Benzo

[[Na...]]

Hi. So I started Ativan .5mg four weeks ago. The two of those last weeks I was taking 1mg of Ativan. Then my doctor switched me to Xanax XR .5mg. I’ve been taking those for 7 days. So I’ve been on benzos for about 5-6 weeks. I started taking the first few every 24 hours. Now I push myself to about 36 hours. Wondering if anyone has advice to do this effectively? 

[[Pa...]]

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

Is it your goal to taper from the Xanax XR? I'm not sure I understand what you're doing, are you saying you're not taking your dose for 36 hours?  We typically suggest reducing your dose every couple of weeks in the hopes the withdrawal symptoms will be more manageable.  Are you feeling symptoms?

Please let us know what you're trying to accomplish and we'll help you all we can.

 

[[Na...]]

Yes I’m sorry. I started with Ativan. But they changed me to Xanax XR. So I was taking .5 mg of Xanax XR every 24 hours but now I’m pushing to about 36 hours. I just don’t know how to do this effectively and safely with minimum withdrawal. I realize I haven’t been on them long, but I’d like to go slow and steady. I’m too scared to jump. 

[[Na...]]

Sorry if it’s confusing. When I pushed to 36 hours, I just felt off. Nothing too bad. My head felt weird….but I have wicked anxiety in general. 

[[Pa...]]

You've been on the medications long enough for your body to have become dependent and if it is, then you'll likely feel symptoms and it sounds like you have to some extent. 

As I mentioned, we like to see a slow steady reduction of the medication, keeping blood serum levels constant can help keep the symptoms from becoming too intense.  What worries me about your method is if the symptoms become too intense you may need to increase your dose to pull you out of them.

Tapers are experiments and we're the subject so its tough to say what will work for each of us, we have to experiment to find out.  If you feel this method is working for you then you may want to continue but if it becomes unmanageable, then you could reduce your dose a little, then take that same dose every day for a week or two then reduce again.  We typically suggest between 5-10% reductions every couple of weeks but since your usage hasn't been for very long, you may be able to cut more.

Lets keep talking so we can figure out what would be best for you. 

[[Na...]]

Yes please. I feel like stretching it to 36 hours or so felt okay. I am gonna do another 36 like I did and dose like normal. Should I continue to do that? 

[[Pa...]]

@[Na...], you can do another 36 hours but what is your game plan after that, will you stretch it to 48 then dose another .5?  Is your goal to keep extending the hours until you never end up taking another dose?

We're in uncharted territory here, I've never heard of someone tapering this way but if you do choose this, I'm very interested in knowing how you're reacting so I hope you'll keep us posted.

Just so you know, there are some who can stop these medications with little to no problem, so you might be one of the lucky ones, I hope so.

 

 

[[Na...]]

I’ve just never been familiar with the Xanax XR since they’re extended. Not sure I can cut these in half. That’s what I was gonna do was push a little more and more every few days. But I’m so lost. My physician said just to stop, but I know that it’s gonna be rough to just stop you know. Not sure what else I can do? 

[[Na...]]

Hi Pamster, I may have pushed myself too hard. I could really use your help on this. Please ❤️

[[Pa...]]

Tell me what you're feeling @[Na...], if you would like to taper the Xanax XR, we can find a way. 

[[Na...]]

Thank you, Pam. You’re heaven sent. So I went 40 hours. I went a little too much. Had slight anxiety throughout the workday. Last night, I just had some more anxiety and then around 3am I just felt restless and legs felt hot and I just felt not very good. On a scale of 1-10, I was at a 5 or 6. I ended up dosing at 26 hours. I haven’t slept a lot. This morning I feel better, but just have anxiety. It’s kind of the norm for me anyway. I just know this process will be slow. But thank you so much for replying fast. 

[[Na...]]

Sorry I probably sound like a child reaching for help but I feel like that lately. My doctor doesn’t listen to me abs says just to jump. But  that’s not very helpful. 

[[Pa...]]

@[Na...], this process is all about fear and pain, and we need constant reassurance we'll be okay, this is a bi-product of this process, please don't apologize, we know what this does to us.

It sounds like your experiment has given us a bit of information that can be useful, you seem to have given us an idea of what the half life of Xanax XR is and where your metabolism fits.

I'm hoping you'll start a new thread on the taper support forum asking for help learning how to taper from Xanax XR, hopefully a member with experience will see it and respond.  In the meantime, I'll do some searches to see if I can find past posts about this.  I'd still like to see you do a rapid taper but hopefully we can keep you more comfortable. 

