Akava
Kava Enthusiast
Oh man, I wanted to make the Infaredz = kava doctor/scientist jokesWe really can't afford to lose the Head Scientist at the Kava Labs. The doctor is in folks. Next patient please .....
Kava for benzodiazepine withdrawal
- Thread starter infraredz
- Start date
D
Deleted User01
On Benzo withdrawal. Here is a story that may or may not help. Very close family member had an anxiety attack out of nowhere, and so it started. She was put on Xanax. She felt the need to take it many times a day and hated it. A doctor finally put her on Zoloft and she was able to get off the Xanax. Time and Zoloft finally healed her (2 years). She was also doing vigorous walking during that time and still does it. Now we have another close friend going thru that. More on this later. She did have a lot of support from friends and family. People would drive her to see the shrink, the shrink would say I can't help you. Then they drive her to the doctor and so on and so on but somebody was always there to help her. She still doesn't sleep good because she insists or worrying about things that she cannot change, I don't have that problem. I know how to let it go and I have Kava. Anyway, take what you can from this story.
If I were in college battling something like that, I would do it in the summer. Maybe take 1 class, something easy. Then get to work on the problem. I sure as hell wouldn't try it with an 18 hour course load and trying to cram for finals. Set and setting I believe is super important if you are battling anxiety. I loved summer classes, it was like being on vacation in Austin Tx. Can you dig it? One of our famous football stars, Earl Campbell Heisman Trophy Winner, suffers from it. You never know when or who it is gonna hit. I know it is a bear to battle because I have seen a very strong willed woman brought to her knees by it.
If I were in college battling something like that, I would do it in the summer. Maybe take 1 class, something easy. Then get to work on the problem. I sure as hell wouldn't try it with an 18 hour course load and trying to cram for finals. Set and setting I believe is super important if you are battling anxiety. I loved summer classes, it was like being on vacation in Austin Tx. Can you dig it? One of our famous football stars, Earl Campbell Heisman Trophy Winner, suffers from it. You never know when or who it is gonna hit. I know it is a bear to battle because I have seen a very strong willed woman brought to her knees by it.
D
Deathrydar
I am on day 6 of benzo withdrawal. I have no idea what happened to those 6 days, as it is hard to remember anything. I feel like I am somewhere else.......
On a side note, I am going to try my first run with kava this weekend. I can't wait! Let's hope for no reverse tolerance!!!
On a side note, I am going to try my first run with kava this weekend. I can't wait! Let's hope for no reverse tolerance!!!
yepimonfire
Kava Enthusiast
You going cold turkey?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
D
Deathrydar
No, I tapered for a few weeks, but not for too long. I got down to .25mg a day before I stopped.
infraredz
BULA!
Hey there Deleted User, nice of you to remember...
I ended up having a panic attack and subsequently had to go to the ER since my psych refused to prescribe anything PRN for a panic attack (like xanax). Well, she did, but it was hydroxyzine which is basically benadryl. All this was because I am in recovery (what a fucked situation, but that's another thread/rant). Anyways, even while I was in the ER she refused to phone in anything and so I left her after leaving the ER and getting a couple Ativans for PRN panic.
Now my current doc is cross-tapering me to diazepam (thankfully) and so it's looking better. I haven't started any tapers yet on that so pretty much very little net progress but I have more than a lot of emotional and environmental stress going on for me to stress about it. I hope to start my taper back up when things start to shape up a little which they seem to be on the way to doing...
I ended up having a panic attack and subsequently had to go to the ER since my psych refused to prescribe anything PRN for a panic attack (like xanax). Well, she did, but it was hydroxyzine which is basically benadryl. All this was because I am in recovery (what a fucked situation, but that's another thread/rant). Anyways, even while I was in the ER she refused to phone in anything and so I left her after leaving the ER and getting a couple Ativans for PRN panic.
