XANAX Support Blog: If you're tapering Xanax/alprazolam, join in the discussion!

[[Ch...]]

So nice to see old friends here.

http://www.millan.net/minimations/smileys/grouphugg.gif

[[ho...]]

Hi Blue and Challis and any of my other old friends here! I hope you are all doing well. I continue to heal, more slowly than I'd like but month 13 has turned out to be a lucky one for me    with lots of progress.

 

Love,

 

Hopeful Girl

 

Wonderful news!!! It IS darn slow, isn't it?  I call it the gift that keeps on giving.  I've gone to a higher baseline than I ever expected.

 

Challis, so great to know it keeps getting better! From months 9-12 I seriously doubted it. I am in an awful wave now but the windows are bigger, longer, and better and the waves are shorter. Glad to hear your baseline is still improving! Thanks for that message of hope. 

 

Hopeful Girl

[[Ch...]]

Hi Blue and Challis and any of my other old friends here! I hope you are all doing well. I continue to heal, more slowly than I'd like but month 13 has turned out to be a lucky one for me    with lots of progress.

 

Love,

 

Hopeful Girl

 

Wonderful news!!! It IS darn slow, isn't it?  I call it the gift that keeps on giving.  I've gone to a higher baseline than I ever expected.

 

Challis, so great to know it keeps getting better! From months 9-12 I seriously doubted it. I am in an awful wave now but the windows are bigger, longer, and better and the waves are shorter. Glad to hear your baseline is still improving! Thanks for that message of hope. 

 

Hopeful Girl

 

Yes!  Exactly how it went for me.  Not that I don't have the odd symptom once in awhile, I still do.  But I know what it is and that it is temporary and a sign that I've pushed too hard.

[[mr...]]

I hit a wall about 4am this morning after switching 10/29/14 from .50 Xanax 4 times a day, to .50 Klonopin 3 X times a day (every 7-8 hours) . Through out the last 6 days on K, my chest and back pain was continuous. Before switching to K my blood pressure was in the normal to low range. On Klonopin, my blood pressure and pulse was way up. This scared me. I am wondering if the generic brand of K I was on was not strong enough, or if the .50 cut I took when I made the switch was too much. I took a .50 Xanax at 4am and fell asleep within minutes. I woke about 11am and felt normal. Chest pain gone, felt like my blood pressure and pulse were back to normal.  I even felt motivated to do my errands, etc. today. I'm going to try and stay at the .50 every 7-8 hours (before switching to Klonopin I took .50 Xanax every 6 hours) At least I won't feel like I've made no progress. So after a week, I'm back on Xanax, but at 1.50 a day instead of 2.0 a day. So, a little progress, but now I'm back looking for a plan to withdraw from Xanax...

 

I'm happy to help with a Xanax taper...let me make sure I understand where you are first.  Back on Xanax at 1.5mg and no Klonopin?  Did you just stop taking the K as of today?

 

Challis 

 

Coastlady,

 

You are in great hands, regarding Challis helping you with tapering ideas So I won't add anything to that I just wanted to say that klonopin has a longer half-life than xanax. That may explain why, when you take a xanax, you immediately fall asleep! With a very short half life, it is powerful and packs a "meaty" punch very quickly, while klonopin's "punch" would be more gradual and spread out (rather than all at once). Make sense? Also, even though they are both benzodiazepines, they still may affect your body a little differently. So, when you made the switch to klonopin, it is very well possible that you were experiencing withdrawals from xanax -- even though you were on equivalent doses of klonopin. That could explain the elevated heartrate, blood pressure, etc Make sense?

 

I don't stop by here very often anymore, but I wanted to make sure you didn't feel like your symptoms were "weird", and that you are not alone I have tapered for almost two years directly from xanax, and at my own pace, and will be 100% benzodiazepine free soon -- so just know that it can be done Challis actually was one of the first people on this thread to welcome me I will say it again, you're in good hands! (IMO)

 

Take care and welcome!

 

Mrs.

 

Mrs!!  How are you doing with your taper?  I know you hit some rough spots awhile ago.  Going better now?

