When I was in rehab for high doses of abuse of Xanax and Klonopin that is what they used. Is that what most rehabs use to get people off high doses of these drugs?
Is Phenobarbital used to detox people who are addicted or abused Xanax or Klonopin?
Question posted by Denee1982 on 18 Jan 2010
Last updated on 1 October 2022
3 Answers
Satori3636
18 April 2017
People who have never been through it shouldn't give an opinion. I was slowly detoxed from 6mg daily of Klonopin and it was long and sucked. Then detoxed from outrageous doses of xanax and Valium using Klonopin. TOTALLY sucked and didn't work. I went right back to xanax when I got home. Took months to get through it and I had dreams about Xanax for 2 years. The next two times I was tapered off Klonopin Phenobarbital was used; it was painless and took only 5 weeks. 4 times a day for a week then 3 tmes for a week - 2 - 1. Completely clean with absolutely no problems during the detox. I kept going back because it was finally determined that my GABA was messed up and I needed to be on a high dose of Klonopin or Xanax XR for life. My point - Phenobarbital DOES work and should be used if you don't want to suffer
It was used before benzodiazepines for the same reasons but benzos are safer as far as overdose and interactions. Phenobarbital also has a half life of about 110 hours so the taper is not only safe but painless.
Gutterbrother
30 Aug 2017
That's what I always wondered! An alcoholic in severe withdrawal is given benzos to get off painlpainlessly,,, why the he'll can't good doses of phenobarbatol be used for heavy benzo users?
big robert
12 Dec 2014
Is phenobarbital one the best ways to get off klonopin for good? does phenobarbital have bad side effects after getting off klonopin?
ymouszanon
16 Nov 2016
The phenobarbital is used at most for a week as an inpatient. Then a non narcotic anti seizure drug is given for maintenance. The benefit of phenobarbital is that you rest and sleep more instead of going through the suffering of from the start being given gabapentin, Keppra, etc. Since detoxing from benzos causes so much suffering you are spared from that and less likely to go back on benzos.
It is the most humane and successful way to detox from benzos. And it is actually easier to detox from barbiturates than benzos even though benzos are safer when your taking them.
Barbiturates were demonized with a broad brush after a few famous people took over doses for suicide. It is rare for someone to die from an overdose from benzos. when used properly it is a most beneficial drug family. barbiturates are used in anesthesia , etc
Tylenol is more dangerous from overdose than benzos or barbiturates. There are many prescription drugs, especially cruel antipsychotics that are more dangerous than the aforementioned.
Psychmajor
20 Jan 2010
im not sure if a majority of rehabs use this but it makes perfect sense and should keep a person from having a seziure
jkc313
21 Jan 2010
Actually this makes no sense at all. First, abusive doses of xanax, klonopin, valium, etc. have nothing to do with seizure activity. While all benzodiazipines have some anti-seizure activity, these drugs are anxiolytic, not used to depress seizure activity. Abuse occurs because of the euphoric effect and addiction is highly exaggerated. If going through rehab for any of these drugs it makes no sense to give a sedative. Rather, a tapering off should happen over a few weeks.
Psychmajor
21 Jan 2010
"Class: Barbiturate, long-acting, Sedative and hypnotic Phenobarbital"
its a barbiturate and this is extreamly closely related to benzos and can actually be used interchangably for withdrawal effects (most importantly this has anxyolitic effects aswell). it would actualy make MORE sense just to give a non-narcotic anti convulsent and maybe some tylenol to treat and let the person fully withdrawal so they can be shown how mcuh pain is caused by taking these drugs. (associate pain with the drug). A rehab doesnt have time to do a full taper for the patient as well as the fact that almost universally a rehab will let the patient feel some of the withdrawals for the reason stated previously. thats all im going to write now peace
gooch44
26 Aug 2010
Attention to Psychmajor, You are just the kind of insensitive person who look down on detoxing people and think if you make them suffer that will some how help them. We know how much it sucks and don't need people like you in the field to tell us that. a more compassionate approach would be alot more sucessful and maybe make the recovery rates get a bit better. If you have never been through a detox just leave it to the people in the field who understand a Tylenol and suffering doesn't cut it. You are ignorant and don't realize there are many paths to addiction and not all of them are by being a criminal, being a loser or just wanting to get high. Do you think a person who has had major surgury should suffer just because they were on high doses of opiates and developed a tolerance? Or a person with a traumatic event who had to take anti-anxiety meds? You are going to be one unpopular psychmajor when you graduate! Open your mind you idiot!
bjhansen
28 Aug 2010
This was a Dr Phil answer to a problem a young lady had. 4 zanax, 3 times a day habit. He reduced her down 1/2 pill per week till her last week was 1/2 pill 3 time a day, then off them for good. It worked, so the lady said. She said it took about a year to completely get off zanax.
bamagirl0506
24 March 2011
First of all, if u r addicted to any benzo, the withdrawl itself will cause seizures. So that's why rehabs give phenobarbital to addicts who r at risk of having a seizure. So, the guy who said it made no sense is not very smart because it makes perfect sense. I am a recovering addict and know from first hand experience.
bluedaystryder
2 Dec 2011
I just spoke to one treatment center and they do use phenobarbital for detoxing from benzodiazepines. It helps ease the withdrawal symptoms. Risk of seizure is very high when detoxing from them. It does not have anything to do with the fact that benzodiazepines are not for seizures in the first place.
jkc313 please check your facts before posting, almost nothing in your entire post is correct or true
bluedaystryder
2 Dec 2011
Maybe if some doctors weren't so concerned with money these days then they wouldn't prescribe xanax and other benzo's for more than the couple months they are supposed to. It is supposed to be a short term treatment for anxiety. My doctor thought it was completely fine to keep me on xanax for two years. I took them exactly as prescribed and am still stuck having to go through a medical detox. So Psychmajor, you might want to change your major, because your answer is moronic.
dmg1261RN
12 May 2018
Phenobarbital is a barbiturate it is not an opiate, benzodiazepine, sedative, hypnotic et.al. It is used in treatment centers to safely detoxify patients from alcohol, benzodiazepines and sometimes opiates. It’s is weight based, and not intended in this setting for long term use. It’s an old anti-seizure medication and helps to lower blood pressure two key problems with withdrawals. This is especially true where patients have or can have seizures and cardio-vascular events such as a stroke. The reason main hospitals don’t use it in the emergency room is many fold. Firstly Benzodiazepines have been pushed to withdrawal alcoholics in the emergency room. The problem with that is benzodiazepines hit the same gabba receptors that alcohol hits so the patient will invariably withdrawal from the benzodiazepines once they stop taking them. Most regular hospitals are not educated on addiction medicine.
And Phenobarbital itself is cheap but requires laboratory serum monitoring which is expensive and intrusive as barbiturates become toxic over time. So a Rehab like Brighton Hospital per se is using Phenobarbital for alcohol and Benzodiazepines and opiates because they measure vital signs and give the Phenovarbital based on those vital signs by grains. It’s very well accepted practice in addiction medicine at reputable treatment centers such as Brighton Center for Recovery to use this medicine in treating addicts and alcoholics.
Satori3636
1 Oct 2022
Agreed. This guy is a joke and a jerk.
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