I've got a plan, would love some feedback (Xanax, 3mg)

[[Xa...]]

Hi All!

 

This is an assumption but after bouncing around here on the forum for a bit I would consider my proposed plan to be on the rapid side but not rapid enough for the CT/Rapid threads. If anyone has any advice regarding my dosage/plan format I am all ears!

 

My "current" daily regiment was 3mg per day of which I have tapered down already to 2.5mg per day. Below is my intended plan:

 

Step 1: duration - 2-3 weeks (currently 8 days in with no major w/d effects)

1mg at 9:00am

.5mg at 3:00pm

1mg at 9:00pm

 

Step 2: duration - 3-4 weeks symptom dependent

1mg at 9:00am

.5mg at 3:00pm

.5mg at 9:00pm

 

Step 3: duration - 6-8 weeks

1mg at 9:00am

0mg at 3:00pm

1mg at 9:00pm

 

Step 4: duration - TBD

.75mg at 9:00am

0mg at 3:00pm

.75mg at 9:00pm

 

Step 5: duration - TBD

.50mg at 9:00am

0mg at 3:00pm

.50mg at 9:00pm

 

Step 6: duration - TBD

.25mg at 9:00am

0mg at 3:00pm

.25mg at 9:00pm

 

Step 7: duration - TBD

LT? No clue where I will be this far down the line.

 

 

I am aware this is quite ambitious and that the compounding cut percentages will increase significantly as I move through this plan but I have read some incredible stories of buddies here that have managed to achieve success with much higher dosages and less time then I am anticipating.

 

I consider myself fairly strong-willed but really my only concern is having any symptoms that will hinder my ability to work in an office setting or with clients and of course ensuring my own well being is kept up (hygiene, diet, etc).

 

Big thank you in advance to all my new buddies!

-Alex

 

PS: I have access to .25mg, .50mg and 1mg doses so I am planning to dry cut as long as possible.

 

[[bu...]]

1)  There really is nothing wrong with trying an "aggressive" taper.  The worst thing that can happen is some temporary discomfort.  Nothing that happens will  be permanent, and you can always go back to where you were.

 

2)  But being "strong-willed" really has nothing to do with discontinuing benzos.  Its not like trying to stop smoking, or giving up some other habit-forming substance.  The benzo has caused organic, physiological changes to your body and nervous system, and those changes will have to be reversed as you taper.

 

3)  And I will never understand why anyone wants to "wait until I get to a lower dose" to switch to liquid.  Why not do it the easy way from the beginning?  I sure wish I would have.

[[to...]]

following

 

[[Xa...]]

1)  There really is nothing wrong with trying an "aggressive" taper.  The worst thing that can happen is some temporary discomfort.  Nothing that happens will  be permanent, and you can always go back to where you were.

 

2)  But being "strong-willed" really has nothing to do with discontinuing benzos.  Its not like trying to stop smoking, or giving up some other habit-forming substance.  The benzo has caused organic, physiological changes to your body and nervous system, and those changes will have to be reversed as you taper.

 

3)  And I will never understand why anyone wants to "wait until I get to a lower dose" to switch to liquid.  Why not do it the easy way from the beginning?  I sure wish I would have.

 

Hi Builder,

 

Thank you very much for the insight, i've seen you provide a lot of incredible information to many buddies here and your time dedication is much appreciated.

 

1 That is very reassuring, thank you!

 

2 I completely agree but a strong willed person will fight through their phycological changes instead of reaching for the bottle as an immediate release. Undoubtedly i'm sure some of the changes are out of my control so I understand your point.

 

3 I am utilizing pills instead of LT (for now) mainly due to the fact that my first cut which i've been on for 10 days as of writing this was 16.6 percent and while noticeable, the effects have not been horrendous and are manageable. If I can continue this ebb and flow and work my way through the first couple cuts without LT my assumption is that I will save some time in exchange for some slight discomfort during the first couple cuts.

