Going from Xanax IR to Xanax XR

[[Ma...]]

I stopped taking the XR today.  The "adjustment," got worse each day. Never experienced something so horrendous. Can't even describe it. I absolutely will ever take it again, I would rather go CT (although I absolutely don't want to do that)

 

I can't deal with it anymore, and wont take it from here. Called my pdoc yesterday, and told them. Hoping they will reinstate the xanax IR (definitely some fear around that, scared as usual that they will just want to get rid of me, even though history shows that they are always trying to help.)They can take a few days to get back to me.

 

I have a stash that will last me about 10 days back on the IX, starting today.

 

I think for some people it works, but I am not one of them.

 

I am sorry Baddove, I know you were really hoping that would work and are really disappointed.  I'm disappointed too.  Love, Mary 💜

[[Ma...]]

Mary, can I ask you about your experience with Valium?

I’m planning to cross to V from this .5 Xanax XR. Don’t know if there’s a difference switching after having been on the XR with longer half- life. I’m assuming you were on the IR. 

Hope it’s ok to ask in this thread, I’m new and not sure how to navigate some things here.

 

I was actually on both, 1 mg xr  2) .5 , some days just 1 .5, truthfully I couldn't think of any way to taper them but to crossover to Valium.  Valium sucked for me , I almost went back to X but researched all my notes and realized a lot of my problems was me, going to fast.  It is very sedating and I could hardly hold my head up at times.  Valium is nothing like Xanax, but a lot of people do great on it and it does come in 2 mgs pills.  I always recommend a daily liquid micro taper, just a suggestion.  Going from cut and hold to dlmt was a good thing for me.  Good luck, Mary 💜💜

[[ba...]]

Thanks Mary.

[[ba...]]

Addendum: I got put back on the regular xanax. Pdoc gave me some 1 mg XR. I tried the first one this early afternoon in place of my dose (3:30.) It is working much better, but the short acting xanax does not have all the unpleasant sxs of the XR. I will use the 1 mg XR for evenings I have to be "on " past 7:30, when the interdose begins.

 

I encourage anyone wanting to try this transition to start low. I take 6 Mg's of reg xanax a day, so pdoc gave me (2) 3 mg xr to replace them, same dosage. Also, they lasted 6 hours for me (the XR) not much longer than an IX.

 

They put me through hell. Now I know they were way to high. For me the 1 mg XR is OK for times when the interdose is really bad, and only occasionally. I could not take these everyday. They have unique sxs that I can't stand. At the 1 mg dose, it does help the interdose sxs, and those nasty sxs are still there, but not as strong.

 

I am hyper sensitive to medication, both prescription and over the counter. I don't take vitamins, supplements, NSAIDS, nothing. I am one of those people who really can't tolerate drugs, not even pot. Keep that in mind. My children are the same. I gave one of them a benadryl one time, it totally freaked him out. I can't deal with benadryl either, even before I got on Benzo's.

 

I don't want to discourage anyone from trying it. However, sharing my experience for future peeps who can't deal with crossing to Valium, or another benzo.

 

Your experience could be completely different. My only caution is start at a low dose to test for tolerance, don't end up having a nervous breakdown like I did.

 

Peace

 

 

[[Ni...]]

Baddove,

So sorry to hear this. It’s such a crazy situation to try to find the way off this drug.

I also ended up on it because it’s one of very few meds that - I thought- gave me no side effects.  Trying to find the right dosing sounds very complicated. I hope it gets better.