Clonazepam (Klonopin) stops my symptoms almost completely

[LINE]

Functional GABA cannot be 'donated' via oral supplementation, which can't cross the BBB. And benzos dont really modify GABA, they render it redundant and pretty much shut down your natural production, which is in large part what causes the awful withdrawal symptoms that many members here have suffered.

When the Ativan or Xanax or Valium is stopped, the system generally can't just pick up the slack and go on as before. The roads and bridges have all been torn down, along with the transmiting towers adn receiving terminals. So until your system can rebuild those, which is a pretty long, arduous, and for the patient, unpleasant process, you're going to be one raw, bleeding, jangling set of nerve endings all screaming for relief.

There are multiple GABA sites in the body, so there may be some relief provided by the GABA receptors in, say, your gut or your liver, but it would be minimal, and as far as I can recall, those sites wouldnt cross the BBB either ....

I believe that the Source Naturals product has other substances in it to boost its effect. Forgive me for not looking it up, but pretty weary and wrung out right now.

I researched this and found citations on PubMed that state it can pass the BBB*. I think we discussed this before. The risk (spending < $15) to reward (helping a horrible disease) has a great metric. The difference with this is that it is sublingual which means absorption is greater than oral supplements.

*As you know, any argument can be presented to support their viewpoint. The best determinant is experience, either 1/ something works 2/ caused problems or 3/ neutral effect. I only look at research papers as new ideas to try and not definitive unless it provides some heavy cautions.

 

[judyinthesky]

I hear ya. I've read your posts and it sounds so horrendous. I feel for you genuinely but I also believe there's a way out.

But yes, in regard to the benzos, I took some yesterday as I had to go to London and back. The effects weren't anywhere near as useful as usual.

I also have the NAG and haven't noticed any difference. I'm more of the belief it's the 'nervous system dysfunction / vagus nerve issue' issue rather than brain inflammation. Although I'm sure they all cross over to a degree.

Tell me that way out because I'm ready )

 

[borko2100]

By the way, according to Robert Phair's latest Itaconate shunt theory, the brain might be using GABA for energy. This is because an alternate energy system that uses amino acids instead of glucose or fats might be switched on. He said that due to this neurotransmitters, especially GABA (it is an amino acid), could be depleted in the brain.

I find this theory very interesting. We have countless of reports of temporary improvements from drugs that raise GABA, i.e. Benzos (the most interesting one Whiney Dafoe with Ativan), maybe this is the reason why?

Furthermore, I've also read of and personally suffer from PEM that is paired with intense anxiety. I don't always get this kind of PEM, but when I do it feels exactly like withdrawal from a benzo (i.e. depleted GABA).

 

[judyinthesky]

By the way, according to Robert Phair's latest Itaconate shunt theory, the brain might be using GABA for energy. This is because an alternate energy system that uses amino acids instead of glucose or fats might be switched on. He said that due to this neurotransmitters, especially GABA (it is an amino acid), could be depleted in the brain.

I find this theory very interesting. We have countless of reports of temporary improvements from drugs that raise GABA, i.e. Benzos (the most interesting one Whiney Dafoe with Ativan), maybe this is the reason why?

Furthermore, I've also read of and personally suffer from PEM that is paired with intense anxiety. I don't always get this kind of PEM, but when I do it feels exactly like withdrawal from a benzo (i.e. depleted GABA).

Here! Your last paragraph! It was my first and only symptom of ME after a period of virus and high activity such as hiking.

My ME follows a certain choreography of worsening. A crash starts with intense anxiety, always. Moves towards depression. Then somatises on the vagus nerve, then more classic ME symptoms. I may feel better then out of the blue whamm repeat the first part. Without the anxiety a crash usually does not lead to a lower baseline, but with it it always does. It's like the autonomic nervous system is re-calibrating itself. Unfortunately I don't get any warning signs of the next fall.
I'm now very severe and can only eat on a benzo because the "anxiety" is actually now hour long brain inflammation, and eating inflames my brain.

I've seen many people say a similar thing, I've just never seen it so extreme than in my case.

I am on Klonopin, but have not had any success with supplementation of gaba. But benzos are the only medication apart from ivabradin that I can tolerate. My stress system is extreme.

Dopamine could also be involved though because benzos also raise that, and it's involved in LDA.

