Tapering of 3 x 0,25 Xanax after 2 months of use

[[Kr...]]

Hi there,

I'm not new to depression or anxiety problems, was taking 50 mg Zoloft for 10 years from the age of 17 to 27. I'm 42 now and had no troubles since with anxiety or depression, although I have a pretty stress free lifestyle. Two months ago because of some girlfriend jealousy issues I got pretty bad anxiety rushes and was prescribed Xanax 3 x 0,25 mg. Slowly my anxiety got better but we had big fights again which always pushed me back to deep anxiety. It was so bad, that 11 days ago I started taking Zoloft again, only half a pill (25 mg). Side effects hit me quite hard, made me to be a zombie like for 5 days. I'm on the 11th day of taking it (25 mg, half pill only) and decided that I don't need any medication, I broke up with my girlfriend as well, so hopefully no new shocks will hit me on that area. 

 

So my first plan is, that I will taper the Zoloft first. I took only half a pill (25 mg) for 11 days, so plan to take a quarter pill (12.5 mg) for 4 days then quit. Will see how it goes, hopefully no side effects. If side effects arise, will prolong the quarter pill for a few more days.

Where I need a little bit more advice is, how to taper of my 2 months of 3 x 0,25 Xanax use. I know it's a short time and small dose luckily, so hopefully there won't be any problem. Still, I find confusing timelines on the net. One suggest that around 6 weeks will be enough halving each tablets then holding it for a week. Others suggest longer or shorter timelines.

 

Thank you in advance!

Edited December 26, 2023 by [Kr...]

[[pi...]]

Hello @[Kr...] and welcome to Benzo Buddies!

I’m sorry that life issues led you to need help by way of Xanax. It seems like you are in a much better place now and ready to move away from the Xanax and Zoloft.

Are you taking Xanax 3 times daily at .025 mg?

Two months time is long enough for a physical dependency to develop, but your use of Xanax is quite short and should help you in terms of recovery. Yes, there are a lot of ideas out there for length of tapering. That is because there is no one size fits all in terms of benzo withdrawal . Some people can tolerate a faster taper and others can not. 

We generally recommend a reduction of no more than 5-10% every 10-14 days. This allows your body to adjust to the dose reductions. It is really important to listen to your body and make changes to the taper plan if necessary. 

I don’t have any experience with Zoloft so hopefully others will weigh in with their experience tapering this drug.

We’d like to help and support you so please ask questions!

[[Kr...]]

Yes, I take 0,25 mg Xanax 3 times a day.

I understand that the general rule is to reduce the drug only by 5-10%, however in my case that would mean that the tapering period would be much longer than the time I took the pills. Hopefully I can tolerate a quicker timeframe than that.

Edited December 26, 2023 by [Kr...]

[[pi...]]

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

Yes, I take 0,25 mg Xanax 3 times a day.

I understand that the general rule is to reduce the drug only by 5-10%, however in my case that would mean that the tapering period would be much longer than the time I took the pills. Hopefully I can tolerate a quicker timeframe than that.

I think it would be reasonable for you to try a quicker taper, at least at the start. You’ll know soon how your body reacts to the reductions. Withdrawal is not challenging for everyone. I do have a question. Have you taken benzos in the past? 

[[Kr...]]

Nope. Maybe 15 years ago after a big shock I took Xanax 0,25 for a week or so.

 

My big concern now if it will be fine tapering Zoloft like this after just a short period of taking it. I know some people can react harsch even after taking for a short period & dose. Hope I'm not one of them. 

[[pi...]]

2 hours ago, [[K...] said:

Nope. Maybe 15 years ago after a big shock I took Xanax 0,25 for a week or so.

My big concern now if it will be fine tapering Zoloft like this after just a short period of taking it. I know some people can react harsch even after taking for a short period & dose. Hope I'm not one of them. 

I hope tapering the Zoloft will go well for you. You’ve taken just a small dosage for only 11 days. 

[[Kr...]]

Thanks for all your help!

One more question. My mom takes a pill or sometimes half a pill of Xanax 0,25mg 4-5 times a week for sleeping. Can this small dose cause addiction as well? Is she addicted to it? Would she get withdrawal symptoms if she would stop?

[[pi...]]

25 minutes ago, [[K...] said:

Thanks for all your help!

One more question. My mom takes a pill or sometimes half a pill of Xanax 0,25mg 4-5 times a week for sleeping. Can this small dose cause addiction as well? Is she addicted to it? Would she get withdrawal symptoms if she would stop?

It is not an actual addiction because there isn’t a need or drug seeking behavior. What happens is a physical dependency due to the changes benzos make to the central nervous system.

