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    #1

    Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and Baclofen

    I am at 130mg of back, and slow titrating up. The good news is that I have stopped drinking, and over the past 2 months tapered my Klonopin down from 3mg's to none as of ten days ago. 4 or 5 days ago (I lost count) the withdrawal from Klonopin was the hardest thing I've ever experienced. My anxiety was so crippling, I could barely walk.

    Since then, I feel like I've been healing, but I am emotionally ripped open. My pupils are dilated all day long, and I feel mentally weak/incredibly depressed. I cannot focus on anything, or I lose time stuck in my head.

    I have a pretty stressful job that requires me to very personable and focused, and I am having a very hard time doing it. My confidence is being messed with from withdrawal, and I am going through some serious depression.

    Does anyone know how baclofen titration up works on benzo withdrawal? I still have not reached AI, but I am not going to drink as I know the effects hinder recovery from benzos.
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    #2
    Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and Baclofen

    Hi KRS,

    I don't know, there are others here with lots of experience who will hopefully chime in although people seem so busy this season, must be end of year/end of tax year stuff or something.

    I have heard that baclofen helps with getting off benzos like xanax, which I think is a benzo? I'm not conversant with the terms, I just know what I take. Seems you should be able to taper down slowly on anything?! No cold turkey though, to be safe.

    Perhaps part of your vulnerability is also alcohol withdrawal? I mean emotionally, since I think you've stopped drinking and have probably already gotten though any physical addiction you may have had. Something is physical since your pupils are dilated though. Are you on ANY other meds at all? If so, have you researched contraindications? If not, I don't know what it could be except the Klon withdrawal. Have you looked up what physical symptoms that entails?

    Congrats on not drinking, that's a real achievement! Do you feel an end to the drinking cravings/crutch?

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      #3
      Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and Baclofen

      Hey Bruunhilde--

      Xanax is a benzo. I looked at a forum for benzo withdrawal and addiction, and dilated pupils is a side effect. Also, I'll have SE's for 6 months-1 year.

      So, I got that going for me. Which is nice

      Re: the drinking - thanks! This drug is pretty incredible. I still need to go up higher. But I thought I was sliding into the abyss two months ago. My cravings are much more reduced. If I didn't know for certain that it would affect the benzo wd, I would definitely have a couple glasses of wine.

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        #4
        Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and Baclofen

        Hey krs! Both benzos and bac act on GABA but do so differently. Your bac titration won't efffect your benzo withdrawls. Sounds like you're through the worst of it! But I'm sure the anxiety is still devastating. I would try buying a really good GABA supplement, maybe PharmaGABA? L theanine might help as well as L tryptophan. If you want a non-habit forming prescription drug for anxiety, I would suggest gabapentin and/or buspar. Their effects will be subtle after benzos, but they do help.
        Keep an eye on your mood as you titrate up on the bac. I'm still not entirely convinced that bac didn't worsen my depression at high doses. Also remember that the side effects of high dose bac can make it hard to be "very personable and focused". I know trying to tease apart the SEs of the bac and those of the benzo withdrawl must be hard.
        As terrible as you feel now, it sounds like you've come a long way! Congrats on getting off the benzos and the Al. That's a big effin deal! Best of luck to you, and let us know how it goes!
        "Yet someday this will have an end
        All choices made or choice resigned,
        And in your face the literal eye
        Trace little of your history,
        Nor ever piece the tale entire
        Of villages that had to burn
        And playgrounds of the will destroyed
        Before you could be safe from time
        And gather in your brow and air
        The stillness of antiquity."

        From "At Majority" by Adrienne Rich

        Comment

          #5
          Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and Baclofen

          here is some help...I hope...

          Oohhh...so you don't want them to KNOW about phenibut???
          Why?
          Cause it is natural & it WORKS in a natural way.

          So you cut offf my reply to one in dire need...shame on you!
          I thought we were her to HELP each other?

          BENZOS=PHENIBUT in the brain...GABA does NOT cross the blood brain barrier.
          I am not a DR. but have suffered from the age of 11 yrs. & have done TONS of reasarsh.

          My last post on this very REAL research was deleated.
          WHY?
          Maybe because it works & does not cost much.

