XANAX WITHDRAWL

[Peaches5036]

Hi,
I was prescribed xanax 1 mg 3x a day by my doctor/psychiatrist for a panic disorder triggeered by driving. At 57 i had never had a liscence, took professional driving lessons, and had immense panic attacks when i was attempting to learn how to drive. I sought professional help from 2 psychiatrists. The first one said just ride your bike, ( been riding my bike all my life, my kids are all great bike riders and walkers), the second one understood that i actually needed to drive on a freeway to get a real job out of my tiny little town and suggested I try xanax.
it worked right away. I got my license with the help of my friends (special ed teachers YES REALLY)
and got a good job  30 miles from home. I only took the xanax 1 hour prior to driving. I saw my doctor for a follow up and disclosed that I was taking the xanax, as needed, and that it helped alot. I told him I didn't take it on weekends as my husband would do the driving then.
He said I needed to take it 3 x a day, every day. So i did.
I was medically retired in 2001 due to breast cancer and other health issues. Xanax helped some with the side-effects of chemotherapy and also the death of my husband. A difficult time for me.
In 2003 I really wanted to get off the medication and discussed it with my new doctor. She advised very gradually reducing dosage.
Now , I have managed to gradually , over 6 years to reduce by xanax intake by half.
Each time I go down 1/2 mg. I get nauseous , headaches, migraine type,dizzy, fell weird electrical type impulses and can't function very well. I really want to be totally xanax free. It is extremely difficult and the doctors don't really seem to understand.
Is there anthing that can help with this process.
Thanks, Peaches

[avisg]

I know it is a long processes ,but you are doing it the right way a little at a time .There reasons doctors have you do this is there is a chance of seizures or death if you cold turkey off xanax. Baby steps baby steps . Have you talked to the doctor about the electrical type feelings ? my other suggestion to you would be ask the doctor for something to help you with the nausea. peaches you are doing a great job keep it up . there is a xanax free life ahead for you out there .
avis

[xyborx]

I had the same problem - dropping from 8mg I found that last little bit more difficult than anything. I guess some people are exquisitely sensitive to pain, and pleasure. I recommend not torturing yourself to much - take the dose down to half a milligram, then put a space of one day inbetween doses as you feel up to it. Later, when ready, increase spaces to finally stop. The key is to not hurry yourself in a very rushed world. Difficult as it is, the brain must relearn to be drug free. If you succeed it will be as if being reborn and your life will start to have meaning again. Sometimes we can get so hopelessly lost in our lives that it is hard to remember where it all went wrong. Hang in there and maybe one day everything will be just peaches again...

[Peaches5036]

Hi,
Thanks so much for your encouraging comments. I tried "cold turkey" several years ago and was incredibly ill. I have been working with my doctors and will see them very soon. As a breast cancer survivor and also the reciepient of 2 total hip replacements as well as birthing 3 children naturally, I am no stranger to rather severe pain. In fact the symptoms I have been having are very close to the degree of horrible nausea and headaches after chemo treatments. I am going to ask for something to help with this. I am also going to see my chiropractor tomorrow as he helps alot with headaches and body pain. A really good deep muscle massage may be very helpful as well as my entire body hurts.

I will discuss these effects , with my doctor and possibly stay at the current dosage of 1/2 mg. less than before until my body adjusts and then continue to decrease 1/2 mg again until I am xanax free.
From what I read sudden discontinuance can lead to seizure and/or stroke.  

I would love to hear more from you, especially your own personal experiences in withdrawing from xanax. I feel alot better today than I did when I posted my message. It's been almost a week since I reduced the dosage.
Thanks again. Peaches

[Summer123]

There is something called an Ashton Manual written by a lady doctor in the UK who has successfully tapered people off benzodiazapanes (sp?).  If you go to Benzobuddies, I think the Ashton Manual is on that website.  There are also people who are withdrawing from xanex and other types of tranquilizers for support.  On that website, you will meet a lot of people who have the same symptoms you have and they will have suggestions for handling the symptoms.  At the lower dosages, you may want to substitute valium as they say that 1 mg of xanex = 20 mg of valium and valium you can taper down slower at 1 mg every week or two until you are off and it shouldn't effect your body as much.  I am still on 2 mg xanex but was on 4 mg for 22 years.  Recently got off of pain pills for chronic pain and will get off the xanex by tapering after my body starts getting back to normal from the pain pills.  Summer

[Summer123]

One thing I forgot to mention:  Try not to go down 1/2 mg at a time (that is too big of a dose all at once) and is equivalent to about 10 mg of valium (usually 10 mg of valium is tapered over a course of 10 to 20 weeks or more).  This is all in the Ashton manual.

