The Xanax Club, Let Us Know How You Are Feeling Today

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Thank you Julia,

I really enjoyed feeling good for a while.  This morning lots of anxiety!

 

I'm sorry your stomach is still hurting.  So glad you have found some buddies that have tapered off prilosec I'm sure they will have some good info for you.  Praying you feel better this afternoon and that your cut goes well.

 

Love you❤❤❤

 

Hi Debbie,

I bet you did.  So sorry the anxiety came back.  Maybe yesterday is a sign things are going to get better for you!!!

 

Thank you.  It usually eases up in the afternoon but not today!  I think it is the cut that is making it hurt worse today!  I am achy and sweating and not feeling well.  I am hoping dose 3 makes things better but I am not sure it will.  The first day of a cut and having WD is not good but - I am going to keep going and see how I do this week.  If I need to hold next week I will until I feel better.  I guess I was asking for too much to have 2 good weeks with cuts. 

 

Actually the buddies who have tapered off the prilosec are from 2011 and are not on here anymore but one of them did a blog showing what he did and how he felt and what he did to feel better so I am taking information from what he did.  I am sure there are others that have done this too but I have not found them yet.  I have not given up on finding someone who is still posting here that may be able to help me if I need it.

 

Thanks for the prayers, I am praying for you too.  Another buddie I have is also having a little window so I am hopeful that you will too.

 

Love you lots!

Julia  :smitten:

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Hi Julia,

I am so sorry your stomach hasn't eased and that you are having other uncomfortable symptoms.  I sure hope you're third dose helps you.

 

I'm sure you will find others on here that are tapering off prilosec.

 

Sending you prayers and hugs❤❤❤

[[He...]]

Hi guys,

 

Julia,

  I'm sorry your stomach is bothering you and I hope you have good luck tapering off the Prilosec.

 

Debbie,

  I am glad you got to get out and get your hair cut and go furniture shopping. I hope you enjoyed yourself

 

Everyone else; Happy Sunday to you! I hope tapering is going OK

 

I am going into my second week of .12mg since I was having morning anxiety. I will hold at least one more week and see if it helps at all. I am hoping I can follow Lori's lead and get rid of the anxiety completely.

 

Lori,  I had a good conversation with my therapist Thursday. He was different than he usually is. He was much more validating.

 

My sleep was doing well and, now, it's back down again. Such is the case with non-linear healing.

 

HM

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Hi HM,

Thank you it was so nice to feel well enough to do those things...but back to the old grind today.

 

I hope holding this week will get your anxiety under control.

 

Hoping your sleep improves.

 

Take care...hugs❤

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Thank you, Debbie

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Hi Julia,

I am so sorry your stomach hasn't eased and that you are having other uncomfortable symptoms.  I sure hope you're third dose helps you.

 

I'm sure you will find others on here that are tapering off prilosec.

 

Sending you prayers and hugs❤❤❤

 

Hi Debbie,

Thanks.  3rd dose is not really helping much.  It will be ok.

 

I hope I can find the info I need but it is a given I need to taper the prilosec.  I just hope things do not get worse for my xanax taper. 

 

I hope you are having a better afternoon!  Thanks for the prayers and hugs, back at cha!!!!

 

Love you!

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Hi HM,

 

Thank you!  It is always something for us to deal with!  I hope getting off the prilosec will help with my stomach.

 

I think you are being wise to hold another week.  I hope it makes things better for you.  I am sorry you are struggling with your sleep.  At least you do know it can get better.  I hope it gets better soon for you.  I hope your anxiety gets better too.  Mine comes and goes.  For the most part it only gets bad with a lot of stress.

 

I hope you have a good week!  Happy Sunday to you too!

