xanax withdrawl

[[be...]]

Hello everyone, this will be my 2nd post here,first one is over in introductions. I am being tapered off xanax, beginning dose was 1-2 1mg tablets per day,and im down to a half of a .5 mg tablet,since january. last night was awful, felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest,that was probably the worst the withdrawl symptoms have been so far. i have been put on buspar also,ive been on those for a month, and im defininty feeling spacy and just not with it.

[[Fe...]]

How long have you been holding at .5 mg daily? If you could add details to your signature about your taper, it helps people help you better! 

[[be...]]

ive been on half of a .5 for about 2 weeks, and ill do that,ty for the advice!

[[Fe...]]

Because of the short half-life of Xanax, I wouldn't think new symptoms would crop up after 2 weeks of being on a particular dose.

 

Could it have been an isolated panic attack, perhaps, instead of new symptoms related to the .5 dose?

[[be...]]

thats very possible, i would hope things would be getting easier thats for sure. my doctor did start me on buspar 5mg,ive been on it for a month. hard to tell symptoms of w/d from side affects of buspar. buspar seems to help relieve some anxiety,but wow, i really do not like how groggy i am.

[[Fe...]]

I know there is acute WD and post acute withdrawal (PAWS), but with you still on Xanax, I wouldn't think you'd be experiencing PAWS yet.

 

I know sometimes I'm physically handling my reduced dose well, but then I start overthinking every single thing and start getting anxiety just because of my mental obsessing over every single slight physical symptom I feel. Then my heart start racing and I feel panicky. But it's due to the mental part instead of actual physical WD.

 

I'm trying not to over analyze everything I'm experiencing so that I stay calm.

 

Benzo WD is defiantly tricky business. Everyone's experience is unique so all I can do is share what I'm going through in hopes that you can relate and not feel as alone.

 

Hang in there! You've already tapered an awesome amount and that shows your strength!! Hang in there! EVERYTHING will eventually subside and we will all be fully whole again.

[[Ca...]]

Hey, Welcome...

 

New emerging sx are possibly a good indication to slow up or hold for a while to let the healing catch up to your new reduced medicine levels...

Half life is only a piece of this often complicated journey... -A very individual process indeed...

Much info here... check out some of the active support groups for specific info (post here for any info too)...

Hope it all goes as smooth as possible for you...

 

Best wishes...

 

 

[[be...]]

thanks for your reply, my main problems come at night after ive been asleep,i wake up to heart beating fast,and all that aweful stuff!

[[Fe...]]

Ok, I just did some research on Xanax timelines. Of course, most info is totally wrong saying symptoms peak at 4 days and gradually get better. However, I found one source that said acute symptoms can peak right at the 2 week mark and into one month. That might be what you're experiencing. However, morning time after waking up is always the worst for me, too. I think that's fairly standard as our systems start firing up again.

[[be...]]

thanks for your information. im so glad i found this website. mornings actually arnt worse for me, its between 1-3 am after ive been asleep. ugh... be so glad when its over.

 

[[Fe...]]

So is the symptoms that actually cause you to wake up at that time?

[[Ca...]]

Lol, the trouble is it all changes and we never know whats next...

But that goes both ways... sometimes one thinks it might get bad, and it just doesnt...

So what i guess im saying is dont stress about the what if's, -it can drag the best of us down if we let it... a correct taper doesnt have to be nasty...

[[be...]]

i dont know whats waking me up, ive been doing it since january when i started the taper.

[[be...]]

cantfly, lol, my husband tells me im overthinking, maybee i am, how can i not considering apparently ive been "asleep " for years,now my mind is awake. my mind still ran around anyway! 

[[Fe...]]

The only thing I can offer is to maybe dose later in the evening to push you through until morning (don't know you're dosing schedule-i.e. 2 doses of .25 or one dose of .5 md times) but that's the only solution I can think of besides ride it out bc it WILL end!!

[[be...]]

i thought about that too, i usually take 1/4 of a .5 mg around noon,then another 1/4 around 5 

[[Ca...]]

