Please some more advice

[[el...]]

Is this headache and sweats just typical withdrawal symptoms that one puts up with?  Taking tylenol and chamomile tea. They help.  E

[Guest [ba...]]

Headaches and sweats are very normal withdrawal symptoms.  A lot of people just have to put up with them as they taper.

[[el...]]

Hello, I am back.  I don’t know what to do. I don’t think I can do this anymore.  The psychic pain is too much.  I didn’t cut much at all.  Less than .03. Probably.  I have not been well on this drug ever, especially in afternoons and evenings.  I can’t seem to do what you have all recommended:  find new doctor and hold off.,.would it nit help to back to 1 1/2?  I have an appointment tomorrow with Nd.  Afraid to complain don’t know what she would say.  Should I just keep doing this ?  It is almost ... please,, I thank you fir your responses.  This unbeleiveable. I don’t think I can do this,  E

[[el...]]

I am meeting with my doctor tomorrow.., please what should I tell her ..that I  should hold here with this weird cut til

Better...will I get better? Go back to 1 1/2.?  Can’t function been pushed. E

[Guest [ba...]]

Tell her the truth.  You're having withdrawal symptoms that make you uncomfortable and you are having a difficult time coping with that discomfort.  Even the thought of discomfort is causing you fear/anxiety.

 

That's a very common reality here in the forum.

[[el...]]

Yes, you are absolutely right.  It’s fear.  Thank you, Elise

[[el...]]

I know futile ti

 

keep posting.  No words to describe thus.  Saw psychologist and md tiday.  Can’t keep

My thoughts straight with them because anxious about meetings.  Ridiculous. The Md is more Amenable to phasing into the quarter.  A week here at the 1 1/2 and 1/8 and could do longer maybe. Woke at  4 am burning arms and anxiety and hyperventilating.  I should have held at 1 1/2 .  The psychologist  doesn’t care about my symptoms.., thinks I like being in the drug.  Pushing  me harder and there is too much input

From too many people, internist pushing hard too.  My husband has come around.  I can’t tell anymore what are the drug side effects and withdrawal. I don’t know if anyone can help me.  Could the burning be just the drug side effects?  Tonite really pushed myself and played pickle ball...burning lungs,red hands and arms burning. Do these symptoms go away when off the drug?  Thus has been going in fir three and a half months...is there hope for recovery ?  Will try to find different help...are the health problems reversible?  From the Ashton book seems up in the air.  If I could do anything.., would I hold now or go up or is it too late.  Seems such a small tiny cut 4 th night almost like 1 1/2 tablet.  Than you E

[[Pa...]]

There is healing while tapering the drug but healing occurs after you've eliminated the drug as well so you'll still experience symptoms after you're benzo free.  The drug gave us instant relief but the damage the drug has done can't be repaired overnight, it takes time to recover but recovery is possible, you just have to see it through.

 

Keep educating yourself so you'll fear less. 

[[Ti...]]

I know futile ti

 

keep posting.  No words to describe thus.  Saw psychologist and md tiday.  Can’t keep

My thoughts straight with them because anxious about meetings.  Ridiculous. The Md is more Amenable to phasing into the quarter.  A week here at the 1 1/2 and 1/8 and could do longer maybe. Woke at  4 am burning arms and anxiety and hyperventilating.  I should have held at 1 1/2 .  The psychologist  doesn’t care about my symptoms.., thinks I like being in the drug.  Pushing  me harder and there is too much input

From too many people, internist pushing hard too.  My husband has come around.  I can’t tell anymore what are the drug side effects and withdrawal. I don’t know if anyone can help me.  Could the burning be just the drug side effects?  Tonite really pushed myself and played pickle ball...burning lungs,red hands and arms burning. Do these symptoms go away when off the drug?  Thus has been going in fir three and a half months...is there hope for recovery ?  Will try to find different help...are the health problems reversible?  From the Ashton book seems up in the air.  If I could do anything.., would I hold now or go up or is it too late.  Seems such a small tiny cut 4 th night almost like 1 1/2 tablet.  Than you E

 

Hi E;

 

Hang in there.  We are at about the same place in our taper from Xanax....I too was on the pickle ball court a few days ago dealing with the same symptoms.  I feel like we are in some parallel world!  Keep going, we can do this.

[Guest [ba...]]

I'm glad you got out and played pickle ball.  I hope that was enjoyable.

 

I biked and golfed during my recovery.  I felt that it helped.  If nothing else, they were decent distractions.

[[el...]]

