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

[[Je...]]

yep, it's pretty weird...

[[Je...]]

 

Just wanted to comment on this.  I was having tolerance withdrawal really bad when I started.

It did not matter how much xanax I took, 3 hours later my body wanted more and was telling me

in no uncertain terms.  I would have liked to start from an anxiety free zone, but Xanax turned on

me.  I bought a milligram scale and that is how I plan to dry cut my way off.  Hope it gets easier.

 

Im OCD really bad, I knew anything extra, other than just dry cutting directly from my current drug (xanax) would had just added a huge problem to my mix.... Ive done just fine dry cutting, with the .25's I could cut plenty small enough to go slow enough to have a easy taper.....

 

just remember when reading on here, the majority of the people having bigger problems, made a booboo of some kind here and there, usually cutting too much too fast in the beginning...

its easy to cut that way in the beginning becuase you still have so much drug youre still taking, but it seems it always catches those people in the end, from what Ive read...

 

the ones that start slow and easy and stay that way seem to have a much easier time, from what Ive seen...

 

keep this in mind while reading on here... also always look at their sig lines, as they will tell/show you where they feel they might had made a mistake....

 

go slow and steady, write your own story...

[[mr...]]

My symptoms move around during the day.  cognitive for a while.    Then my hands and feet will get cold.  Later my throat might feel constricted.  Then i'll feel short of breath.

 

I thought my hands were turning blue, I showed them to my wife in a panic and her's were much bluer than mine

 

but my point is how much the symptoms move around.  it's exhausting trying to think of what will come up next...

 

LOL, I've done the EXACT SAME THING! (Cold hands/ feet, thinking they're blue, showing spouse, his are more "blue" than mine)

 

Made me giggle, JerryK 

[[...]]

Remeron +Xanax is an awful combo, I'm a zombie because of this horrid Remeron. Stopping it and gonna ask the psych for alternates. I did pay an awful lot for Remeron, no generics yet.

[[...]]

God this taper thing is so difficult. I'm now trying to spread the 3 mg Xanax I take everyday in 2 doses to 4 even doses through the day and let the brain get adjusted to this schedule. Then I plan on beginning the taper. Already ended up taking 5.5 mg yesterday due to uneven dosing. I feel SO awful and hate myself. Ever since I started tapering, my brain is asking for more and more Xanax. I find myself taking the darn thing every 3-4 hours or so now.

 

One size certainly doesn't fit all!!

[[Fl...]]

God this taper thing is so difficult. I'm now trying to spread the 3 mg Xanax I take everyday in 2 doses to 4 even doses through the day and let the brain get adjusted to this schedule. Then I plan on beginning the taper. Already ended up taking 5.5 mg yesterday due to uneven dosing. I feel SO awful and hate myself.

 

One size certainly doesn't fit all!!

 

Assh,

I am really sorry that you are feeling so awful!

I am on 2.5mg of xan per day, and I now dose equally 4  times per day.  I am on day 3 of my taper.

Please don't hate yourself...that is your frustration and the drug talking.  I went through similar feelings before I leveled out.

Keep posting, and come here when ever you need to and there will always be someone to talk to.

Feel better!

Warm Comforting Hugs  :hug:

FluterByee

[[...]]

God this taper thing is so difficult. I'm now trying to spread the 3 mg Xanax I take everyday in 2 doses to 4 even doses through the day and let the brain get adjusted to this schedule. Then I plan on beginning the taper. Already ended up taking 5.5 mg yesterday due to uneven dosing. I feel SO awful and hate myself.

 

One size certainly doesn't fit all!!

 

Assh,

I am really sorry that you are feeling so awful!

I am on 2.5mg of xan per day, and I now dose equally 4  times per day.  I am on day 3 of my taper.

Please don't hate yourself...that is your frustration and the drug talking.  I went through similar feelings before I leveled out.

Keep posting, and come here when ever you need to and there will always be someone to talk to.

Feel better!

