`One Year Off Xanax`

[[Ja...]]

hi Megan. Just read in one of your posts that you went from window to wave in 24 hours. I am at the end of 13 months out and cycle between wave and window. I can be in a window for 39 hours and then go into a wave from 5 1/2 to 12 hours. It varies. My waves are less intense for most of the time. Just wondering how this plays out? My wave is vibrations with burning and muscle aches. It brings on negativity and the vibrations sometimes cause anxiety if it is bad. Just wondering if your waves got less intense over time? I find this so scarey that it lingers on.

 

Thanks Megan. Your success story was inspirational.

[[me...]]

hi Megan. Just read in one of your posts that you went from window to wave in 24 hours. I am at the end of 13 months out and cycle between wave and window. I can be in a window for 39 hours and then go into a wave from 5 1/2 to 12 hours. It varies. My waves are less intense for most of the time. Just wondering how this plays out? My wave is vibrations with burning and muscle aches. It brings on negativity and the vibrations sometimes cause anxiety if it is bad. Just wondering if your waves got less intense over time? I find this so scarey that it lingers on.

 

Thanks Megan. Your success story was inspirational.

 

Hi Jazzy, and thanks.

 

In my case, everything evened out by the time I was 18 months off.  My last symptoms to go were cog fog and anxiety, along with muscle spasms. 

 

[Guest [to...]]

Oh yes I needed to hear that today as well... Thank you for the up date Megan.

 

 

I go into a wave the way Jazzy described every time I get my period and I am so sick this month 

[[pa...]]

hi jazzy and towardsthesun,

miss you guys very much and love you.

hang in there and we will get there.

 

hi megan,

love you also. ok?

[[Ja...]]

Thanks pacific. Hope you are doing well. We will all get there.

[Guest [to...]]

Hi Pacific,

 

 

We are all going to make it 

[[Ja...]]

Thanks Megan. That is very reassuring. Be well.

[Guest [to...]]

It is interesting that everything evened out by 18 months for Megan.  I have noticed that when I have a major symptom it hangs around for about 3 months, leaves then something from the background  becomes the front runner!!!! I hope  by 18 months I should be pretty much done as well.

[[My...]]

Hi reading your success story gives me hope thanx.

 

I have had xanax .25 mg for over an year and .125mg of xanax for another 6 months and for the last 40 days absolutely nothing..  My symptoms are similar to yours mornings are very bad. I am completely absent at work head ache never goes, body pain,  i behave like stupid dumb person with no common sense... 

 

People who have experienced all this respond to a few queries..

 

1 how long will It take for me to be fine, i was on a low dose for one year

 

2 what are windows and waves?

 

3 what should i do to keep my symptoms manageable?

 

4 what should be done to recover faster?

 

Regards

Thanks a lot for help

 

 

 

[[me...]]

Hi reading your success story gives me hope thanx.

 

I have had xanax .25 mg for over an year and .125mg of xanax for another 6 months and for the last 40 days absolutely nothing..  My symptoms are similar to yours mornings are very bad. I am completely absent at work head ache never goes, body pain,  i behave like stupid dumb person with no common sense... 

 

People who have experienced all this respond to a few queries..

 

1 how long will It take for me to be fine, i was on a low dose for one year

 

2 what are windows and waves?

 

3 what should i do to keep my symptoms manageable?

 

4 what should be done to recover faster?

 

Regards

Thanks a lot for help

 

Hi, you've only been off for 5 or 6 weeks now, so you are in acute withdrawal.  From now on, your symptoms will start to improve.  Unfortunately, no one can say how long it will take for you to heal, since each of us is different in this respect.  Windows and waves are simply times when you feel considerably better, or worse, than you do most of the time.  When I was in acute withdrawal I quickly learned to distract myself with anything that would take mind of my symptoms for awhile, I did this over and over until it became a habit--it was by far my most useful "tool" in withdrawal and recovery, which does take time and can't be rushed. 

 

Hope this helps!

 

[[My...]]

Thanx Megan..  I m hopefull about things getting better.. I miss my carefree life..

[[sh...]]

That was, inspiring story. At first I thought I was the only one suffering from this symptoms...I felt hopeless these past few days. I couldn't do anything because I feel so week and everytime I stand up i felt dizzy. Your story give me hope....Thank You Megan! I hope I will get off Benzo soon!

 

2010-2013-50g Zoloft, 2mg clonazepam

Dec 16,2013- 100mg zoloft, 1mg clonazepam

Dec 30,2013-100mg zoloft, .50mg clinazepam

Jan 13, 2014-100mg zoloft, benzo off (fingers cross)

[[sl...]]

thxs!! for sharing youre story, Iam so happy you got out of this benzo trap...Iam currently tapering form bromazepam..I was at 4.5mg a day now iam at 3mg a day and started to reduce my dosage 2 days ago...youre story gave me hope.

[[Zo...]]

Megan, thanks for sharing!  I'm only starting, but seeing people like you, who have taken their lives back with willpower and determination, even through months and years of struggles, provides me hope and motivation to do the same.

 

I've made mistakes, BUT I'm ready to fix them.

