# Anybody on benzo and stimulant combo's (I.E. adderall & valium combos etc..)



## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

Just curious how many people take benzo's to even out the side effects of an add / adhd stimulant medication? 

What are your experiences like with this combo? Good...bad...?


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Personally i didnt like benzo's added to amphetamine, they seemed to cause me t stumble around, while inhibit positive effects of the amp, what i did find effective for the anxiety was the beta blocker nebivolol and the arb blocker candesartan with my amp.


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## weebeastiebaby (May 15, 2009)

I take adderall, lexapro, and klonopin. At first I felt really good on this combo, but now I get random bouts of super bad anxiety for no reason. I think I've built a tolerance to the klonopin. I've noticed that during periods where I'm more "socially engaged" or doing things I really enjoy I don't need as much adderall. When I isolate myself (which is most of the time) or do things I absolutely hate, but have to get done, I could take four times as much and hardly feel a difference.


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## behindblueeyes (Apr 11, 2010)

I was scripted adderall and had some xanax left so I did for a little while. The xanax helped to go to relax at the end of the night or when I would get excessive panic on the adderall (really when I first started the adderall). I have no more xanax (they were left over, I don't get scripted them anymore) but now that I am more tolerant to the adderall and the physical/mental anxiety from it had diminished a good deal (along with the euphoria though, unfortunately), I don't need the xanax anyway.


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## ThirdEyeGrind (Feb 7, 2006)

I take Clonazepam and Adderall, both generics. I dont really notice any kind of interaction from taking the two together. Since Ive been on Clon. for 4 years now, my tolerance is crazy high so I can't even tell that I'm mixing an upper with a downer. The Clonazepam sometimes makes the Adderall comedown a little less harsh. I have mixed feelings about Adderall. When I'm one it, I feel fine but when I come down I absolutely hate the drug. Everyday I take it and feel "normal".....8 hours later im depressed/exhausted/hands and feet freezing/cant fall asleep/paranoid. Yet I wake up the next day and do it all again.


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## Canadian4Life (Sep 27, 2010)

I take clonazepam and ritalin. The clonazepam takes away some of the ritalin effect but not all of it. I take it in the evenings or when I have bad anxiety. A high dose will dull the stimulants effects but a low dose benzo shouldnt affect it too much.


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## HunterThompson (Aug 30, 2010)

As an experienced drug user, both recreational and not, I can tell you that the moment the phrase "even it out" comes into play things are usually getting dangerous.

There is a common misconception that taking the opposite to a drug will even out it's effects, but this is only true when comparing the effects on a particular receptor.

E.g. a 5HT1A agonist's effects will be reduced when taking a 5HT1A antagonist, but you can't take a stimulant that affects your norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin receptors (adderall) and expect a GABA-agonist (benzos) to help "even it out".

Combining stimulants and benzos or opiates is often known as a "speed ball" and can get very dangerous except when using small doses of each chemical, for the most part you're not likely to end up in serious trouble but do you really want to take that risk just to, as you put it, "even out"?

If you're finding yourself overstimulated then speak to your doctor about lowering your prescribed dose, if you're finding yourself unable to sleep at night then try taking your dose earlier in the day and/or using IR (Instant Release) rather than ER/XR (Extended release) formulations.

I find it worrying that in all the responses so far there's not a single one mentioning just how potentially unsafe this combo can be. :um

If you must combine the two make sure you're using a low dose of both, do not ever up the dose just because it's not working, or as an alternative, try a little alcohol - alcohol is also a GABA-agonist just like benzos but you can titrate the dose easier and take a small amount to avoid any risks. 

(PS If you are regularly taking both there is not so much of a risk as you will have a tolerance to both, but avoid this combo if you don't already have a fair tolerance to both drugs imo)


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

^^ The combination of a benzo of a stimulant can not be compared to a speedball, in fact the addition of a benzo's to stim (even recreational doses) likely makes it safer. The danger is when combining opiates and stimulants in doses that stress the heart.


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## HunterThompson (Aug 30, 2010)

crayzyMed said:


> ^^ The combination of a benzo of a stimulant can not be compared to a speedball, in fact the addition of a benzo's to stim (even recreational doses) likely makes it safer. The danger is when combining opiates and stimulants in doses that stress the heart.


The reason the opiate/stimulant combo is bad for you is because opiates are CNS depressants and stimulants are CNS stimulants (as the name suggests), this causes unnecessary strain on the whole nervous system. Benzos are also CNS depressants and so the same risk is there, the reason the dangers are less commonly seen with the benzo/stimulant combo though is that most people already have a fair GABA tolerance from alcohol consumption, and do not push the doses too high, whereas the chances of someone being prescribed both an opiate and a stimulant are fairly low - so when they're combined it's likely to be large doses with low/no tolerance.

You've heard of the dangers of combining alcohol with stimulants right? This is the same with benzos, as alcohol and benzos are both GABA-agonist CNS depressants.

Saying the combo makes the two safer is the kind of advice that gets people hurt, and while I understand where you're coming from (on the combo it can feel like the benzo is lessening the stimulant effects) - that's really not true.

Sorry man, not trying to start an argument but I have a lot of experience on the subject including people I know personally who've been hospitalised by the combo, and I'm a bit of a drug nerd. I just don't want to see anyone getting hurt, so it's good to be careful.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Its rheckless dosing that makes the difference, wich also makes the whole difference when using one compound, i dont refer to getting drunk, just the addition of a low dose of a benzo when using stimulants, what makes you think that causes extra stress on the CNS system? This combination is often being prescribed.


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## HunterThompson (Aug 30, 2010)

That's why I added a footnote about being prescribed them, as when you're prescribed them and take them regularly in this manner tolerance will negate any of the real risks, unless you decide to suddenly and abruptly up your dose.

My advice here is just, if you're prescribed benzos for your anxiety, and say stimulants for ADD, and you find yourself overstimulated and wanting to relax, you shouldn't think "Ah a benzo will solve that", I'd only take the combo when you already have a tolerance to both compounds, and/or have been prescribed them both (and whoever prescribed each one knows you are taking the other) - I'm not saying not to combo the two, but just to remain cautious and to be aware of the risks, also, you will often feel one or the other less than normal when combining them both, do not up the dose - this is normal. Just thought I'd post this since harm reduction is always important.


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