taper of of 0.15 xanax

[[Ch...]]

Morning and night half in the morning and half at night. I stopped taking the night about 10 days ago only taking 0.125 at 6 in the morning about 4 in the morning I feel all the symptoms, cant sleep, headache in back of head, anxiety, unsteady gate and so on. I take the 0.125 and it helps somewhat. I have to get better I cant lose my job.

Also thank you Osu2001 for your input if you could be more helpful and explain a little more that I could understand it would be helpful, what do you advise on tapering from 0.125 taking once a day in the morning. Thanks all for your help

 

If it were me, I think I might hold this dose for now, given that it’s important to remain somewhat functional for work. You can make the call to cut again when you feel like some of these symptoms are more tolerable.

 

I held my dose for two months during my taper with no problem, then resumed when I felt ready.

[[pa...]]

Thank you for your response, so should I keep taking the whole 0.125 in one pill or should I split the 0.125 in half and take it twice a day at 6:00am and again at 5:00pm, reason I'm asking will taking it once a day till I stabilize keep me all day and night till the next morning ?? I know I'm asking to much but I want to do the right thing. I will start tonight. another thing I did not start with 0.15 mg, I started with 0.125 as Challis99 stated. I don't know were the 0.15 came in, must be my screwed up head.

[[Ch...]]

Well, I guess we’ll know by morning if the switch to twice a day worked for you! 

[[Os...]]

Hello, I would like to know how to taper of off 0.15 Xanax my doctor issued me 0.25 and told me to break it in half . This I did and it did nothing for me now I am feeling that I want to take more and a up the amount. this I do not want to do. I know what will happen to me.

You still want to taper down to .0625. I would get a Gemini Scale off Amazon ($20) and use an emery board to shave off just a little bit each day. Most Xanax weigh about 150mgs. Your dose sounds like it is .125 (half of a .25 pill) So split a pill and shave the larger side down to 75mg (or half of the total pill weight). Then: 75 x .85 = 63.75 so after thirty days you will have dropped 15%. Then you do the math again for another month 63.75 x .85 =  54.18.

Now to calculate the daily drop...

75 x .85. = 63.75

75 - 63.75 = 11.25

11.25 / 30 = .375mg per day drop.

 

These drops will be too minut for a Gemini 20 as it's limit is 1mg. But you could use the above formula and just drop aprox 1mg every three days. After 30 days you should re do the math because you want to drop 15% of your dose per month (This falls in about the middle between a fast and a slow taper, call it a medium pace taper if you will). But the next month you may only drop 1mg every four days until you reach 37.5mg (or a quarter of your .25 pill weight) which would equal .0625mg

 

 

Aside from being way too fast (and prescriptively offered),  these instructions don’t relate to pallo’s situation. 

Too fast and doesn't relate? Umm the taper formula I offered would have taken him down slowly over months as to avoid any withdrawal symptoms. Your advice was to do a 50% drop and see how it goes? 😦

Your advice is poor and your taper rate recommendation is WAY too fast!

 

He’s only taking .125mg.

The issue here is you haven't even read my original post. If you did, you weren't paying attention to what you were reading. Anyway, I'm not going to explain it because the explanation is already well...in my original post. I even bolded some of it for you this time.

Your suggestion to drop from .125 to .0625 is a 50% cut and that was poor advice on your part.

This person has expressed their sensitivity even at this low dose so, I gave my 2 cents on a 15% per month taper.

Anyway, this is about helping someone here so to answer the question about going to two times a day.  Yes, I think splitting your dose would keep things more even. Challis' advice on waiting to stabilize, should be your biggest concern right now before trying to taper.

[[pa...]]

