Aa
xanax xr
I have been on this medications for 5 years.my doctor can no longer prescribe this for me .what are going to be side affects.
I can't imagine a doctor who would refuse a refill after 5 years. The body and mind becomes addicted to Xanax. This cannot be stopped cold turkey!! You must be weaned under a doctor or clinic's supervision. If, you've abused your
RX, then, you will need to be carefully monitored. But, I would think a doctor is
actually irresponsibly to not properly take care of this problem.
RX, then, you will need to be carefully monitored. But, I would think a doctor is
actually irresponsibly to not properly take care of this problem.
First of all, why can your doctor no longer prescribe this for you? Are you in the UK?
Being on Xanax for 5 years is going to take a substantial amount of time to withdraw from and it's going to take a great deal of team work between you and your doctor. It is one of the, if not THE, most difficult benzo to withdraw from.
I hope your doctor understands that you can NOT just stop this medication cold turkey. There is a very real possibility of seizures and hospitalization if done that way. I suggest you speak to him/her as soon as possible and discuss the tapering process they use. If they say they simply have you stop taking it, please make an appointment with a psychiatrist or a psychiatric medication manager who understands the dangers of that method and will NOT withdraw you that way.
If you still need to be on a benzo, the psychiatrist will be able to recommend a long term medication that will work better than the Xanax, which is really a short term med and is not intended to be taken for 5 years unless it's strictly on a PRN basis,
The person who supervises your withdrawal may use a long acting benzo like Klonopin and will begin your taper by DECREASING, or what's called "stepping out," your Xanax in very, very small increments while at the same time, adding, or "stepping in" the equivilant amount of Klonopin. (Or whatever medication you and your doctor think best) This process continues over a fairly long time, (sometimes more than a year) But while that may seem excessive, it is that length of time which is going to make your withdrawal as comfortable as possible and keep you from giving up and just going back on the full dose of Xanax, but if you can't get it anymore, then this withdrawal must be taken very seriously. Eventually you will have weaned completely off the Xanax and it will have been replaced by another benzo.
If you have any more questions, please post again. You're about to go on a very bumpy road and there are so many of us here who have been on that road and we can help you.
Be strong
Peace
Greenlydia
Being on Xanax for 5 years is going to take a substantial amount of time to withdraw from and it's going to take a great deal of team work between you and your doctor. It is one of the, if not THE, most difficult benzo to withdraw from.
I hope your doctor understands that you can NOT just stop this medication cold turkey. There is a very real possibility of seizures and hospitalization if done that way. I suggest you speak to him/her as soon as possible and discuss the tapering process they use. If they say they simply have you stop taking it, please make an appointment with a psychiatrist or a psychiatric medication manager who understands the dangers of that method and will NOT withdraw you that way.
If you still need to be on a benzo, the psychiatrist will be able to recommend a long term medication that will work better than the Xanax, which is really a short term med and is not intended to be taken for 5 years unless it's strictly on a PRN basis,
The person who supervises your withdrawal may use a long acting benzo like Klonopin and will begin your taper by DECREASING, or what's called "stepping out," your Xanax in very, very small increments while at the same time, adding, or "stepping in" the equivilant amount of Klonopin. (Or whatever medication you and your doctor think best) This process continues over a fairly long time, (sometimes more than a year) But while that may seem excessive, it is that length of time which is going to make your withdrawal as comfortable as possible and keep you from giving up and just going back on the full dose of Xanax, but if you can't get it anymore, then this withdrawal must be taken very seriously. Eventually you will have weaned completely off the Xanax and it will have been replaced by another benzo.
If you have any more questions, please post again. You're about to go on a very bumpy road and there are so many of us here who have been on that road and we can help you.
Be strong
Peace
Greenlydia
Check out mayo clinic website. It is not going to be nice if you have been on a high dose of xanax for a longt time. Let me copy and paste some symtoms. Here's from info from wikipeddia:
Not all withdrawal effects are evidence of true dependence or withdrawal. Recurrence of symptoms such as anxiety may simply indicate that the drug was having its expected anti-anxiety effect and that, in the absence of the drug, the symptom has returned to pretreatment levels. If the symptoms are more severe or frequent, the patient may be experiencing a rebound effect due to the removal of the drug. Either of these can occur without the patient's actually being drug-dependent.[56]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alprazolam#Dependence_and_withdrawal
Benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome—often abbreviated to benzo withdrawal—is the cluster of symptoms which appear when a person who has taken benzodiazepines long term and has developed benzodiazepine dependence stops taking benzodiazepine drug(s) or during dosage reductions. Benzodiazepine withdrawal is similar to alcohol withdrawal syndrome and barbiturate withdrawal syndrome[1] and can in severe cases provoke life threatening withdrawal symptoms such as seizures.[2] Severe and life threatening symptoms are mostly limited to abrupt or over-rapid dosage reduction from high doses.[3] A protracted withdrawal syndrome may develop in a proportion of individuals with symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, insomnia and sensory disturbances. In a small number of people it can be severe and resemble serious psychiatric and medical conditions such as schizophrenia and seizure disorders.[4] A serious side effect of benzodiazepine withdrawal is suicide.[5]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzodiazepine_withdrawal_symptoms#Withdrawal_symptoms
Apparently this may not be a safe thing for you. You need a new doctor pronto to help you come off the xanax more slowly so it is safer. Or go to the hospital. I'm sorry this is happening to you.
Hugs-Bradian
Not all withdrawal effects are evidence of true dependence or withdrawal. Recurrence of symptoms such as anxiety may simply indicate that the drug was having its expected anti-anxiety effect and that, in the absence of the drug, the symptom has returned to pretreatment levels. If the symptoms are more severe or frequent, the patient may be experiencing a rebound effect due to the removal of the drug. Either of these can occur without the patient's actually being drug-dependent.[56]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alprazolam#Dependence_and_withdrawal
Benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome—often abbreviated to benzo withdrawal—is the cluster of symptoms which appear when a person who has taken benzodiazepines long term and has developed benzodiazepine dependence stops taking benzodiazepine drug(s) or during dosage reductions. Benzodiazepine withdrawal is similar to alcohol withdrawal syndrome and barbiturate withdrawal syndrome[1] and can in severe cases provoke life threatening withdrawal symptoms such as seizures.[2] Severe and life threatening symptoms are mostly limited to abrupt or over-rapid dosage reduction from high doses.[3] A protracted withdrawal syndrome may develop in a proportion of individuals with symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, insomnia and sensory disturbances. In a small number of people it can be severe and resemble serious psychiatric and medical conditions such as schizophrenia and seizure disorders.[4] A serious side effect of benzodiazepine withdrawal is suicide.[5]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzodiazepine_withdrawal_symptoms#Withdrawal_symptoms
Apparently this may not be a safe thing for you. You need a new doctor pronto to help you come off the xanax more slowly so it is safer. Or go to the hospital. I'm sorry this is happening to you.
Hugs-Bradian
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Anxiety Community
Find out what can trigger a panic attack – and what to do if you have one.
A guide to 10 common phobias.
Take control of tension today.
These simple pick-me-ups squash stress.
Don’t let the winter chill send your smile into deep hibernation. Try these 10 mood-boosting tips to get your happy back
Want to wake up rested and refreshed?
