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

[[Ra...]]

i just calculated if I taper at my current rate of .0625 every two weeks, it will take me until 4/15.

this is seriously distressing to me.

 

Will I. be miserable this entire time??  I don't see how anyone can do this...

 

Jerry, we're about in the same situation except I haven't started to taper yet.  It just seems daunting and overwhelming.  I hope someone comes on and says it gets easier, I SO want to hear that.

[[Ra...]]

I need to make this my motto:

 

Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you

are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?

 

Ya know Benzy,

I just re-read this, and I had a light bulb moment.  It makes sense now.  This is something I have needed to work on for a VERY LONG TIME!!!!  I have been miserable for so long, it has become my norm.

 

I guess instead of continuing to listen to the voice in my head telling me daily how angry/miserable/bitter/& unhappy I am...I need to start with lots of self talk!

 

Thanks for sharing!

FB

 

FB, I'm confused by your signature.  Are you starting at 2.5mg per day and reducing by .0625 per day?

[[Fl...]]

oh lard you think you gettn old timers now.

 

Dude,

I know I'm gettin it.  I'm basically running a nursing home. If your around them long enough it starts to rub off and than let's add Benzo WD....it's inevitable. 

 

FB

[[Fl...]]

Hi Eveyone....thinking about this process today and amazed at how strong and resilient we are in the face of adversity. This has been the most difficult two years of my long life.

Today marks 7 months off Xanax and my 59 th birthday. I am sitting in my favorite place in the world...a little town on the Oregon coast...drinking tea and watching a rain storm. I wonder what this new year will bring?

I see signs of healing...inklings of creativity, desire, appetite and better sleep. I've put on the pounds I lost and I am walking more with less pain. I laughed out loud watching a favorite movie( Birdcage) last night. I am beginning to like the feeling of yoga and deep stretching again as my tendons and muscles loose their hyper tension. I see changes...real ones and I am eager for more.

This is today...who knows what tomorrow ( or this afternoon) will bring. But right now, this minute I am hopeful.

I have great compassion for all of us in this situation. It is unbelievable. Knowing you understand has seen me through some very dark days. Thank you....I see you all as life lines....near and far. I am grateful.

My love and support to you all. We are healing one cell at a time. One day we will celebrate full wellness.

Carita

 

Carita,

What a beautiful post. It pulled at my heart strings.  Wishing you a most wonderful Happy Birthday!  And, what a way to be spending it...in one of your favorite places...hopeful, feeling again, laughing, and all because you took the step to become BENZO free.

 

Welcome back into life my friend... May your 59th Birthday be the first day of the rest of your long life. Wishing you MUCH HAPPINESS!

 

Hugs Birthday Girl,

FluterByee

[[Fl...]]

Benzy,

Yes, I'm starting at 2.5mg.

Mrs is helping to guide me with the type of micro water taper that she has had such success with.

Since I am dissolving my regular .625 dose in my 4 bottles of water...it automatically acts as a kind of start up taper.

On 1/15/14 I will start reducing daily by 1mL.  I am hoping to avoid extreme SX's like I had when trying to dry cut.

I should be finished in the year 2020...BaHaHaHa

 

FB

[[Re...]]

Hello, Everyone:

 

Sorry I have not been around much lately.  Just not feeling all that well.

 

Thanks for all the PMs and the encouragement and support.

 

I really appreciate that.

 

Here is a song for today:

 

 

[[Ra...]]

Benzy,

Yes, I'm starting at 2.5mg.

Mrs is helping to guide me with the type of micro water taper that she has had such success with.

Since I am dissolving my regular .625 dose in my 4 bottles of water...it automatically acts as a kind of start up taper.

On 1/15/14 I will start reducing daily by 1mL.  I am hoping to avoid extreme SX's like I had when trying to dry cut.

I should be finished in the year 2020...BaHaHaHa

 

FB

 

FB, that was me asking the question about your taper    So you put your full 2.5 mg in your water.  Is that 100ml of water?  So if my math is right, that means you have .025mg per ml, is that right?  So is the idea that every day you reduce by an additional 1ml?  So on day 2, you will have removed 2ml?  I'm terrible with math, so please correct me if I'm wrong.  Thank you!

[[Fl...]]

Benzy,

Yes, I'm starting at 2.5mg.

Mrs is helping to guide me with the type of micro water taper that she has had such success with.

Since I am dissolving my regular .625 dose in my 4 bottles of water...it automatically acts as a kind of start up taper.

