Benzo Withdrawals - Am I in Danger?

[DeadheadChemistry]

I've been prescribed xanax for about 6 months. I started out with a dose of 1/2 to 1mg 2 times a day, or basically, 2mg a day because obviously im taking the highest dose allowed as long as I have that option. Well last month I went in to my doctor and asked to be moved up to 1/2 to 1mg 3 times a day, so 3mg a day instead of 2mg. He agreed, and prescribed me 60 pills, which at 3 a day would last 20 days. Well the 20th day comes along and the doc wont refill my script, he tells the nurse to tell me it was supposed to last me 30 days. I was like, what the hell? I'm allowed to take 3 a day, and I did. The nurse says the doctor told me to make it last, but he never did. Anyways eventually I get them to refill it and now I have had to make it last a month. I have a really high tolerance, and I do abuse them. I skip a day and take 6mg's at a time every other day, plus whatever benzo's I get off the street, usually I wind up taking about 6mg's of xanax and 5mg's of klonopin every other day. If I stop cold turkey for about 4-5 days before I can get my script refilled will I be in danger of seizures and all that crap? I know it will be uncomfortable, but i've been through hellish opiate withdrawals and benzos have never even come close to touching how bad that was, but I just basically want to know about the seizure thing. This is just worst case scenario, so far I cant find any extra off the street, but maybe I will before the 4-5 days are up.

 

[Christian Soldier]

yeah there is a possibility.

 

[GenericMind]

Seizures? No.

but i've been through hellish opiate withdrawals and benzos have never even come close to touching how bad that was

Opiate withdrawal is a picnic compared to Benzo withdrawal.

 

[imakickassninja]

You'll probably get headaches and also be slightly irritable, but nobody needs to be on 2 mg of alprazolam a day, just a little advice.

 

[hazejunk]

So you use them every other day? Not every day? If you are not using them every day and don't feel like shit on the days you do not use them ,well then you will be fine.

Good luck

 

[CII~360]

You'll probably get headaches and also be slightly irritable, but nobody needs to be on 2 mg of alprazolam a day, just a little advice.

Um.

Scuse me Dr. imakickassninja
I don't know where you got your PHD, but I am perscribed 2mgs a day because I have an anxiety disorder and yes I do need this to keep the panic attacks at bay.
Yes there are other ways of dealing with them, but considering that this is what the medication was designed for.
Your advice sucks donkey asshole.

And Deadhead,
In the past I have tapered off this dose with little or no trouble. But benzos are one thing you don't want to abuse, especially if you DO need them for medical purposes.
Best of luck to you.

 

[LillyF40]

I've been prescribed xanax for about 6 months. I started out with a dose of 1/2 to 1mg 2 times a day, or basically, 2mg a day because obviously im taking the highest dose allowed as long as I have that option. Well last month I went in to my doctor and asked to be moved up to 1/2 to 1mg 3 times a day, so 3mg a day instead of 2mg. He agreed, and prescribed me 60 pills, which at 3 a day would last 20 days. Well the 20th day comes along and the doc wont refill my script, he tells the nurse to tell me it was supposed to last me 30 days. I was like, what the hell? I'm allowed to take 3 a day, and I did. The nurse says the doctor told me to make it last, but he never did. Anyways eventually I get them to refill it and now I have had to make it last a month. I have a really high tolerance, and I do abuse them. I skip a day and take 6mg's at a time every other day, plus whatever benzo's I get off the street, usually I wind up taking about 6mg's of xanax and 5mg's of klonopin every other day. If I stop cold turkey for about 4-5 days before I can get my script refilled will I be in danger of seizures and all that crap? I know it will be uncomfortable, but i've been through hellish opiate withdrawals and benzos have never even come close to touching how bad that was, but I just basically want to know about the seizure thing. This is just worst case scenario, so far I cant find any extra off the street, but maybe I will before the 4-5 days are up.

Tell your doctor the truth, and have him/her put you on a taper. If your doctor is a decent human being, he/she will not cut you off CT..Benzos are dangerous to CT and IMHO xanax is the worst. Please be careful,6 mg of xanax is a lot. My doc gives me xanax for panic attacks, and I take them very rarely. 30 1mg script lasted me 6 months. I have never taken more than 2mg in one day..''

