Posted by BUCKEYE FANATIC on May 13, 2006, at 17:09:46
In reply to Do taking Benzo's make you crave alcohol?, posted by RobertDavid on May 7, 2006, at 15:22:05
> I quit drinking for 18 years. About 12 years ago I was perscribed klonopin for an anxiety disorter (which many years ago I self medicated with alcohol).
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> Anyway, a few years after starting klonopin I went through a divorce and started dabbling with a glass of wine here and there. I asked my doctor at the time if a little wine here or there would be an issue for me as I once self medicated with alcohol. He said to just keep an eye on it.
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> Anyway, my style of drinking is binging, never a daily drinker and I still find myself going 5 days, a week, a month, 5 months and out of the blue going out and having to much to drink. Then I go back to not drinking till the next unknown time it happens.
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> I'm working my way off klonopin and am hoping a new medicine I'm taking for anxiety/depression EMSAM will replace it. I'm very aware of the drug interaction with benzo's and alcohol, that one night I might stop breathing.
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> My question is what effect does taking a benzo like klonopin have on cravings or limiting the ability to not drink.
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> I watched the recent news of Ted Kennedy's son going into rehab and one of the addiction experts on CNN suggested that taking a benzo even sleeping pills can activate cravings to drink.
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> Any thoughts on this topic?You know...as I think back, my binge drinking DID coincide with my xanax use! I never thought of it before!
I have been "dry' now for 2 weeks...because I was beginning to go from a once a week binger to a twice a week binger,...and sometimes a 3times a week binger ( but not often)
So anyways...I decided that addiction to alcohol was the last thing I needed. So to prove to myself, my wife, and my family that I am not an alcoholic...I will just not drink anymore. Period.
Xanax is 100 times harder to do without than alcohol for me. ( Impossible in fact without a slow taper...which the results are yet to be seen) but I will keep everyone posted.
BF
>
> Thanks.
poster:BUCKEYE FANATIC
thread:641011
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20060512/msgs/643581.html