Please help with Alprazolam taper.

[[Bo...]]

I started tapering from 3 mg. 3/23, and am now at .50. I take .125 morning, and .375 night. I am doing these in .062 increments now. I am thinking I should cut from the evening dose, I am doing this monthly, and it seems to hit harder now.  Any imput would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Edited June 26 by [Bo...]
Not enough info given.

[[Em...]]

Hi,

I am in similar package as you.

Are you asking if you should cut your evening dose by 0.062 mg next? And then take 0.125 in the morning and 0.313 at night? Am I getting that right?

It sounds resonable to me. I am following Mark Horowitz on how to taper (you can youtube him if you like) but I have his book (not with me now, I'm travelling)

But anyway he recommends even doses so cutting the night dose would be the right thing to do now.

It has been my experiance that this becomes harder under 1 mg. And that is backed up by Marks studies, the meds bind to more precentage of Gaba receptors at lower doses. So if it is getting harder you could start to cut less % ...

This cut you're about to make is 12.4% cut from your last dose. It's recommended to cut 5-10% so its already kind of much. Your decision of course, but maybe you can lower the night dose in smaller steps until its the same as the morning dose?

 

May I ask you something out of curiosity? How are you feeling during the day? 

Best of luck to you;)

 

[[Co...]]

On 27/06/2024 at 00:12, [[B...] said:

I started tapering from 3 mg. 3/23, and am now at .50. I take .125 morning, and .375 night. I am doing these in .062 increments now. I am thinking I should cut from the evening dose, I am doing this monthly, and it seems to hit harder now.  Any imput would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi @[Bo...]

What dose pills are you using? And how are you dividing your pills? I'm guessing that you have 0.25mg pills and are quartering them. (If not, I suggest that you obtain 0.25mg tablets.)

Given Xanax's fairly short half-live (and assuming that you need to take it twice per day to avoid interdose withdrawal effects, then yes, your plan to reduce your evening dose probably makes most sense. It certainly makes sense to me.

 

[[Co...]]

On 27/06/2024 at 01:52, [[E...] said:

This cut you're about to make is 12.4% cut from your last dose. It's recommended to cut 5-10% so its already kind of much. Your decision of course, but maybe you can lower the night dose in smaller steps until its the same as the morning dose?

Everything you write there is technically true of course. But I would suggest that at lower doses, an increase in the taper rate (in terms of percentage) is generally OK. And, it is unavoidable anyway. For example, if your dose is 2% (of the original dose), and you reduce it to 1% (of the original dose), that's a 50% drop between the two doses. And the final drop to zero, is always a reduction of 100% from the previous dose.

Looking at percentages is more useful from moderately low to higher doses. Ultimately, though, it comes down to how we feel. Irrespective of theory, we should make reductions which we can reasonably tolerate, whatever that reduction might be.

[[Bo...]]

HI Colin,

Thank you so much for responding. Yes, I am on .25 now, and I appreciate the imput on cutting less more often. I am going to go for a .031 cut every 2-3 weeks. I am having some issues popping up that I think are zingers from the withdrawal. Blood pressure spike and needles & pins in hands and feet, and headache that sent me to the emergency room. 

[[Bo...]]

Emilia,

Thank you so much for responding, it had not entered my mind to cut .031. I have been doing this myself, just found Benzobuddies and still finding my way here. 

I read your threads, and yes, we do sound similar, new things popping up out of nowhere. I will look up Mark Horowitz, I appreciate you telling me about him. I have found it hard to put my thoughts down writing, so I apologize if I sound stilted. 

I can be doing really well, then like you, wake up in a panic a couple of times. Muscles twitching in legs, goosebumps under the skin all the time, spasms in my intestines all over, and the blood pressure spike recent.

May I ask how long you have been on Alprazolam, was it for GAD and panic attacks?

Thank you for your kindness.

Bonelet

 

[[Em...]]

