Bob's titration instructions request

[[Bo...]]

Hi, I will like to try the titration plan. I'm taking Xanax 2mg (10 mg daily).

How should start? Can some one help me to develop a titration plan?

Your help is really appreciated, I just want to get rid of this nasty habit.

[[Th...]]

Hi, I will like to try the titration plan. I'm taking Xanax 2mg (10 mg daily).

How should start? Can some one help me to develop a titration plan?

Your help is really appreciated, I just want to get rid of this nasty habit.

 

Hi Bob,

 

Most people do not start titration at the high dosage you are on. They start if necessary at the most about 2mg and generally most around 1mg or below. As Beeper stated, the general reduction is 10% off your total daily dose every 7-14 days. This is usually a manageable amount. Generally if you were titrating off a 1mg amount, that would be approximately 100 days. To titrate off of 10mg, that would be around 1000 days. If even cutting 1mg every 2 weeks is too much, you may want to try .50mg every 2 weeks until you get down to a smaller amount where titrating would make more sense.

 

T2

[[Be...]]

I agree with Theresa, Bob.  It would take you years to get off the xanax if you start titrating at 10mg and you'remore likely to start experiencing tolerance withdrawal the longer you are on it.  Xanax is very short-acting so maybe you could try reducing small amounts (.25mg) but every week instead of 2 weeks.  Usually a smaller reduction made more frequently makes for a smoother taper. 

 

Here's is some good information on tolerance and tolerance withdrawal, also known as relative tolerance withdrawal.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=9706.0

[[Lo...]]

I just want to get rid of this nasty habit.

 

Hey Bob,

You just took the first step in beating the benzos!! Welcome to BenzoBuddies and I know that you can find the help and encouragement you need here! People on here have either finished tapering off these nasty meds or are in the process of tapering. Since you are on a higher dose, the best thing to do to start you off is to get a pill cutter if you don't have one. Going down a .125mg rate every 7-14 days may seem slow, but the slower, the safer and the more tolerable this process will be. Start out doing these dry cuts, and when you are at a lower dose, ask for a titration schedule and one can be made up for you, personally. I don't know if you know much about benzos, but here is the website for the Ashton Manuel. It is very informative about what benzos do, withdrawals, tapering, etc. If you have any questions, just ask and I wish you all the best in this journey!!

 

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha00.htm

 

Lori

[[Bo...]]

So, lets say I start weaning off 0.25mg out of 10mg, do I do it in one dose, I mean out of one of the 2mg pills?and the other 4 pills remains at 2mg? How long apart during a 24 hour period should I take my pills?Should I keep weaning off 0.25mg every week until a titration is necessary?

[[Th...]]

So, lets say I start weaning off 0.25mg out of 10mg, do I do it in one dose, I mean out of one of the 2mg pills?and the other 4 pills remains at 2mg? How long apart during a 24 hour period should I take my pills?Should I keep weaning off 0.25mg every week until a titration is necessary?

 

Hi Bob,

 

If you only have 2mg pills, cutting by 0.25mg will be extremely difficult. You can ask your doctor for some 0.50mg pills to make it easier to cut them. The smallest cuts for a 2mg pill would be 0.50mg. If you are taking 10mg per day with 2mg pills, your dosing should be split up as evenly as possible. So, that would be about 2mg every 5 hours. I would suggest you try cutting 0.50mg off one of your doses (unless you can get smaller tablets and cut only 0.25mg) and hold there for 7-14 days depending on how you are feeling. Cutting 0.50 is still 1/2 the recommended 10% cutting rate.

 

T2

[[Bo...]]

Thanks Theresa. I do have a pill cutter, I can cut the 0.25mg easy. I started reducing 0.25mg every 4 weeks,sometimes 3 or 2, around 65 days ago and I felt terrible, everyday I had migraines, rapid pulse, heart racing,constipation and the worse that was escalating: muscle cramps: they started like on the 10th day in my upper back, then spread during time to my shoulders, the back of my neck, my chest, the muscles in the front of my neck and my forearms and I still do have them, now all over my upper body. I went from 10mg to 6.75mg in that time. Then I was so in pain that I relapsed.

Does 0.25mg every week sounds ok to you?

[[Th...]]

Thanks Theresa. I do have a pill cutter, I can cut the 0.25mg easy. I started reducing 0.25mg every 4 weeks,sometimes 3 or 2, around 65 days ago and I felt terrible, everyday I had migraines, rapid pulse, heart racing,constipation and the worse that was escalating: muscle cramps: they started like on the 10th day in my upper back, then spread during time to my shoulders, the back of my neck, my chest, the muscles in the front of my neck and my forearms and I still do have them, now all over my upper body. I went from 10mg to 6.75mg in that time. Then I was so in pain that I relapsed.

