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

[[Ra...]]

What is the difference between tolerance and w/d sxs? 

[[Be...]]

Kantu, I guess you can hold as long as you want to, as long as it doesnt start causing problems and making you feel bad.....it could lead to tolerance of some type maybe, but as long as youre doing/feeling OK, I guess its OK

 

Ashton says to stay steady at around 2 to 3 weeks holding, mainly because her main objective is continuing the taper to zero, I feel.....and extended holds just add more time to that... so....

[[Be...]]

tolerance is when the drug is no longer working for you, and starts kinda working against you.. you have withdrawals because of that, and its pretty continuous once it starts...

 

withdrawal sxs are just what it says, you have withdrawals,,, because youre withdrawing its caused by your tapering a drug youre dependant on...

[[Be...]]

ps, in tolerance youre still taking your "dose" of drugs... but it dont help ya like it used too...

[[mr...]]

What is the difference between tolerance and w/d sxs?

 

It's probably different for everyone, LOL

 

I feel sorta "benzo-flu" like (achey, tired, cloudy-headed, etc) and my other symptoms become a bit unpredictable on me when I've reached tolerance.

 

I feel a whole different set of symptoms, and a consistent and more predictable pattern, when I am tapering and withdrawing.  It's weird, I know   I don't really know how to explain it other than this; my apologies for the confusion!

 

Mrs.

[[mr...]]

Thanks babyrex 

 

I am stabilizing more and more every day, and getting ready to start cutting again soon here.  Onward and upward!

 

Mrs.

[[Be...]]

downward you mean,,, onward and downward...

[[ba...]]

Thanks babyrex 

 

I am stabilizing more and more every day, and getting ready to start cutting again soon here.  Onward and upward!

 

Mrs.

 

You go girl! 

[[mr...]]

downward you mean,,, onward and downward...

 

...or upward then downward then upward then...

 

What have you done to Mrs?  I used to be so well-behaved...

 

Better move this to the "Let's Chat" thread, eh buddy? 

 

Race you over there...

[[Tr...]]

Just out of curiosity.

 

For people out there that took Xanax at night to sleep.  Did you notice that you never had dreams while taking Xanax?

 

I've noticed since tapering the Xanax I've atually been having some dreams for the first time in a while.

Yep, that was me.

 

While I did have some dreams I recalled over the last ten plus years while taking Xanax, today I remember almost all of my dreams upon awaking. I like it! For the first thirty or more days post jump many dreams were what I'd label as disturbing. Not nightmares, just unpleasant. Thankfully those have all but disappeared being replaced by what I'd describe as your typical weird, random dreams. Additionally, most nights I dream in color. It's great!

 

The first two nights of each of my cuts resulted in difficulty going to and staying asleep. From the third night on I was generally good. Insomnia was a huge concern of mine and thankfully it was unfounded. I still have difficulty going to sleep on occasion, but overall the quality of my sleep is much improved over Xanax induced sleep. Now I wake up feeling like I've been drugged when I haven't, and it's a pure, honest, deep sleep.

 

 

[[Be...]]

good idea, we'll get scolded in here and called mentally ill...

[[Ra...]]

What is the difference between tolerance and w/d sxs?

 

It's probably different for everyone, LOL

 

I feel sorta "benzo-flu" like (achey, tired, cloudy-headed, etc) and my other symptoms become a bit unpredictable on me when I've reached tolerance.

 

I feel a whole different set of symptoms, and a consistent and more predictable pattern, when I am tapering and withdrawing.  It's weird, I know   I don't really know how to explain it other than this; my apologies for the confusion!

 

Mrs.

 

Thank you Mrs.  So do you reach tolerance each time before you do a cut?  I would assume so.

[[Be...]]

I had a good day today,, I kept stopping and thinking "wow, I think I feel good"....

the sun helped a lot.... with SAD, the last week of no sun and bad weather had me in a funk....

[[...]]

Thanks, Mrs! Sorry to ruminate so much. But when these pills start crumbling, I start wondering. Hope the sun shines through a 'window' today for us all. 

