It's me again! Help with Plan - 19 years on X tapering from 5 mgs

[[Lo...]]

Hi Lori

 

How are you doing. I think of fellow Xanax folks. Let me know. I did one more cut. I still have my cold. No other symptoms from cut. I think me cutting frequently in the beginning is ok for me for now. I never do more than 10%

 

Kristin

Hi Kristine!  Again, you have given me hope!  I am beyond elated that your cuts and minimal sx are going so well!  Honestly, you have NO idea the hope that you have inspired.  Unfortunaterly  I haven"t been so lucky!  Well, I take that back.  By the grace of God, I'm at 4.5 mg. most days.  As I believe I wrote, this month tested all of my reserves!  My Mom literally knocked on deaths door due to an ruptured Aeortic Anyursim (sp) that burst!  She literally is a miracle as only 7% this!  And worse, those that do, 30% die withing the first 24-48 hours after surgery!  The doctors told us that literally 4 minutes later, and she would have never survived!  Let alone some minor, and I say that lightly, complications following.  But somewhow, by the grace of God, I've manageed to cut odwn to 4.5 mg! I don't know how because I feel like crap! But I can't give up! 

 

So beyond happy that you're doing so well!  Again, you give me hope! 

 

Fondly,

Lori

xoxo

[[Bn...]]

Lori.

 

I am SO glad your mom is ok. Many of my relatives have died from aortic aneurysms. So hard. I would be a basket case. Keep going. You are doing great. Let me know how you do.

 

Kristin

[[Su...]]

Wow Lori,

So glad you r Mom is doing OK, and that you are relatively as well.

SS

[[Lo...]]

Lori.

 

I am SO glad your mom is ok. Many of my relatives have died from aortic aneurysms. So hard. I would be a basket case. Keep going. You are doing great. Let me know how you do.

 

Kristin

 

Thanks, Kristin!  It's a miracle my Mom is alive!  We celebrated this past Saturday as she was able to go home!  I went to my PD today and am going to resume my taper on Monday.  I'm going to take a leap and drop to 4.75 mgs.  I've actually been zig-zagging on occasion between 4.5-5 mgs.  I do notice that I have trouble sleeping on the 3rd day of a cut.  You seem to sailing along smoothly!  How has your last cut treated you?

 

Lori

[[Lo...]]

Wow Lori,

So glad you r Mom is doing OK, and that you are relatively as well.

SS

 

Thanks, SS!

 

It's been a heck of a month!  Now that Mom is better (and alive!) I'm ready to resume my taper!  Here we go!.... Heaven help me! Hope your taper is going well! 

 

Lori

[[Bn...]]

Lori

 

I am at 4.5mgs and still going. I found seskingpeace and am following her taper. How are you. Have you made any further cuts?  I’d love a cheering buddy for this. Let me know.

 

Kristin

 

I am doing ok with symptoms. Mostly the third day after cut. Then I’m ok again. Not so bad yet.

[[Lo...]]

Lori

 

I am at 4.5mgs and still going. I found seskingpeace and am following her taper. How are you. Have you made any further cuts?  I’d love a cheering buddy for this. Let me know.

 

Kristin

 

I am doing ok with symptoms. Mostly the third day after cut. Then I’m ok again. Not so bad yet.

 

Hi Kristin!

 

As of yesterday I'm down to 4.75 and praying to stay here for a week or so.  I didn't sleep as well as I had hoped but that's also probably due to a gastritis flare-up from all the stress of the past month (as well as taking too much Advil for a pulled muscle in my neck, shoulder and back - probably stress related as well).  This has all caused me so much anxiety!  I've never had a gastritis attack before!  Ended up in ER thinking I was having a darn heart attack!  All of this stress with my mom, my own health, and normal life stressors is NOT helping my taper!  UGH! 

 

Sounds like you're doing great!  Way to go!  I'll have to review seekingpeace's schedule.  I'll keep you posted on my cuts.  Please do the same!  I think we're the only two on this forum that have been on the exact amount of Xanax for the exact duration of time, and also the same age!   

 

Will check in soon!  Best of luck to you! 

 

Fondly,

Lori

[[Lo...]]

Welcome back to the board. I have dry cut from 6mg to just under 1mg in the past 10 or 11 months. It has not been horrible. Sure some days are tougher than others but that is normal life even if you are not cutting. It may be another six months before I am free from Xanax. I am not going to put a date on, when it’s time it will happen.

 

Cutting small doses almost weekly has been what worked for me. I hope to continue to do that with this last mg.

 

Wishing you strength in your journey, you can do this 🙂

 

Your post is so inspiring!  In fact, it's the most encouraging post I've read to date about dry cutting xanax from such a high dose!  It's no wonder Kristin in following your taper!  I'll be attempting the same!  You honestly have no idea how much I needed to read this today.  I don't know how I missed it... probably because of all the stuff with my Mom.

