Was on 2mgs Klonopin daily for 7 years!
I put the ! at the end because I didn't even KNOW it was a Benzo until I cold turkeyed it.
That was 9 years ago and I thought hell on earth was when I was taking it (because I didn't feel I was getting any relief which I WASN'T. I was just putting a bandaid on my emotions) but hell didn't even begin until I QUIT.
When my shrink quit practicing (I WONDER WHY(?) after going to him for 10 years, I had no desire to start over with someone new.
SO...I cold turkeyed it and I was SO afraid that I was "just" going unsane as that was the same time my 25 year marriage was ending, I never went for help as I own a business and didn't think anyone would hire someone that was "crazy."
Little did I know, I WAS going crazy, due to withdrawals and have no clue how I can still be here today.
I didn't post this to say Klonopin was GREAT or [censored], just to give your question an answer on "experience".

BENOZOS are here, IMO, to only show a person that hell on earth CAN get worse..........................
BENZO addiction is HELL!!
BENZO withdrawals are HELL in the WORST form.
Recreational use of BENZOS is the highest form of STUPIDITY.
SCRIPTED use of BENZOS is the 2nd but I take FULL responsibilty for NOT researching what a "licensed shrink" was putting into my body!

BUT, if you know you can stay at a certain dosage and know for a fact that it's working and that you can always have access, (NOT DEPENDING ON AN IOP THAT WILL GO UNDER AND/OR RIP YOU OFF)I wouldn't think TWICE about being on some sort of Benzo for the rest of your life, IMO!!

(Not even going to go into what I did a year ago and am living with today, because of MY stupidty as that wasn't asked but let's just say, I, on my OWN, am now living another personal hell.

PS~I can't believe the word C^*P is a censored word. LOL!!!!!

Thanks for sharing Shastais. Even though you didn't have a good experience, I still want to know about it. I hope that things turn around for you soon!

Not trying to give you a hard time, but I have done all of that AND finished college. I can tell you with most certainty that klonipin (or valium in this case) has been needed more than once!!

Yes, benzo addiction is extremely difficult. Taken correctly it can help people. I've been on klonopin since '95. 2mg. either 2 or 3 per day. prn. But I function fine and have no serious problems, hope not at least. But I am definitely addicted. It would be a task to detox me without going thru withdrawl sypmtoms.
Peace & Love.

I am on Klonopin 3mgs/day, have been for 5 years.

I know it would be a nightmare to stop, but I have a good psychiatrist.

But what if he quits practicing?
WOW it is scary you know you have a price to pay to get off.

I think all Benzos are dangerous, and if I knew I had to quit, no way on cold turkey.

I would do a Valium taper, since it has such a long half life, and active metabolites stay with you for a long time.

Might be a good idea to have a 90 day supply of diazapam 5mg just for insurance.

Why has no one mentioned Halcion? Everything I've read says that its the strongest benzo out there and is very addictive.

Is it because Halcion is quite rare that Xanax is more dangerous? I think this might be the case. Imagine if Halcion was as common as Xanax...

There is a theory that triazolam, taken once per day (at night) has completely gone before you take it again 24 hours later, due to the very short half-life, so you have effectively withdrawn from it between each dose. Not sure I believe it, but it may have something in common with the claims that zolpidem does not produce tolerance or dependence when taken only at night.

What is pretty certain is that if you took triazolam several times per day, you would be in very deep trouble if you suddenly stopped; far worse than Xanax perhaps. Marc Almond (Soft Cell) was apparently addicted to Halcion.

I'm back on klonopins now, but a while back I didnt like the idea of being addicted so I let myself run out. big mistake, a week later, I was staying awake for days at a time, hands to shakey to accomplish anything, socializing with ANYBODY was a joke, was really thinking about snuffing it, I finally caved and tapered off with valium, phenobarbitual, and melatonin. once the valium and pheno was administered, there were no more symptoms, and I went months without anything. But after a while I realized that I MUCH prefer life on kpins as apposed to life without.

I see. So basically, if taken as directed Halcion should be less dangerous than others because its out of your system by the next dose? So while it may be more dangerous than Xanax, that is only if you misuse/abuse it, whereas Xanax may be more dangerous when taken as directed?

I hope that made sense..am i at least partly in the ballpark? lol

Xanax did not come out until I believe the late '80's and anyone who was on valuim was put on this new drug called xanax. It was the miracle drug. Great for panic, anxiety, "the blues", alcohol withdraw, etc. It was a cure all.

Valuim to the back seat. Well all of a sudden we have everyone who was ever on valuim on xanax. Suddenly doctors realized they could not get people off of xanax and not only that their need to take another pill increased because first time xanax users realize a little & very nice "buzz". Well the "buzz" goes away whether or not you stick to the prescribed amount but the patient wants it back, hence take another. But it doesn't work that way. No first time "buzz" after the first few months no matter how many you take. So the doctors are now stuck with a bunch of patients whose habits they now have to support. Not a big problem back then because the DEA was not after the doctors then. They actually did what the DEA was supposed to do and did not get involved in what we injested if it was doctor prescribed.

Then along comes the newbie doctors who know better and do not prescribe xanax (which is the hell on earth withdraw drug imho). Now we have a whole generation (is it us) who are addicted to xanax. Then God forbid your doctor does die. I mean eventually doctors die too. So you go to the new doctor and you know what he says. He saids "I will give you a one month supply". You will then need to see a shrink and perhaps he will prescribe them for you.

Then it really gets messy for a lot of reasons. Xanax is one mean drug. Do yourself a favor, never, ever take this drug.

