Need help with Benzo

[Spanky]

I thought the same.  Now I am over 400.  Now, I have a lot to say about not much, but, you are at 30, and even if you don't have much to say, just look around until you see something to respond to.  You'll be there before you know it.  Check a few of the "suggested IOPs" and give a quick and honest opinion, that's always helpful.  Every now and then congratulate someone who has been sweating out time when they leave good news, encourage people who have not waited long in any sense that it always takes some time, give it a bit more.  Lots of information, and encouragement can be offered that members would find helpful. 

As for help, I'll PM you.

best luck, Spankster

[msj.supplies]

Good info. I didn't know half of that.

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Although Valium or other benzos help a lot with certain medical issues in life and I was asked to use them by a doctor in 2005 I think everyone should do their research first, second look at the long term affects and everything I between. Because I started in Australia with 50 5mg Valium, before I knew it it I had about 5 doctors (doctor hoping) not because I was abusing the drug but simply because my tolerance became higher and higher. Now 11 years later do I regret it? NO because I had a daughter on the way and had seriously suffered with anxiety most of my life, when I actually got to sit down with a professional and talk about my life I was drinking due to certain things that had happened and caused anxiety and depression as a teenager an adult. After coming back to the UK I was refused my medication by 11 different doctors and had to go to the black market. Still to this day the medication that helped me to overcome my daily depression and struggles I still can not get a prediction for. Xyprexa. A mood stabilizer that not only helped me get out of bed and feel ready for the day but also helped me in many other ways. I now buy a similar tablet from a friend that helps but for the life of me I will never understand why I could not get my medication in the UK. Even after doctors records being sent and proof that I had continually used these meds. It breaks my heart as a friend told me a story about his mum who has MS. She was on tramdol (pain killer) and pregablin. After explaining to her doctor the pregablin was not helping her on that dose and wanted to reduce he stopped her tramadol. THE ONLY THING THAT WAS HELPING HER WITH THE PAIN. Why should someone who cannot walk and not confident to speak up and tell the doctor straight suffer in pain like this. If the NHS cost money who would use it seriously. I lived in California for nearly two years and if you are sick they would keep you comfortable. There health care system obviously is completely different to ours but my American partner always asks me why do they make people suffer here? NHS good question.

[Anamcara]

One option for anxiety is kava. It is the first thing I ever used for anxiety and it was a bit of a revelation at the time, that an herb could have such an effect on my sense of well being. 

The upside is that it is not expensive and is easily available. The downside is that, in order for it to be effective, it takes a bit of preparation, so it's not easy to take on the fly when you are out and about.

To prepare it, you need to mix the powder thoroughly in cold water. Some people put it in a blender for 5 minutes or so. The traditional method is to put it in a cheesecloth, immerse in water, and then squeeze it and work the water in and out of it for several minutes. Hot water destroys it, do you can't just make a tea.

It does not taste too good (better that kratom though), but recently where I live they have opened up some kava "bars" where they make fancy drinks with fruit juice and coconut milk etc, and some of those are quite tasty, though caloric. I just used to extract it in the smallest amount of water possible, then knock it back as fast as possible.

I haven't used it in a while, so I don't know who the good vendors are these days, but it should not be too hard to find info on the net about it.

[danc1005]

One option for anxiety is kava. It is the first thing I ever used for anxiety and it was a bit of a revelation at the time, that an herb could have such an effect on my sense of well being. 

The upside is that it is not expensive and is easily available. The downside is that, in order for it to be effective, it takes a bit of preparation, so it's not easy to take on the fly when you are out and about.

To prepare it, you need to mix the powder thoroughly in cold water. Some people put it in a blender for 5 minutes or so. The traditional method is to put it in a cheesecloth, immerse in water, and then squeeze it and work the water in and out of it for several minutes. Hot water destroys it, do you can't just make a tea.

It does not taste too good (better that kratom though), but recently where I live they have opened up some kava "bars" where they make fancy drinks with fruit juice and coconut milk etc, and some of those are quite tasty, though caloric. I just used to extract it in the smallest amount of water possible, then knock it back as fast as possible.

