Hey everybody!! Just wanted some support

[[Ch...]]

Well my name is Chad, I am 31 and have had anxiety,intrusive thoughts, add, and panic attacks quite often but only after I worried or had crazy thoughts for a while then it would happen. I have never had a panic attack from the blue like some do. But since I was 12 my mom put me on Prozac, then Prozac weekly,then zoloft,then lexapro,for 10 years ,then celexa is my current ssri, well it never helped with intrusive thoughts and anxiety about what ifs?..... 

 

I was still prescribed Xanax on top of the celexa. I got prescribed 2 mg 4x a day..BUT LUCKILY I have been on them 3 years and never took more than 1 2mg bar a day,,,I knew he rxd to much to where I'd be a walking zombie so I would take the 120 2 mg bars and keep 30 and PUT UP the 90...I would take the bar and break it in 4 pieces through the day, I have never even taken one whole bar at once. So that's a positive and it helped and after 3 years I still never went up on my dose. Well I started messing with hydrocodone and got to where I was taking them everyday bc they worked great for anxiety but made me careless so I went to my Dr and told him I I was taking them and should I cold turkey or what and he said he appreciates my honesty and all and told me do it at home and load up on vitamins and all so I'm 5 months clean from hydro and I crave them still but I know better.

 

But I got a call from the Dr office that day saying he wont see me anymore bc i admitted to him I was taking them but I wasn't abusing his meds he gave me but still he cut me off so I took the little I had left of Xanax and took less 3/4 of a bar a day well I started reading all the horror stories of coming of Xanax and it made me freak out ,so I decided I want to get off them and only have them if I need them bc I started taking them everyday just with the smallest amount of anxiety when I could've went for a jog or some CrossFit instead but I out myself in that bind.

 

Well I made an appointment with a new Dr and told him I want to get off benzos as a daily to where I can go back to having them for an emergency only basis. Bc I know better now. I never got high or anything so it wasn't the addiction or love like I had for hydrocodone. I just fear the seizures and rebound panic where I can't leave the house. I have to be a dad and all..They don't need a hermit laying around sweating and watching TV all-day.  So I mentioned the Ashton method and the Valium thing to him and he said he doesn't want to do that and wants to put me on Klonopin 1mg at night and 1mg in the morning for 2 weeks then .5 morning and nights for 2 weeks then .5 once daily for 2 weeks then .5 everyother day until gone. So I jumped straight off the Xanax bc I had a crumb left anyways and took it and was super nervous. But I followed his orders and i felt weird the first 2 days little anxious but felt sinus pressure fullness in ears and vision was weird,so it sent me into panicking mode but day 3 was better and day 4 even better now I'm on day 5 and I feel ok. But I want off of these so I'm not going to get hooked on this ,he wont prescrib them again and that's the reason I went in to see him.but I keep hearing horror stories about Klonopin now and that's freaking me out.

 

He also recommended zoloft bc celexa is mainly for depression and zoloft is for OCD intrusive thoughts anxiety and more and celexa can make intrusive thoughts worst. But all that scared me. So I want to know how long until Xanax is out of me and how long until I build up enough Klonopin to be stable enough to taper off to where I can be on as little time as possible bc I do not want to be apart of Klonopin he'll like I've read. The sooner the better ...But I just need some advise and tips if anybody else has went through this taper before and had success. Even if u have experience with zoloft vs celexa. ..Also since this is an entire seizure med when I quit will I be prone to getting seizures. So much running through my head right now so info would help and try not to scare me..But be honest . Thank u and God bless

[[Ch...]]

Hi Chad.  Welcome to BenzoBuddies.

 

You're doing the best thing for your future health by tapering off the benzodiazepines, in my opinion.  But as you know, it's not that easy.  You have several different questions, so let me give you some links to pertinent boards to post your questions to the wider membership:

 

For taper help: General Taper Plans 

 

For symptom support: Withdrawal Support 

 

For questions about crossing to another benzodiazepine: Substitution Taper Plans

   

For help with: Other Medications

 

Please take some time to Create a Signature. This will help other members understand your history so they will be better able to support you.

Go to the top of the page and select Profile, then choose Forum Profile, insert drug history/timelines into the text box and click Change Profile.