 

Hugs,

Julia 

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Hi everyone, I hope you guys are doing well! I made another cut 2 days ago and since then I feel soooooo tired, like when we have a high fever, having also gastrointestinal problems, I hope it will get better sooner than later. This fatigue is my main symptom, I truly hope it’ll get better when I’ll jump

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Im about to give up. I cannot handle this..I feel like the oddball here. I have no spouse, no money, no good doctor and lots of suffering with getting these reductions correct and trying to wrap my mind around how long this is going to take.  I don't feel like I can continue to suffer like this, and every time I read the Ashton manual it freaks me out.  The things written it there are so brilliant but so depressing becasue they ring so true.  my 2mg xanax(alprazolam) tablets break apart uneven when I use a pill cutter and forget about it trying to use the score lines that are on the tablet.  The liquid taper did not work well for me, so I'm left with dry cutting.  My brain is so unable to function cognitively, that I don't understand when people post percentages and all the numerical stuff about their cuts.  I'm not doing well and I feel like I just want this pain from having to w/d to stop.

Widesky,

Please do not give up.  You can do this.  Using the scale and nail file is the way I do this too.  It is so much easier than anything else I have tried in the 32 months I have been tapering.  There is a spreadsheet you can use also so you will know the amount you need to take for each dose.

 

Amazon has the scale and the link is

https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Weigh-GEM20-Precision-Milligram/dp/B00ESHDGOI

 

and the nail file I bought is:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HQBGGZ7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can get whatever nail file you want, this one is stainless steel and for me, it shaves the pills easier.

 

Once you start using these tools, things will be so much easier.  Before I started to use the scale I was like you, frustrated and I knew my doses were not correct and they need to be.  This method has helped me tremendously.

 

As far as not having a spouse, money good doctor etc., we all have our own issues with these things.  We all have to get through this the best way we can.  We are here to give you support and encouragement and answer your questions and help you all we can.  This is not easy for any of us. 

 

I have not read the Ashton manual.  I have seen people refer to it here and there on BB but since I am not crossing over to valium or another benzo, I have not felt the need to read it.  I am sure there is great information in the manual but I have not found the need to use it.  Too much information at once is not always good either. I try to keep this as simple as I can.

 

I hope you will feel better.  You can do this - it is hard as hell but it is doable. Getting off benzo's is worth it in the end. 

 

What you are feeling is normal and many of us have felt the same way.  I have felt this way many times but I just keep going.  I want and need to be off xanax.  I have been having feelings of frustration all week and feeling like this will never end but it will and I have to constantly remember that I have come a long way.  You are just starting but you will get there too!  You did the right thing by posting how you are feeling.  That is what BB is here for. 

 

Take care.

 

Thanks tolnblpt, your reply means so much. I too need to be off Xanax! I hate that I can't CT and have to keep using the drug, but I know that is how I have to proceed.  Where is that spreadsheet you mentioned?  I think Lori is going to send me one, but where is the one you mentioned? Is there a link?  I did order the nail file you use, and I just got the scale so I have it in my possession. Thank you again for the love and support .

 

I use Sandoz as well but my pills are .25 milligrams so my chart wont help you right now. 

 

Are you attempting to use the one 2 milligram pill for 4 doses throughout the day?  If so, I can surely understand your frustration.  Is there anyway that your doctor can prescribe you a lower dose pill so that you can move forward with your taper in an easier way? 

 

The chart my son put together for me was for my taper from .5 milligrams and lower.  However, since I have the weight of each pill and the weight of each reduction, I'm sure we can work it out once you weigh what your pills are.  It would simply be much easier if you were working with .5 or .25 milligram pills. 

 

Keep me posted on what you have.

 

Do you think you can share the spreadsheet you used for tapering off the .5 tablets.  I'm going to get those. Sandoz.

Sending love and appreciation!

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Hi Xanax buddies,

 

I wish I could take the Vistaril my primary Dr. prescribed because it helps with anxiety. The problem is it makes me so tired but I can't sleep. Horrible combination. It has a long hangover time too so if I take it before bed, I am tired the next day but unable to nap.

 

I just got back from the gym training legs and calves. My butt and hamstrings are so tired! I am grateful for my training partner because she keeps me accountable. I am hoping that workout will help me sleep tonight. Last night was rough. Deep sleep but very brief.

 

Have a great Monday night,

 

HM

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I miss so much to workout 😞 why do you guys think someone gets super tired and others don’t?

