xanax taper.....

[[bo...]]

Hello all.... I been on xanax for about 6 months now.... Sometime I can take only .5 miligrams, 1 miligram, 1.5... I think the most I ever taking was 3mg in one day, maybe .5 mg 4 hour interval, but never pat that amount. I say most of the time I take 1 mg, but if I know I'm going out like to crowded places like a club, restraunt, or just hanging out at a friends place. I will take at least 2 mg that day. .5 mg 30 minutes before....

I love it my xanax, I'm prescribed by my psy-doc and I'm tapering off zoloft... How would I taper of a low dose of xanax. I ben readin the aston manual, but the taper is for high dose and normally x-over to valium. I had a bad withdrawal on valium a couple of years ago because my old GP did not tell me I can just stop cold turkey.

I'm not saying I'm planning to stop alzolapram because I'm @ a point of my life that I need it for now and it makes me normal...

Thanks all

[[da...]]

Hello Bori,

 

I am relatively new to this Forum so please double check whatever I say.  It looks like 4mg xanax=80mg diazepam (or 1mg xanax =20mg diazepam) per the Ashton manual chapter II schedule 7 line 1.  I can see you have already been thru some tuff spots, welcome to the comunity.  I think librium can sometimes be used as a substitute to vallium.  there is also the posibility of titration, look at that section in this forum.  I am considering it.  Although it is easier than it looks it is not for everybody.

 

I'm working on getting off lorazepam.

The Lord is my co-pilot

[[Be...]]

Hi, bori79.

 

I tapered off a similar benzo (lorazepam) by cutting the smallest available tablets in 1/4s and dropping 1/4 of a tablet every two weeks.  Xanax comes in .25mg tablets so you can make quite small cuts.  Before you start to taper, please spend a few weeks getting on a steady dose every day.  Obviously, you will want to take the least you can that allows you to feel okay.  You will want to break the habit of taking more when you are going to face extra stress.  There are a lot of good tips and techniques on the Anxiety board that can help you manage your anxiety without taking a pill.  Let us know when you are ready; we will stay with you through the journey. 

[[bo...]]

Hello,

 

All I'm not ready yet... Still doing at the most 2 mg a day depending how I feel, sometimes .5 mg because I exercise a lot. I guess I only really need it when I'm in crowded places, but the least is .5 mg a day. Now I stopped my zoloft about 1 week ago, but was not really a good taper plan. I pretty much just went 50 milligrams every other day and stop. Now I been having, I do not know if it's brain zaps, because I know how the felt when I missed my dose of cymbalta when I was on it. It's almost similiar to a zap, quit annoying.. Weird thing it only happens when I'm not working out. I think every 2-5 minutes it comes. So what I did I started my zoloft again at 50 miligrams today to see if it goes away. That's my only symptom. Other than that I feel great!!!

[[Ni...]]

Hello,

 

All I'm not ready yet... Still doing at the most 2 mg a day depending how I feel, sometimes .5 mg because I exercise a lot. I guess I only really need it when I'm in crowded places, but the least is .5 mg a day. Now I stopped my zoloft about 1 week ago, but was not really a good taper plan. I pretty much just went 50 milligrams every other day and stop. Now I been having, I do not know if it's brain zaps, because I know how the felt when I missed my dose of cymbalta when I was on it. It's almost similiar to a zap, quit annoying.. Weird thing it only happens when I'm not working out. I think every 2-5 minutes it comes. So what I did I started my zoloft again at 50 miligrams today to see if it goes away. That's my only symptom. Other than that I feel great!!!

 

Hi bori79,

 

I take Xanax too. I have never taken an anti-depressant but I just wanted to tell you I've had brain zaps before when I yo-yoed my Xanax dose. I'm not saying that's why you are getting the zaps, just that it's a possibility.

 

I have decided to taper my Xanax and I'm doing it much the same as Beeper said, stay at the same dose for 2 weeks and then drop down a quarter of a .25mg pill every few weeks. Good luck whatever you decide to do.