Posted by Squiggles on August 28, 2006, at 13:44:41
In reply to Re: Psychopharmacology of addicting drugs, posted by bassman on August 28, 2006, at 13:19:48
> Interesting question-but I disagree with you (what a surprise ;>}) on two of your premises. I've never become tolerant of any benzo I've taken except Ativan-so I just tapered off that in a few days. Perhaps you have experiences that suggest tapering off benzos is very dangerous? I just wonder, because the worst that usually happens to people when they withdraw (taper) is that they may feel a bit anxious, at worst. Sure, I wouldn't want to go from 2 mg Xanax to 0 in one day, that's just ignorant, but the vast majority of people that would try that would simply be very, very discomforted, not endangered. And some people might suffer a seizure, but people suffer seizures from both taking drugs and withdrawing from drugs, and just sitting around the house.
>
> I may just be trying to say, "don't worry", just in a convoluted way..and you've had bad experiences and I find that sad.
>
> So...in answer to your interesting question, "no", that wouldn't work, at least for me, because I don't seem to get tolerant. Did you ever try a very, very, very slow Klonopin taper?
The shorter the period of taking benzo X
and the lower th dose, the easier it is
to withdraw especially if you do it slowly.
I did Xanax in a month (1.50 or 2.0 mg) and
it was a relative snap - some insomnia, anxiety,
etc. Not a big deal, as you say.But clonazepam on only 0.50, after more than
10 years, and a withdrawal schedule lasting
a year and a half, on "metric" gradual
reduction, resulted in a seizure/stroke which
left brain and physically disabled in bed
for a month and a half - high/low blood pressure,
stumbling walk, extreme headache, coming in
and out of consciousness, unrsponsive pupils. It was rough.I think that this K experience was so hard
because of the "length" not dose of taking the
drug. I say this, because when I tried to
stop K in my first few years of taking in, maybe
the first, all i got was an electric zap from
my head down my arm, recovering after a month.Certain variables seem to be important in drugs:
- Length of time taken
- Dose taken
- Duration of withdrawal
- Interaction with other drugs
- Physical condition
- Type of drug (K versus X for example)
- Age
- Liver ability to metabolize
- Sexjust to name some;
Now, back to searching for some guide either
to drs. or to nurses on how often a dose
of K should be raised.Squiggles
poster:Squiggles
thread:679936
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060825/msgs/680872.html