xanax withdrawals

[buddy1]

a few years ago i was taking paxil and .5 mg xanax three times a day
when the paxil began to work i stopped taking the xanax without a problem.
now i  have been taking .25 mg xanax two to three times a day only for about 6 weeks and today is the first time i haven taken one. can i experience withdrawal effects form this low dose? my head feels
a little swimmy and shaky. should i take one .25 mg a day for a while and then stop?  thanks

[jrock82679]

Hi....  I came acroos this forum today looking for some answeres.  I have had severe anxiety and panic disorder for years...  After my last son it was out of control ( did not help I was out of country at that time)  My dr. perscribed Xanax.  Started off 1-3 mgs a day and went up to 6-8 mgs after 4 years.  I was also on Paxil, buspar and Ultram.  I wanted off all meds when I got back into a "routine"  in the states.  ( my hubby is military)  I thought I could ween myself safely.  I WAS WRONG....  I went from taking 8 pills to 4 to 2 to 1 to nothing in a matter of 2 months then just stopped.  The feeling I had were horrible.  Shaking so bad I couldn't sign my name, hold coffee or anything.  I also stopped taking the other meds with in the same time period.  I felt so strange and still cannot explain it.  A lil over a week of being off these meds I had a full blown seizure.  I was outside and fell face first on concrete, busting up the left side of my face, convulsing, foaming at the mouth and was clueless as to why I was on the ground.  I am still waiting for answers on to why this happened.  I have got through the hardest part of getting off the meds, but I am still feeling off.  I can't explain the feeling I have in my head/brain.  Anyone else go through this and what can I do now to control the increased Anxiety attacts I have and fear of another seizure?  TIA  God Bless

[theultimateeye]

A lot of people try to detox off opiates with xanax. This is probably the worst thing u could do. You're trading in one addiction for another. I'm on 8mg of alprazolam a day right now and want to get off. My friend tapered down SLOWLY....like .25 mg every week until he was taking almost nothing. It worked. Don't try it cold turkey because you can have a seizure or die from the withdrawal just like alcohol.

[MariaAva]

I want advice on the best way to get off Xanax.  I am on 0.25mg a day.  1/2 pill in 8PM and 1/2 pill in 8AM.
I have only been on for 4 months but I am not liking the withdrawals and side effects and they are definitely there.  I have a terrible back ache/muscle aches between the doses because it wears off before the 12 hours is up.
Someone recommended switching to 5 mg Valium and decreasing 1 mg. per week.  
Any other thoughts?  Also any feedback on Relax Night with Melatonin by TRB for insomnia?
Thanks!

[krisneedsadvice]

Hey, I know this is a late reply. I hope your doing much better, maybe off this damn thing.

I dont know if your still detoxing and having seizures but what has helped me is two things. Learning to control and slow your breathing and meditate, Its something that you can learn through yoga. If you are able to slower your breathing, It calms down your body.

Should you need to take a step further, taking a muscle relaxant helps with that. As least its helping me. You may need to tapper slower. Everyone has a different tolerance. That many seizures concerns me and more than anything... I'd probably take all 3 steps into consideration.

1) learn to slow and control your breathing. Meditate
2) take a muscle relaxant when needed
3) slower your tappering

[krisneedsadvice]

I have been taking xanax for about 5 years. Of course the tolerance goes up the longer you are on them. I have been at about 6 mg for 2 years. Recently tappered down to 2 mg for a month. Im doing okay. i want to tapper off them quicker if possible. My MAIN CONCERN: I GET RAPID HEART BEATS, OVER 100 BPH. I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my chest. I get all the other withdrawl symptoms like the chills, shakes, insomnia (I can handle that) but my main concern is the rapid heartbeat. Thats what is holding me back from detoxing. I really want this out of my system. Does anyone have any advice how to get through this and calm down the heart rate? PLEASE, IF ANYONE KNOWS IF THERE IS SOME natural herbal remedy TO CALM THE HEART RATE, PLEASE RESPOND. I'D be so ever greatful!