 

I'm so glad you wrote!  It's very hard to find people in our situation.  May I ask... had you reached tolerance or interdose withdrawal when you started your taper?  I think that's the hardest part for me.  I feel horrible every single day and have for the last two years not knowing I was in I/d w/d!  I simply thought my anxiety was just getting worse!  I guess that's what makes this so scary is that I can't imagine feeling worse than I already do!  Crashing every 4  hours, constant head fullness, anxiety, racing thoughts, feelings of doom and gloom... the list goes on!  But on the other hand, I think to myself, "well, if you already feel like this, and you might feel a little worse during your taper, at least you know that you're getting off these darn things!" 

 

I think the horror stories literally scared the living daylights out of me when I first came on here two years ago.  The idea of not healing or being bedridden for YEARS?  Oh, Lord!  That did me in!  Hence, your taper has me hopeful!  Something I haven't felt in a very long time!

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Fondly,

Lori

[[Bi...]]

What I did;

Just do not rush it even if a taper needs to take several years or more.

Get stable before you do more cuts then cut again and not before.

 

Good luck

[[Bn...]]

So. I’m following seakingpeace and her taper. My start dose was 6mgs Xanax. I’m at 4.5mgs. I cut on fridays. I feel it Monday. I have cut a few times now and only have a few bumpy Mondays. Then I feel better by Thursday which so far motivates me to cut again on Friday. I’m cutting tomorrow. I will go from 4.5mgs to 4.25mgs. It’s already in my pill box. I would LOVE to have anyone dry cutting Xanax to talk to about progress. Seakingpeace is almost done. Lori will you be my benzo buddy?

[[Ro...]]

Hello Lori,

I understand the struggle that you've been going through...It's great that you have the motivation to be off this poison, otherwise it's very difficult...For me it took almost half of my life (I started when I was in college, now I am retired).

But hopefully I'm succeeding, in a couple of months I'll be clean...

 

Share with you what I've found in BB (can't remember the author!) that might help you with your math and your tapering. It was a very useful tool for me!

 

Taper plan: http://bzo.spes-lavaux.ch/TaperPlan.htm

 

We keep connected.

 

 

[[Lo...]]

Hello Lori,

I understand the struggle that you've been going through...It's great that you have the motivation to be off this poison, otherwise it's very difficult...For me it took almost half of my life (I started when I was in college, now I am retired).

But hopefully I'm succeeding, in a couple of months I'll be clean...

 

Share with you what I've found in BB (can't remember the author!) that might help you with your math and your tapering. It was a very useful tool for me!

 

Taper plan: http://bzo.spes-lavaux.ch/TaperPlan.htm

 

We keep connected.

 

Hi Rodolfo! 

 

Thank you so much for the link!  What a lifesaver since I'm absolutely terrible with math!   

 

I'm so happy for you that you're almost at the finish line!  I can't even begin to tell you how terrified I am of this journey ahead!  I wish I could just throw out the bottle today and walk away! Don't we all? 

 

Again, thank you!!  I will definitely use this! 

 

Fondly,

Lori

[[Su...]]

Hello Lori,

I understand the struggle that you've been going through...It's great that you have the motivation to be off this poison, otherwise it's very difficult...For me it took almost half of my life (I started when I was in college, now I am retired).

But hopefully I'm succeeding, in a couple of months I'll be clean...

 

Share with you what I've found in BB (can't remember the author!) that might help you with your math and your tapering. It was a very useful tool for me!

 

Taper plan: http://bzo.spes-lavaux.ch/TaperPlan.htm

 

We keep connected.

 

Rudolpho,

your taper looks quite quick!  I love to think that someone who has been taking this poison for that long can taper that quickly.  Provides some hope.

How are you feeling during this whole thing?

My taper has come to a halt as I hold and get some life back in my life... Long holds are a good strategy for me at times.  hoping this will allow me to spend things up!

thanks for posting your progress and Jim Hawks table.

SS

[[Ro...]]

Hello Lori,

I understand the struggle that you've been going through...It's great that you have the motivation to be off this poison, otherwise it's very difficult...For me it took almost half of my life (I started when I was in college, now I am retired).

But hopefully I'm succeeding, in a couple of months I'll be clean...

 

Share with you what I've found in BB (can't remember the author!) that might help you with your math and your tapering. It was a very useful tool for me!

 

Taper plan: http://bzo.spes-lavaux.ch/TaperPlan.htm

 

We keep connected.

 

Hi Rodolfo! 

 

Thank you so much for the link!  What a lifesaver since I'm absolutely terrible with math!   

 

I'm so happy for you that you're almost at the finish line!  I can't even begin to tell you how terrified I am of this journey ahead!  I wish I could just throw out the bottle today and walk away! Don't we all? 

 

Again, thank you!!  I will definitely use this! 

