MDMA & Alprazolam

[indigoaura]

You'd be far better off taking natural GABA receptor agonists and NMDA receptor antagonists like Taurine and Magnesium as opposed to relying on Benzo's to take the edge off stimulants.

Benzo's can lead to major downregulation of the GABA receptor sites that they bind to. Leading to severe and potentially life threatening rebound anxiety. Just speak to anybody who has been through protracted Benzo withdrawal. They'll all tell you that nothing else comes close to the sheer horrors of it. Also, don't make the mistake of believing that they have to be used consistently over a long period of time either, they don't. Protracted withdrawal can occur at any time when you're not even expecting it. Imagine feeling fine one moment, then suddenly your heart rate jumps up to 150+ just from sitting still, you have prickling sensations up your arms and legs, you can't stop shaking or sweating.... you go days without being able to get any sleep whatsoever and you're lucky if you're able to get just a few hours every week. You begin to hallucinate from the lack of sleep, those hallucinations turn into a full blown psychosis and this is all before the Grand Mal Seizures.

Maybe you'll get lucky, maybe that will never happen to you. But why even take the chance on such hell?

You seem well informed on this topic. I have a legit Xanax prescription for .5 mg. Typically, this was something I used in rare instances such as flights, dentist visits etc. The pandemic and some personal stressors have increased my use. At what point should I be concerned that I am using the prescription too much and could develop a habit?

 

[Frazzled1990]

You seem well informed on this topic. I have a legit Xanax prescription for .5 mg. Typically, this was something I used in rare instances such as flights, dentist visits etc. The pandemic and some personal stressors have increased my use. At what point should I be concerned that I am using the prescription too much and could develop a habit?

I can't give you any definitive answer to that as there are so many varying factors such as age, genetics, how often it's used, dosages involved, the half life of the benzo.... etc

However, it's not uncommon for people who think that their anxiety is stemming from personal factors are actually just experiencing rebound anxiety from the benzo withdrawal itself, prompting them to reuse. Benzo dependency can creep up on a person in this manner very easily, resulting in more regular use and at higher doses as the anxiety levels continue to increase.

Personal factors do of course play a role in anxiety, but the benzo rebound can multiply the sense of anxiety that would otherwise be experienced if benzo's simply weren't used at all.

 

[indigoaura]

I can't give you any definitive answer to that as there are so many varying factors such as age, genetics, how often it's used, dosages involved, the half life of the benzo.... etc

However, it's not uncommon for people who think that their anxiety is stemming from personal factors are actually just experiencing rebound anxiety from the benzo withdrawal itself, prompting them to reuse. Benzo dependency can creep up on a person in this manner very easily, resulting in more regular use and at higher doses as the anxiety levels continue to increase.

Personal factors do of course play a role in anxiety, but the benzo rebound can multiply the sense of anxiety that would otherwise be experienced if benzo's simply weren't used at all.

So, would I be better off to try to just stop taking it cold turkey or try to taper off it?

My use went from about twice a year up to about once per week over the last two years. If I am coming down from MDMA and having a "blue Tuesday" situation, then even more than once per week.

Don't want to derail this thread, but things have been an absolute WRECK, and I appreciate the perspective that perhaps the benzo usage could be contributing in ways I don't fully understand. How long does a withdrawal period usually last if someone just stops using it entirely?

 

[Frazzled1990]

So, would I be better off to try to just stop taking it cold turkey or try to taper off it?

My use went from about twice a year up to about once per week over the last two years. If I am coming down from MDMA and having a "blue Tuesday" situation, then even more than once per week.

Don't want to derail this thread, but things have been an absolute WRECK, and I appreciate the perspective that perhaps the benzo usage could be contributing in ways I don't fully understand. How long does a withdrawal period usually last if someone just stops using it entirely?

First of all, I don't know what dosage of Xanax you've been taking lately. But going cold turkey is almost never recommended after extended use. You may wish to devise a tapering plan that gradually reduces your dosage over time.

I would also recommend avoiding MDMA or any other stimulants while going through the tapering process. You want to prevent spikes in neural activity as much as possible to keep yourself below the seizure threshold.

Taking NMDA receptor antagonists and Calcium Channel Blockers such as Magnesium Glycinate and L-Theanine will help you along the way by inhibiting Glutamate activity while your GABAa receptors are given time to up-regulate.

I would also recommend the use of 5-HTP to help restore Serotonin levels lost from repeated MDMA use. Just don't combine 5-HTP with any SSRI's or MAOI's and if you do happen to use MDMA again, avoid 5-HTP for at least several days before you do. But I suggest you avoid MDMA for a good long while.

 

[indigoaura]

First of all, I don't know what dosage of Xanax you've been taking lately. But going cold turkey is almost never recommended after extended use. You may wish to devise a tapering plan that gradually reduces your dosage over time.

