How long does it take for benzos to leave your system?

[[Ho...]]

I'm not sure when Colin will be around so I'll answer for him; He's made a full recovery.  ...and has been fine for years.

[[Ca...]]

How long after a tapper does the bd feelings last and does it get easer when you get down in mg like an 1/8th

[[Ge...]]

Hi, can someone help me understand how to calculate xanax. I was taking 0.25 mg three times a day for 7 month. Tapered off in about 5-6 weeks, was it too fast?

Now I am 7 month off xanax but still feel symptoms. Wondering if withdrawals can last that long for such a short period of usage.

Ohh, and I did stop c/t at about 4 month. I thought its fine to do that, then started feeling horrible and developed different body pains. It was right before my finals in school so I went back on them just to go thru exams and stayed on them for another 3 months.

 

I was feeling horrible on them all the time I was taking it.

 

Thanks all.

[[pi...]]

Hi, can someone help me understand how to calculate xanax. I was taking 0.25 mg three times a day for 7 month. Tapered off in about 5-6 weeks, was it too fast?

Now I am 7 month off xanax but still feel symptoms. Wondering if withdrawals can last that long for such a short period of usage.

Ohh, and I did stop c/t at about 4 month. I thought its fine to do that, then started feeling horrible and developed different body pains. It was right before my finals in school so I went back on them just to go thru exams and stayed on them for another 3 months.

 

I was feeling horrible on them all the time I was taking it.

 

Thanks all.

 

Hello Gemma,

 

What do you mean by "calculating Xanax"?  You are off benzos now so there is no need to calculate measurements any more. In terms of calculating recovery time... it varies from individual to individual.  Since healing is not linear there is no real way to predict the length of the process. 

 

Being on Xanax is a long enough period of time to establish dependency. I would not worry now about whether your taper was too fast, you are benzo free and all the time healing is happening.

 

This board doesn't get many responses, it's mainly for information.  You might want to post on the Post Withdrawal Support board:

 

Post Withdrawal Recovery Support

 

 

pianogirl

[[Ge...]]

Thank you piano girl. I was just asking, because someone not on this board told me that withdrawals can not last more then the time taken. But I do not remember where I heard it and was wondering if anyone knows if its true.

[[Ch...]]

Oh my, Gemma… I think there are a lot of people here who can completely disprove that theory!  Yes, the symptoms can last longer than the amount of time they were taken.  I've heard the majority of people can stop taking benzos without much problem, but some of us have a tougher time with it for awhile.  You'll be fine… it sometimes takes longer than we think it should.

Challis 

[[pi...]]

Thank you piano girl. I was just asking, because someone not on this board told me that withdrawals can not last more then the time taken. But I do not remember where I heard it and was wondering if anyone knows if its true.

 

Gemma, the length of time you take a benzo will not determine the length of withdrawal. Some doctors will say this, those who deny withdrawal or simply don't know about this process. The brain takes time to heal. All the changes that were made to the sensitive nervous system take time to reset.  Your body knows how to heal, just give it time.

 

pianogirl 

[[Ge...]]

Thanks for the info.

[[ba...]]

Hi Gemma ,

thats a beautiful name  

 

i wonder how long the low dose xanax would be in me if i drink more water like 2 quarts a day (approximatly 1600ml)

 

wouild it be better to just let the xmall dose disolve under my tongue or just take it with water if im taking a tiny dose just once a day

[[ia...]]

Believe it or not, too much water can cause illness and death.  I have heard that we should stick with 8 cups of liquid per day unless consulting a doctor.

 

As I am reading this thread, it looks like it would be a good idea for me to take half dosages of the Alprazalam every four hours instead of full doses every 8 hours?  I have been trying to stretch out the time BETWEEN doses.  I was afraid I would become more dependent if I took it more often at smaller doses.  But, it sounds as if I am starting this all wrong when it comes to the short half-life of Alprazalam.  So, I would take the half doses every four hours and make one of the doses a little less every day?  Thank you all so much.  I need you.

[[ba...]]

I dont think a low low 0.0625mg daily dose of Alprazolam i take would show up in my blood or pee but my body being dependant on it after 8 months on this low dose is a problem for me , maybe if i drink alot of water like 1/2 gallon (2000ml) a day can help flush it out of my body to be able to stop?

[[Ju...]]

Babyangel, Xanax leaves the body very quickly as it is so flushing it out is not necessary, IMO.  Plus, the Xanax leaving our system is only part of our situation.  The bigger situation we deal with are the changes to our nervous system that are due to taking the benzo.  These changes take time to revert and continue doing so long after the benzo has left our system.  Once a person stops taking Xanax, the benzo will leave the system quickly and then it's time to wait for our nervous system to adapt back to it's normal state.  You're going to be fine. 

[[ba...]]

thanks Miss juliea ,

i need to get some potassium supplements i saw on the May3rd post here , gemma took them and shes off xanax , i took a vitamin b12 earlier today , ive gone the longest between doses today i havnt taken it since thursday 8pm,  its saturday 1:40am now :/ i feel a mild sensation of "tinitus"

[[ca...]]

