Why discontinue xanax?

[[wa...]]

I have taken xanax for 35 years.  Dosage has been 2mg for 20 years.  My anxiety before xanax was over the top.  I avoided weird things.  Signing my name in public, eating with other people and many other social activities.  After retirement of prescribing doctor, I have struggled to find a doctor to prescribe without quitting being the end goal.  Down to 1mg per day and my doctor will not continue to prescribe.  I have never misused this drug.  It saved my sanity. 

[[Co...]]

Hello @[wa...]. Welcome to BenzoBuddies.

It is very late for me, and I am about to log off. Just enough time for me to approve your introductory post and welcome you.

I expect other members will be along to properly welcome and help you. And I will try to reply tomorrow.

[[An...]]

1 hour ago, [[w...] said:

I have taken xanax for 35 years.  Dosage has been 2mg for 20 years.  My anxiety before xanax was over the top.  I avoided weird things.  Signing my name in public, eating with other people ad many other social activities.  After retirement of prescribing doctor, I have struggled to find a doctor to prescribe without quitting being the end goal.  Down to 1mg per day and my doctor will not continue to prescribe.  I have never misused this drug.  It saved my sanity. 

My personal opinion is that ppl who have been on these drugs for many years (decades often) who are happy being on them should not be forced to come off, provided there is no tolerance and escalation in dosage. I would simply refuse to Rx long-term to new patients if I were the doctor. People who are forced to come off these drugs often don't do well.

Welcome to BB @[wa...]. Is YOUR new doctor giving you enough time to slowly taper off at a pace you are comfortable with or are you being rushed off? Pdocs are more likely to continue prescribing than are PCPs IMHO.

[[Co...]]

19 hours ago, [[w...] said:

I have taken xanax for 35 years.  Dosage has been 2mg for 20 years.  My anxiety before xanax was over the top.  I avoided weird things.  Signing my name in public, eating with other people and many other social activities.  After retirement of prescribing doctor, I have struggled to find a doctor to prescribe without quitting being the end goal.  Down to 1mg per day and my doctor will not continue to prescribe.  I have never misused this drug.  It saved my sanity. 

I agree with @[An...] that, ordinarily, patients should not be forced off benzodiazepines after long-term use. These days, best prescribing practices dictate only short term use for most patients (exceptions being some rare conditions where benzodiazepines are the treatment of choice or the only good treatment).

So, is your doctor prescribing 1mg down from 2mg Xanax, with no intermediate doses? And for how long will you take 1mg before you are forced off entirely?

Xanax is available as 0.25mg tablets. I do not understand this attitude of some (or many) doctors. There really is no need for it.

All I can suggest is that you keeping trying to find a more sympathetic doctor.