Intro

[[sh...]]

Hello, I have recently been struggling terribly with anxiety / intrusive thoughts after quitting alcohol and Xanax for thirty days.

 

i have quit alcohol for 50 days now but have started taking .25mg of Xanax once a week.

The day after taking (I take at night) I always feel better. Hardly any anxiety etc.

this typically only last a day or two then I’m anxious again until taking it.

 

i have been taking this dose for around 12 years typically once or twice a week.

 

Should I go cold turkey and deal with the absolutely terrible anxiety? Could I taper more than I already am? 
 

I don’t know what exactly to do.

 

thanks!

 

 

[[Pa...]]

Hello @[sh...], welcome to BenzoBuddies,

I just need clarification, you stopped alcohol and then you quit Xanax and that was about 30 days ago?  But, things got too rough and you started the Xanax again?

If this is the case, then I feel it would be wise to reinstate the Xanax and do a slow taper.  Even though you only took it a few times a week, your body could still be dependent on it after 12 years and it would be rough to stop it cold turkey.

If you’ll respond to my question, we can help you figure this out.  We’re glad you’re here and hope we can help. 

Pamster

 

[[sh...]]

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

Hello @[sh...], welcome to BenzoBuddies,

I just need clarification, you stopped alcohol and then you quit Xanax and that was about 30 days ago?  But, things got too rough and you started the Xanax again?

If this is the case, then I feel it would be wise to reinstate the Xanax and do a slow taper.  Even though you only took it a few times a week, your body could still be dependent on it after 12 years and it would be rough to stop it cold turkey.

If you’ll respond to my question, we can help you figure this out.  We’re glad you’re here and hope we can help. 

Pamster

On December 10 I stopped both alcohol and Xanax as I was feeling dependent on alcohol and had a few panic attacks when sober. 
 

I didn’t take a Xanax until I had a really bad day on January 7th ish and have only taken one a week since. I am still struggling with the anxiety / panic. This is the second time in my life dealing with this. I beat it the first time without Xanax but got prescribed after telling my doctor I get nervous when flying……

 

a lot of stressors in my life I think is the reason for the panic attacks etc. new job, new home, old company threatened to sue me…… 

 

now I want to live a life free of drugs and learn to manage stress without.

[[Pa...]]

Congratulations on successfully quitting alcohol, that’s huge!

 What we’ve found out about benzodiazepines is once our body becomes dependent on them, they begin to cause the issues we went on them to fix, such as anxiety, panic and insomnia so I’m wondering if the Xanax has been contributing to your anxiety/panic.  Most members have discovered that what the drug causes is worse than the normal stuff, have you noticed this?

Benzodiazeines and alcohol affect the same receptors in the brain, we call alcohol, liquid benzo’s so I’m hoping you can slowly eliminate the Xanax and be free but you may need to taper the Xanax slowly.

You say you’re only taking .25 once a week, are you able to carry out your daily tasks or are you non-functional?  Xanax has such a short half life, I’m surprised you can get by on that kind of dosing.  How long do you feel relief from taking the Xanax? 

 

[[sh...]]

3 minutes ago, [[P...] said:

Congratulations on successfully quitting alcohol, that’s huge!

 What we’ve found out about benzodiazepines is once our body becomes dependent on them, they begin to cause the issues we went on them to fix, such as anxiety, panic and insomnia so I’m wondering if the Xanax has been contributing to your anxiety/panic.  Most members have discovered that what the drug causes is worse than the normal stuff, have you noticed this?

Benzodiazeines and alcohol affect the same receptors in the brain, we call alcohol, liquid benzo’s so I’m hoping you can slowly eliminate the Xanax and be free but you may need to taper the Xanax slowly.

You say you’re only taking .25 once a week, are you able to carry out your daily tasks or are you non-functional?  Xanax has such a short half life, I’m surprised you can get by on that kind of dosing.  How long do you feel relief from taking the Xanax? 

The day after I take it, I am fine loving life. The day after that I feel the anxiety coming back. The day before I take it again almost unbearable. Think I can’t live like this, then the cycle restarts once I take it LOL.

 

im laughing now but on day 6 I can go to work and do things but I am dying on the inside, wanting to curl up in a ball in my bed. 

[[sh...]]

Just now, [[s...] said:

The day after I take it, I am fine loving life. The day after that I feel the anxiety coming back. The day before I take it again almost unbearable. Think I can’t live like this, then the cycle restarts once I take it LOL.

im laughing now but on day 6 I can go to work and do things but I am dying on the inside, wanting to curl up in a ball in my bed. 

 

Just now, [[s...] said:

The day after I take it, I am fine loving life. The day after that I feel the anxiety coming back. The day before I take it again almost unbearable. Think I can’t live like this, then the cycle restarts once I take it LOL.

im laughing now but on day 6 I can go to work and do things but I am dying on the inside, wanting to curl up in a ball in my bed. 

But before I started having anxiety attacks again like 3 months ago I didn’t have any issues between doses…

 

just recently. 

[[Nu...]]

It seems that you could benefit from a more consistent dose. The others can provide better direction than I, though. Do you have a way to measure small doses (partial/less than a tablet)? I wonder if you can take small daily doses but stay below your average daily amount so you're making progress in titrating down.

I defer to those more experienced and believe there's a taper forum...

[[Pa...]]

17 hours ago, [[N...] said:

It seems that you could benefit from a more consistent dose.

I agree with @[Nu...], figuring out a consistent dose and getting stabilized would be beneficial, then you can look at tapering the Xanax.  You essentially quit two drugs cold turkey, the alcohol and the Xanax and while stopping alcohol cold turkey is the preferred method, its not ideal for benzodiazepines.

What is your pill size, is it .25?  I think it would be a good idea to cut your pill into smaller pieces and take it everyday for about a week, what do you think? It’s important to keep blood serum levels as even as possible to prevent severe withdrawal symptoms.