Etizolam

[josegonzalez]

Can anynone shed any light on this product?  Can it help withdraw from benzos?  thank you, jose

[invisiblejungle]

Can anynone shed any light on this product?  Can it help withdraw from benzos?  thank you, jose

Etizolam is a benzo. It's one of the most commonly-prescribed benzos in Asia.

Yes, it can help withdrawal from benzos, but that's because it is a benzo.

[Richardg8092]

There has been wide-spread extrapolation from research done back in 1989 suggesting that Etizolam exhibits a 'reverse tolerance' effect over 4 weeks of treatment. (This is definitely not seen with any of the other benzos).
Interestingly, there's heaps of anecdotal evidence stating precisely the opposite - that rather than helping to decrease benzo use, many people very quickly develop quite an appetite for Etizolam.
 
Probably the greatest consensus on withdrawing from benzos is to use those with very long half-lives - the ones that metabolize very slowly (like diazepam and clonazepam) and reduce their dose very very gradually.
By comparison, Etizolam has a much shorter half life and so probably is not useful in this regard.
Withdrawal is usually regarded as a long term project, not something that can be achieved over a few weeks for most people.
(But that depends on lots of factors, not the least being the type of benzo used, dose and duration of use, and the level of your determination to 'get free'.)

You might be interested to read information contained in the Addiction and Recovery thread too.
Hope this helps. In the end, it's what works for you.

[hauntinggrounds]

Richardg shed quite a bit of light on the subject. People can easily fall in love with etiz. It is notorious for redosing issues, lots of binge stories available to read. Dozens, sometimes hundreds of mgs in a week, scary stuff. Not a good one to use to taper imo. Like RG said use one that has a longer half life. I don't know anything about it personally but I've also read about how it can mess with your eyes, in different ways, maybe a more knowledgeable person can shed some light on this. Etiz is a thienodiazepine or benzo analog just to keep in mind.

[Richardg8092]

The side effect that most people report is 'blepharospasm' - a back and forth twitch of the muscle under the eye.
(The area that you might apply anti-wrinkle cream to). It is painless - but you are aware of it - and it seems very obvious when you look at the twitch in the mirror.  It goes away when the Etizolam goes away.
Here's a link to some Japanese research from 2004. - They talk about Etizolam (and other benzos) and blepharospasm, and also high frequency or irregular involuntary blinking, difficulty in maintaining the eyes open while walking or watching television, and photophobia and dry eyes.
2004 is a long time ago (in research terms) - it was a small study in a group of people taking others meds at the same time -  so take it with a grain of salt. In the real world, you really only hear about the 'eye twitching' side-effect. (But you do hear it pretty often.)

hauntinggrounds is right about the unconscious / compulsive redosing issue that some people experience - which can continue until black out.
They wake up the next day wondering where their 50 tablets went....Difficult to know how often that happens. Apparently Etizolam is the most frequently prescribed benzo in Asia and Japan - which would make me inclined to think that the redosing issue is about out of control rec use, not therapeutic use.

It's usually prescribed as an anti-anxiety agent, but I have used it occasionally to get a good night's sleep.
I have not experienced euphoria, eye twitching or blackouts - which I put down to having 'sensible doses' and only occasional use when required.

[invisiblejungle]

Probably the greatest consensus on withdrawing from benzos is to use those with very long half-lives - the ones that metabolize very slowly (like diazepam and clonazepam) and reduce their dose very very gradually.
By comparison, Etizolam has a much shorter half life and so probably is not useful in this regard.
Withdrawal is usually regarded as a long term project, not something that can be achieved over a few weeks for most people.
(But that depends on lots of factors, not the least being the type of benzo used, dose and duration of use, and the level of your determination to 'get free'.)

You might be interested to read information contained in the Addiction and Recovery thread too.
Hope this helps. In the end, it's what works for you.

I agree with Richard that if someone is trying to quit benzos after long-term use, it is probably best to use a benzo that has a long half-life (diazepam, medazepam, flurazepam, clonazepam, etc.) and reduce the dose very slowly. Some doctors recommend a weaning period as long as the period that one has been taking benzos. e.g. if someone has been on benzos for 2 years, the weaning period can take as long as 2 years.

From the original post, it sounded like perhaps Jose wasn't too familiar with etizolam and thought perhaps it was a non-benzo compound he could use it to help with benzo withdrawal symptoms. That's why I clarified that it is a benzo. Sort of like asking, "Will morphine help with oxycodone withdrawal symptoms?" Well yes, because they're both opiates, but if you're trying to quit opiates, it's probably not a good idea!