Warm Comforting Hugs  :hug:

FluterByee

 

Can't thank you and the community enough for the immense support. I'm pretty sure I'll level out at 2.75 mg real soon. The spikes in dosage are temporary, acc. psych. He also says low doses of Remeron (7.5 mg to begin with) causes miserable sedation, and will also level out when I reach the target dose of 15 mg. I'm planning a spiritual pilgrimage to some lonely monastery on the upper Cali/ Ore coast where I'll be forced to c/t  :-( I *really* need to quit Xanax to discover the real me and to make up for all the lost years.

[[ma...]]

Ok so as of this Wednesday I have been taking the same dose at the same time for 2 weeks which is 0.75 a day. 0.5 mg in the am and then .25 at noon and I have felt great no nervousness at all,so if I want to start to taper off this what is the best way to do this? I believe i had seen to do .25 every 2 weeks maybe.I do not even want to start the Celexa i have NO depression and as some of you say I believe the xanax is making me more nervous. If i stop the xanax how long will it be before I know it was the xanax or if there is some other problem that I would need a SSRI for? Thank you guys for your help have a great day 

[[Be...]]

Where did you see on here to cut .25 at a time?

 

[[...]]

I just learnt that Remeron is a "tricyclic" anti-depressant and not an SSRI. Prolly that's why they do not know much about the drug. I got free samples of 7.5 mg Remeron but paid for the 15 mg dose (non-generic).

 

I discovered this- http://www.realnatural.org/ancient-ayurveda-beats-clonazepam-in-clinical-trial-for-anxiety-disorder/ - while browsing the internet for alternative therapies for depression/ anxiety. Not sure if it's all quackery, or really works.

 

Right now, it's "We shall overcome... some day.." for me. I *will* defeat Xanax.

[[VC...]]

I just learnt that Remeron is a "tricyclic" anti-depressant and not an SSRI. Prolly that's why they do not know much about the drug. I got free samples of 7.5 mg Remeron but paid for the 15 mg dose (non-generic).

 

I discovered this- http://www.realnatural.org/ancient-ayurveda-beats-clonazepam-in-clinical-trial-for-anxiety-disorder/ - while browsing the internet for alternative therapies for depression/ anxiety. Not sure if it's all quackery, or really works.

 

Right now, it's "We shall overcome... some day.." for me. I *will* defeat Xanax.

 

I took that Remeron once many years ago for just a month - never again. But tricyclics are the older drugs, I thought...I can't take them at all. Hang in there, Ashh, you're gonna gain a lot by losing xanax, one day at a time. You *will* defeat Xanax! 

[[Ju...]]

Ok so as of this Wednesday I have been taking the same dose at the same time for 2 weeks which is 0.75 a day. 0.5 mg in the am and then .25 at noon and I have felt great no nervousness at all,so if I want to start to taper off this what is the best way to do this? I believe i had seen to do .25 every 2 weeks maybe.I do not even want to start the Celexa i have NO depression and as some of you say I believe the xanax is making me more nervous. If i stop the xanax how long will it be before I know it was the xanax or if there is some other problem that I would need a SSRI for? Thank you guys for your help have a great day 

I don't believe anyone on this thread would advise reducing one's Xanax by .25mg when a person is only on .75mg per day.  You probably saw reduce the medicine by a QUARTER of a .25mg.  To get a quarter of a .25 you would divide a .25 Xanax, (white pill), into 4 pieces.

 

Since you feel better after spacing your Xanax out, there is a good chance that it was the Xanax that was contributing to your nervousness.  That seems only logical to me.  You'll just need to play it by ear as far as how you will know that Xanax was causing part of your problems.  It takes a good while to get back to normal after a Xanax taper and we're all different as to how long this takes.

 

 

[[Re...]]

http://www.someecards.com/encouragement-cards/friends-relationship-medication-conversation-funny-ecard

[[Be...]]

this is a tough buncha newbies 

[[VC...]]

this is a tough buncha newbies 

 

I sure didn't feel too tough this morning when I woke up, Benzy. Had a morning meltdown, forced myself to eat an omelette (gag), then only gradually felt better by noon. But we gotta hang together on this road to freedom!

[[VC...]]

http://www.someecards.com/encouragement-cards/friends-relationship-medication-conversation-funny-ecard

 

ain't THAT the truth!  Thanks, Rebel Maven.

[[mr...]]