I did read your posts and I am no good at Mathematics I understand to stay on 0.125 unstill I stabilize and then to cut the 0.125 in half and then shave the larger side of the one half of the 0.125 down to 75 mg or half of the 0.125 and stay on this for 30 more days . Is this right. Sorry for being so stupid I have a constant headache and hard to focus on the computer. Right now I am cutting the 0.125 in half and taking one half in the morning and the other half about 5:00 at night. Please be patient with me I'm trying to get this right.  and thank you for your help. Bob

Thank you to Challis for getting back to me I don't know if the switch is working or not I just took 1/2 of the 0.125 last night and am going to take the other half tonight, I should know by tomorrow, this morning I have a bad tension headache sorry to bother you guys you are very helpful. One other thing, what do you mean when you say stabilize.

[[Lo...]]

You're not being stupid, pallo. Math can get complicated while withdrawing from these. Too much anxiety can certainly make it harder to make calculations.

 

What I did with the last 0.5mg of ativan is to divide a 0.5mg pill in 2 (two daily doses) and then would use an eXacto knife and/or a nail file to just remove something like 0.001g or 0.002g from each dose, depending how I felt. I don't know about Xanax pill weight, but I found that the 0.5mg Ativan pill weight was approximately 0.060g on these Gemini scales, so I would do things accordingly. I recall setting up some simple proportions in Microsoft Mathematics to figure out how much I was removing. It's good for this sort of math and it's absolutely free!

It can solve simple proportions and equations and calculations very nicely. Of course, it only works on Microsoft Windows, so the assumption is that you have access to a Windows computer. Good luck!

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15702

[[pa...]]

Thank you Lorazepam Free 2019

[[Ch...]]

Hi Bob.

 

Headache might be a reaction to splitting the dose. Maybe try some ibuprofen and see if it helps.  I had a headache 24/7 at the end of my Xanax taper which went away the first day my taper was over. Not saying it’ll happen like that for you, whoever knows with this.

 

‘Stabilize’ is kind of general. It means wait until symptoms settle down a little and you feel ready to cut again. Pushing it isn’t usually successful in a benzodiazepine taper.

 

Your PMs aren’t a bother. I just have to answer here.

 

Challis

[[Ch...]]

Osu, you’ve made pallo the unintended victim of remarks you intended to direct at me. 

 

I offer advice based on what worked for me personally and feedback pallo has given. You’re welcome to give yours based on your personal experience, but please offer it civilly.

[[pa...]]

Thank you Challis I just bought a Gemini on Amazon so I could measure and weigh the cuts I will let you know how I make out

Bob

[[Os...]]

Osu, you’ve made pallo the unintended victim of remarks you intended to direct at me. 

 

I offer advice based on what worked for me personally and feedback pallo has given. You’re welcome to give yours based on your personal experience, but please offer it civilly.

 

Challis, Please don't try and make it look like I'm the issue here. You clearly did not read my original post, yet you decided to criticize it.

 

To make matters worse you also recommend a 50% cut (going from .125 to .065), which is ridiculous.

And Challis99 here is a reference of your exact comment that you made to Pallo on October 18th: "I would cut the .25mg in half as you’re doing, which equals .125mg.  Once you feel ready, I would then cut that dose in half, which is .0625mg. After 5-7 days you may be ready to quit completely. If not you can try another split, but you may be okay jumping at .0625mg".

 

Even more, you made it  comical by suggesting my 15% per month reduction was "too fast"

 

If that's not enough, you even made another negative comment later in this thread.

 

Do you really not understand that I was referencing total pill weight in milligrams as a way to use larger numbers so the math would be easier on daily reductions? While referencing a 1mg reduction in pill weight every three days, to equate to a 15% reduction per month taper rate, but instead you actually interpreted this as a 1mg reduction of medicine and decided to criticize my comment, twice.

 

Xanax .25 pill is .25mg but weighs about 153mg.

 

Seriously, stop trying to make this about something else when you are in the wrong here.

 

Being that you're an Admin I would expect better from you.

 

Pallo, I'm really sorry this has to be a part of your thread. This will be my last comment addressing Challis, as this person clearly isn't reading / understanding my posts.

You are welcome to continue to direct message me and I've got your back on this.

[[pa...]]

