xanax 1mg twice daily

[deanlou]

Hello everyone.. I am just a little bit concerned on how my medication is going, so let me just rant.
I have been on anxiety medications on and off for one year, from buspar to ativan to xanax. I have been on 2mgs of xanax daily since February, now my doctor wants me to stop the xanax and deal with life without medication all together?!.. anyways, he wrote me one final script for 0.5MG once-twice daily, with a qty of 20! that is no way to taper some one off this medication, right? I talked to my aunt who is a doctor (she will not prescribe any narcotics through out our family because of DEA ref's etc) and she told me to go to a new doctor because stopping this drug is way to risky especially for someone my age (18). She actually doesn't even want me on the medication, because a few years ago I would take them to get high. (not knowing what kind of medication it was or what it was made to do) so she thinks I take them to get high which is not the case what so ever, but yea. Anybody have any suggestions? I would appreciate it, thanks.

[deanlou]

After 18 year old, it is supposed to say 'male' I don't know why that did not post with my message? hm..

[deanlou]

Well hah, lets clear this up.. my name is Dean, I am a 18 year old  and I am prescribed to these medications for my daily anxiety, my panic attacks and for my some times very extreme case of worry's at night. They do help and they do treat my problems, but this doctor completely like blew me off.. that is how I feel anyways and I will explain why more towards the end of this post. Let me also state, this whole "tapering" (last script) ordeal, happened on April 23rd. That was a month before I posted this topic, I did not have any problems with the script only being 20 because in the back of my head I knew I always had my Ativan as a backup just in case things got crazy.. so I did not think that this would be a problem and that I would be fine if I just took the 2 tablets a day for 10 more days. It has been about three weeks? since I have been off the xanax, and I must say I sort of feel like my anxiety has become more easy to trigger and happens more frequently.. I'm not sure, and that drives me crazy by itself. No, I have not turned to the ativan for help either.. I am just going to go to a new doctor, *my original doctor started to completely ignore my messages after he wrote my last script, when all I was calling for was to ask why he stopped the medication ETCETCETC. I will keep everyone posted on my progress I guess, but for now.. at this point (about 3 weeks), I'm just struggling....

[Paxiled]

Oh, and the fact Xanax is a restricted drug doesn't make it a narcotic.  It isn't.

[Paxiled]

Mr. Green gives good advice, but I would go further and just find another doctor, preferably a psychiatrist who knows how to taper and why.  You have to be very assertive about this, because most of them don't know and don't care, but I wouldn't go back to a doctor if I had a choice -- and I realize we often don't have that choice, I didn't.  But you never said why you take Xanax.  Do you have a problem for which it's working?  Because if you do and therapy hasn't helped, then no matter what anyone says, all these drugs are dangerous and if you're going to take a drug you might as well stick with the devil you know than gamble on the one you don't.  If you don't really need a drug, though, if your condition isn't all that life limiting, then treatment without drugs is the way to go since they're all problematic.

[MrGreen]

She has 20 tablets, of a lesser strength, to taper off her old 2mg dose? I don't think it is enough tablets. Not to do a correct taper. She'll really have to come down quickly. if the doctor agreed on another script for 20 more even, it would still be a fast taper. Might be a bit more manageable. Can't see it been done with the 20 without some withdrawls. Just been honest. Not trying to scare her. More let her know what she may feel for a time.

[tia77]

This would be my suggestion since I was taking two .5mg at noon and two .5mg at night for heart skipped beats after a heart ablation.  They thought maybe anxiety was causing them.  So it obviously adds up to 1mg at noon and 1mg at night.  When I decided to stop because it wasn't helping the heart I just stopped.  All night I was sweating and shaking and realized the next day after going onto the net that you shouldn't just stop this medicine.  This is what I did.  I took .5mg at noon that day and 1mg ant night for 3 days.  Then I did .5mg at noon and .5mg at night for 3 more days.  then .25mg at noon and .5mg at night 3 more days.  Then .25mg noon and .25 night 3 more day.  Then I split the .25mg in half in the noon and .25mg at night for 3 more days.  Then no more at noon and .25mg at night 3 more days.  Then break the .25mg in half for 3 more nights.  You then will be down to .25 and if you even want to you can break that 1/2 a tabelet in half till you have basicly nothing for a few more days.  After the last one I personally didn't have any withdraw symptoms.  I only had a problem sleeping which I had before I started the xanax and then I switched to one benydryl at night to help me sleep.  So basicly you just take 1/2 a tabelet away every three days.  Like I said I already had the .50 so spliting it down was easy.  See If you can call the doctor and get another script and ask if you can wean that way.  He really shouldn't say no.  After the aloted time you should be off and then if he doesn't want to prescribe so be it.  This medicine really is only supposed to be used as an occational aid if you are in a panic attack or going into a social sittuation that you have difficultly like a speak in front of people or a plane ride that you are extreamly nervos about.  I wish you luck.  If you are having anxiety you should be prescribed something for everyday use.  Good luck some people really have a hard time but the way I did it I didn't.  Wishing you well.  

[MrGreen]

You can't just stop them. That would lead to bad withdrawls. I thought every doctor would be aware of that. You need to come off them slowly. At a pace set out. I would confront the doctor about this. Tell him / her you are no idiot and you know the damage it could cause. That you are willing to stop taken them, but only if the right method for stopping them is used. He might refuse you any more. Tell him you are making a complaint about him or something. That you know how to come off them. And what he is suggesting is putting you in harms way. I'd follow up on the complaint too if he still does not budge on the issue. I am sure your relative could help you there about who to complain to. Another doctor might be the only hope for getting any more to taper off them the correct way.