 

Fondly,

Lori

Hello Lori

 

I am glad the the tapering tool has been useful for you!! I had to use it too, as I am not good with maths either...and it has helped me a lot!

My best regards

 

[[Ro...]]

 

Rudolpho,

your taper looks quite quick!  I love to think that someone who has been taking this poison for that long can taper that quickly.  Provides some hope.

How are you feeling during this whole thing?

My taper has come to a halt as I hold and get some life back in my life... Long holds are a good strategy for me at times.  hoping this will allow me to spend things up!

thanks for posting your progress and Jim Hawks table.

SS

 

Hello SufferingSixty,

I know that my tapering has gone very fast. The initial cut was too high (felt terrible!!) as I was uninformed. To find the BB site was a great help for me!

What I did after that first cut is to remain for a couple of months with the same dose, to gain stability again.

My plan is to act according to my circumstances, for example: In a couple of weeks I will have professional exposure (colleagues from other parts of the world come to Buenos Aires, where I live) and I will be hosting them: as I don't want to have any withdrawal symptoms while they are visiting, is that I will not taper for a month or so, until they have left my country....

My symptoms is lack of memory, dizziness, depersonalization, insomnia, specially during the first week after the cut...

All my best!!

 

[[Su...]]

 

Rudolpho,

your taper looks quite quick!  I love to think that someone who has been taking this poison for that long can taper that quickly.  Provides some hope.

How are you feeling during this whole thing?

My taper has come to a halt as I hold and get some life back in my life... Long holds are a good strategy for me at times.  hoping this will allow me to spend things up!

thanks for posting your progress and Jim Hawks table.

SS

Sounds like a thoroughly thought out and wise taper plan!  I hope your meeting with your colleagues goes well next month.

and that the rest of your taper goes very well.

SS

Hello SufferingSixty,

I know that my tapering has gone very fast. The initial cut was too high (felt terrible!!) as I was uninformed. To find the BB site was a great help for me!

What I did after that first cut is to remain for a couple of months with the same dose, to gain stability again.

My plan is to act according to my circumstances, for example: In a couple of weeks I will have professional exposure (colleagues from other parts of the world come to Buenos Aires, where I live) and I will be hosting them: as I don't want to have any withdrawal symptoms while they are visiting, is that I will not taper for a month or so, until they have left my country....

My symptoms is lack of memory, dizziness, depersonalization, insomnia, specially during the first week after the cut...

All my best!!

[[Lo...]]

Just checking in to see how everyone is doing. 

 

I had to put taper on hold for a week due to medical procedures.  Resuming this Friday.  Hope to be at 4.5 mg ASAP! 

 

Lori

[[de...]]

Good luck Lori.   

 

Dee

[[Ji...]]

Hi Lori0413

 

Hope to be at 4.5 mg ASAP!

Although everybody, me included, long for a fast end of all this, I humbly think the end-date should play only a limited role in benzo taper. By moving on faster you may save a few weeks now but you are then exposed to possible withdrawal symptoms that might remain your faithful companion for long months/years after the last dose .

 

Wish you a smooth continuation towards a full recovery!

 

[[Ro...]]

 

Rudolpho,

your taper looks quite quick!  I love to think that someone who has been taking this poison for that long can taper that quickly.  Provides some hope.

How are you feeling during this whole thing?

My taper has come to a halt as I hold and get some life back in my life... Long holds are a good strategy for me at times.  hoping this will allow me to spend things up!

thanks for posting your progress and Jim Hawks table.

SS

 

Hello SufferingSixty,

As you said in your message, I was tapering too fast...

Since a couple of weeks my anxiety has gone unbearable. I couldn't help it and it showed in my face...words couldn't come out of my mouth. People around me start to get very worried, people that I could not share what I was going through.

 

Si decided to go back to a higher dose and remain there until I feel comfortable. Maybe for a couple of months. Then I will start my tapering again. Now I acknowledge my limits...

Thanks for your words.

My best to you

[[Su...]]

 

Rudolpho,

your taper looks quite quick!  I love to think that someone who has been taking this poison for that long can taper that quickly.  Provides some hope.

How are you feeling during this whole thing?

My taper has come to a halt as I hold and get some life back in my life... Long holds are a good strategy for me at times.  hoping this will allow me to spend things up!

thanks for posting your progress and Jim Hawks table.

SS

 

Hello SufferingSixty,

As you said in your message, I was tapering too fast...

Since a couple of weeks my anxiety has gone unbearable. I couldn't help it and it showed in my face...words couldn't come out of my mouth. People around me start to get very worried, people that I could not share what I was going through.

 

Si decided to go back to a higher dose and remain there until I feel comfortable. Maybe for a couple of months. Then I will start my tapering again. Now I acknowledge my limits...

Thanks for your words.