[mtl1367]

by 3bars a day

I've been on xannax  for almost ten years straight i've experienced at least 5 seizures that i know of, my doctor is tapering me down he tells me going down half a bar should not affect me, but it does if anyone can provide me with information on how to taper down successfully please e-mail me @ ***@**** this is the drug from hell i would appreciate any information to tell my doctor that would help me taper off these things!

[East27]

My best friend has been takin at least five or more "bars" of xanex a day for I beleive two years I've tried to get him to stop but he never listens or he just dosent remember me telling him, he's had about for sezures. I think the only way to save him is an intervention what do y'all think?

[off_the_xanax]

This is all so familar to read....I think I may have been on the higher end here

[fallingstarz]

I took Xanax last year I think it was for a year straight and maybe more it was only half a log or maybe sometimes a log and I also would drink on them I was and still am a heavy drinker. I think the Xanax screwed my head up worse because I always been depressed and have disorders, but I never felt like this its insane. I read on the internet that Xanax can increase depression and panic disorder. I feel terrible it was fun doing them at the time when I was 18 and 19 drinking and popping pills and partying all the time, than it all hit me when I turned 19 and a half but I didn't know I would deal with the consequences like this, I know now I'm not "invisible" and that drugs are not a good thing at all they ruined my life somewhat, I don't want to say that because I'm only 20 but I sometimes just can't take it!! It ***** because I would do Xanax if they were around.

[GoingToMakeIt]

Welcome to the forum! This is an old post. It would be good for you to start your own new post. At the top of page, hit the 'Post a Question' button.

[Jennypat]

oh my gosh! I am so glad I stumbled ont his website. I thought that I was just mental or something. I have been taking xanax for about a year I started off with .05 now I take 1 mg 3 or 4 times a day! I actually have been taking up to 6 some days because its like they have lost there punch! I have 6 kids and am under a great deal of stress for other reasons as well, but I wis that I would have depeneded on God instead of now being a xanax junkie! Now Im scared to wean off! I had no idea you could have seizures. Can someone tell me how to wean off safley? without getting the shakes or the piercing headaches that I get if I dont have them?

[Summer123]

If you've been on xanex for a week, stop taking them now or you will get addicted.  Then you will need a long time to taper and it will be hell.  Please throw those pills away and never pick them up again.  I believe xanex to be the most addicting drug ever!

[vidjagames]

I recently was prescribed Xanax in conjunction with the Dexedrine (20mg a day) that I take now.  I informed my doctor the Xanax would be taken on an "only if I'm having an anxiety attack", yet he still prescribed me 120 0.5mg pills.

Like I said before, I assured myself that I would only take the Xanax on a "need to take" basis.  I tried one pill (0.5mg) on Saturday to make sure that I had no bad side effects to it and that I would be fine.  I felt a little less anxious but it didn't have the desired effect, since I still felt the anxiety I had before, just ever-so-lessened.  So several days later, I took 1mg during class to make sure that I could function and I didn't end up acting "stoned".  I was perfectly fine, although I found that the Xanax counteracted the anxiety-inducing side effects of my high dose of Dexedrine, so the next day I took the same dose once during class and once at night (total of 2mg).

Tonight was especially stressful and with the combined 1mg dose I took earlier today and the 1.5mg dose I took tonight, I'm at 2.5mg.

I need this to stop.  This can't be a daily routine where I take more and more pills and I lose control.

I'm almost certain I'm becoming addicted.  However, I feel like there's hope because I've only been taking the drug for about a week.  If you could offer any help that would be greatly appreciated.

[onlasttime]

Hello-i am 27 and ive been on xanax for like a year but not taking everyday until the last 6 months. i take about 2-3 mg a day and i have nightmares and i really want to get off! i am sick of being in a coma all day. i am also on painkillers-what to do? just taper off? i hate myself! do u think ill have severe withdrawals like i can only go like 10 hrs without if that and my skin starts crawling and i cant sit still! i just keep pacing! do u think i can just taper off? i hate this feeling!

