Avoiding a Benzodiazepine Addiction

[kareena]

SWIM uses benzos to control anxiety at times.

SWIM is wondering how often SWIM can use benzos for this purpose without becoming dependant. SWIM would ideally like to be able to use benzos somewhat reguarly but will not as he does not want an addiction followed by the well known awful withdrawals upon cessation.

SWIM expects the most sensible option would be not to use them more than once a week and that the most risky option is to never use on consecutive days / every other day use.

Any opinions much appreciated.

[Disturbed]

Well what kind of benzo is this swiy using? With most benzos swim finds that with either valium, klonopin, xanax, 2 weeks of daily usage is the most they would use...after this is when the addiction would start taking it's tole. For some reason this other person says that xanax seems to be the worst and ativan could be taken longer but it is very important to not completely stop ativan usage after using it for a while because a serious seizure could occur. Good advice would be for one to take it as little as possible and if they are needed for longer periods of time be sure to take time off as well so the system can stay clean and tolerance will not build up so high. I hope this helps.

[kareena]

Thanks for response.
The benzo in question is clonazepam (klonopin), don't know why SWIM left that out!?
SWIMs intentions are to use them long term, but never everyday. So SWIMs wondering just how often do you have to use them to get yourself hooked. Would using a benzo once every two or three days chance addiction? SWIMs guessing yes, and reckons no more than once or twice a week to be safe.

[kareena]

Fucking hell, after reading up more about benzo withdrawal on the net (incl this site) and the ease of getting hooked with even semi-daily use SWIMs going to make sure not to use them reguarly. Sorry for the profanity at the beginning- have just read some horror stories and can't help it.

[fnord]

if used correctly once every few days for anxiety i dont think detoxing would be that hard of a process.the secret is tapering the dosage down.theres many references on here and many in medical books.

[BumpBump]

What kind of recreational dosing can swim do to minamize a physical addiction?
Swim started to hit xanax/valium for nearly 2 weeks with the odd night off. after 2nd week, swim then switched to GBL for 5 days then had 1 night on 20mg valium in the last week, that was 3 days ago.
is swim safe to take benzos twice a week? or will he still get a problem?
Swim has GBL to get hammerd on too but has used that the last week while he has been not on benzos.
Swim feels like a benzo n booze night instead of G!

[GreatWonder]

Swim feels like a benzo n booze night

Best not to.

SWIG uses low doses of Alprazolam (0.5mg) 2-3 times a week and suffers no addiction though appreciates this is likely due to the fact it's a low dose. SWIG still suffers drowsiness a lot of the time when dosing at 0.5mg and understands (though correct SWIG if he's wrong) that this is a sign that tolerance is not building for the time being.

[BumpBump]

swim tends to eat 1-1.5mg these days, but swim will try and lay off a week or two as wants to lower his tollerance

[BumpBump]

so is there any guide to how often swim can use benzos without getting addicted i.e once a week, twice a week or every 2 weeks?

Swim gets a bit worried as he never goes more than a week

[WrtngCocaineTutorial]

Hello,

The last months I have have been struggling with servere insomnia.
And it has got extreme the last some 10 days, so I sleep only 1-2 hours per night. I has worked "OK", until yesterday, but than the physical strain of not sleeping has got to much to handle, and I got a script for flunitrazepam/rohypnol.

Anyway, I do not want to get any physical addiction problems from it, but then on the other side I need to get some sleep.

Does anyone knows how to get the most out of it, while not getting problems with physical addiction?

Like : Use X days, than stay off for Y days.
Or Use X weeks, than stay off for Y weeks.... or anything like that..

Any suggestions will do. I do not know anything about these type of drugs.

[rodent]

Rat said:
In my experience, benzodiazepines (which Rohypnol is one of many) are extremely addictive and the worst of drugs to withdraw from. The root cause of your lack of sleep is not a benzo deficiency (obviously) so, the cure is not a benzo. You may TEMPORARILY treat insomnia with these medicines but anything more than 7 days is just asking for trouble. Thinking that you can do X-days on and Y-days off is also asking for trouble... but thats just my opinion.

Rat also mentioned that the best long term solution in his case was buying a mountain bike and riding a couple/few times per week.

I honestly wish you good luck :)

[WrtngCocaineTutorial]

well first I want to say thanks for answering. The underlying cause for my insomnia is a heavy brain infection, which it will take some 6 months to treat.. This has pushed my nor-adrenaline, dopamine, cortisol and adrenaline levels through the roof. My heart is beating like a race horse (I got meds for that symptom when it gets to out of hand). These high levels might sound sweet in theory, but it all feels like hell.

Being bedridden I am not able to do any exercise.(although it may help).

Anyway - and perhaps this sounds strange - but I get no pleasure from these tablets, so quitting before the tolerance hits will be no problem at all. It only that I do not know how many days that will take. And I do not know how many days I should stay off before I can start again - to get the most sleep and simultanusly not get physical addiction...

[JaWill88]

swim used to feel that way about them, as in he gets nothing out of them. but they are strange drugs (benzodiazepines). they seem to have a way of creeping up on you with addiction. it's happening currently with swim. he would take it every once in a while and just chill out. once in a while turned into more often, and then even more often. then swim finds he doesn't want to do certain things without them, and weird stuff like that. basically all swim is saying is be careful. they are weird like that. swim has now been taking them almost every day for like the past month (mainly clonazepam, but sometimes alprazolam or lorazepam) and is unsure if he is going to have some kind of withdrawal symptoms. anyways just be careful. swim is not sure of the half life of flunitrazepam. that is important to know as that will help determine when it's out of the system completely which will help avoiding withdrawal. basically swim could use them for like maybe a week, then stay off till it's completely out of the system and have a small break, and then go for another week. this will make it so there is no constant level of it in the body for excessive perioids of time, which is what makes the physical addiction. like swim used to use heroin every day, three times a day. swim did this for months and months. obviously when swim didn't have any, he went through hell. now if swim uses any kinds of opioids, he uses them for a few days tops, and then takes a break to have no withdrawal. hope that helped somewhat lol.

[Richi]

The best thing would be to discuss this matter with your physician. They know your background, your medical history (referring to the brain infection) and other information that will be helpful.

[WrtngCocaineTutorial]

Yes, I will do that. Absolutely. But due to our miserable health system I can't get an appointment until the 19th of February, so until then I am on my own..