Yes is the answer to your question, dependency can happen with sporadic usage. Your moms use is actually pretty regular. Some people are unaffected by tolerance and can stay on the medication indefinitely. Additionally, not everyone will have a difficult withdrawal. There would likely be symptoms but there is no way to predict the severity. How old is your mom? 

There has been more information and studies about long term issues, such as memory problems and cognitive issues, when taking benzos long term. However, each person must decide what is best for themselves. I was in my 60’s when I started tapering and jumped off. I’m in my 70’s now and still working. I wish to keep my brain and body as fit as possible, for as long as I can.

[[Kr...]]

My mom is 77 years old.

[[Li...]]

Hello @[Kr...].  Tip of the hat for looking out for your mom.  

How long has she been taking the Xanax?

As @[pi...] has noted, addiction involves compulsive seeking/craving and taking of a substance despite negative or harmful consequences.  If your mom has been taking her benzodiazepine as prescribed she does not meet the criteria for addiction (aka substance use disorder). 

However, your mom is at risk of becoming physically dependent on the drug and/or developing tolerance to it.

Physical dependence occurs when the body adapts to the drug being in the system.  At this point, the body needs the drug to stay in balance. If the drug is reduced or stopped, this balance is perturbed and the body experiences withdrawal. 

Tolerance occurs when a person using a drug begins to experience a reduced response to the drug; they need to increase the amount of drug they take to achieve the same effect. 

Does your mom experience withdrawal effects in between doses?  Has the number of nights she takes Xanax increased over time?  Has the number of nights she takes a whole pill vs a half pill increased over time? 

[[Kr...]]

Hi @[Li...] .

 

I asked my mom. She is taking Xanax 0,25 mg for about a year, as it turned out always a whole pill. She says, it helps her sleep, if she does not take it, she can't fall asleep. She said that she takes around 4-5 days a week, but she was a little bit reluctant speaking about it, probably because she sees now on my example, that you can get physically dependent on the drug. I tried to ask her if she experiences any withdrawal effects, but she said no. I'm not sure though if she really ever tried to connect not taking the Xanax the previous night to any effect on the next day. I noticed sometimes she can easily become irritated or negative on a few days. Can this be a withdrawal effect?

 

To answer your questions. Not sure if she has withdrawal effects, I asked her to watch for them. As per her no, she takes the medicine 4-5 times a week. No, always a whole pill.

 

If she is indeed physically dependent on the drug, what would be a good tapering strategy for her? Decrease the number of days she takes the pill? Or take only half a pill? Maybe try to switch to a sleeping pill which is not as harmful as a benzo? She also takes Melatonin 3mg every night.

Edited December 30, 2023 by [Kr...]

[[pi...]]

Hello @[Kr...],

Thank you for being concerned about your mom’s use of Xanax for sleep. In terms of tapering off, this would need to be her decision. You can certainly point out the risks of long term use such as memory and cognitive issues. Have you noticed that your mom has had these problems? 

If she wants to taper off, decreasing days is not the best plan. The ideal way would be to taper off a steady dose very slowly. Your mom has been taking Xanax for a year so it is likely she is physically dependent, slow tapering can help minimize withdrawal symptoms. 

if you are considering other sleep meds be aware that drugs like ambien target the same receptors in the brain as benzos. They also cause dependence and need to be tapered. We have many members going through withdrawal from Z drugs like ambien.

It appears that your mom has issues with insomnia. Benzos actually disrupt normal REM sleep. Once off  benzos and healed natural sleep can return. 

[[Kr...]]

I'm really not sure now what to do. I talked with her about benzos and how this probably became a problem for me, only after 2 months of 3 x 0,25 mg Xanax use. That I will probably have to taper really slowly to avoid withdrawal issues. Although, I have not yet started tapering Xanax (only on 4th day of quitting Zoloft), what I have read on forums, Xanax tapering will definitely be a challenge.

It also turned out, that one of my mom's best friend is on daily Rivotril (clonazepam) for at least for 6 years. Not sure about the dose. This lady regularly feels agitated in her daily life, which I suspect might be because she is physically dependent on the drug, but might not be aware of it. She may have became tolerant to her dose or does not pay attention to take the pill on time. First I told my mom that we should warn her about this and the dangers of benzos, but I'm not sure now. In my country I think doctors do not realize yet how dangerous and addictive benzos can be. So if I warn this lady about it, she might even get more anxious about her every day life. Decided not to tell her, I might cause more harm than good.

Something similar with my mom. Today she told me that she did not take Xanax for the last 3 nights, but had a really bad sleep yesterday. I told her, that she can't just stop like that, but she said that she always feels before the night if she needs a pill or not. Also, she had sleep issues always through her entire life. So even if she tapers Xanax the correct way, very slowly, those sleep issues will probably return. Not sure what would be a good solution here.

