Had a bad weekend of heavy drinking feels like a major set back.

I have been slowly tapering off after taking different dosages of Xanax for the past 14 years. Unfortunately I suffered some injuries, had 3 hip surgeries in the past 10 years. I have been in chronic pain daily for the last 3 years. No surgeon can figure out what is causing the pain.

 

I take no pain medication as it does help OTC, I will not take opiates. Unfortunately in the last 3 years I turned to alcohol and increased my Xanax dosage as I was getting anxiety with my hip issue.

 

So I way overdid the drinking in the past few weeks, my anxiety has gotten worse. I guess the moral of the story is basically you have to completely stop drinking when on benzos. It just makes everything 10 times worse. The feeling of hopelessness of being in this chronic pain forever is something I would not wish on anyone especially since it's practically 24/7.

 

Hopefully in the increased anxiety goes away. I am sure it cause of the heavy drinking over the weekend. I need to get out of this cycle I feel like I am destroying my body.

 

Thanks

 

 

Chronic pain can be unbelievably hard to handle.  Appreciate your struggle. Not implying anything about your drinking status, but if you've been doing it to cope, there's physical and brain problems that result. Make your own decisions. I had to research this to deal with someone else.

 

Not trying to be scary, but just give an appropriate caution. I am not an expert on mixing alcohol with Xanax. I do have experience caring for someone who was a long term drinker that wound up in world of hurt after knee surgery. Patient greatly downplayed alcohol intake to the doctors on admission pre-op. Developed Wernicke-Korsakoff's syndrome in hospital. Was so low in B1 thiamine, and then given D5w (dextrose IV); Brain swelled. It's a dementia you don't recover from. Be careful to let the medical folks know what you're consuming so that they don't do the wrong thing accidentally.

 

Alcohol depletes thiamine B1, an essential B vitamin. It can happen quickly and greatly affects brain- from ability to reason to just walking straight. It also has to do with peripheral nerve pain. (Thinking about your chronic pain. May be related?) People who drink have to raise this vitamin level while also taking pantothenic acid B5. It clears alcohol from the system and supports adrenals. Article gives why/what vitamins are affected.

https://healthfully.com/b-complex-vitamins-for-recovering-alcoholics-6677485.html

 

Thiamine is obtained from the diet. Body stores are limited and deficiencies can develop quickly. The total thiamine pool in the average adult is about 30 mg. An intake of 0.5 mg per 1,000 kcal per day is needed to maintain this pool. Due to its relatively short storage time, marginal deficiency can occur within 10 days and more severe deficiency within 21 days if intake is restricted.

https://www.mayocliniclabs.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/42356

 

Benfotiamine is a B vitamin derivative that helps pain. It's really benign and used well for particularly nerve pain. Vitamin C supports the adrenals and is depleted by alcohol.  B vitamins and Vitamin C are water soluble.  Most are poorly stored or like the vitamin C, they need to consumed almost daily. I've taken non-flush niacin and vitamin C to help anxiety in wd. (Check my other posts.)

 

Any thiamine issue has to be addressed first or nothing will help. Don't CT alcohol as you can get in big trouble. Get solid advice on how to taper it. Check with the Xanax folks to see what they can offer too.

 

One step at a time. Every correction moves you towards feeling better.

Thanks, have not touched a drink since Sunday. Anxiety is going down, bottom line is really need to stop drinking any amounts of alcohol. It's just revs up my anxiety times four. I don't drink everyday not really addicted to alcohol, just turn to it sometimes.

 

Going to see a new surgeon today about the chronic hip pain. Back down to taking 1mg of Xanax in am and 1 mg at night. I know once I get get past this chronic pain issue I can focus weeding off the benzos. I appreciate your response.

 

I'm sorry for your pain, and hohot has given you some great information.  I worry too about your respiratory system as both alcohol and benzo's depress it, plus alcohol is pretty much liquid benzo's since they both act on the same part of the brain.

 

I hope the Dr can help you, you're in a rough spot.

