Benzos for POIS (Xanax, klonopin...)

[IWontGiveUp]

Has anyone tried to take a benzodiazepine like xanax before or days after O to reduce symptoms? Im thinking about trying it I know its highly addictive but if it helps the anxiety symptoms it might be worth to take once every 2-3 weeks.

[b_jim]

I can confirm you benzo helps some Poisers. As you said, its highly addictive.

[demografx]

b_jim, I know you have been studying many, many POIS cases since the forum beginning, in 2007. Last count I saw was that you studied 440 POIS cases? Is it higher now?

[b_jim]

I think I 've stopped to count Pois sufferers when we create the poiscenter forum. Because I didn't want to count several times the same cases. And now we made a nice communication job : all Poisers will find our forum...
Now, if the question is : how many Poisers in the world ?
I would say 1500 to 2000.
But it's a pure speculation.

[demografx]

Excellent! Thank you for estimating! I have always been curious as to the number of possible POISers in the world.

[Guts]

Benzo's work but they split your life expectancy in half and are very addicting.
You still get alot of damage due to immune reaction

Benzo's are the only thing that works against the severe nerve pain and brainfog

[b_jim]

Plants and homeopathy (very light sedative) kill me !
They cause me breathing depression. I tought I will die. Impossible to sleep, impossible to breath. I spent the worst days of my life. Now I feel normal. I will never take any sedative anymore.
And alcool cut my legs.
Dispite taurine blocks my Pois ! Crazy ! I need to study all of this and go to a neurologist.

Now I'm conviced of this : GABA IS THE KEY.

[demografx]

Now I'm conviced of this : GABA IS THE KEY.

Please elaborate?

[drop247]

GABA certainly helps but I'm not sure if it's a cure or just treating symptoms. Inflammatory cytokines on the brain can cause anxiety and GABA can reduce that anxiety.

[Guts]

Plants and homeopathy (very light sedative) kill me !
They cause me breathing depression. I tought I will die. Impossible to sleep, impossible to breath. I spent the worst days of my life. Now I feel normal. I will never take any sedative anymore.
And alcool cut my legs.
Dispite taurine blocks my Pois ! Crazy ! I need to study all of this and go to a neurologist.

Now I'm conviced of this : GABA IS THE KEY.

Jim GABA agonists can trigger asthma in some people. For some reason increasing GABA in the lungs of some patients with allergic disorders result in local full/partial  mast cell degranulation. Its not known why this is the case

[POISed2cure]

Yes, benzos totally wipe out POIS symptoms entirely for me. Or 95%+. They last 3-4+ hours and I don't take more than 1 a day anymore. Tolerance builds up really quickly with them. They feel great. Millions of Americans are totally addicted to Xanax or benzos. Doctors hand them out like candy. If you're very disciplined, responsible, and keep track of usage, take breaks, and don't allow tolerance to build up by taking extensive breaks if tolerance starts to build up, then it may be an option for POISers for emergency use. That is how I try to use it now - emergencies only. They are a miracle drug for that purpose alone, and a total curse if taken irresponsibly or on a regular basis for long periods of time.

Diazepam I tried a few years ago but tolerance built up after the 3rd or 4th time I used it so I stopped. It gave me 5 hours of relief per 2 mg pill.

Xanax started working at 0.25. Had I taken extensive breaks as tolerance built up from the start I would still be on 0.25. now 0.25 does almost nothing for me. 0.5 is where I'm at. I was at nearly 1 mg once per day, but after taking a break for 7 days, tolerance reduced to 0.5 mg, and now I am trying to taper from there to get as close to 'normal' as possible.

Good luck...

[gettingbetter01]

Last night I took about .3mg of xanax. I felt absolutely great. I had absolutely zero symptoms for the first time in way too long, I didnt think it was possible to have zero symptoms no matter what I did. While I was on it I had an O and felt great afterwards, it felt like it used to. It felt relieving and relaxing.

Now I feel like theres a few possible reasons for this. One would be that it took away all my anxiety and stress, and this is the cause of my pois. Im not very mentally healthy so I do think this is possible.

Another reason would be I have a gaba deficiency, and xanax provided the gaba that I needed. I would like to try some supplements, vitamins or amino acids that effect gaba and see if they also help. Im not sure where to start though.

I also read that xanax is used as a mast stabilizer, and that it could prevent an allergic reaction. This is the option Im most scared of honestly.

Then I think that there?s the idea that I was just on a drug. I was just on a drug, feeling good, and it numbed any pois symptoms Id usually feel.

I am very curious to hear what some of you might think of this because I know a lot of you have research POIS much more extensively than I have, thank you.

[hapl]

Just curious why you feel it's very dangerous? While benzos have been overprescribed and people with benzo addictions describe withdrawal as hell, infrequent use of Xanax or Valium in lower doses has a pretty good risk profile. Have you revisited Xanax as a treatment and has it worked consistently?

[Quantum]

Hi gettingbetter,

3mg of Xanax/alprazolam is a very high dose, considering that usual doses are of 0,25 to 0,5 mg .   The major concern with this kind of dose is having a rebound effect or a withdrawal effect afterward ( for example, higher anxiety when the effect subsides).  The potential neurological toxicity, in particular for memory and for balance, is also to be considered.  Long-term usage of benzos also leads to developing a tolerance, so you have to raise the dose with time ( which is not good when you start at an already high dosage).

It would be best if you had a health professional helping you with that.

Also, try finding the minimum efficient dosage.   

[hapl]

I think he said 0.3mg, so that's a pretty normal dose?

[Quantum]

I think he said 0.3mg, so that's a pretty normal dose?

Hi hapl,
I think you are right, I didn't see the  "." before the 3.   He wrote .3 , though, and not 0.3  , harder to see for a 57 y/o like me... !
If he really meant 0.3mg, I agree that it is a normal dose, as you said. 

However, alprazolam is one of the most potent benzo, so regular use or long-term use, even at a normal dose, should be done under the supervision of a health professional.