On 1/15/14 I will start reducing daily by 1mL.  I am hoping to avoid extreme SX's like I had when trying to dry cut.

I should be finished in the year 2020...BaHaHaHa

 

FB

 

FB, that was me asking the question about your taper    So you put your full 2.5 mg in your water.  Is that 100ml of water?  So if my math is right, that means you have .025mg per ml, is that right?  So is the idea that every day you reduce by an additional 1ml?  So on day 2, you will have removed 2ml?  I'm terrible with math, so please correct me if I'm wrong.  Thank you!

 

Oh sorry Rabbit11,

My Bad

I am terrible at math as well, and I am so thankful that Mrs is helping me.

I have 4 100mL of water.  And, for the next 14-days I am dissolving .625 in each bottle which equals my 2.5mg per day.

I'm taking 4 equal doses.  So, it's 4 bottles w/100mL water for a total of 400mL of water.

And, yes when I actually start removing a dose...It will be 1mL per day.  First day 9a.m. 1mL / Second day 9a.m. 1 mL, 1p.m. 1mL, Third day 9, 1, 5, 1mL and so on.  Mrs says I keep doing this until I start to feel SX's and than I hold.

I don't know the rest of the particular's as we are taking this in steps and I/we have not gotten that far.

Are you thinking about water taper?  I tried dry cutting and that along with unexpected extra stress due to family situation I had to reinstate, and my dose went up.  I'm not happy about that; however, with the help I'm getting here...I am going at it in an entirely different way.

FB

[[mr...]]

Does it get any easier guys??    I'm looking at perhaps a 6-9 months taper and then an unknown recovery time.  Am I going to suffer for the next couple years to be free of Xanax?  Someone please

tell me as you go lower you feel better!!!

i just calculated if I taper at my current rate of .0625 every two weeks, it will take me until 4/15.

this is seriously distressing to me.

Will I. be miserable this entire time??  I don't see how anyone can do this...

 

JerryK, my whole entire taper I've done nothing but heal and feel better (excepting this past few cuts, and that is because I pushed it hard).  Most everyone heals on their way down to zero, so long as they listen to their body and make small enough cuts and long enough holds that allow enough time to heal and "reset" in-between cuts.  It's going to hurt on the way down, true, but it doesn't have to be torturous or unbearable.  You'll know when you need to hold, and when you're ready to cut again; relax, and just listen to your body, okay?  You're going to be okay!

 

And, why are you concerned about the time frame of getting off?  Is your doctor forcing you to be off by a certain time?

 

It's my one-hour countdown before my next dose...I can do this...I can do this...

how big is your 4x per day dosage....

 

Don't laugh at me, okay?...my current daily dosage is 0.06mg of xanax, so split four ways is (I believe) 0.015mg per dose.  0.06mg of xanax is the equivalent to 1.2mg valium.  The "safe" zone for jumping is a 0.5mg valium equivalent, so I am wittling my way down to that point

 

And, NO -- you probably won't be this sensitive to it that you'd have to do what I do, okay?   Because of the way that I took the drug for the entire 3 years I was on it before tapering, I believe caused a lot more sensitivity to the drug.  You'll be alright, friend

[[Ra...]]

Benzy,

Yes, I'm starting at 2.5mg.

Mrs is helping to guide me with the type of micro water taper that she has had such success with.

Since I am dissolving my regular .625 dose in my 4 bottles of water...it automatically acts as a kind of start up taper.

On 1/15/14 I will start reducing daily by 1mL.  I am hoping to avoid extreme SX's like I had when trying to dry cut.

I should be finished in the year 2020...BaHaHaHa

 

FB

 

FB, that was me asking the question about your taper    So you put your full 2.5 mg in your water.  Is that 100ml of water?  So if my math is right, that means you have .025mg per ml, is that right?  So is the idea that every day you reduce by an additional 1ml?  So on day 2, you will have removed 2ml?  I'm terrible with math, so please correct me if I'm wrong.  Thank you!

 

Oh sorry Rabbit11,

My Bad

I am terrible at math as well, and I am so thankful that Mrs is helping me.

I have 4 100mL of water.  And, for the next 14-days I am dissolving .625 in each bottle which equals my 2.5mg per day.

I'm taking 4 equal doses.  So, it's 4 bottles w/100mL water for a total of 400mL of water.

