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

[Guest [Ma...]]

Has anyone ever switched back from diazepam to Xanax?  I just found out that my liver enzymes are elevated and I'm on a high dose of diazepam - want to go back to Xanax and taper - because I never had a liver issue with Xanax.  How does one do that ?  I am really worried because if I stay on diazepam I'm looking at a really long taper....

 

Very good question.

I do not have the answer, but am looking at making the same decision for similar reasons.

 

Let me know how you decide to proceed.

 

Mariija

[[...]]

Hi marija,

My psychiatrist told me just to switch over.  I'm nervous but am going to do it.

Let me know how it goes with you and what you are doing.

Jan

[Guest [Ma...]]

I'm too afraid of the withdrawal from V to do a direct crossover.

I think I will need to accomplish this in stages.

 

Have you started your switch yet?

 

Marija

 

[[...]]

Started today but didn't feel any different.  I'm hoping I will feel better on Xanax - I don't like Diaz at all.  What are you going to do? One dose at a time?  I'm just worried cuz my stomach and nausea and liver enzymes, want the v gone soon. 

One never knows what the reaction will be, that's the problem and Valium sneaks up on you like 7-20 days later.  I'm doing equivalent amounts and truthfully I never felt that Valium was real effective ( long lasting) I always had to change my dosing schedule and never had to do that with Xanax,I really just want to be off all the stuff.  I don't even know how to taper Xanax.  That will be the next challenge.  Can you dissolve it?  How does one microtaper Xanax ?

Just wondering....

[[Ch...]]

Started today but didn't feel any different.  I'm hoping I will feel better on Xanax - I don't like Diaz at all.  What are you going to do? One dose at a time?  I'm just worried cuz my stomach and nausea and liver enzymes, want the v gone soon. 

One never knows what the reaction will be, that's the problem and Valium sneaks up on you like 7-20 days later.  I'm doing equivalent amounts and truthfully I never felt that Valium was real effective ( long lasting) I always had to change my dosing schedule and never had to do that with Xanax,I really just want to be off all the stuff.  I don't even know how to taper Xanax.  That will be the next challenge.  Can you dissolve it?  How does one microtaper Xanax ?

Just wondering....

 

Here's a copy of what I PM'd you, but it's probably taper advice so I'm posting it on the forum:

 

If it were me and symptoms started to flare as the Valium left my system, I'd probably add a touch of Xanax here and there to get me through that part.  I mean a little touch… .0625 if the symptoms were too uncomfortable.  I'm not a fan of too much discomfort.    Xanax works quickly to relieve symptoms and leaves your system fast.  This would just be during the crossover since your doc is switching you in one fell swoop.

 

Reading your post above, .0625mg cuts worked well for me.  I'd have done better if I'd known that when I was first tapering instead of learning it the hard way.  This size cut has worked for a lot of us.  I tried titration, no go.  I don't believe it's necessary to micro-taper Xanax, but that's only my opinion.  It's worked for others, I think.

[[Ku...]]

Needed some input on my rapid taper-detox off xanax. I been on xanax for a year. Worked my way up to 3mg in July this year. Started to get real sick in between doses. Spoke to the doctor. We decided xanax has to go. In a months time I weaned down to 2mg. Have not been stable on xanax the whole time. Now comes rapid taper with librium. I know my Dr gave me the correct amount of librium to xanax doses, just having a rough time of it. We stopped xanax cold Turkey 2 days ago here is my schedule with librium

 

Day 1) 50mg x 4 a day. 200 total

Day 2) 50mg x 3 a day

Day 3) 50mg x 2 a day

Day 4) 50mg x 2 a day

Day 5) 50mg at bedtime then stop

 

I know librium has a long half life but I'm still getting wd symptoms. Headaches, burning sinsations, electric shocks, couldn't sleep well the first night. I'm on day 2 now and I don't think I'm in seizure territory but I seem to have benzo flu. I hurt all over and have some cog fog and vertigo type sinsations. Not all the time but a few times a day. Vitals are ok my pulse is a little high but BP is in normal range. I guess I want to know if my Dr is taking me off to quickly? I'm not bedbound but don't feel good. I asked about valuim but he insisted librium??? I have an entire bottle of xanax left. Any thought on this or Input would be greatly appreciated. I want off xanax but don't want to suffer either.

 

Thank you.  :'(

 

 

[[ho...]]

 

 

Marija....browsing and saw this. Yes, I had this miserable combination of symptoms while tapering both xanax and valium. I am sorry this is part of your recovery.

