360shoes

Just my experience but I have been on them and I take as exactly prescribed. Even less sometimes. Severe anxiety too. I quit drinking over a year ago. I was on it before I quit drinking.

I can't tell I'm on anything. I've even forgot to take it on occasion. Never had any problems. But I also don't have panic attacks or afib anymore. And I don't seem to get caught up in a loop in my head like I use to.

Just me. Bodies are probably different. It's done its job in my book. But I also worked with a medical team and still always go to my doctor just like I'm told.

I do think people are built different. I'd would certainly talk to my doctor if I felt something didn't feel right.

I hope you find what works for you.

Boudicca

I respectfully disagree. I think "sober" is a word that applies differently according to the individual. Everyone experiences it differently. What "works" for one may not work for the other. What one individual experiences may completely contradict the experiences of another. We are all unique and that applies to sobriety as well.

Many people who consider themselves "sober" use nicotine and caffeine.
If one has kicked alcohol yet continues to smoke are they not "sober?" Nicotine is a mood altering substance. If one has kicked alcohol yet drinks coffee in the morning are they not "sober?" Caffeine is mood altering substance. Heck, sugar is a mood altering substance! If I eat a cupcake after an argument with my husband have I "broken my sobriety?" I don't think so.

Although I respect your experiences and opinions; to describe benzodiazepines as "booze in a pill" is simply incorrect.

Thanks for listening.

Aellyce

I've never taken benzos not even short term, so cannot comment from first hand experience. I did see a couple others struggling with similar issues to yours, though. From their report, it seemed like one of the biggest culprits is that the benzos can mask the normally very unpleasant hangover and withdrawal symptoms when people take them habitually as a self-medicating effort. I had a colleague, for example, who very clearly had a drinking problem and would drink to excess daily, then next morning a benzo for "breakfast" and she sort of forgot how bad it is to be in withdrawal. As far as I know she did not drink and take the pills at the same time, but treated her hangovers all the time. So never really wanted to quit drinking, because she did not experience the withdrawals too badly. Luckily in the end she admitted there was a problem, weaned off the benzos and also quit drinking. Still had some horrendous withdrawals while tapering under the supervision of a psychiatrist, but got through it and no she's clean and sober. She definitely always says the benzos were counterproductive the way she used them for many months, and an excuse for her to continue drinking.

firstymer

I am 10+ months sober (or at least I THOUGHT I was until reading some of the earlier posts). I have occasional anxiety issues and have been prescribed Xanax. I use it maybe 2 times a month if I find myself in a particularly stressful situation. It has never served as a trigger for me to begin drinking again.

Obviously, everyone reacts differently to medication. And if I thought Xanax was a trigger for me, I would choose anxiety over returning to alcohol. As others have said, being up front with your physician is the best advice.

Good luck.

anewpage

My doctor prescribed me klonopin to help with my anxiety as I attempted to come off alcohol. That was one year ago, and I'm still on them. Yes, I used to mix them with alcohol in high doses and I consider myself lucky to be alive (wound up in the ER one time for mixing them). I think I pretty much have a physical dependance on them now. I'm not sure what my doctor was thinking. Then again, I am not a doctor so I couldn't really say.
ANyway, long story short, I'm seeing a new psychiatrist next week and I'm thinking he will want to taper me off them. I've heard that benzo withdrawal is absolute hell, so i'm not looking forward to that, but I am also determined to not return to alcohol for support.

Serenidad

anewage,

Benzo withdrawal really isn't bad if you taper VERY slowly! I got off it in 2007 and it took about 6 months with no withdrawal. As you can see...I'm back on it....but I will probably get off again and find something less addictive for my anxiety. Good luck! :-)

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anattaboy

A little digging on the net will shed light on why Benzo's are used for alcohol withdrawal--they are pegs that fit in the same holes in the brain. What is not so easy to find because sites are in order of "hits" or popularity (in short "what people want to hear") are the number of alcoholics who return to alcohol to combat Benzo withdrawal (a high percentage indeed). Benzo's do not wreak as much havoc on the body but nor do they allow one to grow emotionally. This is from personal exp. btw. If my doc were to prescribe me a benzo w/out a detailed tapering schedule I would find another doc -- one with my health/recovery as a priority.

AlcoTodd

My old grandsponsor who is a doctor told me that Benzos are the pill form of alcohol. They will actually have the opposite effect on an alcoholic than the intended one. Meaning they actually cause anxiety because they work on that craving part of the brain. If you take them it's like taking a drink and not being able to follow it up with another. Thus the severe anxiety from them. I went through this at one point and couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Tetra

I disagree with some people here.

I take a small amount of klonopin at night as directed by my neurologist, because I have had seizures in the past and I consider myself to be sober. I have posted about this before, and Dee mentioned that as long as you are taking your medication as prescribed, and not abusing it, you can be sober. I have not had any problems with it.