Stay safe.

Unless you want to get extremely relaxed and high. THEN take xanax.

I don't think you know what it is like to get "high" otherwise you would not have said that. Xanax does not get you "high" in the real sense of the word "high".

I take Diazepam daily but I do have a supply on Xanax I take on occasions, which I find very good for certain situations where I need a confidence boost. Its fine if you take 0.5mg once in a while as I do ... personally 60 1mg pills has lasted my at least 6 months and I am still not out of them with plenty left, although I have to admit I need my Valium daily (at least 10mg, mostly 20mg).

I was just joking man, take it easy. I think about everybody here knows its just foolish to use benzo's for recro-fun. I and everybody else that takes them surely know they are worth null for getting high on, compared to something as trivial as beer, or weed. but xanax's real magic is its ability to neutralize/normalize people who are nervous wrecks without it.

How true. Don't worry I am relaxed and I am a gal.

Yes, but remember it's only a theory and nobody has done any solid research to prove it, and individual experiences will vary as they do with zolpidem.

Even so, I would imagine that one would experience some insomnia after several nights on triazolam, simply because the body is expecting it.

the long benzos, like klonopin, are the way to go, if, in fact you suffer from anxiety disorder.

the short term benzos, including xanax, are more problematic.

You are quite right!

i always heard that barbituates were the most addictive...never tried them...i have to agree that valium/klonopin seem to be less addictive than the ativan/xanax stuff...on an of note, the sleeping meds sonata/ambien are just as addictive imo from past experience...the night eating/internet ordering amnesia sucks with these meds too. sorry to get off topic.

Barbiturates were certainly more dangerous in overdose (sometimes unwittingly) because they could accumulate, especially in those with renal or hepatic impairment. The therapeutic index is narrow, so doses needed to relieve anxiety are close to those which cause quite marked sedation.

I have heard this was the driving force for early investigations into benzodiazapines.

That is, benzodiazapines act on the same receptor as barbiturates (but at different binding sites), and BD's have fewer risky side effects.

Xanax is an awful drug. Withdrawling from that was the worst experience of my life...fevers, body aches, puking, not too mention reaching the brink of sanity trying to fall asleep without it. To anyone who takes it regularly, I'd say get off it. But don't do cold turkey like I did. It nearly killed me. My friend,who had been taking them like candy for a few years, ended up in a pysch ward and wasn't right for months when he went cold turkey. Lost his gourd completly, ran away and buried 500 cash on some beach then the authorities found him.Paranoid as [censored],thinking people were after him, but really no one was. They tapered him off with valium in the hospital but he still isn't back to normal. Benzos are a scary drug class, not well known as horribly addictive publicly, but talk to anyone whos taken them or seen the withdrawal and you'd know otherwise.

I think the news is out there that xanax is "dangerous." Doctors still prescribe it, and many are dependent. It's also the most desired benzo on the black market.

the devil is in the details

I take about 2 to 3 valium a day. I have been doing this for about 7 months now. Before Valium, I started on xanax, but read the horror stories about it, and switched to valium. The economy, and so many other things in my life have me so stressed out, I feel like I need something. So I have been on benzos for about seven months. Should I consider going off? I don't want to have seizures, or anything like that. I am just under a tremendous amount of stress. I also take Soma. The economy got me laid off from my job, and I have a mortgage, and am under a tremendous amount of stress. I usually take 2 to 3 10 MG valiums a day. Should I quit before I end up taking them for too long, and going off, and potentially having seizures? Is 20 to 30 MG of valium a day too much? I am just a nervous wreck. I am not taking them to get high or anything. Should I quit while I am ahead? Would valerian root help?

Thanks

anyone mention booze yet?

chemsynth

Booze is not an option for me. I am a recovering alcoholic. I used to drink so much, that I developed pancreatitis and nearly died two years ago. I was on life support, and they nearly unplugged me from the machine! I am told that I am a "walking miracle," but I don't think much about all of that. I just think that had it of been my time, I would have gone.

But anyway, when I was in the hospital for so long, I accumulated a huge amount of debt, hospital bills, and other stuff. I knew I couldn't drink the stress away, which is why I started taking benzos.

sorry--i was thinking of alcohol as a dangerous drug. i didn't mean to dredge up bad stuff.

chemsynth

I have friends who have gotten they're life into a terrible mess on valliums I would taper down the the min amount u need and maybe do 2 weeks or so sober and then if nothing better you will be able to get the same effect from less amounts

I have one friend who was taking over 50x10mg generic / day for months he reduced very quickly to 5 a day for 1 week then 1 day for 1 week and then quit, he was fine I think the sezures are a worst case senario , he did suffer mentally considerably. Im not saying try that quick but if you stop taking them close turkey the depression and irritability can make it almost impossible to function

I never did care too much for xanax,it just made me want to sleep.Valium on the other hand,I was just relxaed and could still function fine.

I think hmmmmmmm has it pretty much nailed. 20-30mg diazepam a day is on the high side if one disregards the high doses people on here take.

The aim is to take the smallest possible amount for the shortest possible time BUT in your case, recovering from alcoholism (well done, by the way), you have to balance a few more factors. A risk of seizures in an unacceptable risk (albeit a low one), but the danger of addiction is also undesirable.

You may wish to consider missing a dose here and there, or replacing the occasional dose with 5mg instead of 10mg. Diazepam allows you to do this, which is an advantage of the drug over alprazolam and lorazepam. It is better to withdraw slowly than too quickly.

I would avoid any other drugs, including valerian.