[notmenow!]

What happened that your son was sent to prison over xanax? Did he steal a Dr. script pad and was writting scripts for himself, Or did he get caught with xanax without a script. He should be seeing a psycologist now to work out the problems that are causing him to require tranquilizers. He should be on a drug called seroquel, as it has a calming effect and many shrinks are now prscribing it in place of xanax or in addition to xanax, but if he stays on xanax make sure they prescribe the extended release formula, fairly new to the market. Its called xanax cr, cr stands for controlled release. How long was he in prison, Is he on probation now? If he has now rx coverage go to ppa.com look for Montel Williams name. the commercials are true if he qualifies, they pay for xanax and seoquel and Lexapro which I mentioned on the post to buddy1. If he is on florida I may be able to help him with programs offered to ex offenders as i use to be an assistant in a dept of corrections substance abuse program before I became ill. But it depends when he was released from prison as assistance is good for 10 months from the date of his release--Stay Strong---Noah

[notmenow!]

The best and safest way to dotox of xanax is to be honest with you Dr. You develop a tolerance rather quickly. But you need to make up your mind, If they were given to you for panic attacks what are you going to due to treat a attack even after you have detoxed lets assume, I would talk to your Dr. on what his professional opinion is you do. You are on rather a low dose know. I dont think your in the catagory of having a seizures. The fastest and safest way to come of benzo is with phenobarbital, taken in decreased doses over about 10 days, you should switch from paxil to Lexapro as this is for (GAD) generalized anxiety disorder. If you feel you cant deal with your life without xanax, as to be switched to xanax cr, which is time released but very costly at this time because there is no generic yet. It may even be on your insurance list of cevered medcations, What ever you decide I hope it all works out.-----noah

[gina mcgarity]

My son has been taking these xanax for a couple of years off and on, he is only 22 and out of control now! How do you just stop, how can I help him? It has already sent him to prison once! Please help me, ANYONE!

[snowdoveee]

wow ty all for posting i was thinking i was crazy and just imagining all the **** im going trew ,taught i was the only one and no one would understand ,was thinking i cant spend my live like this ,its not woth it ,but know that i read that lot of you are clean and living a good live ,i can know hang in thank you hugsssss snow.

[Spacemonkey]

I've stopped drinking(4yr, 9mo), stopped taking painkillers(~8wks), and stopped taking Xanax(~18mo).

Out of ALL of these, Xanax was BY FAR more brutal than any other in terms of WD.  It litterally felt like my whole body was packed with ants and I was so amazingly uncomforable that it really can't be described except to say that you have an uncontrollable need to MOVE! no where in particular, just MOVE.... the fact that Animal from the muppets was practicing his routine on my heartbeat was another beauty of a side effect.  I quit Xanax cold ----> IDIOT MOVE !!!  If I had discovered this board before I quit, I would have done it much safer and with a Dr.'s help.

I was getting so bad with taking Xanax that I would awaken in the middle of the night in a full-blast panic attack! I'd have to get up and take 2 just to get back into the bed..... after a few weeks of this, I realized that this was WAY ABNORMAL !!!! and stopped immediately. I had some Xanadine (a muscle relaxer) so I took 1/2 a tab every 5 hours for the 1st 7-10 days I was off of it.  It was still a viscious drug to stop taking!

Best of Luck and Peace be with all of you trying to put down tranq's.  They are REALLY hard to stop b/c of what they do to your head, but you see quick rewards b/c your brain is AWAKE again :o)

You have the most chance of seizures and severe health problems when you abruptly stop taking benzo's.... Don't die to get clean. Get a Doctor to help you because there isn't a really "safe" way to get out on your own after a long term benzodiazepene addiction.