 

[judyinthesky]

By the way, according to Robert Phair's latest Itaconate shunt theory, the brain might be using GABA for energy. This is because an alternate energy system that uses amino acids instead of glucose or fats might be switched on. He said that due to this neurotransmitters, especially GABA (it is an amino acid), could be depleted in the brain.

I find this theory very interesting. We have countless of reports of temporary improvements from drugs that raise GABA, i.e. Benzos (the most interesting one Whiney Dafoe with Ativan), maybe this is the reason why?

Furthermore, I've also read of and personally suffer from PEM that is paired with intense anxiety. I don't always get this kind of PEM, but when I do it feels exactly like withdrawal from a benzo (i.e. depleted GABA).

I would even go in far as to say that for 6 months, extreme dissociation and anxiety paired with gut madness was my only symptom. I'm never out of extreme fight or flight and have extreme mast cell activation as well. Dissociation and brain inflammation and PEM are one for me. It's absolute hell and I would do anything to swap with less physical ability.

My glutamate is too high and my BNDF. Excitotoxicity.

 

[judyinthesky]

By the way, according to Robert Phair's latest Itaconate shunt theory, the brain might be using GABA for energy. This is because an alternate energy system that uses amino acids instead of glucose or fats might be switched on. He said that due to this neurotransmitters, especially GABA (it is an amino acid), could be depleted in the brain.

I find this theory very interesting. We have countless of reports of temporary improvements from drugs that raise GABA, i.e. Benzos (the most interesting one Whiney Dafoe with Ativan), maybe this is the reason why?

Furthermore, I've also read of and personally suffer from PEM that is paired with intense anxiety. I don't always get this kind of PEM, but when I do it feels exactly like withdrawal from a benzo (i.e. depleted GABA).

One more thought.
I am at a point where the brain inflammation isn't touched by benzo anymore. So it's only one factor for me of that inflammation that is going on. By that I mean the dissociation attacks are not touched. But only made easier bearable by a benzo. But it saved me when I was mild.

 

[Davsey27]

Klonopin seems to be the only thing helping me besides ldn

I take 0.25mg 2 a day

But was getting more out of it at 0.5mg 2x a day or 0.5mg am 1mg pm

Doctors in the US seem to not want to describe it

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

By the way, according to Robert Phair's latest Itaconate shunt theory, the brain might be using GABA for energy. This is because an alternate energy system that uses amino acids instead of glucose or fats might be switched on. He said that due to this neurotransmitters, especially GABA (it is an amino acid), could be depleted in the brain.

This is really fascinating, and explains a lot for me !!! Thank you sooooooo much for posting this info !!!

Technically, GABA isnt an amino acid. It's a non-protein amino acid, a state achieved when glutamic acid or glutamine is converted to either glutamate or GABA.

I'm just adding this note in case someone who reads your post decides that the problem can be overcome by boosting amino acids thru something like whey protein. Wont work.

Furthermore, I've also read of and personally suffer from PEM that is paired with intense anxiety. I don't always get this kind of PEM, but when I do it feels exactly like withdrawal from a benzo (i.e. depleted GABA).

I had the exact same thing. Unbelievable, wrenching, chest pounding, eye spinning, brain numbing, body wracking anxiety attacks, along with fatigue that was indescribable. I could never figure out the cause until you posted this .... BLESS YOU !!!!

 

[overtrain]

Benzodiazepine receptor agonists attach to a site on the γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor, but when they're used for an extended period of time, usually defined as anything more than 1 to 2 weeks at the most, the receptor physically changes, eliminating the drug's potential for sedation and anxiety relief, or any other benefit, and often leaving in its wake what the glossy brochures chirpily dismiss as " .... persistent amnestic effects...", along with tardive dyskinesias, recurring panic attacks, pretty severe and undefeatable insomnia, diplopias, severe cognitive impairments, and a host of other unwelcome guests.

Although they are beneficial for short-term improvement in sleep onset latency and duration, along with anxiety, social phobias, etc, they also have substantial associated side effects, including problems with dependence and withdrawal, and some of these issues can be very long-lasting.

They can be especially destructive to older patients, whose brains and central nervous systems aren't as resilient as they might have been when they were younger.