And, yes when I actually start removing a dose...It will be 1mL per day.  First day 9a.m. 1mL / Second day 9a.m. 1 mL, 1p.m. 1mL, Third day 9, 1, 5, 1mL and so on.  Mrs says I keep doing this until I start to feel SX's and than I hold.

I don't know the rest of the particular's as we are taking this in steps and I/we have not gotten that far.

Are you thinking about water taper?  I tried dry cutting and that along with unexpected extra stress due to family situation I had to reinstate, and my dose went up.  I'm not happy about that; however, with the help I'm getting here...I am going at it in an entirely different way.

FB

 

Hi FB, I've been thinking about it, but not sure if it will work with my working schedule.  If my math is correct, you'll be removing .025mg per day.  If you did that 14 times (14 days), that's a total removal of .35mg, after the 14 days, is that right?  That's 14% of the total 2.5mg, is that right? That seems like a lot.  I must be misunderstanding something somewhere?

[[Tr...]]

Happy birthday Carita! I also turned 59 post jump and feel like it's a great time in my life.

 

Like you, I've experienced a wonderful period of healing and a rediscovery of self and how wonderful life is. I'm still somewhat shocked at how blunted my my senses an emotions became over the last decade.

[[Be...]]

I need to make this my motto:

 

Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you

are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?

 

Ya know Benzy,

I just re-read this, and I had a light bulb moment.  It makes sense now.  This is something I have needed to work on for a VERY LONG TIME!!!!  I have been miserable for so long, it has become my norm.

 

I guess instead of continuing to listen to the voice in my head telling me daily how angry/miserable/bitter/& unhappy I am...I need to start with lots of self talk!

 

Thanks for sharing!

FB

 

ya its a brain twistr, but its a good quote for withdrawals,,

dont listen to your learned awfulizing thoughts, but replace them by telling them what and how its gonna be....facts...

[[ba...]]

Happy birthday Carita! I also turned 59 post jump and feel like it's a great time in my life.

 

Like you, I've experienced a wonderful period of healing and a rediscovery of self and how wonderful life is. I'm still somewhat shocked at how blunted my my senses an emotions became over the last decade.

 

TS

 

No kidding!  Even in the midst of a horrible taper and withdrawal, my brain is awakening here and there.  I'm amazed at how stunted my intelligence had become for NINE YEARS!  I still have great difficulty writing and speaking, but I know these problems will eventually end.  Thank you for coming back.  As you know, I'm having a tough time.  But those who had relatively successful tapers need to encourage the newbies. 

 

[[Fl...]]

Benzy,

Yes, I'm starting at 2.5mg.

Mrs is helping to guide me with the type of micro water taper that she has had such success with.

Since I am dissolving my regular .625 dose in my 4 bottles of water...it automatically acts as a kind of start up taper.

On 1/15/14 I will start reducing daily by 1mL.  I am hoping to avoid extreme SX's like I had when trying to dry cut.

I should be finished in the year 2020...BaHaHaHa

 

FB

 

FB, that was me asking the question about your taper    So you put your full 2.5 mg in your water.  Is that 100ml of water?  So if my math is right, that means you have .025mg per ml, is that right?  So is the idea that every day you reduce by an additional 1ml?  So on day 2, you will have removed 2ml?  I'm terrible with math, so please correct me if I'm wrong.  Thank you!

 

Oh sorry Rabbit11,

My Bad

I am terrible at math as well, and I am so thankful that Mrs is helping me.

I have 4 100mL of water.  And, for the next 14-days I am dissolving .625 in each bottle which equals my 2.5mg per day.

I'm taking 4 equal doses.  So, it's 4 bottles w/100mL water for a total of 400mL of water.

And, yes when I actually start removing a dose...It will be 1mL per day.  First day 9a.m. 1mL / Second day 9a.m. 1 mL, 1p.m. 1mL, Third day 9, 1, 5, 1mL and so on.  Mrs says I keep doing this until I start to feel SX's and than I hold.

I don't know the rest of the particular's as we are taking this in steps and I/we have not gotten that far.

Are you thinking about water taper?  I tried dry cutting and that along with unexpected extra stress due to family situation I had to reinstate, and my dose went up.  I'm not happy about that; however, with the help I'm getting here...I am going at it in an entirely different way.

FB

 

Hi FB, I've been thinking about it, but not sure if it will work with my working schedule.  If my math is correct, you'll be removing .025mg per day.  If you did that 14 times (14 days), that's a total removal of .35mg, after the 14 days, is that right?  That's 14% of the total 2.5mg, is that right? That seems like a lot.  I must be misunderstanding something somewhere?

