In need of encouraging success stories

[[Ge...]]

I was introduced to xanax by a lawyer buddy of mine. My issue was not anxiety but an over active mind, struggling to sleep. After finding a source through an online "Indian Pharmacy," I began taking a single 1MG pill every night around 7pm, just before bed.  It was magic and I slept like a baby.  It was only after reading Matthew Perry's auto biography than I learned how dangerous benzos are. I was so ill informed at the start of my discovering the "magic sleeping pill."  I never took more than 1MG a day, always at the same time before bed.  After my enlightened awareness, I started my taper as follows: .75 1 week, then .50 2 weeks, followed by .25 for 3 weeks. I used a knife to cut the pills. Today I am on day five with ZERO. My immediate issues are terrible sleep and brutal tinnitus.   Am I headed toward a sunny end to this tunnel?  Who has come out the other side dancing with joy?

[[Re...]]

Hello @[Ge...], Welcome to BenzoBuddies,

I am really sorry for what you are going through. May I ask how long you have been on Xanax (alprazolam)? After longer use, we recommend a slow, symptom led, very gradual taper, but many of our members had to go through cold turkey or a rapid taper, like you did and recovered. I will add a link about this type of cessation from The Benzodiazepine Information Coalition. 

These are very potent medications, even on "lower" doses like 0.25 mg, they fill significant amount of the receptors they work on. The drop you did after 0.25 mg must have shocked your central nervous system. I am just trying to explain why you are experiencing these symptoms. 

Recovery is very much possible from this type of reduction, too, but it might take a while and it often follows a wave and window like pattern. Please try to get informed through the Ashton manual, too, it is an important publication for those going through benzodiazepine withdrawal. 

Please let us know how we can support you. I am glad you joined us! 

Take care,. RR

 

[[Ge...]]

Hi ReubenRalph, thank you for your kind and swift response.  I was on 1MG a day for 6-7 months consecutively 

[[Re...]]

Thank you @[Ge...], I have been on 4,5 mg for 12 years, I did almost the same thing and I do notice improvement. Can you fulfill your daily duties, can you remain functional? Please consider filling out your "History" under your profile, so that our Buddies will be able to support you better. 

We have a long list of Success Stories,  recovery journeys of people who recovered completely during the past years and are already out there living life. 

 

[[re...]]

Hello Gerard and welcome to this forum. 

It this was your first run in with benzos then you should be fine. But that is somewhat a decent amount of time to be on xanax regularly and that is not a small dose.  That rapid taper that you did may cause you some nervous system issues, but for sure nothing permanent.

What I would suggest is this:

Keep an eye on yourself and how you feel. You have only been 5 days off so you still would have time to reinstate and do a proper taper off of Valium or a long acting benzo. But this is not always necessary as many taper off of what they are on. It is just more difficult due to half life.

I believe most can reinstate successfully in under a month, but someone may come in here to help and give you a more accurate assessment of this. So you definitely have time if things turn on you and get out of control.

Hope this helps.

[[re...]]

 

You mention Matt Perry's book which is interesting and I am thankful this has shown you the light. But I will say this, as benzos have become the new DEA watchlist drug like the opiates prior in this regard.  And it has somewhat been this glamorization of the tortured artist who has addiction to benzos. Problem is with benzos and ALL psych meds once it has been looked at in the mainstream as this addiction problem. Then it is treated like Alcohol or Heroin/street drugs and they use these cold turkey or "detox" barbaric methods of even therapeutic users  and it opens up a whole world of new problems and health scares, doctor/er visits that need not be. I have literally heard that damn Dr. Drew say "I am not a big fan of the long taper" WHAAT?????????????? And THIS my friends is what is fueling the ignorance as he is a celebrity addiction GOD in the circles and this info he spews out carelessly and ignorantly is really giving the wrong impression. 

I think many celebrities from Michael Jackson to Chris Cornell, Mike Starr, Anna Nicole, and the list is endless that really were just in tolerance withdrawal from benzos and no one helped them actually TAPER. Of course I won't minimize the real problem of addiction and popping bars of xanax. Like that hip hop dude lil xan

I personally think that there should be tapers for even opiates. It is so crucial as the relapse rate I think would be a lot less and you would stop most of the homeless issues in it's tracks.  But then the whole DETOX industry would go out of business.  and we certainly can't have this now can we. That 5-10k per week is just too LOVELY to give up. 

 

[[re...]]

And the great thing about the taper with the correct medical and addiction team especially if you are a well known public figure like Matthew Perry. It would teach these true addicts PATIENCE and better coping skills while they are tapering which would create a better life going forward. It could also really reach the mainstream larger population in the importance of a taper and it would be great for the health of a nation.  But nope most of them end up on a cascade of medicine that ultimately leads to their demise. 

And here we go with the DANGERS of the holistic medical industry. I believe what killed Matthew Perry was the Ketamine. And all these trendy idiots on you tube to whatever jumping on the bandwagon bleeds down to the functional practitioners that go "yeah yeah yeah Ketamine Ketamine Ketamine" 

I am very critical of the new natural care doctors as well. It is has become an INDU$TRY just like anything else and all I am saying is we must be critical of any claim of quick fixes for psych med issues and their ensuing withdrawal. 

The slow taper is still the gold standard with lifestyle changes above all else for head meds and even drugs of potential abuse. 

Edited April 21 by [re...]

[[re...]]

And I question Matthew Perry's death because it really didn't get much press coverage. It kind of got out quick and there wasn't much of a thing with it. I wonder if they found a bunch pills, street drugs it would of been so much more covered I think and dramatized. But KETAMINE!!!!!!!!!!! we can't have that now can we. 

I think this synthetic cannabis/cbd, Ketamine and psychedelic industry is going to cause lots of problems down the road. 

[[tb...]]

I can only pray that you get this drug out of your system without the torture of being unable to sleep. 

I too was on it for over 10 years and as of yet have been unable to stop taking it. 

My psychiatrist has been of no help, if I ever mentioned the Ashton manual I would get the same song and dance from him that he is the expert and I am not.