SCARED.... Coming off XANAX!!!! HELP!!!!!

Ian so scared of trying to come off these xanax! I've researched and read many stories!!! I'm scared something bad is going to happen to me and I'm scared to even sleep! Has my anxiety goin full force! I take bout 8 1mg a day. I know I'm suposed to taper but and Iam doing that a lil. I didn't start taking that much til I quit the opiates!! I just want my life back so bad without a pill!!!!! Iam so scared of having seizures!!!!!! My friend has epilepsy and wow is it scary to see someone have a seizure!!! Can anyone please help? Don't know if I should go back to my dr whom I confessed of my opiate addiction and he gave me celexa. Not working at all!!!! I don't know what to do or where to turn!!!!

[LeaAnn807]

YES.....you need to go to talk to your doctor.  Talk with him about a taper plan, the celexa not working and your fear.  You need to get help with this!!!

[xstevex]

I also am tappering off xanax , was taking .5 , 3x a day now down to half that , its not easy and Ive been on them 10 years so its a struggle but it can be done....try seeing if there is any counseling available , good luck youll be fine , I quit these cold once already and was dumb enough to go back on them ......sigh....let me/us know how it goes..

Steve

[Shay839]

I just called my dr to see if there was a diff
med he can put me on besides the celexa. My anxiety is crazy right now! Wow from reading other posts 8 1mg a day is alot! Didn't really realize that I was taking that much!!! Well I guess I'm just going to see what the dr says! Hope he helps!!!!

[dominosarah]

Be totally honest with the doctor when you see him.  He should help you with a slow taper.  Turn on some music, fill the tub and soak~~Let us know how your appt goes.      sara

[avisg]

8mg is a huge amout to be taking a day .you are going to have to do a slow taper off that plz do not try to CT off of this .I think I gave you this before but check this site out she has so much great info ..http://www.benzo.org.uk/profash.htm

[SophieShine]

Hi Shay:)
Go to your doctor asap tell him/her your story. What you did is a very well known phenomenon it's called crossing addiction. He/she will know what to do. You're not taking xanax for a long time, your dosage is high tho. Your doctor will probably switch you to a long acting benzo to cut down the wd's and start to taper off from there.
Concerning the anxiety, you have just come off opiates... Give some time to your body and brain to get used to function without pills. I know you're impatient to be and to feel "like before" but it takes a while for everything to come back to normal, sleep especially.  There are a lot of therapies that work really well out there, CBT, EMDR,... and don't forget aftercare, it's a must for a long term sobriety.
Best of luck to you. Sophie.

[Shay839]

I called my dr but he doesn't know about the Xanax I've been taking. He only was treating me for anxiety from coming off the opiates. They called in paxil for me. I've only had 3 today so far and usually at this time I would had have bout 5 or 6 already. I have a bad headache and no appetite. I'm only 5'3" and 100 lbs. I can't afford not to eat!!! I need all the wt I can get! I feel alone cuz my parents don't understand and aren't very supportive! I don't have ins or money to get aftercare or a therapist. I just feel lost and alone!  

[landbray]

Hi,
I was on xanax for 20 yrs, I never took the amt you did unless I wanted to pass out & sleep for 16 hrs.  I also detox from opiates with suboxone. I am still on sub, not ready to take that away yet. I have a very long time of opiate abuse, I also take celexa. I have been taking celexa for over 15 yrs now and I have found it to be the best antidepressant for me. I also take remron @ bedtime; I have allot of "issues" with family problems and sometimes my dr would up my celexa for 8 wks then go back to the normal dose. I now take 80mg celexa a day. Sounds like allot but I have no side effects from celexa. I believe it is the right choice for me. Antidepressants are tricky and work so different on everyone. I do think that all antidepressants take weeks to really work. It isn't instant,
I stop taking xanax when I started suboxone. Of course it isn't (sub) isn't suppose to help with xanax withdrawl (withdrawal) but it did, I was talking 4 to 5 1mgs a day, and they were the most important thing to me. I could not go without them, I made sure I never ran out before my next refill. I cared more about xanax then I did about opiates b/c if I couldn't get that high I would at least have the xanax to fall back on till I could get opiates,
I tapered my xanax little by little each day , I think changing my whole drug routine made my anxiety less. When I was out of the xanax I did have days of anxiety. I told my sub Dr he gave me 2mg Valium, 3 times a day and believe it or not it worked, some days I can skip a Valium & feel fine, if I run out for what ever reason, I don't freak like I did with xanax. Don't just stop taking it. You must tell your Dr so he can taper you properly ( bad speller). I never tried paxil, my daughter was on it & never felt better,( it wasn't helping)  she now takes lexapro and is doing much better.
You need to be able to trust your Dr & have faith that he will do what is best for you.
Doing it by yourself isn't good,I think it leads you back to old drug routines.( plus dangerous side effects)
You need to give yourself sometime,it won't happen over night. You need support, counseling, meetings, all aftercare is the key to stay on the right road.
I realized I really rambled on this feedback, didn't mean to. But xanax was my first love & today if it is offered to me, I can say No and really mean it, I missed allot b/c of xanax, blew my memory. Maybe it's my age but I was really ready to change my life.
and I have, I know I have the suboxone to get off yet, but I will deal with that when the time comes. I have a great sub Dr and a very caring addiction specialist, both I see every 2 weeks .
Good luck to you,remember being honest with yourself & your Dr are your first steps.
take care
landbray