I haven't used it in a while, so I don't know who the good vendors are these days, but it should not be too hard to find info on the net about it.

Heavenly Products is a...well, heavenly vendor who specializes in natural entheogens and other psychoactives, including kava. I'm not sure that he's accepting new customers at the moment but the guy is a lovable eccentric old hippie who also sells his jewelry/crafts on the website and will throw in random ayahuasca vines or yopo beans as decorations/gifts in his packages, so I'm sure if you wrote him an honest email interested in joining up I doubt he'd deny you. In any case, there are plenty of other kava vendors out there but I just really like this guy (mimosa hostilis root bark, powdered mescaline-containing San Pedro/Peruvian Torch cactus and Kratom are also among some of his more interesting products). He stocks many herbs which if you research them may assist similarly to kava with anxiety. Likely not as powerfully as a benzo, but not as dangerously either (although it may be a bit rough on your liver).


As for myself, etizolam was my first benzo and has also been my go-to (I used to be heavily involved with the RC scene). For how easy and cheap it was to get, it was an incredibly effective anxiolytic, euphoriant, sedative, and social lubricant (with which I self-medicated my anxiety before I realized/admitted I had anxiety) -- much more enjoyable and less emotionally dull than alprazolam and about on par with diazepam for me. For a while I was self-medicating my anxiety with that and...less legal herbal remedies, but throughout (having heard of the dangers of benzo addiction and always attempting to be a responsible drug user) never let myself get addicted. I keep it around for emergencies now, again because of the relative ease and cost of obtaining it. But my anxiety is well-controlled and I can easily go one, two, three days or a week without it without any WDs even after taking it for some days in a row (and even take 300mg Bupropion daily while increases seizure risk). Basically, I think the addictiveness of benzodiazepines/thienodiazepines depends a lot more on the person than the drug itself. I personally don't understand how one could become addicted to alprazolam because I don't find the effects enjoyable at all, only useful at times for stopping the effects of other drugs or going to sleep. I could see being addicted to diazepam or etizolam or other similarly euphoric benzos, and I'll admit I had some periods where I caught my dosage steadily increasing. But it was never difficult to take a break or to reduce my dosage, even when my anxiety was at it worst and not properly medicated.

I will agree though that the powders that come from shadier origins these days (rather than the Rx Etilaam/Etizest/etc. tablets that were more available a few years ago) are highly variable and much weaker per weight, making therapeutic usage even through volumetric dosing quite difficult.

[Skylar64]

I've been taking a small dose of Diazepam 5mg/day for years and for me it's just what I need to take the "edge" off. Some days I'll break it in half and other times I take 2 - depends on the situation/level of anxiety. Thankfully I've never really developed a tolerance level where they don't work. There have been times that I've run out and I didn't find the W/D to be hard at all. Maybe I was a little snippy at times or a little anxious, but other ever major - again it's probably due to my low dosage. For some people it's a lifesaver - for me, it helps me get through the day.

[Raven]

Nostormos:
I am not at all qualified to recommend any type of medication to you. I have no medical training or credentials, but I can tell you about my own personal experience. Job related stress is the number one cause of panic attacks for me at this point in my life. I have suffered from general anxiety disorder all my life and, although there were a few events that triggered full-on panic attacks earlier when I was younger I could, for the most part, deal with it (although not without embarrassment).
My ability to deal with periodic intense anxiety diminished over the years and I finally got to the point that I chose to use medication to deal with high stress situations. I was at the point that I figured that experimenting with medications presented less risk to my health than dealing with the relentless anxiety related to my job.
So, if you too choose to go this route, and you are seeking relief from short term intense anxiety and/or panic attacks, then I have found Alprazolam to be the most effective medication for me. This med. takes complete control of my anxiety and still allows me to think clearly, speak effectively, and to interact more comfortably with clients.
Read everything you can about this medication before you use it. Use the lowest effective dose you can, and exercise self discipline to assure that you maintain your use at the minimum effective dose (constant vigilance required).
I wish you the Best of Luck
Raven

[teddy1998]

Not sure if this is the right place for this.

