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

[Guest [ga...]]

Anyone jump at 0.5mg? Im really debating it, just want to be done already

 

I attempted to jump at .25mg and it was a complete disaster...so much so that I searched for help online and found BB at that point and reinstated and tapered to .0625mg and then jumped again with no new problems, but plenty of leftover symptoms from the first attempt to jump.

 

In my opinion...not worth it... .5 is a significant dose to jump from.

 

Challis 

 

I haven't tried it and I never would. I agree with Challis on this!

[[mr...]]

Anyone jump at 0.5mg? Im really debating it, just want to be done already

 

I attempted to jump at .25mg and it was a complete disaster...so much so that I searched for help online and found BB at that point and reinstated and tapered to .0625mg and then jumped again with no new problems, but plenty of leftover symptoms from the first attempt to jump.

 

In my opinion...not worth it... .5 is a significant dose to jump from.

 

Challis 

 

I haven't tried it and I never would. I agree with Challis on this!

 

Notedly thirded 

 

Like Challis, I took a too-big cut towards the end of my taper, and it "spanked" me until well after my jump Hindsight is 20/20, LOL - didn't know any better at the time, but it wasn't worth it to me, either

 

Mrs.

[[Ca...]]

Hi all!

 

I'm new to this thread, and I'm looking for support as I titrate off xanax. I take it only at night for sleep and so far haven't moved any of my two nightly doses to day time. I made 1 dry cut of .125 mg on New Years eve off of my second dose. Attempted to switch to a water titration of my second dose but couldn't handle the withdrawals of the change to liquid. I then took a third of my second dose and got it compounded into a liquid by a compounding pharmacy. So far I've made a .0125 mg reduction of my second dose.

 

I'm a happily married full time stay at home mom and my two children are my world . This taper is very slow so I can stay functioning- hopefully I will jump in a year or so. Who knows, maybe it will go faster once I really get going with this new liquid compound.

 

My symptoms are difficult to handle, even at this slow taper. I know a lot of it is interdose withdrawals.  My p-doc suggested adding Valium in during the day to manage the interdose withdrawals but I don't want to create a second problem for myself.  My body is very sensitive to medication in general, too (get side effects easily).

 

Anyways, Im glad I found this thread

 

 

I'm kind of new, too, but I wanted to share a couple of things.

 

1. There is a liquid form of xanax by Roxane called alprazolam intensol that doesn't need compounding (for those whose insurance won't pay for compounding). I did feel a bit of adjustment to taking the liquid, but after a few days I was OK.

2. I found this e-book very helpful. Written by a  psychiatrist who has tapered many patients off of xanax.

http://www.amazon.com/Xanax-Withdrawal-Stuart-Shipko-ebook/dp/B008H7XYNS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426297254&sr=8-1&keywords=xanax+withdrawal

3. I was dosing 2 times a day, but my new psychiatrist told me to take the same amount and spread it out over 4 or 5 doses. That helped me a lot.

 

Thanks for responding!  How did you spread your doses out- did you have withdrawals from spreading them out?  A few months ago I tried moving .25 mg from my second dose to my first and I had withdrawals. I'm now scared to break up my first dose.

[[Gu...]]

should of done.0625 instead, i feel the difference, like a smack in the face, ill do .0625 tonight. see if that brings W/d symptoms more comfortable, that lilttle amount made a difference. even though its uncomfortable, within the short time ive begun the taper im taking less than before. so going the right direction at least thanks for the headsup

[Guest [ga...]]

Hi all!

 

I'm new to this thread, and I'm looking for support as I titrate off xanax. I take it only at night for sleep and so far haven't moved any of my two nightly doses to day time. I made 1 dry cut of .125 mg on New Years eve off of my second dose. Attempted to switch to a water titration of my second dose but couldn't handle the withdrawals of the change to liquid. I then took a third of my second dose and got it compounded into a liquid by a compounding pharmacy. So far I've made a .0125 mg reduction of my second dose.

 

I'm a happily married full time stay at home mom and my two children are my world . This taper is very slow so I can stay functioning- hopefully I will jump in a year or so. Who knows, maybe it will go faster once I really get going with this new liquid compound.

