Aa
Xanax taper - please help!
Hi Everyone- I need some advice and possibly some support and everyone seems really nice on these boards. I am a 32 year old healthy female. I was dealing with anxiety starting last year with grad school and have been on xanax for about a year. I started off seeing a psychiatrist and taking it .5 3 times a day, then gradually going lower to about .5 once a day. I stopped seeing the psychiatrist because the semester ended and was feeling a lot better. Just taking the xanax as needed - not every day and then I eventually stopped. Fast forward to this last semester - went to my regular dr because I was having trouble sleeping and very anxious with grad school, thesis writing etc. She gave me ambien for just 2 weeks which helped and only .25 xanax once a day. Believe it or not the .25 xanax helped and there were actually a few days where I didnt need to take it at all. I figured that since I was on such a low dose now that I would be able to stop cold turkey. Wrong!! So I just graduated this past week and was planning on stopping the xanax because I figured the anxiety would end. I took a .25 pill this past Sunday and didnt take anything Monday or yesterday. Monday I felt great and even got a good nite sleep. Yesterday I felt okay up until last nite and felt awful- dizzy, really anxious, heart racing, muscle twitching, eye blinking, you name it. So since I had nobody to call and my regular dr said I can just stop taking it w/ no problems (which isnt true) I was kind of stuck. I did some research online and read about having to taper off. So I took .125 (half of the .25 pill) which helped a little even though I didnt get any sleep. I have also been taking 5htp and ltheanine...natural herbs that seem to take the anxiety away a tad. I just need advice on what I should do- I know that I'm on such a low dose but Ive always been taking it for a while and the fact that I was on a higher dose last semester- not sure if that matters since my body was okay with me taking .25 once daily for the last 2 months. I had 7 .25 xanax pills left (now six) because I took half yesterday and half today and was going to continue this until they were done. Does anyone have any advice? This is really interfering with my life- thankfully since I just graduated I dont have a job yet and dont plan on looking for one until I feel better. Thanks.
Many years ago I quit xanax suddenly and had a seizure big time. It's a good thing someone else was driving my truck or else I would probably be dead and other people too. Even weening off them make sure your not alone and I would not drive. Better safe than sorry.
Dovecat
Dovecat
well, it does work on the same receptors as all the other benzo's. the primary difference is the half-life, though. you can sub with valium but you have to convert from one to the other.....a process very important in higher doses and most doctors just don't want to mess with it....but for high dose long-term addictions, it makes for an easier taper. however, you're right in that you can't simply switch from one to the other. it would send a person into withdrawal. it has to be done very slowly....but at a low dose like this, there really isn't any way to do a slow switch. however, at a low dose like this, a switch would kinda not be worth it unless it's simply too hard to do the taper on xanax.....which would be very rare but not unheard of.
HI......i detoxes of xanex also .....I started at 4mg and worked my way down but I found the last .25 to be the hardest part to stop.....my phyyc dr told me xanex unlike other benso's hits its own brain receptor so subing valium or clanapine wont work you just gto to tuff it out this is one of those meds where a small dose has strong withdrawal effects...at least it did for me
and I was warned by my dr that it would be a ruff road to go down getting off it .....she wasent the original doctor to putt me on it I came to her on 4mg ....just know everything being suggested helps I found the sleepytime tea from walmart helped at night and I used prayer as my meditation hang in there yuor in the tail end you will start to feel better soon good luck and God bless......Gnarly
and I was warned by my dr that it would be a ruff road to go down getting off it .....she wasent the original doctor to putt me on it I came to her on 4mg ....just know everything being suggested helps I found the sleepytime tea from walmart helped at night and I used prayer as my meditation hang in there yuor in the tail end you will start to feel better soon good luck and God bless......Gnarly
well if the anxiety/insomnia you're experiencing is just from withdrawal, then you're doing about everything you can do. if this is something that's ongoing, though....then thats a whole different situation. do you take an SSRI or any type of antidepressent? it may be that to avoid benzo over-use you will need to take a preventative.