 

Thanks for sharing your story!

[[Ra...]]

Meagan congrats to you!  I know you will continue to heal as time goes on.  My best!

[[Ra...]]

Megan, thanks for sharing!  I'm only starting, but seeing people like you, who have taken their lives back with willpower and determination, even through months and years of struggles, provides me hope and motivation to do the same.

 

I've made mistakes, BUT I'm ready to fix them.

 

Thanks for sharing your story!

 

Zombie, I don't mean to hijack Meagan's success thread, but your signature includes what looks to be a very aggressive taper and you will most likely experience extreme symptoms.  I have not started a taper yet, but I've read enough on here to know that what you are proposing is likely to be extremely uncomfortable to say the least.  Please post on the Klonopin thread and get some advice from those nice folks. 

 

My best,

 

Rabbit

[[ma...]]

Megan,

 

Your story has given me hope.  I read your symptoms with great interest.  I'm at 5 months off Xanax.  I have terrible weak legs and I'm having trouble standing. I'm trying to figure out if it could be coming from my vitamin D deficiency.  I also have the rocky boat/dizziness which I understand all can come from a D deficiency.  Did you have the weak legs and rocky boat feeling at five months out or at all?  After so long you just start wondering if something else is wrong.

 

Congratulations on your huge accomplishment!

 

Mama2

[[me...]]

Megan,

 

Your story has given me hope.  I read your symptoms with great interest.  I'm at 5 months off Xanax.  I have terrible weak legs and I'm having trouble standing. I'm trying to figure out if it could be coming from my vitamin D deficiency.  I also have the rocky boat/dizziness which I understand all can come from a D deficiency.  Did you have the weak legs and rocky boat feeling at five months out or at all?  After so long you just start wondering if something else is wrong.

 

Congratulations on your huge accomplishment!

 

Mama2

 

Yes, I had a lot of boatyness/dizziness for at times, until I was about a year off.  After that, it never came back (cross fingers).  I didn't let that stop me from moving around though.  When I walked I'd imagine my feet taking rood in the ground at each step, and I consciously felt my whole weight firmly on the ground when I stood or walked.  This is temporary, and it will pass....

[[be...]]

Thanks for sharing your story. It inspires me that I will heal. The overwhelming fear and panic are my worst symptoms, particularly in the mornings when I wake at 4:00 am. I enjoy reading your replies to posts. You are a great contribution to benzo buddies. Thanks for being there Megan

[[me...]]

Thanks, everyone!

 

[[br...]]

Thank you for posting your story. I had read your post once before during my last attempt to get off benzos. My memory seems to suffer while coming off this stuff and I don't remember nearly as much as I used to.

 

I'm going to come back to these Success Stories more often, because it proves to me that this can be overcome. Thank you.

[[ba...]]

Hi miss megan your strong and fulll of courage to be benzo free i was wondering did you take citalopram when you switched to diazapam? i currently see a psychologist that gives me alprazolam is it better to see a MD D.O or psychologist  when getting these kind of medications? i saw a MD who started me on xanax 3/2012 he retired at age 80 july last year

[[me...]]

Hi miss megan your strong and fulll of courage to be benzo free i was wondering did you take citalopram when you switched to diazapam? i currently see a psychologist that gives me alprazolam is it better to see a MD D.O or psychologist  when getting these kind of medications? i saw a MD who started me on xanax 3/2012 he retired at age 80 july last year

 

Hi babyangel,

 

I was put on Paxil along with Xanax, in 1999.  I switched to citalopram several years later, and so have been on it for about 8 years now.  These were prescribed by a psychiatrist who was helping me with my anxiety and depression problems, especially after the sudden death of my husband.  I saw this doctor for about 5 years.  When I decided to taper off Xanax, I stayed on citalopram and didn't start tapering that until about a year after I jumped.  I've still got about a year to go until I'm off citalopram completely. 

 

I think citalopram did help me in withdrawal, because though I had many severe symptoms I wasn't very depressed.  Nowadays a/d's are usually prescribed by non-psychiatrists.  If you do decide to start an a/d, remember that they can take several weeks to start working, and they don't work for everyone.

 

[[ba...]]

thanks for your reply miss megan the dr i saw gave me citalopram before 20mg i was worried about some of the side affects like the nausea and insomnia . another psychologist i saw gave me trazadone as a sleep aid i told him i had difficulty sleeping longer than 4-5 hours i talked to my pharmacist my main worry about this drug is if it could trigger any seizures ive had occasional seizures since november 2004 It seemed rather risky the trazadone a 7% chanse i could have one from it , the dr told me that the citalopram could help me reduce and quit xanax and best of all it has an extremly small risk of having a seizure from it that is really terrifying expereince almost like a near death expereince to me :/ luckily it hapens just once or twice a year and lasts a few seconds except the first one

i feel bad for some ofyour hardships  i want to thank you for your assistance

[[Ha...]]

I am glad I read your story is is VERY similar to mine!! Or mine to yours!! What a nightmare!! SOOO glad you are healed!! I am going to be just like you one day!!

 

Happy me