[notmenow!]

Xanax is so short acting that you should ckeck out the post written by Steve L, although it is somewhat misleading it does explain how he tapered it is in fact one of the better ways of weening down using a longer acting benzo as he did, Klonopin although they are a much more expensive but if you have insurance that covers this type of medications-Noah

[Peaches5036]

Hi,
Today Tuesday,is the 8th day of tapering from 2mgs a day to 1.5mg ( taken in 3 doses of .5mg 9AM, 3PM.)
I slept very well last night and woke up this morning feeling quite good. No big headache or body aches.I had my coffee and actually was able to dance for a while. (Bob Marley Legend is a great album) It's 9:30 and haven yet taken my first daily dose. I feel confident that I will be able to continue the taper until I am totally xanax free.
WHAT HAS HELPED:
1. This forum has helped immensly. I checked out Dr. Ashton's site and read most of it. I also talked with my daughter R. who was a de-tox counselor in California for 2 years. Both sources described using another tranquilizer for reduction. I decided to try a simple antihisimine, OTC, instead . This and aspirin helped a great deal taken 3x a day as directed not exceeding the normal dose.
2. My 2 big cuddly dogs
3. My Higher Power. I am a recovering alcoholic and have been in AA for 5 1/2 years, sober. Thank you very much . Am using the program and the tools I've learned to use, graditude, faith, surrender, reaching out to others and alot of prayer and meditation. ( Booze was alot easier to get off of)
4.Diet. Eating mostly whole grain foods,vegatables, yogurt, bananas, drinking alot of water, not much coffee and very diluted fruit juices.This high fiber diet is helping have good elimination, which is very important, I believe.
5. Keeping my life very simple right now, not driving, resting reading etc. keeping a low stress level.

Plans.
Today I hope to see my chiropractor and am going to set up an appointment with psychiatrist.
I will report back here soon  and let you all know of my progress. I hope this may help me and others.

Wishing you much love and serenity. Peaches

[Peaches5036]

USING CAPS CAUSE TOO HARD TO SHIFT RIGHT NOW

I WENT TO SEE MY DOCTOR TODAY, AM STILL FEELING TERRIBLE. SHE HAS DIRECTED ME TO STOP THE TAPER OFF BY MYSELF, SAID IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS AND SHE IS HELPING ME TO GET INTO A HOSPITAL FOR SUPERVISED WITHDRAWAL NEXT MONTH.
IN OTHER WORD "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME". I HAVE AGGREDD TO FOLLOW HER DIRECTIVE, SHE DOESN'T RECOMMEND THE ASTON TREATMENT OF GRADUAL TAPERING USING VALIUM AS A SUBSTITUTE.
SHE WAS PRETTY FIRM IN HER DIRECTIVE. I FEEL SOMEWHAT RELIEVED AND WILL GO BACK TO FORMER SCHEDULE OF 2MGS A DAY, IN 4 DOSES OF .5 MGS. UNTIL I GET INTO HOSPITAL TREATMENT. SHE SAID IN A WEEK OR TOO, IN THE HOSPITAL I CAN SAFELY WITHRAW FROM ALL THE XANAX. SEEMS LIKE A BETTER IDEA THAN GOING THROUGH AGONY AT .5MG AT A TIME. SO BY END OF FEBRUARY I HOPE TO BE XANAX FREE.
THANKS , HOPE THIS MAY HELP SOMEONE ELSE.
PEACHES

[OBXman]

I applaud your commitment to get off Xanax, and I hope you are able to do so with a minimum of discomfort. I do think that you must be overly sensitive to the drug. Two mgs. a day in divided doses is certainly within the normally prescribed range and not excessive. The kind of withdrawl symptoms you describe are usually seen in people with severe panic disorder or addicts who have Benzo's as a drug-of-choice and abuse them. I have taken Benzo's, off and on in moderate doses like you take, all of my adult life for anxiety, and have never experienced what you are going through. I believe the severity of your withdrawl is unusual at your intake. Yes, slow tapering is the way it's usually done, but .25 mg. increments would have been better, considering the withdral you get. I've done it that way without much discomfort.