          Comment

            #6
            Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and Baclofen

            Sorry, but GABA is a form of phenibut, but it has a HARD time getting past the the blood barrier.
            Check it out...for phenibut might help you more than GABA..as it has me.
            Just a thought based on 5+ years of research.
            I know we are not here forever...but if we can have the freedom to give a little life
            to this sad world & ourselfes, then why not try?
            I wish you peace.

            Comment

              #7
              Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and Baclofen

              Hi krs, and well done on not drinking and getting better. Im not up on the science myself and have never been addicted to benzos of anytype so I cant really help you in that way. I take bac at low dose for my anxiety and occasional gabapentin for depression and this is working out for me..

              You are right not drinking will help you

              good luck

              Comment

                #8
                Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and Baclofen

                Blue may be on to something. Just google it and you will find that it has anxiolytic properties. It seems to act like a very mild benzodiazepine, so theoretically it may used to help someone withdraw from them without too much distress.

                I was amazed that it is sold over the counter as a supplement in the states at a fairly cheap price. In Russia, where it was developed back in the 60's, phenibut must be prescribed to you.

                Comment

                  #9
                  Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and Baclofen

                  I admit, GABA doesn't easily cross the blood brain barrier. Which is why I suggested PharmaGABA over other brands, some people swear by it. I do stand by my recommendations of theanine and tryptophan though.
                  Phenibut comes with its own set of issues. This is from drugforums.com:

                  "Phenibut withdrawal takes about a week. It hasn't messed your neurons up. You just need a couple more days. I have gone through phenibut withdrawal about 4 times. 2 of those times I just nullified it using benzos. I tried switching to baclofen as well as I thought phenibut was too rough on organs but so was baclofen. Phenibut withdrawal: It usually truly starts around ~30-36 after the last dose (despite the short stated half-life) and will last about a week. Insomnia + anxiety.
                  Do yourselves a favour and don't use phenibut more than once a week. It'll even give you a bit of a WD from only 3 days of use."

                  Also this:

                  "Afoaf suffered bad withdrawals last june due to four weeks of using phenibut almost daily.
                  It was one of the most uncomfortable experiences in his life. The anxiety and skin crawling sensation, like you had to re-enter you fleshy body after being out of it for a while.strange.
                  It took a week to fade. a very long time, especially during the summer(he lives in a hot country NOT Ireland). The sweats and lack of sleep and horrible swelling feeling of pressure in the front of his skull was sickening."

                  Kava is an idea, but I've been taking the freeze dried juice for a couple weeks and don't really feel anything. I think I am going to try buying the actual root and juicing it myself. On the upside, there's no reports of any withdrawal symptoms from it, and it shouldn't be bad for your liver if your only consuming the root from a reputable seller.

                  Lithium orotate produces a mild benzo-like effect for some people. Again, I didn't really feel anything though. I think it should be taken with choline. There's thread in Holistic Healing devoted to it.

                  How are you doing, krs?
                  "Yet someday this will have an end
                  All choices made or choice resigned,
                  And in your face the literal eye
                  Trace little of your history,
                  Nor ever piece the tale entire
                  Of villages that had to burn
                  And playgrounds of the will destroyed
                  Before you could be safe from time
                  And gather in your brow and air
                  The stillness of antiquity."

                  From "At Majority" by Adrienne Rich

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and Baclofen

                    Are you off work this weekend krs? 2 days taking it easy should help some and I think. How are you feeling now, are you able to sleep and eat, Im guessing you feel pretty rough so dont forget to make yourself eat, and drink plenty of fluids to flush the toxins out.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Benzodiazepine Withdrawal and Baclofen

                      I worked yesterday, and actually had one of the best professional days of my life. I hate using this word as it sounds cliche, but I had clarity re: the big picture, and I was able to use that to handle myself incredibly professionally -- something I would not have been able to do with anxiety and rage I have built up. I was up at 630, and went to "bed" at midnight, only to wake up 30 minutes later for a few hours. I did get some sleep

                      I have today off, and have been resting up. Tomorrow I have to travel for work for 2 days and be "on." And although I had some panic last night, I seem to be able to keep moving on. Thank you for your concern all. It means a lot to me.

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