LillyF40

 

[thisusername]

I've been prescribed xanax for about 6 months. I started out with a dose of 1/2 to 1mg 2 times a day, or basically, 2mg a day because obviously im taking the highest dose allowed as long as I have that option. Well last month I went in to my doctor and asked to be moved up to 1/2 to 1mg 3 times a day, so 3mg a day instead of 2mg. He agreed, and prescribed me 60 pills, which at 3 a day would last 20 days. Well the 20th day comes along and the doc wont refill my script, he tells the nurse to tell me it was supposed to last me 30 days. I was like, what the hell? I'm allowed to take 3 a day, and I did. The nurse says the doctor told me to make it last, but he never did. Anyways eventually I get them to refill it and now I have had to make it last a month. I have a really high tolerance, and I do abuse them. I skip a day and take 6mg's at a time every other day, plus whatever benzo's I get off the street, usually I wind up taking about 6mg's of xanax and 5mg's of klonopin every other day. If I stop cold turkey for about 4-5 days before I can get my script refilled will I be in danger of seizures and all that crap? I know it will be uncomfortable, but i've been through hellish opiate withdrawals and benzos have never even come close to touching how bad that was, but I just basically want to know about the seizure thing. This is just worst case scenario, so far I cant find any extra off the street, but maybe I will before the 4-5 days are up.

bro ive been through cold turkey benzo withdrawls plenty of times. your not going to get a seizure unless your on a mega dose. this is what will happen

1. severe anxiety

2. irritabillity

3. paranoia

4. hallucinations

5. insomnia


you gotta taper bro

 

[Gryzer]

bro ive been through cold turkey benzo withdrawls plenty of times. your not going to get a seizure unless your on a mega dose. this is what will happen

1. severe anxiety

2. irritabillity

3. paranoia

4. hallucinations

5. insomnia


you gotta taper bro

Everyone is different and particularly seeing how the OP obviously has problems with GABA (panic attacks & anxiety issues) I think he has to be seriously concerned about seizure risk. 6 months of use is more than long enough to produce really bad withdrawal unless your in the minority of real lucky people.
I think going cold turkey off 6mg xanax and 5mg klonopin would be insane and possibly produce delirium. The reason he doesn't feel too bad when he skips a day is because klonopins half life is so long, 18-50 hrs seems to be generally accepted with some sources saying up to 60 hrs. I was on the lower end of that scale with full blown withdrawal kicking in within 24-36 hrs and the real bad physical withdrawal lasted exactly 6 days. I went cold turkey on 2mg klonopin after 1 year of use and am pretty sure I came close to a seizure, pins and needles sensations in the brain, cognition totally screwed up and a feeling like I was wearing an iron helmet with intense tightness that suggests some very fucked up electrical activity to me.

I had plenty of myoclonic seizures (muscle twitches, jerks, involuntary movements etc) for 3 weeks afterwards with absolutely no genetic risk for seizures but we are talking grand mal danger here with 11mg of two different benzos, possibly the 2 worst benzos of all to cold turkey off, particularly klonopin as regards to seizure danger as its an epilepsy drug and really saturates body and muscles.. I dunno how many times I've seen ex-heroin/methadone addicts say quiting klonopin was far worse than their habit with possibly the likes of fentanyl only being worse. The intensity of benzo withdrawal mightn't be as bad but the length of it is what really fucks you up. A week of real bad withdrawals from heroin say, possibly months and a danger for 10-15% of a protracted withdrawal meaning maybe 2 fucking years with benzos. If you have legit anxiety issues benzos should be used strictly as medication only as GABA tolerance does not reset itself anywhere near other drugs and the high isn't even that good anyway.

 

[DeadheadChemistry]

Seizures? No.




Opiate withdrawal is a picnic compared to Benzo withdrawal.

Yeah, maybe for some. I was on over 600mg a day of oxycontin, shooting up over 200mg roxicodone and heroin when I could get it (I had stole a year supply of oxy's and roxi's from a pharmacy I worked in), and ran out after 1 year, I would rather have another testicular torsion where it feels like somebody is squeezing your nuts with a pair of plyers as hard as they can and they have to cut your scrotum open and untwist your nuts than go through opiate withdrawals again. I tried to kill myself 3 different ways in opiate withdrawals, took a whole bottle of xanax bars, tried to shoot myself and the gun jammed as my mother walked in, and finally I went completely insane, couldn't stop screaming until my throat was sore and jumped out of a 3 story window and broke both of my legs. I've gone cold turkey off about 4-5mg a day xanax, which I know doesn't compare to 600mg oxycontin but I didn't have much more than some irritabiity, strong cravings, and restlesness. I guess I will find out in a few days if real benzo withdrawal is worse than opiate withdrawal, but it's hard for me to believe anything could be worse than what I went through with the habit I had with opiates.