I suffer from the occasional panic attack and I doesn't help that I am in a high pressure sales job that is 100% commission based. "YOU EAT WHAT YOU KILL" so to speak. It can be nerve wrecking when the bills come due.

I would like to make an order Diazepam or Alprazolam to help me through the tough times but this stuff scares me. I have an addictive personality but knock on wood I have not developed a problem yet. From what I understand about b3nzos, they are highly addictive and W/D are legendary. 

Is Et!zolam in the same category? I have never taken any b3nzos before and looking for some advice. I am thinking placing an order K!ng [email=C@lm]C@lm[/email] because it can still be purchased legally. Does anyone have experience with this?

I want to stay safe and avoid the seizures highway. Please help. Thanks

Nos

a benzo is a benzo in the end.  Alps would be last on the list just because of what you posted.  with an addictive personality knocking on wood isn't going to save you in the benzo game and I don't care what anyone else says about it.  Some grizzly bears will run when they see you and some will charge....I suggest staying away from them because a bear is a bear.  Sales is very stressful.  You will ultimately be eating so many benzos you'll be numb to everyone and everything you do in your job.  You may make the sales because of the false confidence but the addiction/withdrawal/seizures/insomnia/etc. don't give a darn about your sales/knocking on wood/etc.  It's always a gamble when you deal with addictive drugs.  And most people who post the 'happy horse crap' about taking them as prescribed are usually not telling the entire truth.  We're getting meds illegally online for crying out loud.  There are a few who take their valium every 5 hours on the dot but they're far few and in between.  I'm speaking truth.  If you decide to 'take the plunge' start with the lowest dose and only take it as needed....AND I MEAN AS NEEDED.  10 tablets every 2 hours is not 'as needed'.   I may be lashed on because of my comments but anyone who recommends certain drugs as if they're suggesting taking your daily vitamin know not what they speak.

[barq2]

I realise this thread has been quiet for a bit, but since Anamcara brought it back to life I thought I'd chip in. Even if it is too late for the OP, I think work related stress is a common issue so I'm sure this will be relevant to someone else...

Charon's point about beta blockers is a good one. I can confirm that many medical doctors use beta blockers for public talks. They are banned in sports like darts and snooker because they reduce any tremor in your hands brought on by anxiety/stress (so they could be an unfair advantage). In my own experience beta blockers kill the physical symptoms of anxiety (butterflies in stomach, sweaty hands, etc), but don't really affect you psychologically. I would definitely encourage someone with stress/anxiety to explore beta blockers before going to benzos. Besides, someone with work related stress could easily have hypertension / high blood pressure, which the beta blockers would treat. Not having the physical effects of anxiety, can help reduce your perceived level of anxiety. So for some people this really works very well and beta blockers offer a viable alternative to benzos.

My own relationship with diazepam is a Faustian pact. A doctor put me on benzos as a short term measure, but weeks became months, and then years. The real problem came when I moved, ended up with a new GP who freaked out when I asked for my "normal" diazepam - hence needing alternative sources on here. But diazepam has meant I managed to finish my PhD, and then hold down a stressful job. I'm not in sales, but do a lot of public speaking. I couldn't do that without some medical help. However, I suspect this can't continue forever - as I say, it is a Faustian pact (and deals with the devil don't end well). I'm rather obsessed with making sure I don't run out of diazepam and that has become a bit of an issue in itself. So read this as a cautionary tale.

Good luck.

[MoJim]

Pretty much everything Barq said has been my experience as well. Before retirement I used beta blockers to get through my work day. It was unsafe for me and the people around me to be on any type of benz0. I also was experiencing high blood pressure, so it worked out well. I certainly would check one's BP before using beta blockers. If you suffer from low blood pressure it might not be safe as it could cause dizziness and being light headed. I'm not trying to give medical advice, just an opinion for what has worked for me.

I certainly worry about running out of benz0's and the risks of seizures. You will end up with more anxiety, than what you started with, if you build up tolerance and become addicted. If I adhered to my rather small prescription, I certainly would be better off. I'm working on ramping down my dosage and taking breaks whenever I can.

Stay safe.

[ShortSqueeze]

Finding xanax gives me anxiety.