Xanax

[anewbeginning]

Good Evening! Does anybody know about how many milligrams of Xanax I could safely take to get through the first few days of withdrawls? I know it should be every 8 hours, but do you think it's okay to use more often? I have taken a half of a 0.5mg. before & it put me to sleep. Thanks!

[SotiredIcantsleep]

Not sure, my first few days of withdrawals I scored a couple xanax a couple ambiens and a couple valiums and nothing could put me asleep, they were high doses aswell.  I dont recommend taking a lot it might make you feel like ****.  I think I stayed up for nearly 5 days straight.  Xanax always was powerful to me in the past, I would be on a coke binge, eat half a xanax and be out in 15 minutes. But even mixing it with sleeping pills during withdrawals couldn't do anything.

[dogneedshelp]

I am going through terrible wd's right now and Xanax is saving me. I did  a lot of research on it and dependent on the dosage it is .5 mg every 6 hrs. The manufacturers of Xanax say a 2mg tab is equal to 10mg of Valium but I have found several other sites not connected to the manufacturer that say .5mg is equal to 10mg Valium. For me I am taking 1mg 4x day and it really is helping with the anxiety and has completely knocked out the cold sweats. Miracle drug but please understand it is also addictive. After 10 days you should feel no more PHYSICAL symptoms of withdrawal as at that point it is all a mental battle. So after 10 days be sure to stop the Xanax and tough out any symptoms you have left.

Have you started yet? If not do you when you might start. Please keep posting because there a lot of people interested in your success and we will help you any way we can. Just want to vent? Then go right ahead. Need answers? Just ask. We are sooo very glad to welcome you to the group.

Post lots and good luck to you.

[Summer123]

I would say don't take more than 2 mg/day EVER.  My dr. said 2 mg is the highest dose for anyone to go cold turkey off of and not have seizures.  Anything else is DANGEROUS.

[R039]

Xanax has a half life of 6 hours. That is very short and the withdrawal symptoms are horrendous. There is something about the  the 2 mg tabs "bars" that just give me the worst withdrawals. Footballs 1 mg no problem. Bars... god help me. I am stopping cold turkey tonight of of 75 of those things in a week (150 mg).  I just can't get enough of them. I built up such a tolerance that I could eat 11 in a day and not even feel intoxicated. Of course my behaviour was erratic and I was way more outgoing than I should be.(Everyone could notice I was intoxicated but I didn't feel high at all) I thought I was beautiful but really I was ugly. The weird thing is that when I was younger I used to have black outs on xanax. Now I remember every detail. My tolerance has gone through the roof. Xanax is a very potent and addictive benzo. And what really bites is that I don't even get any euphoria from it any more.

[SophieShine]

I hope you're not thinking of quitting xanax CT!!! Especially with the amounts you're taking. Xanax is a benzo and they MUST be tapered off. The risk of seizure is way too high. Please go to your dr and establish a tapering plan with him/her.
You can find already loads of info on this site : http://www.benzo.org.uk/
And an example of tapering plan on this one : http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm#s1
Best of luck to you! xoxoxoxo. Sophie.

[Susan252]

Yes you are right about the benzos, years ago, going through a divorce I took xanax for 6 months and then one day decided I didn't need them anymore and went into really bad anxiety withdrawls.  I went into detox and they put me on klonopin and gradually weaned off of that for six months under a dr.s care, it can be done.  I am currently weaning off hydrocodone 10/325 from 8 a day down to 4, and I find that benadry helps a lot with the anxiety, also taking lexapro.  Good luck to you anewbeginning, this is a very helpful website!!!  

[crazywife]

Xanax can be helpful if taken properly, but as an addict it is very easy to allow yourself to take not only enough to relieve the symptoms but to get high from them and once on Xanax you can become addicted to  that easily.  Be careful and maybe have some one help you monitor your dosage.