 

My symptoms are difficult to handle, even at this slow taper. I know a lot of it is interdose withdrawals.  My p-doc suggested adding Valium in during the day to manage the interdose withdrawals but I don't want to create a second problem for myself.  My body is very sensitive to medication in general, too (get side effects easily).

 

Anyways, Im glad I found this thread

 

 

I'm kind of new, too, but I wanted to share a couple of things.

 

1. There is a liquid form of xanax by Roxane called alprazolam intensol that doesn't need compounding (for those whose insurance won't pay for compounding). I did feel a bit of adjustment to taking the liquid, but after a few days I was OK.

2. I found this e-book very helpful. Written by a  psychiatrist who has tapered many patients off of xanax.

http://www.amazon.com/Xanax-Withdrawal-Stuart-Shipko-ebook/dp/B008H7XYNS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426297254&sr=8-1&keywords=xanax+withdrawal

3. I was dosing 2 times a day, but my new psychiatrist told me to take the same amount and spread it out over 4 or 5 doses. That helped me a lot.

 

Thanks for responding!  How did you spread your doses out- did you have withdrawals from spreading them out?  A few months ago I tried moving .25 mg from my second dose to my first and I had withdrawals. I'm now scared to break up my first dose.

 

Actually, I felt better when I started spreading them out, but I've been doing it very slowly. I think the most I ever shifted at once was .10mg. That was at the very beginning when I was desperate to add some daytime doses. Lately I've been shifting .02mg about every third day. I now take 5 doses/day, but my biggest dose is still at bedtime. All the others are even. My doses are at 3AM (or whenever I wake up to go to the bathroom), 7AM, 12 noon, 5PM, and 10PM. I take the bedtime dose at 10PM and go to bed about 10:30 or 11:00. I use the alarm on my cell phone to remind me it's time to dose or I would never get it right.

 

I use these syringes.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013Y6JK2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

These even come with little caps so you can pre-measure and carry your dose with you. Be very careful to get the bubbles out when you measure. And the last little amount of medicine just stays in the tip. It's not part of the dose.

 

Read the directions if you use intensol. It has specific storage requirements. I called the company to ask if it was OK to use my own syringe and to store a dose in the syringe with a cap on it for several hours. They said they never tested that so don't do it. I do it every day, no problems.

 

One other thing to try to pay attention to, I found that I need to take my alprazolam on an empty stomach or it takes forever to kick in and I have withdrawal. Not all people are like that, but if you are, it will affect your taper.

[[Ch...]]

should of done.0625 instead, i feel the difference, like a smack in the face, ill do .0625 tonight. see if that brings W/d symptoms more comfortable, that lilttle amount made a difference. even though its uncomfortable, within the short time ive begun the taper im taking less than before. so going the right direction at least thanks for the headsup

 

The end of a taper tends to be the trickiest... little amounts make a difference.  The good thing about tapering Xanax is that because it's short-acting, you can correct a bad cut pretty quick by taking just a tiny bit more.

[[st...]]

Anyone jump at 0.5mg? Im really debating it, just want to be done already

 

I attempted to jump at .25mg and it was a complete disaster...so much so that I searched for help online and found BB at that point and reinstated and tapered to .0625mg and then jumped again with no new problems, but plenty of leftover symptoms from the first attempt to jump.

 

In my opinion...not worth it... .5 is a significant dose to jump from.

 

Challis 

 

I haven't tried it and I never would. I agree with Challis on this!

 

Notedly thirded 

 

Like Challis, I took a too-big cut towards the end of my taper, and it "spanked" me until well after my jump Hindsight is 20/20, LOL - didn't know any better at the time, but it wasn't worth it to me, either

 

Mrs.

 

 

 

Thanks guys! Ill just be patient and go slow,  even though i am reducing my doses, i keep feeling like the longer im on this the harder its going to to come off

...thats why im getting impatient.  Im currently at .25 in the morning, .125 in thr afternoon and

125 at night.

 

[[th...]]

Take the time!! It's hard but worth it! 

