Benzo long term success stories?

[seeker47]

So I've heard many stories of withdrawal/addiction nightmares, but what about success stories of using benzos daily for long term? I'm talking years. Do they just stop working after a while? Or do they always keep helping with anxiety/stress levels? If you occasionally take a higher dose after a bad day or whatever how bad are you screwing yourself up as far as effectiveness if you then drop back to a regular dose?

Reason I ask, is I've been an alcoholic for the past 3 years, and have always had anxiety issues. I've dabbled with benzos here and there but never before considered just staying on them instead of the alcohol. The past 2 weeks I've stopped drinking and been on xanax, various doses and its helping, I just don't like the fluctuation caused by the short half life and will be switching to klonopin in a week or so. I feel much healthier and more functional on the xanax than alcohol. It literally makes my entire day better especially any and all social interaction, which has been an issue my entire life. Just wondering what others long term experience with benzos has been like(mainly the success stories)....not because I'm ignoring the horror stories, its just that I've already gone through full blown alcohol withdrawal to the point of having delerium tremens a while back and did a very successful self medicated benzo taper off of it with valium, so I feel I have a handle on that part if necessary.

[G.Elias]

Think you'd be better off with a longer lasting benzo like diazepam, xanax wears off too quickly for me so i would end up taking more, have read lots of people have done that.
Try on a low dose of diaz first to see how you feel, at present i manage on 5mg early evening,when i feel right i'll cut that 5 in half and see how i cope on 2.5mg.

I used to drink a lot many years ago, Medicinal Marijuana helped me quit the beers,although its not legal in this country to take MM but thousand still do.I'd still be drinking every night if i had not taken up with herb from god.

[iNsom]

Interesting thread, Seeker.

Looking forward to some replies.

I get by on 10mg d14z3p4m per day, I also drink, but these days ... rarely more than a couple of beers in the evening.  I have the odd ‘sober spells’ too, y’know Sober October etc. 

I plan on going 2-3 months without alcohol soon to see if I can drop another 5mg.

[celts17]

g good luck as anxiety is no fun. I think you will be able to taper down. Just go very slow. And the key is trying to take your mind off of the taper. So try to plan things that are not stressful, but at the same time in about nine manner, take your mind off of Your anxiety or your taper. As for benz, some people say Clnpn is the most benign, but I think Valerie might be the best place to start. different for everyone and start low. You might also want to consider Indika form of cannabis. Although that can also give people panic attacks. But now they have the CBD, that is an interesting optionperiod And more and more feedback is coming in. Good luck.

[seeker47]

Ok so I’m about 2 days into my switch from Xanax to klonopin and not really liking it. I took 1mg at night the first 2 nights and it took forever to kick in, plus the next day during daytime I was still getting anxiety and could barely feel anything working. So today I took .5mg in the morning and all it did was make me feel really tired and confused. Found this strange because it didn’t make me tired when I took 1mg at nighttime. Feels like I’m generally not as happy on this stuff as the Xanax. Do you guys think it’s will get better with time?

[Rattzo]

They will stop working as far as giving you a buzz, but they continue to ease anxiety despite the lack of pharmie glow. At least that's my theory because while I don't get serious withdrawal, when I stop taking them I get near constant panic attacks

[iNsom]

Yeah, I have noticed this with Va
I have been taking quite a low dose for quite a long time now, and the only thing that has remained is the anti anxiety part.
But, thats fine by me, since I take them purely for anxiety.

One day I will stop taking them, but it will be when I am not in such a high anxiety job.

I don’t know from personal experience, but from lots and lots and lots of reading, the preferred method is to taper from Va, not Kl

Va has a longer half life any many (IMO the majority) consider it to be better than Kl

[Rattzo]

Seeker-. Long term you're better off with kpin, melt them under your tongue to get a quicker activation. They have a sweet minty menthol taste.

[Tigertail58]

Interesting thread, Seeker.

Looking forward to some replies.

I get by on 10mg d14z3p4m per day, I also drink, but these days ... rarely more than a couple of beers in the evening.  I have the odd ‘sober spells’ too, y’know Sober October etc. 

I plan on going 2-3 months without alcohol soon to see if I can drop another 5mg.

I took 20 mgs of diaz for years? 4-5 then got switched to aplraz in '88, been on them since about 3 mgs a day.  Want to go back to the diaz I guess or find some other way, I have had anxiety since I was a teen, it runs in the family, I haven't drank in 25 yrs but I fear the day when I can't get apraz anymore,  The Dr.s i have seen write lorazepam and I have some stcked up but don't find it very effective? Any thoughts out there?

[Chicci]

Imo there are no reasons to take benzos honger then a month. Except for seizures.
They could help with alcohol withdrawal short term. But take them under surveillance of a doctor.

Congrats on quitting the alcohol!!