I try to golf and ride my horse.  With the fatigue, weakness of arms and other symptoms it’s hard but great to be outside.  I don’t know if I can keep doing this.  In the one hand seems like so close.  I cut the 1 1/2 and 1/8 pill tonite. V I made them too small and woke with burning head, ear , numb arms, headache and sweats.  In two days was going to 1 1/4 which might be easier to cut.  Don’t know what to for next two doses.    So hard so Guage.  Should I make them a little bigger and then sat go to the quarter.  I am weary if this...almost don’t care. Have almost given up socially .  Think in major depression from this. If you keep going in withdrawal like this can you make it?  I think I might cut the 1/8 cuts out and and try going down in quarters.  My be cleaner and easier to control..I cut it with a knife.  If I am having withdrawal all the time plus anxiety can I still succeed?  I get no guidance from my doctors.  Really need to succeed. Lastly if I cut just smudge bigger to match previous 5 nights is that what causes kindling I have read about here?  Don’t want to do that I sdume.  I can push myself I think.  Thanks , E

[[el...]]

Ok I have one more check in question.  I need expert opinion which I can only seem to get here.  Fir iver month and a half I get symtoms in in afternoon and evening...like withdrawal. Bi take my dose at night.  I scant function, unwell, tight neck , head almost pushing my head down.  Anxiety sometimes hyperventilate. Will this go away when tapered?  Really can’t believe this. I am I being too hopeful about succeeding?  If I could get to one tablet I could hold fir awhile and recover?  Thank you E

[[el...]]

Also does anyone get burning arms and hands ....turn purple as well as legs?  I am such a mess and feel I am failing at this.  Every morning I think of going to a hospital... but rethink it. Would probably mean more medications which don’t want  and scared they might not help.  Thanks for the support E 

[[el...]]

I think this has gotten away from me,  should I go back to 1 1/2 tell mean doctors...too much.  I feel if I did it would just be harder to get going again.  I keep pushing a little because I know I have anxiety and try to compensate but also know I lost myself by responding to the pressure to taper.  With all these symptoms can I succeed? Lastly because this is the only source for info... fior the past month and a half I have been getting bad symptoms in afternoon and night like withdrawal.  I take it only at nught. Bi can’t think or function.  Tight neck and head pressure sometimes pushing my head down.  Anxiety , hyoerventilatig, weak arms like now.  Will this go away when iff the drug?  Thank you, elise

[[el...]]

I am sorry to keep posting.  But every time I try to rest...just have bad symptoms... burning head

Numb arms tingling....ear pain ... And probably anxiety.  Don’t know what to do!!  I think I am so ruined...

Have tried so hard.  Please ... should I take more... tomorrow night..  can I make it with these symptoms? E

 

[[Et...]]

It sounds like you just need to hold for a bit. The symptoms do eventually go away, its just the withdrawal making you think that they won't.

 

If you go back up in your dose, you're just reinforcing the addiction. Try to not do that.

 

Hang in there. All of this is temporary, just keep that in your head.

 

I personally think it would be pretty awful to have to directly taper from Xanax. I remember how awful the rebound was with that one and the tiny dose in a large pill means any variance is going to have a nasty effect on your withdrawal symptoms.

 

Have you considered doing a liquid taper? I really think that liquid should be the first recommendation anyone wanting to taper should get, followed by the recommendation to switch to Valium if possible.

[[el...]]

Thank you so much,  there Bulis hope. Byes I have to be more careful with the cuts.  Don’t know how to Dona liquid taoer..,sounds complicated.  Afraid to do Valium...so sensitive to medications ... and don’t trust my doctir .., not sure how experienced she is.  If I went to a clinic could they do that?  I have also read can be tough too?  Thank you E

[[Et...]]

Liquid is honestly pretty easy. There is a calculator tool that gives you all of the cuts you need and besides that all you need are some propylene glycol, distilled water, a graduated cylinder, and 1mL needleless syringes with 50 or 100 graduations on them. The calculator does the math portion for you but its insanely easy to make. For every milligram of benzo, you use 2mL of

 

As far as the Valium goes, the reason Valium is superior is one of halflife. I started out on Xanax and am intimately familiar with how short of a halflife that one has and I remember all too well the consequences when I missed my scheduled dose by even an hour. Having panic attacks every day on a call center floor is one of the worst things I have lived through. If I was tapering from Xanax directly, I would have to dose 4 times a day to make sure I was covered all day. With Valium, I dose one time a day. I feel a bit on edge around 2 hours before it hits 24 hours but its not terribly unmanageable.

 

If you're able to keep up with your specific dosing schedule so you don't suffer too much with interdose withdrawal then you don't need to worry about switching, its really just meant to make it less complicated and a bit more flexible with dosing schedules. If I miss my Valium by 3-4 hours, I'm not really going to have a panic attack from it. If I missed Xanax by that amount of time I would have known by the end of the first hour because I would have already started panicking.

