joshie Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 i heard when you start a benzo like valium, xanax etc. you cant stop it suddenly? but why? what would happen if you stopped it suddenly? plz explain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Elvis Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 It depends on your dose. At higher doses it's possible to develop physical addiction and stopping all at once can kinda suck. You just have rebound anxiety symptoms and feel like shit basically. Most pdocs are reluctant to prescribe benzos at a dose where this is an issue unless you've tried a couple dozen other meds and they haven't worked, so it's probably not something you need to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelikejazz Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 never mind, VE covered it. I was under the impression it could be really serious, but I guess that's just for really high doses that are stopped suddenly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenllama Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 Certain benzo's can also be used for epilespy, so you could have a seizure if you stop suddenly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 The withdrawal symptoms from benzos, in a dependant person, are similar to those of alcohol. Begins with "the shakes", panic attacks, anxiety, and sometimes, chest pains. Progresses to hallucinations and delirium tremens. Ultimately, in severe cases, to seizures, coma, and death. "Treatment" for these symptoms is generally, to go back onto benzos. The risk of becoming dependant on a benzo is a function of how much benzo is taken, for how long. Certain benzos provoke dependance much more quickly than others, even at equivalent therapeutic dosing. For instance, most people can take temazepam (Restoril) or flurazepam (Dalmane) for months at a time, without becoming dependant. But triazolam or alprazolam (Halcion and Xanax),are likely to induce such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klingon001 Posted July 25, 2010 Share Posted July 25, 2010 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormienite Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 As for me, if I don't take my dose at least once every 12 hours I get sick. Like a hangover. I've been on it for over a year so it's an addiction. Also, the longer you're on it the higher dosage you need. I started on .25 then was upped to .50. I've been double dosing for several weeks so it's time to up it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wondernut Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 I am in the "lot of people" camp I am on 0.5mg of Xanax /almost daily and have been for 2 2/3 years I still get the same level of relief from this ..rarely take more than one a day and never more than 1 1/2 in 24 hours..that is only if I am out of my mind with panic I have gone off them for days and back on them for months ...never felt compelled to take "extra" only what I need for relief I have also as a nurse taken care of people withdrawing from benzo's but at much higher doses for less amounts of time than ...I have never seen in our clinic someone need to come in from withdrawal at my level ..they can usually call and just say "help" and most of it is over the phone...the folks who have to come in because they are highdose withdrawing was not pretty and yes we had to give a benzo to get them off a benzo and a slower taper was the only answer really ..it comes on like a flood to them all the anxiety in one huge seemingly endless wave of agony .. very miserable but the big wave does end ..on the other side of that there is whatever to be had ..either they resume with the symptoms that caused the benzo use to begin with or in fact some are actually done needing them and the preexisting issues have "cleared up" (not as often as I would like to see but I have seen it!) there is no easy answer to this question..yes you can stop them suddenly ..no it will not be a nice adventure...yes there is a siezure risk ..no not always this depends on your threshold and your dose dependency ...yes you can be better off them ..but if your anxiety is not gone it will still be there if not treated with something else ... all the answers to the benzo questions like most drugs are dose and person dependent take good care and good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etkearne Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Your GABA levels become desensitized. GABA keeps your seizure threshold high. So a person who takes a benzo has a lowered GABA functioning (kind of like 5-HT becoming desensitized in SSRI's). Take away the benzo abruptly, and the brain has no time to readjust, rendering you a pseudo-epileptic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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