I'm new

[[Jm...]]

Hey,

 

I'm 29 years old and have been suffering from anxiety, panic, and health anxiety for 7 years now. This all started when my parents passed away...6 years ago I started on Xanax as needed on and off not everyday...in the last year my panic and health anxiety have been so much worse, I feel sick everyday and panic over every body symptom. So in the last year I have been taking .75-1.5mg of Xanax a day. I also recently started taking Zoloft to try and help me get back to my normal life. I never knew their was issues with Xanax withdrawal. I have not stopped Xanax yet but was planning on it once my Zoloft kicked in and so I can get pregnant. I have stopped Xanax before for a few weeks with no problems. I'm scared after reading all the horror stories. I don't want to die from it..I'm really scared and need help.

[[Ch...]]

Hi Jmncch and welcome.

 

If you've been taking Xanax daily for some time and your panic and anxiety are worse, there's a good chance you're in tolerance withdrawals.  Benzodiazepines tend to need to be increased with time as our bodies becomes tolerant to the dose.  If the dose isn't increased we can have withdrawal symptoms between doses.  The most common tolerance symptom is anxiety, but there are many other symptoms that can occur as well.  Once you're off Xanax you may find your panic and anxiety to be much less or even gone.  That's what happened in my case.

 

You aren't going to die and please don't be scared.  You'll be fine.  I took Xanax at a higher dose than yours for much longer and I'm fine.  If you do a slow taper it should make your symptoms manageable, and you may not even have symptoms, many people taper off Xanax with little to no problem.

 

Let me get you started posting here for taper help:  General Taper Plans .

 

If you want to read more about benzo withdrawal, here's a link to the Ashton Manual.

 

Please include your benzodiazepine information in your posts.  To make that easier by adding it to each post automatically, you can go up to Profile, choose Forum Profile, write the information in the text box and click Change Profile.

 

Take care,

Challis

 

[[Jm...]]

How do I find a taper plan if my p doc doesn't have one? My anxiety and panic is better now with the Zoloft, and I started seeing a therapist for my hypochondria. But ideally I want to be med free in 6 months so I can get pregnant? How do I find a good taper plan coming off of between.75-1.5 mlg of Xanax...I don't have issues between some days I take .75 some days I take 1.5 just depends on my anxiety or panic level...some days I even take .5 a day...I always take .25 at a time through out the day.

[[Ch...]]

How do I find a taper plan if my p doc doesn't have one? My anxiety and panic is better now with the Zoloft, and I started seeing a therapist for my hypochondria. But ideally I want to be med free in 6 months so I can get pregnant? How do I find a good taper plan coming off of between.75-1.5 mlg of Xanax...I don't have issues between some days I take .75 some days I take 1.5 just depends on my anxiety or panic level...some days I even take .5 a day...I always take .25 at a time through out the day.

 

Benzo withdrawal is usually something doctors have a tough time with as far as the slow tapering.  You can print out part of the Ashton Manual for him/her and hope he'll be on board to do a slow taper.  Many people find that it's better to control their own rate of taper and not tell their doctors they're tapering.  Doctors often don't believe withdrawal from benzodiazepines takes as much time as it can take and will force a faster withdrawal than is comfortable.

 

One thing I'd advise before you begin to taper is to get on a stable daily dose to taper from.  Yours might be around .75 to 1 mg.  I'd hold that dose for at least a week to make sure you're comfortable on it.  Then you're ready to begin your taper.

 

We'll help you with your taper when you're stable and ready to start. 

 

Challis 

[[Jm...]]

Thank you