If it helps any... -I cant sleep at night, basicly at all... wide awake, no matter what dosing, tried it all...

But i sure can sleep in the day, cant wake up...

I often say im nocternal...

Its WD...

Yay...!!!

[[Ca...]]

Ps... Its 3am now... -well, here in Au anyway...

[[Fe...]]

Ok, if you're last dose of the day is at 5 then it makes sense to me the wake ups around 1. So far, I'm lucky that my last Xanax dose of the day holds me for 12-14 hours but I'm still at 1.5 mg. During the day, however, I tend to experience dosing holds of only 6 hours or so. Idk if it's bc I'm more stimulated/stressed during the day or if it's a psychological thing where I'm just over analyzing everything when I'm awake.

 

Ahhhh...benzos...so much fun to get free from. 

[[be...]]

yes! they suck when your coming off of them, but boy did they help

[[Bu...]]

 

Hi Beautifultrees,

 

Sorry to hear that you are going through rough times, been there... I had  similar issues that you described. My guess would be inter-dose withdrawal. I crossed over to Valium and it was the best thing that I did during taper. The long half life eliminated IDWD and let me sleep longer. I took my dose only at night before bed.

 

I also tried Buspar, I did not like it at all. One of its side effects is actually insomnia. It did nothing for anxiety for me either. I actually think that it made things worse for me.

 

If you haven't tried it try some Suntheanine. 200mg knocked out anxiety for me every time. Theanine is my absolute favorite natural anxiolytic. It is a unique amino acid found almost exclusively in the tea plant. It possesses neuroprotective, mood-enhancing, and relaxation properties.  It does not function as a GABA agonist, yet it upregulates the production of GABA within the brain. It is a glutamate receptor antagonist and also enhances alpha wave production within the brain. This can be taken 1-2 hours before bedtime or throughout the day for anxiety.

 

Best wishes,

 

Wilson 

 

[[be...]]

i will have to look into that. i dont like the buspar at all, i havnt taken it today and i dont think that i will today. the side effects are just horrible and it shouldnt be that bad with as long as ive been taking it, i did take my night dose of xanax later,and not having anu caffiene ,so i hope tonight is better.

[[Ja...]]

My benzo wise NP set a goal of 4mg. I am at 4 and 5/8 (down from 6 and 1/4). He feels that stopping a 4 would be fine and if it does not work (tolerance) resume taper. For decades I was fine at 2 and 1/2 (no tolerance withdrawal until over a year ago). Do you think this is a reasonable approach ? Feed back appreciated. BTW I taper 1/8 mg about every 5-6 weeks) Thank you for your help.

[[be...]]

your dr.wants you to stop at 4 mg without tapering down? sorry if i mis read. you definitly want to taper down though.

[[Bu...]]

My benzo wise NP set a goal of 4mg. I am at 4 and 5/8 (down from 6 and 1/4). He feels that stopping a 4 would be fine and if it does not work (tolerance) resume taper. For decades I was fine at 2 and 1/2 (no tolerance withdrawal until over a year ago). Do you think this is a reasonable approach ? Feed back appreciated. BTW I taper 1/8 mg about every 5-6 weeks) Thank you for your help.

 

Hi Jack,

 

At the risk of "Hi-Jacking" Beautifuls thread but seeing that they already responded to you here, I agree with their sentiments. Jumping off of a Xanax taper at 4mg is not a good idea at all. A lot depends on how long you have been taking them, dosing time and amounts. Knowing that will get you much better input. Maybe start a new thread and I'm sure you will get lot's of good advice and specifics.

 

Finally your NP might be "benzo wise" but to me what you described does not sound wise at all. Base upon my personal experience, I don't think that anyone should contemplate such a thing, without very serious consideration.

 

I would print a copy of the Ashton manual and demand that your NP read it and understand it. Trusting doctors is what lead so many of us to this predicament to begin with, not me anymore.

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/

 

Respectfully, All the best,

 

Wilson 

 

<Edit, I added Ashton manual link>