Alprazolam withdrawal

[jupiter595]

I passed out suddenly and was ill for a few days following this episode which lead to sever anxiety and panic attacks as I was not sure of what was happening to me. After doing all the tests I realized it was just the anxiety getting the better of me and have been slowly getting back to normal life.

My doc put me on Aprazolam 0.25 mg half in the morning and half in the night for 3 months. But since I had trouble sleeping in the night I stopped taking the night dose after the first week and continued to take the morning tablet for about 14 days. I wanted to stop taking the tablet hence stopped for a couple of days and my anxiety came back with a ‘spaced out’ feeling on and off and was not able to concentrate on a conversation – felt light headed etc. Not knowing that these could be withdrawal symptoms I went back on the half 0.25 tablet in the morning for another 3 days.

The problem is I don’t feel like myself when I do take the drug and feel slow, spaced-out and other weird symptoms even when I do take aprazolam. So I stopped again and today’s my second day without the tablet.

My question is – since my dose was quite low – if I ride through all the withdrawal affects that come (feeling cold, a little anxious, light headedness etc) without going back to Alprazolam – how long should I expect these effects to last? i.e. should I consider going back to the tablet if the symptoms last longer than 3-4 days?

Thanks a lot,

Jupiter

[Paxiled]

Next time, if there is a next time, do this in consultation with your psychiatrist.  Going off benzos can be dangerous as well as difficult.  But since you've already quit and haven't had the dangerous part, which would have been seizures, I'd say yes, because of the low dose you should be able to ride this out.  If you don't, then go back on and taper more slowly, but that's going to be hard to do on such a low dose.  You may, however, still have the problem that drove you to the med in the first place.  Hopefully you can find the underlying problem in talk therapy.

[jupiter595]

Thanks for your comment Paxiled. I am on day 4 now and feeling very agitated this morning - I just want to know how long this will last? I want to put this behind me so I can start enjoying life like I used to before - *****

[Paxiled]

No one can answer that, since only you are you.  We all react differently.  Sorry.