 

G

[[Ca...]]

Hi all!

 

I'm new to this thread, and I'm looking for support as I titrate off xanax. I take it only at night for sleep and so far haven't moved any of my two nightly doses to day time. I made 1 dry cut of .125 mg on New Years eve off of my second dose. Attempted to switch to a water titration of my second dose but couldn't handle the withdrawals of the change to liquid. I then took a third of my second dose and got it compounded into a liquid by a compounding pharmacy. So far I've made a .0125 mg reduction of my second dose.

 

I'm a happily married full time stay at home mom and my two children are my world . This taper is very slow so I can stay functioning- hopefully I will jump in a year or so. Who knows, maybe it will go faster once I really get going with this new liquid compound.

 

My symptoms are difficult to handle, even at this slow taper. I know a lot of it is interdose withdrawals.  My p-doc suggested adding Valium in during the day to manage the interdose withdrawals but I don't want to create a second problem for myself.  My body is very sensitive to medication in general, too (get side effects easily).

 

Anyways, Im glad I found this thread

 

 

I'm kind of new, too, but I wanted to share a couple of things.

 

1. There is a liquid form of xanax by Roxane called alprazolam intensol that doesn't need compounding (for those whose insurance won't pay for compounding). I did feel a bit of adjustment to taking the liquid, but after a few days I was OK.

2. I found this e-book very helpful. Written by a  psychiatrist who has tapered many patients off of xanax.

http://www.amazon.com/Xanax-Withdrawal-Stuart-Shipko-ebook/dp/B008H7XYNS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426297254&sr=8-1&keywords=xanax+withdrawal

3. I was dosing 2 times a day, but my new psychiatrist told me to take the same amount and spread it out over 4 or 5 doses. That helped me a lot.

 

Thanks for responding!  How did you spread your doses out- did you have withdrawals from spreading them out?  A few months ago I tried moving .25 mg from my second dose to my first and I had withdrawals. I'm now scared to break up my first dose.

 

Actually, I felt better when I started spreading them out, but I've been doing it very slowly. I think the most I ever shifted at once was .10mg. That was at the very beginning when I was desperate to add some daytime doses. Lately I've been shifting .02mg about every third day. I now take 5 doses/day, but my biggest dose is still at bedtime. All the others are even. My doses are at 3AM (or whenever I wake up to go to the bathroom), 7AM, 12 noon, 5PM, and 10PM. I take the bedtime dose at 10PM and go to bed about 10:30 or 11:00. I use the alarm on my cell phone to remind me it's time to dose or I would never get it right.

 

I use these syringes.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013Y6JK2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

These even come with little caps so you can pre-measure and carry your dose with you. Be very careful to get the bubbles out when you measure. And the last little amount of medicine just stays in the tip. It's not part of the dose.

 

Read the directions if you use intensol. It has specific storage requirements. I called the company to ask if it was OK to use my own syringe and to store a dose in the syringe with a cap on it for several hours. They said they never tested that so don't do it. I do it every day, no problems.

 

One other thing to try to pay attention to, I found that I need to take my alprazolam on an empty stomach or it takes forever to kick in and I have withdrawal. Not all people are like that, but if you are, it will affect your taper.

 

It's great to hear how you are spreading them out- it's something that worries me a lot (will I be able to do it?).... My psychiatrist encourages me to just look at the .125 mg we are working with now and get through that first.  But the worrier in me wants to have my ducks in a row and know what to do.  Thank you for sharing!

[[va...]]

Anyone jump at 0.5mg? Im really debating it, just want to be done already

 

I attempted to jump at .25mg and it was a complete disaster...so much so that I searched for help online and found BB at that point and reinstated and tapered to .0625mg and then jumped again with no new problems, but plenty of leftover symptoms from the first attempt to jump.

 

In my opinion...not worth it... .5 is a significant dose to jump from.

 

Challis 

 

I haven't tried it and I never would. I agree with Challis on this!

 

Me three.  No way!

[[st...]]