Chal  :smitten:

 

Doing SOOO much better, Chal.  Er. Meh. Gaw.  SOOOO much better! Almost done and jumping soon -- hooray!  So grateful to be done soon

 

Mrs.

[[Ca...]]

Hopefulgirl, Mrs, Blue, Challis...wonderful to see you! So filled with hope for the healing that happens. I am grateful we were in this together. Love to you all.

Carita

[[ho...]]

Hopefulgirl, Mrs, Blue, Challis...wonderful to see you! So filled with hope for the healing that happens. I am grateful we were in this together. Love to you all.

Carita

 

Hi My Sweet, Sweet Friend Carita! I was just about to look you up and see how things were going! Looks like you have made a ton of progress! Congratulations! Do you know that I still listen to the song you sent me, "I will be gentle with myself" everyday! I heard my boyfriend singing it the other day  because I play it at bed each night with several of her other songs. Such a gift. Love to you and always cheering you on! I'm down to 540 mg of the gabapentin. Going slow and praying for an easy time at the end! :smitten:

 

Love,

 

Hopeful Girl

[[Tr...]]

It's so great to see my old friends. 

 

Sending lots of love to Challis99, Monique, Bluebell, Mrsalw, and Carita. I couldn't have done this without all your support. A year off and I'm still healing, but I'll take this anyway of the week over being a slave to Xanax. This freedom was hard fought but it's oh so sweet.

 

If I can do this, anyone can!

 

 

 

[[lo...]]

very scared about my next cut. i fee  like i am taking to much off it is the same i took off when i started but for some reason i feel like it is so much more.

[[th...]]

very scared about my next cut. i fee  like i am taking to much off it is the same i took off when i started but for some reason i feel like it is so much more.

 

Don't let your mind play tricks on you! I know how that is to see less med and get freaked out or have crazy thoughts about what syx could happen. Don't let it. I haven't had any worse syx in my last 4 cuts and I am getting very low in dose. My syx just remain where they are. But nothing worse. You could have the same cut pattern for a very long time yet. Try not to freak yourself out, sometimes this can actually bring on syx! You ll be fine! 

 

G

[[Ch...]]

very scared about my next cut. i fee  like i am taking to much off it is the same i took off when i started but for some reason i feel like it is so much more.

 

As the dose gets lower, the cuts should get smaller to stay within the 5 to 10% taper rate.  What were you planning for the next cut? 

 

[[Bl...]]

It's so great to see my old friends. 

 

Sending lots of love to Challis99, Monique, Bluebell, Mrsalw, and Carita. I couldn't have done this without all your support. A year off and I'm still healing, but I'll take this anyway of the week over being a slave to Xanax. This freedom was hard fought but it's oh so sweet.

 

If I can do this, anyone can!

Sending love back at you TrueSouth. Let the healing continue.

 

Blue

[[lo...]]

next cut will be another .25mgs off my 2nd and 3rd. i take the 2mgs so the whole end .5mgs off the end. i heard its easy cutting in the high doses , ive had some syx, just been a very rough week. i cut tomorrow feeling like i cant do it. im taking the exact same amount off as my 1st cut, i guess just cutting that much off my pill is scaring me. im already down 1mg my daily dose. im scared i can't do this.

[[Ch...]]

next cut will be another .25mgs off my 2nd and 3rd. i take the 2mgs so the whole end .5mgs off the end. i heard its easy cutting in the high doses , ive had some syx, just been a very rough week. i cut tomorrow feeling like i cant do it. im taking the exact same amount off as my 1st cut, i guess just cutting that much off my pill is scaring me. im already down 1mg my daily dose. im scared i can't do this.

 

As Grinch said, don't let fear get to you.  It's to be expected that you'll have some symptoms, use them to determine whether to hold or cut.  Your body will tell you if you're going too fast and with Xanax you have plenty of time to correct your dose if you do cut too much. 

 

We're here... you can do this.