Now my current doc is cross-tapering me to diazepam (thankfully) and so it's looking better. I haven't started any tapers yet on that so pretty much very little net progress but I have more than a lot of emotional and environmental stress going on for me to stress about it. I hope to start my taper back up when things start to shape up a little which they seem to be on the way to doing...
yepimonfire
Kava Enthusiast
Hey infraredz, check on my wd thread http://www.kavaforums.com/forum/threads/fires-phenibut-withdrawal-thread.2023/
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
yepimonfire
Kava Enthusiast
Much better then benzo wd. It's much more manageable and not quite as dangerous. I hear benzo withdrawal can go on for months or even years after discontinuation. Phenibut is a week or two at worst.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
infraredz
BULA!
Yeah, from what I've read, the PAWS with benzo W/D could be considered the worst part (with significant symptoms lasting a year+ after D/C of the drug).
From what I've experienced, the worst part is that coming off high amounts (or even moderate amounts) can take ridiculously long since going anything other than very slowly is not only complete and utter hell, but also dangerous. Also, there is the potential for long-term use of benzos to cause permanent/irreversible brain damage, not to mention the extreme cognitive, emotional and psychological side-effects that long-term usage carry.
Evil stuff.
From what I've experienced, the worst part is that coming off high amounts (or even moderate amounts) can take ridiculously long since going anything other than very slowly is not only complete and utter hell, but also dangerous. Also, there is the potential for long-term use of benzos to cause permanent/irreversible brain damage, not to mention the extreme cognitive, emotional and psychological side-effects that long-term usage carry.
Evil stuff.
yepimonfire
Kava Enthusiast
Which is exactly why I opted for phenibut when my doc have me benzos for round the clock use. I knew I'd develop dependence, but I also know it worked just as well as a benzo but with none of the negatives of benzos, cognitive problems etc. tapering is rather easy and mainly just some tolerable symptoms. And I am on a very very high amount.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
infraredz
BULA!
Yeah, I would say that it takes the edge off of a surprising amount of the symptoms associated with tapering at a slow rate. Beyond that, I don't know if kava would be powerful enough to overpower the intensity of benzo W/Ds but in my experience, if you are tapering, it is very beneficial for a lot of the symptoms.
yepimonfire
Kava Enthusiast
I'd say if you were on a lower dose like 2-6mg valium few times a day kava may attentuate most of the wds.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
yepimonfire
Kava Enthusiast
Damn dude. What're you coming off of?
How many tbsp of kava?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
How many tbsp of kava?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yep, etizolam can be nasty. If your prone to liking benzos it's a bad time. There's so many benzo derivative RC's available online. Luckily benzos don't do it for me. I understand many of you have anxiety though, so that makes you much more prone to benzos and for a legitimate reason. I have occasional anxiety, mostly from chronic pain issues, although now I get it some from phenibut tapering. I really get more irritability and just get pissed off easier though, rather than anxiety. When I got off of opioids/opiates (multiple times) I reeeeeally had some anxiety. For like a month I felt like I was about to have a panic attack (that was mainly from methadone withdrawal, which lasts forever. NASTY stuff). But man, if they had a bunch of opiate/opioid derivatives available online I'd be in trouble...I really think people's "drug of choice", so to speak, has to do with brain chemistry and neurotransmitters being deficient. I have chronic pain so I'm susceptible to opioid issues. Any of you ever try Gabitril? It's a gaba reuptake inhibitor, sort of like an SSRI is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Not sure how it is side effects wise...probably crappy, or else it would be used more instead of benzos for anxiety.
HI there, I am new to the world of Kava. I took some kava pills some time ago by Life choice before I decided going the ativan route for 2 months and I am now currently post withdrawals. I am still suffering the effects of benzos and was hoping that Kava could help with residual symptoms of fears/anxiety. I have read conflicting reports but have gone ahead and ordered some kava candy.
Life Choice kava was, i believe, 30% with 400mg per capsule. I'm not sure if it helped with anxiety but I did get super tired and had this odd feeling where I had to remind myself to breathe, as if someone was sitting on my chest. Is that normal? Will kava prolong my benzo withdrawal??
Life Choice kava was, i believe, 30% with 400mg per capsule. I'm not sure if it helped with anxiety but I did get super tired and had this odd feeling where I had to remind myself to breathe, as if someone was sitting on my chest. Is that normal? Will kava prolong my benzo withdrawal??