Peace my friends, I understand you are both trying to help me and I am taking both of your advice, I believe the advice that Challis gave me worked for her and might work for me. and you both gave me the advice to stay on the 0.125 until I feel stable enough to taper down, so far that is what I am doing, if you go back to Oct 29th and read and answer my questions on that post. Also I split the 0.125 in half,1/2 in the am the other 1/2 at night, about 5:00PM.This I don't think is working for me, I feel the symptoms hitting me about 12:00 Noon, headaches, dry mouth, sweating, little bit of unstable gate. Could I go back to once a day? Now, I don't want to feel that I caused a problem here, You both sound like very concerned and dedicated people helping everyone on this site, so please lets stay friends and colleges so to speak. NOW, if and when I stabilize and taper down more can you tell me in laymen's terms on how to do this, but first can I go on once a day instead of splitting the 0.125. I bought a Gemini waiting for it to come in the mail.

OSU, I'm sorry I don't under stand  75 x .85. = 63.75,75 - 63.75 = 11.25,11.25 / 30 = .375mg per day drop. I guess this is what started this problem me not understanding.. Thank you both either way I will get through this, If I survived 30 years army and 25 years a Police Officer

heck why should a few Benzos take me down. God bless both of you.  Bob

 

[[Os...]]

Peace my friends, I understand you are both trying to help me and I am taking both of your advice, I believe the advice that Challis gave me worked for her and might work for me. and you both gave me the advice to stay on the 0.125 until I feel stable enough to taper down, so far that is what I am doing, if you go back to Oct 29th and read and answer my questions on that post. Also I split the 0.125 in half,1/2 in the am the other 1/2 at night, about 5:00PM.This I don't think is working for me, I feel the symptoms hitting me about 12:00 Noon, headaches, dry mouth, sweating, little bit of unstable gate. Could I go back to once a day? Now, I don't want to feel that I caused a problem here, You both sound like very concerned and dedicated people helping everyone on this site, so please lets stay friends and colleges so to speak. NOW, if and when I stabilize and taper down more can you tell me in laymen's terms on how to do this, but first can I go on once a day instead of splitting the 0.125. I bought a Gemini waiting for it to come in the mail.

OSU, I'm sorry I don't under stand  75 x .85. = 63.75,75 - 63.75 = 11.25,11.25 / 30 = .375mg per day drop. I guess this is what started this problem me not understanding.. Thank you both either way I will get through this, If I survived 30 years army and 25 years a Police Officer

heck why should a few Benzos take me down. God bless both of you.  Bob

 

Your body is going to have to adjust a bit to twice a day. Stick with one or the other but don't keep going back n fourth. You're going to have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable for a bit.

 

If it were me, I would stick with twice a day until you feel better. This will keep your blood levels pretty darn consistent.

 

As for my formula:

*The smallest dose Xanax you can get is .25mg

 

*The weight of the pill is about 153mg, let's just call it 150 to keep the math simple.

 

*When you split that pill to give yourself .125, that half pill weights about 75mg.

 

*75mg = 100% of your current dose.

 

*When you start to taper you will want to choose your taper rate. Let's say you decide to reduce by 15% a month.

 

Formula: 75 x .85 = 63.75mg which is 85% of 75mg

Then take 75 - 63.75 = 11.25mg

You want to reduce your pill weight by 11.25mg over the course of 30 days

This equals a .375mg of pill weight reduction per day.

Problem. An average micro scale is limited to 1mg increments.

 

*To counter this and still have a smooth taper, just reduce your pill weight by 1mg every three days and you will be right around a 15% per month taper.

 

The next month you will do the same formula but your current dose will be 63.75. just start with that as the first number in the formula and go from there.

 

You will be reducing about 1mg of pill weight every four days in your second month in keeping around that 15% rate.

 

 

 

[[Ch...]]

