Tapering Xanax long term low dose

[[la...]]

rdandy,

 

I hope you are feeling better. We have very similar stories.

 

I too have been struggling with trying to find a dose to stabilize on. My daily doses were always inconsistent (see signature) but I know with certainty that I always took it before bed. So, for the last two days I have split the dosage up in a way that I can take a bit more at bedtime and I'm starting to feel better already. (.0625/.0625/.125) Maybe too soon to tell, but so far I feel like I'm leveling out.

I'm no expert but I'm sure my brain is accustomed to a nightly dose and when I tried to reduce it to less than .125 initially it didn't go so well for me.

 

I'm learning as much as I can about the tapering process using Xanax and we seem to be the minority in here. At such low dosage I'm not totally comfortable switching to Valium as suggested by Ashton. Now that my brain is functioning better I have spent some time researching the DLMT method as suggested by several members. Seems to be the best route. I'm 99% sure I am extremely sensitive to medications and it sounds as though you likely are as well. Have you decided on a method yet?

 

 

Again, I hope you are feeling better. We can do this!

[[rd...]]

Hey lala

 

The last few days have been better. It’s difficult becuase it hasn’t been linear. For example I had a great Saturday but a rough Sunday. Monday wasn’t great but Tuesday was.

 

I think my problems were largely due to my unwise 6 day cold turkey attempt.

 

I’ve decided not to switch to Valium either. I don’t react well to it and I’d prefer to stick with the Benzo I know my body tolerates.

 

Feel free to PM me anytime. You’ll feel better soon I promise.

[Guest [NM...]]

Also, because your dose is so low, a liquid titration is going to be your ticket out of this mess. So Pete is right. Hopefully you will stabilize after a while of doing the 0.0625 twice daily (it might take a while because of your 6 days of cold turkey). Then post on the titration board to get help planning a liquid taper from there. Sorry you are going through this.

 

Agree. I’ve been all over the map with symptoms since I dropped below 1 mg. I’ve been splitting my 1 & .5 mg pills & the distribution of active ingredient is unknown. Since beginning liquid titration I feel as stable as I did when I started my taper. I wish you the best getting off Xanax.

[[rd...]]

It has now been 3 weeks of trying to stabilize at 2x .0625mg.

 

This last weekend was really difficult with a lot of anxiety. I’m also getting fatigued very easily. Do I need to keep holding at this level? I thought for sure after 3 weeks I’d be more stabilized.

[[So...]]

Hey randy -

 

I am not tapering Xanas (Valium is my poison) but I also did a 3week+ hold at 3mg and it didn't improve anything so I started to taper again and things were not necessarily "better" but they were not worse either and i was glad to be reducing and not holding.

 

Someone else who is tapering Xanax might have a better answer. Also have you gone to the "Long Hold" thread in the Support groups - you might get some answers there.

 

Hope you work this out - I also have those good days and bad days and can never predict which it will be which is so frustrating and often just scary.

 

Let us know how you are doing. We all have your back bud.

 

Pete

[[rd...]]

So after 4 weeks of attempting to stabilize at 2x .0625mg I had some insane anxiety and decided to add a third dose of .0625mg

 

Is it possible that even after a month I’m still reeling from my cold turkey attempt?

[[la...]]

I'm going to say yes, absolutely. Based on my own experience.

 

What I know for sure about my own experience with Xanax is that I went from randomly dosing for 16 mos. without an issue but since my CT last month I have symptoms with the slightest changes.

 

Hopefully you will stabilize at your current dose. Are you breaking it up into three times/day?

[[rd...]]

Had a really rough weekend. Could hardly leave my bed yesterday.

 

I’m now over 6 weeks out from my cold turkey. Could I still be recovering from that? I feel like I’m getting worse somehow.

[[rd...]]

Day 46 of reinstatement post c/t and I’m not doing well at all.

 

Should it be taking this long to stabilize or is something wrong?

[[Ho...]]

What symptoms are you feeling?

 

The first cut I tried, I cut 25%. That lasted 2 days before I reinstated. It took me a week to feel better. So 46 days seems like a long time to me, especially with xanax. My symptoms were over-anxious feeling, not able to sleep (despite using ambien). Wide awake but not able to function. It was like being on speed, but only the bad effects, none of the good effects. And I once had a nasty speed habit (well before benzo use), so I know.

 

Even now as I'm tapering xanax, and even with my recent updose, I wouldn't be able to lie in bed. I can barely sit and watch TV. I'm up cleaning my apartment, researching my upcoming travel, I even ironed all my clothes last Sunday. I never iron my clothes! And that was after I mopped all my floors!

 

I'm not happy at the moment, but not unhappy enough to lie in bed doing nothing. I spent a year doing that after I completed my cancer treatment, and I don't ever want to do that again. So maybe my unhappiness manifests itself differently than yours does.

 

OK, enough about me. What symptoms are you feeling?