4mg of xanax a day for 20 years then c/t

[[ba...]]

I was prescribed by all doctors my endocrinologist 4mg of Xanax a day for 20 years then he retired and I was left out in the cold, now I know that you should not be on any of these drugs for any longer than a couple of weeks. He had no reason to give this to me, he said I seemed anxious, well my mother was dying so maybe I was upset but no reason to give this to me. Well as you all know I am in a living hell and could use some help and support because only the people going through this know as my wife of 40 years and my son have no idea what is happening to me. I have been debilitated and now have many medical conditions from this drug and am a strong believer benzos should be BANNED.

[[pi...]]

Hello banditcat,

 

Welcome to Benzo Buddies! You are in a situation that is sadly far too familiar.  I'm sorry for what you are going through.  I'm assuming that due to the retirement of your doctor that you were forced to go cold turkey, is this correct? That is a significant dose of xanax to stop suddenly.  How long ago did this happen?

 

Yes, all too often a situation that could be resolved without drugs like benzos are given to people. You are correct about the recommendation of short terms use, say two to three weeks.

 

Once we have more information we can direct better information to you, based on your circumstances.

 

A slow taper is recommended as the best method to withdraw from benzos. Generally, a reduction of no more than 5-10% every 10-14 days is suggested.  If you are new off xanax, say within a 2 week period, it is possible to reinstate and implement a sensible taper plan.  I don't know if you have a doctor who would prescribe xanax for you so you can taper off. I will give you a link to the General Taper Plans for additional information.

 

Although things are rough now, with time you will see an easing up of the symptoms that you are experiencing right now.

 

It's very hard for family members to understand the depth and scope of benzo withdrawal. We do have a very good thread here written by a member who explains the process in plain wording. I'll give you a link to the thread and perhaps your family can read it. 

 

I'll also give you a link to the Post Withdrawal Recovery Board. You can post there and receive feedback from others who understand what you are going through.

 

I'll include a link to the Ashton Manual. While it discusses tapering in detail, it also gives good information about the withdrawal process in general.

 

You'll get a lot of support and encouragement here from our kind members.  Your central nervous system will take a while to balance out but we're here for you during the process. Please do ask questions, we're here to help.

 

General Taper Plans   

 

What's happening inside your brain

 

The Ashton Manual

 

pianogirl 

[[Pi...]]

:'(

[[au...]]

I was prescribed by all doctors my endocrinologist 4mg of Xanax a day for 20 years then he retired and I was left out in the cold, now I know that you should not be on any of these drugs for any longer than a couple of weeks. He had no reason to give this to me, he said I seemed anxious, well my mother was dying so maybe I was upset but no reason to give this to me. Well as you all know I am in a living hell and could use some help and support because only the people going through this know as my wife of 40 years and my son have no idea what is happening to me. I have been debilitated and now have many medical conditions from this drug and am a strong believer benzos should be BANNED.

 

Welcome to BB, banditcat. You'll find much help and support on this site. It's been a godsend for me. I'm so sorry you're being forced to cold turkey, off xanax at that; I can't even imagine the horror. I hope you're finding ways to cope and distract yourself from symptoms that must be insanely intense.

 

Hang in there, buddy.

[[Sa...]]

Bandit,

 

Please read the link Pianogirl posted “what’s happening in your brain” it helps me get through.

 

I’m sorry you were forced to CT, I was also.

 

SaraSue