Benzodiazepine Taper Strategies - Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Support (benzobuddies.org)

[[Na...]]

Thank you! I posted on the forum. Hopefully we can figure this all out together. Thank you so much. 

[[PE...]]

After only a few weeks of use I agree with @[or...] that you mabey should try a fast taper before making a year long slow one. 

Yeah your system has been used to benzos but I'm not sure there are much real damaged done.

Doing a real slow one would mabey make more damage then help you IMO.

 

[[or...]]

1 minute ago, [[n...] said:

After only a few weeks of use I agree with @[or...] that you mabey should try a fast taper before making a year long slow one. 

Yeah your system has been used to benzos but I'm not sure there are much real damaged done.

Doing a real slow one would mabey make more damage then help you IMO.

I don't think I suggested a faster taper, but it's a good point you made @[pe...], that I was overlooking.  If she's only started the Ativan, she might be able to do a faster one.  Listen to your body @jillybean, because you mentioned coming off the klonopin I think it was, and maybe that had been too fast, so you could maybe use the Ativan to handle a slower taper to help alleviate some more harsh wd.  I'll check back in as I have to run for now.  I think Ativan is a benzo, am I right?

I still get very confused, my apologies, my brain is slowly but surely doing better these days, but still sort of zones out on some posts I read, and replies I make oregonlady

[[PE...]]

Oh this is what you wrote @[or...] "I'd still like to see you do a rapid taper" so I took you by the words

But saw you was with me. Yes listen to your body. It has to be doable saftey first..

 

[[PE...]]

6 minutes ago, [[o...] said:

I don't think I suggested a faster taper, but it's a good point you made @[pe...], that I was overlooking.  If she's only started the Ativan, she might be able to do a faster one.  Listen to your body @jillybean, because you mentioned coming off the klonopin I think it was, and maybe that had been too fast, so you could maybe use the Ativan to handle a slower taper to help alleviate some more harsh wd.  I'll check back in as I have to run for now.  I think Ativan is a benzo, am I right?

I still get very confused, my apologies, my brain is slowly but surely doing better these days, but still sort of zones out on some posts I read, and replies I make oregonlady

It's ok @[or...]! Ativan is a z drug but it's the same nasty wd. I was on it for years before benzo.

[[or...]]

I posted on the wrong thred Peppe!! This was for Jillybeans thread I'm not on this thread at all??

[[PE...]]

11 minutes ago, [[o...] said:

I posted on the wrong thred Peppe!! This was for Jillybeans thread I'm not on this thread at all??

Haha i understand you did.. didn't want to say anything glad you saw it after a while, made me worried about you for a bit there.

 

[[Pa...]]

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

I don't think I suggested a faster taper, but it's a good point you made @[pe...], that I was overlooking.  If she's only started the Ativan, she might be able to do a faster one.  Listen to your body @jillybean, because you mentioned coming off the klonopin I think it was, and maybe that had been too fast, so you could maybe use the Ativan to handle a slower taper to help alleviate some more harsh wd.  I'll check back in as I have to run for now.  I think Ativan is a benzo, am I right?

I still get very confused, my apologies, my brain is slowly but surely doing better these days, but still sort of zones out on some posts I read, and replies I make oregonlady

 

34 minutes ago, [[n...] said:

Haha i understand you did.. didn't want to say anything glad you saw it after a while, made me worried about you for a bit there.

Lots of confusion on this thread, first @[pe...], it was me who suggested a faster taper and @[or...], it looks like you're addressing jillybean, not @[Na...]. 

But thank you @[Na...], I'll pop over to your new thread to see how its going. 

[[or...]]

43 minutes ago, [[n...] said:

Haha i understand you did.. didn't want to say anything glad you saw it after a while, made me worried about you for a bit there.

 

Edited February 13 by [or...]

[[or...]]

Ok, thanks Pamster for straightening that out, geesh!!

Edited February 13 by [or...]

[[Pa...]]

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

It's ok @[or...]! Ativan is a z drug but it's the same nasty wd. I was on it for years before benzo.

More confusion here, are you confusing Ativan with Ambien? 

[[PE...]]

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

Lots of confusion on this thread, first @[pe...], it was me who suggested a faster taper and @[or...], it looks like you're addressing jillybean, not @[Na...]. 

But thank you @[Na...], I'll pop over to your new thread to see how its going. 

Lol omg lots of confusion going on here then.

Blame it on the benzo