I would also recommend avoiding MDMA or any other stimulants while going through the tapering process. You want to prevent spikes in neural activity as much as possible to keep yourself below the seizure threshold.

Taking NMDA receptor antagonists and Calcium Channel Blockers such as Magnesium Glycinate and L-Theanine will help you along the way by inhibiting Glutamate activity while your GABAa receptors are given time to up-regulate.

I would also recommend the use of 5-HTP to help restore Serotonin levels lost from repeated MDMA use. Just don't combine 5-HTP with any SSRI's or MAOI's and if you do happen to use MDMA again, avoid 5-HTP for at least several days before you do. But I suggest you avoid MDMA for a good long while.

Overall, in recent months, I was using about .5 mg per week. Usually once per week on Sunday night before the workweek, to help with sleep and getting back into the Monday-Friday rhythm.

In the past week, I used .5 mg several nights in a row, again, mostly to help with sleep and anxiety.

I was never very concerned about my usage, as I thought .5 mg was a very low dose and unlikely to cause issues. Seeing your posts has made me reconsider that perspective.

I just did MDMA last weekend, so I won't be doing it again for awhile.

 

[Frazzled1990]

Overall, in recent months, I was using about .5 mg per week. Usually once per week on Sunday night before the workweek, to help with sleep and getting back into the Monday-Friday rhythm.

In the past week, I used .5 mg several nights in a row, again, mostly to help with sleep and anxiety.

I was never very concerned about my usage, as I thought .5 mg was a very low dose and unlikely to cause issues. Seeing your posts has made me reconsider that perspective.

I just did MDMA last weekend, so I won't be doing it again for awhile.

0.5mgs of Xanax isn't a large dose when used on very rare occasions and certainly doesn't sound like a large dose. However, it still has a dosage equivalency of approximately 8-10mgs of Valium which isn't an insignificant amount. Although you'll have some element of dependency from it's usage, it's unlikely to be severe at this stage. You can of course keep using it, but dependency will continue to build over time, making it harder to quit when you finally decide that you want to do so.

If you do decide to quit, I wouldn't do so cold turkey just to be on the safe side. I'd cut the dosage down to 0.4mgs for a couple of weeks, then down to 0.3, 0.2, 0.1 then perhaps even 0.05 before jumping.

If you're struggling with depressive episodes from your MDMA use. Then taking 100-200mgs of 5-HTP for a few weeks will help with that, as long as you're not currently taking any anti-depressants.

 

[simstim]

Benzos + MDMA and also alcohol + MDMA can cause blackouts.

I never drink when I roll because I learned that the hard way.

I do like Klonopin with MDMA. I was once so high on that combo that I was speaking gibberish. Be careful if you decide to combine them.

 

[Frazzled1990]

I do like Klonopin with MDMA. I was once so high on that combo that I was speaking gibberish. Be careful if you decide to combine them.

Yeah, be VERY careful. Combining Benzodiazepine's with MDMA can be just as dangerous as combining Alcohol With MDMA. A lot gets said about MDMA's Serotonin boosting effects, but it also boosts the neurotransmission of GABA. When you combine that boost with the agnostic effect of the Benzo on the GABA-A receptor sites, it can very easily lead to respiratory depression and blackout.

Honestly, I would just enjoy the MDMA on it's own without combining it with anything else at all. Then take some Tryptophan 12 or so hours later to manage the withdrawal.

 

[indigoaura]

0.5mgs of Xanax isn't a large dose when used on very rare occasions and certainly doesn't sound like a large dose. However, it still has a dosage equivalency of approximately 8-10mgs of Valium which isn't an insignificant amount. Although you'll have some element of dependency from it's usage, it's unlikely to be severe at this stage. You can of course keep using it, but dependency will continue to build over time, making it harder to quit when you finally decide that you want to do so.

If you do decide to quit, I wouldn't do so cold turkey just to be on the safe side. I'd cut the dosage down to 0.4mgs for a couple of weeks, then down to 0.3, 0.2, 0.1 then perhaps even 0.05 before jumping.

If you're struggling with depressive episodes from your MDMA use. Then taking 100-200mgs of 5-HTP for a few weeks will help with that, as long as you're not currently taking any anti-depressants.

Hey man, just wanted to say thanks for the L-Theanine recommendation. I had a bottle I had purchased but never tried. Switched over to L-Theanine from the low dose xanax, and it did the trick. Smoothed everything out just fine.

 

[emkee_reinvented]

So, would I be better off to try to just stop taking it cold turkey or try to taper off it?

My use went from about twice a year up to about once per week over the last two years. If I am coming down from MDMA and having a "blue Tuesday" situation, then even more than once per week.