Peace my friends, I understand you are both trying to help me and I am taking both of your advice, I believe the advice that Challis gave me worked for her and might work for me. and you both gave me the advice to stay on the 0.125 until I feel stable enough to taper down, so far that is what I am doing, if you go back to Oct 29th and read and answer my questions on that post. Also I split the 0.125 in half,1/2 in the am the other 1/2 at night, about 5:00PM.This I don't think is working for me, I feel the symptoms hitting me about 12:00 Noon, headaches, dry mouth, sweating, little bit of unstable gate. Could I go back to once a day? Now, I don't want to feel that I caused a problem here, You both sound like very concerned and dedicated people helping everyone on this site, so please lets stay friends and colleges so to speak. NOW, if and when I stabilize and taper down more can you tell me in laymen's terms on how to do this, but first can I go on once a day instead of splitting the 0.125. I bought a Gemini waiting for it to come in the mail.

OSU, I'm sorry I don't under stand  75 x .85. = 63.75,75 - 63.75 = 11.25,11.25 / 30 = .375mg per day drop. I guess this is what started this problem me not understanding.. Thank you both either way I will get through this, If I survived 30 years army and 25 years a Police Officer

heck why should a few Benzos take me down. God bless both of you.  Bob

 

 

Hi Bob,

 

I tapered with someone who only took 2mg Xanax once daily, at night.  She tapered off without ever moving to more than once a day dosing. So if you feel like you were better off before you split your dose, I’d do it.

 

And yeah, you can do this. 

 

Challis

[[pa...]]

Thank you for the reply. I will let you all know how I am doing …..Bob

[[pa...]]

Challis did you split your dose ?

[[Ch...]]

I did, yes, but I had been taking it all along that way...three or four times a day, not at regular times of the day but as needed.

[[pa...]]

Thanks

[[pa...]]

Challis, is it common to get Tension Headaches during the tapering process?? I wake up with one every morning, that is when I get to sleep, I am holding on to the 0.125 twice a day, still have many symptom's.

[[Ch...]]

Yes, I had a headache every waking hour until I jumped. I tried over-the-counter remedies but they didn’t help much.

[[pa...]]

Challis can you please tell me some of the symptoms you had while you were tapering of Xanax, I am now 12 days taking 0.125 split in half, half in the AM and the other half about 5:00PM still have many symptoms which I try to relate to these benzos, its very hard to do, also have you taken any supplements while tapering?? ...Thanks Bob

[[Ch...]]

Headache 24/7

Anxiety

Insomnia

Light sensitivity

Sound sensitivity

Aversion to showering/changing clothes (I know, ugh)

High blood pressure

Shivering/shaking from stress

Crying easily

Agoraphobia

Increase in restless legs symptoms

Lack of interest in doing anything

Difficulty riding in car

Avoidance of socializing, answering phone, etc

Pulsing forehead

Twitching muscles

Overreaction to caffeine

Inability to do simple math

 

No, I didn’t take any supplements.

It’s been more than 7 years, Bob, it’s hard to remember what else. But they are all gone now and have been for a long time.

 

[[pa...]]

Thank you I'm very glad for you, and again thank you for your advice.

 

[[pa...]]

Challis, I think I am ready to go to .0625 mg should I still take this amount twice a day like the .125mg or should I take the .0625 only once a day seems very small to do anything at all ,but maybe size don't matter with this crap. and if I start getting worse side effects should I go back on the .125mg

 

Thanks Bob

[[Ch...]]

Let me make sure I know where you are on this.

 

If you’re taking .0625mg twice a day, you have a couple of options. You could either drop one of the doses completely (this is the more radical/dicey approach) or you could break a little bit off one of the .0625mg doses and see how a small reduction goes.

 

If you don’t react too strongly to breaking off a small amount more (I’d do this for 3 days at least before deciding) then I’d try breaking a bit more off to see if that is tolerable.

 

It worked for me to just cut out one dose once I got to .0625 twice a day, but we are all different in our reactions to cuts. I’d rather you tried a less aggressive cut than I did. I was no longer reacting to cuts once I got to .0625.mg.