The trending of benzo posts
 

I just wanted to see if others here see the same pattern I do.

People post that they are mixing benzos and booze, or that they beat booze and are now trying to tackle the benzo beast.

And this is what happens: they post that the anxiety they had from alcohol withdrawal is roaring off the charts when they stop benzos. They say they have the shakes, that they haven't slept for three days, that their heart is pounding like a rabbit's, that they are having auditory hallucinations.

And then they disappear.

And a few weeks later -- heck, sometimes it's a month -- they tell the same story: They ended up gong into full-blown psychosis, they had a series of seizures, they woke up surrounded by cop cars. Sometimes they don't come back at all.

I don't see opiate eaters, crack heads, smack jacks or coke pokes complaining about that kind of crap.

Alcohol withdrawal can kill you. Benzo withdrawal makes you want to kill yourself. I hereby nominate benzos as the worst drug to detox from known to humans. Booze? It takes a week to 10 days to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Opiates? a couple of weeks. Crack or meth? A month? I don't know.

Benzos? The crap hits the fan a couple of weeks after cessation, and deteriorates from there. It's when the drug has clearly detoxed from your body that the withdrawal begins, and then it takes months, and in some cases a year or more, for the brain and body to begin functioning somewhere near normal.

Wicked stuff. Yo, doctor, feeling anxious here, could I get some Valium or Klonopin or Xanax for a few months? I'm kicking the booze here, and ain't feeling so hot? Sure, son...just take it as prescribed, no problems. And good job on the booze.

Benzos for alcohol detox? It's the best way to go, the only sure-fire means to prevent seizures that I know of. FOR A WEEK, that is. But prescribing benzos for any period longer than a week or two is setting people up for a hellish time. I just don't get it.

And rehab facilities don't get it, either. Benzos are not a drug to cold turkey from. They must be tapered slowly over a long period of time to avoid protracted withdrawal symptoms. And that raises the real problem: How do you get an addict to wean themselves from a drug -- which is a very trying, difficult process -- when just a little bit more will ease the pain?

Can I get an Amen?

I've had my script for over ten years, but only use(d) them intermitently, like for hangovers, panic attacts (from hangovers) for anxiety at work, or just with alcohol back when i drank, oh to help we sleep sometimes now. But the amount of them i take isn't enough to get hooked

I agree. I do know people who take them once a week or so, and they don't get into problems with them

On the other hand, I know people on low doses who take them every day and struggle mightily to get off of them and suffer withdrawal symptoms for long periods of weeks and months and even years.

They are drugs that are highly regarded as effective in the medical community, and for me, they kept me at an even keel and able to function in a profession dominated by stress and deadlines and conflicting relationships.

And they destroyed my life. Well, I had a pretty heavy hand in that, too.

Amen! I used alcohol and benzo's together for over 4 years. I am still withdrawing from Valium and it is so tough. I managed to go down from 30 mg to 7.5 mg by myself in a period of approx. 9 months. Then my doctor recommended a fast taper, cutting 50% every 2 weeks, way faster than the Ashton manual recommends.

This is a part of my post in November after 2 weeks of the taper:

"Right now I have basically over 50% of the symptoms that occur from benzo withdrawal. Anxiety, impaired concentration, small muscular spasms in my legs and arms, amnesia, dry mouth, flu like symptoms, I lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks, no appetite at all, distorted smell and sounds, increased urinary frequency, numbness and tingling all over my body, a strange hot/cold sweat in the morning and after exercise, I wake up a dozens time, feelings of unreality. The worst is the tingling all over my body and the amnesia. I have to write everything down or I will forget it. Some days are blanks, I can't remember what I did, I have a lost feeling of time and space."

I was like a zombie. Currently I am at 2.5 mg but using a much slower taper plan, decreasing my dosage 10% every 2-3 weeks. I feel much better now and a lot of symptoms have disappeared. I hope to quit this horrible drug, but I know that I will have some of the symptoms for even up to year.

But there is hope. After a year most of the people that used benzo's have regained their mental capacity and feel much better. Also benzo's are way less toxic than alcohol, but you have to plan your withdrawal plan very carefully to avoid the horrible symptoms that Memphisblue described like suicidal thoughts or psychosis.