 

[[lo...]]

next cut will be another .25mgs off my 2nd and 3rd. i take the 2mgs so the whole end .5mgs off the end. i heard its easy cutting in the high doses , ive had some syx, just been a very rough week. i cut tomorrow feeling like i cant do it. im taking the exact same amount off as my 1st cut, i guess just cutting that much off my pill is scaring me. im already down 1mg my daily dose. im scared i can't do this.

 

As Grinch said, don't let fear get to you.  It's to be expected that you'll have some symptoms, use them to determine whether to hold or cut.  Your body will tell you if you're going too fast and with Xanax you have plenty of time to correct your dose if you do cut too much. 

 

We're here... you can do this.

 

 

thank you i just took a pill i cut more off then normal to see how i do taking it if i do good i'll do my cut. 

[[Ca...]]

 

 

Hi My Sweet, Sweet Friend Carita! I was just about to look you up and see how things were going! Looks like you have made a ton of progress! Congratulations! Do you know that I still listen to the song you sent me, "I will be gentle with myself" everyday! I heard my boyfriend singing it the other day  because I play it at bed each night with several of her other songs. Such a gift. Love to you and always cheering you on! I'm down to 540 mg of the gabapentin. Going slow and praying for an easy time at the end! :smitten:

 

Love,

 

Hopeful Girl

 

Dearest Hopefulgirl,

  Thank you...it feels good to be getting low in dose. So happy about the gabapentin taper for you! You have been dedicated to your health...inspirational!  I am glad you have found comfort in the song...it is a beauty.

  Thank you for cheering me on. I need it! The past few month have been particularly difficult. I was feeling desperate...then the past few days I have had hours of feeling about 50%! A gift! Remember...when I am well enough to travel I plan a trip to see my niece and you and I have a tea date in a quiet cafe!

  Love to you,

Carita

[[mr...]]

 

 

Hi My Sweet, Sweet Friend Carita! I was just about to look you up and see how things were going! Looks like you have made a ton of progress! Congratulations! Do you know that I still listen to the song you sent me, "I will be gentle with myself" everyday! I heard my boyfriend singing it the other day  because I play it at bed each night with several of her other songs. Such a gift. Love to you and always cheering you on! I'm down to 540 mg of the gabapentin. Going slow and praying for an easy time at the end! :smitten:

 

Love,

 

Hopeful Girl

 

Dearest Hopefulgirl,

  Thank you...it feels good to be getting low in dose. So happy about the gabapentin taper for you! You have been dedicated to your health...inspirational!  I am glad you have found comfort in the song...it is a beauty.

  Thank you for cheering me on. I need it! The past few month have been particularly difficult. I was feeling desperate...then the past few days I have had hours of feeling about 50%! A gift! Remember...when I am well enough to travel I plan a trip to see my niece and you and I have a tea date in a quiet cafe!

  Love to you,

Carita

 

Carita, I know how you feel friend. Just keep moving forward with your taper, slowly but steadily. I felt my worst in the low doses. But I started feeling better once I got low enough I think the small doses, when still just big enough, really irritated things for me. Either that, or I was just moving through an "acute" and "post-withdrawal" season. Bummer that I didn't "sidestep" that landmine, even with a slow taper! But, glad to be past it. Love you girl. Just keep on moving

 

Mrs.

[[Ca...]]

Thank Mrs....what a wild ride. I never imagined this would be such a challenge at this slow pace. Your words of encouragement are much appreciated. So so so proud of you...of all of us!

Love to you,

Carita

[[ho...]]

 

 

Hi My Sweet, Sweet Friend Carita! I was just about to look you up and see how things were going! Looks like you have made a ton of progress! Congratulations! Do you know that I still listen to the song you sent me, "I will be gentle with myself" everyday! I heard my boyfriend singing it the other day  because I play it at bed each night with several of her other songs. Such a gift. Love to you and always cheering you on! I'm down to 540 mg of the gabapentin. Going slow and praying for an easy time at the end! :smitten:

 

Love,

 

Hopeful Girl

 

Hi Carita,

 

Oh-don't you worry. I'm still counting on that tea! I have just the place for us! I'm hoping to get to Oregon in the next year and every time I think about going, I remember you talking about eating those strawberries at the farm. We might just have to meet for a strawberry date! I'm exhausted. This wave is wearing me out so I'm off to bed.