To everyone else, thank you for the information and suggestions. I am going to try and see if someone I know will trade for my take home of methadone for some benzo's so maybe I can save myself the torment. To LillyF40 who said to tell my doctor to do a taper.... that's probably truly the wisest choice, but I'm an addict.... and addicts don't risk getting their prescription cut off.... at least not until they reach rock bottom, whatever that may be. Maybe this will be rough enough to change my mind.

Also like another poster said, the reason I don't feel horrible the off day is due to the half-life of the klonopin I take. Not to say I feel good, I don't. That day is always more stressful and i'm always more irritable on that day, but I have to do it that way because the methadone clinic counts my pills so I just take 3 out of my bottle when I go in and make it looks like I took them, then the next day I have 6 to take.

Also thank you to everyone for not flaming me for being an idiot (yet). Trust me, I need no re=assurance of that fact after going through opiate hell and getting myself stuck in benzo hell after all I went through.

 

[phatass]

just cop from the street untill you get your refill... and you'll know for next time...

 

[FreedomFry]

^I agree. Go to a college town. There are plenty of rich college kids with head problems you can score benzos off of.

 

[LillyF40]

Yeah, maybe for some. I was on over 600mg a day of oxycontin, shooting up over 200mg roxicodone and heroin when I could get it (I had stole a year supply of oxy's and roxi's from a pharmacy I worked in), and ran out after 1 year, I would rather have another testicular torsion where it feels like somebody is squeezing your nuts with a pair of plyers as hard as they can and they have to cut your scrotum open and untwist your nuts than go through opiate withdrawals again. I tried to kill myself 3 different ways in opiate withdrawals, took a whole bottle of xanax bars, tried to shoot myself and the gun jammed as my mother walked in, and finally I went completely insane, couldn't stop screaming until my throat was sore and jumped out of a 3 story window and broke both of my legs. I've gone cold turkey off about 4-5mg a day xanax, which I know doesn't compare to 600mg oxycontin but I didn't have much more than some irritabiity, strong cravings, and restlesness. I guess I will find out in a few days if real benzo withdrawal is worse than opiate withdrawal, but it's hard for me to believe anything could be worse than what I went through with the habit I had with opiates.

To everyone else, thank you for the information and suggestions. I am going to try and see if someone I know will trade for my take home of methadone for some benzo's so maybe I can save myself the torment. To LillyF40 who said to tell my doctor to do a taper.... that's probably truly the wisest choice, but I'm an addict.... and addicts don't risk getting their prescription cut off.... at least not until they reach rock bottom, whatever that may be. Maybe this will be rough enough to change my mind.

Also like another poster said, the reason I don't feel horrible the off day is due to the half-life of the klonopin I take. Not to say I feel good, I don't. That day is always more stressful and i'm always more irritable on that day, but I have to do it that way because the methadone clinic counts my pills so I just take 3 out of my bottle when I go in and make it looks like I took them, then the next day I have 6 to take.

Also thank you to everyone for not flaming me for being an idiot (yet). Trust me, I need no re=assurance of that fact after going through opiate hell and getting myself stuck in benzo hell after all I went through.

You are not an idiot, dont put yourself down. I am an addict myself,and I know exacally what you are going through considering telling your doctor. Heck I have injured myself on purpose to get drugs at the ER(I hit myself so hard on my face that I broke my cheekbone) I would ask you to PM me, If you need to talk, but I am not a bluelighter yet. What you can do is look at my profile, and click the E Mail..

LillyF40 %)

 

[Gryzer]

try and hold onto a couple of klonopins if you can man or better yet valiums. Give them to a trustworthy non-user if you cant manage that. There may come a day where popping one of those will be like heaven.

 

[doctorcameltoe]

my benzo w/d

what i remember from when i used to take valium or xanax bars on a daily basis ... either 10mg Vs x 3 a day or 2mg bars x 2 a day -- whichever drug was around. this went on for about a month if i remember correctly, one day i remember my friend and i we ran out of benzos all together, not really giving a shit cause we had opiates, coke and some ghb to treat any w/ds (so we thought) -- first time either of us really became dependent on benzos.

i remember the first day i had headaches and was very anxious (smoking crack didn't help that) and towards the end of that first day i felt like pins & needles in the back of my head - same feeling i'd sometimes get when i'd be on adderall for too long. i think we stayed up thru the night just smoking and popping roxis & somas... the next day i felt really "weird" and told my friend that we should really find some benzos so he started calling around. i remember sitting in a chair and a dude came over to pick something up, my friend & i were both talking with him then i remember not saying anything, standing up looking at my friends gf and thats when i blacked out.

