What should I do?

[Rogervan]

Fifteen years ago I was diagnosed with Resistant Major Depression with Anxiety. They put me on a flotilla of mysterious medications, including 6 mg/day Xanax.

Two weeks ago I used Xanax too often, and ran out. The doctors would not prescribe replacement Xanax for the six days until my prescription renews. So now I'm in freefall unassisted withdrawal. The first five days were real bad. I couldn't sleep a wink for night after night. Now I can go get more Xanax. But It occurred to me that I could decide to just continue to stay off it forever. So I'm delaying picking up my new prescription. I'm starting to feel better, and more alert and with a better memory than I've had in years. I want to extend that.

I* asked my family physician about dropping Xanax forever, cold turkey. He cryptically told me that I would need new tools to accomplish that. I wish I asked what he meant. I put a call into my psychopharmacologist, who really knows how to manage people with drugs, asking on his voice mail if I'm being presumptuous when I decide on my own to quit. I asked if I need his close attention to succeed. He did not answer my call.

I have a question about Xanax withdrawal. Can I continue to go day by day in abstinence, assuming the symptoms will continue to get better, or is there some kind of time bomb that will debilitate me in the next week or two? If so, I guess I would need to withdraw in a rehab hospital.

My nerves are kind of wracked, but I feel real benefit from not being on Xanax, even in this short time. I'm not bothered by anxiety that one-mile walks can't cure. My Question: Can I continue to abstain, one day at a time, and succeed. My determination is strong, and I have lots of support. What do you think? Could I actually be putting the hard part behind me?

Sincerely,

Roger

[Hensley258]

If you were not on such a high daily dosage of Xanax then a cold Turky stop would be ok, BUT with the amount that you take each day, then just stopping cold turkey could be danger.

Go very slow if you decide to stop. Step down very slow over the corse of a few weeks.
BTW... I must tell you that Xanax is not always a good solution to a long term mental illness like Depression and cronic anxiety. This drug is really only designed to be utilized as a temp solution until more effective and safer meds take effect.

[Bob_D]

Dear Roger,
I'm not a doctor, just an educated consumer who has taken Xanax in the past and has tried a number of antidepressants.

You feel that, based on a short time period without it, you may be able to reduce or even eliminate taking Xanax. That's potentially a positive development.

Psychoactive medications that affect brain function are nothing to trifle with. It's generally unwise to go changing your medication without complete support from your prescribing physician, and to stop taking such a large dosage of Xanax all at once is something I would never advise under any circumstances. In fact, I would consider it potentially quite dangerous.

Please go back on your prescribed dosage immediately. Discuss your desire to stop the Xanax with your prescribing doctor. If he agrees that it is a good idea, have him adjust the dosage downward for you in stages.

If it will be weeks before he can see you and you feel you absolutely *must* begin this process (contrary to the advice above), make the smallest possible adjustment in dosage downward that you can and see how you feel.

Good luck to you, let us know how you are doing.

[xanweaner]

"I have a question about Xanax withdrawal. Can I continue to go day by day in abstinence, assuming the symptoms will continue to get better, or is there some kind of time bomb that will debilitate me in the next week or two? If so, I guess I would need to withdraw in a rehab hospital."

Roger, YOU CAN NOT STOP TAKING XANAX COLD TURKEY!! This is very, very dangerous!! I don't mean to frighten you, but you must contact your treating physician immediately and set up a proper withdrawal program. This is KEY!! Please call him/her right away and get started. If you can not reach them, contact the pharmacist at your local drug store and ask for help. Do not hesitate!!

I will post more later as I'm out of town...but you need to take this necessary step right away.
Please keep us posted on your withdrawal schedule...
xan

[ParamedFlorena]

Hi Roger,

My experience on going off drugs is no where close to professional, but I think I would keep a close dialogue with the medical office in the village. Do you have a therapist? Maybe that could be one safety-net to you too?
I don't know much about Xanax but if you should get to a point where you feel too horrible to go on without it, you could reconsider the choice. It is not too late to reconsider either, and it is really strong to go through withdrawals. Ok, I admit it, my worst withdrawals have been from codeine and I constantly put myself through the torture of minimizing my coffee-consumption, so that's why I say I know nothing.

One step at a time, one day at a time - it will probably get better and better! Determination and motivation is the way that works!
There are always reasons for depression and if you are determined to do it without medications, you probably can. It is always worth trying - but do stay in touch with the prescribing physician. Stay on top of this and keep the control.

Florena