Went from . 25 Xanax to go to sleep, to

[[tu...]]

another .25 in the middle of the night. All started in September, went to both doses around November. Then about two months ago, around 3 pm I would have palpitations and felt jittery.Started taking another .25 then. Figured out it was the Xanax. Even if I take the same doses, same time I feel symptoms. Working with a counselor, but even dosing down have the same symptoms. If I feel lousy tapering, is that too much of a dose to go cold turkey? Have not taken any the last two nights, and have taken.25 last two days but still have all the symptoms. No one will switch me to Valium. Thanks.

[[Co...]]

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

Are you using 0.25mg tablets? Do you think it would be possible for you to at least halve these tablets?

0.5mg Xanax per day is not a large dose, but it is significant. And since it appears that you have become tolerant of the dose, and are apparently suffering withdrawal symptoms, you really should taper off. I would suggest that you attempt to halve your 0.25mg tablets (0.125mg), or even quarter them if possible. Generally, our members make these kinds of reductions about every two weeks or more weeks, and some can manage to make reductions sooner than this (mileage varies a lot).

Given what you have described, the chances are that you would react badly to a cold turkey withdrawal. I would strongly recommend against it.

[[tu...]]

.50 tablets, thanks.

[[Co...]]

12 minutes ago, [[t...] said:

.50 tablets, thanks.

If you could obtain the 0.25mg tablets, this would help with tapering off.

[[tu...]]

I took .25 the last few days but still bad wd symptoms. Should I do .5 for a week or two?

[[Co...]]

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

I took .25 the last few days but still bad wd symptoms. Should I do .5 for a week or two?

Are you tapering off in consultation with your doctor? If not, you really should.

It I understand correctly, you stopped taking Xanax about 4 days ago (abruptly, without a taper), and partially reinstated (and half dose) two nights ago. If you did this without consulting with your doctor, then yes, I think you should start taking your regular dose. It might take week or two for things to settle down again to how they were before you quit a few days ago.

I suggest that you then talk with your doctor about how Xanax is no longer working well for you. He/she might suggest an increase in dose, but the chances are that you will become tolerant to this dose too and again feeling jittery, etc. So, another increase in dose?

Given that it is your stated intention to quit, I recommend that you talk with your doctor and ask for a prescription for 0.25mg pills. If you can divide these into halves (or, better still, quarters), this might work well enough for you to taper off.

[[tu...]]

Thanks

[[re...]]

UGH here we go again with them being Valium phobes. You must be in the USA I take it. 

I agree with Colin DO NOT COLD TURKEY!!!!!!!. Please do not do that. You definitely are having rebound symptoms from when that damn short acting xanax wears off. Is it possible to get someone to help you wean off with at least a Clonazepam (Klonopin) crossover?

The GREAT NEWS is that you have not been on that long or at a huge dose, but as Colin has said a significant one especially if your brain is new to it. Consider yourself extremely blessed you found this site this early on. With your short term use along with the guidance from here and hopefully a doc well versed in psych med withdrawal you will be FINE I promise. 

Depending where you are you could get a benzo wise doctor that will help you taper. I definitely suggest you get medical help with this from someone that understands (this may be a challenge, but it is possible) withdrawal beyond an addiction street drug/ alcohol medicine perspective. It is such a different beast between therapeutic users and recreational  addicts. 

Here is a link:

http://www.benzosupport.org/benzo_wise_doctors.htm\

Also please please find a therapist that understands withdrawal if you can. If your current therapist does not then I suggest you find one that does cause at this crucial time you need understanding and not some "underlying disorder" that may or may not exist, but is due to the withdrawal only. So many get diagnosed with so many things and go on such a goose chase and poly drugging road when all they needed was a benzo wise medical team to help them understand what it is they are going through with this dependance. 

Goodluck and welcome,

Rev

[[re...]]