 

Love,

 

Hopeful

 

Dearest Hopefulgirl,

  Thank you...it feels good to be getting low in dose. So happy about the gabapentin taper for you! You have been dedicated to your health...inspirational!  I am glad you have found comfort in the song...it is a beauty.

  Thank you for cheering me on. I need it! The past few month have been particularly difficult. I was feeling desperate...then the past few days I have had hours of feeling about 50%! A gift! Remember...when I am well enough to travel I plan a trip to see my niece and you and I have a tea date in a quiet cafe!

  Love to you,

Carita

[[va...]]

very scared about my next cut. i fee  like i am taking to much off it is the same i took off when i started but for some reason i feel like it is so much more.

 

Don't let your mind play tricks on you! I know how that is to see less med and get freaked out or have crazy thoughts about what syx could happen. Don't let it. I haven't had any worse syx in my last 4 cuts and I am getting very low in dose. My syx just remain where they are. But nothing worse. You could have the same cut pattern for a very long time yet. Try not to freak yourself out, sometimes this can actually bring on syx! You ll be fine! 

 

G

 

What Grinch said.  I'm making another cut tonight.  I waited 12 days this time instead of 10, because the tinnitus has been so loud this time.  But I'm trying to stay on track. I cut at night as well, instead of the morning, so now my nighttime dose is lower (for the first time) than my morning dose, but I'm thinking, I might actually need more in my system during the day than at night, since I'm awake. 

 

I have two cysts on one of my discs in my back and they put pressure on my sciatic nerve, causing pain in my left buttock, hip, hamstring, and behind my left knee.  Excruciating pain.  Yesterday I was on my feet a really long time, shopping, cooking and cleaning, and the pain was so intense I ended up taking more pain pills than usual.  I was still in a LOT of pain and didn't want to take any more pills, so, I drank a beer.  Just one.  I was scared it might backfire on me, but so far nothing bad has happened.  I just needed something to help relax me.  I probably won't do that again because I don't want to tempt fate.  But I think it helped me last night.

 

Anyway, I will leave with this quote, from the book Dune, for those who keep fear in their mind:

 

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

[[lo...]]

my plan for tomorrow:

1st-1.75mg

2nd-1.5mg

3rd-1.5mg

4th.1.75mg

 

then next the will all be 1.5mg. i take the 2mgs bars so right now i have cut the halfs off the end section and tomorrow will be taking the other half of the section off the 2 middle pills.

 

how my first 2 weeks went and did okay.

1st-2mg

2nd-1.75mg

3rd-1.75mg

4th.2mg

---------

1st-1.75mg

2nd-1.75mg

3rd-1.75mg

4th.1.75mg

[[th...]]

my plan for tomorrow:

1st-1.75mg

2nd-1.5mg

3rd-1.5mg

4th.1.75mg

 

then next the will all be 1.5mg. i take the 2mgs bars so right now i have cut the halfs off the end section and tomorrow will be taking the other half of the section off the 2 middle pills.

 

how my first 2 weeks went and did okay.

1st-2mg

2nd-1.75mg

3rd-1.75mg

4th.2mg

---------

1st-1.75mg

2nd-1.75mg

3rd-1.75mg

4th.1.75mg

 

I would think you ll be fine with another .5 mg cut at this dose. You will know when it starts to be too much by the way your body responds. If you get hit hard with syx the fix is hold then to decrease to a .25 mg cut next time. But you may be able to cut .5 for a few more cuts without much prob. Just try not to let your mind play tricks on you!! 

 

G

[[Ch...]]

my plan for tomorrow:

1st-1.75mg

2nd-1.5mg

3rd-1.5mg

4th.1.75mg

 

then next the will all be 1.5mg. i take the 2mgs bars so right now i have cut the halfs off the end section and tomorrow will be taking the other half of the section off the 2 middle pills.

 

how my first 2 weeks went and did okay.