God this taper thing is so difficult. I'm now trying to spread the 3 mg Xanax I take everyday in 2 doses to 4 even doses through the day and let the brain get adjusted to this schedule. Then I plan on beginning the taper. Already ended up taking 5.5 mg yesterday due to uneven dosing. I feel SO awful and hate myself.

 

One size certainly doesn't fit all!!

 

Assh,

I am really sorry that you are feeling so awful!

I am on 2.5mg of xan per day, and I now dose equally 4  times per day.  I am on day 3 of my taper.

Please don't hate yourself...that is your frustration and the drug talking.  I went through similar feelings before I leveled out.

Keep posting, and come here when ever you need to and there will always be someone to talk to.

Feel better!

Warm Comforting Hugs  :hug:

FluterByee

 

Can't thank you and the community enough for the immense support. I'm pretty sure I'll level out at 2.75 mg real soon. The spikes in dosage are temporary, acc. psych. He also says low doses of Remeron (7.5 mg to begin with) causes miserable sedation, and will also level out when I reach the target dose of 15 mg. I'm planning a spiritual pilgrimage to some lonely monastery on the upper Cali/ Ore coast where I'll be forced to c/t  :-( I *really* need to quit Xanax to discover the real me and to make up for all the lost years.

 

Hi ashh,

 

I might mention to keep in mind that this is more like a marathon, and not a sprint.  This will most likely not be a short-term or couple-month process for you ashh, considering the way your body has been reacting to your cuts.  Since you started at 3mg, cutting this first cut at 0.25mg is only an 8.33% cut and still considered "safe", but that does not mean that it will necessarily work for everyone.  You may need to move slower -- I was one that needed to move slower than what the Ashton Manual said.  But it has afforded me the luxury of being able to maintain my fulltime work and remain (mostly) functional throughout my entire taper. 

 

So many think that if they "just get off the meds", that it'll solve their problems sooner.  This is just my opinion of course, but I could not disagree more.  I've seen one person after another do a rapid taper or a cold turkey, and then suffer the consequences for 1-2-3+ years after the fact.  True, I've been tapering small amounts over the past 14 months, and still have a few months to go before being med-free.  BUT--I've never suffered from the severe and (IMO) horrifying acute withdrawals, didn't have to quit my job and my life for over a year, etc, in order to get off my benzo.  Symptoms have been tough sometimes for me, no doubt, but most of the time they are 100% tolerable and I am able to carry on a normal, enjoyable life.  True, between my taper and the remainder of the time it'll take me to heal once I'm med-free will probably reach across the course of 2-3 years.  But for me, it'd be this OR--I could've rapid tapered or cold-turkied and had my withdrawals last -- you guessed it -- 2-3 years.  The timeframe is, IMO, about the same...it's just waaaaay less suffering and degradation to do the taper slowly and in a timeframe that will allow my body to heal.

 

Again, this is my particular story and situation, and all my opinion only, ashh.  I wanted to share my story and my thought process behind my tapering choices and timeframe in case it might help you decide something for yours.  Hope this has been helpful to you, friend   Whatever you decide for you is a-okay with me   No judgments, friend -- it's your body, and your life We'll be here to offer support in the best ways we can

 

Take care for now,

 

Mrs.

[[ma...]]

Your right it was not on here it was on another site ugh sorry. I only have the 0.5 mg pills and I want to start to try to taper next Wednesday so I am going to try to get a plan together before then. I am going back to work in March so I am hoping that will help some with all this. Thank you all for helping me out and getting my numbers straight so confusing when you have never taken any medication except a antibiotic here and there. thanks again

 

[[la...]]

Bleh, I have a catch 22 situation.

 

Smoking cigarettes really seems to rev up my symptoms.  I literally dread having my first cigarette in the morning because I know that I'm going to be feeling a bunch of anxiety afterwards.  However, I don't think I can deal with quitting smoking on top of quitting benzos. 

 

 

 

The withdrawal seems to really be coming in waves.  I was relatively ok-ish last night for a bit, then all of a sudden had anxiety.  Woke up this morning and was fine for a bit, but then anxiety kicked in again, so I took my morning xanax dose and just went back to bed to try and sleep through it.  By the time I woke up I was feeling less anxiety again.  Bleh.  Next dose reduction is tommorow.

