Weaning off of Alprazolam

[pete4954]

I have been taking 0.5 MG of Alprazolam each night for 6 months and would like to wean off of it. Please advise me as to what would be the safest schedule to wean off of it.

Thank you.

[Paxiled]

Weaning is individual -- there is no general one size fits all schedule.  Do this under the care of a psychiatrist experienced and understanding of withdrawal and adjust the schedule to suit how you react to it.  If you sail through, great, if you don't, take your time.  Good luck.

[RubyWitch]

For really excellent answers to your question, please visit the MH group for which I have provided the link below. When you click on it, a box will pop up, just click on "open" and you will be able to post your question.
Peace
Greenlydia

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Psychopharmacology/show/701

[kane3]

Hey,
First...do you need to be off this medication for any medical reasons? Or, do you just want to be off of it just cause? Second, I would talk to your doctor first before stoping any kind of medication. Sometimes people try to stop taking medications cold turkey and end up having seizures, stroke ect...or even death. So talking to your family doctor is a must. I would recommend weaning of your medication...although .5mg is a small dose..you have been on it for quite some time. If your doctor doesn't recommend anything that sounds positive or up to your  standards, seek a second opinion. Never lower your standards when listening to a doctor and things just don't sound or feel right. He might recommend cutting your dose in half for a couple months and then stopping ....are you taking this medication for anxiety reasons? Anyways, hoped I helped..feel free to ask whenever

Kane