I really appreciate all the support and suggestions, this has been a rough three years. Saw a new surgeon yesterday, going to try a small surgery where they release your hip flexor tendon.

 

Hopefully gets rid of the pain. I am going to try my hardest to stay away from alcohol, have to have a positive mind set. For now just sticking with the 2mg of Xanax a day. I will worry about detoxing from that in a few months after the surgery.

 

Thanks

Found a good resource addition for the forum to answer anyone's questions about alcohol and why it's a bad idea during withdrawal.

 

This easily understandable video explains the effects of alcohol on the brain.  Alcohol has both an inhibitory phase, and an excitatory phase depending on time of consumption. It works on both the GABA and glutamate receptors, just like Benzos do.  It also works initially to increase dopamine, which is why it helps people feel relaxed. At higher doses or longer use, this benefit goes away and the opposite begins to occur.

 

 

 

For the effects on receptors, go to 1:30min. 

Thanks, I will check it out today.

Thought I would give a quick update. My doctor prescribed 15mg of Mirtazapine to be taken once before bedtime. I have been getting great sleep, sometimes 8 hours not waking up. It's reduced my cravings for alcohol and I am in a much better mood.

 

Also, I am still on 1mg of klonopin twice a day. I find myself not feeling much anxiety towards bedtime like I use to. I believe the Mirtazapine also helps with that. I think I am going to start a slow taper of the Klonopin. The only side effect I am noticing from the Mirtazapine is increased appetite. I will gladly trade that for good sleep. I started taking benzos because of sleep issues many years ago.

 

Still got the chronic pain, but feeling I can deal with it better.

Glad you checked in lp14, it's wonderful to hear you're getting some good sleep, I wish I could get 8 hours, but my max seems to be seven. 

 

Let us know if we can help you with that taper.

Not in a real hurry to taper, I want to plan carefully. I want to try to avoid withdrawal symptoms as much as possible. Is taking 2 klonopin 1mg considered a lot in the benzo world? Thanks to all

Klonopin is a powerful drug, 2 mgs are equal to 40 mgs of Valium, so yeah, it's a lot.  Don't blame you a bit for wanting to wait, it's good to be in a place of stability to begin your taper.

 

Hey, could you add your current drug information to your signature so we can see you details without combing through your posts?  It helps to have it right there so others can help.  Here are the instructions.  Add your history/signature 

I will add it shortly, I am glad to help others. I never reliazed the dangers of these benzos. The mirtazine is helping. I have been in the garage working on my utvs.

 

Normally I would be in the house laying on the bed moping. I think the anti depressant part of the med is kicking in.

 

 

Happy to say dropped my Klonopin use to 1mg a day for the last 4 days. Not really feeling any type of withdrawal from 2mg. Still getting good sleep from the Mirtazapine at 15mg dose nightly.

 

Thanks,

 

Larry

Did you taper it or just go from 2 mgs to 1?  If it was 4 days ago, you may start to feel the effects, it can take up to 3 weeks to fully realize the symptoms.  Please come back to let us know what how you got to 1 mg, I'm concerned. 

I am still on the 1 mg of Klonopin in the am and 15 mg of Mirtazapine at night. It's been 10 days since i reduced from 2 mg to 1 mg Klonopin. So far no major withdrawal symptoms. Fingers crossed that I pass the 3 or 4 week mark before reducing further. Thanks for all the support.

This is good to hear, I hope this continues for you, you just may be one of the lucky ones!

Thought I would give a quick update. Almost a month from reducing from 2mg of klonopin to 1mg.

 

Doing pretty good, I have had to take an additional 1mg only like 3 times in the reduction phase. Sleeping well with the Mirtazapine. Still dealing with the daily chronic hip pain. Seeing a new surgeon group in a new HSS hospital that opened near me recently in January of this year in two weeks.

 

I will probably stay on the 1mg of Klonopin in the am for another month. After I will start cutting quarters every few weeks. At least I am making progress on weaning of high doses of benzos.