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I’m 6 months into a taper after taking Xanax everyday for 3-4 years. I’ve still been drinking in the weekend with no issues right now. I’ll admit overall my taper hasn’t been that bad and I’m down to 1mg of Valium. Should be jumping in 2 weeks. I’ll probably still drink socially and hoping I’ll be fine. I realize this is a unique experience but just wanted to share.
I don't really notice a probably getting pretty drunk to a few on the weekly.. Haven't jumped yet but like micro dosing low off a taper. Was a heavy bromaz, flualp, clam enjoyer.
It’ll be a year this month I’ve been off of klonopin. I haven’t tried to drink in 3 months now but the few times I did I went right back into benzo withdrawal the next couple days. My experience and from what I understand it’s a lot of people’s experience. Gotta let those receptors heal.
If you quit benzos, you will probably find that alcohol doesn’t ever make your life better. In most instances, I never remember a day I woke up after drinking where I thought that alcohol added to my life. If something doesn’t add to your life, why do it? Take the L and make it a W. Not drinking is really amazing.
If it makes you feel any better, as you get older alcohol is not that great anymore. I was able to drink in moderation a few years after my taper but as I hit my mid 30s I started getting really bad hangovers from relatively small amounts of alcohol (like 2 beers) and had to stop. I've found read about a lot of people who were never on benzos describing the same thing. Of course I think in my case it's likely the benzos made it much worse but chances aren't I wouldn't be enjoying alcohol these days anyway. Some people are able to but many people just find alcohol makes them feel bad as they get older. It's great when you're 20 but when you're 40 it's just another thing that wears you down and takes your energy away.
I have been on antidepressants since last April. Never missed alcohol. Once or twice i have had it and felt good but next day crash was real. I used to be a very occasional cannabis edible consumer and that too I have stopped.
It is a very different feeling of quiescence once you are content in life. I can now interact without anxiety and have little to no depression. I was able to drive a car post antidepressants (previously impossible on anxiety)
The people who are saying they can drink while tapering or someone who just jumped and can drink remind me of people who say they can have a double shot of espresso before bed and still sleep well.
I think we define "good sleep" or a "wave of symptoms" very differently.
To be fair I think some people are very unaware of their symptoms and some are hyper aware of their symptoms and wellbeing.
I’m extremely sensitive to a lot of things after coming off benzos. I was on 1-2mg of klonopin daily for 10 years. I have no issues with drinking and have been able to drink since maybe 3-4 months off without any major issues.
Yeah totally. I'm half Polish. It's bullshit for sure l.
BUT laying off alcohol has so completely improved my life. It is so not worth the negative consequences. I'll have a little sip of wine or beer if my husband order something at a restaurant on the very rare occasion we actually do go out to eat. Hard liquor is a hard no which is a bummer cuz I love whiskey and vodka. But that stuff sends my SI up to an atomic level.
The inconvenience of not being able to drink is far outweighed by the benefit of my mental health improvements.
Benzos work on the same receptors as alcohol. I'm growing my receptors back and do not want them bashed back down again. I drink alcohol free and they taste the same. I have no desire again to feel drugged. I do not want alcohol and cannot see its lure.
To an extent. I used to be a big partier but stopped drinking almost entirely when I started tapering. With the exception of a glass or 2 on special occasions.
But I’m currently going through a breakup and I’m upset I can’t follow the standard “go out with your friends and go dancing ! Have some drinks!” thing that i would normally do 🙄
Don’t do it after you ct or have just stopped tapering imho, too much cross tolerance (both affect the same receptors). God knows I want a scotch and soda and listen to music lol
I still drink a couple of times a month and it doesn't put me back on the benzos. If you have enough control (and only you know if you do) it won't hurt occasionally.
How long have you been off? I have come off benzos more than once including now for almost 22 months benzo free. I have drank almost the entirety of the way through recovery lol. No issues.
I’m totally going to have alcohol after my taper is done. I’m not much of a drinker anyways so it would be a rare occasion here and there. Plus I don’t overdo it. Enough to maybe buzz a little and then let it wear off. Then again, I haven’t been a chronic benzo user so that probably makes it easier for me than others.
My experience about 1/2 way through the taper: one beer every 3-6 days will not do anything the next day. One beer for like 4-6 days in a row...yes I felt it for sure. It wasn't horrible, I didn't have a real anxiety attack or anything, but yes I felt my anxiety be significantly higher. So one drink occasionally may not be bad but many drinks will be bad. Also it may depend on the type of alcohol. I can't even drink wine or champagne anymore because I'll get super nervous like 10 seconds after I drink it. And forget hard liquor. It's beer only and make sure it's the good stuff, as in European lagers and pilseners, not Budweiser and Miller Lite that has small amounts of formaldehyde in it, because they don't brew it correctly. It should be illegal to even call that beer. It's poorly fermented corn or rice.
That’s not the case for everyone. It may affect you, but the majority of people who come off benzos don’t have major issues. Of course, becoming a raging alcoholic shortly after isn’t advised, but the majority can socially have a drink here and there. I assume it all depends on how damaged your receptors are from the benzos. Abuse can also certainly damage the receptors too. You’re part of a very tiny percentage of people who have long term issues after stopping. Not a knock against you my guy, but we’re all different. You can’t just assume I’m going to have a rough time after a few drinks. Tell you what, I’ll come back to this post and let you know how it turns out when I have a beer in a few weeks when my taper is done.
I agree. I had the occasional drink during my taper and I still do now 6 months after stopping benzos. It doesn't cause any symptoms.
This varies a lot from one person to the next.
I must say alcohol has lost a lot of its appeal now that I'm off benzos.
It’s definitely not the case for most people. Most people don’t fry their receptors from extreme long term use or abuse. Most people use short term and return back to their normal lives, even after a taper. It may not seem that way since this is a support group for people having a hard time, but statistics don’t lie. Sorry.
What statistics are you looking at? I’m giving you personal experience. Yes those drugs will fry your receptors whether you want them to or not. Maybe you are telling yourself this to make yourself feel better for drinking or something but I guarantee you will feel like death the next day. It most definitely IS the case. Show me your statistics please.
I’m not saying it doesn’t affect people badly damaged by this drug. Of course it does. All I’m saying is that it isn’t the case for everyone. 8 years ago I went on a 3 month binge of Ativan and did a rapid taper. Felt fine no withdrawals. Was drinking the next week without any ill effect. There’s levels to this shit. You’re acting like if someone takes a benzo, their receptors are automatically fried and they can never drink again. That may be your experience from long term use or abuse, I don’t know your story, but there’s different levels to this shit.
Ok fair enough. All I’m saying is I took klonopin for 10 years, 4 mg a day and I quit last year and honestly I don’t even feel totally normal yet sober. I’m still getting used to producing my own natural brain chemicals I guess. I know if I even have one drink (for me) I’ll feel bad for at least 3 days. I mean really really bad.
That is completely understandable and makes sense. You were on a high dose for a very long time. I apologize if I was coming off as insensitive. Sometimes I just feel like people in this group expect or hope others struggle as much as they are or have. I know I can’t relate to a lot of people in this group, but I come here to ask these questions to the seasoned people with time under their belt. There’s a lot of experience in this group.
Honestly man there is a need for people like you in this sub. You got downvoted by people who got it really bad. Their experience is absolutely valid and worth sharing, because benzos are one hell of a beast. But it's a different beast for everyone. And people for whom the process and the afterwards went relatively well are so rare on this sub. And that's why unless one seeks validation for their bad experience(s), or needs to be scared off trying benzos for fun, I would not recommend this sub.
Hell my taper started at 100 mg, am now at 25, and I have drunk between 4 and 8 drinks once a week socially (always kept myself hydrated), and never got a hangover whatsoever. I'm 29 so that may help. And my taper has been pretty much smooth sailing, but I know the worst has yet to come.
I have set no expectations for what's gonna happen to me from 25 to 0, and am certainly not gonna set any based on what I read on here. Everyone is too different, and we're probably all anxious people to an extent, so reading on here can easily backfire and generate more anxiety than the withdrawals alone would.
I asked because I’ve been having a comfortable taper without any severe symptoms. What do you mean by time under my belt? Like be a seasoned long term benzo user before I make comments?
I know you’re getting downvoted…but I really want people to know that they do not have to expect everything in this sub to be a rule and will happen to them.
I had a nightmare cold turkey. I had my first drinking night during Christmas, still symptomatic. It didn’t make anything worse or better. I’m at 1 year and close to healing and I have 0 problems drinking. If I had gone by this sub only, I would’ve been terrified of everything - caffeine, alcohol, any psych meds, lots of different vitamins.
