Short term user going CT and dealing with withdrawal

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I've been on Xanax from the first day of August up until the 19th, on a dose of 0.5 mg which I was taking once a day on average (I skipped a few days and others I took two pills, so 1 mg on that day). Not a long time or a big dose so 72 hours ago I decided to just stop.

 

I was prescribed to take it as needed by my primary care doctor ("every 6 hours as needed") for a month to see if it would treat some recurring physical symptoms that he thought might be tied to anxiety. I've had issues with anxiety in the past, with a couple of episodes of panic attacks and racing thoughts once in a while. I worry too much about stuff sometimes. Still these things were sporadic and didn't interfere with my daily life so I hadn't really thought to seek help on them. The last couple of months I had begun getting random aches and pains, it started with GI issues which I got checked out for and nothing really came up. Later I started getting these muscle aches on my sides, arms and legs, sometimes tingling and numbness. At times I would  feel weak and fatigued.

 

I went back to the doctor to see about these symptoms to see if I needed additional testing (MRI of my spine perhaps?). Doc did some basic physical tests and I seemed ok to him so he said rather than waste time and money on more tests let's see if this might be stress/anxiety-related. I've been under a fair amount of stress with work/home/family, so yeah maybe.  So he rx'ed Xanax though he advised to not take it everyday, only when I felt symptoms (which was everyday but um, ok) to see if it helped. I was pretty naive about benzos and I trusted him so I didn't question it. Try it out for a month and if it helps we'll go from there. My guess was some other med, maybe a different benzo I don't know.

 

I started off not taking it everyday but it seemed to help some of these symptoms I was dealing with so I started taking it daily, a few days I took 2 (the script said every 6 hours as needed, right?). I left a day or so in between sometimes, depending on how I felt. But mainly I would pop one in the morning and be on my way. However in the past week I started getting small withdrawal symptoms in between doses. I'd wake up in the morning feeling agitated, other times during the day my hands would be a little shaky. I started feeling like I might have overdone it and my body was getting dependent so I stopped.

 

Around the same time I decided to stop I looked around online for info on withdrawal and found forums such as this one, and was confronted with the reality that Xanax is a real bitch to get off of. But I was only taking it for 18 days and averaged about 0.6 mg a day (I tallied up all the pills I had taken thus far) so I figured I could tough it out. I called my doctor and told him all this and he was like "sure stop taking it, you'll be fine. The withdrawal symptoms won't kill you." WTF, I'm not worried about dying, I'm worried about how long this shit is going to last. He advised me to stop for a week and if I wanted to come back and get on something else like Zoloft. Sure.

 

The last couple of days have been pretty rough, insomnia, pretty bad anxiety, jitteryness, hot sensations, having a hard time concentration and to top it off a panic attack yesterday which had me wondering at one point if I was going to break into a seizure (I know now that's unlikely). I've had some headaches and this weird nervous sensation in the back of my head, neck and down my spine (kinda like tingling spine but in my head!) I've mitigated the symptoms somewhat by drinking herbal teas, lots of water and getting some exercise. Today has been better though I still have some symptoms.

 

I feel kinda silly posting here considering the relatively small dose and timeframe but given the way my body has reacted I'm wondering if stepping off completely is the right thing to do. I've gotten some reassurance in the Intro forum so I appreciate that. This withdrawal has kinda freaked me out I guess...

 

 

 

 

 

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Personally I would stop it today. It comes with so much risk to stay on it any longer. You are already having interdose symptoms. Xanax is a very strong benzodiazepine. It is 10 times strong than valium and very addicting. I know how miserable symptoms can be. Everything you describe are classic withdrawal symptoms. I think that they should be short lived like your use. You should look at the tapering board and read some of the posts. You will see how difficult it is for so many. Again, If it was me I would get off the stuff now.

[Guest [st...]]

You don't have to be on these drugs for a long time to experience w/d symptoms man. You are very fortunate that you figured out what was going on. 

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I agree stop it today. I too was considered a short term user, only used 90pills maybe tops. Can't remember but factors out to three months I guess. I was on klonopin so I did not see the symptoms immediately like people on xanax and other benzos with a shorter halflife will. Ive had GI issues since I stopped sadly they are apart of withdrawal

 

good luck

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I've stayed off and now on day 6, feeling better though still dealing with some symptoms, namely heightened anxiety.

 

Now getting random GI pains plus nausea in the morning. Also noticed a good size drop in weight (lost about 7 pounds in the last week) though I've been in the process of changing up my diet and cut out carbs so that might have something to do with it.

 

Onwards...