PLEASE DON'T DRINK ALCOHOL WHEN YOU FEEL RECOVERED

[[sa...]]

Its been over four years now for me that I have not had a drink.

When I reached tolerance with the two benzos I was taking,Ativan and temazepam, my drinking increased to compensate to the point I am lucky I am still alive to talk about it

I knew I had to break the cycle and chose to quit drinking first and I was successful, which was not easy to do  living with an alcoholic, His demon is beer and mine was wine so that helped somewhat as I didn't crave the beer that was in the house

I have not had any difficulty socializing or traveling with friends that drink, which is all of them.

One friend did confide in me that I wasn't quite as much fun as I used to be, but I told her that was her problem not mine, I still had as much fun as always

I am happy now to be both alcohol and drug free and plan to stay this way

After almost 45 yrs of drinking and 15 years of taking benzos its just not worth it to me any more to drink, I have to give my receptors all the help I can to get them fully back to normal and I love my new lease on life and thank God every day that I am still here to appreciate it

Ladygrace12

 

Very inspiring. Excellent read this morning.

 

Thanks LG

 

SN~

[[da...]]

It just amazes me how differently benzos affect us. You get people that drink while taking benzos for years and come off with less symptoms of withdrawal than someone who used benzos without drinking for less than a month. With this, it makes it seem as though the science we have about benzo withdrawal is just a fragment of knowledge and understanding to the this subject.

[[WT...]]

It just amazes me how differently benzos affect us. You get people that drink while taking benzos for years and come off with less symptoms of withdrawal than someone who used benzos without drinking for less than a month. With this, it makes it seem as though the science we have about benzo withdrawal is just a fragment of knowledge and understanding to the this subject.

 

The more competent I get as I get further, and further from my last dose - I see that no one really knows wtf is going on in the brain and body in terms of w/d-recovery.  There is more than one theory, and some of them are at odds with each other.  I have concluded the following facts about w/d-recovery: 1. It SUCKS! 2. It can take a long time to recover from for some people. 3. It SUCKS!

[[Bo...]]

It just amazes me how differently benzos affect us. You get people that drink while taking benzos for years and come off with less symptoms of withdrawal than someone who used benzos without drinking for less than a month. With this, it makes it seem as though the science we have about benzo withdrawal is just a fragment of knowledge and understanding to the this subject.

 

The more competent I get as I get further, and further from my last dose - I see that no one really knows wtf is going on in the brain and body in terms of w/d-recovery.  There is more than one theory, and some of them are at odds with each other.  I have concluded the following facts about w/d-recovery: 1. It SUCKS! 2. It can take a long time to recover from for some people. 3. It SUCKS!

 

 

Although benzos and alcohol both work on GABA, the damage benzos do is by far superior to alcohol. I've detoxed off of alcohol several times and while it's uncomfortable I was still able to work and live a normal life after a week. Benzo withdrawal was much more sever. Now after 5 months I'm starting to feel like I did from alcohol withdrawal which is actually comforting because it's familiar.

 

 

 

[[Da...]]

I thought I would add some alcohol/benzo personal experience here.  To be fair, I'm in early w/d-about 7 weeks from last dose on March 30.  And to be even fairer, I'm still having a tough time convincing myself that my symptoms are w/d related-I'm a breast cancer "survivor" and I get anxiety all the time that my symptoms are b/c related, although I don't think I have heard that muscle twitches, trembling and palpitations are cancer symptoms 

Anyway, I just got back from a trip to Europe where I drank wine or champagne every day.  Sure enough, on the days I drank more-I think the most was probably 5 glasses during the entire day, spread out through the day-I woke up in the night feeling like my entire upper body was being electrocuted and my abdomen was doing huge twitches.  I also had full on panic attacks where my husband had to talk me down.  After a couple of these, I made absolutely sure to drink only with food and only 2 drinks at the most, tried for one.  I still have twitches, especially on one spot in my abdomen that goes non stop, but they were significantly better.  I feel like the drinking set me back big time in my healing.  Before I left on April 25, I had been really good about no alcohol and limited caffeine. 