 

I tried many things. My ND suggested I practice activities to use the sensory neurons in a good way....baths, massage, heating pads, ice, stroking, stretching, yoga, soft music...anything that could induce the slightest bit of comfort. Often I would sit in the bath with Epsom salt while listening to guided meditations on pain management. My lovely therapist made some custom ones for me. While all of this did not take away the pain the practices would often shift me into a more comfortable state.

 

So much of this is about managing what comes...as you very well know. You are doing such a good job Marija. All of this pain is leading you to wellness. You are getting there.

 

I am much better with the burning, tingling and pain at this point in recovery.  I seem to suffer from what I call " net neural load". I am ok up to a certain amount of input then shift into deep waves. Keeping stimulation low has been helpful. I know that is hard with an active household.

 

Sending you much love dear Marija. You are closer to wellness every day.

 

With compassion,

Carita

 

Hi there, dear Carita. I haven't been on in a while but my gabapentin taper is getting rough and I logged on to look for some kindred spirits and of course was delighted to see my first benzo buddy here and finally free! Thank you for sharing this with Marija. I needed a reminder of the self soothing. Even though I've done this all before, it is hard to remember how to care for ourselves at times. I hope you are healing nicely! I just hit my 2 years benzo free...hoping and praying to end the year, free of gabapentin...44 mg to go!

 

Much Love,

 

Hopeful Girl 

[[Ca...]]

Hopeful Girl!! What a lovely note from you...thank you. Two years free and now almost off of gabapentin. Good for you! I am sorry you are having a rough time. I am convinced this combination of drugs is toxic to some individuals. You have shown tremendous determination and will reap the benefits.

 

Wishing you continued strength as you bravely whittle away at the last bits of gabapentin. You are almost there!

 

With love and gratitude my long time friend! Keep practicing devoted self care! I will look you up when I come to your fine city...we have a date for tea. 💜

 

Carita

[[ho...]]

Hopeful Girl!! What a lovely note from you...thank you. Two years free and now almost off of gabapentin. Good for you! I am sorry you are having a rough time. I am convinced this combination of drugs is toxic to some individuals. You have shown tremendous determination and will reap the benefits.

 

Wishing you continued strength as you bravely whittle away at the last bits of gabapentin. You are almost there!

 

With love and gratitude my long time friend! Keep practicing devoted self care! I will look you up when I come to your fine city...we have a date for tea. 💜

 

Carita

 

I would love nothing more than to have our tea date! I was hoping you might still make it out here to see your niece!

 

Congratulations on finishing your taper, my friend!

 

Love,

 

Hopeful Girl 

[[Bu...]]

Hi all,

 

I am new here. I am currently prescribed 2.5 mg Xanax as needed for sleep. Realized I was abusing when I was still having to fill 1 week early. I have been on it for about 4 years, Klonopin for 2 years before that. When I cut my dose down I get an awful indescribable headache, intense anxiety, and shaky hand tremors. Currently I am at 1.5mg for the past 2 days. The headache has subsided and I've made a plan to cut down .25 mg every 2 weeks. I see some people cut down much slower though. Any advice greatly appreciated. I am going to meet with my psychiatrist within the month and explain my plan to go off. Also scared that I won't be the calm person I was with Xanax. Just a lot of mixed feelings. Thanks for the support.

 

Hope, look at my profile.  I started out going at it like crazy.  The cuts were too big and I was paying for it hard.  I changed my cut to .0625 and it was tolerable.  I cut when I felt I was somewhat stable.  Listen to your body. Slow is better, believe me.  Good luck.

[[...]]

Can anyone tell me anything about extended release Xanax?  I have recently switched from diazepam back to Xanax and am having a lot of bad withdrawals.  Was wondering if er might be a help in this situation. 

Thanks for any info!

[[Gr...]]

I was on Xanax ER for a while. It does have a longer half life and it seems slower acting compared to regular Xanax. With regular Xanax you feel the effect soon after you take it but with Xanax ER it's more subtle, you don't feel the quick hit and drop. It's more stable throughout the day. The downside is that the lowest dose it comes in is 0.5mg so when you start tapering you'll have to change to regular Xanax at some point.

[[...]]

Thank you grape juice . And I think you can't cut it in half with , correct ?

[[Gr...]]

Right, you can't cut the tablets, the outer coating is what makes it extended release. If you cut them, then you get the dosage all at once like regular Xanax.

[[...]]

