Long term effects of benzos? Ativan, Xanax, Klonopin, etc.
- Thread starter ld323
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tweakedreality
Member
I've been on Klonopin for probably 5 years now, the only problem I see is common with any drug and thats building a tolerance, my pych is against Benzo's so she's had me on .5 mg 3x daily forever and hates even rx'n that much, I end up suffering all day sometimes two to save up and taking 2-3MG at a time for it to help.
Chris
Chris
tweakedreality
Member
Yeah It's prescribed .5 mg 3 times daily, which does nothing.
SilentType
Banned
I've only been takin it two years and I'm up to 1.5 mg 3x daily. You guys need a new shrinky dink who knows a little more about the tolerance factor.
Peace
Peace
ld323
Active member
tweakedreality said:
In my opinion, I think benzos are best utilized as a "PRN medication" (as-needed basis only). If you start taking it all day everyday, the effects become less noticeable over time- or at least I would assume so. Kind of like alcohol: if you drink everyday, you build up a tolerance; eventually it takes more and more alcohol to feel it's relaxing/euphoric effect.
For me, I take two .5 MGs of Xanax about 30 minutes to 1 hour before a social event, no more than 2 or 3 times per week. I never dose more than once per day, mainly because I'm usually not ever in a social situation for an ALL day period. And I never dose more than 3 times per week. Actually it's best to only dose 2 times per week from everything I've read. Often times that 3rd dose is not felt very much (especially if it was taken 3 days in a row). I could probably add another .5 for the 3rd time but right now access to the medication is a bit of a challenge so I'm trying to save it as much as possible. By the way, the drug's effect is more effective on an empty stomach VS. a full one, or so I've noticed.
Drugs that are meant to be used daily are the SSRIs (Lexapro, Zoloft, Paxil, etc.). Supposedly a tolerance does not build up with SSRIs, and they are not addictive. I still haven't tried them yet because I keep reading about all the side effects. But then again, my "side effects" of social isolation are pretty bad too. Probably worse!! I guess sooner or later I will try out an SSRI...
SilentType
Banned
I take Klonopin 1.5mg 3x daily. I don't recommend long term use of these drugs. After a 6 months or so on Klonopin, I started noticing the decline in my general interests of things that I usually enjoyed doing. I basically stopped caring about everything - friends, family, myself - as if NOTHING mattered anymore. I've realized that since the drug does help me that I have to just keep my wits and "reintroduce" myself to my old habits and things that I enjoy. It sounds weird, and it is, but since it helps my anxiety i've chosen to try to work around it instead of just quit taking it. Eventually I'm just gonna replace it with reefer prolly... Same effect...
Peace
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streetsk8er794
Active member
yeh I took 2 mg per day ( 1mg morning, 1mg night), and it was FANTASTIC for the 1st month or so. Then I started noticing a decline in effects. And yes SilentType is correct. You will lose interest in things after about 2 weeks of taking it on a regular basis, and have to get "reinterested." Worked for me. Anyways, Im thinking of raising the dose to 1 mg 3* a day, totalling 3 mg per day. Ive heard of people taking them for 10 years + without the need to raise dosage once the right dosage is reached. Yet im afraid to raise it, because the higher the dose, the harder and longer it is to come off. I just dont know what Ima do. I've heard an SSRI combined with klonopin works well too, so I might add lexapro. Any opinions?
SilentType
Banned
I've tried prozac, paxil, and zoloft and never had any effects whatsoever. I wouldn't recommend them. There was actually a study done recently that showed they work no better than placebo haha. Just another wave of pharmaceuticals that people made millions off of and did who knows what to the brains of a gigantic population of people in the process. Congratulations pharmaceutical companies for another failure on monstrous proportions.
Peace
Peace
streetsk8er794
Active member
Yeh, in my experience SSRI's suck ass. Zoloft made me feel like a zombie, and when I drank on it this one time, I tried to kill myself. Wellbutrin was OK I guess, didnt really feel it. Nardil was kick ass for anti-deppressant and helped a lot with social anxiety. Lexapro was prolly the best I've tried. Not too intense, but helped a bit with anxiety and depression, and had basically no side-effects. How long have you been on Klonopin for SilentType?
SilentType
Banned
I've been taken Klonopin for somewhere between 2-3 years... Plannin on make the jump to California where I can legally (under state laws at least) substitute the Klonopin for marijuana, a drug that's been used for relaxation for thousands of years. Instead of being the guinea pig like most people want to be, I'll just use what I know works. Just knowing that my treatment plan has no chance of being the death of me alone should cool my nerves a bit... And unlike rx pills, you're allowed to grow your own medicine and buy it from a dispensary if need be. If people us just smoked a joint when we;re stressed out, our world would be so much more pleasant. Just my opinions...