On the days I can fully believe that I am having w/d symptoms-those days are also the days I have less anxiety, ironically  , I know that I am making forward progress.  I don't "have" to have wine, I can easily do without, but I know I love to have a glass of wine now and then.  I'm hoping that maybe a month or so more without it will help, and I really hope I haven't ruined that going forward.  The wine isn't really good for my b/c treatment anyway, so maybe it's for the best..

[[Wh...]]

I thought I would add some alcohol/benzo personal experience here.  To be fair, I'm in early w/d-about 7 weeks from last dose on March 30.  And to be even fairer, I'm still having a tough time convincing myself that my symptoms are w/d related-I'm a breast cancer "survivor" and I get anxiety all the time that my symptoms are b/c related, although I don't think I have heard that muscle twitches, trembling and palpitations are cancer symptoms 

Anyway, I just got back from a trip to Europe where I drank wine or champagne every day.  Sure enough, on the days I drank more-I think the most was probably 5 glasses during the entire day, spread out through the day-I woke up in the night feeling like my entire upper body was being electrocuted and my abdomen was doing huge twitches.  I also had full on panic attacks where my husband had to talk me down.  After a couple of these, I made absolutely sure to drink only with food and only 2 drinks at the most, tried for one.  I still have twitches, especially on one spot in my abdomen that goes non stop, but they were significantly better.  I feel like the drinking set me back big time in my healing.  Before I left on April 25, I had been really good about no alcohol and limited caffeine. 

On the days I can fully believe that I am having w/d symptoms-those days are also the days I have less anxiety, ironically  , I know that I am making forward progress.  I don't "have" to have wine, I can easily do without, but I know I love to have a glass of wine now and then.  I'm hoping that maybe a month or so more without it will help, and I really hope I haven't ruined that going forward.  The wine isn't really good for my b/c treatment anyway, so maybe it's for the best..

 

Thanks for sharing your story here. 

[[Be...]]

I would like to point out that there are obviously reasons (though we may not understand them) why we are affected so severely and so differently by benzos, whereas others are not. This varies greatly from person to person. I think the same is true for alcohol.

 

I have a friend who took 2 mg of xanax daily for several years, and then quit cold turkey with almost zero w/d symptoms. He just went about his life as if he had never taken them. He drinks socially and has no issues. This person doesn't understand my benzo issues at all. He doesn't understand why I have to go see a special doctor and follow the Ashton manual, etc. He's like, "Why can't you just stop taking them?"

 

Personally, I have only experienced benzo w/d symptoms when I was tapering at an overly rapid rate. I see people on this forum that are struggling mightily just to function while weaning off of fractions of a milligram of Valium. I am definitely not one of those people.

[[Bo...]]

I would like to point out that there are obviously reasons (though we may not understand them) why we are affected so severely and so differently by benzos, whereas others are not. This varies greatly from person to person. I think the same is true for alcohol.

 

I have a friend who took 2 mg of xanax daily for several years, and then quit cold turkey with almost zero w/d symptoms. He just went about his life as if he had never taken them. He drinks socially and has no issues. This person doesn't understand my benzo issues at all. He doesn't understand why I have to go see a special doctor and follow the Ashton manual, etc. He's like, "Why can't you just stop taking them?"

 

Personally, I have only experienced benzo w/d symptoms when I was tapering at an overly rapid rate. I see people on this forum that are struggling mightily just to function while weaning off of fractions of a milligram of Valium. I am definitely not one of those people.

 

 

This is strange because hangovers were never that bad for me. I really believe where I messed up was by an accidental ct then a rapid taper. I believe if I had just tapered over 30 days I would have walked with no problem.

