Anyone used benzos long term?

Medications
1

I’m thinking of using Lorazepam daily for weeks to months.

But I don’t want to get addicted or rely on them.

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2

I was on 30mg of diazepam for a couple of years and it has taken me over a year to get that down to 4mg

If I don’t take it I get unbearable withdrawals

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3

I take diazepam every day. One problem is I wait until the last minute to pick it up. Today I went to pick it up because last night I took my last pill and I shouldn’t have because I was a nervous wreck from not eating enough. I had to pick it up because I didn’t want withdrawal. I take 2 mg twice a day and I am a big believer in only taking a tiny dosage, it’s all you need. I’ve never abused it but once because I had extra pills but it didn’t even make me sleepy. Some people who are sensitive and get high when taking them might not want to take them.

4

I take 1.5 mg of Klonopin daily. Been doing it for about a year or so. :tropical_fish::tropical_fish::tropical_fish:

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5

Same with me. I take 1.5mg every night before bed. I use it for insomnia.

At this point I’m pretty sure I’m dependent on it but I don’t care, I need to sleep and it works.

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6

You don’t get addicted to benzos, you become dependent on them, There is a difference.

If you take it for a few weeks there is a small risk of dependency, the longer you are on them the greater the risk. My aunt was on 4mg of lorazepam for a few months, then quit and was fine. Everyone is different.

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7

I’m stuck on diazepam and it can take years to get down to a healthy dose. I’m on 40mg and I have been for around 14 years.
Well done @Joker you have done incredibly well to get to 4mg. I have been told it’s harder when you get down to 2mg? I wouldn’t of thought that as it makes no sense but that’s what my pdoc has told me.
Don’t go down the benzo path if you can do it without. They turn on you and make your anxiety worse by 10 fold
I wish I did away with them years ago now

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8

Iv been trying imovane

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9

I stopped reducing it as it was torture

The advice on the last few mg’s I got was 1mg drop per month

Now I am on Pregabalin

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10

I’ve been taking Ativan everyday before work for about the last week. I’m scared of becoming dependent on them but I cant do a full shift without taking 2 mg before. Fu*k!!!

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11

I had klonopin for 3 years, but jever got dependent because they didnt do anything for me. So i rarely took them.

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12

I had such a low dose of Klonopin that I never got addicted and only took it when I needed it.

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13

Thanks for the swift replies guys and gals.

I’m starting workouts from tomorrow so hopefully the high from exercise negates any anxiety I get in the evenings.

But man 4mg Lorazepam is blissful. Like walking in a flower field in a hazy dream. The state of calm is amazing.

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14

I had 90 mgs of Ativan per month prescribed to me for years and years and years and years. I took it when I wanted, however much I wanted and no one batted an eye. Then I overdosed on opioids in an attempt to end my life and I was cut off of everything. No Ativan. No opioids.

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15

I did i got addicted fast i was on them for 4 months i think and took around 2 months to taper off

16

I took like 2-3 mgs of xanax a day for a couple of years. Stopped suddenly and had a gran mal. It was brutal. I titrated off them myself over a year but it was on the whole a horrible experience.

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17

I used ativan 1 mg once a night every night for 1 year straight. I then didnt need it anymore so i stopped taking it cold turkey and had no issues whatsoever.

From my experience being a psych nurse, generally the people we have to worry about benzo withdrawal are people who have been taking way too high doses of them for decades. Not saying thats everyones case thats just who we most commonly treat for benzo withdrawal.

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18

I had a family member who had seizures from Xanax as well…scary stuff!

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19

Yes, for 8 years.

No sex drive, cognitive dysfunction, and neurological symptoms a result of taking Klonopin.

I quit it in 3 months and I am recovering even more than 2 years after completing withdrawal.

It is foolish to keep adding medicines. In my view take minimum medication possible.

20

I took clonazepam (only 0.5mg) for a year. Then It took about 3 months to taper off it slowly.

I avoid benzos now.