I have been sober from alcohol for 8 months.

Serenidad

How did you get off the Klonopin? Are you off the Klonopin AND alcohol now?

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Serenidad

That's great! 8 months!!! Did you take the Klonopin 8 months ago before you got sober? So were you drinking while taking it? If so I REALLY need some advice or hope. Thx! I think, since I have been drinking while on 1 mg of Klonopin per day, I am cross addicted now. :-( I binge drink 2-3 nights per week and take Klonopin every night at bed time. I know....I'm playing with fire!!! I need to deal with this and SOON before I lose everything! Maybe my life! :-( Thanks in advance!!!

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AlcoTodd

I'm sober 2.5 years now. I was on alcohol, klonopins and xanax. I had to go to detox because coming off of alcohol and benzos is a double whammy.

Tetra

Yes, I have been taking klonopin for a while now, and yes I have drunk alcohol with it. I would not do that again. My neurologist knows about my alcoholism but he is happy for me to take klonopin for the moment, until my next review appointment. I am monitored closely and I trust him a lot. I am happy with this for the moment also, as I definitely do not want another seizure. Actually, the last few times I have seen him, he has lowered my dose. I'm now on a very low dose and it suits me. I hope to come off it eventually.

Tetra

I take half of a .05 mg tablet at night.

Waterfalls2014

Hi Serenidad, hopefully you don't become addicted. I took them for 2 months under a doctors care once. I misused them and let me tell you coming off them was horrible. 3 days in the couch crying. Twitches. It was bad. Best wishes to you!

digdug

I take Klonopin on a daily basis and I haven't had a drink in over 15 months. I consider myself 100% sober.

I have severe generalized anxiety disorder and panic attack disorder. I've tried almost every drug available that is indicated for anxiety but they either didn't work or I had horrible side effects. I've been taking the Klonopin since well before I started drinking. But when my drinking progressed, I slacked on the meds.

My bottom resulted in me having to have massive doses on benzos to stabilize my DTs in the ICU. I went to rehab shortly after, so I know what it's like to detox from benzos. It ain't pretty.

So when I got out of rehab, I was full of optimism that just by working a strong program, that my anxiety would be alleviated. I was honest with my doctor about my drinking history and we tried at least six non-narcotic drugs to help with the anxiety. But no such luck. He actually made me wait until I had six months of sobriety to get back on the Klonopin. It was a very trying time. Daily panic attacks at work or in AA meetings.

A lot of people experience rough anxiety when drinking alcoholicly or when first getting sober. But clinical anxiety is an altogether different beast that I've personally been struggling with since I was 12. It runs in my family. Did I want to take Klonopin? Not really. But as someone else already mentioned, it was getting to the point in sobriety where if I didn't get back on the meds, I was going to relapse.

I don't get a high from them (been on the same low dosage for like 10 months). I have absolutely no desire to drink. I have zero cravings. But I also work a very strong program in AA.

I've had to take some crazy strong drugs in sobriety due to major surgery. Morphine, OxyContin, oxycodone, etc. But everything has always been under the care of doctors who know my history. And I put safeguards in place to prevent me from going too far. Benzos are powerful drugs. I do not take them lightly. I know they work on the same brain receptors as alcohol. I currently have it set up where I can only fill my script 2 days before it the current one runs out and I can only fill it at one pharmacy. So if I take more than prescribed, I will run out and have no coverage for my anxiety. That thought is just as scary as relapse for me, given how serious my anxiety is. So I take as directed. Always. Most of all, I try to keep honest with myself, my doctor and my sponsor.

As EndGame mentioned, instead of trying to point to external factors regarding your relapse, it may be more helpful to look at the internal factors. Were you working a program? Were you working it to the best of your ability? Were you being honest with yourself?

Serenidad

How fast did you get off of it? Fast is bad!

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AlcoTodd

If people can be on benzos and still stay sober, more power to them. I sincerely mean that. I however could not do that. I have been on pain killers and other strong opiods and not relapsed. So I guess I understand the premise behind it. It seems odd to me, but I don't mean that in a judgmental way. More like wow, very interesting.

Waterfalls2014

I quit cold turkey. My mind was messing with me and I had to get it together. I didn't realize at the time 2 months would make me feel that bad.

anattaboy

All of us are different and have our drugs of not-so-much choice. Just be true to yourself. Myself, I detoxed from alcohol by tapering with alcohol for 2 weeks (against the advice of many caring folks on SR) and have been abstinent 3 weeks. I did a lot of research prior.It was the way I had to do it due to my aversion and past exp. with failed benzo detoxes. It was not easy but nothing of real value is. Thankfully, many in the medical community are questioning the use of this class of drugs (long overdue) and forums such as this are getting the word out.Thanks for posting to all...