Keep up the good work and keep posting here.  We are all here to support eachother. Peace :o)

[natasha windham]

i wasn't even taking xanax for years only for a couple months,i got addicted to them and only wanted more,i drank beer behind them as well ,you know to make the effect heightened and i swear to you i hate i ever touched a xanax or a beer.i had been drinking for thirteen years and deeply depressed i was child molested and i needed a way out,started having panic attacks at the age of 19,i am 29 now still having panic attacks and decided that i was tired of being an alcoholic and a xanax junkie so i quit cold turkey.boy was that the wrong thing to do,i like to have been lost my mind,i could not function at all my vision was blurry,my blood sugars keeped dropping,i could hear a pin drop,lost my appetite completely and when i did try to eat something it tasted so bad like ten times sweeter than it was i spit it out,lost about 20 pounds,thought i was dying,just didnt know what to do with myself,so i thought that i would kill myself and get it over with.went to the hospital to be shown no mercy,they all made me feel like i had really lost it,i didnt know what was going on until i talked to a nurse who did have the decency to tell me what i was going through.it was not easy and i agree with the person who said that the people who make xanax should be shot to hell or at least have someone shove a couple of xanax in their mouths 2 to 3 times a day for two months,lock them up in a room for them to suffer like we did,then they would know how it feels,i am a mother of three beautiful kids and during that time i could not even look my kids in their faces im still mad as hell.i can tell you one thing that is for sure if it had not of been for the good Lord watching over me i would have killed myself but through prayer i made it and you can too.peace to all and God bless.
                                                                           thanks for having me nw
                                                    

[Calzy]

Your posts are not being seen here much because you are posting on a 2001 post so if you have a question or comment please start a new post.

[B-bunch]

I just returned from the hospital after a 5 day stay. After 2 years of prescribing Xanax for me, my doctor suddenly decided to stop prescribing because I took more than he prescribed last month. (I am on Interferon/Ribaviron treatment I have HepC)
I had to go cold-turkey.  The withdrawals were bad for 3 days could barely stand up to get out of bed. I could just make it to the bathroom. I couldn't eat or sleep or get any water down without throwing it back up. After the 4 days I thought it would get better...WRONG. It got worse.
I then started a psychotic episode that lasted for a week. I totally broke from reality, auditory and visual hallucinations non-stop. I was lucky a family member called 911,  the paramedics arrived and they took me to the emergency room, the hospital had to admit me because of my mental state. I don't have insurance so I can't possibly pay the hospital bill, it's been a month since then and I still haven't received the bill so it MUST be a whopper.
Transfer to Valium, it's easier to withdraw from I've been told. And begin to taper off today. Xanax should be discontinued and the pharmaceutical company that makes it  should be shut down for good.
Check out this old post......
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/addiction/messages/30256a.html

Good luck to all of you. You'll get thru the withdrawal. If I can do it anybody can.

[Mastiff555]

I know this feeling is so bad--I have been taking opiates (percs/oxys/vics) and zanex.  I really am not sure which is affecting me worse for detoxing.  My friend was doing the same as me only no zanex after a week or 2 he has been ok--not perfect but not like me.  Does anyone know if the zanex is making the opiate detox worse--Obviously I know it has not made it better but I mean it just seems that I am worse detoxing than other who did not take zanex--is this true?  I snorted the zanex as well--Maybe that made it worse as well--anyway I wish everyone luck--I would not wish this on anyone honestly anyone this really sucks-if I only could turn back time-never would touch anything!!!!! I pray everyone including me gets rid of this devil!

[Jennco]

I've been taking 1mg 3 times a day.  I want 2 stop!!!!!   It is EVIL!!  Its been about 6 months at least and I get internal shakes.   I can't work/go to school.  When does this stop?  I'm trying not to take them at all.   I started taking 2mg a  day and I want to quit!!!!!!!  I would never wiash this feeling on my worst friend