[worried878]

Tapering off of ur dose of xanax is do-able...it is best to have a dr help u with this....there is an article in the health pages on tapering from benzos...many go to a weaker benzo with a drs help and taper slowly
Letting anxiety take u over when it comes to stopping drugs can happen so easy....u quit the narcs tho..so u can do this
hang tight and keep posting

[Shay839]

well i only had 5 xanax yesterday and usually i would have taken about 8! All I did yesterday was lay in bed and cry! I guess this is normal, I did the same thing coming off the opiates. I am going to try and do 5 for another day and then take it down to 4. I need off these evil things!!! And of course anxiety going strong! Everything ive ever done bad in my past is haunting me! Maybe because my brain is free of opiates and starting to come free of the z's. IDK! I am 29 yrs old and I feel like im trapped and in my own body like prison! Im scared to go back to my dr and be like by the way I lied to you, i do take xanax and addicted to them as well! Im just afraid! I went to school with my dr and he is a very good friend of the family. Its hard. Maybe I should go to another dr and tell them bout the xanax addiction and my past history with the opiates! I am 36 days clean of opiates, wish I was 36 days clean of these dang lil BLUE PILLS!!!!!! Please keep posting to me, this forum is kinda like my aftercare and support! I dont know what I would do without you guys! Thankyou for listening and giving words of wisdom!

[mellie4]

I take ativan for anxiety.  I think it's similar to xanax.  I can take 1 mg. up to 3 times a day.  But I think when they give it to you for withdrawals they give a different dosage.  Try NA or AA for aftercare; it's free.  Also a local pastor or priest would also be free.  Aftercare is really important.  You need support.

[Shay839]

Well I only have taken 3 Xanax today so far and it's already 6pm. I would have usually would have had atleast 5 in my system by now. I don't feel so good... I plan to take 1 1/2 before bedtime. I kinda feel like I did when I was withdrawing from the opiates. I can do this! I just have to stick to my plan, and my plan is to succeed!!!!!

[stilltrying1965]

zanax are vallium i think.I get them for sezures and it is scary to watch someone fit. Plz dont stop the zanax without seeing your doctor. It can be very dangerous. Go see your dr as soon as you can ant tell him everything. Most likely he will support you as a good dr will do. But i must stress do not stop the zanax till you see your dr Good luck to ya ,,,,,,James

[avisg]

valuim is a long acting benzo probalbly the safest for tapering, xanax is a fast acting one and very addictive

[hazyworld]

i have been on benzos 20 years and have tried to get off..no luck...im getting  a new dr and see if he can help me...for 17 years it was great but now its awful they dont help my anxiety.im sick of living this way

[boofan]

I am 39 yrs old and have been taking xanax for about 6 yrs now but I am also taking methadone for lower backpain and after a failed surgery.  I am so ready to get off of both of these medications because I am addicted to them both.  I am so scared of going into therapy for fear of them just taking everything away and me being there going through these terrible withdrawals. I am been without them(xanax) for about 3 days and thought I was gonna die or go crazy.  Any advice about this would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

[atthebeach]

hey and welcome this is an old thread. go to the top of the page and click on post a question then people will respond to your thread. are you in active withdrawal now? how are you feeling?where you under a doctor script or buying from the streets? please start a new thread. we are here to help
thank you,
GOD bless you
debbie