 

Thanks again and I will certainly do some more research on LT you are the best!

-Alex

 

 

 

[[Xa...]]

following

 

Hey!

 

Assuming your signature is referring to Xanax, we are on fairly similar paths and I have to give you some serious props for your current taper schedule thus far. Very impressive.

 

Can I continue to post updates on progress/symptoms here on this thread or should that live somewhere else?

 

Thanks for following along, we got this!

-Alex

 

[[bu...]]

 

 

Hi Builder,

 

Thank you very much for the insight, i've seen you provide a lot of incredible information to many buddies here and your time dedication is much appreciated.

 

 

2 I completely agree but a strong willed person will fight through their phycological changes instead of reaching for the bottle as an immediate release. Undoubtedly i'm sure some of the changes are out of my control so I understand your point.

 

 

 

Yes, being "strong-willed" and determined will probably be beneficial, but I want to emphasize (for benefit  of everyone who reads this), discontinuing benzos is NOT like giving up a habituating drug like alcohol (or tobacco, or opiates, etc.)  Its very rare that anyone ever "craves" another dose of benzo, like they want another cigarette. 

 

Benzos create a dependency, not an addiction. 

[[Xa...]]

 

 

Hi Builder,

 

Thank you very much for the insight, i've seen you provide a lot of incredible information to many buddies here and your time dedication is much appreciated.

 

 

2 I completely agree but a strong willed person will fight through their phycological changes instead of reaching for the bottle as an immediate release. Undoubtedly i'm sure some of the changes are out of my control so I understand your point.

 

 

 

Yes, being "strong-willed" and determined will probably be beneficial, but I want to emphasize (for benefit  of everyone who reads this), discontinuing benzos is NOT like giving up a habituating drug like alcohol (or tobacco, or opiates, etc.)  Its very rare that anyone ever "craves" another dose of benzo, like they want another cigarette. 

 

Benzos create a dependency, not an addiction.

 

Thank you for clarifying the terminology that is very sound logic because it's true! Often times the two go hand in hand but this is not a place for generalizations.

 

Much appreciated Builder!

-Alex

 

 

[[to...]]

following

 

Hey!

 

Assuming your signature is referring to Xanax, we are on fairly similar paths and I have to give you some serious props for your current taper schedule thus far. Very impressive.

 

Can I continue to post updates on progress/symptoms here on this thread or should that live somewhere else?

 

Thanks for following along, we got this!

-Alex

 

Hello,

Yes, I am referring to Xanax.  The first cuts were not too hard but the lower you go with cut and hold the more you have to look at the percentage.  The last cut and hold was not the easiest but not horrible.  That is why I decided to do the LT.  Now I am going to do a combo of the pills and the LT and see how I do.  I take 4 doses a day as that is how I have taken it for nearly 3 years and that seems to work best for me.

 

Yes you can post here.  Encouragement and support are always welcome.  I wish you well with your taper and remember to listen to your body..  Keep me/us posted on how you are doing.

 

Julia

[[Xa...]]

following

 

Hey!

 

Assuming your signature is referring to Xanax, we are on fairly similar paths and I have to give you some serious props for your current taper schedule thus far. Very impressive.

 

Can I continue to post updates on progress/symptoms here on this thread or should that live somewhere else?

 

Thanks for following along, we got this!

-Alex

 

Hello,

Yes, I am referring to Xanax.  The first cuts were not too hard but the lower you go with cut and hold the more you have to look at the percentage.  The last cut and hold was not the easiest but not horrible.  That is why I decided to do the LT.  Now I am going to do a combo of the pills and the LT and see how I do.  I take 4 doses a day as that is how I have taken it for nearly 3 years and that seems to work best for me.

 

Yes you can post here.  Encouragement and support are always welcome.  I wish you well with your taper and remember to listen to your body..  Keep me/us posted on how you are doing.