One other thing with benzos and the larger mainstream culture misunderstanding with it is people don't wanna be labeled an "addict" so they do the "well I only took extra this night and none this night and a little less than last week, blah blah" scenario.  Benzos for many are not a good fit as needed and it creates an issue. A steady dose of regular use and then a steady slow decline of dose in a smart taper is better at this point in your journey then going up and down in dose on the regular. I have seen it so many times. The erratic dosing really causes issues for lots of poor souls. Just something to be aware of as well in all this.  

[[tu...]]

13 hours ago, [[r...] said:

UGH here we go again with them being Valium phobes. You must be in the USA I take it. 

I agree with Colin DO NOT COLD TURKEY!!!!!!!. Please do not do that. You definitely are having rebound symptoms from when that damn short acting xanax wears off. Is it possible to get someone to help you wean off with at least a Clonazepam (Klonopin) crossover?

The GREAT NEWS is that you have not been on that long or at a huge dose, but as Colin has said a significant one especially if your brain is new to it. Consider yourself extremely blessed you found this site this early on. With your short term use along with the guidance from here and hopefully a doc well versed in psych med withdrawal you will be FINE I promise. 

Depending where you are you could get a benzo wise doctor that will help you taper. I definitely suggest you get medical help with this from someone that understands (this may be a challenge, but it is possible) withdrawal beyond an addiction street drug/ alcohol medicine perspective. It is such a different beast between therapeutic users and recreational  addicts. 

Here is a link:

http://www.benzosupport.org/benzo_wise_doctors.htm\

Also please please find a therapist that understands withdrawal if you can. If your current therapist does not then I suggest you find one that does cause at this crucial time you need understanding and not some "underlying disorder" that may or may not exist, but is due to the withdrawal only. So many get diagnosed with so many things and go on such a goose chase and poly drugging road when all they needed was a benzo wise medical team to help them understand what it is they are going through with this dependance. 

Goodluck and welcome,

Rev

Primary has no knowledge of withdrawal and referred me to a shrink with no knowledge either. The counselor I work with is doing just as stated, trying to fix the anxiety issue, which we know the reason for.

 

Question? Since Xanax is so fast to cause wd symptoms, if I stay on the .5 for a few weeks should it be taken all at once or 2 or 3 times during the day?Thanks.

[[re...]]

SIGH!!!!!!

Yup I figured that is the crap you would have to deal with. Oh  why  do they keep protecting these medications and put the burden on the patient!!!!!!! For all the education they receive I just can't understand their aloof nature in 2024. Maybe a decade ago, but not NOW for the love of god.  Can I get a CHA CHING!!!!!!!!!!$$$$$$$$$$$$ 

And maybe you are prone to anxiety. So be it. There are so many ways to address it initially without pills.  You don't get the symptoms you are most likely experiencing from anxiety. They just won't address the strength of discontinuation syndrome or tolerance withdrawal on the cns STILL!!!!!!!!

I don't know where you live, but i hope you can look at that link I sent you and find a doc to help you with this. If you can't then I suggest you try and play ball with your current medical people just to get the pills and maybe a longer acting benzo, but not always necessary as I have seen people taper right of their current short acting one. It will be more difficult I think. I mean you could try to get through to them and show them what you find here with the Ashton manual. I think you will receive ridicule and god complexes like you have never seen in your life though if you do. So tread lightly because everything you have previously thought about your health and the medical industry is going to test you to the fullest with your faith in it. Not trying to scare you. Just be prepared.

In closing you have not been on that long and a low enough dose and you should have an uneventful taper. If you taper with a doctor and they suggest the madness of quartering it or cutting it in a half and holding for a week or even taking it every other day for a taper. Be so cautious of this advice. Your future health depends on it. 

And please PLEASE be careful as they are going to try and give you many other drugs and convince you of your "disorder" when most likely you are having a negative reaction to Xanax. Some people just do and it's unfortunate. Many take it and are fine.  I can't tell you what to do as I don't know your personal situation, but have major discernment in this and don't allow them to convince you that you are crazy in any way.  

Edited April 8 by [re...]

[[re...]]

