First Stop Alcohol, Use Xanax For Withdrawals, Switch To Kpin

Hello all. I posted an introduction the other day.

 

Here's where I'm at. I failed a drug test 2 weeks ago and was terminated. I've been prescribed .5mg Klonopin 30 pills a month for the last 2.5 years as a cover for my Xanax usage. I've been taking 2- 2.7mg Xanax for the past 3 years, depending on the days length.

The test showed Xanax only, no klonopin.

Klonopin- legit script

Xanax- no script = termination. I tried working out a plan with them to go to treatment. No dice.

I have also been a daily drinker for the past 4 years. I'm up to 3/4 of a fifth of tequila a night. Can't sleep without it.

 

My world has come crashing down. I lost my job, will be losing my insurance on the 28th (and I have a heart condition- great right?), and only have enough money saved to pay bills and rent for maybe 6 months.

 

It's time to act now. I'm tired of living as a slave to alcohol and benzos.

 

Here is the plan. I'm going to tackle the alcohol first. I can't start a taper while drinking. I've already tried that in the past and it does not work. So I'm planning on continuing the Xanax usage while I taper off of alcohol over the course of a week. I might have to up my dose a little bit to handle the shakes and insomnia.

Then once I feel like I have kicked the bottle, I plan on switching to my klonopin. The dosage equivalency between Xanax and klonopin seems to be the same. So the plan is to take 1mg klonopin in the morning and at night. Then every week or two weeks (depending), step down to .75, .5, .25, maybe half of a .25, then jump.

 

Does this sound like a good plan? Or am I in more of a reckoning than I realize? I have kicked heroin in the past before and bounced back quick. But this, this is a different monster. I don't wish this on my worst enemy. In my time in rehab, I saw guys coming in that were detoxed off of benzos. They would give them low doses of librium for about 4 days and that's it. The things I saw, oh my God. We had one guy who didn't sleep for 22 days straight. He just walked in circles day and night, in an almost dead-like state. That scares the hell out of me, so I think I'm better off doing this on my own rather than pay a ridiculous amount at rehab and doing the so called rapid detox.

 

That's about it folks, that's my plan. If anyone has been through a similar situation like mine, with both alcohol and benzos, let me know what worked for you, and if this sounds like a good plan.

 

One more thing- I have a bottle of 180 gabapentin 400mg. I've heard that it can really help you with both alcohol and benzo withdrawal, but I don't want to take it long term through the entire taper, because I read you can get addicted to that as well.

 

Thanks for reading y'all.

-Brandon

 

Edit: I would like to add that when I tried to stop 2 years ago, I saw at least 8 different doctors and psychiatrists begging to do the Ashton method with valium. They all told me to kick rocks or you need to go to rehab. The doctors in my area aren't very bright.  They equate drug strength with half life. Not true. It's sad how ordinary people like us know more about pharmaceuticals than actual pharmacists and doctors.

I was finally able to find a doctor that would prescribe me klonopin. I researched and found klonopin to be the next best thing to valium to taper with due to the longer half life.

 

I plan on trying to find a doctor before my insurance runs out so I can get some more klonopin with refills, just in case I need a longer time to taper.

Regardless if I can find one willing to do that or not, I have about 24 months worth of klonopin, 30 per month. So I think I'll be ok.

 

That brings me to another question. I know that pills will hit you harder the older they get. My oldest script was filled in the summer of 2018. Should I start with my most recent scripts and work backwards? Like a last in first out type of deal?

I don't want to get close to the end of my taper and start getting into my older medication, then when I'm taking .25 of klonopin, it hits me like its .5mg.

Should I worry about that? Or is 2.5 years not really long enough to get stronger? (I'm thinking about that Wolf of Wall Street Qualuude scene lol)

I'm glad to see I didn't scare you off Brandon, I like your plan to get off of the alcohol first.  I'm also glad to hear you're ready to do this and agree that doing it at home will be better for you.

 

I feel your Klonopin reduction plan is too fast, a rapid taper will have you looking like that guy in rehab years ago so as long as you have enough pills to do a slow taper than that's the best way.  Let your body tell you how fast to go, a symptom based taper will hopefully keep you functional.

 

I think using the older pills first won't be a problem, I hear the shelf life is quite long so I wouldn't worry.  I'm excited you're doing this, I quit alcohol almost 30 years ago and Klonopin 14 years ago and life is so good without all of that crap, you're going to love it. 

 

 

My situation has become too dire to be scared off. It has to happen!

 

Funny how right when I start to plan my taper, my Xanax guy contacts me telling me he just got more. Go figure.

 

I look forward to returning to my old self. The one who was happy all the time and in great mental, physical and spiritual health.

 

How do you think my taper plan is too fast? Should I do more weeks before reduction? Or did you mean a smaller reduction schedule using the titration method?

 

The only good thing about this situation, is that I can taper off at home instead of at work, where people can quickly take notice that something is going on with you- the shakes, the foggy brain and poor memory, panic attacks, etc.

 

I will take a full inventory of how many klonopin I have so I can come up with a regimen schedule.

 

Remember, I only have enough saved up for 6 months unemployed max.

 

Thanks,

Brandon

We suggest reducing your dose by about 5-10% every week or two but doing a symptom based taper is the best approach, this will allow you to hopefully be functional.  Your reduction plan may hurt too much so if it does I'd suggest making smaller reductions and holding them longer, you'll be able to figure out what works for you, its all about being flexible and listening to what your body is telling you.

 

I think it would be helpful for you to read this post, it will explain what has happened to your brain while you've been taking benzo's and what is going to happen when you start to reduce them.  What’s happening inside your brain

 

Benzo's are unique from other drugs in that your brain has made changes to accommodate the drug and when you begin to reduce your dose, those changes have to be reversed.  This process will continue long after you take your last dose, the repair work takes a long time so you need to be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint. 

 

I quit cold turkey and it took me about 14 months to recover so as you can see, I got the drug out of my body quickly but full healing took a lot longer.  Not trying to scare you, just inform so you can prepare.  I was able to go back to work full time 3 weeks after my cold turkey so its possible to do what we have to do to get through this. 

Thank you.

 

I will do my best to go with 10% instead of 25%.

 

Once I quit drinking I will start posting progress updates on the other forum page.

 

Any thoughts on the gabapentin? Should I just leave that out of the equation?

I don't have experience with Gabapentin but here is a support thread for those trying to taper from it.  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=84267.0

 

I want to wish you the best of luck, you're undertaking a huge commitment to get your life back but I promise, its worth it.  To be free from alcohol and drugs is wonderful, I hated that a stupid liquid in a bottle controlled my life and a tiny little pill had the power to make my life so miserable.  You can do this, I look forward to following your progress. 

Instead of increasing your benzo dosage to control alcohol wthdrawal, you could find a prescriber for acamprosate. Apparently it's a much safer drug than benzos, and can remove alcohol withdrawal symptoms. I was looking into it, becuse apparently it can also help my ear symptoms. People that tried it here on BB say they didn't have trouble stopping it, so maybe in this case "non-addictive" drug is truly not dependence-forming.