Combinations - Benzodiazepines and Alcohol

[towelie]

how long should swim wait after drinking before taking xanax? he drank 5 beers starting about four hours ago and the last one about 1 1/2 hours ago. would it be safe to take 2mg xanax xr now? i ate a little after the last one.

[towelie]

please answer

[ironmics]

10mg of Valium+what was supposed to be only a few glasses of wine, but turned into about 750ml=waking up on the floor and pissing swims self. Made him stop drinking for 3 months.

[towelie]

ok. thanks. this is something that swim will avoid in the future.

[Ganja Joe]

SWIM read the thread on Benzo's + alcohol....

Specifically, SWIM wants to know SWIY's experience on Valium + Alcohol....

SWIM has been taking 10mg of Ambien (Zolpidem) each night as prescribed by a doctor for insomnia but finds after a few months now that 15-20mg only works for him now. SWIM talked to the pharmacist who told SWIM that one can develop a tolerance to even Ambien.

SWIM acquired some 5mg Valium pills and was considering having a few drinks with them...

Mind you, 4-5 beers + 10-20mg of Ambien really havent much affect on SWIM... SWIM realizes that Valium is whole other monster than Ambien... none the less, SWIM remembers taking Ambien for the first time, sitting on the couch with 2 beers and 20-30minutes later standing up and reaching for something to hold onto to stand up! Hahahahah... that was a trip! SWIM is lucky he didnt fall asleep on the couch!

What a pleasant "where am I?" experience.

SWIM wants to know if Valium has a similar effect?

[Ganja Joe]

FWIW,

SWIM took 3 5mb Valium tabs after a couple glasses of wine at 8pm, kinda relaxing for the next two hours (more so due to the alcohol), then about 2am six hours later SWIM woke up with a huge buzz feeling. Restlessness, unable to sleep, almost felt like SWIM had RLS (restless leg syndrome).

What gives? SWIM thought valium was supposed to help you sleep as a sedative?

[tinytom]

swim took 8 10mg diazepam and around 15 bottles of beer within 6 hours he also smoked 3-4 joints, he says that it wasent much fun. Swim was in bed for 1.30 he found it incredibly hard to move/communicate

he awoke some 11 hours later still blued out.

[Jatelka]

OK. I had doubts about this thread from the start

80mg diazepam plus 15 beers is ridiculous, dangerous (potentially fatal) and completely unecessary.

Your marmoset is lucky that they were only unable to move/communicate (as opposed to, say, choking on their own vomit, or stopping breathing and giving themselves hypoxic brain damage)

Seriously folks, I can't stress how dangerous this is. Mixing benzos and alcohol cannot be recommended, and should (in fact) be actively discouraged.

Harm Reduction, boys n girls: Harm Reduction.

[searchfunction]

Alright, SWIM is the benzo monster. SWIM used to take 500mg of diazepam (a benzo) and drink a crate of beers with it for recreation on a regular basis. DO NOT DO THIS. SWIM NATURALLY HAS A BIZARRELY HIGH BENZO TOLERANCE AND WAS ALSO ABUSING THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS, INCREASING THAT NATURAL TOLERANCE. SWIM also didn't care if SWIM died. But I digress...

Look, if SWIY really wants to mix benzos and alcohol, you should note that this has put approximately 15% of people SWIM knows who do it in hospital and almost killed them. It also has a tendency to make some people (including SWIM) do very criminal things without any regard to the consequences which they'd usually have better sense than to do. So be very careful playing with this if SWIY doesn't want to screw up their life. It's not a toy, it's a very, very strong combination. SWIM has played with B, rock etc, this buzz is totally different but STRONGER.

Finally, if SWIY has never played with benzos without alcohol, forget about it. Do not even consider doing this. Nobody should do this at all, but ESPECIALLY NOT people who haven't played with benzos on their own, without alcohol first as some people are very strongly effected by small doses of benzos and SWIY will not know if they are in this category until they try them. If SWIY is and they then mixed it with alcohol, they would definitely die.

