Author: tearj3rker
Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:04 pm
Hey! Congrats on getting as low as you have so far.
Benzos are a commonly prescribed medication for opioid withdrawal. Valium is the standard. It is preferred over other benzos because it has more significant muscle relaxing properties. It’s also the benzo they use to taper people off other benzos. Why they choose Valium I’m unsure. I’ve found Valium to relieve withdrawal symptoms better than any other benzo, mainly because it addresses the aches more than say Xanax or Serapax.
However I’d suggest you be really careful. Ideally do not take benzos for more than two weeks. Withdrawal for most people peaks at the same time each day, usually at night, and it would be best if you would only use them at this time.
The reason it’s so important to use sparingly is because of dependence and addiction issues. This is the most vulnerable time in your withdrawal / taper process to become cross addicted to another substance, and it’s pretty common for people who use benzos in your situation to overuse them. Maybe even have someone else dish them out for you, so they can act like a reality check and ask you if you really need them.
I’d also suggest you try and taper a bit further before you start using benzos. Have you tried splitting your dose to twice daily? Maybe go 1.5mg morning 1.5mg evening? Then 1mg / 1mg. When people get down to low doses, their body comes to metabolise the bupe faster, thus leaving them with sub-optimal levels later in the day, leading to withdrawals. Splitting dose can mean there is more "coverage" over a 24 hour period.
Also investigate getting some Clonidine. This is non-addicting, and can help take the edge off withdrawals. It won’t have the same effect as benzos, but may help you delay when you resort to benzos.
Regardless of how long you take your Xanax, you will have some kinda bounce-back anxiety when you stop taking it. How much you experience depends on how dependent you are. I’ve found that if I’ve taken valium for over 1 week, I start to get anxious withdrawals that’s signifcant enough to cause problems. I’ve found that this bounce-back anxiety, or benzo withdrawal, makes me much more vulnerable to relapsing on opioids.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Benzos only delay the anxiety symptoms. Use them only to delay your withdrawal until when you’re comfortably past your Sub withdrawal, when you’re more capable of handling the anxiety.