I hope it's ok to chime in here re the elderly. Ambien is what my 86 year old mother has taken every night for over a decade. She does strange, out of character things like send nasty emails to people in the middle of the night, then wakes up horrified that someone figured out a way to hack into her account. Has expensive credit card purchases she swears someone else made, then contacts Visa to dispute the charges. Sends nonsensical emails to where I can't even decipher the words. I believed her for a while, wised up, asked what she's taking ON TOP OF her daily drinking. She's a lifelong insomniac. Said "Zolpidem." Turns out-- if I'm not wrong-- that's Ambien. She insists Zolpidem isn't Ambien, & she'll never sleep again if she stops. I'm 2,000 miles away, utterly unable to talk sense into her. She's thinking of increasing the dose, 5'1 & 130 pounds soaking wet.

Sidenote: at the height of my CFS, a shrink put me on Xanax. I lasted 2 months. For me the anxiety when coming down was worse than the anxiety I took it for in the first place. No thanks.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

Ambien is what my 86 year old mother has taken every night for over a decade. She does strange, out of character things like send nasty emails to people in the middle of the night, then wakes up horrified that someone figured out a way to hack into her account. Has expensive credit card purchases she swears someone else made, then contacts Visa to dispute the charges. Sends nonsensical emails to where I can't even decipher the words.

Wow !!! You’ve got a real conundrum on your hands.

Zolpidem IS Ambien. and Ambien was the sleeping med that George H.W. was on when he traveled to Japan and threw up all over the Japanese PM, after becoming somewhat incoherent and disoriented.

There are endless stories about bizarre actions taken under its influence.

It’s a strong and unpredictable hypnotic, with some very pronounced side effects, most of which your mother seems to be suffering from. It alters behavior, it causes abnormal, delusional thinking, profound sedation, driving while asleep, as well as other sleep-walking types of behaviours. It also causes a high risk of falls and fractures in the over 65 age group.

Combined with alcohol it becomes even more …. interesting. And dangerous. I have no doubt that your mother has no idea that she’s doing all those things, and the difficulty is that weaning her off of that sleep aid at her age is going to be difficult, and stopping cold turkey is out of the question. Even if she was willing to do it, which from your post seems doubtful. The lure of a good night’s sleep and an easy drop-off with a short latency period would be hard to overcome.

Personally, I think her prescribing Dr should be shot, and I’m dead sure that he knows that your mother has reached the point of no return. Or more accurately, the point of extremely difficult and unpredictable return, and he’s afraid of putting an 86 yr old woman thru that, a situation that his careless, almost reckless, prescribing practices have created.

It might be possible to transfer her to Valium (diazepam) in a large enough dose to help her sleep, but it has a longer half life (one of Ambiens selling points is its claimed lack of ‘hangover’ effect, due to its shorter half life), which in this situation may not be helpful, tho it would be if she were willing to taper off of it and eventually try something less damaging for sleep.

My heart goes out to you. There’s nothing harder than trying to manage something like this from a distance of 2000 miles, with a probably unwilling participant on the other end.

PS .... I dunno, what's the difference between a steer and an MD ? I mean, neither one has any balls, but that's a similarity .... hmmm .... confused....

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

I hope it's ok to chime in here re the elderly.

PS .... It absolutely is !!! A not inconsiderable number of PR members are in the 'older' category ... and even if that weren't the case, it would still be OK .... it's an issue that a fair number of members here are familiar with, have dealt with, or are still dealing with ....

 

[overtrain]

Wow !!! You’ve got a real conundrum on your hands.

Zolpidem IS Ambien. and Ambien was the sleeping med that George H.W. was on when he traveled to Japan and threw up all over the Japanese PM, after becoming somewhat incoherent and disoriented.

There are endless stories about bizarre actions taken under its influence.

It’s a strong and unpredictable hypnotic, with some very pronounced side effects, most of which your mother seems to be suffering from. It alters behavior, it causes abnormal, delusional thinking, profound sedation, driving while asleep, as well as other sleep-walking types of behaviours. It also causes a high risk of falls and fractures in the over 65 age group.

Combined with alcohol it becomes even more …. interesting. And dangerous. I have no doubt that your mother has no idea that she’s doing all those things, and the difficulty is that weaning her off of that sleep aid at her age is going to be difficult, and stopping cold turkey is out of the question. Even if she was willing to do it, which from your post seems doubtful. The lure of a good night’s sleep and an easy drop-off with a short latency period would be hard to overcome.