And there are two trail blazing professional psychiatrists on You Tube that will help you out.

The first is a gentleman named Mark Horowitz who has some amazing theories and at least as a person in a professional position is questioning the status quo as he himself was harmed by psych meds. Another is Josef Witt Doering. This chap is a bit more of a grifter, but still has amazing insight into psych meds especially benzos and has lots of inspirational videos of people harmed by meds. 

[[re...]]

Sorry I didn't see your question. DUH me. 

 

With xanax yes you may need to divide the dosing for a steady state would require 2 to 3x per day. Is the .5 mg a scored pill. Meaning does it have a line down the middle of it. I am not as familiar with that benzo as it has been awhile since I took that one. If it is scored then I would cut the .5 in half then at least take it twice a day. It is so hard to determine when, but definitely before you go to bed should be one of your doses then usually when you wake up you may be in tolerance and symptomatic and will need to dose then as well. It is such a varying thing between individual people. You just have to try and see what happens. Sorry I can't be more of a help, hopefully some more will chime in here that have had more experience with xanax and dosing times. 

[[or...]]

I asked this question as well, about splitting the dose each day, and was told it would probably be best to stick with what I was used to already which is one dose a day.  Also to always try and take at the same time of day as well.  This works best for me as I don't have to keep track of 3 doses a day, and the time which just would have added more stress and anxiety for me oregonlady

PS mine may have a longer half-life though.  I think they call it interdose wd when your doses don't last as many hours so i see what @[tu...] is saying! Xanax is said to be 8-16 hours only.

Edited April 9 by [or...]

[[re...]]

Yeah Oregon with the K you can do that a bit easier I think cause of the half life. I have heard that with at least Valium that splitting doses builds up more in the system due to half life. 

When do you take your dose. Night or day?

[[or...]]

7 minutes ago, [[r...] said:

Yeah Oregon with the K you can do that a bit easier I think cause of the half life. I have heard that with at least Valium that splitting doses builds up more in the system due to half life. 

When do you take your dose. Night or day?

Hi Revo yeah I just take mine in the morning at 7:00 a.m. that's my plan sometimes I forget about it take it maybe an hour later but almost every day at 7:00 a.m. and you know mine is really long lasting my clonazepam is 24 hours to gosh I think near 40 hours or something if I remember right so I don't have to split my dose good thing because I'd hate having a split little teeny pieces from my 1 mg but when I'm finally taking my 5 mg that would be easy to split but I won't split that either.  

Edited April 9 by [or...]
Addition

[[re...]]

Oh good good. Yes that is me now. I take it in the morning now as it is so so low in dose (1mg valium) wouldn't really do much at night for sleep or whatever at this low dose. I am just trying to keep symptoms at bay with a .01-,02/day micro taper. 

[[tu...]]

21 hours ago, [[o...] said:

Hi Revo yeah I just take mine in the morning at 7:00 a.m. that's my plan sometimes I forget about it take it maybe an hour later but almost every day at 7:00 a.m. and you know mine is really long lasting my clonazepam is 24 hours to gosh I think near 40 hours or something if I remember right so I don't have to split my dose good thing because I'd hate having a split little teeny pieces from my 1 mg but when I'm finally taking my 5 mg that would be easy to split but I won't split that either.  

Do you get wd symptoms?

[[or...]]

36 minutes ago, [[t...] said:

Do you get wd symptoms?

Yes, but nothing I can't handle pretty easily, or live with I should say.  I have several I'd say, minor wd sxs, but all are way less in strength, and some have all but disappeared. I'm 71 and been on this stuff 35 years so I think that's a lot of incentive to do a slow taper, steady taper, oregonlady

Edited April 10 by [or...]

[[tu...]]

Well primary claims he has no knowledge of tapering . I asked for switch to Valium and he claims he isnt versed enough in the field. I told him to check with fellow Drs  or a pharmacist. So he prescribed a smaller does of Xanax.

 

Been on .5 for about a week. Should I still have brutal symptoms? I feel no better than last week.