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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
xanax withdrawal
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
xanax withdrawal
by Chirssilrep, Oct 14, 2005 12:00AM
In the late 90's, I had seven jaw joint surgeries. The first one was bad. The second revealed both sides required total discectomies and a bone infection in the right side. The additional prodedures were to debrief scar tissue and culture.
In 2001, afraid to touch the joints anymore, oral surgeon referred me to the Pain clinic where they gave me methadone. Averaged 80 mgs. the past 4 years. I became tolerant, wanted to taper off slowly, began 11/04, got down to 5 mg. 7/05 when it became too hard. I've been seeing a rehab doctor and taking suboxone. While tapering, in order to continue work and not suffer withdrawal, I was given xanax. I became addicted at one time up to 25 mg.s a day, down to 15 now. It's been close to a year. What is the best way to detox without losing my job? If I take a medical leave for 30 days in December and take no xanax, will that be enough time or should I continue to slowly taper? Also, my rehab doctor has given me Prozac to help withdrawal from the xanax. Is that effective or is Effexor a more proficient medication?
In 2001, afraid to touch the joints anymore, oral surgeon referred me to the Pain clinic where they gave me methadone. Averaged 80 mgs. the past 4 years. I became tolerant, wanted to taper off slowly, began 11/04, got down to 5 mg. 7/05 when it became too hard. I've been seeing a rehab doctor and taking suboxone. While tapering, in order to continue work and not suffer withdrawal, I was given xanax. I became addicted at one time up to 25 mg.s a day, down to 15 now. It's been close to a year. What is the best way to detox without losing my job? If I take a medical leave for 30 days in December and take no xanax, will that be enough time or should I continue to slowly taper? Also, my rehab doctor has given me Prozac to help withdrawal from the xanax. Is that effective or is Effexor a more proficient medication?
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Oct 16, 2005 12:00AM
, Oct 16, 2005 12:00AM
Both prozac and effexor are good for helping with withdrawals...that is a whopping dose of xanax and you must taper very slowly, very slowly , starting now so that by decemember you are in the range of .5 to 1 mg/day, then taper over three weeks, by alternating dose and lowering dose so end of third week you have taken the lowest possible every 3 days, then stop. you might also ask your doctor to cover you for seizures during the stop week and the week after.
Tammy
I had my first panic attack Sept., 17, 2005. I am 36 years old. It was horrible, we had just had a death in the family and my husband told me at about 6am. My first thought was okay I have control over this I need to call a funeral home and then all the sudden this pain shot up my left arm and got progressively worse within 20 minutes. I even took a hot bath and it still did not go away. Then I thought I was having a heart attack and I started hypervetilating, My husbad said he could feel my heart busting out of my chest. I thought was going to die. The paramedics came and took the vitals, said this is an axiety attack, but I made them take me to the hospital anyway. I didn't believe them. I was in the ER three hours, they took blood tests, had EKG on, and gave me Xanax...I think 4MG because the pills were large oval and white.
When they released me I asked for more just in case, they were like if you do this again just deep breathe. So a day goes by...nothing but a tad more edgy ,then on the second day I had two more panic attacks. We did not call the ER because my hubby just made me breathe but I needed ice packs all over me, drink lots of water I was shaking like a leaf. By the Monday I was a wreck, like having cluster attacks. It was awful. we found a shrink who said I would continue on Xanax. I alraedy had a therepist but of course they can't prescribe meds.
The psychiatrist was an *** but he gave me .25 Xanax (Alpromazoram SP?)three times a day. I was okay for like two days then I needed taking more.I became agorophobic because I had an attack outside. I thought about dying constantly. So he upped me to .5 (the peach ones) 3xs a dy but I needed to take it 5xs so 2.5MG a day. Then it was to drowsy for me and I dropped to 4xs- 2MG. For two weeks I felt great and even would have to remind my self to take it rather than feeling the chest pains and arm pain. BUT!!!! when I tried to drop the evening pill and go to 1.5 MG, I halfed the 4th pill, for two days then quartered it on the third day. The next morning I nearly had a panic attack again (legs jittering, hot flashes). I dumped my shrink b/c I did not like him and went to a reg doc. She tough .5 4xs a day was too much Xanax for me esp at my weight 114lbs. So yesterday she put me on 10 MG Prozac onec a day(she wanted to do Paxil or Lexapro but I said no cause I hear they are terrieble, esp Paxil). She said I want you OFF XANAX. So she gave me a perscription of .5 but she stipulated AS NEEDED NO MORE THAN 3xs A DAY!! She said in a month the Prozac will build up.
So far so good. I took my first Prozac yesterday. No side effects. But I still needed 2 MG Xanax cause anxiety did come. Today I woke up at 2AM and could not sleep, so at 4AM I took half a peach (=.25), then Prozac at 9am, felt anxiety then too a Xanax at 10am, but guess what I did not need anothe Xanax till nearly 4pm! and even then it was not really an axiety thing, I just felt like I should taper it more. So I will try to go as long as I can tonight before taking one. Lets say I make it till 11pm that is still some progress and puts me down to 1.75MG at least.
Or should I half the pill I take tonight?
Has anyone been on Xanax and Prozac? How did you wean off Xanax? I want to get off this stuff.
This forum can help:
http://www.benzo.org.uk/forum
I am one of the few and i had a major problem to quiet and i was in a different enviroment and it was too hard but i did.
Do Not Cold Turkey or Withdraw Too Fast!!
Please go to the British website www.benzo.org.uk and join their private support forum. Don't do any cutting back yet. The volunteers and other members there will help you devise a safe, slow and intelligent withdrawal plan, while offering you the emotional support you're definitely going to need in order to get off the Xanax. This benzo is one of the most addictive and crippling drugs ever invented, though I'm sure your doctors never told you this. Everyone has trouble with it. As tolerance takes hold, insomnia, anxiety, depression, muscle pain, fatigue, gastrointestinal disturbance, distorted thinking, memory and attention difficulties all grab on and won't let go until about 18 months of being off. If you cold turkey, or taper too quickly, such as the advice usually given by doctors, you're likely going to kick in horrible and painful post-withdrawal symptoms. At your current dose, assuming you can do a valium cross-over and taper, it could take up to 12 months to properly taper off, minimizing withdrawal symptoms.
When you go to the British website, look up the Ashton Manual and start reading. Then, read the stories of benzodiazepine victims and how they were eventually able to get over their unintended addiction. Also loook into the legal and governemtal interventions listed. There are over 600 pages of resources and information on that website, the world's most comprehensive cache of benzo-related data. Finally, join the forum for the support and guidance you'll never, ever get from any American doctor.
Good luck and God bless
I have read the Ashton/benzo withdrawl reccommendation and I don't quite agree with it because their feeling is that you should wean off of xanax by beginning to take another addictive benzo..valium. &nb