Does 0.25mg every week sounds ok to you?

 

Hi Bob,

 

You should do fine reducing that much every week.

 

T2

[[Lo...]]

Hey Bob,

All the symptoms you described migraines, rapid pulse, heart racing, constipation, and muscle cramps are ALL symptoms of benzo withdrawals. I also get lots of muscle spasms in my back and a certain area between my shoulders. Below is from the Ashton Manuel about "muscle symptoms." I know they are all very bothersome, but try to ride them out. These are actually signs of recovery, if you can believe it. I would wait a minimum of 7 days between each taper. Since you can cut the .25mg, do so, and taper with that amount.

 

Muscle symptoms. Benzodiazepines are efficient muscle relaxants and are used clinically for spastic conditions ranging from spinal cord disease or injury to the excruciating muscle spasms of tetanus or rabies. It is therefore not surprising that their discontinuation after long-term use is associated with a rebound increase in muscle tension. This rebound accounts for many of the symptoms observed in benzodiazepine withdrawal. Muscle stiffness affecting the limbs, back, neck and jaw are commonly reported, and the constant muscle tension probably accounts for the muscle pains which have a similar distribution. Headaches are usually of the "tension headache" type, due to contraction of muscles at the back of the neck, scalp and forehead - often described as a "tight band around the head". Pain in the jaw and teeth is probably due to involuntary jaw clenching, which often occurs unconsciously during sleep.

 

At the same time, the nerves to the muscles are hyperexcitable, leading to tremor, tics, jerks, spasm and twitching, and jumping at the smallest stimulus. All this constant activity contributes to a feeling of fatigue and weakness ("jelly-legs"). In addition, the muscles, especially the small muscles of the eye, are not well co-ordinated, which may lead to blurred or double vision or even eyelid spasms (blepharospasm).

 

None of these symptoms is harmful, and they need not be a cause of worry once they are understood. The muscle pain and stiffness is actually little different from what is regarded as normal after an unaccustomed bout of exercise, and would be positively expected, even by a well-trained athlete, after running a marathon.

 

There are many measures that will alleviate these symptoms, such as muscle stretching exercises as taught in most gyms, moderate exercise, hot baths, massage and general relaxation exercises. Such measures may give only temporary relief at first, but if practised regularly can speed the recovery of normal muscle tone - which will eventually occur spontaneously.

 

Lori

 

 

[[Bo...]]

Thanks Lori, I suspected that, but never got any confirmation browsing the web or talking to 3 different doctors  they know next to nothing here about Xanax withdrawal and the effects 

Take care

[[Lo...]]

You're welcome, Bob. It's hard not to get angry with drs. when it comes to these meds. If any of us had known what we would have to go thru, I doubt we would have taken the first pill!! I sure wouldn't have!!The following lists possible symptoms of withdrawals from benzos; not giving you this to scare you because none of us gets all the symptoms. However, I do believe that knowledge is power and when you get withdrawal symptoms, it is easier to handle them/stay calm (worrying and stressing over them makes them worse) knowing that these are "normal" and not some dreaded disease!! You may be surprised at how such a little pill can affect so much:

 

Lori

[[Co...]]

The following lists possible symptoms of withdrawals from benzos...

 

http://www.bcnc.org.uk/symptoms.html

 

http://www.benzo.org.uk/votsymp.htm

 

Not to mention the following list of possible withdrawal effects: http://www.benzobuddies.org/buddiesguide#withdrawal-effects 

[[Ke...]]

Thanks Theresa. I do have a pill cutter, I can cut the 0.25mg easy. I started reducing 0.25mg every 4 weeks,sometimes 3 or 2, around 65 days ago and I felt terrible, everyday I had migraines, rapid pulse, heart racing,constipation and the worse that was escalating: muscle cramps: they started like on the 10th day in my upper back, then spread during time to my shoulders, the back of my neck, my chest, the muscles in the front of my neck and my forearms and I still do have them, now all over my upper body. I went from 10mg to 6.75mg in that time. Then I was so in pain that I relapsed.

Does 0.25mg every week sounds ok to you?

 

 

Bob- glad to hear you have a plan in place!  You should do fine at this rate.  I tapered directly off of Xanax as well and it can be done.  Please stay in touch and let us know how you are progressing.

 

Best of luck with your taper.

 

Keith