Peace
Peace
AM
Active member
I was on Xanax for about 4 months when my panic attacks started and it worked great. I was on 5mg 3 times a day for the first few weeks, then I gradually took less and less until I was only taking it when I felt panic coming on.
It's not recommended that you take benzos for a long period of time. I was getting to the stage where I was feeling an addiction. But you have to be sensible and listen to your doctor. I don't take any benzos anymore, I'm only on Luvox, an SSRI to treat depression and OCD. I'm feeling less and less depressed - I have been on it for 8 months and I feel like I'm at the half way point. It's a slow process. Which sucks, but I guess it's worth it!
I still get nervous and a bit anxious every now and again, but it's good to use mind power to fend it off, know that it will go away if you don't focus on it.
It's not recommended that you take benzos for a long period of time. I was getting to the stage where I was feeling an addiction. But you have to be sensible and listen to your doctor. I don't take any benzos anymore, I'm only on Luvox, an SSRI to treat depression and OCD. I'm feeling less and less depressed - I have been on it for 8 months and I feel like I'm at the half way point. It's a slow process. Which sucks, but I guess it's worth it!
I still get nervous and a bit anxious every now and again, but it's good to use mind power to fend it off, know that it will go away if you don't focus on it.
SilentType
Banned
5mg of xanax would floor most people, if you've never been on any benzos before that's way too high of a starting dose. Is this a typo? or is your doctor insane?
You mean the same doctor that has been prescribing me benzos for almost 3 years? I lost most of the trust I had in my doctor once I found out that you're not supposed to take benzos for more than 6 weeks. I know plenty of doctors prescribe them for longer term, but the whole idea is ridiculous because in most cases its just an attempt to solve a problem while in the process creating an addiction problem that didn't exist before. In my opinion, benzodiazepines just aren't worth the suffering of coming off of them after long term use. A lot of people end up taking them their whole life just because they can't get off of them, leaving them a benzo zombie for life. It's a goddamn shame that doctors make these kinds of decisions and somehow uphold a reputation of the most respected individuals in society. People need to wake up and buy a vaporizer and use nature's best medicine for anxiety: marijuana. Just my opinion...
Peace
streetsk8er794
Active member
Yeh marijuana is good for social anxiety, but not when I get really high. When Im really high, I get real panicky. But like 1 toke of some good shit about 3-4 times a day works wonders. Too bad Ill be on probation for the next 5 years.... 
AM
Active member
Sorry I meant to put a point in front of the 5, so 0.5mg! I was taking 4 tablets a day at one point and I was almost floored on that amount.
I think you need to change doctor! I was almost going to beg for more when I ran out the last time I was on them. I'm glad I didn't. He assured me I didn't need them.
I recently moved, and my new doctor said I should remain on antidepressants for the rest of my life, not to come off them. I'm thinking about getting a second opinion. You really can't just trust what one doc says.
I think you need to change doctor! I was almost going to beg for more when I ran out the last time I was on them. I'm glad I didn't. He assured me I didn't need them.
I recently moved, and my new doctor said I should remain on antidepressants for the rest of my life, not to come off them. I'm thinking about getting a second opinion. You really can't just trust what one doc says.
SilentType
Banned
I agree that moderation is the best way to go about using marijuana for medicinal purposes.
I've actually ran out a week early and begged for more and actually got them haha...
I don't know if you've heard, but a recent study was done that showed SSRI antidepressants are no better than placebo at achieving their desired effects. I wouldn't count on any antidepressants to cure my anxiety either... Can't really blame the doctors though, since they can only use the drugs that are available to be administered. Unfortunately one of them isn't marijuana in most places...
Peace
streetsk8er794
Active member
The side effects of my benzos that I really DO mind, is lack of sex drive. I mean, I used to get ROCK hard if you know what I mean, now its just like, meh. I just wanna come and get it over with.
ld323
Active member
SilentType said:
I think pot is one of those drugs that effects everyone differently, unlike alcohol which seems to have a "universal" effect and pretty much relaxes most people. Pot actually increases my anxiety and makes me more withdrawn. It especially increases my social anxiety times 10. I've smoked pot on and off for about 15 years (quit about 5 years ago). I used to love smoking out and it was alot of fun when I was younger. But I noticed the older I got it just made me more paranoid and anxious. I would keep dwelling on my problems and was always worried- which ruined the high. It also messed with my concentration and memory. Really exacerbated (and maybe created) my ADD.
I knew other people who would smoke pot and study or go to work and would be totally fine with it. Then some others who could not handle it at all and would go all mental and whatnot, even just taking a few hits.. Weird...