1st-2mg

2nd-1.75mg

3rd-1.75mg

4th.2mg

---------

1st-1.75mg

2nd-1.75mg

3rd-1.75mg

4th.1.75mg

 

I would think you ll be fine with another .5 mg cut at this dose. You will know when it starts to be too much by the way your body responds. If you get hit hard with syx the fix is hold then to decrease to a .25 mg cut next time. But you may be able to cut .5 for a few more cuts without much prob. Just try not to let your mind play tricks on you!! 

 

G

Agreed! 

[[lo...]]

my plan for tomorrow:

1st-1.75mg

2nd-1.5mg

3rd-1.5mg

4th.1.75mg

 

then next the will all be 1.5mg. i take the 2mgs bars so right now i have cut the halfs off the end section and tomorrow will be taking the other half of the section off the 2 middle pills.

 

how my first 2 weeks went and did okay.

1st-2mg

2nd-1.75mg

3rd-1.75mg

4th.2mg

---------

1st-1.75mg

2nd-1.75mg

3rd-1.75mg

4th.1.75mg

 

I would think you ll be fine with another .5 mg cut at this dose. You will know when it starts to be too much by the way your body responds. If you get hit hard with syx the fix is hold then to decrease to a .25 mg cut next time. But you may be able to cut .5 for a few more cuts without much prob. Just try not to let your mind play tricks on you!! 

 

G

Agreed! 

 

my mind is def sending me into panic mode, i just took my first 1.5mg pill and im going to see how i feel come my next pill if i can ill take another 1.5mgs if not i will sty on the 1.75mgs and hold here for a week.

[[th...]]

my plan for tomorrow:

1st-1.75mg

2nd-1.5mg

3rd-1.5mg

4th.1.75mg

 

then next the will all be 1.5mg. i take the 2mgs bars so right now i have cut the halfs off the end section and tomorrow will be taking the other half of the section off the 2 middle pills.

 

how my first 2 weeks went and did okay.

1st-2mg

2nd-1.75mg

3rd-1.75mg

4th.2mg

---------

1st-1.75mg

2nd-1.75mg

3rd-1.75mg

4th.1.75mg

 

I would think you ll be fine with another .5 mg cut at this dose. You will know when it starts to be too much by the way your body responds. If you get hit hard with syx the fix is hold then to decrease to a .25 mg cut next time. But you may be able to cut .5 for a few more cuts without much prob. Just try not to let your mind play tricks on you!! 

 

G

Agreed! 

 

my mind is def sending me into panic mode, i just took my first 1.5mg pill and im going to see how i feel come my next pill if i can ill take another 1.5mgs if not i will sty on the 1.75mgs and hold here for a week.

 

[[...]]

next cut will be another .25mgs off my 2nd and 3rd. i take the 2mgs so the whole end .5mgs off the end. i heard its easy cutting in the high doses , ive had some syx, just been a very rough week. i cut tomorrow feeling like i cant do it. im taking the exact same amount off as my 1st cut, i guess just cutting that much off my pill is scaring me. im already down 1mg my daily dose. im scared i can't do this.

 

As Grinch said, don't let fear get to you.  It's to be expected that you'll have some symptoms, use them to determine whether to hold or cut.  Your body will tell you if you're going too fast and with Xanax you have plenty of time to correct your dose if you do cut too much. 

 

We're here... you can do this.

 

 

Hi Challis99

 

I have a question for you.

 

I'm getting ready to jump. I'm at a super low dose of Xanax. like less then a .0156 cut. Tiny.My cut weighs only 5grams on my Gemini scale. A crumb.

 

But I'm scared to jump! I feel OK. and I know many people jump off at .0625. Or even .0312. And I'm at .0156!

 

So, now is the time. My last cut was 7 days ago.

 

But I want to know should I hold a bit or cut down to 3 or 4 grams, wait , hold, then jump. Or should I just jump?

 

I know no one can really tell me the answer. But I just want something.

 

I did get hit on some of my low cuts before this one. But now feel pretty good.

 

When you jumped, is there anything you wished you could have done differently then you had? Or was it fine for you?

 

I am worried about post taper acute. I want to do whatever I can to minimise that. If it means licking dust then so be it.

 

But, I do want this over.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks again