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Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

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Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#121
post #78

I was prescribed benzos because of sleeping issues, but I was also taking phenibut at the same time. After about 3 weeks of using large doses of the benzos every night, I stopped taking them, but a year later I still feel pangs of withdrawal sometimes when I get stressed. It took me another 4 months to get off the phenibut and a month or so after that before my sleep returned to normal. There were months where I mayb…

Of the common legal drugs, benzos are by far the most dangerous to quit. And you get addicted in like a week. Be very careful.

I took it for two months for sleep and had no issues quitting it besides a few nights of taking longer to fall asleep.

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#122

I was prescribed benzos because of sleeping issues, but I was also taking phenibut at the same time. After about 3 weeks of using large doses of the benzos every night, I stopped taking them, but a year later I still feel pangs of withdrawal sometimes when I get stressed. It took me another 4 months to get off the phenibut and a month or so after that before my sleep returned to normal. There were months where I mayb…

To anyone curious about phenibut: Don't. Just don't. Please. Just a few weeks of usage can cause dependence. It is notorious for causing compulsive redosing. Withdrawal can make you unable to sleep for days, with lingering effects like panic attacks and anhedonia for weeks and weeks. Withdrawal from larger quantities can cause auditory and visual hallucinations and seizures and can even KILL you. Avoiding serious sym…

I take phenibut about 1x/week, I have been for about 2 years now. I think it's generally pretty OK for me, though I've started to worry that it impacts my memory a touch, at the edges.

Do not take drugs every day. For real. I don't want to victim-blame but it is wild that you expected to be able to be able to take drugs daily for weeks without withdrawals. As a rule of thumb, unless you intend to be on it forever (e.g. caffeine), you should never take anything more than maybe 2 days out of 7 in the week. Psychoactive drugs are not like aspirin, where you dabble a bit as necessary.

Phenibut is serious stuff. Nobody would say "I had only been drinking a pint of vodka every day for a few weeks before I realized I might have to deal with withdrawals."

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#123

Was just in Mexico and took them 3-4 days in a row (0.5mg - 2mg) to sleep after drinking or the next morning. Slept amazing those few nights. Felt terrible 2 days after the last one, and even now close to a week later I don’t even feel that good. Pretty sure they are terrible for you.

Thank you for informing us of the fact that you take benzos with alcohol in your system.

Self PSA that probably nobody should take your opinions seriously.

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To anyone curious about phenibut: Don't. Just don't. Please. Just a few weeks of usage can cause dependence. It is notorious for causing compulsive redosing. Withdrawal can make you unable to sleep for days, with lingering effects like panic attacks and anhedonia for weeks and weeks. Withdrawal from larger quantities can cause auditory and visual hallucinations and seizures and can even KILL you. Avoiding serious sym…

I've heard of people going through withdrawals after just a single week of use. Nuts that it's sold as a supplement at all. Interestingly enough, a suspected GABA prodrug that supposedly passes the blood-brain barrier called picamilon has been banned by the FDA, yet phenibut is still on shelves.

picamilon is banned? That's dumb, soon they will ban l-theanine and taurine? I really don't think you can get addicted to picamillon like phen or benz

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#125
post #85

I was prescribed benzos because of sleeping issues, but I was also taking phenibut at the same time. After about 3 weeks of using large doses of the benzos every night, I stopped taking them, but a year later I still feel pangs of withdrawal sometimes when I get stressed. It took me another 4 months to get off the phenibut and a month or so after that before my sleep returned to normal. There were months where I mayb…

Wow, 1. who tf gave you phenibut before gabapentin/pregabalin? Phenibut is notoriously hard to quit. It takes at least a few weeks of gradual tapering down. 2. Together with a benzodiazepine? Wew, lad. Should've also taken a few shots of vodka before sleep for the insanity trifecta. Edit: sorry, I always assume other people have access to medication. I don't so I shouldn't have laughed. Yeah, so there are a few gabap…

it's less frequent but people can get addicted to pregabalin too.

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#126
post #75

The world of medecine is degenerate. Sustainable, non addictive and non neurotoxic anxiolytics exists: the #1 being opipramol the sigmaergic. emoxypine (which btw cure hangover) and guanfacine are worth mentioning. Maybe beta blockers to some extent. NMDA antagonists such as memantine have side effects but are not neurotoxic to my knowledge and there are milder ones such as mg-lthreonate. afobazole is interesting but…

Anecdotally, I can attest to the surprising efficacy of alpha blockers. I have used prazosin as a sleep aid for the last decade, a few times a month. There were some limited studies that suggest it is effective in helping sleep quality in people with nightmares and PTSD. Now, I don't have PTSD, but I do have a mind that will not shut off at night, running in useless circles that jolt me back awake. It does nothing fo…

High blood pressure and anxiety can both cause similar symptoms. Tightness in the chest, for example. Your body tends to mistake one for the other.

Treating high-blood pressure with an ACE inhibitor (which does not treat anxiety) can reduce anxiety simply by relieving symptoms that feel like anxiety.

Beta blockers have the nice effect of directly treating both anxiety and high blood pressure.

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#128
post #118

I take a half tablet (10mg) of Xanax every once in awhile. (Maybe once a month on average). It makes me feel so relaxed. I knew it was too good to be true.

I take 5mg about once a week which I thought was pretty harmless :(

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#129
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of the common legal drugs, benzos are by far the most dangerous to quit. And you get addicted in like a week. Be very careful.

> Of the common legal drugs, benzos are by far the most dangerous to quit. Not sure if that's right. Alcohol withdraw can actually kill you.

By the time you've developed alcohol dependence you've most likely gained more than a few comorbidities. That doesn't happen in a week.

Re: Long-term benzodiazepine use causes synapse loss and cognitive deficits in mice

#130
few people know it but you can fight a benzo addiction with flumazenil injections. You can even do it yourself if you have to avoid multiyear waiting lists.. (e.g. OTC on indiamart) however you must be extremely extremely careful to take the minimum needed dose, if you take too much you risk passing out/epilepsy. but at the medical dose, it is safe and will accelerate recovery time and quality dramatically.
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