Wanting to get off .25 Xanax twice a day. Need help.

[[Ta...]]

I need some help and guidance please. My doctor wants to throw scripts at me and I want out of this. I recently (a few weeks ago) stopped taking 10mg Ambien at night. I tried to stop Xanax on my own and it was horrible. I had been taking a .5 at night with my 10 mg Ambien and then .25 or .5 during the day as needed. I was poisoned last year from Botox and got botulism. That led me to rely on Xanax and Ambien much more than I ever have. I have taken both of these drugs on and off for 17 years. But solidly now daily/nightly for a year. I am down to one .25 in the am and one .25 in the pm. Don't know where to go from here and I am scared. I am not sleeping well at all. I want to do this right, as what I tried doing was too fast and made me sick. Please and thank you!

[Guest [Le...]]

Hello, Tapering Advice  - welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

Congratulations on your efforts to stop Ambien and Xanax, and well done on tapering them both down so far already! 

 

I'm so glad you decided to join the forum - you'll find plenty of information and support here. Our members have gone through all aspects of benzodiazepine use and withdrawal, so you'll be able to connect with others who understand what you're going through and can tell you what has worked for them.

 

Please feel free to post your questions (from above) to any of the specialized boards, which can all be accessed from the BenzoBuddies Community Forum homepage. Based on the information provided in your introduction, the following links may be a good starting place for you.

 

  General Taper Plans

  Withdrawal Support

 

When you have a chance, we highly recommend that you take a look at The Ashton Manual, which is an authoritative source on what to expect during withdrawal and recovery, authored by Dr Heather Ashton, who is an expert in the field. It provides a great deal of information that can be very reassuring during any stage of this process, including a list of common symptoms with helpful explanations.

 

For those who are currently tapering, we suggest reducing no faster than 5-10% every 10-14 days, and some taper even slower than that. One exception: very short-term users of a few weeks or less may be able to taper faster than that. 

 

Please take the time to Create a Signature. This will allow members to see where you are in the process, so that they can better support you.

 

Looking forward to seeing you on the forum!

  Leslie 

[[Bu...]]

 

 

Welcome to the forum,

 

Learn as much as you can here... But cutting to the chase, I was similar to you, here's what I did.

Crossover to Valium at around 10-12mg. Take it only at night before bed.

Stay there for a week or so and then start a slow and steady taper over 6 months or so.

Learn some things about dealing with specific symptoms should they arise.

More specificity upon request.

 

 

Wilson 

[[on...]]

Welcome- you have come to the right place for support and advice on getting off xanax. You have already made great progress in cutting your dose in half. Since you have been on xanax  a long time- like me- the best way to get free is a  slow taper at a pace your body can handle. I just wanted to give you encouragement that it can be done- even for long term users. I took xanax for thirty years before I took my last pill on May 31 2016. I am almost 10 months free and I feel my body and brain healing more very day. My old self is coming back. So  you can do this too!  I wish you the best!

[[Ta...]]

Thank you both for the encouragement. : ) I definitely need it.

 

My current plan of action is to hold where I am, (.25 in the am and .25 in the pm) until I can meet with the NP on April 4th and get some guidance and help? I think I am having some withdrawal symptoms from Ambien still. I am taking GABA and and some supplements to try and support myself through this. I have a great therapist that i see once a week. My med doctor (psychiatrist) would NOT be helpful in what I am trying to do. I have not reached out to him about this b/c in my prior experience, he just wants to write some scripts and send me on my way. Even when I have asked before about changing meds or coming off of a medication, he has always dismissed me and my concerns and makes me feel dumb for even asking. Stopping Ambien, combined with lowering the dose of Xanax has me a bit of a hot mess.

 

Wilson, I would def like more info if you would like to share it. Did you follow the Ashton Manual? Or devise your own plan? Something I saw on here said this site will provide me with a tapering plan? How do I request that? If I sound dumb, I'm sorry. I m not thinking very clearly right now. I am wondering if I should ask the NP for some Valium when I go on April 4. I appreciate and welcome any advice.

[[ly...]]

 

 

I wouldn't rush into a switch to valium.  Some do well with it and others don't.  I've done well tapering xanax without a crossover.  Early on I had planned to cross but I didn't end up needing to.  I have no idea how I would have responded to V.  I decided to stick with xanax until it became impossible.  I think it prudent to stick with your original benzo if you can.  Just my opinion.

 

What you will probably want to do is come up with a taper plan.  You may want to hold where you are for awhile until the symptoms settle down.  Then you can start your taper again with small cuts every 2 weeks or so.  There are general recommendations of reducing 5-10% every couple of weeks.  Some find this too rapid.  It's best to let your symptoms dictate your taper rate.  You want to be functional and not feel horrible.  I've decided to go at a rate that allows me to live my life without too much discomfort.

 

If you have .25mg pills it's fairly easy to cut them into quarters.  This would be pieces of .0625mg each.  You could try eliminating one of these pieces and see how it goes.  My xanax wd usually peaks 3-5 days after a cut and I slowly get better over the next week or so.  If .0625 seems ok (you will have some wd), you can continue with this reduction.  I had to drop my cuts to .03 when I got to around .3.  I was able to cut the .25's into eighth's at that point -not easy or exact, but good enough.  At around .1 I went to liquid so I could make smaller reductions.

 

Just go slow and make adjustments when necessary.  Try to live your life and not get too wrapped-up in your taper.