Benzos INSANE Benzo tolerance?

[Shankar96]

Hi friends,

The first time I took a benzo, (Xanax) over two years ago, I had an experience I will never forget. I had trouble sleeping, and a family member gave me a half of a Xanax (0.5mg) I will never forget the euphoria and the drowsiness I experienced and how easy it was to fall asleep. I was hooked. Fast forward two years, and now I have been diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder and my doctor has prescribed me 0.5mg Lorazepam pills. Up until this point, my family member has been giving me small amounts of Xanax for me to take in order to fall asleep at night. So at this point, I had been taking approx 1-2mg of Xanax maybe 2-4 times a week to fall asleep, (and occasionally to stop an LSD trip when I was coming down). So now, when I take 2mg of Xanax I feel very sedated still, but not particularly euphoric or tired at all.

So, my question is particularly aimed at people who have tried many different types of Benzos. What amount of Lorazepam would I need to take to give me a similar effect as the Xanax? Right now, taking 0.5mg of Lorazepam only takes an edge off the anxiety but doesn't seem to provide any euphoria or sedation whatsoever. And I can't just be popping Lorazepam left and right because he only prescribed me 25 or so of them to last me from now until early February.

I've been desperately trying to quit benzos for a while in order to lower my tolerance, but even after periodic breaks of 3 weeks to a month, I take 2mg Xanax and it feels as if my tolerance has not decreased at all? Does anyone else have trouble with benzo tolerance? What benzos have you tried and do you notice a cross-tolerance or a difference?

Anyways, any opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Trying not to get addicted to Benzos, but damn do I love my Xannies - when they work, anyways.

 

[Neithman]

when taken for a sustainted time,benzos develelop a strong base tolerance which takes months/years to go away depending on total amount and time the substance has been taken.I would suggest to take a longer break,maybe 3 months and your tolerance will be lowered.
i would also strongly advise against taking LSD at this age when you are diagnosed with GAD,because it tends to only make it worse or/and will get you more personality disorders over time.

 

[tricomb]

3 weeks to a month is nowhere near long enough to undo the 'damage' / changes you imposed on your GABAergic receptors. Have no clue what you're talking about benzodiazepines causing euphoria, how you can get "very sedated" but "not tired at all" given that they are essentially synonymous, or what part of your tolerance is "insane". Also, if you're trying to quit benzos then why are you asking for suggestions for other benzos?

 

[Shankar96]

I will definitely take a longer break from Benzos. I think the euphoria caused by benzos could just be the general feelings of goodness that come from the anxiety finally going away? I didn't mean to imply my tolerance was insane, I guess I should have worded the topic differently. I just thought it was a little crazy how a month could offer little to no difference in tolerance. I didn't mean I wanted to quit Benzos altogether - just for enough time to lower my tolerance so I don't have to take as much as 2mg to feel the effects. And by sedated, I mean I feel drowsy, and it feels a little wobbly to walk around, but it doesn't put me to sleep. I'm not physically dependent on them by any means.

And at Neithmans post, isn't LSD supposed to greatly reduce anxiety? I have noticed that on my LSD trips my anxiety completely vanishes and the relief that feeling causes is beautiful. No drug has even come close to ridding my anxiety the way LSD has. But yes I am aware of the concerns of possible personality problems LSD can cause, would you think MDMA is a better alternative, at least in the realm of treating anxiety?

Thanks for your replies everyone, I appreciate it!