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Today is a super bad day, my head is spinning a lot, I have nausea, tremors and I’m completely exhausted, it’s so difficult to even imagine the light at the end of this tunnel

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Today is a super bad day, my head is spinning a lot, I have nausea, tremors and I’m completely exhausted, it’s so difficult to even imagine the light at the end of this tunnel

Hi Enzo,

 

I feel exactly the same today.  In addition to what you posted I'm also really irritable and my face is numb.  Underlying depression and anxiety, too.

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Today is a super bad day, my head is spinning a lot, I have nausea, tremors and I’m completely exhausted, it’s so difficult to even imagine the light at the end of this tunnel

Hi Enzo,

 

I feel exactly the same today.  In addition to what you posted I'm also really irritable and my face is numb.  Underlying depression and anxiety, too.

 

I’m sorry to hear that, hang in there buddy and let’s hope this hell will finish soon

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got my Digital Jewelry Scale today and weighed my 1 mg Greenstone Brand Xanax and each pill is off.  So what I got was 1mg equals 0.131 divided by 2 for .50 equal 0.0655 and .25 would be 0.328. This my8th day at 5.5 mg as I took away .50 away from 2 of my 6 doses.  I dose 6 times a day.  I believe tomorrow I will take away another .50 to bring me down to 5mg.  I am not feeling the best but I am holding my own.  I have anxiety but it is going to show it's ugly head no matter what I do so I am trying to make the best of this.  I am getting out and went pumpkin picking yesterday and ran 30 minutes on my ellipcal machine.  I am getting 7 hours of broken sleep a night and I am very greatful for that. Does anyone have a spreadsheet of correct dry measures.  I would love to have the precise weight of a .75 mg xanax (Greenstone) as I am going to be taking .75 mg 4 times a day and 1 mg 2 times a day to equal 5 mg.  Will stay at 5 for 2 -4 weeks depending on how I feel.  Please let me know if my above Digital weights are off....  Thanks All

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Widesky and EnzoIt, I hope you feel better soon.

 

Torris, I am on a liquid taper. I don't know anything about digital scales or their accuracy.

 

I forgot to take my dose at bedtime last night. I took my morning dose this morning at 7:30am. I didn't have any additional anxiety this morning, thank God. Maybe I will be ready to cut again next Friday (my usual cut day). We'll see. I didn't sleep great again but I don't think it's my dose. I was sleeping much better on the same low dose. I think insomnia is just part of my personal WD crap.

 

Have a great Tuesday, everyone,

 

HM

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Thank you for responding heartmost.  My Math was way off....  LOL.  I finally got the right figures after sitting down and recalibrating.  1 Mg of Xanax is 0.128 grams; .5 mg of Xanax is 0.064 grams and .25 mg of Xanax is 0.032 grams if anyone else is dry tapering.  Now the question is after one week of a .50 reduction in my taper do I go ahead and taper another .50 down for 5mg of xanax a day. 

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I feel like a hardcore drug addict.  I know I went tolerant on X and my body is dependent on it so it feels like an addict wanting a fix.  I have never abused my prescription and I'm in shock how I am jonesing.  It feels like the bottle is luring me.  I just feel alarmed at how I feel like a hardcore addict.  Please tell me others have felt like this.  This is so hard.

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got my Digital Jewelry Scale today and weighed my 1 mg Greenstone Brand Xanax and each pill is off.  So what I got was 1mg equals 0.131 divided by 2 for .50 equal 0.0655 and .25 would be 0.328. This my8th day at 5.5 mg as I took away .50 away from 2 of my 6 doses.  I dose 6 times a day.  I believe tomorrow I will take away another .50 to bring me down to 5mg.  I am not feeling the best but I am holding my own.  I have anxiety but it is going to show it's ugly head no matter what I do so I am trying to make the best of this.  I am getting out and went pumpkin picking yesterday and ran 30 minutes on my ellipcal machine.  I am getting 7 hours of broken sleep a night and I am very greatful for that. Does anyone have a spreadsheet of correct dry measures.  I would love to have the precise weight of a .75 mg xanax (Greenstone) as I am going to be taking .75 mg 4 times a day and 1 mg 2 times a day to equal 5 mg.  Will stay at 5 for 2 -4 weeks depending on how I feel.  Please let me know if my above Digital weights are off....  Thanks All

 