My best to you

 

Hi Rudolpho,

Well we all do try to go too quickly in the beginning... the gods know that I sure did!!

A bit of an updose and hold is a really good plan.

I am 36 days into my first real hold ( i always tried to sneak some changes in where I could)  And I feel really good.... holding is such a good technique and provide us with some control over this whole thing.

We're all in this together!

SS

[[Se...]]

Welcome back to the board. I have dry cut from 6mg to just under 1mg in the past 10 or 11 months. It has not been horrible. Sure some days are tougher than others but that is normal life even if you are not cutting. It may be another six months before I am free from Xanax. I am not going to put a date on, when it’s time it will happen.

 

Cutting small doses almost weekly has been what worked for me. I hope to continue to do that with this last mg.

 

Wishing you strength in your journey, you can do this 🙂

 

Your post is so inspiring!  In fact, it's the most encouraging post I've read to date about dry cutting xanax from such a high dose!  It's no wonder Kristin in following your taper!  I'll be attempting the same!  You honestly have no idea how much I needed to read this today.  I don't know how I missed it... probably because of all the stuff with my Mom.

 

I'm so glad you wrote!  It's very hard to find people in our situation.  May I ask... had you reached tolerance or interdose withdrawal when you started your taper?  I think that's the hardest part for me.  I feel horrible every single day and have for the last two years not knowing I was in I/d w/d!  I simply thought my anxiety was just getting worse!  I guess that's what makes this so scary is that I can't imagine feeling worse than I already do!  Crashing every 4  hours, constant head fullness, anxiety, racing thoughts, feelings of doom and gloom... the list goes on!  But on the other hand, I think to myself, "well, if you already feel like this, and you might feel a little worse during your taper, at least you know that you're getting off these darn things!" 

 

I think the horror stories literally scared the living daylights out of me when I first came on here two years ago.  The idea of not healing or being bedridden for YEARS?  Oh, Lord!  That did me in!  Hence, your taper has me hopeful!  Something I haven't felt in a very long time!

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Fondly,

Lori

 

Thank you Lori, I had not checked into the board for a little while just seeing your post. I was not a tolerance when I started. I was feeling tired and overly sedated. It was really scary to start cutting doses and when I began I really did not know where I would end up with it. I still don’t know. As of today I am on .5 split over four doses a day. The last two weeks where probably my hardest. Certainly not intolerable, I went to work and did everything I needed to do. I am going to slow it down I think. Hold at this dose a little while and see if the anxiety subsides.

 

I hope you are doing well.

[[Lo...]]

Hi Lori0413

 

Hope to be at 4.5 mg ASAP!

Although everybody, me included, long for a fast end of all this, I humbly think the end-date should play only a limited role in benzo taper. By moving on faster you may save a few weeks now but you are then exposed to possible withdrawal symptoms that might remain your faithful companion for long months/years after the last dose .

 

Wish you a smooth continuation towards a full recovery!

 

 

Thanks for your input!  And you're right.  I keep having to remind myself that slow and steady wins the race and that there are no quick fixes on this journey.  Hanging in there at 4.75 and sometimes 4.5 depending on my day.  So far so good.  I keep telling myself that no matter what, it still beats the 6 mgs I had been up to for 2 years! 

 

Hope all are doing well!

 

Lori

[[Lo...]]

 

Thank you Lori, I had not checked into the board for a little while just seeing your post. I was not a tolerance when I started. I was feeling tired and overly sedated. It was really scary to start cutting doses and when I began I really did not know where I would end up with it. I still don’t know. As of today I am on .5 split over four doses a day. The last two weeks where probably my hardest. Certainly not intolerable, I went to work and did everything I needed to do. I am going to slow it down I think. Hold at this dose a little while and see if the anxiety subsides.

 

I hope you are doing well.

 

It certainly sounds like you're on the right path!  And what a long way you have come! I hope your hold goes well.  It's still very encouraging to hear that you've been able to work and remain functional!  I'm praying for the same.  Keep us posted on your progress.  Wishing you all the best in the world! 

 

Fondly,

Lori

[[Si...]]

Kristen  and all others on This thread, OMG so I'm not the only one that couldn't crossover to Valium !! Spent one month carefully crossing over and it was too toxic for me.......so back to Xanax tapering. From 2.5 MG down to.75 MG now in a brutal hellish 6 months, so far taper per Ashton. I micro dry cut every day with a scale the equivalent on the high end of Ashton protocol of 10% every 2 weeks. Micro cutting is much less painful! I tried water tapering but as with some, my body didn't recognize the drug once dissolved. I am hopeful we will all survive this and get our lives back. Yes, too many sad stories will make it worse, but to find others on our situation is helpful. I do understand tapering x is much harder than the long acting, I have to stay functional to work, as I have my own business. Some times it's so hard I don't want to go on, but I must because we will all get better, right? Hang on, hang on we can do this.🤗