Xanax withdrawl symptoms

by Kathy, Jan 30, 2000 12:00AM

Vicki,

It so funny when I thought I was so alone on this one, and now I see, so many others are at the same place I was, I just didn't use the net back then......

First you didn't say how much you were taking or for how long, I started 8 years ago on .05 Minimum, and as of corse progresion set in, by Feb,1999 I was up to 8-15 no telling which time of day, but only at night to sleep.....(thats what they were given to me for) and nope never took them during the day, I sought out another Doctor, and said I know you get hooked on "street" drugs, but I am now a product of being hooked on scripts/meds

that does happen when they are given to you by a doc right?.....

Then I started to hear the "horror stories, which, are full of sh..., yes doc cut be back to half my abusive doze first month, and then the next I said go for it, lets not play around here, so back to .05 for a month, nope I didn't sleep, yep, I felt strange, but I have always refocused, if yo have a hobbie to refocus into, and by he 2nd month, I was blown away, I finally feel asleep on my own, no beers, no wine, no xnax just clean me, I NEVER thought I cought in the begining, but yes you can just give your body time to do what it has to, and life is so much better then waking up feeling "hung over" and it was due to xanax and not a drink.......

good luck, and Vickie since yours is so new, if ya feel you would like to e-mail me ***@****, I am here for support and help, but the Dr's forums you have come across, so far he is great on giving out info,.....

Much luck, hang in there,

Kathy H.

by Janice, Feb 11, 2000 12:00AM

I first  came  in contact with xanax  in the early 80s during a test study(wont mention hosp)..i was 17 and given the 10mg (purple )3x daily needless to say  I became addictided..

Didnt  see the problem then i was too sedated .

I now have  a 17 year old daughter  who has unfortunetly found a doctor who likes to use her pen >instead of her education.

      initial problem Overdose  of xanax >>docs treatment xanax.

Wonder  if she even checked her file ?

needless to say looking for a new doc and possibly rehap.

by Lynne, Feb 15, 2000 12:00AM

I have a son addicted to Xanax and is currently being detoxed in an out-patient setting by a psychiatrist. He's still on big time doses and the MD says it will take months to detox. He used to binge on it once a month or so and has suffered seizures in the past and overdose consequences. He is also on Methadone. What I'd like to know is whether he can go into an inpatient detox setting (he says no) and do it properly, since I don't believe he's really taking it the way he supposed to, and probably takes more when he's upset or depressed. I think it's having a really bad effect on him.

by phyllis, May 12, 2000 12:00AM

I was started on .05 mg 3 x a day..this was 10 years ago..

I still take the same dosage. However, at night, sometimes, I require two. I never feel normal. I am always tired. For the past 4 years, I have had periods of my body jerking so hard at night that I have even popped my neck a few times. Now, it starts in my facial muscles... It is a horrifying feeling. It is like I am having seizures. I can always tell when I am going to have a bad night by the strange feeling inside my head... Then there are time, I will go a month (or I used to anyway) and never have one jerking problem. I have asked my Doctor repeatedly about this.

He has no answers. I have been to 4 neurologists and they all tell me something different. I would like to get off the Xnax addiction, but my doctor says it is impossible..

I would like to know if there is anyone else out there who has these jerking or seizure like side effects and if it is the Xnax that is causing it.

by phyllis, May 12, 2000 12:00AM

I was started on .05 mg 3 x a day..this was 10 years ago..

I still take the same dosage. However, at night, sometimes, I require two. I never feel normal. I am always tired. For the past 4 years, I have had periods of my body jerking so hard at night that I have even popped my neck a few times. Now, it starts in my facial muscles... It is a horrifying feeling. It is like I am having seizures. I can always tell when I am going to have a bad night by the strange feeling inside my head... Then there are time, I will go a month (or I used to anyway) and never have one jerking problem. I have asked my Doctor repeatedly about this.

He has no answers. I have been to 4 neurologists and they all tell me something different. I would like to get off the Xnax addiction, but my doctor says it is impossible..

I would like to know if there is anyone else out there who has these jerking or seizure like side effects and if it is the Xnax that is causing it.

by Mojo, May 13, 2000 12:00AM

Yes Yes Yes! I have been taking Xanax for almost 3 years every day 2mg. In just the past 6 months I have started to get these body jerks, it is as if someone came up behind you and said BOO! your whole body jerks really violently for a sec. I am trying to taper off of Xanax and my doc who specializes in addictions said that Xanax has a very short half-life and these body jerks are probably withdrawl symptoms. Have you noticed these body jerks come at times when you have not spaced your medication taking times in the usual way? I take mine only at night and this was the problem. The Xanax would not "hold" for the whole 24 hours. My doc suggested switching to a longer acting benzo like valium. Supposedly 10mg of valium equals 1mg of Xanax. Valium is supposed to be a lot easier to taper off of. It is relieving to see someone else with these symptoms. I am always so scared "IT" is the beginning of a seziure. My doc reassures me it is not but to never quit cold turkey and to try and keep the blood levels stable and when tapering go down only 5% of the full dose at a time every 10-14 days. So far so good. Mojo

by Mojo, May 13, 2000 12:00AM

Also Phyllis, I did a search on the net I went to www.yahoo.com and punched in Xanax withdrawl in the search section and I found a bunch of support for withdrawl from benzo's particularly Xanax. After chatting with quite a few people who have either made it completely off benzo's or are in the process I have found that Xanax is one of the hardest to taper from because of its such short half life. Do a search, you will be amazed at the info. You can also e-mail benzo@onelist and they have a web ring of benzo support for all different stages. Keep coming back to the forum. I am so glad I scrolled all the way down and found you, you are the first person I know that has described these scary "body jerks", I call the startle reflexes because it is just like being startled! Keep coming back Phyllis, maybe we can help each other thru this!:) Mojo

by Kev, Jul 15, 2000 12:00AM

I began taking Xanax when I had gone through an emotionally traumatic experience that produced severe depression with anxiety. I only took 1 mg (blue) and only whenever I was going to have a panic attck (I could almost tell when it was coming on).. I decided not to take anti-depressents because I felt they stopped me from crying and I felt a real need to cry.