Hello everyone,

I am back to zanax aft an Ashton attempt, which was unsuccessful, the Valium made me sicker .  I am in need of tapering advice.  I'm still try to stabilize from crossing over directly from 30 ml Valium to Xanax.  Had to go up to 2 mg which I take .5 , four times daily.  I am not stable at all, feeling like I cannot even think - and waking up sweating and heart racing in the middle of the night.  I'm in a bad fog.  This is my last chance to taper.  My psychiatrist won't help me now, he just said go to six day detox.  So my gp is prescribing and she wants me to cut .25 for my first cut!  I know this will make me sick.  Can anyone help me with how to taper Xanax?    My brain is in such a fog now that I can't even imagine starting a taper but I'm going to have to start very soon and at least cut a little something.... Or my gp will also give up on me. 

I know there are some of you on this board that are active.  I would very much appreciate your help.  Of course, like everyone else I just want to get off this drug but I have experienced the terrifying power of it first hand by trying to cut my doses in half ( back in April when I told my doctor I wanted to get off, had no idea I was in toleranc withdrawal and that the reason I was so sick is because of being on this for so long . Thank you , anyone , for your input or advice.  I have messed up so many times since trying to get off this drug that I need to get it right this time. 

[[Gr...]]

You could try PMing saul43 if he doesn't respond on this thread. He successfully tapered from Xanax earlier this year and felt much better soon after jumping. Sorry the Valium crossover didn't work for you. I did a partial crossover but Valium makes me pretty tired so I'm slowly tapering the remaining Xanax.

Since you are currently taking .5mg four times a day, Try cutting 1/4 of your 1st .5mg pill (.125mg) for a week and see if you can manage that for a week or two. Then cut 1/4 of your 2nd pill for the next week, then 1/4 of your 3rd pill one week after that and so on.

You may want to switch from .5 to .25mg pills later in your taper so you can make smaller cuts. General rule of thumb here is to make no more than 5-10% cuts every 1-2 weeks.

 

There is also a book by Stuart Shipko written specifically on how to get off

Xanax.

[[...]]

Hi friends, I have a question that I am hoping will bring some answers. I know we have GABA receptors all over our bodies, mostly in the brain but they are also in multiple places. I am wondering about the gut, intestines to be exact. Has anybody ever experienced colitis or extreme intestinal cramping with diarrhea and blood? I'm sorry to be gross about this and prolly TMI. I have had three bouts of this months apart and had a diagnostic colonoscopy yesterday which was normal. I am suspecting it may have to do with tapering off Xanax. Any thoughts or experience to share? Again I apologize. thanks, Rose

 

[[Sh...]]

Hi rdb, if you search on the second brain, you will see many results that confirm what you say.  The gut IS the 2nd brain.  There is a book of that title, The Second Brain, and a bunch of other research you will find.  I haven't had the symptoms you describe, but lots of heartburn and reflux, which I relieve with Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, but that's another post....Your hunch about the GABA affecting your intestines will be proved correct by your search, I believe.  I hope you find some answers..

[[Co...]]

I always have a couple of days of diarrhea after a taper. I have developed acid reflux since being tapering Xanax and also taking ACV in hopes of relieving it.

[[mi...]]

Tapering with 2mg xanax tablets?

I have been taking a .5, 3 times a day everyday for 25 years for panic attacks.. How can I go about getting off this crap with those 2mg tablets? Is there a simple way to do this? I have enough to last me 6 months. The doc gave me 6 refiles before he retired... I moved to a new state that does not give out benzos, that was my wake up call that it is time to no longer be a prisoner to this medication! It is easy to break the pills up into 4 .5mg pieces, but smaller then that they crumble into all sizes... Can this be done with what I have? Overall I feel good, when I take it I feel the same, when I miss a dose I also feel the same, I often forget to take it an still feel fine no panic attacks.. I am sure I don't need this medication anymore... I want OFF, please help..

thank you so much..

[[ga...]]

Tapering with 2mg xanax tablets?

I have been taking a .5, 3 times a day everyday for 25 years for panic attacks.. How can I go about getting off this crap with those 2mg tablets? Is there a simple way to do this? I have enough to last me 6 months. The doc gave me 6 refiles before he retired... I moved to a new state that does not give out benzos, that was my wake up call that it is time to no longer be a prisoner to this medication! It is easy to break the pills up into 4 .5mg pieces, but smaller then that they crumble into all sizes... Can this be done with what I have? Overall I feel good, when I take it I feel the same, when I miss a dose I also feel the same, I often forget to take it an still feel fine no panic attacks.. I am sure I don't need this medication anymore... I want OFF, please help..

thank you so much..