 

[Neithman]

No it is even worse because mdma actually drains the chemicals that make it possible to feel happy,free of anxiety.Sure a one time great experience CAN have a therapeutic effect because you may find ways to cope with the mechanism that leads to the anxiety or you may realize the roots of anxiety which is usually rooted in traumatic events in relation to the people that surround you in school/family but can also have other reasons.For this it is best to go in a good therapy and talk with someone who understands the topic more clearly and who can work with you that you learn to cope with the anxiety.
Taking drugs with any other goal than having fun is very dangerous and tends to make problems worse in the long run and mdma also cause strong chemical inbalance with repeated use.Of course Lsd has the potential to solve your problems but it takes only one bad Trip and your anxiety problems will come back with full force and on top of that you have the chance to develop ptsd.What im saying with this that youre basically playing with fire and from own experience i can tell that no one should take psychedelics with underlying problems.
Imo The best way to solve your anxiety problems is constant workout because it will naturally raise your levels of chemicals like endorphins(your bodys opioids),Dopamin which will raise your confidence,self awareness,and GABA.You will notice that over time you can view your problems and your anxiety with more distance and understand why you get anxious.If you like animals i would strongly advise to buy a dog,from my own experience it helps really alot,because a dog will never betray you or give you negative feedback but he also needs your care and your attention and its a task that helps you forget your problems

 

[Invisible Helper]

No mdma nor LSD are gonna help your anxiety neither are benzos. You're looking for a magic pill or magic chemical to fix your problem like every American . You need to fix the core of the problem not put bandages over it. You need to tap into the core of why you're anxious when you get anxiety and try to resolve the problem itself rather than mask it with chemicals cause the problem is still there , and once the benzos are gone you gotta face them anyways except better off facing it with GABA receptors that aren't worn out ...

 

[Shankar96]

I appreciate what you guys are saying - I didn't mean to give off the idea that one of these chemicals would "magically" fix my problems. I'm very aware of the root of my anxiety - the way my parents have been treating me, and our family since high school. The constant pressure to be successful. The way my mom's actions have completely torn my family apart and that I don't particularly have a "home" in the sense that it is a comfortable place to be. I'm very much aware that this is the cause of my anxiety and I am not looking for a magical fix. I don't think my anxiety will ever truly go away until I am finished with college and have fulfilled my own expectations of myself. I have only taken MDMA once and am well aware of it's effects, how it drains serotonin, and how it takes a good amount of time for the body to create more. I also tested it with the marquis and folin reagents and only took a moderate dose of 120mg.

Neithman, I greatly, greatly appreciate your advice and will definitely take it into consideration. What I have been doing since the semester ended is completely eliminate sugar from my diet (well, maybe not sugar, but sweets - at the dining hall I never take cookies, cake, soda, ice cream, anything of that nature), I don't drink alcohol, I haven't drank soda in over six months, I have been taking vitamin supplements to ensure that I am well nourished, and I am even taking different herbs such as Ashwaganda Root and curcumin (an extract from Turmeric) at the recommendation of my grandma. I only drink water, and always keep it near me. I've recently started working out every single day, and I can say that it has made a drastic difference - and it has only been a few week since I started this regiment, who knows how much better I will feel in the future.

Invisible helper, I will definitely be leaving benzos behind for the foreseeable future and try to only use them if the anxiety ever becomes so unbearable that I feel the need to take one. I probably have, at the beginning of my drug use, sought to use the drugs as a crutch, as a magical pill to fix all my problems, but I know now after trying these substances that that is a stupid notion and one that won't get me anywhere, except maybe rehab for benzo addiction, if such a thing exists. I just had to at the very least try these chemicals, especially after reading so much research with MDMA and how it has been successfully used to treat PTSD and whatnot. I couldn't ignore it. My only reason for trying LSD was simply the curiosity. Again, you read so many beautiful experiences and trip reports about people finding the answers to questions that they have tried for so long to answer. Through my trips, I've found answers to important questions in my life, such as my purpose in life, the purpose for existence, among other things. I've always been wary of embarking on such journeys when I'm in a negative mental state, and thankfully I've not yet had a bad trip. Sadly, I've not had any particularly notable lasting beneficial or negative effects from the drug though. That being said, one cannot deny the impact and the power of such experiences on the mind and soul of an individual. They are so incredibly meaningful and I would never take back an LSD trip, as even the ones that weren't particularly beneficial to me were still very positive, joyful experiences.

Thanks again for the replies, I really appreciate it!