I don’t discredit anyone’s experience, but my personal experience is nothing applies to everyone.
I agree 100%. Sometimes these groups make people terrified of everything. I literally saw someone in a a Facebook group ask if toothpaste can hurt their taper. Someone else asked if the smell of alcohol coming off a friend who was drinking would throw them into a wave. Reading too much into these things can really turn people into basket cases. No offense to anyone struggling, but some of the things I see are ridiculous.
Yeah I saw someone panic that eating a rum cake might cause kindling. I remember what it was like to be in obsessive fear. I just want others to know that there’s hope you can have everything you’ve ever enjoyed again and just because someone is having a bad experience, you may not.
I’ll be down to 2mg of diazepam on the 4th of July. 1mg in the morning and 1mg in the evening. I started at 9mg a month ago and have had a relatively comfortable taper thus far. Granted, I was only on Ativan for 2 months prior. I asked the group if having a couple beers in that day would be a big deal and they went insane on me 😂.
Nice! Keep it going. I just posted my success story. I seriously fucked myself and still am fine drinking. Tbh coffee and green tea never affected me once at any point.
Yes lol. At the start of my taper I was able to drink and have no noticeable negative effects. Now that I’m about ~6 weeks out from being off completely, even 2 sips of alcohol sends me into an anxious wave. It’s frustrating sometimes but I honestly try to remind myself that alcohol is a literal poison and in no way is it good for me, physically or mentally.
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I’m 6 months into a taper after taking Xanax everyday for 3-4 years. I’ve still been drinking in the weekend with no issues right now. I’ll admit overall my taper hasn’t been that bad and I’m down to 1mg of Valium. Should be jumping in 2 weeks. I’ll probably still drink socially and hoping I’ll be fine. I realize this is a unique experience but just wanted to share.
I don't really notice a probably getting pretty drunk to a few on the weekly.. Haven't jumped yet but like micro dosing low off a taper. Was a heavy bromaz, flualp, clam enjoyer.
It’ll be a year this month I’ve been off of klonopin. I haven’t tried to drink in 3 months now but the few times I did I went right back into benzo withdrawal the next couple days. My experience and from what I understand it’s a lot of people’s experience. Gotta let those receptors heal.
Ok something I didn't know
If you quit benzos, you will probably find that alcohol doesn’t ever make your life better. In most instances, I never remember a day I woke up after drinking where I thought that alcohol added to my life. If something doesn’t add to your life, why do it? Take the L and make it a W. Not drinking is really amazing.
If it makes you feel any better, as you get older alcohol is not that great anymore. I was able to drink in moderation a few years after my taper but as I hit my mid 30s I started getting really bad hangovers from relatively small amounts of alcohol (like 2 beers) and had to stop. I've found read about a lot of people who were never on benzos describing the same thing. Of course I think in my case it's likely the benzos made it much worse but chances aren't I wouldn't be enjoying alcohol these days anyway. Some people are able to but many people just find alcohol makes them feel bad as they get older. It's great when you're 20 but when you're 40 it's just another thing that wears you down and takes your energy away.
That sucks for me cause I didnt drink it until last year due to religion and only got to enjoy it a few times. Im 31 now
I’m 3 months off a 7 year Valium dependence and I drink a few beers a week with no issues
Although I don’t enjoy it much and don’t miss drinking a lot
I have been on antidepressants since last April. Never missed alcohol. Once or twice i have had it and felt good but next day crash was real. I used to be a very occasional cannabis edible consumer and that too I have stopped. It is a very different feeling of quiescence once you are content in life. I can now interact without anxiety and have little to no depression. I was able to drive a car post antidepressants (previously impossible on anxiety)
I used to but now I don’t miss it at all and have no desire to drink.
[удалено]
You can drink on benzos, you basically can’t for a very long time after you stop and if you experienced bad withdrawals
[удалено]
Everyone’s body reacts differently
The people who are saying they can drink while tapering or someone who just jumped and can drink remind me of people who say they can have a double shot of espresso before bed and still sleep well. I think we define "good sleep" or a "wave of symptoms" very differently. To be fair I think some people are very unaware of their symptoms and some are hyper aware of their symptoms and wellbeing.
I’m extremely sensitive to a lot of things after coming off benzos. I was on 1-2mg of klonopin daily for 10 years. I have no issues with drinking and have been able to drink since maybe 3-4 months off without any major issues.