Personally, I think her prescribing Dr should be shot, and I’m dead sure that he knows that your mother has reached the point of no return. Or more accurately, the point of extremely difficult and unpredictable return, and he’s afraid of putting an 86 yr old woman thru that, a situation that his careless, almost reckless, prescribing practices have created.

It might be possible to transfer her to Valium (diazepam) in a large enough dose to help her sleep, but it has a longer half life (one of Ambiens selling points is its claimed lack of ‘hangover’ effect, due to its shorter half life), which in this situation may not be helpful, tho it would be if she were willing to taper off of it and eventually try something less damaging for sleep.

My heart goes out to you. There’s nothing harder than trying to manage something like this from a distance of 2000 miles, with a probably unwilling participant on the other end.

PS .... I dunno, what's the difference between a steer and an MD ? I mean, neither one has any balls, but that's a similarity .... hmmm .... confused....

Thanks so much. I just feel really alone in dealing with this. My family has been fractured apart since the 1980s, much dysfunction, alcoholism, & a suicide by alcohol (my dad), & the man my mother got with 2 months after , oh nevermind. We're mostly all estranged.

Unfortunately, she adores her female doctor who can do no wrong. Her pill is the *only one in the world* that will let her sleep. I read a study once on how attached women get to what they use on their face, that even when proven what they're using breaks them out or otherwise makes skin worse, most cling to whatever creme like a liferaft. That really hit home & I've tried since then to get out of denial faster about whatever I'm putting in my body that may be bad in the long run.

She's never going to give up the alcohol. From here on out it's damage control. She won't give me her doctor's name. My 1 sibling & I had a falling out in 1992, so he's out of the Q for help. I guess this is all a bit triggering, as it sorta puts me in the headspace of being that child, telling the truth about the abuse but the adults denying it all the next morning.

I hope I didn't hijack this thread. Because I no longer have CFS I feel like a poser posting anything. But I wrote down a lot here to look into, like Phenibut. Glutamate's effect I need to look into. Daily I take L-Glutamine & Kratom. Anyway, lately I've been thinking my CFS was tied in part to my autonomic system, then to read it here was affirming. I have next to NO temperature regulation to this day, & break out in a sweat after each meal, even in winter. This is something crept up on me in my 30s & only gets worse. All prior to CFS.

Other times, maybe 7 times a year, I get weak, dizzy, gulp for air WHILE simultaneously all a sudden YAWNING, sweat so hard even down my back that it's like being under a waterfall. It sucks when it happens out of nowhere in public. Zero reason for these episodes either. I had enough food, sleep, am hydrated, no sudden stressors, everything was fine going about my day, then BAM. The last one lasted hours, not 15 mins. Naturally, my ADHD doctor has no experience with this crap. Haha, would *any* doctor? Naw. Gave me a blood test - everything's peachy.

Steer & MD-- I was living in Iowa having moved there from CA & extremely BITTER at the doctors who couldn't or wouldn't help me at U of I, supposedly one of the best facilities in the U.S. Lots of cows in Iowa, the air continuously smells like was the first thing I noticed driving in. The only real help I got turned out to be this LIFE-SAVING WEBSITE, which is why I return once a year. To give even one person hope. EDIT to say this GABA stuff sounds great, & I'm getting some asap.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

The only real help I got turned out to be this LIFE-SAVING WEBSITE, which is why I return once a year.

I agree. I've posted frequently that I really believe this site saved my life, in a lot of ways.

And I hope you dont wait another year to come back here, because a lot of members are gonna want to know how you got out from under ME .... so stay tuned, yes?

Because I no longer have CFS I feel like a poser posting anything.

I think it's a lifetime membership thing. Once you've had ME, you're a walking wealth of information relating to what you used to deal with it while you were combating it, what you took to get rid of it ... there's several members here who've managed to find a way out of the worst of ME and are living fairly normal lives, and they post here regularly. So you're more than welcome.

I get weak, dizzy, gulp for air

Air hunger and dizziness seem to be a common theme here ....

I'm so sorry that you're all alone in your battle to try to keep your mom from poisoning herself to death. It's a hard enough battle when you hvae family and friends backing you up and carrying some of the load, but when you're confronted with an unwilling addict and you're doing it all alone, it's murderous ...

