Leaving Xanax

[[Li...]]

Need help with xanax withdrawal

 

Have taken xanax for panic attacks for about 15 years( when needed...not daily). Started taking them daily about 3 years. Up to 3 mg a day. Having major trouble with Librium taper now.

[[me...]]

Welcome to the forum! We're glad  to have you as a new member.  To taper off xanax, you'll need to establish a steady daily dose and taper slowly off that.

 

You'll find lots of information and support here.  Our members have been through all aspects of withdrawal, and you're likely to find  people who understand what you're going through.

 

For those who are starting a new taper, we suggest reducing no faster than 5-10% every 10-14 days at first, and then adjusting the taper rate to suit your own needs.  One exception: very short-term users of a few weeks or less may be able to taper faster.  Having some withdrawal symptoms is normal, especially near the end of a taper and for a few months after discontinuing the medication.  First/only withdrawals after a slow taper tend to be easier than multiple reinstatements/withdrawals over time, which may make symptoms worse and longer lasting. The most common symptoms are anxiety and insomnia, but there are many others. These are temporary and will go away in time.

 

Here are a few links you may find useful:

 

Withdrawal Support Board

 

The Ashton Manual is an authoritative source on what to expect in withdrawal and recovery.  Dr. Ashton is an expert in the field. Section III explains and describes symptoms, and there is also a section with suggested taper schedules.

 

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

 

Again, welcome!

 

 

[[ly...]]

Need help with xanax withdrawal

 

Have taken xanax for panic attacks for about 15 years( when needed...not daily). Started taking them daily about 3 years. Up to 3 mg a day. Having major trouble with Librium taper now.

 

Are you on both xanax and librium?  Tapering both?

[[Li...]]

Stopped taking xanax about 3 weeks ago didnt know about the horrible withdrawals. Saw a doctor luckily. She put me on 25 mg Librium for 15 days. When it wore off I went into withdrawal symptoms again

[[Ch...]]

Stopped taking xanax about 3 weeks ago didnt know about the horrible withdrawals. Saw a doctor luckily. She put me on 25 mg Librium for 15 days. When it wore off I went into withdrawal symptoms again

 

No surprise there... .5mg of Xanax is roughly equivalent to 25mg of Librium, so you've been cut by a huge percentage.  3mg of Xanax would need to be replaced by (give or take) 150mg of Librium in order not to go into withdrawal.

 

Will she continue to prescribe the Librium for you to taper from?  If you're having severe symptoms I hope she'll give you a higher dose.

[[Li...]]

Going to see doctor today to find out. I hope she will.give me a longer timeframe as well. What is the rush?? It seems it takes a lot of people a long time to properly withdrawal. This is my first experience with it and had no idea it would be so bad. But I haven't taken any xanax. At least I have that

[[ly...]]

Going to see doctor today to find out. I hope she will.give me a longer timeframe as well. What is the rush?? It seems it takes a lot of people a long time to properly withdrawal. This is my first experience with it and had no idea it would be so bad. But I haven't taken any xanax. At least I have that

 

Was the taper your idea/plan?  I'd maybe tell the doctor that you think you want to reduce somewhat and will just see how it goes.  That you might find that you feel better maintaining your dose, or only dropping some, etc.  For some reason when doctors hear that a patient wants to taper off they start demanding a certain (usually very fast) schedule with no regard to any wd sxs that are experienced.  Perhaps a patient voicing a desire to get off a controlled substance rings some alarm bells in their heads(?).  Who knows.  But sometimes it's best to play-down the taper.  Much depends on the doctor and it's almost impossible to know what the reaction will be until it's too late.