Xanax withdrawal

[[ED...]]

I join to get opinions and share my experience with Xanax. I took 1 mg a day for about 6-8 months and I initially stopped cold turkey. I was also drinking too much, I stopped that too at the same time. I started taking valium after 3 weeks of horrible withdrawal symptoms, it was absolutely unbearable!

[[ma...]]

Hi ED1960 Welcome to Benzobuddies

 

We are glad that you have found our community.  I am sorry about the cold turkey!  If you take benzodiazepines more than a few weeks, they need to be tapered off.  I am pleased you stopped the drinking, benzos and alcohol are a lethal mix.  The information and support that you get here is very important whilst going through this process.  Withdrawal  is tough and it can be a very challenging time, I personally found that being among those who understand makes it a little easier. 

 

Tapering slowly is the safest and best way to withdraw.  I suggest that you read Professor Ashton's Manual  It will explain this in further detail.  The general tapering guidelines are to cut the daily dose by between 5% and 10% every 10 - 14 days. You can alter the schedule according to how you are feeling.  The aim is to keep any withdrawal symptoms manageable.

 

We have a great community here of knowledgeable and friendly people who understand this process.  They will be willing to share their experience with you.  Feel free to ask questions so that members can respond

 

Here are some helpful links:

 

The Ashton Manual. 

 

General Taper Plans

 

Withdrawal Support

 

If you would be so kind as to add a signature (history of meds/doses etc) it will help members give you relevant advice this link will show you how to”Create a signature”

 

Welcome aboard

 

Magrita

 

[[ED...]]

Hi,

I want to share my experience with xanax (6-8 months, 1 mg/day in the morning). This is really the worst benzo you can be on, I am actually not sure it's just a benzo although it was giving me a lot of energy (contrary to other benzos) and removing the stress I was under. I actually started this because of aggravated chronic anxiety (death in the family and separation from my GF) but I had to go to work and my anxiety level was too high to perform my duties.

 

I have been in the past on bromazepam and had no real problem after taking it for at least a year. Same with diazepam!

 

After about 7 months of taking alprazolam, things were getting out of hand, I needed to take twice more and started to drink really heavily (even in the morning!) so I thought it was time to stop and work duties were not as bad (fewer deadlines, less pressure). I initially stopped it cold turkey because I could not imagine that the withdrawal symptoms would be so bad and wide ranging. I first spent 5 days without being able to stand because my blood pressure would drop and I would faint. I could not sleep at all for at least 4 days but I still have problems and I take some zolpidem to sleep barely 4-5 hours a night. I lost completely my appetite and could not eat for 2 weeks (I lost about 10 kg in 4 weeks and still loosing weight though not as fast). Beside that I had each and every symptoms that are described in Wikipedia. I used to smoke weed and that one thing that helped me a lot to get through the initial cold turkey (I was smoking A LOT more than usual). As weed is not addictive (at least for me, I can stop and have done so many times like when I travel or go on holiday) I think people who have access to it should try it, it's relaxing but not sufficiently to remove the symptoms, nevertheless it helps!

 

After 3 weeks of horrible symptoms I could not take the suffering anymore and started to take 10 mg of valium/day (5mg twice a day) and to be honest it was barely cutting the edge of the symptoms, I still had very strong symptoms (even with weed!). The fact that I was drinking 2 liter of beer at 8% in the evening may have been a factor so I stopped that too, anyway, after stopping xanax, beer started to have a terrible taste and I was so sick I couldn't go out to buy some. So in effect 10 mg of valium is by far less potent than 1 mg of xanax. Also I'm 57 and my older age may have been a factor too.

 

After 5-6 weeks I started to be able to work from home and go out a little bit. my next week is the 8th week and I plan to get back to work as usual.

 

As withdrawal symptoms are up and down, there are now some days (still rare) when I can take nothing, no valium, no zolpidem. so I plan to use either of these "as required" rather than to taper very regularly since some days I don't need them at all and I hope these days are going to be more frequent as time goes by. My chronic anxiety is getting gradually better so I think that should work.

 

The weirdest thing is that I actually don't miss the effect of xanax, it was working for the purpose but it's not a nice drug for recreational use (contrary to cannabis for example) however, I do miss my beers in the evening, that was helping me to sleep!

 

In summary I now take between 5 and 10 mg a day of valium (sometime nothing), 10 mg of zolpidem (more often sometime nothing) and I stopped completely to drink.

 

Any comments on my story is welcome!