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Want Off Xanax
I am taking 0.25mgs Xanax at night for sleep. I have taken that dosage for about 1 week now. Previously had been taking 0.5mg. I would like to stop taking it altogether. At this low a dose is there much risk of withdrawal symptoms? I just feel that I need to restore my natural sleep pattern after them being disrupted by disc herniation and then the microdiscectomy to correct the problem. Should I have my DR prescribe the 0.25 tablets and then cut them in half?
Rebound insomnia sounds bad but eventually your body has to get tired enough to sleep I would imagine.....
Most definitely, plus there are other things you can try (like mentioned above, just proper sleep rituals) that will help a good bit. That's why I agree completely it's better to ride it out rather than use something else, even if only temporarily.
Meds for insomnia are supposed to be used temporarily, for short term periods of time. It's no doubt difficult, because sleep is important. Myself, ever since working several years at a steady night shift job, I'm a HORRIBLE insomniac. It's for the reasons mentioned in this thread I haven't gone the Rx med route. Ironically, I am Rx'd a PRN benzo for anxiety that I take very seldomly....and yet I've never taken it to help me sleep. I have thought about it, but I know that in the end, I'll be worse off than I am now.
I think you'll be just fine. Luckily, you weren't on it for years, and you're on a very low dose. You may struggle for a few weeeks to get some decent sleep, and you may even feel a little anxious, but overall, I think it will be just fine.
Good ole' fashioned exercise is one of the best things for insomnia. A nice brisk walk, or, if you're in good shape, a vigorous exercise routine a few hours before bed will help tremendously.
Some people just resign themselves to the fact that they need something to help them sleep. My dad has had bad insomnia as long as I could remember. He has taken Xanax at bedtime for like 25 years.
He's done all kinds of things...from trying other meds (Ambien, Lunesta), sleep studies (found out he had sleep apnea, so the c-pap helped a bit), to trying natural remedies, you name it. Along the way, when the docs in his office would change, the new ones would insist he needs to come off of it. He's tried, and went through hell, in the sleeping dept. He's been lucky in the tolerance dept, he's definitely on a higher dose than when he started, but he knew enough to resist the urge to ask for an increased dose until he literally wasn't sleeping at all. He's pretty much resigned himself that this is the ONLY thing that has worked, and he's just going to take it.
You've got good insight about this, you'll hopefully be back to normal soon! Hang in there!
Good luck!
Most definitely, plus there are other things you can try (like mentioned above, just proper sleep rituals) that will help a good bit. That's why I agree completely it's better to ride it out rather than use something else, even if only temporarily.
Meds for insomnia are supposed to be used temporarily, for short term periods of time. It's no doubt difficult, because sleep is important. Myself, ever since working several years at a steady night shift job, I'm a HORRIBLE insomniac. It's for the reasons mentioned in this thread I haven't gone the Rx med route. Ironically, I am Rx'd a PRN benzo for anxiety that I take very seldomly....and yet I've never taken it to help me sleep. I have thought about it, but I know that in the end, I'll be worse off than I am now.
I think you'll be just fine. Luckily, you weren't on it for years, and you're on a very low dose. You may struggle for a few weeeks to get some decent sleep, and you may even feel a little anxious, but overall, I think it will be just fine.
Good ole' fashioned exercise is one of the best things for insomnia. A nice brisk walk, or, if you're in good shape, a vigorous exercise routine a few hours before bed will help tremendously.
Some people just resign themselves to the fact that they need something to help them sleep. My dad has had bad insomnia as long as I could remember. He has taken Xanax at bedtime for like 25 years.
He's done all kinds of things...from trying other meds (Ambien, Lunesta), sleep studies (found out he had sleep apnea, so the c-pap helped a bit), to trying natural remedies, you name it. Along the way, when the docs in his office would change, the new ones would insist he needs to come off of it. He's tried, and went through hell, in the sleeping dept. He's been lucky in the tolerance dept, he's definitely on a higher dose than when he started, but he knew enough to resist the urge to ask for an increased dose until he literally wasn't sleeping at all. He's pretty much resigned himself that this is the ONLY thing that has worked, and he's just going to take it.
You've got good insight about this, you'll hopefully be back to normal soon! Hang in there!
Good luck!
Rebound insomnia sounds bad but eventually your body has to get tired enough to sleep I would imagine.....Ambien not a good fit for me - tried it persurgery when pain kept me from sleeping for days at a time and just was not comfortable with it.....only took it a few times.
Ambien and Xanax use the same GABA receptors. Here's my experience with legally prescribed Benzo drugs:
My doctor gave me a script for .25 Xanax about 6 months ago. At that time I was on lot's of Hydrocodone just to feel normal. The lack of Hydro was keeping me awake at night. He said use the Xanax for sleep. So, I filled the script but I looked it up on RXlist when I got home. I also googled my way to a few net-threads where people were trying to get off of the drug. The more I read the more I became scared to death of the stuff. I steered clear for the most part, although desperate for sleep to work a freelance job the next day, I've probably had 4 or 5 halves in total. Each time I took it, just .12.5mg mind you, no clean sleep to speak of the next night. Also, the next 2 days I sensed minor increased anxiety. I since have ceremoniously dumped it into a bag of outgoing Kitty Litter. Never again will I touch it. (I never flush drugs - we live very close to the Great Lakes system)
I also learned about Ambien the hard way (is there any other way?). Two years ago my doc gave me that drug @ 10mg for sleep. I didn't look it up. I didn't know any better back then. After 9 months of blissful sleep I found how screwed I really was. The immediate withdrawal was horrible. THEN I looked it up lol! I had to go back on it and then go on a miserable 5 month taper. I'm here to tell you I have never slept soundly since.
