new posting here, intro

[[ef...]]

whats BB, just googling some stuff and found you guys. ive been taking xanax for the last 6-7 years off and on and recently got back on .5mg 3x a day. (trying to get doc to raise me back to 1-2 mg or valium). my reason for joining is pretty much informational purposes. hope to be a part of the forum for a while. take care

[[al...]]

Hello there and welcome to BB!

 

BB is a site that helps provide support and information to those who wish to discontinue using benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that are often difficult to stop using and as such we provide information on how to do this in a safe way. Please note that it is never advisable to simply stop taking them cold turkey, due to the  risk of seizures as well as time needed for your brain to recover from using them. Benzo's are not meant to be used long term. They are meant to be used for 6 weeks maximum. However many doctors prescribe them on a permanent long term basis with no thought  as to  how the patient will eventually be able to discontinue use. As such withdrawal becomes difficult and must be done by slowly tapering off of them.

 

A great place to start would be to read through The Ashton Manual This is a wonderful resource written by Dr Heather Ashton, who is an expert in the field of Benzo Withdrawal. Here you can learn about all the ins and outs of Benzodiazepine use and withdrawal.  Should you decide you want to stop taking them here are some links to get you started:

 

For advice on how to taper , which method to use and to set up a taper plan visit our:  General Taper Boards

 

To discuss withdrawal symptoms while you are tapering please  visit: Pre Withdrawal Support And after you have finished your taper and are no longer on Benzodiazepines, the section to discuss your symptoms would be Post Withdrawal Recovery Support

 

Please take the time to Create a Signature  This will allow others to see where you are in the process so they can better support you.

 

Feel free to post on any of our other boards. And for any technical questions you may have concerning how to do something  on the website  please do not hesitate to post a question in our Technical Support section.

 

Again, welcome! AlabamaWerle. xo

 

 

[[be...]]

welcome  let  us know how we can be of help. The collective wisdom of our membership is enormous!!

[[ef...]]

yes i know alot about benzos. and ive already had the seizure from not having my meds and bad diet when i was sick. i really would like to know what can i say to the doctor for valium. i kinda get bad anxiety and the 0.5mg xanax isnt enough for me really. i asked him once for valium and he said no but it works alot better for me. i think because i was prescribed xanax after 6 tough months of ssri's every doctor just gives it to me off the bat now. my problem isnt getting it just raising dose or switching. honesty is key ?

[[al...]]

I am afraid you will have a hard time getting  support from our members encouraging you to take benzos. Most of the people here have had their lives decimated and destroyed by the use of benzos and can not understand why any one would want to stay on them. Please be prepared for people to not be supportive of this decision as this is a forum that supports people to get off benzos not to start them or continue taking them. It would be like asking a forum of recovering heroin addicts what the best type of heroin is and where to get it from.

 

That being said...xanax is a short lasting benzodiazepine and as such, between doses you can experience something called interdose withdrawal, which is when your body goes into withdrawal in between doses. Most people here dose xanax 4-6 times a day.  Here is the chart of the length (half life) of duration for most benzos and z drugs http://www.benzo.org.uk/bzequiv.htm

 

Valium can be taken once a day because it lasts so long in your system, which is why it works better for you. But also keep in mind that most people develop tolerance at some point and need more and more of the drug. Then the drug starts to cause side effects it never did before. Then you take more, then you get more effects and on and on it goes until eventually for some  it stops working all together and they are in constant withdrawal no matter how high the dose.

 

Long term benzo use changes your brain chemistry and has also been recently linked to Alzheimers ....though not conclusively. However just the fact that it could, is alarming in and of itself. This is not a drug to be taken for long term use. It says it right on the package.

 

Please educate yourself as much as possible on benzos and make an informed decision. I wish you well in whatever you decide, Alabama.

[[ef...]]

thank you for the warm welcome and reply. and i havent had addiction from the limited use of my script. and i always try to take a day or two off. the valium and xanax half lifes i understand but i feel it works better mentally makes me feel better not just relief from anxiety. and mine is so bad my doctors think i will be on this medicine forever. at least at a low dose

[[al...]]

The majority of people on here are not addicted to benzos either. They took it for years, sometimes decades, as prescribed by their doctors. What happens is a physical addiction, where your body is dependent on it and your brain chemistry becomes altered because of it's use. If you stop taking it, you will go into a physical withdrawal.

 

Benzos take sometimes weeks to leave your system, so skipping a day or two would not cause you to go into full blown withdrawal.  So skipping a day or two would not change your bodies physical dependence one bit. If you are taking benzos on a regular basis for longer than 4-6 weeks, even skipping a few days a week every single week, you are  physically addicted, with altered brain chemistry that takes a long time to repair itself and as such would need to do a slow taper in order to safely stop taking them.