 

Don't worry. This can be done. There are two methods:

 

You can dissolve them and then measure the liquid with an oral syringe to make tiny, accurate cuts. Check out the titration board. One of the math and dilution experts over there will tell you exactly how to do it and do it correctly so you are getting a true solution.  Make sure they understand you have a limited supply because some methods waste part of the dose and some methods save every drop. Since you have a limited supply, make sure you understand how to do it before you give it a try so you don't waste any of it.

 

Or, you can get a jewelers scale and make tiny cuts, even save and weigh the crumbs. They sell them on amazon and various people on these boards will tell you what brands they like. The cost is reasonable.

 

If you have 6 refills and you don't waste any of it, save every crumb, this could work. It may take longer than 6 months, but the pills will last longer than that if you are reducing your dose and not wasting any of the crumbs or dilution or whatever method you choose.

 

You can get off this stuff with a slow, careful taper. It might not hurt to keep looking for a benzo-wise doctor who is willing to help you if you need refills. Keep track of your progress to prove you really mean it and want to get off slowly and safely.

 

Funny, I had two benzo pushers where I live before I found one who knew the dangers and knew a slow taper was the only safe way off. And then some people can't find a doctor to write any script at all. Weird world we live in.

[[mi...]]

thank you gardener99, I am still a little lost with this.. I like the idea of not wasting any!

who do I ask in the titration board? Not sure, need help....

[[Ba...]]

I would suggest a jewelers scale, I've used em in the past.

 

I'm currently in my 2nd week CT off xanax. Got nothing accomplished but I kind of felt semi functionable tonight. Not normal but felt like more than a zombie for once.  Damn this brain fog

[[ga...]]

thank you gardener99, I am still a little lost with this.. I like the idea of not wasting any!

who do I ask in the titration board? Not sure, need help....

 

The titration board is where you ask how to set up a taper plan that involves dissolving your med properly and figuring out how much to reduce to make a slow, steady, safe taper. Just make a general request for help such as "Need help titrating with limited supply of Xanax." If you post exactly what you are taking, how much med you have left, etc., and ask for a taper plan and how to dissolve and dilute your Xanax without wasting any of it, someone like SG or builder or one of the other titration gurus will show up and help you do that. And they will know better than I if you have enough to do a safe taper. Math is not my strength these days!

 

There are stickies at the top of the board with ideas go how to do liquid titration in general, but they can be confusing. Read them over and then ask questions on the board. You'll get up-to-date and personal suggestions if you post your details and ask for help. Builder and SG have been wonderful resources for me when my brain has been too fried to figure out the details of tapering.

 

Or, you can cut your pills. You can ask about that on the General Taper Plans board. Lots of info there about accurate pill cutting. I'm sure you'll find help setting up a dry-cutting taper there. I don't do that any more, though. I truly, truly hated cutting pills. Lucky for me my son was very good at it and did it for me when I was tapering trazodone.

 

Once you have the taper set up, you can use this thread for tweaking and support specific to tapering Xanax.

 

One more thing to consider is whether to do cut-and-hold or daily micro-tapering. The original method promoted by doctors was cut-and-hold which involved a "large" cut every two weeks. Daily micro-tapering involves taking that large cut and changing it into tiny daily cuts to make for a smoother ride. SG and builder are proponents of daily micro-tapering. It takes a little more math work, which they have done for me. You can ask about that on the Daily Micro-tapering Support Group thread or on the Titration board. You'll find SG and builder in both places.

 

Don't worry. If you ask questions, you will get help. I sometimes request, "No scary stories, please," when I post if I think I may get some high-drama responses. The vast majority of the horror stories come from people who tapered too fast or did cold turkey detoxes. That's not what you're doing. You're going slowly and carefully. You will have rough patches, but you will get through this!

 

[[Gr...]]

Well I dropped my last Xanax dose as of this morning, now all I have is the Valium (I did a partial crossover from Xanax, then tapered the remaining Xanax). I feel a big sense of accomplishment but also apprehensive at the same time. I keep worrying about how my body will react to no more Xanax. My dr said it would be out of my system in 5 days. Of course I have still have a bunch of Valium to get off of. I'm going to hold for 4 weeks like I did with my last .0625 Xanax cuts before starting the valium taper. At least any interdose withdrawals from Xanax should go away. Taking deep breath...