For me drugs are an instant teaching machine: Insert drug and learn a lesson.
Have been on Xanax since September 15, 2012. Was taking 0.5 mg at bedtime only. Have been taking 0.25 mg at bedtime only for 7 days now. Am seeing psych NP next week. Will continue on 0.25 mg until then and will ask for 0.25 mg tablets then to split in half. Will take 0.25 mg for 2 weeks and then for 2 more weeks every other day. Hopefully that will ease any discomfort. Will be returning to work at the end of November post surgery and hoping I will be more tired naturally as a result.
I would NOT recommend replacing xanex with ambien.....you are so close to being free of it at .25 mg. If you are more comfortable halfing the .25 mg dose, sounds like you have a doctor that could assist you with that.. You are already at a low dose and say you ONLY take it at bedtime. That in itself is great! Maybe you could continue a little longer than 1 week at that dose and make a decision from there......I didn't have any trouble ceasing my usage at that dose. Did I feel diff? yes Was I being unsafe? no
You will not be completely symptom free when you totally quit taking it anyhow......you will more than likely still be aware of changes in yourself since it is an addictive medication but by tapering you are minimizing that.
You can always call your doctor's office and see what they advise you about reducing yourself further than the .25 mg dose. All depends on what YOU are comfortable doing. Maybe that would assure you that you are doing it safely. If you became addicted or even dependent on the xanex, you would just be trading *** for tat by switching to yet another drug to help you sleep if your switched to ambien (imo).
Lots of otc meds to help with sleep.....benedryl, melatonin and many natural herbs that assist with sleep. Also, having your bedroom cool, dark and cozy with no previous stimulation prior to sleep will help. (no caffeine, exercise, light from a computer or tv screen, etc.)
Glad you posted! Blessings to you~
You will not be completely symptom free when you totally quit taking it anyhow......you will more than likely still be aware of changes in yourself since it is an addictive medication but by tapering you are minimizing that.
You can always call your doctor's office and see what they advise you about reducing yourself further than the .25 mg dose. All depends on what YOU are comfortable doing. Maybe that would assure you that you are doing it safely. If you became addicted or even dependent on the xanex, you would just be trading *** for tat by switching to yet another drug to help you sleep if your switched to ambien (imo).
Lots of otc meds to help with sleep.....benedryl, melatonin and many natural herbs that assist with sleep. Also, having your bedroom cool, dark and cozy with no previous stimulation prior to sleep will help. (no caffeine, exercise, light from a computer or tv screen, etc.)
Glad you posted! Blessings to you~
Your best bet is to do this with the help of your doctor. If you've been taking it regularly for more than a few months, then it should really be tapered. At such a low dose, you wouldn't be at as high a risk for the scary things people worry about, like discontinuation-related seizures, but it's still best to do it slowly, and with your doc's help and input.
The biggest issue you will probably experience is rebound insomnia. Again, that is something you may want to discuss with your doctor. Most times, people being weaned off a med they had been taking for sleep aren't advised to replace it with another med for insomnia, as that can just make the resulting rebound insomnia even worse. While you most certainly may lose some sleep for a while, it's best if you can try to let your sleep normalize on your own. If you REALLY are struggling to get sleep, I would recommend starting with something more natural, like Melatonin, or Alteril. Sleeptytime tea is a fave for a lot of people.
That's the other advantage to tapering slowly, even on a low dose....the rebound insomnia would be minimized doing it that was rather than just jumping off. Talk with your doc, see what he recommends, and if he would be okay tapering you slowly, at least for a couple of weeks.
Good luck to you, hope it gopes well!
The biggest issue you will probably experience is rebound insomnia. Again, that is something you may want to discuss with your doctor. Most times, people being weaned off a med they had been taking for sleep aren't advised to replace it with another med for insomnia, as that can just make the resulting rebound insomnia even worse. While you most certainly may lose some sleep for a while, it's best if you can try to let your sleep normalize on your own. If you REALLY are struggling to get sleep, I would recommend starting with something more natural, like Melatonin, or Alteril. Sleeptytime tea is a fave for a lot of people.
That's the other advantage to tapering slowly, even on a low dose....the rebound insomnia would be minimized doing it that was rather than just jumping off. Talk with your doc, see what he recommends, and if he would be okay tapering you slowly, at least for a couple of weeks.
Good luck to you, hope it gopes well!
How long (altogether) have you been on Xanax? That will determine how extreme the withdrawal will be. The half-life is fairly short compared to Klonopine, Valium, and Ativan, but I'm sure you will feel some discomfort. Let me say this much. If youve weened yourself down to 0.25 mg at night for sleep, I'm sure you felt something, so going off altogether wont be that bad. Maybe you can talk to your PCP and ask him if you could go on Ambian for 1-2 weeks while your body rids the Xanax. Best wishes!
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