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How do you get off of Xanax?
by Luke, Nov 05, 1999 12:00AM
In an effort to help me stop drinking, my doctor prescribed 1 mg of Xanax which I take nightly to help me sleep. This has proved effective and has helped me stop using alcohol to help me sleep. I have been taking the 1 mg dose of Xanax for about 7 months now and I would like to get off this medication. I have heard horror stories of people trying to do this. How do you recommend I wean myself from this medication? The 1 mg tablets can be cut in half but would dropping to .5 mg/day be too sudden a jump? Thank you.
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swtbreezie
1. The risk for developing a psychological/physiological dependency to this drug is greater in patients taking >4mg/day.
2. If during beginning of treatment patient experiences drowsiness, light-headedness, and dizziness, the patient should be reevaluated at some point, as these s/s usually do disappear as therapy progresses. Dosage should be reduced if they do not.
3. Certain blood tests should be monitored during therapy, such as CBC and liver and renal function periodicaly during long-term therapy.
4. The recommended doses are as follows:
For anxiety: (Adults) 0.25-0.5 mg 2~3 times daily (not >4mg/day; begin with 0.25 mg 2~3 times daily in geriatric/debilitated patients).
For Panic Attacks: (Adults) 0.5 mg 3 times daily; may be increased as needed (not >10mg/day).
5. Comes in liquid in two concentrations: 0.1 mg/ml and 1 mg/ml
6. Comes in tablets in four dosages: 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg
7. Treatment with this medication should not exceed 4 mos without re-evaluation of the patient's need for the drug.
8. The drug needs to be tapered off so as to avoid w/d s/s from tolerance and to avoid rebound anxiety.
9. If during treatment, the med. is less effective after a few weeks, the patient should check with their health care provider (without first increasing the dose on their own).
10. Abrupt w/d may cause sweating, vomiting, muscle cramps, tremors, and convulsions.
After using this for a few years I have tried to stop off and have not been successful. It's way too easy a quick fix.
I stopped for three days now. I have been strongly tempted/irritable and emotional at times. I'm staying with it now. I don't think that I ever been off it for three days in a row since regularly using this.
When can I expect this to subside? Is it ok to ever take it again afterwards, or am I forever hooked to this?
Sad that I got pulled in to begin with, Chris
any-ways
the emotion and temper/irritabilty are commen when comeing off xanax its called zannie rages. its okay in 5 days if you dont take any then it should stop.
but you have to go 5 days with 0 xanax.
Mel
Big question for me is this: Am I addicted? Is the dose that I was taking put me in that area. I have never taken more that 0.5 mg on a given day. Curious about this.
Depressed. Thinking that I am worthless and that everything is hopeless. Sorry to be so bleak but I have to get this out here. Nobody else knows and I will not go on record and get professionally treated. If that is what is called for, that is.
Gonna try to make it through this night and hope that this gets better.
i, too, was on a benzo (ativan -- lorazepam) for almost 5 years, up to 3 mg every night for sleep....never abused but developed BIG TIME dependency....knew i had to and wanted to get off....but knew i could NOT do it without the help of a good physician....found one (in the chicagoland area) who is simply AWESOME, a biologically trained psych doctor, and he successfully weaned me off within a period of only a few months....honestly, before going to him, i never thought it was possible....i honest to God thought i would be on these things for life....it CAN be done and it CAN be done with minimal pain and distress if done correctly under a good doctor's supervision....that's your first goal....find a good physician....also go to benzo.org...and also google "theroadback", it's a program designed specifically to help people get off any psychotropic med, including the benzos....i still currently use their Body Calm and Body Calm Supreme capsules at night to help with sleep....but am off the benzos! you can do it....check out these things....and use lostmarbles as a reference...she can be a HUGE help to you
blessings and good luck!!!!!
kim