 

R11,

The math makes NO SENSE to me either. I will ask Mrs to explain it to you.  I don't think I am cutting 14% cause if I am...well, that is to high. And, I've decided to go at a snails pace.  I'm not going to rush this at all.  doesn't matter how long it takes as long as I reach my goal in the end which is to be Benzo free.

FB

[[Ra...]]

FB, it could be my math is off, I'm terrible at it.  Hugs

[[mr...]]

Benzy,

Yes, I'm starting at 2.5mg.

Mrs is helping to guide me with the type of micro water taper that she has had such success with.

Since I am dissolving my regular .625 dose in my 4 bottles of water...it automatically acts as a kind of start up taper.

On 1/15/14 I will start reducing daily by 1mL.  I am hoping to avoid extreme SX's like I had when trying to dry cut.

I should be finished in the year 2020...BaHaHaHa

 

FB

 

FB, that was me asking the question about your taper    So you put your full 2.5 mg in your water.  Is that 100ml of water?  So if my math is right, that means you have .025mg per ml, is that right?  So is the idea that every day you reduce by an additional 1ml?  So on day 2, you will have removed 2ml?  I'm terrible with math, so please correct me if I'm wrong.  Thank you!

 

Oh sorry Rabbit11,

My Bad

I am terrible at math as well, and I am so thankful that Mrs is helping me.

I have 4 100mL of water.  And, for the next 14-days I am dissolving .625 in each bottle which equals my 2.5mg per day.

I'm taking 4 equal doses.  So, it's 4 bottles w/100mL water for a total of 400mL of water.

And, yes when I actually start removing a dose...It will be 1mL per day.  First day 9a.m. 1mL / Second day 9a.m. 1 mL, 1p.m. 1mL, Third day 9, 1, 5, 1mL and so on.  Mrs says I keep doing this until I start to feel SX's and than I hold.

I don't know the rest of the particular's as we are taking this in steps and I/we have not gotten that far.

Are you thinking about water taper?  I tried dry cutting and that along with unexpected extra stress due to family situation I had to reinstate, and my dose went up.  I'm not happy about that; however, with the help I'm getting here...I am going at it in an entirely different way.

FB

 

Hi FB, I've been thinking about it, but not sure if it will work with my working schedule.  If my math is correct, you'll be removing .025mg per day.  If you did that 14 times (14 days), that's a total removal of .35mg, after the 14 days, is that right?  That's 14% of the total 2.5mg, is that right? That seems like a lot.  I must be misunderstanding something somewhere?

 

R11,

The math makes NO SENSE to me either. I will ask Mrs to explain it to you.  I don't think I am cutting 14% cause if I am...well, that is to high. And, I've decided to go at a snails pace.  I'm not going to rush this at all.  doesn't matter how long it takes as long as I reach my goal in the end which is to be Benzo free.

FB

 

Alrighty R11 and FB...

 

FB has four doses per day, each are 0.625mg:

    0.625mg x 4 = 2.5mg / day.

 

She is currently dissolving each dose into 100mL of water, equalling four different containers of 100mL water/drug solution:

  100mL x 4 = 400mL / day.

 

When she begins tapering, she will remove 1mL per day.  This is 1/100 of 0.625mg, or 0.00625mg, per day:

  1mL reduction = 1/100 of 0.625mg = 0.00625mg / day.

 

Her total dosage per day is 2.5mg currently, so 0.00625mg cut per day out of 2.5mg is 0.25% per day:

  0.00625mg / 2.5mg = 0.25% per day cut.

 

So therefore, withdrawing 1mL per day (cumulatively), over the course of 14 days, will equal out to a 3.5% cut:

  0.25% x 14 days = 3.5% cut

 

So a 28-day cut (14 days x 2) would be equivalent to a 7% cut:

  0.25% x 28 = 7.0% cut

 

Does this make sense?

 

The recommended cut "allowance" is 5-10% every 10 - 14 days.  So you see, FB is well within a safe, slow, manageable pace for cutting by removing only 1mL per day.

 

Hope that helps!  My apologies if the math is a little to follow!!

[[Ch...]]

Hi Eveyone....thinking about this process today and amazed at how strong and resilient we are in the face of adversity. This has been the most difficult two years of my long life.

Today marks 7 months off Xanax and my 59 th birthday. I am sitting in my favorite place in the world...a little town on the Oregon coast...drinking tea and watching a rain storm. I wonder what this new year will bring?