 

I ran into my old roommate at the gym and told him about my trouble getting off benzos and he told me he just walked off 2mg k-pin 2x a day for 3 years with little problems. Said he just had anxiety for a week. Lucky bastard!!!

[[al...]]

my benzo withdrawal doctor said that we are the minority. it's a small percentage of people who have a hard time and that people who end up in the forums are usually the people with the worse of the withdrawals. the unlucky ones.....................doesn't mean that it isn't real and what we feel isn't shitty, but it means it's not the norm. but we feel like the norm because we are all the minority who have come together here. the people who have no problem don't come here to talk. we are the worst case scenario's unfortunately, but thankfully we have a place to discuss that.......but in a way it is also shitty because all we hear are our own horror stories...........but listening to a bunch of people who are like...ya man that was so easy that benzo w/d, would seriously make me feel shitty too........either way the whole thing sucks......I had lot's of glasses of wine last night and it calmed my system down and I feel great today. I am grateful that I can have a glass of wine here and there and have it have a good effect on me . I feel lucky that way, it makes socializing easier too......but the hangovers aren't fun sometimes!

[[kl...]]

my benzo withdrawal doctor said that we are the minority. it's a small percentage of people who have a hard time and that people who end up in the forums are usually the people with the worse of the withdrawals. the unlucky ones.....................doesn't mean that it isn't real and what we feel isn't shitty, but it means it's not the norm. but we feel like the norm because we are all the minority who have come together here. the people who have no problem don't come here to talk. we are the worst case scenario's unfortunately, but thankfully we have a place to discuss that.......but in a way it is also shitty because all we hear are our own horror stories...........but listening to a bunch of people who are like...ya man that was so easy that benzo w/d, would seriously make me feel shitty too........either way the whole thing sucks......I had lot's of glasses of wine last night and it calmed my system down and I feel great today. I am grateful that I can have a glass of wine here and there and have it have a good effect on me . I feel lucky that way, it makes socializing easier too......but the hangovers aren't fun sometimes!

 

I have a real hard time believing we are the minority. I think a lot of people just don't know what is wrong with them and get mistreated and misdiagnosed with all sorts of issues when coming off benzos. Then they just get prescribed more pill and the circle continues.

 

[[La...]]

Okay, my withdrawel was not too bad....I was terrible sick for about 6 days, then it was over. I always had my friday- night- drink, also when on benzos. But since I am off, larger amounts of alcohol give me a week of hangover, so I have to try not to drink too much. I don`t want to say "No" to everything, I want to enjoy my life as long as I can, but I noticed that my toleranz for alcohol has changed very much since I was on benzos. So I think, there is a lot of truth in the things others say here. Of course, everybody reacts different, and I speak only for myself. 

[[Sk...]]

Alcohol sucks chestnuts

[[Pl...]]

I drank last,night and feel like hell. Bad mistake I made!!!!! Please be careful if you drink!!!!!!!!

[[ca...]]

Since starting my Xanax taper and c/o to Valium I have cut my beer drinking by 75% (3 beers per day spaced out at least 3 hours apart).

Yesterday I broke my rule and had 6 beers. I woke up feeling no ill effects but going right back to my 3 per day limit today.

If the Xanax abuse and taper did not kill me I do not think that 3 beers will (and if they do at least I will not be thirsty)!

[[ju...]]

The ashton manual actually states that a glass or 2 of wine is permissable during wd, which i dont get! I wont take the chance, not worth it to me!

[[Da...]]

