John, a 45-year-old software engineer, had been taking Xanax for over a decade to manage his anxiety. Over time, he noticed his anxiety worsening despite increasing doses, leading to a concerning cycle of dependence. His doctor, recognizing signs of benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction (BIND), suggested a carefully monitored tapering process using the Ashton Manual method.
During this challenging period, John also struggled with a long-standing habit of vaping nicotine. Despite his initial belief that vaping was a safer alternative to smoking, he began experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms each time his Xanax dose was reduced. Suspecting that nicotine might be exacerbating his condition, John’s doctor advised him to gradually switch to nicotine patches. This adjustment made a significant difference, allowing John to continue his benzo taper with fewer complications.
If John’s story resonates with you or someone you know, we encourage you to reach out through our website’s contact form for support and guidance on managing your own tapering journey.
Can I vape or smoke cigarettes during my benzodiazepine taper?
Benzodiazepine tapering is the process of a person gradually reducing their benzodiazepine dosage over time. The goal of tapering is quitting benzos without having long-term, protracted withdrawal issues. A benzo drug taper, such as a Xanax taper, is best done under an experienced deprescribing doctor’s supervision.
The Ashton Manual method can be used by doctors to manage a benzo taper. In addition to the Ashton method, there are other safe, gradual tapering protocols that can be used.
During the medication tapering process, it is possible for the patient to experience withdrawal symptoms along the way. Though it is possible to taper very gradually and have little to no withdrawal during most of the process, it is normal to experience some withdrawal after making a dosage reduction.
When tapering is difficult due to excessive withdrawal symptoms, the patient and doctor must look carefully, and think about all variables. Is there another medication that the patient decided to reduce on their own?
Has there been a change in diet or activity? Is there an increase in stress due to issues at work or at home?
Interestingly, nicotine use is often overlooked as a cause of withdrawal exacerbation. This is especially true in regard to vaping nicotine.
How can vaping nicotine be worse than smoking cigarettes?
Vaping is the process of using a battery-powered vaporizing mechanism which delivers a vapor containing nicotine to the lungs with inhalation. Many people see vaping as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes, and they use it to help them quit cigarettes.
While there are medical alternative nicotine supplements designed to help people quit smoking, such as the patch or gum, vaping offers a distinct advantage. The smoker is able to fulfill their desire to inhale nicotine and exhale a cloud of vapor, which is similar to cigarette smoke.
For years, anti-smoking organizations were torn over whether to discourage vaping. On one hand, vape accessories are not FDA approved, and vaping does present serious health risks.
Yet, vaping is not as damaging as smoking cigarettes, so these organizations had to educate the public that vaping is not healthy and should not be a long-term solution, but also admit that vaping might be a possible way to quickly get off of deadly cigarettes.
Unfortunately, we are now confronted with the problem that many teenagers begin their nicotine addiction with vaping, rather than smoking cigarettes. Vaping advocates once insisted that vaping could be thought of as a smoking cessation solution, but it has become a major part of the smoking problem.
Additionally, there are very serious consequences that can occur with vaping. For example, there is a condition known as “popcorn lung” which is a form of irreversible lung disease.
What does vaping have to do with benzodiazepine tapering?
Benzodiazepines are known to have serious adverse effects for a large percentage of people who take them long-term. Many experts believe that these drugs cause brain toxicity that worsens over time.
Commonly used benzos include Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan, Restoril, and many others. While benzodiazepines can be useful in the short-term, they should not be used long-term in most cases.
When a person develops signs of neurological toxicity due to benzos, also known as toxic encephalopathy, or benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction (BIND), they develop concerning new symptoms. Unfortunately, many doctors respond by increasing the benzodiazepine dosage rather than identifying the benzo as the cause of the problem.
For example, if a patient with anxiety who takes Xanax complains that they are now having worse anxiety, the doctor may determine that the patient is becoming tolerant to Xanax. The doctor’s response is to increase the dosage, which will cause more problems long-term if the real underlying problem is benzo toxicity.
A person who develops a toxic response to benzos may also become very sensitive to other medications and drugs. A medication that otherwise might seem mild and harmless can cause serious, and sometimes unusual reactions.
Vaping nicotine is the act of consuming the drug, nicotine. A person who has benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction may become sensitive to nicotine and have serious adverse reactions caused by nicotine use.
Benzodiazepines are not addictive, while nicotine is highly addictive.
In nearly all cases, when a person takes a benzodiazepine that is prescribed by a doctor, and they take it as directed, that person is not addicted to benzos. While the addiction detox and rehab industry may disagree, the scientific fact is that benzos are not highly addictive drugs.
The condition that is often mistaken for addiction is drug dependence. A person who gets sick when their benzodiazepine medication is withheld has a physical dependence, not an addiction.
Nicotine, on the other hand, is known to be one of the most addictive substances to human beings. In fact, it may be, by far, the most addictive substance of all, being more addictive than methamphetamine, cocaine, opioids, and alcohol.
If nicotine is so addictive and damaging, why does society tolerate it? Nicotine, in the form of cigarettes and vapes, is a legal drug that causes damage slowly over time, and there are powerful corporations fighting to keep it legal and readily available.
So, is a person who smokes or vapes an addict? The word, “addict,” is emotionally charged, and used as a designation for people struggling with addictions to specific substances or behaviors. Smokers and vapers usually get away without being considered addicts.
Are benzodiazepine users addicts? While family members may point the finger at a loved one who is benzo-dependent, calling them an addict, the label is almost always incorrect, and it can be damaging to the individual struggling with benzo dependence.
Read more: How Do I Find Benzo Detox Treatment for Benzo Addiction?
Calling a person an addict who has benzodiazepine-induced neurological dysfunction and cannot quit benzos quickly due to dependence can be dangerous. It can lead to detox programs and psych ward admissions that are completely inappropriate and often dangerous, due to a lack of understanding of safe benzo tapering in the addiction treatment world.
What should I do if I vape, and I am trying to taper off of benzos?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to getting off of benzos by tapering, and deciding what to do about smoking or vaping nicotine. In some cases, the nicotine may be making tapering more difficult, causing benzo withdrawal reactions as the benzo dosage is gradually reduced.
If benzo tapering is going slower than expected, and each reduction in dosage causes significant withdrawal, it may be appropriate to reduce or eliminate smoking and vaping. Both activities are unhealthy and there should be a plan to eventually eliminate the habit of inhaling nicotine smoke or vapor.
Nicotine is a powerful drug with many effects on the body, including the central nervous system. It is certainly possible that vaping or smoking is sabotaging the tapering process.
However, if a person vapes and benzo tapering is going smoothly, it might be best to complete the benzo taper first before quitting nicotine altogether. Still, the doctor may recommend using nicotine patches or gum instead of vaping, since vaping can cause lung damage.
When tapering off harmful drugs, such as benzos or other psych drugs, the process should often be performed sequentially, completing one drug taper before beginning another. Most often, the best way to do this is to taper off the most harmful drug first.
Benzodiazepines can be highly neurotoxic to certain individuals, so quitting a benzo is often the first priority. Whether or not nicotine should be eliminated during the benzo taper, or after, is a decision that depends on the individual.
Doctors must listen carefully to their patients to determine what might be affecting their benzodiazepine taper. If the patient smokes or vapes nicotine, and they are having difficulties with tapering, it might be best to advise the patient to either reduce or eliminate smoking or vaping right away.