Hi Torris,

 

Sorry you are having an issue with the weights of the pills.  The problem is this - each bottle of pills you get are from different lots of pills and can be different weights than the bottle before.  The way I am doing my pills is this (.4117 mg dose for the day) - I take .25 mg pills and cut in half - I do not worry about what that weights - According to my spreadsheet, I know what my dose for the day is, then I divide that number into 4 doses, then the spreadsheet shows me how much each pill should weigh in grams for each dose.  I take the pills and weigh one, use the nail file and get the pill to the weight it needs to be for one dose, then I do the same for the other 3 doses for the day.  So - for you - I would cut  1 mg pills in half and then use the nail file on each half to get the weight you need in grams and then you will have your 6 doses a day.  Then just keep doing that to get the 6 doses you need a day and that will give you equal doses throughout the day.  Equal doses are usually better as you are getting the same amount of medication throughout the day.  I have a 7 day pill box that holds 4 doses per day and I do my doses for the week on Saturday's and my weeks start on Sunday.  I do not know if they make pill boxes that accommodate 6 doses a day but since all your pills would be the same dose/size, you could just put all your doses for 1 day in the box for each day.  It is so much easier than having to deal with weighing and filing the pills every day. 

 

As far as doing another cut goes, if you feel like you are doing well and you are functional and you are not having bad symptoms, then if you want to make another cut, you can.  You will know when your not ready to make a cut.  If you start to feel symptoms that are very uncomfortable and you start feeling like you can not function as normal, you may want to hold until you are better.  You have to listen to your body.  You will get sick of hearing that but it is the truth.  Also, once you get down to 5 mg, you may want to do the .25 mg cuts as they will be easier to do but that is my opinion.

 

Hope you are doing well.

 

Julia

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Widesky and EnzoIt, I hope you feel better soon.

 

Torris, I am on a liquid taper. I don't know anything about digital scales or their accuracy.

 

I forgot to take my dose at bedtime last night. I took my morning dose this morning at 7:30am. I didn't have any additional anxiety this morning, thank God. Maybe I will be ready to cut again next Friday (my usual cut day). We'll see. I didn't sleep great again but I don't think it's my dose. I was sleeping much better on the same low dose. I think insomnia is just part of my personal WD crap.

 

Have a great Tuesday, everyone,

 

HM

 

Hi HM,

Sorry that you are still struggling with sleep.  Glad not taking your dose last night did not bother you! 

 

Good luck if you decide to cut soon.

 

Julia 

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I feel like a hardcore drug addict.  I know I went tolerant on X and my body is dependent on it so it feels like an addict wanting a fix.  I have never abused my prescription and I'm in shock how I am jonesing.  It feels like the bottle is luring me.  I just feel alarmed at how I feel like a hardcore addict.  Please tell me others have felt like this.  This is so hard.

 

Hi,

I  am dependent on a prescription drug.  There is a huge difference between addiction and dependence.  It sounds like what you are feeling is interdose withdrawal.  How many doses do you take a day?  I think you said 4, some people here are doing 6 doses a day and that seems to really help them from having interdose withdrawal.  This is hard - really hard but it is what we have to do to get off these benzo's.  Also sometimes if we make too big of a cut, it makes us have severe withdrawal too.  We have to listen to our bodies and not cut too fast and not make cuts that are too large.  It is recommended to cut 5-10% every 10-14 days but that is if you are functional and not suffering in my opinion.

 

I hope you feel better as the day goes on.

 

Julia

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Tolnbltp:  Thanks so much for  your reply.  Yes, I have a large pill box with cubbies for 28 doses.  I measured and made up many doses.  Thank you for letting me know which scale and file to get as it was really easy to do.  I took my normal 1mg Xanax earlier today and honestly, it made me feel high like I had taken too much.  I have never had that happen before so I thought I would go ahead and make the other taper today to bring  me down to 5mg.  I will stay on the 5 mg for 2 weeks and I will go by how my body feels.  I will continue to dose 6 times a day to equal the 5 mg.  After I reach 4 mg, I was going to slowly start tapering down at .25 per taper until I get down to about 2 mg and then just go between 5 to 10% per taper.  What happened today with the 1mg throwing my brain off really felt strange and I just couldn't wait for the feeling to go away.  It took about 2 hours for me to shake it off and be able to think clearly again.  I am praying I have another good taper without to many side effects as I will not updose and just deal with it.  I honestly believe that maybe my brain is settling down after all the deaths in my family and surgery I went through and maybe  I just do not need as much Xanax.  Should be interesting.  I am sleeping, eating, bathing, and getting out of the house even if I feel strange so that is all a plus.  Prayers to all to have a wonderful week with positive feelings!