for me, i took zoloft during my toughest times and xanax only at the points where i was really going nuts. the other times where the anxiety was bad, but not ER bad, i would simply let my mind do its thing. the biggest thing i've learned is that we are anxious for a reason. it is generally our minds response to something...drugs help keep us from really loosing it, but ultimately we have to take note that something is wrong and it needs fixing.
for me, i got married, bought my first house, got a brand new job, bought a new car, and THEN found out after all the bills mounted up that my job would no longer exist. it was just a whole bunch of stuff all at once that hit me like a ton of bricks. i'm prone to anxiety and because i wasn't keeping myself mentally well, it all came crashing down on me.
anyway, i took zoloft for 2 years plus a tricyclic that i'd been taking for 15 years. it REALLY helped...however i started to experience symptoms of tardive dyskensia, and so i knew it was time for a change.
now, i take no preventative drugs, but i'm more mentally stable. i eat healthy, i lost 50 pounds..i exercise....all things you hear people say are important, but we generally don't listen. truth is, they ARE very important. when our bodies are deficient, so are our minds. obviously you seem to be excercising and taking vitamins. hopefully eating fairly well, too? thats important....but i also have spent a lot of time working on relaxation exercises and yoga-type stuff. this really helps. i also play music and sing....not something i do particularly well, but it doesn't matter since it REALLY lifts my mood and thats all thats important.
i found out a lot of my anxiety at my worst was coming from stress at work. you have to find the root cause. for me, as i said, a bunch of stuff triggered a breakdown but the anxiety itself was already there under the surface. the root being with my job. i made huge changes in the way i think at work. i MADE SURE i started getting my breaks....something small but it has added up to a lot. your mind needs time to zone out in stressful situations. if it doesnt, over time you end up a basket case. i practice my relaxation exercises at work. some people laugh (with me)...and thats ok. i've even gotten a couple of them to do it too. i have a very stressful job working with a lot of angry people. its important to do a nice breathing exercise and clear your mind after getting chewed out.
so to answer your question, there is no one thing i can suggest. all i can say is that it's a whole bunch of little things that add up to a lot.....none of which is relevant to you if you are ONLY experiencing withdrawal from benzo's. thats something you'll just have to tough out. however, there's a reason you started taking them.....if that reason is still there, then what you're experiencing could be the return of previous symptoms that the benzo was covering up. in this case, every little step becomes important because it's a long process to get an anxious mind ready to function close to normal without the help of drugs.
i dunno how much any of that helped....but i can say that for me, it took a few years of making MAJOR changes in my life to get to a healthier state of mind. it has been well worth it, though. sounds like you're already doing a lot....but i bet if you look hard enough, there's more you can do. funny thing is, our bodies tell us what they need. we usually just don't listen since a pill is easier. for example, you go to work....you get stressed and anxious and worked up....so what do you do? take a pill? thats easy. however, if you listen to your body, it's saying it doesn't like it and you need to fix it. finding out HOW to fix it is the journey. obviously you still have to go to work.....but it's how you go about doing it that makes all the difference.
i like classical music. i also like very old country/gospel. i like music from the 20's and 30's. all these things help me relax while i'm doing my 'yoga' stuff. it takes me to a whole different place. if you can find something that can do the same for you, it'll make a huge difference. let me tell you...nothing can move you like Bach, Mozart or Debussy when you are in the right frame of mind. try listening to Moonlight Sonata while doing stretches and letting your mind wander with the changes scenes of the piece. it really does help.
for me, i took zoloft during my toughest times and xanax only at the points where i was really going nuts. the other times where the anxiety was bad, but not ER bad, i would simply let my mind do its thing. the biggest thing i've learned is that we are anxious for a reason. it is generally our minds response to something...drugs help keep us from really loosing it, but ultimately we have to take note that something is wrong and it needs fixing.
for me, i got married, bought my first house, got a brand new job, bought a new car, and THEN found out after all the bills mounted up that my job would no longer exist. it was just a whole bunch of stuff all at once that hit me like a ton of bricks. i'm prone to anxiety and because i wasn't keeping myself mentally well, it all came crashing down on me.
anyway, i took zoloft for 2 years plus a tricyclic that i'd been taking for 15 years. it REALLY helped...however i started to experience symptoms of tardive dyskensia, and so i knew it was time for a change.