 

Julia

 

Much appreciated Julia,

 

I like your approach and I think i'll be following a similar path as I count down to zero. For now i've got a long way to go but certainly see LT in my future. My first cut being 16.6% was quite grandiose, I too am used to taking my doses systematically 3 times a day and want to continue my already existing intake schedule. Luckily my local pharmacy has 1mg, 50mg and .25 pills and I am waiting to hear back about liquid solution availability, so i'm hoping dosage control will be easier to manage.

 

Appreciate the kind words and see around the forums!

-Alex

 

[[bu...]]

 

 

Much appreciated Julia,

 

I like your approach and I think i'll be following a similar path as I count down to zero. For now i've got a long way to go but certainly see LT in my future. My first cut being 16.6% was quite grandiose, I too am used to taking my doses systematically 3 times a day and want to continue my already existing intake schedule. Luckily my local pharmacy has 1mg, 50mg and .25 pills and I am waiting to hear back about liquid solution availability, so i'm hoping dosage control will be easier to manage.

 

Appreciate the kind words and see around the forums!

-Alex

 

If you are in the US, liquid Xanax (alprazolam) is definitely available.  Its a 1mg=1ml solution with  propylene glycol solvent.

[[Xa...]]

 

 

Much appreciated Julia,

 

I like your approach and I think i'll be following a similar path as I count down to zero. For now i've got a long way to go but certainly see LT in my future. My first cut being 16.6% was quite grandiose, I too am used to taking my doses systematically 3 times a day and want to continue my already existing intake schedule. Luckily my local pharmacy has 1mg, 50mg and .25 pills and I am waiting to hear back about liquid solution availability, so i'm hoping dosage control will be easier to manage.

 

Appreciate the kind words and see around the forums!

-Alex

 

If you are in the US, liquid Xanax (alprazolam) is definitely available.  Its a 1mg=1ml solution with  propylene glycol solvent.

 

Fortunately and unfortunately I live on the Pacific coast of Mexico quite surprisingly very little benzodiazepine usage down here.

 

 

 

[[Li...]]

Xanaxperience - It's not hard to make your own liquid if you can't get it ready made in Mexico. There's a board for titration here if you need or want to go that route.

[[Xa...]]

Hey!

 

Hope everyone had a good weekend, it is getting uncomfortably hot down here in Mexico...luckily living next to the ocean helps a bit.

If anyone is looking for a good exercise activity that is fairly low impact, good for cognitive functions and breathing/oxygen intake, before starting my taper i've been doing pilates. The last couple weeks after work sitting in a chair most of the day I have been continuing my 1 hour pilates sessions. Been extremely helpful both mentally and physically. Only issue is diet...need to have an appetite in order to eat, need to eat in order to exercise (and live).

 

Quick update, I am now two weeks in on my first cut. 16.6% down from 3mg to 2.5mg.

While not excruciating, certainly noticeable. Symptoms themselves and their effects are all fairly consistent with my normal inter-dose withdrawal symptoms, the only change unsurprisingly has been increased anxiety.

 

What I have noticed is the reduction of my mid day dose reduced the effectiveness of my morning and nightly doses, they seem to wear off quicker.

 

After receiving a wealth of feedback and great advice from some members here I will most likely revise my current plan to introduce smaller cuts sooner as the percentages of cuts in my current schedule will get drastically larger in the coming weeks.

 

Have a great week!

-Alex

[[to...]]

Hi Alex,

I think you are doing what you need to do and listening to your body.  Smaller cuts will feel better to your system and you will heal faster in my opinion.

 

I have been just taking my pills for the last few days, no liquid, and I am slowly but surely feeling better.  I am thinking in another 5 days I will do another cut which will be lower than before.  I am going to stay with all pills as that was working better for me.  I plan on my next cut being .125 and I will be at 2.0 mg.  Sometimes we have to try different things until we know what works best for us.  What works for one person may not be the answer for the next person.

 

Good luck and keep posting on your progress.