 

Also please spare a thought for benzo-heads like me who are hooked on to like 3 mg Xanax daily and trying various permutations and combinations to find the ideal taper dosage  :-(    Add to it the Remeron for OCD and I'm a complete train wreck  :-(

 

Hi dear ashh,

 

I would suggest to first start by getting consistent in your dosing.  I'm talking both your dosing schedule (when you take your benzo each day), and your dosing amount(s) (how much you take of your benzo each day, at each time).  Consistency is so key in gaining "stability" in symptoms in this process.  If you dose when you feel symptoms, and don't when you don't, it is very hard for the body to adapt to a stable equilibrium.  It's like picking at a scab all day and then wondering why the wound hasn't begun to heal LOL

 

It is also important to get consistent in the benzo you will be using.  I think it was you that mentioned you may cross over, or try using another benzo intermittently to try and feed the xanax "cravings", is that correct?  A crossover benzo is not to be used "as needed"; crossing over is a process, and needs to be done in a gradual manner.  Using intermittently for symptoms again creates inconsistency, which breeds an unstable environment for your body.  Also picking the scab

 

The decision needs to be made on whether you're going to formally cross-over to another benzo, or if you're going to taper directly from Xanax.  Have you made this decision?  Once you do, we can offer more advice on what and how you can do this -- until then, there really isn't much more advice to offer on taper plans and such   Crossing over most often a good option for those who cannot get stable on Xanax, due to interdose withdrawal. 

 

How are you currently dosing your benzo (what times of day, and how much at each time)?  And, for how long have you been consistently dosing at this?  It is not wise to begin tapering when you have not made a solid decision on the above mentions, IMO.  I'd hate to see you hurting the whole time based on instability, if it could be easily avoided

 

Hope this helps you a little bit!  Once you know which path you will be taking (crossover or direct taper from xanax), we can go from there.  We'll chat soon again, I'm sure!

 

Mrs.

 

Thanks for trying to understand my plight. Really appreciate :-)  I take 1.5 mg Xanax during the day and 1.5 mg during night. Sometimes I pop an mg when I get sudden panic attacks, mostly triggered by wide open spaces, or no reason at all. I try and stay home all day for this reason, but sometimes I'm forced to step out due to stuff at home. I'm now trying to directly taper from Xanax and have cut my night dose by .125 mg.

 

You're spot on, I do plan my dosing when the symptoms start hitting. I now realize it's not such a good idea after all. Please advise when I can start tapering my morning dose as well. I plan on continuing with this nightly dose for the next 10-15 days to tell my body "this is all you're gonna get from now on, so you better get used to it".

[[Be...]]

are you "in" tolerance already Rabbit??

 

you shouldnt reach tolerance between each cut,, if you do, it means youre holding waaaaaaaaaaay too long then...

tolerance is when youve been on a steady dose a long time, more or less, and it quits working for ya... so usually people updose to a bigger dose,,, and continue to updose,, sooner or later nothing works... they say (the experts) that once you reach tolerance you have to deal with it all the way down your taper to zero... its not a good thing...

 

although I was in tolerance, and mine got better and easier with each cut....go figure...

 

when you taper, in general,, you cut, have a few waves of side effects from withdrawal,, level out, then cut again... there isnt any "tolerance" in that.....

 

ps. people often use the wrong words while posting stuff, we all guilty of that....

 

but official "tolerance", you should experience in a taper, unless you already ran into it while on your full dose,, or you hold so long that you develop it while tapering,,,which would mean that your really arent tapering,, but stopped and held too long.....and as a result developed tolerance...

[[VC...]]

 

Just out of curiosity, I read your sig, and it says you did a couple tapers last year.  How quick did you taper those times?

 

Hi lacey - I'd have to go back to my notebook to double check but think it was over 3-4 months the first time. Didn't last - I stayed off about a month, then reached for xanax occasionally for sleep...which kinda made matters worse. Later in the year I tried to get off again, but slipped back to periodic dosing for sleep (not knowing any better). Wish I knew then what I know now. But! Now we have all this wonderful support and guidance, so I'm gonna go a little slower since my CNS is super sensitive. 