Anyhow, I hope I've conveyed the seriousness of doing this - it's hardcore. If SWIY intends to then start small and build up. If SWIY doesn't know how many benzos they can take before they lose the plot and start forgetting things they need to establish this first. Then take 1/3 that amount of benzo and add a drink. SWIY must do this with a friend (who isn't going to be as mashed). If everything is OK in 40 minutes add another. Then another again in 40 minutes. SWIY's friend must be someone who will stop them if it starts going wrong because in SWIM's experience there's roughly a 1/7 chance SWIY will end up in hospital at least once if SWIY insists on mixing these.

After this point SWIY should have a fairly good idea what their benzo + alcohol tolerance is. SWIM would like to re-iterate SWIM is not a doctor and this MAY NOT BE SAFE FOR SWIY, you or anyone else. SWIM is just a lay-person, nobody should do this. It could be very dangerous.

[searchfunction]

I would like to qualify that above that the SWIM presented in the scenario above was using 500mg of diazepam not something like Xanax which would obviously kill even SWIM (SWIM has the highest benzo tolerance of anyone SWIM has ever met, which sucks because it's expensive).

Also SWIM would have almost zero memory of what SWIM did when in that sort of state, don't be as stupid as SWIM was, keep it to a level where you know what is still going on otherwise what's the point. SWIM would not do this again and would find a happy level using the process above.

Reputation Comments on this post:

thanks for adding this to clarify.. welcome :)

[moda00]

Just to reiterate what some posters have said.. most drinkers know what alcohol does to them, and there is a fairly extended period of time for most between drinking to feeling drunk, to out of control or vomiting, to passing out, to alcohol poisoning. Benzos are pretty potent little pills, and mixing with alcohol has known to be fatal. So methinks that the reason one would be safer taking the benzos first and waiting 30-60 minutes is because you take them all at once and gauge the effects. Then, you can drink slowly if you so choose and gauge the effects of that on top of the benzos. Whereas when you are drunk, you have less awareness and control, and if you take a dose of benzos, you generally take it all at once, not like sipping a drink or two slowly over several hours.

That said, if you are taking a dose of either benzos or alcohol that could harm your judgment or memory (and they do potentiate one another) you may still be at risk- taking more pills without being aware you are doing so, or drinking past your limits if you again are not aware. So my advice if you must mix these two is to know how they affect you individually, and then make sure you are aware of your dosing and level of intoxication. Also, do not bring the pills with you- this is inviting disaster- they will get lost or eaten if you black out, and if they are not prescribed to swiy, they can be an extra ticket/charge in case of arrest. Dose once, leave the pills behind. And swim recommends starting low. Of course, benzos vary.. but in general, look at it this way- the pill increments can tell you a lot (unlike opiates, which can range from 30mg codeine to 80 or 160 mg oxycodone, which could easily kill someone without a huge tolerance). Not to say taking one pill is a surefire way to dose.. but for example diazepam/Valium comes in 5's and 10's (edit 2mg in some countries as well I hear). So a usual dose (for therapeutic or occasional use) is generally 5-10 mg (tolerance/daily use aside). Alprazolam/Xanax comes in 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 mg, and 2mg bars max with perforation for splitting them into four half-mg chunks. So an average dose might be around 1/2 mg-1mg for a first time user or therapeutic use. Now on the low end, triazolam comes in 0.125 or 0.25. So while a milligram (mg) may be a normal dose of alprazolam/xanax as described, or a very small dose of diazepam/valium, triazolam is active at a much lower dose. So when discussing benzos, don't just talk "__ mg of benzos;" this tells us nothing and could be unsafe for newbies. Also, be sure you know what mg and type of pills you have, and research them thoroughly. If someone ate say six of the 0.25 mg alprazolam/Xanax, they'd feel it pretty good, but would likely be fine. But if someone ate six of the 2.0mg alprazolam/Xanax, they would probably be passed out or dead, depending on any tolerance and any other drugs in the system. Also, when mixing depressants, dosing changes. Know what the effects are separately- if someone knows they feel pretty good off of _._mg of ______ benzodiazepine, and that they usually drink ___ drinks when they go out, please reduce this. Again, it is easier to reduce the benzo dose (say take half to 2/3 usual dose- not a usual blacking out dose if one is fond of that, but a usual therapeutic dose- feeling the effects, feeling good, but not being knocked out or memory loss) and then gauge the alcohol's effects over time. It is also helpful to have someone who knows what you took, or someone who knows you well and can check in with you and keep an eye on you if you blackout or get physically disoriented or unsteady on your feet (two very real possibilities with this combo). Also- this should go without saying- but have a designated driver or use a cab- drunk driving is no good, but alkie+benzos are not an option for getting behind a wheel.