Anyone jump at 0.5mg? Im really debating it, just want to be done already

 

I attempted to jump at .25mg and it was a complete disaster...so much so that I searched for help online and found BB at that point and reinstated and tapered to .0625mg and then jumped again with no new problems, but plenty of leftover symptoms from the first attempt to jump.

 

In my opinion...not worth it... .5 is a significant dose to jump from.

 

Challis 

 

I haven't tried it and I never would. I agree with Challis on this!

 

Me three.  No way!

 

 

Any recommendations on how to continue to cut doses since i take .25 in the am, .125 afternoon, .125 night. Im guessing cut my am dose next then starting cutting all other doses by .625? Does that sound ok? im so scared  :/

[[ba...]]

2 days agp was 6 months i stoped taking alprazolam , i quit from 0.0625mg if i could do it all over again i wouldve reduced this dose smaller with a water taper so if you take alprazolam PLEASE quit at a smaller dose than 0.0625mg because after 6 months i still feel yucky sometimes , insomnia is still there i still complese my sleep with having nappys in the afternoons activating & exercise just walking is A MUST to eeze discomfort that lasts for hours when i felt my worst before 2 months after quitting . also avoid excess sugar and excess smoking tobacco those were triggers of feeling yucky for me . i still havint told mom yet that i quit i think she'll know that i'll be ok from 6 months i took 0.0625mg a long time like 6-10 months it was heck cutting a .50mg pill into 8 pieces

[[va...]]

6 months!  wow baby angel that's awesome!  Congratulations!!

 

~K   

[[Ra...]]

Hey all,

I'm looking for second opinions about this because I'm unsure which route to take. I've been on xanax xr 0.5mg once a day along with zoloft 25 mg once a day and have now started getting dependence withdrawal from the xanax xr at around evening to night. Coincidentally I tried getting off xanax about a month ago with instant release xanax 0.25 once a day and couldn't handle how fast it enters and leaves my body so I went back to the 0.5 xr. About 4 days ago I started feeling the same symptoms from that time and have not changed any medication. I read in the ashton manual that valium would be good but I do not know if I should do that. My pharmacist said it would be instant working and harder to get off of.I still think I could try getting off the XR with the normal instant release but I don't know exactly when the XR releases. My doc recommended a detox from the hospital but that would be way to fast for how long I've been on xanax xr. Any help would be appreciated.

[[Mo...]]

I tapered off of Xanax XR using regular xanax.  I replaced each .5mg xanax xr with the same amount of xanax and separated it into 3 doses throughout the day so it would mimic the xanax xr version.  From here I only cut .0625mg at a time.  You did a big cut going from .5mg xanax xr to .25mg xanax.  Maybe trying to taper a little slower would help. 

 

Monique

 

[[Ra...]]

I tapered off of Xanax XR using regular xanax.  I replaced each .5mg xanax xr with the same amount of xanax and separated it into 3 doses throughout the day so it would mimic the xanax xr version.  From here I only cut .0625mg at a time.  You did a big cut going from .5mg xanax xr to .25mg xanax.  Maybe trying to taper a little slower would help. 

 

Monique

So you directly jumped from 0.5 XR to 0.5 Instant release but cut it 3 times and spread it out? How would I cut a round pill like that? And couldn't I just cut 2 xanax 0.25's and spread the 4 halves out throughout the day? Also did you have weird feelings when going from the XR to the instant release? Sorry for all the questions.

[Guest [ga...]]

Hey all,

I'm looking for second opinions about this because I'm unsure which route to take. I've been on xanax xr 0.5mg once a day along with zoloft 25 mg once a day and have now started getting dependence withdrawal from the xanax xr at around evening to night. Coincidentally I tried getting off xanax about a month ago with instant release xanax 0.25 once a day and couldn't handle how fast it enters and leaves my body so I went back to the 0.5 xr. About 4 days ago I started feeling the same symptoms from that time and have not changed any medication. I read in the ashton manual that valium would be good but I do not know if I should do that. My pharmacist said it would be instant working and harder to get off of.I still think I could try getting off the XR with the normal instant release but I don't know exactly when the XR releases. My doc recommended a detox from the hospital but that would be way to fast for how long I've been on xanax xr. Any help would be appreciated.