 

I did edit out some of the graphic descriptions per our posting guidelines, and I separated your story into paragraphs to make it easier for other forum members to read.

 

Thanks,

Challis

[[Ch...]]

Thank u so much for your reply..It feels good knowing I'm not alone

[[Bu...]]

 

 

Hello Chad and welcome to the forum.

 

First of all, no you are definitely not alone. There are many people here who have been right where you are, trying to get off of benzos and get their lives back. This is a great thing for you to do. You may very well find that the "issues" that led your mom to put you on anti-depressants and then eventually Xanax are no longer even present in your life anymore. It sounds like as you got older and matured you have come up with good philosophies and perspectives that have served you well. Indeed becoming a parent will change ones priorities and focus, again congratulations on making this very important decision.

 

So three years on Xanax... If you haven't already read this post about what has happened in your brain, it is well worth the read to understand a few things and what you may expect.

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=66397.0

 

I am not a doctor, but I know a few things first hand and also what I have learned here at BB from many many posters... Cold turkey is definitely not good. I also believe that the taper your doctor has structured may be too fast. Going form 1mg to .5mg of Kolonopin and then to 0 all within six weeks is not recommended at all. 5- 10% every two weeks is a much better plan and would result in far fewer withdrawal effects and unnecessary discomfort. I certainly don't want to "freak" you out especially if you have no alternative plan or doctor,  but I would get a back-up plan as I do think that this taper is way too fast and fraught with potential problems.

 

You asked for us to "try not to scare you", so you may be one of the few who will be just fine with such a rapid taper, good luck. Let's see how things progress with you and then deal with whatever may arrive. On a positive note, once you do become benzo free you will find that your life is so much better in so many ways. You do have a lot to look forward to even if there are a few bad days in the meantime.

 

We are all pulling for you and wish you great success in your endeavor to become benzo free. God speed and good healing to you.

 

Wilson 

[[Ch...]]

Well I took the Klonopin for 4 days and it made me so sick and dizzy and zombie out so I got put back on Xanax to taper off that ...So time to taper 2 mg of Xanax ...What's the best way to go about that ya think....And the 4 days on the Klonopin hasn't messed up my brain u think has it ...And is it smart to just go back to Xanax like that after 4 days of and on Klonopin

[[Bu...]]

Well I took the Klonopin for 4 days and it made me so sick and dizzy and zombie out so I got put back on Xanax to taper off that ...So time to taper 2 mg of Xanax ...What's the best way to go about that ya think....And the 4 days on the Klonopin hasn't messed up my brain u think has it ...And is it smart to just go back to Xanax like that after 4 days of and on Klonopin

 

No I don't think that the 4 days on Klonopin "messed up your brain." My advice is to read up as much as you can here at BB and then you will be better educated to help make your own plan for taper, but of course it all depends upon what your doctor is willing to do. If they decide to do a rapid 6 week taper directly from 2mg Xanax, you may have little choice. Like I said before I think that is WAY too fast. I would try to convince the doctor to go slower, maybe crossover, or try to find a more knowledgeable doctor when it comes to benzo addiction and safe taper.  Again not trying to scare you, but I see potential problems in their plan.

 

Sincerely all the best...

 

Wilson

 

Wilson

[[Da...]]

Welcome Cheddarchad!

First I want to congratulate you on an excellent life choice for you and your child)ren. I am rooting for you and hope you are doing well.

I agree with Wilson. I see that your doctor plans to have you jump off at a high amount. Have you read the Ashton Manual? It is something you can show your doctor. I highly recommend you titrate down very very slowly, so your body and brain get used to the drops. I took a quarter for a couple weeks or more, then broke the quarter in half, then was basically licking dust off my hand for the last few weeks before I jumped to zero. I don't want to scare you, but you should be informed. Perhaps you will feel ok doing it the way your doctor wants, but if not, you can tell him you'd like to go slower. Believe me, you will know right away if your'e going too fast.

Please read other people's titration logs so you get and idea how slow is slow for certain people. We're all different, don't freak out, you'll be ok! Stay close to your doc and Benzo Buddies for encouragement. It helps so much when you're feeling alone and need guidance. You can always message us if you want to make a friend here. Good luck! and welcome!