Concurrent benzo use...time for me to 'fess up'

[Greg]

I realise this forum isn't dedicated to benzo use but I've decided to be totally honest and confess that I am also a benzodiazepine user. Maybe others may have a bit of advice or may simply be interested in knowing my whole story.

I remain alcohol-free 2 weeks after my detox and am still taking baclofen despite having a few problems with it. However the truth is that I was taking 1 mg of alprazolam ('Xanax') every afternoon while I was drinking, in order to suppress alcohol withdrawal symptoms between my nightly drinking episodes. At the time I didn't consider this to even be an issue, since I wasn't abusing benzos. I assumed I'd easily give up the alprazolam during my alcohol detox, but this hasn't been the case, and now I'm taking the 1 mg at night to try and get some sleep plus stop benzo withdrawal symptoms. After becoming AF I tried cutting down to zero benzo use but experienced anxiety, sweating, and other symptoms. This was well after being detoxed from alcohol. I also experience some symptoms during the day, since alprazolam is a short-acting drug.

My doctor has now suggested either tapering the alprazolam extremely slowly or switching over to a diazepam taper. He has suggested a time frame of at least 3 months. After drinking to extreme excess for many years, I know it's no big deal to spend a few more months fully detoxing from the alprazolam.

If anyone has any pointers, including benzo forums, that they have found helpful in dealing with their own benzo use I'd be very interested in hearing from you.

[startingover]

Here you go Greg, I hope this helps a little. Good luck mate
Addiction: Substance Abuse Help - Forums and Discussions - MedHelp

[beatle]

As I said in another thread, I don't think benzo addiction and alcohol addiction are necessarily two separate issues. Or, more precisely, I think they can be related in many ways -- precursors of alcohol addiction, adjuncts to alcohol addiction, aids in stopping alcohol addiction, and results of alcohol detoxing.

I have a lot to share and to learn on this issue... but I will have to come back later, as work calls (as it does occasionally, like when the oil runs out in the furnace).

I hope to learn more from other people's experience with benzos... especially as related to alcohol.

[Virgil]

Originally Posted by Greg

If anyone has any pointers, including benzo forums, that they have found helpful in dealing with their own benzo use I'd be very interested in hearing from you.

Hi Greg,

Don't I remember you from the TSM forum?

Anyway, I'm pleased that you've started this thread.

Last year, I decided to withdraw from clonazepam over a period of many months. I consider it to have been a great success and it was helped by using a liquid suspension. This meant that I was able to use a syringe to administer progressively small doses.

There is an excellent resource available online and it can be found here:

benzo.org.uk : Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw, Prof C H Ashton DM, FRCP, 2002

There is information on the above website about the relative potencies of the benzos and withdrawal schedules.

All the best to you!

V.

[eight days a week]

I second V's recommendation of the site he mentions, that's the one I've been using for my diazepam taper (trying 1mg a week, but at least never moving backwards, down now from 12mg for months to 7mg per day in the last few days).

All the best to you with this Greg, do let us know how you get on

[Greg]

Thanks for the advice folks. I'll check out what you have posted.

Yes Virgil I was on TSM forum last year. I never did TSM seriously, just tried it for a short time, so I can't say whether it would have helped me or not. I was too busy making excuses to keep drinking and avoid treatment back then, but now realise I can't go on that way, hence stopped alcohol and now trying to get off benzos.

I'm hoping to start my taper next week when I see my doctor again. I realise it will take time and patience.

[LaBear]

HI 8 & Virgil, Beetle, would love to hear anything you have to say on benzo's. I am still on them and have not started the taper dragging my feet out of anxiety, lol, viscous circle!
I want to start the Baclofen, but fear it with the .5mg. of klonipin I take at present. Thanks

[beatle]

LaBear, are you under the supervision of a doctor? If so, they will be able to help you with the tapering down of a benzo while tapering up with baclofen.

Speaking solely from personal experience (well, also from the experiences of others I have had contact with), baclofen may eliminate the need for benzos eventually. But this needs to be a controlled process.

I don't think it is impossible, though... maybe others will know and chip in here.

If you are doing this on your own, you need to be very careful. But I do not think you should give up!

[fickle]

Thanks for starting this thread Greg.. this is a subject that needs to be discussed at great length.
I had a GP once who suggested I take Dizapam AND drink... her philosopy was "'there's nothing wrong with a glass of wine and a valium" whereas my current GP is extremely worried about the possibility that I might do both... as am I.

I asked for it just for the withdrawal period, but then as I keep on stuffing up I keep doing it again. Am afraid of becoming addicted but start to get 'stinkin thinkin' when I start out thinking on the old doc's advice and having that first glass, then the valium, then... there is very little sense or self control left I guess. I then just stop the pills for days and drink... until I can't stand it any more and start to want to quit again but then... it's all so confusing!

I think I will go and ask for a Campral prescription soon. There is conflicting advice on the internet about that also - some say you must be at least 1 week sober before beginning, others say you can start straight away.

[eight days a week]

Hi LaBear, if you have any questions my friend (or anyone else!) please fire away! I've been under experts for baclofen, Nal, Campral - the only expert I don't have is a benzo one, but my present alcohol specialist seems to have quite a lot of experience with folks with concurrent use of benzos and alcohol, who move on to Baclofen.

It's his expert advice that Baclofen does not directly help withdrawal from benzos, as they work on the two different types of Gaba. It may help indirectly, in that Baclofen has anti-anxiety properties for many (but most certainly not all). I take diazepam for anxiety, and have not noticed any particularly obvious effect from Baclofen so far (60mg daily at present, but I aim to go much higher with a gradual taper) but it may be quite a subtle effect.

I did, however, get an excellent anti-anxiety effect from low-dose propanolol. It's a beta-blocker, but is prescribed in the UK at a low dose for anxiety. They switched me off it, my anxiety rose, but am back on it now and it seems to be helping again.

My cardiologist says there is no problem at all taking propanolol with Nal, Bac, diazepam, or alcohol.

Just a thought.

fickle, my previous alcohol specialist said I could try Campral while still drinking but it'd be pretty pointless, as it doesn't help you cut down, just helps you stay abstinent. I'll be interested to hear what your doc says.

Best of luck to us all