As a functional example (note, everyone is different, swim was female about 120 lbs at the time, low tolerance) swim was about 19 and used benzos recreationally on rare occasions- say once or twice a month. She took 4 mg clonazepam/Klonopin and drank probably one or two shots (probably more afterwards) and blacked out. Apparently she got home alright (someone else was driving) but she woke up with her room in complete disarray, her cell phone soaked from apparently falling into the lake, her wallet missing, bruises and scrapes all over, and wearing someone else's shirt. Luckily she had friends to watch her and get her home safely, and it could have been much worse, but still.. Moral of the story: start low- especially when mixing synergistic substances, but as a general rule too- you can always take more, but you cannot undo an overdose or regain memories of a night blacked out. And don't underestimate the power of these two substances- gauge your own reactions and tolerance and be safe; plan ahead.

Reputation Comments on this post:

good advice, your input is always welcome (and so well written!)

[searchfunction]

Originally Posted by moda00

So when discussing benzos, don't just talk "__ mg of benzos;" this tells us nothing and could be unsafe for newbies.

If I could edit the post, I would. Hopefully everyone will see the short post immediately after for exactly this reason.

[moda00]

Originally Posted by searchfunction

If I could edit the post, I would. Hopefully everyone will see the short post immediately after for exactly this reason.

No worries.. didn't mean you specifically, it's just a trend I've noticed in both online forums/experiences, and among friends and other people talking about their experiences. I did see your post right away afterwards- thank you for amending that. It also seemed your post was intended not to brag or make light, but to convey the strength and serious nature of this combo- always appreciated when discussing these things, especially from those with personal experience. No hard feelings I just wanted to expand on that with some info on specific benzos and their dosage so that anyone reading this thread might either reconsider taking unknown "benzos" before investigating dosage, or might at least have a little specific knowledge of how to dose the more common ones if this is the only research they choose to do on the combo. Thanks~

[Ganja2k8]

How come when swim takes valium it self swims fine but when swim mixes valium with alcohhol it makes him not know what hes doing and just want to fight with people.

Also whem swim mixes valium and alcohol hes to fucked to even stand up and cant even get a full sentance out and swim thinks its more addictive when mixing it with alcohol cause when swim takes valium its self he can take 2 and just chill but when hes drinking he takes 11 with out even knowing and misses out parts of his memory.

For example swim was walking with 2 or 3 of his freinds to his freinds house after taking 11 and half way there everything just goes black and then the next thing swim knew he was in the forest himself sitting on a rock.

Is there any safe way for swim to enjoy valium with alcohol with out black outs or un controlled agression?

Its the blue ones swim took they can be either 10mg or 30mg (swim duno what hes getting cause its street valium swim cant tell untill after hes took it) Its buckfast wine swim was drinking with it too if that helps.

swim only mix valium with alcohol 2x and both ended with bad results isnt there any way at all for swim to enjoy both of them together?

Thanks for reading

[staples]

Alcohol and benzos are both GABA agonists and are similar so much so that alcoholics usually find that they can easily give up alcohol after having started their anti-anxiety medication.