Don't want to derail this thread, but things have been an absolute WRECK, and I appreciate the perspective that perhaps the benzo usage could be contributing in ways I don't fully understand. How long does a withdrawal period usually last if someone just stops using it entirely?

The effect's of a sudden withdrawal are not gonna contribute to a pleasant experience on MDMA. I didn't follow this tread all the way but if you are taking them daily continue doing so.

Ime benzodiazepinen don't really blunt the X. They don't enhance it either like GHB. Or Phenibut, but I have no exp with that combo.

The combination that stood out was MDMA and Ketamine.Taken at the tail end of a roll it totally changes the effect's (synergy) and seems to nullify the comedown. At least for me. Which includes a healthy natural sleep.

A benzo to get to sleep is ok, but K is on a whole different level. No Tuesday blues.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Alcohol can strengthen the effect through both its psychoactive effect and its inhibition of certain enzymes. Benzos though do dull it a bit. Tried it once with small amount of lorazepam and regretted taking it.

I don’t think it’s necessarily the effect on gaba though. GABA-B agonists like phenibut seem to strengthen the roll big time, I just saw an article that showed GABA-B had some effect on the intensity of the experience.

-GC

Wow! If GABABR agonism potentiates MDMA then baclofen should.

 

[Thatemoguy]

Well yes, Benzo's would offset the alcohol withdrawal symptoms, because Benzo's act as agonists on the same receptor sites as Alcohol. But because of this, the Benzo's can kick start a fresh new cycle of withdrawal, very similar to alcohol withdrawal, but with increasing severity.

There's a reason why people trying to kick their alcohol addiction are only prescribed Benzodiazepine's for a very short period of time. Using them beyond a certain time frame can lead to more severe withdrawal symptoms, either leading to Benzodiazepine dependency or Alcohol relapse to combat the worsening withdrawal symptoms.

0.5mgs of Alprazolam may not seem like much. But it's still equivalent to approximately 7.5-10mgs of Diazepam. Not only that, but it's very short acting compared to Diazepam, it's absorbed into the blood stream more quickly and reaches the nervous system more quickly, making it more potent.

When I was using Alprazolam and Diazepam, I was only occasionally using similar doses to yourself and for a long while I felt fine. Then one day I was laying on the couch and my heart rate suddenly shot through the roof and I felt like I was about to die. I had no choice but to reach for the Benzo to calm my nervous system back down. This started the worst several months of my life where I felt like I was in an endless panic attack. I had to taper extremely carefully, all the way down to just 0.5mgs of Diazepam. Even once I finally broke free of them, I still had severe insomnia (only sleeping about 3 hours per week), my arms and legs wouldn't stop twitching. I developed black spots in my line of vision (presumably due to damage to neurons connected to my visual cortex, likely due to the influx of Glutamate) and had severe tinnitus in both ears.

I'm doing much better now a year on, but my eye sight still hasn't completely turned to normal and perhaps never will and I still have moderate tinnitus in my right ear.

This all occurred after months of feeling absolutely fine with occasional low dose Benzo usage, then suddenly not feeling fine one day.

When I say that Benzodiazepine's aren't quite like any other drug, I literally mean it. The withdrawal can either creep up on you over time, or it can just instantly hit you at any point in time without any warning at all.

I have to ask, how long were you using Benzo's before this occurred? I have only used for about a year, starting with 0.25mg Alprazolam for 6 months and then having it upped to 0.5mg (I think the doctor misheard me but I wasn't complaining) for another 6 months. On occasion I would use one in the morning and then drink a couple of beers at night, or I would use it mid day and then not drink at all.

The closest I've had to your experience was severe anxiety from not drinking without any aid. I've been completely off of alcohol now for about 2 weeks and haven't had a Benzo at all after getting over withdrawals. I've had pretty much zero anxiety, even got back into smoking a lot of weed without any problems.

Sorry if I seemed somewhat preachy. Your experiences may be entirely different to my own and you may never have any issues with them. As long as you're aware of the risks involved, it's not for anybody else (especially some random geezer on a forum website) to tell you what to do.

Please don't be sorry, even if experiences are different your knowledge remains useful. All perspectives should always be considered for harm reduction, and your personal experience definitely invites caution to be considered, thank you.

 

[simstim]

I used to regular mix klonopin with mdma. It should be similar.

On at least one occasion me and a buddy were speaking gibberish off that combo.

You're gonna be more likely to blackout too. Kind of like drinking when you roll.

 

[Jabberwocky]

You seem well informed on this topic. I have a legit Xanax prescription for .5 mg. Typically, this was something I used in rare instances such as flights, dentist visits etc. The pandemic and some personal stressors have increased my use. At what point should I be concerned that I am using the prescription too much and could develop a habit?

Once you start using it two to three times a day, everyday.