These posts have got me thinking, especially the one about the benzo doc saying withdrawal problems are not the norm.  I have several friends that are on various antidepressants, benzos, drink alcohol, ambien, etc.  Some are just on one, some are on many.  My guess is that many people that are taking a benzo are likely to be on something else, even if it is solely alcohol.  I believe-and this is just me, no proof at all-that when you try to eliminate every single medication in these families, you will indeed have problems of some sort.  I see the tolerance issue all the time-a friend will say, "I had to increase my antidepressant because of breakthrough anxiety," or "I had to add .50mg of Xanax because of work stress".  I guess it really doesn't matter because if we have the problem, we have the problem.  It's frustrating for me because my w/d symptoms scare me due to my previous cancer dx.  The strangely comforting thing is that if I drink, my twitches will get worse-and spread-proving to me that I indeed have an issue with alcohol and benzo w/d being cross tolerant.  When I eat well, exercise and get plenty of sleep, they are still there, but incredibly better.  I wish they would go away completely, but I believe that until I string at least a month of absolutely no alcohol, I think I'll invite the twitches to stay.  I'm trying now.  We'll see what happens.  I'm so glad I found this site and this thread. 

[[kl...]]

These posts have got me thinking, especially the one about the benzo doc saying withdrawal problems are not the norm.  I have several friends that are on various antidepressants, benzos, drink alcohol, ambien, etc.  Some are just on one, some are on many.  My guess is that many people that are taking a benzo are likely to be on something else, even if it is solely alcohol.  I believe-and this is just me, no proof at all-that when you try to eliminate every single medication in these families, you will indeed have problems of some sort.  I see the tolerance issue all the time-a friend will say, "I had to increase my antidepressant because of breakthrough anxiety," or "I had to add .50mg of Xanax because of work stress".  I guess it really doesn't matter because if we have the problem, we have the problem.  It's frustrating for me because my w/d symptoms scare me due to my previous cancer dx.  The strangely comforting thing is that if I drink, my twitches will get worse-and spread-proving to me that I indeed have an issue with alcohol and benzo w/d being cross tolerant.  When I eat well, exercise and get plenty of sleep, they are still there, but incredibly better.  I wish they would go away completely, but I believe that until I string at least a month of absolutely no alcohol, I think I'll invite the twitches to stay.  I'm trying now.  We'll see what happens.  I'm so glad I found this site and this thread.

 

Exactly. Doctors just keep shoving prescriptions down people's throats. The problem never gets dealt with, just the symptoms. No one even thinks that their "medicine" would be causing more problems for them.

It is a broken system. Hopefully one day, in 20-50 years people will wake up.

[[Sk...]]

These posts have got me thinking, especially the one about the benzo doc saying withdrawal problems are not the norm.  I have several friends that are on various antidepressants, benzos, drink alcohol, ambien, etc.  Some are just on one, some are on many.  My guess is that many people that are taking a benzo are likely to be on something else, even if it is solely alcohol.  I believe-and this is just me, no proof at all-that when you try to eliminate every single medication in these families, you will indeed have problems of some sort.  I see the tolerance issue all the time-a friend will say, "I had to increase my antidepressant because of breakthrough anxiety," or "I had to add .50mg of Xanax because of work stress".  I guess it really doesn't matter because if we have the problem, we have the problem.  It's frustrating for me because my w/d symptoms scare me due to my previous cancer dx.  The strangely comforting thing is that if I drink, my twitches will get worse-and spread-proving to me that I indeed have an issue with alcohol and benzo w/d being cross tolerant.  When I eat well, exercise and get plenty of sleep, they are still there, but incredibly better.  I wish they would go away completely, but I believe that until I string at least a month of absolutely no alcohol, I think I'll invite the twitches to stay.  I'm trying now.  We'll see what happens. I'm so glad I found this site and this thread.

Me too. 

 

-SZ-

[[al...]]

 

the withdrawal doctor never said that people had no symptoms but that some people, the minority have withdrawal issues that are really bad and unable to cope with them ......the majority have w/d symptoms but can  cope with them and function and go about their lives without it stopping their lives like most of us...the unlucky ones like us, have bad side effects, terrible withdrawals and can't cope very well.......he has been dealing in addiction and withdrawal medicine for 30 years and this has been his experience and the clinical data he has and the research he has studied....why do people so frequently misinterpret things on this forum......he wasn't saying or negating our experience or saying it wasn't real,he is a very compassionate and caring doctor and I am grateful to have him.... he was just saying it sucks but it doesn't suck for everyone......whether they are on other drugs or not that is his experience after 30 years doing this.