Generally, of course, SWIY should avoid mixing the two, especially if he notices such a drastic interaction (it can result in serious pulmonary depression!). If SWIY's going to anyway, he should decrease the dose of at least one of these substances.

[Ganja2k8]

Alot of poeple like to take ecstacy or cocaine while drinking but swim just enjoys the felling of being relaxed more, people think im weird cause id rather pop a blue than pop an E.

swim knows he shouldnt mix the two but is there a dose in mgs anyone could recomend?

[msmogadon]

Hiya SWIGanj

SWIM herself had a thing for the old scooby doos it has taken her several years to realise that they are not the thing for going out partying on.
SWIM got herself in several situations that she would have not have even considered was she even just blutered from the bevvie. SWIM now takes her blues after she gets in from drinking as it sure takes away the hangover and she wakes up feeling peachy.
If SWIY must take them at the start of the night it would be best to have only 10-20mg to keep SWIY's brain at some level of functioning. Even then SWIY is in dangerous territory as quite often SWIM has had a bag of say 10 blues took a couple and a few hours later looked and they've all gone . Then SWIM accuses people of taking them when infact SWIM has only had them all herself and can't remember a thing. *EXCUSE FOR A FIGHT*
SWIM would therefore advise take 1 or 2 and leave the rest at home for later. Its also nice when SWIM takes a few (5+) without drinking and then has a drink the next day. It a lot more mellow on the brain.
p.s. SWIM dosn't think the Buckfast is a major contributer to the memory loss any alcohol will do it if enough is consumed.
take it easy

[Ganja2k8]

thanks for sharing your story SWImsm.

swim guesses he'll just try and avoid taking them with drink all together if there isnt really a safe dose to take while drunk.

[olddirtycr]

SWIM has searched and the data found doesn't really apply to swim's situation.

SWIM has heard from many friends that 10mg of valium and one glass of wine feels pretty darn good.

Both are relatively lows levels of each drug and swim is just curious if both will potentiate eachother enough to where swim and his girlfriend can have a good hour or two of fun together.

Thats all the valium there is (2 x 10mg) so there is no risk of swim munching more down and blacking out.

If swim does not feel too much after the one glass of alc swim will injest at most one more glass of wine and thats it.

Has anyone had good luck with valium or other benzos and low amounts of alcohol?

[welshmick]

No fun at all - don't bother

[olddirtycr]

Originally Posted by welshmick

No fun at all - don't bother

really? What about 20mg of valium each... Or still no fun :[.

[msmogadon]

Originally Posted by welshmick

No fun at all - don't bother

its better than nothing

[matisse]

If you have no tolerance to valium it will most likely give you a bit of hit. Will certainly make you feel more chilled out anyway. SWIY should enjoy!

[Ganja2k8]

Below is a story my freind told me:

"my first time trying valium i took 6 and drank a bottle of wine. Its 's weird one minute i was walking with my freind then next thing i knew i was sitting down the woods myself lol wtf? but i really like it.

The most valium i took in one night was 11 of the blue ones which is 110mgs combined with a bottle of wine, buckfast to be precise.It was brilliant i was totally fucked out my face for 2 days. I only do it when the time is right though because of the bad rep they have were im from. You need to be either sitting alone or with trusted freinds, better if their not on them so they can look after you better. When i took 11 i was drooling out my mouth, no one could make sense of a word i sais, and my freind had to hide my valium from me.

The relaxation is orgasmic, ive never felt so relaxed, i felt as if i could lie in the middle of the police station naked and fucked out my face with both middle fingers pointed to anyone who talked to me.

Make sure to give your house keys to a freind if its in your house its dangerous to go outside.

Never do it at partys etc or you'll learn the way i did.

[ihavequestions]

swim has heard of many people mixing benzos with alcohol with no ill effects accept in cases of extremes. and by extremes he means too many pills in combination with enough alcohol to get a person wasted. but maybe a pill or two with a couple beers from what swim has heard is pretty enjoyable and pretty harmless