Maybe start a thread, NEED HELP !!! ANYONE DEALING WITH DRUG-OR-ALCOHOL RELATED FAMILY ISSUES?

 

[overtrain]

I agree. I've posted frequently that I really believe this site saved my life, in a lot of ways.

And I hope you dont wait another year to come back here, because a lot of members are gonna want to know how you got out from under ME .... so stay tuned, yes?

I think it's a lifetime membership thing. Once you've had ME, you're a walking wealth of information relating to what you used to deal with it while you were combating it, what you took to get rid of it ... there's several members here who've managed to find a way out of the worst of ME and are living fairly normal lives, and they post here regularly. So you're more than welcome.

Air hunger and dizziness seem to be a common theme here ....

I'm so sorry that you're all alone in your battle to try to keep your mom from poisoning herself to death. It's a hard enough battle when you hvae family and friends backing you up and carrying some of the load, but when you're confronted with an unwilling addict and you're doing it all alone, it's murderous ...

Maybe start a thread, NEED HELP !!! ANYONE DEALING WITH DRUG-OR-ALCOHOL RELATED FAMILY ISSUES?

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it. And yes, it's a lifelong 'club.'

Wanted to add I, too, take daily magnesium which helps me sleep. I need to try glycinate version though. I take theanine & nac also, both of which help me. But supps add up $$ quick. Wish I could take a holy host of things, & that's too bad to read about Jarrow. I read a study a long time ago re what's the actual contents in a lot of brand supps.... Scarily turned out some have none of what's purported on the label . But that "Nature's Way" was a solid choice, so I generally go with them. Thank you for taking the energy to post what all the nervous systems are. I learned so much & spent hours reading this thread. . EDIT: to add I'm a nicotine gum addict . I don't even smoke but I have to have that gum. Helps or hinders, I don't know. Just thought I'd add that. Bad, I know.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

Wanted to add I, too, take daily magnesium which helps me sleep.

It was one of the primary things that saved my life and slowly brought me out of bedbound hell, along with some other things later on. It's a long story, and Ive posted it in other threads, the short version is that mag gly was the one that did the trick for me (your saviour might be different) and the very tight dosing schedule for the first 7 or 8 months (every 30-60 mins), than just tight (45 to 80 or 90 mins), using low doses of mag (50 mgs, Solgar Chelated Magnesium, 100 mg tabs that I clipped in half with my little wire-cutters) with Vit C and occasionalhits of 0.25 mgs of melatonin, which helps boost GABA.

I need to try glycinate version though.

Give it a shot if what you're using now isnt quite doing the trick. I tried multiple different kinds, none of which did squat until the glycinated version.

Scarily turned out some have none of what's purported on the label . But that "Nature's Way" was a solid choice, so I generally go with them.

Nature's Way is excellent and dependable. I also rely on Solgar, Country Life, Ancestral Supplements Desiccated Liver Capsules (very pricey, am trialing a new company that's about $17 cheaper per bottle but so far, I like Ancestral's product better.... will report bac later), several NOW Foods products, ad a few others I cant recall.

I don't even smoke but I have to have that gum. Helps or hinders, I don't know. Just thought I'd add that. Bad, I know.

If it helps, it helps, and that's not bad....trust the results, not the propaganda .... he nicotine may have some effect on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors abd other stuff that's hiding somewhere in the information section of my brain thing .....

 

[overtrain]

It was one of the primary things that saved my life and slowly brought me out of bedbound hell, along with some other things later on. It's a long story, and Ive posted it in other threads, the short version is that mag gly was the one that did the trick for me (your saviour might be different) and the very tight dosing schedule for the first 7 or 8 months (every 30-60 mins), than just tight (45 to 80 or 90 mins), using low doses of mag (50 mgs, Solgar Chelated Magnesium, 100 mg tabs that I clipped in half with my little wire-cutters) with Vit C and occasionalhits of 0.25 mgs of melatonin, which helps boost GABA.

Give it a shot if what you're using now isnt quite doing the trick. I tried multiple different kinds, none of which did squat until the glycinated version.

Nature's Way is excellent and dependable. I also rely on Solgar, Country Life, Ancestral Supplements Desiccated Liver Capsules (very pricey, am trialing a new company that's about $17 cheaper per bottle but so far, I like Ancestral's product better.... will report bac later), several NOW Foods products, ad a few others I cant recall.

