Wayne
Senior Member
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- Ashland, Oregon
Anybody have any suggestions for less addictive, fatigue lessening meds...
Non-Med Suggestions: Iodine, nettles, niacin, Vitamin C, DMSO, transdermal magnesium chloride, CoQ10.
Niacin = Valium (?)
I continue to experiment with niacin. I take it in different sized doses on different days, even abstaining at times for a few days. I'm getting a better sense for it all the time, and I'm finding it to be similar to my experiences with valium.
I recall finding valium to be calming (many years ago), but at the same time somewhat somewhat energizing. Niacin is feeling more and more like a great find for me. I only need a couple of doses of about 250 mg a couple times a day to get good results.
THIS ARTICLE lists some supplements that can help with benzodiazapine withdrawal. Niacin is one of them. If the supplements listed can help with withdrawal, it would make sense that they could be a good substitute for benzodiazapines to begin with.
Wayne
...............................................
For some reason, the link isn't currently working. Here's the article...
Supplements Accelerate Benzodiazepine Withdrawal
A Case Report and Biochemical Rationale
by W. Todd Penberthy, PhD and Andrew W. Saul
(OMNS March 18, 2014) A middle-aged male had success rapidly reducing fast-acting alprazolam (Xanax) dosage by taking very high doses of niacin, along with gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and vitamin C. The individual had been on 1 mg/day Xanax for two years, a moderate dose but a long duration. As a result, he had been presenting increased anxiety, personality changes, and ringing in the ears (tinnitus), all side effects likely due to long-term alprazolam use. Typical withdrawal from this drug would involve substitution medication, about a 10% dose reduction per week, and take a matter of months.[1] A fast withdrawal is a 12.5 to 25% reduction per week.[2] On very high doses of niacin, vitamin C, and also GABA, this individual reported being able to cut the dose 60% down to 0.4 mg in one week. The dose was reduced by 90% (to 0.1 mg/day) in less than a month. He reported residual anxiety, but that it was substantially less than when fully medicated. After a total of five weeks, the medication intake was zero, with minimal residual anxiety.
Dosage
Niacin doses were between 6,000 and 12,000 mg/day. The individual reported reduced anxiety when taking the highest levels of niacin. Bowel-tolerance levels of vitamin C were taken daily, along with 750 mg of GABA twice daily. The individual also drank a quart of beet/cabbage soup broth daily for the first week, took 400 mg magnesium citrate/day, and took sublingual methylcobalamin (hi-absorption B-12), 5,000 mcg twice a week. During the initial total withdrawal from alprazolam, intake of GABA was 750 mg three times daily. The patient experienced side effects of daily but manageable anxiety. He also reported occasional nausea, possibly attributable to the GABA and almost certainly attributable to the extremely high niacin intake. He experienced increased frequency of urination, especially at night. Evening niacin doses as inositol hexaniacinate (a semi-sustained release, no-flush niacin) reduced nighttime urination. The individual used regular flush niacin about three-quarters of the time; inositol hexaniacinate constituted the balance. Dosage was divided into eight to ten 1,000 mg 8-10 such doses in 24 hours. Niacinamide was specifically not used, as its nausea threshold is low (under 6,000 mg day)....
Read more here.
Niacin = Valium (?)
I continue to experiment with niacin. I take it in different sized doses on different days, even abstaining at times for a few days. I'm getting a better sense for it all the time, and I'm finding it to be similar to my experiences with valium.
I recall finding valium to be calming (many years ago), but at the same time somewhat somewhat energizing. Niacin is feeling more and more like a great find for me. I only need a couple of doses of about 250 mg a couple times a day to get good results.
THIS ARTICLE lists some supplements that can help with benzodiazapine withdrawal. Niacin is one of them. If the supplements listed can help with withdrawal, it would make sense that they could be a good substitute for benzodiazapines to begin with.
Wayne
...............................................
For some reason, the link isn't currently working. Here's the article...
Supplements Accelerate Benzodiazepine Withdrawal
A Case Report and Biochemical Rationale
by W. Todd Penberthy, PhD and Andrew W. Saul
(OMNS March 18, 2014) A middle-aged male had success rapidly reducing fast-acting alprazolam (Xanax) dosage by taking very high doses of niacin, along with gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and vitamin C. The individual had been on 1 mg/day Xanax for two years, a moderate dose but a long duration. As a result, he had been presenting increased anxiety, personality changes, and ringing in the ears (tinnitus), all side effects likely due to long-term alprazolam use. Typical withdrawal from this drug would involve substitution medication, about a 10% dose reduction per week, and take a matter of months.[1] A fast withdrawal is a 12.5 to 25% reduction per week.[2] On very high doses of niacin, vitamin C, and also GABA, this individual reported being able to cut the dose 60% down to 0.4 mg in one week. The dose was reduced by 90% (to 0.1 mg/day) in less than a month. He reported residual anxiety, but that it was substantially less than when fully medicated. After a total of five weeks, the medication intake was zero, with minimal residual anxiety.
Dosage
Niacin doses were between 6,000 and 12,000 mg/day. The individual reported reduced anxiety when taking the highest levels of niacin. Bowel-tolerance levels of vitamin C were taken daily, along with 750 mg of GABA twice daily. The individual also drank a quart of beet/cabbage soup broth daily for the first week, took 400 mg magnesium citrate/day, and took sublingual methylcobalamin (hi-absorption B-12), 5,000 mcg twice a week. During the initial total withdrawal from alprazolam, intake of GABA was 750 mg three times daily. The patient experienced side effects of daily but manageable anxiety. He also reported occasional nausea, possibly attributable to the GABA and almost certainly attributable to the extremely high niacin intake. He experienced increased frequency of urination, especially at night. Evening niacin doses as inositol hexaniacinate (a semi-sustained release, no-flush niacin) reduced nighttime urination. The individual used regular flush niacin about three-quarters of the time; inositol hexaniacinate constituted the balance. Dosage was divided into eight to ten 1,000 mg 8-10 such doses in 24 hours. Niacinamide was specifically not used, as its nausea threshold is low (under 6,000 mg day)....
Read more here.
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