I have sinned....

[[Je...]]

I took an extra .5 Xanax last night at 3:30am.  I feel guilty about it, but I'd had a terrible anxiety attack right before bed and I woke up at 3:30 in a panic.

 

Can't say it won't happen again, but I will try.

[[th...]]

Jer,

 

Sorry you felt the need to take an extra dose. I know many bbs have mentioned them doing that occasionally and went right back to tapering without too many probs. I just have to say that although it is very miserable being sick while taking the Xanax, I am thankful it has no beneficial benefits for me anymore bc I would never take more. I guess I might be lucky in this regard. All it does it make me sick so why would I use it as respite...not happening. I am sure you will be ok. Stop beating yourself up.

 

I really hope you can begin to taper again too. I don't think freedom and wellness can come unless we dispose of this med from our lives.

 

Hope your feeling better,

 

Grinch

[[ea...]]

Hey Jerryk, so you're human!?! So what? "Rescue doses" are fairly common. If it helped, just pick up and carry on. You will be fine, and don't waste time feeling guilty about it. You didn't commit a sin. The thing is, you don't want this to become a habit. That's the only real problem.

east

[[be...]]

Well, Jerry. What's done is done. No going back. Don't over worry about this. Just try your best not to do it again tonight. You don't want to make this a habit, especially since you are so low in your taper. Many people have done the same thing and went right back to their regular dose. Just go back to your regular dose and taper from there. I've never had a panic attack before, so I just can't fully understand what it is like. But from what other people tell me, it's just horrible. My guess is that if I had panic, I would do the same. ~~ Bets

[[ea...]]

Panic attacks are horrible. YOu start breathing hard and may be short of breath. An overwhelming sense of doom, fear, and anxiety hits you -  you honestly think you are dying. Terrible things to go through. They usually don't last real long, but it sure feels like it.

east

[[Je...]]

Really am I low in my taper?  It feels like so far to go...

[[be...]]

Really am I low in my taper?  It feels like so far to go...

 

Well maybe not that low, but you are getting close. I just compare myself to you. I was on 10 mg of K, and you are on less than 2 mg of Xanax. Isn't 10 mg a ridiculous amount to be on? How I got there I'll never remember, and frankly, I don't want to remember. I just know that I didn't self medicate. Happy go lucky scripters. ~~ Bets

[[th...]]

Really am I low in my taper?  It feels like so far to go...

 

I know the feeling. Just above 1 mg should seem like the end is right around the corner but if we are only knocking off .0625mgs every 7-14 days it will be months and months yet. Even if I can cut (which I don't know if I will be able too) every week once I get to 1mg it will be 16 cuts of .0625mg to get to zero. Weekly cuts possible that is still 4 months! And it is more likely I won't be able to cont to cut weekly so add on time to that 4 months. Possibly longer than what it took to get from 6mg - here....doesn't seem right does it?? But I guess when we know the potency of xanax and its Valium equivalent it makes sense that the last part should still take some time. But it is better than being on 6 mg from where I started so I have come a long way....I just have more to go. I don't know any other way around the situation than tapering off and dealing with the wd. I mean, I am sick anyway being on it. You don't seem so great being on it either or maybe I am wrong...maybe you do have benefits from it still. I think that would make it even harder to come off for sure!

 

[[Je...]]

Really am I low in my taper?  It feels like so far to go...

 

Well maybe not that low, but you are getting close. I just compare myself to you. I was on 10 mg of K, and you are on less than 2 mg of Xanax. Isn't 10 mg a ridiculous amount to be on? How I got there I'll never remember, and frankly, I don't want to remember. I just know that I didn't self medicate. Happy go lucky scripters. ~~ Bets

 

I was on 1 mg of KP once and it made me weep like a baby every time I took it.  How anyone can take 10 is beyond me....

[[ea...]]

I was on 6 mgs of K plus Ambien 10....yikes. But I had many years to build a tolerance to benzos. The 6 mgs helped me sleep, period. That's all I took it for. It did nothing for anxiety during the day, except perhaps to increase it over time. Benzos caused me to be quite depressed, too......tolerance withdrawal, all the way. Wish I had understood these things better back then.

east

[[Je...]]

I'm 54 is that still young enough to get off these with some quality of life?

[[wi...]]

I'm 47, and really believe that getting off this crap will be the beginning of a new kind of life -- or at least a new chapter in my old life. I'd be happy with that! I believe that this suffering will pay off. My mind and body know things that are difficult for the withdrawing me to see right now.

[[th...]]

I bet if you did a poll of ages of bbs who have succeeded in tapering off you d find most are 35-60 yrs old!! 54 is young yet!!!

 

 

[[be...]]

Really am I low in my taper?  It feels like so far to go...