If it helps, it helps, and that's not bad....trust the results, not the propaganda .... he nicotine may have some effect on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors abd other stuff that's hiding somewhere in the information section of my brain thing .....

Thanks. Yeah my old Iowa ADHD shrink who told me CFS was A FAD also told me the gum's fine, & actually nicotine helps ADHD . I said, great! It'll help me right up till I get mouth cancer.

 

[Stretched]

I hope it's ok to chime in here re the elderly. Ambien is what my 86 year old mother has taken every night for over a decade. She does strange, out of character things like send nasty emails to people in the middle of the night, then wakes up horrified that someone figured out a way to hack into her account. Has expensive credit card purchases she swears someone else made, then contacts Visa to dispute the charges. Sends nonsensical emails to where I can't even decipher the words. I believed her for a while, wised up, asked what she's taking ON TOP OF her daily drinking. She's a lifelong insomniac. Said "Zolpidem." Turns out-- if I'm not wrong-- that's Ambien. She insists Zolpidem isn't Ambien, & she'll never sleep again if she stops. I'm 2,000 miles away, utterly unable to talk sense into her. She's thinking of increasing the dose, 5'1 & 130 pounds soaking wet… .

I sure would NOT stop her Ambien use at her age, given her background of addiction to it. I think I posted where I went cold turkey from Ambien AND Klonopin last year after 30+ years using both.
I’m in late 70’s and I’m just getting where I sleep some and can function. It’s been a yet-to-end nightmare journey that I could only wish on some doctors... . I was in relatively good shape prior to cessation; your mother’s stopping might kill her!

 

[overtrain]

I sure would NOT stop her Ambien use at her age, given her background of addiction to it. I think I posted where I went cold turkey from Ambien AND Klonopin last year after 30+ years using both.
I’m in late 70’s and I’m just getting where I sleep some and can function. It’s been a yet-to-end nightmare journey that I could only wish on some doctors... . I was in relatively good shape prior to cessation; your mother’s stopping might kill her!

Oh no, I know enough to never stop a med cold. She's going to keep taking it till dead. That I believe.

I'm so sorry for your experiences with quitting. That's harsh. And perfectly appropriate to wish that on some so-called medical professionals. Any time I've had to take something myself, I've titrated myself off it. Heck, I ever do that with chocolate bars . Leave a few pieces to eventually eat. Thanks for your post.

 

[Rvanson]

The subject of addiction is one that bothers me a lot. If you are on a medically prescribed MEDICATION, who in hell business is it, other then your own doctor's. So the hell what if Klonopin is "additive"? If it helps your suffering from a disease such as ME/CFS, shut the hell up about it, as it's NONE of your business. You are using it to medically correct a problem, one that is not helped by therapy, not as a junkie who needs a "fix".

BTW, many so-called antidepressants are indeed ADDICTIVE, but the quacks use the term "Discontinuation Syndrome" instead of the patient being ADDICTED to the drug. Get the hell off your high-horses and understand that many people, such as myself, need a Benzodiazepine to get some decent sleep. Without sleep, people go fruitcakes and cannot work properly, nor drive safely, so I
suppose sleep is itself unnecessary, as well?

Put that in your high-faluting "peace-pipes" in your mouths, cannabis or not, and smoke down on it HARD, folks!

Keep that nose in the air like you are better than anyone not needing the remedy of an addictive drug, while you smoke your cigarettes and drink your alcohol, both legal W/O a prescription and as additive as all hell.

 

[xebex]

@Rvanson i agree with your sentiments entirely however as someone who is seriously considering taking benzos but also someone who is seriously sensitive to meds what I’m concerned about is what if after a few months on them you start to get unbearable side effects and then can’t come off them? Then you’re stuck in hell either way! There is also the consideration that as tolerance builds you end up needing an amount that could quite become lethal. Plus as someone mentioned sometimes doctors just decide to pull the plug on Your prescription and then you are truely effed.

I have literally no problem in being addicted to something I need that works. But being addicted to something that’s isnt working for me and could kill me is completely different.

man I have TRIED so many times to take cannabis and every time it makes me worse I have no idea why. I can’t drink alcohol at all. Ritalin helped for a while then become unbareable. I need to know the risks so I can make educated decisions for myself. My god I wish I could just take benzo and get on with my life!