now, i take no preventative drugs, but i'm more mentally stable. i eat healthy, i lost 50 pounds..i exercise....all things you hear people say are important, but we generally don't listen. truth is, they ARE very important. when our bodies are deficient, so are our minds. obviously you seem to be excercising and taking vitamins. hopefully eating fairly well, too? thats important....but i also have spent a lot of time working on relaxation exercises and yoga-type stuff. this really helps. i also play music and sing....not something i do particularly well, but it doesn't matter since it REALLY lifts my mood and thats all thats important.
i found out a lot of my anxiety at my worst was coming from stress at work. you have to find the root cause. for me, as i said, a bunch of stuff triggered a breakdown but the anxiety itself was already there under the surface. the root being with my job. i made huge changes in the way i think at work. i MADE SURE i started getting my breaks....something small but it has added up to a lot. your mind needs time to zone out in stressful situations. if it doesnt, over time you end up a basket case. i practice my relaxation exercises at work. some people laugh (with me)...and thats ok. i've even gotten a couple of them to do it too. i have a very stressful job working with a lot of angry people. its important to do a nice breathing exercise and clear your mind after getting chewed out.
so to answer your question, there is no one thing i can suggest. all i can say is that it's a whole bunch of little things that add up to a lot.....none of which is relevant to you if you are ONLY experiencing withdrawal from benzo's. thats something you'll just have to tough out. however, there's a reason you started taking them.....if that reason is still there, then what you're experiencing could be the return of previous symptoms that the benzo was covering up. in this case, every little step becomes important because it's a long process to get an anxious mind ready to function close to normal without the help of drugs.
i dunno how much any of that helped....but i can say that for me, it took a few years of making MAJOR changes in my life to get to a healthier state of mind. it has been well worth it, though. sounds like you're already doing a lot....but i bet if you look hard enough, there's more you can do. funny thing is, our bodies tell us what they need. we usually just don't listen since a pill is easier. for example, you go to work....you get stressed and anxious and worked up....so what do you do? take a pill? thats easy. however, if you listen to your body, it's saying it doesn't like it and you need to fix it. finding out HOW to fix it is the journey. obviously you still have to go to work.....but it's how you go about doing it that makes all the difference.
i like classical music. i also like very old country/gospel. i like music from the 20's and 30's. all these things help me relax while i'm doing my 'yoga' stuff. it takes me to a whole different place. if you can find something that can do the same for you, it'll make a huge difference. let me tell you...nothing can move you like Bach, Mozart or Debussy when you are in the right frame of mind. try listening to Moonlight Sonata while doing stretches and letting your mind wander with the changes scenes of the piece. it really does help.
You mean like vitamins/supplements right? Yea I take a lot actually- I take inositol powder for stress/sleep, 5htp, ltheanine, melatonin. As far as vitamins, I take Bcomplex and then extra B6 and B12, taurine, magnesium, potassium, calcium, vit C, can you recommend anything else? Yea I did go to anxiety and supplement communities and they had some good ideas. Ive also been so tired lately because I cant remember the last time I have gotten a full night sleep. What are some other things you do for your anxiety?
yes that book is worth a try.
are you taking anything otc? i understand your frustration. doctors don't understand that even in small doses, these things can be pretty hard to just stop taking...not because of an urge to abuse them, but rather because once our body gets used to them, it DOESN'T want to go back to the way it was before.
one book i read on benzo withdrawal is that the reason that its so hard to withdrawal for some people is because, to the body, there's nothing wrong. the GABA is there, but the body can no longer use it in the way that it should...so there's nothing for it to 'fix'...
thats why the withdrawal process of this type of drug can range from simple for some people to moderate for most people and to severe for others, depending on method and length of use and the way the body reacts to it.
i do suggest the alternative therapy and anxiety community, if you haven't gone there already. the alternative therapy forum might have some good suggestions for OTC's, and so might the anxiety community.
for me, when i reduce the dose of this drug, i will go to 0.125mg as needed, then take the other half only if i REALLY need to. it works for me. i have chronic anxiety and do use this drug for weeks at a time sometimes, so when i go to stop it, i can't just stop or else i have major rebound anxiety and insomnia. the half tabs work to relieve some of this and then eventually i can go to none...but thats what works for me. everyone's different. best of luck!
