS symptoms gets significantly better after 6 months, which is no time at all if you think about it.

The main thing to keep in mind is that you need to give your GABA receptors time to rest and heal themselves, which means no alcohol or benzos. If you absolutely have to use benzos, try keep your use to two regular doses a week, don't binge on them.

 

[tricomb]

One reason my PAWS is so bad is I that I was taking daily what most people take in 10 days.

 

[jazz hands]

Be careful, one of these days, rebound anxiety will probably turn into actual withdrawal, especially if you string together two or three uses like that without enough time between. In my experience though, taking high doses in shorter bursts creates more rebound anxiety but less addiction than taking lower doses more frequently. Just beware of pushing your limits with this drug because it really is terrible if you go too far.

 

[burn out]

I agree with Tricomb and Znegative, but don't get discouraged![b[ Even the worst of Benzo PAWS symptoms gets significantly better after 6 months, which is no time at all if you think about it.[/b]

This is completely untrue. My benzo withdrawal symptoms did not even begin to improve the slightest bit until 18 months. Maybe you got better at six months but you can't just assume everyone heals at the same rate as you.

 

[tricomb]

As I said in my post, it's been much more than 6 months and I'm still living with PAWS.

 

[Znegative]

This is completely untrue. My benzo withdrawal symptoms did not even begin to improve the slightest bit until 18 months. Maybe you got better at six months but you can't just assume everyone heals at the same rate as you.

Yes it all depends on how long you've been using, and what type of benzo you've been using. My only experience has been with Xanax, which is short acting, but I imagine PAWS from something like Diazepam could last an insanely long time. One thing I forgot to address in my first post though, was that short, heavy binging on Xanax or related drugs is really dangerous, and even after a few days, if you've been using enough, and really just cut yourself off without a taper, you definately run the risk of a seizure.

If you're going to use benzo's always try to taper when you decide it's time to quit, even if it's a short binge. Having a few clonazepams on hand can be a lifesaver, litterally.

 

[jazz hands]

This is completely untrue. My benzo withdrawal symptoms did not even begin to improve the slightest bit until 18 months. Maybe you got better at six months but you can't just assume everyone heals at the same rate as you.

Weren't you using heroin too though after you quit benzos? Maybe I have you confused with someone else...

 

[Mycotheologist]

This is completely untrue. My benzo withdrawal symptoms did not even begin to improve the slightest bit until 18 months. Maybe you got better at six months but you can't just assume everyone heals at the same rate as you.

It depends entirely on how long you were on it and what doses you were taking. Someone who has been on 5mg of xanax daily for 10 years will obviously take longer to recover than someone who has been on 0.5mg for 2 months.

 

[tricomb]

And that if you sampled 100 people who had been on it for 5mg for 10 years and 100 other people who took 0.5mg for 2 months, I would imagine you would find a high degree of variance.

 

[Swain]

That high of a dose for years will have more than rebound anxiety. I can't imagine man.. I was taking 4-6mg daily for only a few months and the withdrawals were worse than any dope withdrawals i've ever had.

 

[Deblanc]

Man, I was on diazepam at 30mg/day for about 3 years and the PAWS was brutal, at least a year before I felt like I could move forward with my life, and even then it would creep up. Xanax and I had a brief but potent affair, at around 5-10 mg/day for a few months and the PAWS for me wasn't as bad as calling a friend to tell them something important, having dead air on the line, and hearing "You told me that last week AND the week before." Amnesia is soul-killing.

 

[Non Nobis Solum]

I've been on Xanax and Klonopin for over a year and at 4mg each a day dose and I am not physically addicted to them, I do not abuse them and RX last longer than written. I guess I'm smart and or lucky.

 

[tricomb]

Man, I was on diazepam at 30mg/day for about 3 years and the PAWS was brutal, at least a year before I felt like I could move forward with my life, and even then it would creep up. Xanax and I had a brief but potent affair, at around 5-10 mg/day for a few months and the PAWS for me wasn't as bad as calling a friend to tell them something important, having dead air on the line, and hearing "You told me that last week AND the week before." Amnesia is soul-killing.

^This!! Seriously, there's nothing worse than that feeling, to which you reply.... "oh.... I'm sorry, I have to go." then stare at the phone and try to remember why you're upset.

shit fucks with your mind