 

Hope you had a good weekend too.

 

Julia

[[Xa...]]

Hi Alex,

I think you are doing what you need to do and listening to your body.  Smaller cuts will feel better to your system and you will heal faster in my opinion.

 

I have been just taking my pills for the last few days, no liquid, and I am slowly but surely feeling better.  I am thinking in another 5 days I will do another cut which will be lower than before.  I am going to stay with all pills as that was working better for me.  I plan on my next cut being .125 and I will be at 2.0 mg.  Sometimes we have to try different things until we know what works best for us.  What works for one person may not be the answer for the next person.

 

Good luck and keep posting on your progress.

 

Hope you had a good weekend too.

 

Julia

 

Hi Julia,

 

Absolutely, I don't have enough experience yet to really determine which taper method is right for me but I would love to stick with pills. Given the lack of symptoms during my first cut I am going to continue with pills but reduce my next cut. Instead of dropping another .50mg down to 2mg daily I am only going to reduce .25mg and see how I feel and if necessary reduce only .125mg the following day if symptoms are too extreme.

 

I see the last couple weeks on your DLMT was pretty rough, I hope you are feeling better post and I am interested to see how you continue with your dry cutting taper.

 

Best of luck to you as well and have a great day,

-Alex

 

 

[[to...]]

Hi Alex,

I think it is a good idea to go with the .25 cut.  Doing .5,g cuts will get harder as you go down.

 

I am hanging in there.  Still just doing the pills.  Still at 2.146 mg.  Am planning to do another cut in a few days of .125 mg and I will be at 2.0 mg.  Having some personal issues that I will have to get through before I do another cut.  Its something I deal with every year at this time.

 

Right now - the dry cutting is what is working for me.  I am still having some symptoms but the headaches are not as intense but I do have ear pressure and anxiety, however, it could be because of what I am going through, for me not everything is linked to the taper - some things are due to PTSD and anxiety.

 

How are you doing?  Good I do hope.

 

Keep me posted.  Take care.

 

Julia

[[Xa...]]

Hi Alex,

I think it is a good idea to go with the .25 cut.  Doing .5,g cuts will get harder as you go down.

 

I am hanging in there.  Still just doing the pills.  Still at 2.146 mg.  Am planning to do another cut in a few days of .125 mg and I will be at 2.0 mg.  Having some personal issues that I will have to get through before I do another cut.  Its something I deal with every year at this time.

 

Right now - the dry cutting is what is working for me.  I am still having some symptoms but the headaches are not as intense but I do have ear pressure and anxiety, however, it could be because of what I am going through, for me not everything is linked to the taper - some things are due to PTSD and anxiety.

 

How are you doing?  Good I do hope.

 

Keep me posted.  Take care.

 

Julia

 

 

Hi Julia,

 

Im glad to hear you are progressing along minus some unavoidable obstacles, it's great that you can unblur the line between taper symptoms and unrelated personal challenges. Something i've been fighting with the last couple weeks as my body begins to adapt back to life before Xanax.

 

Sounds like you symptoms are plateauing a bit which is a good sign, hopefully you can make the cut soon!

 

Regardless I wish you good luck during this time of difficulty and send lots of positive energy.

 

---

 

I recently picked up a script of .5mg pills and two nights ago I started the second step of my taper plan. I reduced my evening dose down to .5mg (from 1mg) slept just fine and woke up the next morning for my 1mg morning dose without issue. Last night I slept pretty good, about 6 hours. I think I will be sticking with this cut for the next couple weeks.

 

Very happy to report that my current plan as outlined in my original post, is for the time being working for my specific needs. I've dropped a full mg over the course of 3 weeks. Again I am fully aware of the hardships to come as I get to lower and lower doses so .25 and .125 cuts will most likely take place of my current .5 cuts for the next steps to come but glad i've been able to shave off ⅓ of my dosage without severe symptoms.

 

 

Have a great day!

-Alex