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If something wrong with me? Why can my body tolerate such an obscene amount of benzos? (please read)


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Hello all,

I am a long time lurker, first time poster. I just had a question that I was hoping one of you knowledgable folks would be able to answer for me.

 

You see, I've been scripted Klonopin for four years. The first two years I was taking 6 mg a night, and the second two years I was taking 4 mg a night. The only reason I had to be scripted such a large dosage was because my body just wasn't reacting to anything smaller.

 

Fast forward to November 2012... I now have a prescription for 4 mg of Clonazepam every night for insomnia/morning sickness (long story), and I am also scripted 90 mg of Temazepam every night with the Clonazepam for insomnia.

 

I ALSO have a script for 2 mg of Alprazolam, twice a day.. so a total of 4 mg of Xanax daily for my anxiety.

 

I have had a bit of an addiction problem in the past, but I am very lucky to find doctors who work with me and help me to the best of their ability.

 

 

Here's my question to you folks:  I seem to have an extremely high tolerance to ALL drugs... I have been told by several physicians that my body metabolizes drugs at an EXTREMELY fast rate, and I typically require a much higher dose of ANY medicine compared to most normal people. For example... About an hour I took 8 mg of Klonopin sublingually, eventually swallowed it. On top of that, I ingested 210 mg of Temazepam. And, here's the kicker.. I also took 7 xanax bars, so 14 mg of alprazolam. I took all three of these medications in the past hour and a half... and I literally don't feel a thing!? :wall:   I mean what I just took sounds like it could be enough to kill a person who has no benzo tolerance. Is there anything I can do to potentiate these pills so I can actually feel them? It's rather frustrating. Have any of you fellow posters every experience anything similar?

 

And before someone asks, yes, all three of my benzodiazapene scripts are legitimate. I receive the Klonopin and Restoril from my psychiatrist for insomnia, and my general doctor writes my Xanax script. They are both aware of my treatment plan.

 

Anyways, I was hoping someone could shed some light on this. Because I really don't think it's just benzo tolerance. I mean C'MON, 8 mg of Kpin, 210 mg Temazepam, and 14 mg Xanax in an hour and I dont feel anything!?!

 

I sincerely appreciate any insight or advice/offers any of you fellow posters have to offer.

 

Thank you!

Sincerely,

A man with too many benzo prescriptions.

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I don't know if this helps but your not alone.  Its the same thing with me.  It takes large doses to do anything.   Cholesterol, beta blockers, just everything no matter what kind of pill.  When I had surgery the drug that supposed to make you forget everything didn't do anything.  *Not enough?!

 

On that same note -  I've been worried about asking for more Valium because my Doctor is ubber worried about addiction with this drug but the 1mg, 2mg just don't have any effect.  My doc just oked 4mg every 6 hours (As needed)  At 4mg it seems to dial back some of the anxiety.  Although taking that much during a total meltdown didn't have any affect that I could see.

 

I have an associate who takes an unholy amount of Valium but he has had to jump up his dose after many years of use.

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I think the question is this: what feeling are you looking for? Benzos are designed to calm down anxiety and reduce physical and mental feelings of anxiety and panic. They are not designed to make you feel chilled out or put you to sleep. Sleepiness is only a side effect of benzos, and you should look at other sleep hygiene options before relying on benzos.

If you are taking the appropriate amount of a benzo, you should feel *nothing*. Just like a normal, calm, functioning person. Taking more just to see if you will suddenly start having effects can be like the old water bucket: for the longest time, you can drip water into the bucket and everything's fine. And then there's a point in which you can take no more and that's it. With benzos, that tipping point means overdose with a potential to stop breathing, coma, or even death.

So as someone who used to chase the chill, I advise you to learn from this incident: your body will no longer let you have "positive side effects" so you should only take the exact amount you are prescribed exactly as it's prescribed.

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Just wanted to say that is a *lot* of benzos! Holy cow. 

 

One time I was flying back home to Seattle from a wedding in Sacramento, and I took 2 clonazepam for the plane ride. I have a bad memory and had forgotten that I'd already taken 2... so I took 2 more and WOW I felt terrible. I was chilled out for the plane trip, true, but I was suuuuuuuuuper chilled. To the point that it scared me. 

 

 I can't imagine being on that much benzo. All of our bodies are different, though.. what works for one, may not work for another.

 

My mom needs only .5 xanax to squash her anxiety - I have taken xanax before and need 2 mg for it to work for me. 

 

We are all special snowflakes.

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  • 2 weeks later...

All benzos make me sleepy. I guess I'm a slow metabolizer because even at baby doses I get ridiculous s/e. It's only the antihypertenives I need a lot of because at baseline, my bp is SKY HIGH, like stroke territory high. I dunno, even small doses knock me out, unless I am really really panicking. I had a full on sobbing, dissociating, hyperventilating panic attack when I was IP last week and 0.5 of klonopin knocked that ish right out and while I was a little tired, I just felt normal, which for me meant *fabulous* based on how tightly wound and anxious I was the whole miserable time I was there.

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  • 2 weeks later...

If someone is following this path and does not have a history of addiction / alcoholism I suggest they talk to a DAC 

 

If someone who has a history of substance abuse is doing what you did above it is very obvious they are not taking the medication for the right reasons. It looks like you are looking for mood alteration, as someone above already stated  this is not the end goal with benzos. 

 

I say this only because I handled them the same EXACT way and went off them CT 8 1/2 months ago. after using them for 12 + years. I no longer can take that kind of medication which really sucks. Part of the package when I truly accepted I am an alcoholic / addict though. Again, that is JUST for me. 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Yeah seriously...fuck me thats alot of benzos!!!

You might have a biochem tolerance not just because u took them previously.

Maybe u could try antidepressants and one of the barbituates family? Theyre chemically a lil difftent from benzos.

Nausea--i would try otc cvs brand nausea pills, or get dr to write zolfram

What r u taking all the benzos for? I mean, maybe a opiate could help, and u havent had anything from that group right?

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  • 1 month later...

That is a lot of meds.

Anyway, I think it would be the best to follow the advice of your doc since they'll be able to determine how much is healthy. With that many meds in my system I'm not sure I'd try to bolster them without support.

I react oddly to meds but not quite like you do. Meds that are sublingual and supposed to take 10 mins to kick in take 2 hours. Sometimes I get no effect from sizeable doses. And a lot of my meds tend to stop working quickly. I guess we are all just different levels of sensitive.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It varies from person to person.  You may be looking for a feeling that you just wont find with xanax.

 

As long as you are being prescribed under the supervision of a medical dr (preferably a psychiatrist) then you should take as prescribed.

 

Long term you need to have a think about tapering down to a couple of times a week rather than everyday. I got into trouble when I got hooked on xanax (1mg, 3x per day).  The withdrawal was hideous.  I have found that the longer acting benzos like valium are better for me for regular, lomg term use.

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