i came to a few mins later from what they told me & asked if i was ok? i didn't know wtf happened and didn't remember anything so i asked them why they kept asking me if i was "ok"? thats when they told me that i had a seizure and when i looked down i saw blood all over my shirt & felt the insides of my mouth all chewed up.... i mean that was that, i went to the bathroom & washed my face and we found a connection that got us some valium and we both started a taper although i don't remember exactly how we did it and at what dosage. that was probably the craziest time of my life - the 2 years i lived in FL and the 5 months that i lived with my friend.

def find some benzos if you can to get you through those days because you never know then my advice is to get off that shit asap. at my most recent doctor visit i learned that kpins cause the least amount of harm between them and valium or xanax or anything stronger. so try to taper or perhaps switch if that's possible and go from there. all the best.

 

[DeadheadChemistry]

Thank you all, I have a connection for some xanax but I dont get paid for 2 weeks and I have borrowed money from all my family already. I have no way of getting them.... all I need is 20 bucks and id be fine till the 14th, unfortunately I spent my last 60 bucks on a balloon of heroin that I FUCKING LOST ON THE WAY HOME.

I think i'll go kill myself now. I think I'm kidding.

 

[doctorcameltoe]

Thank you all, I have a connection for some xanax but I dont get paid for 2 weeks and I have borrowed money from all my family already. I have no way of getting them.... all I need is 20 bucks and id be fine till the 14th, unfortunately I spent my last 60 bucks on a balloon of heroin that I FUCKING LOST ON THE WAY HOME.

I think i'll go kill myself now. I think I'm kidding.

find some friends to lend u some cash.... go to the pawn shop.... or fill out an application for an online loan. three options for quick cash that i've used in the past.

-cameltoe

 

[i enjoy stuff]

Opiate withdrawal is a picnic compared to Benzo withdrawal.

This says it all. Of course, it all depends on how heavily each respective substance is being used. But benzo use, in the long term, has no equal in terms of danger with stoppage.

As a side note... I know that I'll be on at least 2mg of klonopin and 1mg of ativan for the rest of my life. I know it's not a lot, but it curbs the social anxiety for which my doc has found no other solution for me. I can live with this. It helps me with stuff. Helps me with women, helps me with financial stress, helps me feel less anxious. It's a possibility that it will increase to 3mg klonopin a day with the 1mg ativan at my disposal for very stressful situations. By that, I mean I always eat 1mg ativan a day regardless.

Being married to Lady Benzo has unequaled consequences under the following conditions:
1) Abuse her.
2) Leave her.
3) Do both and she'll take you for all you're worth.

 

[Mr Blonde]

If you need to make the Rx last all month, then stop abusing them perhaps?

 

[UptownOG]

I've been prescribed xanax for about 6 months. I started out with a dose of 1/2 to 1mg 2 times a day, or basically, 2mg a day because obviously im taking the highest dose allowed as long as I have that option. Well last month I went in to my doctor and asked to be moved up to 1/2 to 1mg 3 times a day, so 3mg a day instead of 2mg. He agreed, and prescribed me 60 pills, which at 3 a day would last 20 days. Well the 20th day comes along and the doc wont refill my script, he tells the nurse to tell me it was supposed to last me 30 days. I was like, what the hell? I'm allowed to take 3 a day, and I did. The nurse says the doctor told me to make it last, but he never did. Anyways eventually I get them to refill it and now I have had to make it last a month. I have a really high tolerance, and I do abuse them. I skip a day and take 6mg's at a time every other day, plus whatever benzo's I get off the street, usually I wind up taking about 6mg's of xanax and 5mg's of klonopin every other day. If I stop cold turkey for about 4-5 days before I can get my script refilled will I be in danger of seizures and all that crap? I know it will be uncomfortable, but i've been through hellish opiate withdrawals and benzos have never even come close to touching how bad that was, but I just basically want to know about the seizure thing. This is just worst case scenario, so far I cant find any extra off the street, but maybe I will before the 4-5 days are up.

Hey DeadheadChemistry- i'm going through basically the same thing you are, except I've been on xanax and klonopin for about 15 months, not daily but weekly...and have just started to kick. the problem is psychological cravings, I was also addicted to heroin in the 90's and the withdrawl cannot compare. Sure, there is some muscle cramping, sweats and uncomfortable physical symptoms, but as you said they pale in comparison to opiate comedown. I've taken 3 days off and its REALLY hard to stay off, because i can get them with almost no trouble. I have a klonopin script, but my real problem is with sticks because of the immediate and heavy "high." I heard seizures are possible, but it really is a roll of the dice...they either will or won't happen. Let me know how it goes man, hope you get thru it1