I keep screwing up my taper...

[[Je...]]

I am supposed to be crossing over to Valium......

 

I keep messing up my taper because I fear the anxiety so much, that I'll take an extra .5 Xanax.

 

Then this 1mg Xanax that I've taken makes me so groggy, that it's worse than the original problem.

For like 4 hours I'm in this Xanax induced coma...which slowly wears off.

 

I understand why I take the extra Xanax, but I don't get why it messes me up so badly.

thoughts?

 

Modified: profanity removed

 

[[bu...]]

I am supposed to be crossing over to Valium......

 

I keep messing up my taper because I fear the anxiety so much, that I'll take an extra .5 Xanax.

 

Then this 1mg Xanax that I've taken makes me so groggy, that it's worse than the original problem.

For like 4 hours I'm in this Xanax induced coma...which slowly wears off.

 

I understand why I take the extra Xanax, but I don't get why it messes me up so badly.

thoughts?

 

Modified: profanity removed

  Well, I guess if I knew the extra xanax was going to mess me up, I just wouldn't take it.  I mean, its not part of you normal dose, so you really don't need to take it.

[[be...]]

I found Valium very sedating. It takes a while to kick in so what you are having is anticipitory anxiety. I don't think going up to 1 mg of Xanax will do you any favors in the long time. JMO........

[[Je...]]

I am supposed to be crossing over to Valium......

 

I keep messing up my taper because I fear the anxiety so much, that I'll take an extra .5 Xanax.

 

Then this 1mg Xanax that I've taken makes me so groggy, that it's worse than the original problem.

For like 4 hours I'm in this Xanax induced coma...which slowly wears off.

 

I understand why I take the extra Xanax, but I don't get why it messes me up so badly.

thoughts?

 

Modified: profanity removed

  Well, I guess if I knew the extra xanax was going to mess me up, I just wouldn't take it.  I mean, its not part of you normal dose, so you really don't need to take it.

  Perfect sense.    Wife says I should relinquish xanax control to her and she will dole it out..

[[Lo...]]

Have you tired the substitution taper thread? My understanding and experience is that when doing a crossover, short-acting benzos leave the system much more quickly than the long lasting ones accumulate.

 

  .5x.    .25x/2.5v.    .5x.    .5x.  .25x/2.5V

 

may be too ambitious. Would your pdoc consider:

 

  .5x.    .5x    .5x.    .5x.  .25x/2.5V  -  for  a while, and then go to     

  .5x.    .25x/2.5v.    .5x.    .5x.  .25x/2.5V - in a few weeks

 

 

[[ly...]]

 

 

So, your taper started at 2.5mgs xanax and you came here in December of 2013 having tapered to 2.25mgs.  Since then you have gone from 2.25mg xanax to 2.0mgs xanax and 5mg Valium?

 

So, is your taper now starting or will you wait until you cross to V?

 

 

[[Je...]]

 

 

So, your taper started at 2.5mgs xanax and you came here in December of 2013 having tapered to 2.25mgs.  Since then you have gone from 2.25mg xanax to 2.0mgs xanax and 5mg Valium?

 

So, is your taper now starting or will you wait until you cross to V?

 

That is my point a wave will hit me and I'll take extra Xanax.  It's almost like the Xanax causes the

anxiety by oversedating me.

[[Lo...]]

Oh, I see the pattern. So you started the valium c/o, the valium started oversedating you, too, which threw you into panic mode for extra Xanax which then oversedated you and put you back into panic mode. Yes, valium is very sedating but is much weaker than Xanax. So, that's why the crossover is best done slowly since you'll feel the anxiety of Xanax leaving before Valium has a chance to slowly build in your body.

[[ly...]]

 

 

None of this is easy.  It can be really rough and many have problems adjusting to a crossover.  Sometimes (many times) you have to roll with it.  The expectation that it's going to happen and it will calm down should help alleviate the panic when symptoms hit you.  You will not die.  The xanax taper clearly has not been tolerable for you.  If you are going to give valium a fair chance - you have to give it a fair chance.  Reaching for the xanax defeats this.  Of course, you know this.

[[Je...]]

good comments, thanks.........