 

From everything I've read, the worst place to detox is a hospital. They pull you off so fast that you are 1000% more miserable than when you went in.

 

Here's a resource I found helpful.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Xanax-Withdrawal-Stuart-Shipko-ebook/dp/B008H7XYNS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426631596&sr=8-1&keywords=xanax+withdrawal

 

Pretty short and aimed at the layperson. A doctor describes his experience with xanax and with withdrawing his patients from it.

 

[[Mo...]]

I tapered off of Xanax XR using regular xanax.  I replaced each .5mg xanax xr with the same amount of xanax and separated it into 3 doses throughout the day so it would mimic the xanax xr version.  From here I only cut .0625mg at a time.  You did a big cut going from .5mg xanax xr to .25mg xanax.  Maybe trying to taper a little slower would help. 

 

Monique

So you directly jumped from 0.5 XR to 0.5 Instant release but cut it 3 times and spread it out? How would I cut a round pill like that? And couldn't I just cut 2 xanax 0.25's and spread the 4 halves out throughout the day? Also did you have weird feelings when going from the XR to the instant release? Sorry for all the questions.

 

 

 

Hey Raven,  I used .25mg Xanax to titrate.  I really didn't notice any different changing to Xanax IR.  I just went with it.  I knew I was not going to feel good until I was off completely.  If I had any withdrawal issues I would just tell myself thats what it was and held until I was back to my baseline. 

[[Ra...]]

But even if i cut 2x 0.25mg pills in half and took 4 halves spread  throughout the day it will be fine since it still equals 0.5mg?

[[Mo...]]

But even if i cut 2x 0.25mg pills in half and took 4 halves spread  throughout the day it will be fine since it still equals 0.5mg?

 

 

Raven, that would work.  I went from .5mg Xanax XR to this 7/5/14 7am .25mg Xanax 4pm .125mg Xanax 9pm .0625 mg Xanax.  From what I read, 1/2 of the XR dosage is released when you take it and the rest is released throughout the day.  That is why I kept .25mg as first dose and spread the rest out.  Mornings were my worse time so this worked for me. 

 

Monique

[[va...]]

I never took xanax xr, but I tapered off xanax using the .25mg pills.  I dosed twice/day, but if you're having more symptoms you could cut 2 of the pills in half and then take a half 4x/day (that equals .125mg doses). 

 

Then gradually take a half off each dose at a time (or, each half pill), round robin. 

1/2 of a .25mg pill = .125mg,  and 1/4 of .25mg = .0625mg. 

 

.0625 is the dose most people cut at, and it's also the dose most jump from.  But some people will even cut that dose in half at the end of their taper.

 

I hope this helps.

 

~K   

[[Ra...]]

Thank you both : ) I will talk to my doctor in 3 weeks when i see him and go from there. If I still cannot do it then I will maybe suggest valium.

[[Ra...]]

But even if i cut 2x 0.25mg pills in half and took 4 halves spread  throughout the day it will be fine since it still equals 0.5mg?

 

 

Raven, that would work.  I went from .5mg Xanax XR to this 7/5/14 7am .25mg Xanax 4pm .125mg Xanax 9pm .0625 mg Xanax.  From what I read, 1/2 of the XR dosage is released when you take it and the rest is released throughout the day.  That is why I kept .25mg as first dose and spread the rest out.  Mornings were my worse time so this worked for me. 

 

Monique

I meant to ask, did you ever have interdose withdrawal?

[[Gu...]]

Hi all, so I'm at half way point in my taper, dry cutting without a scale, been crushing it and dividing it out. I'm guessing it's not exact, but using .5 then halving it I'm guessing im close. So I'm at .25 am and .25 pm. Any suggestions? Hoping to stop the am dose and then deal with the pm situation. Hope all is well !!

[[va...]]

GG, you're planning on cutting out .25mg?  Is that correct?  That's an awfully big cut for where you're at.  If you haven't had any symptoms, it might be OK.  If you are, you might want to cut it in half or quarter it.

 

Namaste.

 

~K