Benzo habit along with Subutex

[Yeahsme]

Swim is taking subutex(slowly tapering off) for an opiate addiction, and somehow over the last few months he's started taking benzos on top of it. He says it sort of mimmicks the tired/noddy feeling he got while on oxy's. However swims tolerance to the benzos is sky high and he feels like he should stop now. Swim knows that benzo withdrawal can kill, and he has actually had a grand mal seizure from stopping xanax cold turkey. THEREFORE he DOES NOT want to go there again. Does anyone have any suggestions for swim? Tapering is probably not a good idea, it probably wont work. Are there any substitute drugs that swim could take for about a week to get him past the seizure stage?

The benzos swim is hooked on are clonazepam and lorazepam(ativan). And to end all discussions about it, swim says clonazepam is far better than ativan(in mixing with subutex....but be careful cause clonazepam has a very long half life and will build up in your system quickly). Thats swims opinion anyway. Thanks for listening and HELP!

[Jatelka]

You need to enlist the help of a sympathetic doctor, preferably a specialist in substance misuse (presumably you are already in touch with such a person given that you are on Subutex already?)

Why do you say that tapering probably wont work?

Where SWIM is the standard procedure is to convert someone to an equivalent dose of diazepam and taper the dose very cautiously (max 10% a month) and really slow down the taper as the doses get lower. The conversion to diazepam is because seizures are far more likely with shorter acting drugs. (edit: For patients on Clonazepam the conversion is not performed)

Given that you have previously had withdrawal seizures it would not be unreasonable for your specialist to cover you with an anti-epileptic medication, however the only thing that will stop you having Benzo withdrawal seizures is to have some Benzo on board.

Whatever you do, don't replace your benzo use with other addicting substances (eg: alcohol), you just end up substituting one problem for another.

Benzo withdrawal is very tough. SWIM has met people who have withdrawn from both benzos and opiates, and they have all stated that mentally benzo withdrawal was far harder. Your withdrawal regimen should also place a great deal of emphasis on talking therapies (CBT has been shown to be helpful in managing withdrawal.)

Hope this helps: SWIM doesn't really think that there is any (safe) way around a gradually tapering down regimen.

[Yeahsme]

swim says that he's only been taking the benzos every day for a couple months. and very irregularly(swim has no set daily "dose") at that. and switching benzos. swim has taken xanax, valium, and now the 2 available are clonazepam and lorazepam, all over the last 3 months. This has sort of crept up on swim. It just doesnt seem like I would need months and months of therapy or rehab for something swims only been doing for a couple months.

But you are right, swim knows the severity of benzo addiction. I think swim will take your advice and taper with the clonazepam(long half life similar to valium). Telling swims subutex doctor is out of the question because he will immediately kick swim out of the program and tell swim to go to detox/rehab.
(benzos combined with buprenorphine are a BIG NO-NO in the medical community).

[Jatelka]

A physical withdrawal syndrome can result from daily Benzo use for as little as 2 weeks.

[deji]

First of all, swim is not a doctor at all. But has read many stories like this. So, this is just swims opinion,

Stop the taper from subs, possible even increase the subs. Take care of the benzos first. Opiates can assist in kicking the benzo. But as said, you cannot kick benzo cold turkey like opiates. Need to slowly taper.

Once free and clear of the benzo for some time, restart the sub taper.

Also, get real answers from a real doctor.

And yes, benzos and opiates potentiate eachother and very dangerous combination.

[hh339]

swim was off alprazolam for almost two weeks and thought that the worst part was over, when he had a really scary seizure. actually swim did not know he had had a seizure until he heard the sound of an ambulance while thinking about why the hell his friends had their mouth open and were stiff-white in the face, thats the scary part. after getting rid of the ambulance swim took a handful of xanax and felt fine. swim slowly accepted that he needed to stop, but how? swim switched from alprazolam to 10 mgs of clonazepam daily for a few weeks and then 4 mgs for a few days. now it has been over a month without any drugs at all(swim has not stopped, only with benzos but he felt that he had a chance to prove a point to himsef here)and he feels OK. the first 3 weeks were really, REALLY, hard though.. but it was well worth it. now swim is about to enjoy some nice blueberry weed, without the benzos and he feels like himself again!

[bonghed]

I agrre benzo's first. You know yourself better than me though.

Respect hh339

[hh339]

thank you. nah man swim would never had quit unless he really wanted to, and the only reason he did was so he could get his concerta. so much for swims character lol, but in all seriousness it feels very good to be off it swim says. if swiy really wants to he can quit too, but it usually takes a while to get to that point. some people need medicines though, and may not benefit much from quitting, but if it escalates it would be way better to try and find a safer alternative. swim finds 1 gram gaba + 0,5 gram inositol quite calming, if thats what swiy is after.

[topcat]

The first thing that the doctor told swim when he got on subs program was NOT to take benzos while on subs, as noted in earlier post, Benzos & Buprenorphine is a BIG NONO in the medical community. Swim was thinking of finding out first hand but did not see any percentage in doing so.

[Relic006]

Well swim is on 3 8 mg's of subutex a day and 10 mg of valium at night all from swims same sub doc. Now swim still get some cravings for h, swim just set em aside. Swim has horrible anxiety so i guess thats why he put swim on valium. Swim was on 4 8 mgs of subs a day. Trying to taper down, but its kinda tuff. I think my tolerance was just so high. So Swim relapsed a couple times with methadone when swim couldnt get my subs. But swim told my therapist and everything and doing pretty well. Just real scared to taper off subs because swim still has cravings as it is. And being depressed doesnt help. And MAOI inhibitors arent supposed to be taken with subs i dont think. But if swim tapers real slow I guess swim will be ok. Anyone have any possitive outcomes with something similiar to swims situation? Thanks