are you taking anything otc? i understand your frustration. doctors don't understand that even in small doses, these things can be pretty hard to just stop taking...not because of an urge to abuse them, but rather because once our body gets used to them, it DOESN'T want to go back to the way it was before.
one book i read on benzo withdrawal is that the reason that its so hard to withdrawal for some people is because, to the body, there's nothing wrong. the GABA is there, but the body can no longer use it in the way that it should...so there's nothing for it to 'fix'...
thats why the withdrawal process of this type of drug can range from simple for some people to moderate for most people and to severe for others, depending on method and length of use and the way the body reacts to it.
i do suggest the alternative therapy and anxiety community, if you haven't gone there already. the alternative therapy forum might have some good suggestions for OTC's, and so might the anxiety community.
for me, when i reduce the dose of this drug, i will go to 0.125mg as needed, then take the other half only if i REALLY need to. it works for me. i have chronic anxiety and do use this drug for weeks at a time sometimes, so when i go to stop it, i can't just stop or else i have major rebound anxiety and insomnia. the half tabs work to relieve some of this and then eventually i can go to none...but thats what works for me. everyone's different. best of luck!
Just an idea here - but you could check out The Ashton manual (program designed by Dr. Heather Ashton) - it's all about benzo withdrawal and the proper and safe ways to come off of the benzo's and what to expect during withdrawal/tapering. Might be worth taking a look at? Good luck to you! :)
Honestly- I'm having a lot of trouble getting a drs appt. Being that my original psychiatrist is not practicing anymore and my regular dr told me to just go off it, I have tried calling so many drs. Either they dont have appts, dont answer, or dont call back. It's just like beyond frustrating at this point. I dont want to sit here and play dr and devlop my own "taper schedule" but at this point I dont have a choice. I definitely agree that exercise is good as well as relaxing and I'm doing both. I definitely still feel anxious and even though I slept a little, I havent gotten a good nite sleep in quite a while. I'm also kind of small(not that it matters) but things to seem to effect me more- I'm only about 110 lbs and 5'5. Anyway I really hope to see a dr soon so I can feel a little more at east. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me- it definitely helps!
well relaxing is important....but the walking helps more because of the chemicals/hormones your body releases by doing it. the dopamine and endorphins released just by a 30 minute walk tend to lift the mood more than relaxation excercises....however, i often do them both together. i do long yoga-like stretching prior to walking and so by the time i'm done, i feel like a whole different person. it's all low impact, too.
as to the taking half daily....you may get by with it without any problems. i think while doing any taper you really need to have a dr to share with so that if you DO have problems, you can adjust things accordingly. the simple truth is that if you taper on the xanax, there is no other way to taper than by going to .125 and taking the final jump. however, the path you use can be different. you could do many things like .25 one day and .125 the next for a week...then eventaully .125 every day....then eventually every other day....then off. it all depends on how you respond and what your dr says.
for some people, even at this low of a dose, it is still very difficult. it's rare, but it happens. if this is the case, you could even ask your dr about a very low dose of valium for the taper. it has a long half-life and might be easier. the thing to remember, though, is that you're only trying to avoid the REALLY uncomfortable stuff. no taper will be easy. you WILL be somewhat uncomfortable, it's just a matter of avoiding the extremes like staying up for nights on end or being so anxious you can't move. the extremes can be avoided...but you can't avoid it all.
valerian root helps with relaxation. melatonin helps with insomnia for some people. i wouldn't use otc sleep meds with diphenhydramine...it would just be postponing the insomnia you're going to experience. you could post in the alternative therapy community asking what vitamins/etc might help with this process. there is a person who visits that community that knows quite a lot about things that might help.
how soon will you be getting an appt? i wouldn't wait to get one. if you're having trouble with a taper, you don't want to run out until you're ready to.
as to the taking half daily....you may get by with it without any problems. i think while doing any taper you really need to have a dr to share with so that if you DO have problems, you can adjust things accordingly. the simple truth is that if you taper on the xanax, there is no other way to taper than by going to .125 and taking the final jump. however, the path you use can be different. you could do many things like .25 one day and .125 the next for a week...then eventaully .125 every day....then eventually every other day....then off. it all depends on how you respond and what your dr says.