So I just talked to my new psych (seen her one time in August, next appt. is in a couple weeks). While she was very encouraging about my getting off clonazepam (except for that one comment about maybe I just need to be on some), she poo poo'd the idea of getting on Valium instead to help with the final tapering. She said I could do 1/4 pill per week. I have not changed my amount for almost 3 weeks now because of the symptoms. I told her about my tongue swelling and that it gets worse as the day goes on because my clonazepam is only at night. She said it sounded like I just had increases in anxiety. Well, I don't remember my tongue being swollen before all this crazy buffoonery. I am disappointed that my new psych thinks valium and clonazepam have the same half-life (10-12 hours, she says). I tried to tell her the research said otherwise, but I knew I was treading on thin ice. Damnit. Why can't they do their research?

[[be...]]

Ampersand, where did you go? I was so enjoying reading your posts on this tread, but you dropped off. Are you feeling better? Your mindset was refreshing. None of the "woe is me" stuff. Please give an update!

[[Fr...]]

I am currently taking .5 mg of klonopin before bed, after having taken .75 mg at bedtime for about 3 weeks.  I am thinking the drop from .75 to .5 is why I am feeling like I do today.....overall yucky.  Headache, slight nausea, want to cry.  I have a doctor appt on Tuesday and want to talk to her about getting off completely.  This is a new doctor for me because the one who first prescribed this crap is no longer practicing family medicine.  So, great, I get to start with a new doctor with a major problem.  Hopefully she will be helpful.  If not, not sure what I will do.  What I want to do is, after the holidays, dry taper by 0.125 every 6 weeks or so.  That would be .5 to .375 to .25 to .125, correct?  Does that seem feasible to you all?  Will take about 5-6 months, but figure that is best thing to do.  Any suggestions or help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[[Fr...]]

Is it possible that by being on .75 for three weeks then dropping down to .5 a week ago, that was too fast a drop.  Maybe I should have dropped to .625 for a month, then the .5? Please help me.

 

[[Si...]]

How long is the half life of diazepam I have been on and off diazepam for over 6 months started at 2.5 mg now at 1mg

[[Ra...]]

http://www.benzo.org.uk/bzequiv.htm

 

Also, I've done research on halflife.  Apparently, no matter the drug, it is effectively out of your system after 5 half lives.

[[Co...]]

http://www.benzo.org.uk/bzequiv.htm

 

Also, I've done research on halflife.  Apparently, no matter the drug, it is effectively out of your system after 5 half lives.

 

Yes, this appears to be a pretty-sound rule of thumb. There will be some variation with this 'rule', as the elimination rate can work differently (vary) with some drugs over the withdrawal period.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_half-life

[[Gu...]]

When you decide that it's time to get off the benzos you just want it over , I get why your doing it this way, hope it works my friend , I went 2 days c/t and cried uncle. Reinstated and tapering fairly slowly. It's everyones choice , I admire your determination . Good luck !!

[[by...]]

How long is the half life of diazepam I have been on and off diazepam for over 6 months started at 2.5 mg now at 1mg

 

It's not actually only the half-life of diazepam (20-100 hours) you have to worry about, but the half-lives of the metabolites of diazepam, namely:

 

Oxazepam (yes Valium is converted to Serax by your liver)

Temazepam (yes Valium is converted to Restoril by your liver)

Desmethyldiazepam (yes Valium is converted to Nordaz by your liver -- this is the main metabolite with a really long half-life up to 200 hours)

 

and apparently if you are fat it prolongs half life

 

Prolongation of drug half-life due to obesity: studies of desmethyldiazepam (clorazepate).

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6811726

[[My...]]

I am at the start of tapering off Benzos and Lunesta.  My memory loss has been terrible, even on Adderall.  Can people who have tapered tell me what memory and other functions have returned or is some or all of the damage permanent?

 

History

Benzos for 8 to 12 years - can't remember.  Don't laugh.  It's so bad, I cannot remember the names of two girlfriends I went out with for 3 to 4 months each in the past 18 months. 

 

Frustrated and feels like early dementia.

 

[[dr...]]

In my benzo taper state, I'm so terribly stupid.  I looked at the math from the first post and almost threw up, it was so complicated -- LOL

Is there a spreadsheet (like the taper plan) where you can enter in your current dose and it gives you a range of what is left in your system at that time?

Liquid tapering off of .50 klonopin.  Have ringing in my ears and crying daily, but I know these are just wd symptoms and count myself lucky this is all I have --but I would really love to know what is currently in my system to gage what could be coming down the pike.

Thanks!

[[de...]]

I am 35 year male,I have been taking klopin 1.5mg along with other antidepressants for last 15 year, this is not first time I am trying to reduce the dosage, doctors has advised me to reduce the dosage several times but I failed always, you guys better know why !! I have reduced my dosage from 1.5 to 1.25 mg 1 year back & taking 1mg for last 60 days. Medicines I am taking at present fluvoxin 150 mg,venlafexamine 150mg,klopin 1 mg  &nootrpril 800 for last 75 days ,nootropil has helped me a lot to fight with withdraw symptoms in starting ( Arnd 2 mnth back ),but at present I have some withdrawl symptoms like excess mouth watering,some time feel uncomfortable while talking.e tongue slips, dry mouth, shivering with in body & hand, tiredness,depressive feeling,bloating,constipation,restlessness etc etc symptoms changing with time,I do,nt know why iam expecting too much with this forum,this forum has realized me I am not alone in the world suffering from this situation.My main problem is I am a salaried man ,I have not told ny body in my surrounding ,in my office about my medication and the reason is in our country attitude of people is different, people think only mad persons visits psychiatrist ,lolz!!!but this time I will not look back,I want to reduce the dosage & I will, I also pray with god to help all others who are struggling for it.