Is this a contest? :) I'll put the first 4-5 days of my heroin withdrawals up against anything in a suffering contest, but man these benzo stories are brutal.

All the best to those who are going through that, and remember that we never have to go through any kind of withdrawal ever again.

Certainly no contest, more a complain how doctors and drug clinics are unaware of the dangers of benzo withdrawal and the duration of the symptoms.

My question here is, why are we using a drug that may cause physical dependence, and withdrawals when treating withdrawals? Does it make sense to anyone else to use a drug that you may get addicted to, when dealing with people prone to addiction? I don't have these answers and am still drinking on a daily basis. I need help, but this **** scares me. Anyone us cannabis to assist with the withdrawals?

My doctor put me on a 4-day taper course of Librium to help with the withdrawals when I stopped drinking. He would not write a prescription for anything longer than that, and after reading some of the benzo stories, I understand why. I had a much easier detox with the Librium than I would have otherwise, but I would not have wanted to take it any longer than I did.

Benzo's cause physical dependence, but only after prolonged use and/or use in high doses. You won't get addicted to a benzo if you use it during the first few days of alcohol withdrawals. When used short-termed and in small doses, benzo are very effective in treating alcohol withdrawal symptoms like anxiety and to prevent delirium tremens. That's why doctors prescribe them.

If you make the stupid mistake like me, to use them long-term and in higher doses, well then addiction is possible.

I was given Librium during my alcohol detox as well. I'm not convinced I needed it but whatever.

Prior to that I was in a relationship with klonopin and alcohol. Not realizing the dangers of mixing the two.

I used benzos when I stopped drinking at the beginning of December. I've always preferred to taper off drinking, but I couldn't because of work commitments (couldn't risk people smelling booze on me).

I've never had a problem stopping benzos, but I have had problems when I've mixed them with alcohol (big surprise there, right?).

They help with the DTs, but it sure feels good to be off them.

I always recommend seeing a Dr. I realise many of us here have bad experiences w/Drs, but I've never been as messed up by a Dr as badly as I messed my self up by self medicating.

If you're concerned Joshua - seek professional advice :)

D

Well a big thank you for this thread as it answered questions i had. I was thinking on taking some clonazepam (tonight) to help me out with the anxiety that come along when i quit alcohol but after reading Menphisblues post theres absolutly no way am going there.
:)

I was given one librium when I ended up in the Crisis unit drunk. I didnt take it after because I didnt need it. Once I was admitted into psych unit for depression they monitored me for alcohol withdraws by checking my blood pressure and HR every hour. Thank God I was not going through withdraws from alcohol.

They gave me one ativan and I refused to take it after because I have an anxiety disorder that came before the alcohol. I was using alcohol to treat it. Once I was discharged four days later I admitted myself into another hospital for depression. They started giving me Ativan but the med nurse told me they would not discharge me on that stuff and when I told psychiatrist that it made me feel numb and I liked it bc it didnt make me think she told me it works like alcohol and getting hooked on that stuff would give me bad withdrawal symptoms and took me right off it.

I know that they only gave benzos to those who were hooked on xanax and only to taper the patients off of them. One patient was hooked on them and got mad they reduced his dose.

I dont think its a good idea to give anyone benzos for a long period of time. One of there therapists told me that people get addicted because of the "high" feeling and when that wears off most will pop another and thats how people get hooked. I was also told those on the detox floor for alcohol or drugs were always asking for them to help with their withdrawal symptoms but were not just given out bc they are highly addictive.

I'm over tired and thusly, I'll post a bit of my thoughts on benzos-
OP - I agree with what are doctors thinking? But all cannot rest on their shoulders. I think every person needs to take responsibility for their choices in life.

I will probably be on benzos for the rest of my life and that's cool with me. I'm unable to tolerate most ADHD/ADD meds due to a all the complications that meds/ADD have.
Maybe the difference between what you mention and people like me is that the benefit outweighs the negative. If I could take ritalin or adderal without become a zombie, I would. But I can't. So we do this alternative. It's worked for 20 years without issue.

I definitely think a sedative/benzo/whatever can help with detoxing from booze and narcotics. I'm not a person who believes in the concept that one should suffer as much as possible so they "don't go back." People in pain make bad choices, sometimes. Sometimes, I say! People not in pain do that too. It's a crapshoot and very individual.

Just my ESH. :-)