[[Be...]]

Oops, last post, last paragraph should read;

 

Official tolerance, you should not feel while tapering

[[Ma...]]

I was hoping the worst was over but I have been hit with a wave that is rather unpleasant.  The ever-present tinnitus is even louder, like I have...ok, my memory totally sucks too right now, I mean badly.  I can't think of the simplest words.  The simplest words. 

 

And, I'm paranoid, irritable, and the insomnia is back, full-blown & the depression is a mammoth one.  I'm exhausted, but have trouble sleeping whenever I hit the bed.  And my sleep doesn't feel really restful.

 

Dang...what is that word I'm looking for....those insects that kind of chirp steadily at night...it sounds like i have those in my ears 24/7.  And I'm dizzy, clumsy and don't want to leave the house (but I do).  My throat is sore and I have flu-like symptoms pretty bad, especially for about three hours after awakening, but then they subside, so it's obviously not the flu.

 

Depersonalization & very ugly, intrusive thoughts, and memories from way back.  It feels like acute all over again.

 

I'm disappointed that at month 5 I've been knocked back down.

[[IG...]]

Hey Mama,

 

Sorry your hurting so much with this wave, please keep reminding yourself these waves are healing us.  Our brains are sorting this stuff out and it hurts but while hurting we are healing.

 

Molly

[[mr...]]

I was just gonna say, Mama!!

 

I read it all the time: steady progress being made, then a major wave hits for a while, and after it lifts you're left with a muuuuch higher baseline than before!

 

Lord knows why it heals with an ebb and flow like this, LOL! But the fact remains: we DO heal

 

Hang in there, sweets -- it is only temporary Just anticipate that sweet new higher baseline, coming soon!! Sending love and prayers over you!

 

Mrs.

[[la...]]

Just out of curiosity.

 

For people out there that took Xanax at night to sleep.  Did you notice that you never had dreams while taking Xanax?

 

I've noticed since tapering the Xanax I've atually been having some dreams for the first time in a while.

Yep, that was me.

 

While I did have some dreams I recalled over the last ten plus years while taking Xanax, today I remember almost all of my dreams upon awaking. I like it! For the first thirty or more days post jump many dreams were what I'd label as disturbing. Not nightmares, just unpleasant. Thankfully those have all but disappeared being replaced by what I'd describe as your typical weird, random dreams. Additionally, most nights I dream in color. It's great!

 

The first two nights of each of my cuts resulted in difficulty going to and staying asleep. From the third night on I was generally good. Insomnia was a huge concern of mine and thankfully it was unfounded. I still have difficulty going to sleep on occasion, but overall the quality of my sleep is much improved over Xanax induced sleep. Now I wake up feeling like I've been drugged when I haven't, and it's a pure, honest, deep sleep.

 

Thanks, it's good to hear someone else was in the same boat as me there.  I've been having a lot more dreams since cutting, and last nights one was unpleasant.  Hopefully they get replaced by better dreams at some point, but it's atleast nice to be dreaming again.

 

 

[[VC...]]

MamaShoshanna, so sorry things feel pretty crappy right now. I was just reading about what happens with our brain in this whole healing process and believe the others are right...but while a wave like this comes through, it just as surely passes, with more healing to boot! You are in my thoughts and prayers today...keep us posted on how you're doing.

 

VCharis

[[...]]

I keep telling myself, '..and this too shall pass'. It hurts real bad, but I tell myself I gotta hang in there and not let Xanax win.

[[Be...]]

thats how ya do it! (and lots of body scan  meditations)

[[VC...]]

That's right, Ashh...every day I have to tell myself that very same thing...hang in there. Benzy told me about the body scan meditations - it's helped. (I just stay away from the ones that ring a bell at the end, because that defeats the whole purpose of sleep for me... ...DING, DING, DING!)