 

Well maybe not that low, but you are getting close. I just compare myself to you. I was on 10 mg of K, and you are on less than 2 mg of Xanax. Isn't 10 mg a ridiculous amount to be on? How I got there I'll never remember, and frankly, I don't want to remember. I just know that I didn't self medicate. Happy go lucky scripters. ~~ Bets

 

I was on 1 mg of KP once and it made me weep like a baby every time I took it.  How anyone can take 10 is beyond me....

 

It's beyond me too Jer. But I never felt sick while on 10 mg. I actually felt fine on 10 mg. Weird, no? Stupid me. I didn't know anything about K or benzos for that matter so after my pdoc gave me 3,000 mg of Gabapentin as well, I thought to myself, "You're on 3,000 mg of G, so doesn't 10 mg seem like a tiny amount?" Duh!

[[be...]]

I just turned 55, if that helps. BTW, I worry about the same thing constantly.

[[Je...]]

I bet if you did a poll of ages of bbs who have succeeded in tapering off you d find most are 35-60 yrs old!! 54 is young yet!!!

 

 

 

[[Je...]]

10 mg of Klonopin is like 200 mg of Valium....this would shut down my brain completely.

 

Really am I low in my taper?  It feels like so far to go...

 

Well maybe not that low, but you are getting close. I just compare myself to you. I was on 10 mg of K, and you are on less than 2 mg of Xanax. Isn't 10 mg a ridiculous amount to be on? How I got there I'll never remember, and frankly, I don't want to remember. I just know that I didn't self medicate. Happy go lucky scripters. ~~ Bets

 

I was on 1 mg of KP once and it made me weep like a baby every time I took it.  How anyone can take 10 is beyond me....

 

It's beyond me too Jer. But I never felt sick while on 10 mg. I actually felt fine on 10 mg. Weird, no? Stupid me. I didn't know anything about K or benzos for that matter so after my pdoc gave me 3,000 mg of Gabapentin as well, I thought to myself, "You're on 3,000 mg of G, so doesn't 10 mg seem like a tiny amount?" Duh!

[[ea...]]

Oh heavens YES! Im 64, Jerryk. Id give anything to be in my 50's again, and off benzos. Its never too late to start again, never.

My biggest regret is that I sort of missed a lot of years, being on benzos. But its okay...I am trying hard to make a new life.

You wont regret doing all this. You will eventually be glad and proud of yourself.

east

[[ru...]]

Hey Jer,  55yrs young here! I'll let ya know how I feel when I hit 100yrs....should be done with taper by then 

 

I remember when I was first prescribed Klono back in the late 80"s. My p/doc said, "they are very safe, kids take them all the time for epilepsy. You can take up to 8mg a day if need be, but don't let the drug use you, make sure you use the drug"!...ASSHOLE

[[Ja...]]

Panic attacks are horrible. YOu start breathing hard and may be short of breath. An overwhelming sense of doom, fear, and anxiety hits you -  you honestly think you are dying. Terrible things to go through. They usually don't last real long, but it sure feels like it.

east

 

Ditto that, east and I, and lots of others have endured a lot of physical pain from spinal conditions, and would probably agree that physical pain pales compared to true panic. Move forward Jerry, no sin to try to ease your suffering. maybe time to grab this by the balls and cut again?! 

[[Ja...]]

I've got you all beat, I'm 69 and trying to get off of K. I don't know if there is anyone on here that is as old as me. It scares me, that at my age I'll never be able to do this. I have been physically sick for over a year with tolerance, and I have been cutting or trying to since than but am having a hard time.

 

I did up dose 2 days in a row the end of July so that I could get myself to two doctor appointments and I think I am suffering still for doing that. I must say though that I really felt almost like myself when I did it. I won't do it again because I know I am just defeating my purpose and putting more poison in my body. I just pray every night that I will start getting functional again soon.

 

 

[[ea...]]

Jaddy, we have a lot of older people here. I think more so than really young people. I am 64, off two years now.

I was on Klonapin for 12 years and other benzos before that - total of 30 years. I was very messed up from them, more than I realized. My health has improved since going off benzos a great deal. I feel better than I have for many years.

You can do this. You wont regret it.

east

[[be...]]

Jaddy, we have a lot of older people here. I think more so than really young people. I am 64, off two years now.

I was on Klonapin for 12 years and other benzos before that - total of 30 years. I was very messed up from them, more than I realized. My health has improved since going off benzos a great deal. I feel better than I have for many years.

You can do this. You wont regret it.

east

 

70 is the new 50. ~ bets

[[be...]]

Don't beat yourself up. It will be ok.  Chalk it up to taking a rescue dose. I don't think it will effect your withdrawal.....but I would advise not making a habit of it.

[[ea...]]

Are you okay, jerryk?

east