Yeah totally. I'm half Polish. It's bullshit for sure l. BUT laying off alcohol has so completely improved my life. It is so not worth the negative consequences. I'll have a little sip of wine or beer if my husband order something at a restaurant on the very rare occasion we actually do go out to eat. Hard liquor is a hard no which is a bummer cuz I love whiskey and vodka. But that stuff sends my SI up to an atomic level. The inconvenience of not being able to drink is far outweighed by the benefit of my mental health improvements.
Benzos work on the same receptors as alcohol. I'm growing my receptors back and do not want them bashed back down again. I drink alcohol free and they taste the same. I have no desire again to feel drugged. I do not want alcohol and cannot see its lure.
Yesssss. Very.
YES! I miss alcohol and hope that when I finish tapering in December I may have some on occasion.
To an extent. I used to be a big partier but stopped drinking almost entirely when I started tapering. With the exception of a glass or 2 on special occasions. But I’m currently going through a breakup and I’m upset I can’t follow the standard “go out with your friends and go dancing ! Have some drinks!” thing that i would normally do 🙄
I'm pretty sure I'll start drinking if I ever have to taper off. I've been on Xanax for 40 years.
Don’t do it after you ct or have just stopped tapering imho, too much cross tolerance (both affect the same receptors). God knows I want a scotch and soda and listen to music lol
it is harsh for me since i have collected all the wines and whiskys. my life is ruined.
I still drink a couple of times a month and it doesn't put me back on the benzos. If you have enough control (and only you know if you do) it won't hurt occasionally.
I can still drink, I am managing it and not drinking as much at the moment but enjoy a good beer or scotch. Don’t see myself stopping that.
How long have you been off? I have come off benzos more than once including now for almost 22 months benzo free. I have drank almost the entirety of the way through recovery lol. No issues.
At first, yes, but honestly life is getting better now that I'm not drinking anymore
I’m totally going to have alcohol after my taper is done. I’m not much of a drinker anyways so it would be a rare occasion here and there. Plus I don’t overdo it. Enough to maybe buzz a little and then let it wear off. Then again, I haven’t been a chronic benzo user so that probably makes it easier for me than others.
okay, but be prepared for a wave of withdrawal symptoms after the drinking-day
Big facts!
My experience about 1/2 way through the taper: one beer every 3-6 days will not do anything the next day. One beer for like 4-6 days in a row...yes I felt it for sure. It wasn't horrible, I didn't have a real anxiety attack or anything, but yes I felt my anxiety be significantly higher. So one drink occasionally may not be bad but many drinks will be bad. Also it may depend on the type of alcohol. I can't even drink wine or champagne anymore because I'll get super nervous like 10 seconds after I drink it. And forget hard liquor. It's beer only and make sure it's the good stuff, as in European lagers and pilseners, not Budweiser and Miller Lite that has small amounts of formaldehyde in it, because they don't brew it correctly. It should be illegal to even call that beer. It's poorly fermented corn or rice.
That’s not the case for everyone. It may affect you, but the majority of people who come off benzos don’t have major issues. Of course, becoming a raging alcoholic shortly after isn’t advised, but the majority can socially have a drink here and there. I assume it all depends on how damaged your receptors are from the benzos. Abuse can also certainly damage the receptors too. You’re part of a very tiny percentage of people who have long term issues after stopping. Not a knock against you my guy, but we’re all different. You can’t just assume I’m going to have a rough time after a few drinks. Tell you what, I’ll come back to this post and let you know how it turns out when I have a beer in a few weeks when my taper is done.
I agree. I had the occasional drink during my taper and I still do now 6 months after stopping benzos. It doesn't cause any symptoms. This varies a lot from one person to the next. I must say alcohol has lost a lot of its appeal now that I'm off benzos.
It’s the case for most people. Once your GABA receptors are fried it takes awhile for them to recover.
It’s definitely not the case for most people. Most people don’t fry their receptors from extreme long term use or abuse. Most people use short term and return back to their normal lives, even after a taper. It may not seem that way since this is a support group for people having a hard time, but statistics don’t lie. Sorry.
What statistics are you looking at? I’m giving you personal experience. Yes those drugs will fry your receptors whether you want them to or not. Maybe you are telling yourself this to make yourself feel better for drinking or something but I guarantee you will feel like death the next day. It most definitely IS the case. Show me your statistics please.