Edited January 3 by [Kr...]

[[Kr...]]

Hey @[Li...] and @[pi...]!

 

So I talked with my mom today. She said she did not take Xanax 0,25 mg for a week now. I asked her if she has any withdrawal effects, but said no. For two days she has pain in her kidney she says, but that occurs quite regularly with her.

I told her that it's not a good tactic to just simply quit cold turkey like that, but she said that she is strong and does not care. I may have talked too much about my situation to her and she may have realized that Xanax is dangerous and does not want to take it anymore. I asked her if any increased anxiety, but also said no.

Is it possible that after one year of usage, weekly 4-5 pills 0,25 mg Xanax for the night, she can just quit like that? No withdrawal or anything?

[[PE...]]

If it's just weekly and not daily, sure the medicine have time to leave the system before next dose.

 

[[PE...]]

On 27/12/2023 at 21:27, [[K...] said:

My mom is 77 years old.

Cool my too 

[[Li...]]

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

Is it possible that after one year of usage, weekly 4-5 pills 0,25 mg Xanax for the night, she can just quit like that? No withdrawal or anything?

Hello, @[Kr...].  Yes, it’s possible your mother dodged a bullet.  Many individuals are able to discontinue benzodiazepines without major issues.  However, given her age, you might want to suggest that she monitor herself for withdrawal symptoms* for the next month or so.  

Does she understand that she should avoid taking Xanax (or another benzodiazepine or z-drug) moving forward?  Repeated episodes of psychotropic drug withdrawal and reintroduction may induce neurological sensitization and kindling.

 

*e.g. anxiety, insomnia, heightened sensory perception, impaired concentration, dysosmia, paresthesias, muscle cramps, muscle twitch, diarrhea, blurred vision, nausea, appetite decrease, weight loss, brain zaps.

 

[[Kr...]]

Thanks for the reply @[Li...]!

 

I will ask her to watch for withdrawal symptoms. I'm a little bit worried about her now to tell you the truth.

"Does she understand that she should avoid taking Xanax (or another benzodiazepine or z-drug) moving forward? "

Does this mean that she should never ever take Xanax again? Like not even one pill weekly or bi-weekly? What should she do if she gets withdrawal symptoms?

Edited January 7 by [Kr...]

[[Ju...]]

I have went thru Xanax with drawl because I ran out lol about 5-6 days of feeling irritated but that's about it. It's a mental thing really,  physical withdrawals off Xanax aren't bad like opiates. If I lived alone I would not even been as irritated. Hope that helps someone.  Also I didn't hear it though, it was gonna happen so I just accepted it.

[[Co...]]

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

Thank you for adding your comments and support. If you would like some feedback about your own situation, or just chat about it, it is best to start your own thread (topic).

[[PE...]]

On 27/12/2023 at 21:27, [[K...] said:

My mom is 77 years old.

 

46 minutes ago, [[J...] said:

I have went thru Xanax with drawl because I ran out lol about 5-6 days of feeling irritated but that's about it. It's a mental thing really,  physical withdrawals off Xanax aren't bad like opiates. If I lived alone I would not even been as irritated. Hope that helps someone.  Also I didn't hear it though, it was gonna happen so I just accepted it.

For me it was in the opposite. Opiate wd was a day on the beach

Everone is difrent 

[[PE...]]

Cramps vomiting and hallucinations are not made up.

Wd from opiodes it's fine after a week this shit takes time.

Edited January 7 by Guest

[[Li...]]

3 hours ago, [[K...] said:

Thanks for the reply @[Li...]!

I will ask her to watch for withdrawal symptoms. I'm a little bit worried about her now to tell you the truth.

"Does she understand that she should avoid taking Xanax (or another benzodiazepine or z-drug) moving forward? "

Does this mean that she should never ever take Xanax again? Like not even one pill weekly or bi-weekly? What should she do if she gets withdrawal symptoms?

You’re welcome @[Kr...].  Your mother is indeed fortunate to have you looking out for her.  

If I were in her shoes, I would not take Xanax (or another benzodiazepine or z-drug) on a PRN (as needed) basis again.  To do so would be like playing Russian Roulette — no one knows when the weapon will fire, killing or severely injuring the player.  Instead, I would learn about and practice non-drug techniques to address insomnia (e.g. sleep hygiene, diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga nidra, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia). 

If withdrawal symptoms emerge, your mother will need to decide if they are tolerable or intolerable.  If they are intolerable, we can discuss options (e.g. reinstatement, stabilization, symptom-guided taper).