I see signs of healing...inklings of creativity, desire, appetite and better sleep. I've put on the pounds I lost and I am walking more with less pain. I laughed out loud watching a favorite movie( Birdcage) last night. I am beginning to like the feeling of yoga and deep stretching again as my tendons and muscles loose their hyper tension. I see changes...real ones and I am eager for more.

This is today...who knows what tomorrow ( or this afternoon) will bring. But right now, this minute I am hopeful.

I have great compassion for all of us in this situation. It is unbelievable. Knowing you understand has seen me through some very dark days. Thank you....I see you all as life lines....near and far. I am grateful.

My love and support to you all. We are healing one cell at a time. One day we will celebrate full wellness.

Carita

 

Oh Carita… happy, happy birthday!  I'm not far from you in Northern California and can picture you at the restaurant on the coast…what a perfect birthday spot.  I am so happy to read about the positive signs you're seeing…creativity and better sleep, yay!!

Love,

Challis 

[[Ra...]]

Thanks Mrs, I was calculating from the entire 2.5mg rather than from just one of the daily doses.  At least that's what I thought I was doing.  That makes more sense now.  I'm so thick sometimes.

[[ba...]]

Hi Eveyone....thinking about this process today and amazed at how strong and resilient we are in the face of adversity. This has been the most difficult two years of my long life.

Today marks 7 months off Xanax and my 59 th birthday. I am sitting in my favorite place in the world...a little town on the Oregon coast...drinking tea and watching a rain storm. I wonder what this new year will bring?

I see signs of healing...inklings of creativity, desire, appetite and better sleep. I've put on the pounds I lost and I am walking more with less pain. I laughed out loud watching a favorite movie( Birdcage) last night. I am beginning to like the feeling of yoga and deep stretching again as my tendons and muscles loose their hyper tension. I see changes...real ones and I am eager for more.

This is today...who knows what tomorrow ( or this afternoon) will bring. But right now, this minute I am hopeful.

I have great compassion for all of us in this situation. It is unbelievable. Knowing you understand has seen me through some very dark days. Thank you....I see you all as life lines....near and far. I am grateful.

My love and support to you all. We are healing one cell at a time. One day we will celebrate full wellness.

Carita

 

Oh Carita… happy, happy birthday!  I'm not far from you in Northern California and can picture you at the restaurant on the coast…what a perfect birthday spot.  I am so happy to read about the positive signs you're seeing…creativity and better sleep, yay!!

Love,

Challis 

 

Challis,

 

I used to live in Sausalito, CA in the early eighties.  My husband and I were dirt poor but we managed to rent a bedroom on a houseboat.  OMG.  The fun times we had in Marin County.  What a glorious place to live!  I will always consider Marin as my one true home.  If I ever win the lottery, N CA will be my place of residence!

 

[[Ch...]]

Baby… I grew up in the Bay Area! 

[[Be...]]

JerryK, I tapered almost a full year, it got easier with each cut, maybe yours will too, lots of people say this,,, then some dont of course..

I got more bored and bothered by it all more than anything, cause I knew not to go any faster..

but it got better and better as time went by... not much difference in taking drugs or tapering drugs I figure...so as long as I was feeling better I guess it was OK...

ya just gotta accept this is where you are, then do the best you can...

[[ba...]]

Lucky you!  I can't wait to return to Fisherman's Wharf and hook up with a few old friends eating crab and freshly baked sourdough bread while watching the tourists throw scraps into the bay to sea lions and seagulls.      I love long sentences.

 

 

[[Fl...]]

Thanks Mrs, I was calculating from the entire 2.5mg rather than from just one of the daily doses.  At least that's what I thought I was doing.  That makes more sense now.  I'm so thick sometimes.

 

R11,

You see why Mrs is my Guru   I love her to pieces.  She has been amazingly helpful.  There is NO way I would be able to figure all this out.

FB

[[Ra...]]

Thanks Mrs, I was calculating from the entire 2.5mg rather than from just one of the daily doses.  At least that's what I thought I was doing.  That makes more sense now.  I'm so thick sometimes.

 

R11,

You see why Mrs is my Guru   I love her to pieces.  She has been amazingly helpful.  There is NO way I would be able to figure all this out.

FB

 

I'm right there with ya sista!

[[ba...]]

Mrs is an amazingly positive influence in this thread!  When I am too sick to reply, she encourages me with gentle uplifting messages.  You go girl!