Going from Xanax XR to IR severely depressed

[[Ve...]]

In February I was put on Xanax XR 0,5 mg twice a day and 30 mg Remeron because of major depression due to severe tinnitus and failed heart surgery. I quite 1 x 0,5 mg Xanax XR cold turkey in April.

 

Because I don't want to be on Xanax my psychiatrist has told me to switch to Xanax IR 0,25 twice a day. And after a week start tapering slowly (in 3 month time to zero). I'm taking 0,25 mg at 10 am and 0,25 at 7 pm. I've been doing this for three days now and am experiencing major depressive feelings. It feels like I'm back to square one.

 

Wat should I do. I'm fighting hard each day, thinking of ending it all. I won't do that because I have three children and a loving husband. My father committed suicide when I was 17 years old so I will never ever do this to my children. This is so hard, I am in deep pain and don't know what to do.

 

Can all this be accounted to changing from XR to IR?

[Guest [ba...]]

Sounds like you cut from 2 x 0.5 mg per day to 2 x 0.25 mg per day.  Is that correct??

 

If so, that's a big cut (50%).  Might want to go back up to 0.5 mg, but use IR instead of XR.  Once you're stable, then you can begin a proper taper.

[[Ve...]]

Sorry, I did not explain my self clearly (I'm Dutch). I went from 1 x 0,5 XR to 2 x 0,25 IR. That is why I'm so surprised of my sudden dive into depressive feelings again.

[Guest [ba...]]

Yeah, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but every time a person switches medications or formulations these kinds of things can happen.  You might have to increase your dose a small amount (~10%).