I started to use the Xanax to help sleep, usually only if I really really needed to make sure I had good sleep.

Well, it has been 16 months since I originally got depressed, I am now much much better (not 100%, but on my way)However, I just realized I had a NEW problem... I realized I was taking the xanax almost twice a week every week (1/2 mg)...I didn't think much of it...until two nights ago...I was reacing for the bottle and I realized this would now be three times a week..My alarm went off and I though, you are getting addicted! So I didn't take it..slept horribly, woke up at 1:00am and had several pre-anxiety attacks (not the full blown..I have learned over the year not to fear them and they don't materialze)..but I had sever dysphoria (very depressed, but not like when I was real depressed--that was a hopeless feeling, this is not hopeless, just real real down and felt like crying constantly, with nothing to cry about)..

So last night...Night #2, I paced and paced...I wanted to take a xanax so bad..I new if I did I would get some sleep and be very refreshed and feel great the next day.. I also started to mentally retrace my depression over the last year...in the beginign it was real bad..then after about 6-9 months it started easing up... after a year it was signifigantly better..then (the xanax came into the picture)...then my depression was sometimes gone and sometimes real bad..I never put 2 & 2 together!! I have been experiencing a prolonged withdrawl from xanax for the last 4 months!

I felt better knowing the truth, but I still couldn't get any sleep.. I was begining to get panicky at the thought of not sleeping for maybe several days!! So I took an anti-histamine..I slept great and woke up with no depressed feelings at all. I took doxylamine succinate (12.5 mg)..I looked up the dependance info online and in the PDR and didn't come up with anything near as bad as the xanax... I don't know how long I will need to take this, but I am thinking that it won't be more than a week..I was only taking 1.5 mg of xanax a week prior (.5 mg two to three times per week depending on sleep needs.

SO I just thought I would share that with y'all.

If anyone has any withdrawl info for doxylamine succinate, please chime in... I don't want to switch one addiction for another.

Hang in there... friends

by Bella, Aug 14, 2000 12:00AM

Xanax withdrawl Symtoms: I was prescribed xanax for a short time to help me cope with my divorce. I never abused the medication and took my daily .5 x 3 dose. The Doctor never mentioned that it was dangerous to just quit. You guessed it--When I felt that I could handle the stress without them--I stopped cold turkey not knowing the consequences. The first 2 days I experienced hot/cold flashes, very pale skin and a very INTENSE feeling of a "cloudy head"... I couldn't concentrate and felt intoxicated. I went to the ER and was diagnosed with the flu. They had asked if I was on any medication and since I had haulted the xanax not knowing it was an issue, answered honestly--NO. On the 2nd morning I had an episode where I woke up and was so confused I didn't know where I was, who I was and couldn't speak for about 60 seconds. (Now I know this was a mild seizure)... The next evening I remember sitting up in bed and feeling what I describe as "my eyes twitching"... and that is all I remember. However the next morning I awoke to my boyfriend leaning over me with a look of horror in his face. He asked why I didn't tell him I was epileptic (I'm NOT) and that I was seizing all night (Grand Mal) and that on more than one occasion he had to turn my head to the side because I was choking on my own fluids. If he hadn't been there--I would be dead. I strongly suggest you do NOT try to withdrawl at home. Either go to your physician and embark on a "cut-down" plan or if you have an abuse problem with them you need to be inpatient.

by Bella, Aug 14, 2000 12:00AM

Xanax withdrawl Symtoms: I was prescribed xanax for a short time to help me cope with my divorce. I never abused the medication and took my daily .5 x 3 dose. The Doctor never mentioned that it was dangerous to just quit. You guessed it--When I felt that I could handle the stress without them--I stopped cold turkey not knowing the consequences. The first 2 days I experienced hot/cold flashes, very pale skin and a very INTENSE feeling of a "cloudy head"... I couldn't concentrate and felt intoxicated. I went to the ER and was diagnosed with the flu. They had asked if I was on any medication and since I had haulted the xanax not knowing it was an issue, answered honestly--NO. On the 2nd morning I had an episode where I woke up and was so confused I didn't know where I was, who I was and couldn't speak for about 60 seconds. (Now I know this was a mild seizure)... The next evening I remember sitting up in bed and feeling what I describe as "my eyes twitching"... and that is all I remember. However the next morning I awoke to my boyfriend leaning over me with a look of horror in his face. He asked why I didn't tell him I was epileptic (I'm NOT) and that I was seizing all night (Grand Mal) and that on more than one occasion he had to turn my head to the side because I was choking on my own fluids. If he hadn't been there--I would be dead. I strongly suggest you do NOT try to withdrawl at home. Either go to your physician and embark on a "cut

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