 

I don't trust my doctor to know what she's doing either, in fact she fully admits she knows nothing about this process, so I just take the wheel and drive it myself. I choose my frequency of my cuts, I chose to make my own liquid, and I just have an appointment with her every few months to tell her how many pills I need and she offers her assistance with adjunct medications that I accept and then don't take so she gets off my back.

[[el...]]

My doctors are not accommodating... they are mean and on me to taper faster than was comfortable fir me.  So here I am now, as was predicted by members of this site...suffering even more.  I was taking Xanax for sleep so only take it once a day at night.  Afternoons and evenings are tough but I thought on this dose I would be off it soon.  One and 1/4 and 1/8 .25 mg tabs.  I know tonite I made too small,,,,miserable.  They are pushing me to taoer more more quickly with bigger cuts than I can do and don’t believe I am in withdrawal and dependent.  I am so motivated to do this but now don’t know what will Happen.  Tomorrow I could try and do the real 1 1/4 and 1/8 in size and see how goes.  I am afraid I am going to end up in a hospital.  Can you use other liquids for the Solution?  I am allergic to propylene glycol.  I read you could mix it in oranges juice and split it up?  I hope things go well... but seems worse and worse ...this doctor prescribed it and I have steadily declined fir 3 and half months., was normal healthy person, E

 

[[el...]]

Why would I have symptoms at night when I have just taken it at 10 pm?  Woke at 2 am....crawling head , headache , sweats, burning arms , now hyperventilating tight scalp, thanks  E

[[Et...]]

You can use vodka in place of PG. it’s such a tiny amount it wouldn’t be enough to do anything to the GABA receptors. Same 2mL per 1mg if you use vodka since it’s 40% alcohol. If you use something stronger than 80%, you can use 1mL per 1mg. So a solution of 100mL would either have 2mL of alcohol or 1mL of alcohol in the whole thing.

 

I’m sorry that you have doctors who don’t believe you. I know how that is. My doctor didn’t believe me until I came in for a visit after I started the taper and she saw visibly how miserable I was. She actually forced me to cut my speed in half and from that point she has let me go at my own pace.

 

Honestly I don’t think it’s wise to be doing a single dose taper with Xanax even if you were only taking it for sleep before. You’re going through interdose withdrawal because your plasma levels are dropping rapidly. I can’t imagine that’s making things any easier for you. Hopefully people who have tapered directly from Xanax will chime in but the constant plasma fluctuations I would think wound just keep increasing the intensity of the interdose symptoms.

[[el...]]

Thank you, I have a lot to think about.  Need to make some changes.  Elise

[[or...]]

I certainly agree with Ethereal. About the vodka -- I used the "vodka method" to let me taper from 1 mg of valium to zero. (Forget orange juice -- valium is not solulbe in anything other than alcohol and PG). It was very helpful to be able to cut tiny amounts. You can do this with the valium you have -- you don't need your doc to prescribe extra. Then you can make cuts as small as you need them to be. Also, I just can't imagine taking xanax once a day. You are indeed in withdrawal from it just about as soon as you take it. I took xanax for many years and took it 3 X a day. (Switched to Ativan and then to valium). Yours is an unecessarily  brutal xanax taper. I really feel for you, and hope you can make things better for yourself.

 

Best,

 

Katz

[[el...]]

Thank you fir the replies.  I have been suffering for months since this

Doctor prescribed it.  Today Felt almost normal for awhile...then in afternoon fatigue then severe panic attack ...with other symptoms. I am so stuck with no one believing me.  They say the afternoon symptoms that have been getting worse are my anxiety!  It was so bad today I tried to call a clinic north of us.  There is an addiction hospitalist there....but I need a referral to see him.  I am getting nowhere with my md and psychologist... when I first asked my pschycologist about the afternoon symptoms he said could be dosing...then next day changed his mind.  I don’t want to sound paranoid...but the prescribing psychiatrist says so little ... I think this has all been on purpose.  Now have bad headache and neck pain.  I don’t know how to find help..,the clinic north if us has an emergency room... but that is scary to me.  I know this is from the Xanax and everyone else says anxiety. I have been on this dose for one week tomorrow.  Then supposed to go down .03mg.  From 1 1 1/4 and 1/8 to 1 1/4 .35 mg tablets.  I can’t fail at this...I need to be normal again.  I knew the taper was too fast for me..,anyway horrible headache now.  Will stay st same dose tonite.  I need a deco OB’s opinion.,,new doctor.  Thanks fir all the replies. Elise

 

[[el...]]

The dose right now is one and 1/4 and 1/8 .25 mg Xanax tablet to be decreased to one and 1/4 tablet.

I just can’t believe no one believes me. I did have severe anxiety about the prescription, the doctor and the way things were going...,,but This is the Xanax. R