[[mr...]]

Bleh, I have a catch 22 situation.

 

Smoking cigarettes really seems to rev up my symptoms.  I literally dread having my first cigarette in the morning because I know that I'm going to be feeling a bunch of anxiety afterwards.  However, I don't think I can deal with quitting smoking on top of quitting benzos. 

 

 

 

The withdrawal seems to really be coming in waves.  I was relatively ok-ish last night for a bit, then all of a sudden had anxiety.  Woke up this morning and was fine for a bit, but then anxiety kicked in again, so I took my morning xanax dose and just went back to bed to try and sleep through it.  By the time I woke up I was feeling less anxiety again.  Bleh.  Next dose reduction is tommorow.

 

Just remember to keep things at a pace your body can handle. If your gut instinct says you're not ready to cut again, then perhaps hold for a little while longer. I believe there's no shame in going at a pace you can handle

 

I don't smoke myself, but have read on multiple other spots on here that many use the electronic cigarettes while in withdrawal. I don't remember what they're called, but if you inquired around about them, I'm sure someone would know They might be worth a try!

 

Hang in there Hope you feel better soon!! You're doing great thus far

 

Mrs.

[[Ra...]]

Mrs, can you point me to a thread or response where you detail how you dissolve your Xanax and your procedures?  I know you've already done it a million times and I don't want you to have to do it again, but I'm in the process of trying to make some decisions and I know you've been successful, so need to know the details.  For instance, I had heard that Xanax doesn't dissolve well in water.  Do you use vodka?  Someone does, but I can't remember who now.  Thank you! 

[[la...]]

Bleh, I have a catch 22 situation.

 

Smoking cigarettes really seems to rev up my symptoms.  I literally dread having my first cigarette in the morning because I know that I'm going to be feeling a bunch of anxiety afterwards.  However, I don't think I can deal with quitting smoking on top of quitting benzos. 

 

 

 

The withdrawal seems to really be coming in waves.  I was relatively ok-ish last night for a bit, then all of a sudden had anxiety.  Woke up this morning and was fine for a bit, but then anxiety kicked in again, so I took my morning xanax dose and just went back to bed to try and sleep through it.  By the time I woke up I was feeling less anxiety again.  Bleh.  Next dose reduction is tommorow.

 

Just remember to keep things at a pace your body can handle. If your gut instinct says you're not ready to cut again, then perhaps hold for a little while longer. I believe there's no shame in going at a pace you can handle

 

I don't smoke myself, but have read on multiple other spots on here that many use the electronic cigarettes while in withdrawal. I don't remember what they're called, but if you inquired around about them, I'm sure someone would know They might be worth a try!

 

Hang in there Hope you feel better soon!! You're doing great thus far

 

Mrs.

 

Thank you very much Mrs!!

 

Unfortunately, those e-cigarettes in Canada, don't have nicotine in them.  So, you might as well chew gum or something.  I suppose I could always get them online, and I'll look into it.

 

I'm not sure that going slower would really help.  When people say to 'stabalize' at a dose, that doesn't mean to be completely anxiety free at all times right?  Like you are still going to feel crappy at times regardless?  I feel like I'm going to be stuck with atleast some bad feelings the whole way down, and just have to trudge forwards. 

 

I have a good idea of where I stand now though after my first reduction.  So, that will give me an idea of when to do my reduction next time.  Might have to wait a little longer on that one.  Generally speaking though I don't feel any worse now than I did before begining to taper I don't think. 

[[mr...]]

Mrs, can you point me to a thread or response where you detail how you dissolve your Xanax and your procedures?  I know you've already done it a million times and I don't want you to have to do it again, but I'm in the process of trying to make some decisions and I know you've been successful, so need to know the details.  For instance, I had heard that Xanax doesn't dissolve well in water.  Do you use vodka?  Someone does, but I can't remember who now.  Thank you!

 

Hi Rabbit,

 

There is a lengthy post I'd made a while back on the how and what I do personally, found here: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=79163.msg1049215#msg1049215  It may help you get started.