for some people, even at this low of a dose, it is still very difficult. it's rare, but it happens. if this is the case, you could even ask your dr about a very low dose of valium for the taper. it has a long half-life and might be easier. the thing to remember, though, is that you're only trying to avoid the REALLY uncomfortable stuff. no taper will be easy. you WILL be somewhat uncomfortable, it's just a matter of avoiding the extremes like staying up for nights on end or being so anxious you can't move. the extremes can be avoided...but you can't avoid it all.
valerian root helps with relaxation. melatonin helps with insomnia for some people. i wouldn't use otc sleep meds with diphenhydramine...it would just be postponing the insomnia you're going to experience. you could post in the alternative therapy community asking what vitamins/etc might help with this process. there is a person who visits that community that knows quite a lot about things that might help.
how soon will you be getting an appt? i wouldn't wait to get one. if you're having trouble with a taper, you don't want to run out until you're ready to.
Thanks for the posts. I have been trying to call a different doctor to see if we can get some help with this too. I spoke to a pharmacist and he said to def speak with a dr but to taper off like I'm doing. Do you think if I keep (in the meantime at least before I get an appt) takign .125 (half a pill) daily it will be okay? I'm definitely anxious but Im trying to cope with it as best as I can. I do go to the gym, been going to the beach to try to relax, I was even able to sleep a little last nite (with an OTC sleep aid).
you could try half a tab every day for the next 12 days (if you have 6 left)...give your body time to get used to lower dose. towards the end you could go to every other day.
i should add that you shouldn't do anything without asking the doc...but since they said to just quit cold turkey...i'm guessing they won't care how you go about it.
you could also post in the anxiety forum. they usually have a few people there who have suggestions about things that help.
my best suggestion? excercise. it helps a lot when going off these types of drugs. not heavy-duty excercise....just a 30 minute walk is enough to really help if you do it around the time of your regular dose. it does for me, anway.
i should add that you shouldn't do anything without asking the doc...but since they said to just quit cold turkey...i'm guessing they won't care how you go about it.
you could also post in the anxiety forum. they usually have a few people there who have suggestions about things that help.
my best suggestion? excercise. it helps a lot when going off these types of drugs. not heavy-duty excercise....just a 30 minute walk is enough to really help if you do it around the time of your regular dose. it does for me, anway.
Hey, you're doing the right thing. Tapering HAS to be done with benzos. Your doctor is nuts if they told you that they don't!!! (not trying to be ugly!)
Once you're down this low, you probably aren't in any danger once you finish up the taper, but you may feel rough and anxious for a while. Just try not to give in to it, ok? That is when it will be hard. If you have any underlying health problems, you really should see another doc and get some good tapering advice. Sleep and anxiety will be the worst. Just try to hang with it and find an alternate way to deal with the anxiety and stress. Like....exercise or hot bath or listening to music. Exercise helps most people though!
Good luck!
Once you're down this low, you probably aren't in any danger once you finish up the taper, but you may feel rough and anxious for a while. Just try not to give in to it, ok? That is when it will be hard. If you have any underlying health problems, you really should see another doc and get some good tapering advice. Sleep and anxiety will be the worst. Just try to hang with it and find an alternate way to deal with the anxiety and stress. Like....exercise or hot bath or listening to music. Exercise helps most people though!
Good luck!
Hey, welcome! Sorry nobody has responded 2 ur post! Wish I could b of some help but really not sure abt xanax since my DOC is loratab. Sounds 2 me like u r well on ur way tho. Congrats on doing as well as u have! Plz b patient, I'm sure someone who can help will respond. Keep up the good work n remember this a GREAT place 4 advice n support.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Addiction: Substance Abuse Community
Is treating glaucoma with marijuana all hype, or can hemp actually help?
If you think marijuana has no ill effects on your health, this article from Missouri Medicine may make you think again.
Julia Aharonov, DO, reveals the quickest way to beat drug withdrawal.
Tricks to help you quit for good.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