By all means follow the treatment you and your doctor have decided on together. What I'm trying to say is follow through, but don't beat yourself up about it. It just goes to show us how differently people react to psychotropic drugs. You are obviously hypersensitive to Benzo's and probably shouldn't have started at all. But how could you or your doctor have known that in the beginning? It isn't your fault. It doesn't mean you have a weakness or you've done anything wrong. You have a medical problem and you're fixing it. Hooray for you! You'll be just fine when it's over, and come out of it wiser: you'll know never to fall in that hole again! My best wishes to you!

Marc

[Exbenzo]

Peaches,
OMG do not drive under the influence of a benzo! This doctor was irresponsible in prescribing this high dose and in prescribing it for driving. Just 1.0ng of Xanax is a heavy dose.

If you were to have an accident and then a blood test, you could be charged with a DUI and more. You didn't mean to do anything wrong or irresponsible, but  law enforcement won't see it that way. Be careful.

[Exbenzo]

Valium is less expensive  than Klonopin. You can get it in a liquid form. This enables you to make very small reductions. Its half life is even longer than Klonopin.. The problem with Klonopin is that it so strong that it is equal to Xanax. This makes a taper impossible without a cut dry form or a liquid.

Valium isn't always a perfect choice, but it does get the taper done.

[Peaches5036]

I was unable to drive , due to panic attacks and didn't get my license until I was 57 , until I started therapy with xanax. I have NEVER DRIVEN WITHOUT TAKING XANAX. I have never been in an accident, exept for a minor fender-bender in a parking lot, trying to get out of a very tight space. I usually park far away  as I can from the crowded part of parking lots, and will walk a long ways to avoid being squeezed in by other drivers.I TAKE .5MGS  4X A DAY.
I schedule my driving, 1/2 hour after my dosages and don't drive on interstates or in traffic. I am very limited still in my driving comfort zone, but can go shopping, to appointments, peaceful trips to the lake and visit friends.
That is my specific phobia. Now that I am retired and don't have to drive every day, I am working at tapering my xanax and hope to get off this medication. As regarding a DUI, the dosage I take is perscribed specifically for driving. I didn't know it was against the law. My doctors never told me this. I am an extremely careful, defensive driver.
Is it agains the law in all states? Wow am i even more concerned.

[Peaches5036]

I'm quite sure the best course of action is to go to the hospital. I am inproccess of making arrangements. My insurance will cover 15 days in-patient. I'm not sure how the doctor's will handle my treatment, or what to expect. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in medically supervised de-tox from xanax. I am planning to go to Peachford hospital in Atlanta, hopefully in January.
Thanks, peaches

[PackedFunk]

I was prescribed 2mg AlprazolamXR to start with to help me sleep along with Melatonin. I have Graves (overactive thyroid). After weeks without sleep, I thought it was a Godsend.
Now, 5 years later, it is not working. I rarely sleep more than 2 hrs. a night taking sometimes 3mg. Xanax XR. I even chew them up to get a quicker dose to try to sleep. There is nothing worse than Not sleeping for weeks. You will go to extemes to try to sleep. I even took 5 Ambien over a single night & didn't even feel like sleeping at all. I have tryed at least 7 different sleep aids prescribed by my doctors that just did nothing to help me sleep. Now that the Xanax is stopping its effect, I don't know what to do. Graves Disease really *****!! Your body clock is runnung too fast with an overactive thyroid! That means no sleep. Anyone else have my problem??

[PackedFunk]

Well, I'm talking to myself. That's OK. He we go. Cold TURKEY first 3 nights. The next 3 nights I took .5 mg. Very little sleep. The next 3 nights I took .25 mg. I got about 3 hrs. a night. No more Xanax for me. It has been 2 weeks now & I am still having some side effects. I am sleeping a little more now thanks to sleepy teas my wife prepared for me. I will never take Xanax again. You can do it too, just like I did. Be strong! You will be glad you did!

[joann1975]

I am sorry....this is a very old thread and they are easily overlooked...if you will click back to forum and then post question and start a new thread you will GET ALOT OF SUPPORT. Sorry this was overlooked the 1st time around... but please repost as a new thread and you will get help!

JoAnn