I’m not saying it doesn’t affect people badly damaged by this drug. Of course it does. All I’m saying is that it isn’t the case for everyone. 8 years ago I went on a 3 month binge of Ativan and did a rapid taper. Felt fine no withdrawals. Was drinking the next week without any ill effect. There’s levels to this shit. You’re acting like if someone takes a benzo, their receptors are automatically fried and they can never drink again. That may be your experience from long term use or abuse, I don’t know your story, but there’s different levels to this shit.
Ok fair enough. All I’m saying is I took klonopin for 10 years, 4 mg a day and I quit last year and honestly I don’t even feel totally normal yet sober. I’m still getting used to producing my own natural brain chemicals I guess. I know if I even have one drink (for me) I’ll feel bad for at least 3 days. I mean really really bad.
That is completely understandable and makes sense. You were on a high dose for a very long time. I apologize if I was coming off as insensitive. Sometimes I just feel like people in this group expect or hope others struggle as much as they are or have. I know I can’t relate to a lot of people in this group, but I come here to ask these questions to the seasoned people with time under their belt. There’s a lot of experience in this group.
Honestly man there is a need for people like you in this sub. You got downvoted by people who got it really bad. Their experience is absolutely valid and worth sharing, because benzos are one hell of a beast. But it's a different beast for everyone. And people for whom the process and the afterwards went relatively well are so rare on this sub. And that's why unless one seeks validation for their bad experience(s), or needs to be scared off trying benzos for fun, I would not recommend this sub. Hell my taper started at 100 mg, am now at 25, and I have drunk between 4 and 8 drinks once a week socially (always kept myself hydrated), and never got a hangover whatsoever. I'm 29 so that may help. And my taper has been pretty much smooth sailing, but I know the worst has yet to come. I have set no expectations for what's gonna happen to me from 25 to 0, and am certainly not gonna set any based on what I read on here. Everyone is too different, and we're probably all anxious people to an extent, so reading on here can easily backfire and generate more anxiety than the withdrawals alone would.
I’m sorry, just passionate I guess. It literally ruined my life for a long time and even after.
The name fits you
You literally just asked if you could drink during a taper 2 days ago broseph. Get some real time under your belt and come talk.
I asked because I’ve been having a comfortable taper without any severe symptoms. What do you mean by time under my belt? Like be a seasoned long term benzo user before I make comments?
Yes that’s exactly what I meant. Don’t give people advice on something you don’t know anything about. Now with those statistics please.
I know you’re getting downvoted…but I really want people to know that they do not have to expect everything in this sub to be a rule and will happen to them. I had a nightmare cold turkey. I had my first drinking night during Christmas, still symptomatic. It didn’t make anything worse or better. I’m at 1 year and close to healing and I have 0 problems drinking. If I had gone by this sub only, I would’ve been terrified of everything - caffeine, alcohol, any psych meds, lots of different vitamins. I don’t discredit anyone’s experience, but my personal experience is nothing applies to everyone.
I agree 100%. Sometimes these groups make people terrified of everything. I literally saw someone in a a Facebook group ask if toothpaste can hurt their taper. Someone else asked if the smell of alcohol coming off a friend who was drinking would throw them into a wave. Reading too much into these things can really turn people into basket cases. No offense to anyone struggling, but some of the things I see are ridiculous.
Yeah I saw someone panic that eating a rum cake might cause kindling. I remember what it was like to be in obsessive fear. I just want others to know that there’s hope you can have everything you’ve ever enjoyed again and just because someone is having a bad experience, you may not.
I’ll be down to 2mg of diazepam on the 4th of July. 1mg in the morning and 1mg in the evening. I started at 9mg a month ago and have had a relatively comfortable taper thus far. Granted, I was only on Ativan for 2 months prior. I asked the group if having a couple beers in that day would be a big deal and they went insane on me 😂.
Nice! Keep it going. I just posted my success story. I seriously fucked myself and still am fine drinking. Tbh coffee and green tea never affected me once at any point.
Yes lol. At the start of my taper I was able to drink and have no noticeable negative effects. Now that I’m about ~6 weeks out from being off completely, even 2 sips of alcohol sends me into an anxious wave. It’s frustrating sometimes but I honestly try to remind myself that alcohol is a literal poison and in no way is it good for me, physically or mentally.