[[ba...]]

[[Da...]]

I'm sorry Alabamawarie, I wasn't trying to suggest the doctor was not right; I actually agree that there are people that can withdraw and have it go fairly easy compared to us. I also think it is wonderful that there are caring doctors like him/her in this world. I meant withdrawal problems, meaning, people that have a bigger problems than most (I do agree there are some people who don't have the same issues in withdrawing that we do.)  I apologize that I wasn't more clear about what I was trying to say.

I was actually making a separate point about people that MASK their withdrawals and/or tolerance with other drugs. Many of my friends don't understand why I would have an issue trying to withdraw, yet they are on multiple drugs.

Sometimes it's hard to say what I really mean in a post; in the future I'll be more careful.  I really appreciated that you brought the subject up because I think it explains why it's hard for some people that have successfully and easily withdrawn from benzos to understand why it is hard for others. 

 

 

[[ba...]]

 

Fellow BB's,

 

Disinformation comes in many forms. It is not the same as misinformation which is:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misinformation

 

Often, it can be from trusted sources. Please be careful. Take the time to look at fellow BB's posts and signatures. Often, disinformation is a deliberate attempt to sway you from your current thinking. Combine that with money and power. Now it is up to you to do your homework.

 

Billions are spent on psychotropic drugs every year. For those of you that have tapered off successfully, wonderful! But please look at the previous posts and tapers. Do any of you seriously think these message boards have not been infiltrated? That you are not being played for the fool? 

 

It's in our hearts to trust those who are suffering. And I encourage you to do so. I am just asking everyone to do their due diligence....

 

 

[[al...]]

that's ok I didn't take it personally...I just wrote that in response to someone who posted on this thread and ]was feeling really shitty that his friend had an easy withdrawal and couldn't understand his painful w/d.............which I think all of us can relate to. I was in a psychiatric hospital awihle ago for many many months because  i had a seriously life threatnng ailement that was misdiagnosed as depression and then i was polydrugged into thinking I had depression when it was just side effects from all the meds......in the hospital i saw so many people come and go and  I saw the majority of people do so well on their meds and i thought what's wrong with me, why can't i tolerate this stuff and ended up feeling like a lost cause and giving into shock treatment to "save myself " from my so called crippling depression..........this stuff happens i hold no ill will.....but i do know what it feels like to feel like there is something wrong with you and have everyone suggest that it's all in your head, that your side effects are psychosomatic and your are reacting badly to meds because you are afraid of meds....i would have given anything to feel normal and be "saved" by meds instead of shock treatment at that point...some of us are so sensitive and hypersensitive to meds. i am one of those too i am so sensitive to meds i never reached tolerance and never needed to have a higher dose the whole time i was on them......my brother cold turkeyed alcohol with no problem and he was a bad bad drunk, 24/7. and we have the same parents and genetics.....and he can't understand why this is so hard for me until i scientifically explaned it to him. some of us are hypersensitive and some of us are hyposensitive....i work with children with these issues all the time and you wouldn't believe the difference in how they react to drugs and stimuli.....but the majority of children are neither. but when i see children like this all the time i forget that most kids are normal because i am surrounded by children with issues....and that was my point, we think we are the norm because luckily we have all ]found each other, thankfully, but there are those that have not had this experience and do not need w/d doctors or forums, and we have to respect that too and be happy for them and not let it make us feel like there is something wrong with us..............we all have different chemistry and there ain't no shame in that! as for the disinformation misinformation post.....i apologize, i f that was directed at me, i fail to  understand what all that means.....

[[Sk...]]

This is all getting so very confusing. 

[[he...]]

  I'm confused too sky zone!!! HUH!!!