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Avatar universal

Switching from Xanax to Buspar

Hi, I am a 30 year old woman who needs some advice. I have just recently moved to a new state and have had to get a new doctor. I have been taking antidepressants and Xanax for about ten years now. I get (got) 90 2mg Xanax every month, therefore am told that I can take 3 to 6mg a day. The problem is that this new doctor seems to think that it is safe for me to just stop the Xanax and start taking Buspar immediately. I am scared as hell. I have been saying that I would like to eventually get off the meds but I have heard and read that it is not safe to just quit Xanax. Another questionable thing he did was prescribe me 30 Buspar per month and I am supposed to take it before bed which ***** because my anxiety is mostly during the day.... Any advice? Thanks
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Avatar universal
Yes, thank you, I'm doing fine. I went though it in 2005, I think, when Hurricane Katrina was going though. It made a believer out of me and for the most part I stay away from benzos now. I would like to have one occasionally to get a good nights sleep but don't have access to them.

I hope you can get things worked out and you never have to go through it.
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Avatar universal
Thankyou for your response. I agree with you %100. Ironically over the last week someone close to me was hospitalized. This person was on 4mg a day and the hospital didn't know. After about 30 hours of her not getting the Xanax that she is used to she ended up having 2 seizures. I appreciate your response. Hope you are well now:)
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Avatar universal
I do take Luvox before bed and when I wake up, but that is in the same family as Prozac and is an anti depressant as well, whereas I believe the Xanax or clonazapam are mostly for anxiety. Hope that helps somehow!
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Avatar universal
I've been on buspar in the past and it mostly just made me tired and have a floaty feeling, although all medicines affect people didferently. I'm currently on clonazapam which seems to be working better. I was advised I only take these medicines right before I was going to be in an anxiety provoking situation because they start working within 20 minutes or so. Not sure why you would take it before bed unless you have trouble aleepig
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Avatar universal
"Any advice?"

Get a another doctor. One that didn't get his medical license from a CrackerJack box.

It's in no way advisable to stop Xanax or any benzo cold turkey. Buspar isn't even a benzo so it will provide no relief whatsoever from Xanax withdrawals.

I had to go cold turkey off Xanax when I moved out from my gf's house that was supplying them to me. It was the worst experience of my life and it's a wonder I didn't have a seizure and/or die. I'll spare you the details but it's a horror story and lasted a full month. The dose you're on is a lot higher than mine was too.

I hope you can find another doctor that will help you taper off. I do know people who have done it under their doctors care but it's supposed to be done very slowly.

Good luck and best wishes in finding a new doctor. Keep us posted on how it's going.
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