 

You currently dose 1mg at noon, and 2mg at 8:30pm.  I am assuming your larger dose in the evening is to help you sleep, correct?  If insomnia was/is a problem or a concern, it is good to keep your dose in the PM larger than the AM, I believe.  I have not done this myself, but I've never had issues with sleeping.  The taperers that have had issues with sleep have done exactly what you have, in keeping that dose bigger.

 

If you have interdose issues, I would suggest reducing your dosages evenly along your taper, rather than eliminating one before the other.  Interdose was an issue for me, so I've reduced my four doses evenly along my entire taper, in order to keep dosing four different times per day.

 

Using water has never been an issue for me.  No, I do not use vodka.  You will read in my post, above, but so long as you mix well your solution of xanax in your water, and remove your dose immediately after mixing, you will be fine.  If you let it sit for a while, it will begin to settle out and to the bottom.  No big deal, so long as you mix well.

 

Since you dose 1mg at noon, and 2mg at 8:30pm, I would suggest using 2x the amount of water with your PM dose as you do with your AM dose.  This will make math easier in figuring out how much you are reducing with each mL of water you remove.  For instance, if you choose to use 100mL of water for your noon dose, I would suggest using 200mL of water for your 8:30pm dose.

 

I would also suggest to use a little larger water solution overall.  This may be a little annoying in the beginning, because you may choose to remove 2-3-4-5mL per day for reductions, but it will be nice towards the tail end of your taper, if you need to slow things down significantly due to symptoms.  A larger water solution means more dilution of your xanax dose, and the ability to have smaller reductions, if needed.  Again, you might not find this important right now, but you don't know if you'll need it until it's too late   So it's good to plan for it in the beginning, I believe. 

 

Last mention, I would not suggest carrying over any solutions longer than 24 hours from when you mixed it.  Xanax does lose its potency, so it is good to mix fresh on a daily basis.  I mix fresh every morning, since cortisol levels are highest at this time and I want to be sure I have the freshest dose in the AM to combat this.  It's a tiny little thing, LOL, but if you are sensitive to the drug, it might not be a bad idea

 

Hope this helps you get a head start, friend   Let me know if I can help in any other ways!

 

Mrs.

[[mr...]]

Thank you very much Mrs!!

 

Unfortunately, those e-cigarettes in Canada, don't have nicotine in them.  So, you might as well chew gum or something.  I suppose I could always get them online, and I'll look into it.

 

I'm not sure that going slower would really help.  When people say to 'stabalize' at a dose, that doesn't mean to be completely anxiety free at all times right?  Like you are still going to feel crappy at times regardless?  I feel like I'm going to be stuck with atleast some bad feelings the whole way down, and just have to trudge forwards. 

 

I have a good idea of where I stand now though after my first reduction.  So, that will give me an idea of when to do my reduction next time.  Might have to wait a little longer on that one.  Generally speaking though I don't feel any worse now than I did before begining to taper I don't think.

 

Hi Lacey,

 

That's a bummer about the e-cigs for you.  But you're right; perhaps you can order them online where they do have nicotine in them, to help bridge the gap for now

 

I only mention making sure to move at a pace that works for you, because I noticed you reduced on January 12th, and it's only January 18th -- six days later.  The standard reduction is no larger than 5-10% cuts, every 10-14 days.  You're barely half way to this timeframe, and you mentioned reducing again tomorrow. 

 

Yes, it will hurt along the way to some degree, of course...but if you reduce too much too quickly, it's the type of thing that accumulates over time and then WHAMMY -- you're hit hard, and not much you can do to get back to your previous baseline except wait the weeks-to-months it takes for your body to heal.  You might "get away with it" for the first 2-3 cuts or so...but it wouldn't be long before trouble came.  The reason for my mention is gauging how you handled your first attempted cut.  If you were one of those persons who could handle a little faster taper, that cut probably wouldn't have affected you as it did, you know? 

 

All just my opinion, of course, and based off of my experiences and observations.  And my apologies if I seem repetitive in advice, friend -- I just care about you and don't want you to find yourself in a spot you'll regret   I hope things continue to go well for you! 

 

Take care for now,

 

Mrs.

[[Ra...]]

Hi Mrs,

 

How long does the pill need to sit in the water before you can shake and extract your dose?

 

Thanks.

 

-Ray