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

Everything you write there is technically true of course. But I would suggest that at lower doses, an increase in the taper rate (in terms of percentage) is generally OK. And, it is unavoidable anyway. For example, if your dose is 2% (of the original dose), and you reduce it to 1% (of the original dose), that's a 50% drop between the two doses. And the final drop to zero, is always a reduction of 100% from the previous dose.

Looking at percentages is more useful from moderately low to higher doses. Ultimately, though, it comes down to how we feel. Irrespective of theory, we should make reductions which we can reasonably tolerate, whatever that reduction might be.

Thank you for the input, I appreciate it. I am actually doing a hyperbolic taper now. I have a chart that I am following and will continue to do so until I finish or run into trouble. It has been going smooth so far (knock on wood).

[[Co...]]

53 minutes ago, [[B...] said:

HI Colin,

Thank you so much for responding. Yes, I am on .25 now, and I appreciate the imput on cutting less more often. I am going to go for a .031 cut every 2-3 weeks. I am having some issues popping up that I think are zingers from the withdrawal. Blood pressure spike and needles & pins in hands and feet, and headache that sent me to the emergency room. 

Yes, smaller, more frequent reductions to dose are generally better tolerated than larger, less frequent reductions, even if the overall taper rates are similar.

[[Em...]]

20 minutes ago, [[B...] said:

Emilia,

Thank you so much for responding, it had not entered my mind to cut .031. I have been doing this myself, just found Benzobuddies and still finding my way here. 

I read your threads, and yes, we do sound similar, new things popping up out of nowhere. I will look up Mark Horowitz, I appreciate you telling me about him. I have found it hard to put my thoughts down writing, so I apologize if I sound stilted. 

I can be doing really well, then like you, wake up in a panic a couple of times. Muscles twitching in legs, goosebumps under the skin all the time, spasms in my intestines all over, and the blood pressure spike recent.

May I ask how long you have been on Alprazolam, was it for GAD and panic attacks?

Thank you for your kindness.

Bonelet

Hi Bonelet,

All this sounds familiar with me, except spasm in intestines. I have been holding and recently started tapering again. I bought Marks book; "The Maudleys deprescribing guidelines" and decided to follow them. My sporadic use of various benzos was about 2-3 years before taking Xanax daily for roughly 5 years and been tapering now for 9 months. With holds. Something like that. 

I understand the brainfog completely, suffer from it too ❤🩹

Best of luck 🥰

[[Co...]]

20 minutes ago, [[E...] said:

Thank you for the input, I appreciate it. I am actually doing a hyperbolic taper now. I have a chart that I am following and will continue to do so until I finish or run into trouble. It has been going smooth so far (knock on wood).

If you have posted your chart on the forums somewhere, please post a link - I'd like to take a look at the chart.

[[Em...]]

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

If you have posted your chart on the forums somewhere, please post a link - I'd like to take a look at the chart.

Hi,

The chart is from:

"The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines: Antidepressants, Benzodiazepines, Gabapentinoids and Z-drugs"

by David Taylor and Mark Horowitz

I am on vacation right now but if I don't forget I can send you a photo when I get back. If I forget, feel welcome to send me a message;)

 

 

[[Em...]]

19 minutes ago, [[E...] said:

Hi Bonelet,

All this sounds familiar with me, except spasm in intestines. I have been holding and recently started tapering again. I bought Marks book; "The Maudleys deprescribing guidelines" and decided to follow them. My sporadic use of various benzos was about 2-3 years before taking Xanax daily for roughly 5 years and been tapering now for 9 months. With holds. Something like that. 

I understand the brainfog completely, suffer from it too ❤🩹

Best of luck 🥰

Oh, I forgot! 

I was originally prescribed them for insomnia. 

 

Kind regards,

Emilia

[[Co...]]

18 minutes ago, [[E...] said:

I am on vacation right now but if I don't forget I can send you a photo when I get back. If I forget, feel welcome to send me a message;)

Will do.  Enjoy your vacation!