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switching up benzos
#11
Yes, i do find coffee increases my axiety... I still drink it everyday. Once i start clenching my jaw i know its time to slow down.

And i would think clonazepam would be great for detoxing off of benzos.
"Nobody owns life, but anyone who can pick up a frying pan owns death." -William S Burroughs
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#12
Valium is the best way to detox off benzos. Klonopin is too high an affinity benzo so even though it's long acting, when it leaves you are left in a panic. Valium is different. Another way is to take a long acting benzo like valium to sleep or even ones like temazepam surprisingly and you can make it through the day. Interestingly. I was using halcyon and was able to go the whole day with no benzo and then stopped the halcyon with no problems. That was very interesting.
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#13
(10-26-2017, 06:10 PM)cutstack Wrote: Valium is the best way to detox off benzos. Klonopin is too high an affinity benzo so even though it's long acting, when it leaves you are left in a panic. Valium is different. Another way is to take a long acting benzo like valium to sleep or even ones like temazepam surprisingly and you can make it through the day. Interestingly.  I was using halcyon and was able to go the whole day with no benzo and then stopped the halcyon with no problems. That was very interesting.

Hi Cutstack, what do you mean by "Klonopin is too high an affinity benzo"? Are you referring to its potency by milligram?

I know Ashton recommends diazepam for benzo tapering, but I would imagine any benzo with a decent half-life would work. I've heard of people successfully tapering after switching to clonazepam or even lorazepam.
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#14
Lexapro worked really well for someone I know. Not so much for me.

Personally, the benzos, like Vailum and Kpins, with the long half lives work well for me. I normally taper off after the half-life ends with a low-dose weak benzo (bromazepam is perfect) if I can't take the moody anxiety.
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#15
(11-13-2017, 06:02 PM)bwitherite Wrote:
(05-20-2017, 06:17 PM)dynalift Wrote: I'm kind of considering the same issue, though I'm on a lower dose of Alps (1 mg). I also have k-pins and etiz. I find the etiz OK only in emergencies, does not really help for anxiety. But I have switched every other day between similar doses of K-pin and Alps and do find my attitude improves a bit, feel a little more energetic, but still keeps the anxiety at bay. I think giving the old receptors something different might be a good thing long term. You just have to stick with a taper schedule and make sure the equivalencies are correct--in theory, you might have better success this way than simply tapering from a single drug. Good luck! I think its very doable to get below 1mg alps by end of summer!

Saw this post. I took Etiz once but felt no effects. Is the medication supposed to be as effective as normal benzos? I know it is a different category but related. I just felt nothing when I took it for a few days. Maybe it was a bad batch.

Hi Bweitherite,

Etizolam is technically a "normal" benzo. Within the category "benzos," there are subgroups depending on minor molecular differences. Most of the classic benzos are 1,4-Benzodiazepines (diazepam, clonazepam, lorazepam, etc). Alprazolam and triazolam are triazolobenzodiazepines. Etizolam is a thienotriazolodiazepine.

Etizolam is actually the most-prescribed benzo in Asia. If you took it and felt nothing, it's possible that you didn't take enough or had a bad batch. I personally find it similar to lorazepam, potency-wise.

But different benzos have different effects on the various GABA-A receptor subunits, which is why they have subtle differences despite having the same mechanism of action.

This is a pretty good overview of the different GABA-A receptor subunits:
http://bluelight.org/vb/threads/550567-T...diazepines
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#16
Switching benzos can turn out to be very complicated and there is a risk involved if you don't get the right dose you're looking for. There's also the issue of some benzos being shorter/longer than others. If you've been taking a short-acting benzo like Xanax and you switch over to Diazepam for example, you need to keep in mind not to continue your usual dosing regime and instead spread doses out more often.

A benzodiazepine equivalency chart will help. This one here is very detailed so have a look https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2...verview#a1
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#17
I've switched back and forth countless times, and settled on good old Di@aepam.  Alps withdrawals start almost immediately and are pure hell, brom & ox are too  weak to do the trick, Clon is fine, but there are days where there feels like something's "missing".

Coming up on 20 years of benz@ prescriptions now, and 10mg Di@z first thing in the morning along with 10mg at 6PM seems to be perfect.
A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.

-- Saint Basil








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#18
(01-24-2018, 09:21 PM)OldBoy Wrote: I've switched back and forth countless times, and settled on good old Di@aepam.  Alps withdrawals start almost immediately and are pure hell, brom & ox are too  weak to do the trick, Clon is fine, but there are days where there feels like something's "missing".

Coming up on 20 years of benz@ prescriptions now, and 10mg Di@z first thing in the morning along with 10mg at 6PM seems to be perfect.

Thanks for that, O. Invaluable first hand info, as you always seem to come though with.
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#19
(01-25-2018, 02:33 AM)Rafterman Wrote:
(01-24-2018, 09:21 PM)OldBoy Wrote: I've switched back and forth countless times, and settled on good old Di@aepam.  Alps withdrawals start almost immediately and are pure hell, brom & ox are too  weak to do the trick, Clon is fine, but there are days where there feels like something's "missing".

Coming up on 20 years of benz@ prescriptions now, and 10mg Di@z first thing in the morning along with 10mg at 6PM seems to be perfect.

Thanks for that, O. Invaluable first hand info, as you always seem to come though with.

Thank you RM, most kind.  The problem with my experience is that it is anecdotal, and as we both know, so many factors differ between manifestations of GAD or panic attacks, and neurochemistry is (if only slightly) different between any two given people.  While Di@z seems to do well for me, I know folks who won't touch it - They want alp, clon, or loraz, because that's what works for them!

Sigh.  It's my age I suppose.  An older medication for an older fellow ;-)

Always good to see you, RM.
A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.

-- Saint Basil








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#20
I'm experienced with ssris,and took pail for 6 yrs,,ran low on funds and switched to prozac,had to decrease paxil,break up pills and then when down to like 10 mg started taking the Prozac which seems just as good and isn't as sedating,also have taken some benzos to help manage panic and anxiety that is genetic plus my personality makes me vulnerable to it..so when on clonazapam,which has a long half life I certainly felt better but it gave me some withdraw type symptoms,insomnia,anxiety increased,wierd twitching increaed,,I wanted to go off of them because what if I do not have them and run out? I do not want to experience cold turkey,it's scary..I was prescribed then by a psychiatrist but switched insurances due to health issues causing me not to work,,so I am now taking one a given in the morning of 1 mg,and that's all but I also have them handy in case I need another,,once I get going in the day it seems less stressfull,but just 3 days ago I got a prescription for gabapenin,and I'm noticing a huge difference in my pain and anxiety and hoping I may be able to stop the daily benzos gradually.and just have them on hand in case of issues.My advice is to take as little as possible and it's just better all around not to become dependent on them especially when some providers will not issue a script even if you have been diagnosed and treated with them for 10 plus yrs,,yea 2002 is when I first got em,,and cut off last summer,,wow ,it's really scary when this occurs..so please be carefull and look at all data,tel lives and such so u minimize dependency.
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