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Tolnbltp:  Thanks so much for  your reply.  Yes, I have a large pill box with cubbies for 28 doses.  I measured and made up many doses.  Thank you for letting me know which scale and file to get as it was really easy to do.  I took my normal 1mg Xanax earlier today and honestly, it made me feel high like I had taken too much.  I have never had that happen before so I thought I would go ahead and make the other taper today to bring  me down to 5mg.  I will stay on the 5 mg for 2 weeks and I will go by how my body feels.  I will continue to dose 6 times a day to equal the 5 mg.  After I reach 4 mg, I was going to slowly start tapering down at .25 per taper until I get down to about 2 mg and then just go between 5 to 10% per taper.  What happened today with the 1mg throwing my brain off really felt strange and I just couldn't wait for the feeling to go away.  It took about 2 hours for me to shake it off and be able to think clearly again.  I am praying I have another good taper without to many side effects as I will not updose and just deal with it.  I honestly believe that maybe my brain is settling down after all the deaths in my family and surgery I went through and maybe  I just do not need as much Xanax.  Should be interesting.  I am sleeping, eating, bathing, and getting out of the house even if I feel strange so that is all a plus.  Prayers to all to have a wonderful week with positive feelings!

 

Hi Torris,

 

It sounds like you have a good plan and are doing well. 

 

It could be that since you have been lowering some of your doses that the one that was 1mg yesterday may have been too much.  It took me a long time to figure out and do equal doses but I have been dong that the last few weeks and it really has made a big difference for me.  You may want to consider making all your doses the same dose and that way you are getting an even flow of medication into your body all day instead of different doses which can affect you like yesterday.  I have come to know that for me, equal doses makes my withdrawal easier too.  I am glad you have a 28 dose pill box as that will be so much easier than having to shave pills every day! 

 

I know it had to really hard going through the tragedy's in your family and it could be that now your brain has calmed down.  My heart ached for you when you I read what had happened to you. 

 

You are doing great with being able to function and get out of the house.  Getting out and doing things to distract you will be so helpful to you especially as you go down.  I believe distraction is the most important thing that I have done that has helped me get through this.  Of course, there are a lot of other things that help too like meditation, diet, breathing and tapping but you seem to have a good handle on what works for you right now.

 

Have a great day !!!

 

Julia

 

 

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Today is a super bad day, my head is spinning a lot, I have nausea, tremors and I’m completely exhausted, it’s so difficult to even imagine the light at the end of this tunnel

 

Hi EnzoIt,

So sorry I did not see this yesterday!  I am hoping that today is better for you and so sorry that yesterday was a super bad day for you!  You have done great with your taper and what you are going through, IMO, is your brain and central nervous system adjusting and healing as you go.  I hope it gets better for you soon.  Try to rest and I lay down whenever I need to and it does help most of the time.

 

You are in my prayers! 

 

Hugs,

Julia 

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tolnbltp:  Thanks for all your knowledge and encouragement.  I was hoping to go down to 5 mg yesterday but had a rough night and morning so went down to 5.25 instead.  I like your idea of dosing the same for all 6 doses as that would keep my blood level at an even keel.  I can't even think straight but if I take 5.25 mg (each 1mg xanax weighs 0.128 grams x 5 would be 0.6400 plus .25 which weighs 0.032 grams would total 0.672 for the day divided by 6 would be 0.112 in a perfect world but every single one of my 1mg Xanax weighs differently.  So if I throw 5 on the scale it weighs  0.657 divided by 6 would equal 0.1095.  I think I will just go down to 5 mg today as I am pulling my hair out.  Please let me know if my math is correct..... UGH!