dbh

I've been on a "low dose" of Xanax for the past three years. I was prescribed Xanax because, at the time, I was dealing with a huge amount of stress and was having panic attacks.

At first it felt like a lifesaver. The Xanax helped me focus and got me through an extremely difficult period of my life. I remember thinking, "Is this how 'normal' people feel?"

Well, the events that got me started taking Xanax have long passed, but until recently, I saw no reason to give up this pill that gave me so much peace.

I've been taking .25 mg as needed (I break up a .5 mg pill). I take it mostly at bedtime to help me sleep. I will occasionally take it during the day if I'm feeling anxious. I typically don't take it every day.

A couple weeks ago I stopped taking it regularly. I think I was basically trying to prove to myself that I wasn't addicted and could stop at anytime.

I started getting really anxious and was having a hard time focusing. This went on for a couple of weeks. I found myself eating more and trying to zone out in front of the TV/computer. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was going on. Even made an appointment with my therapist to get her opinion. I started to think that maybe I had ADD!

One night when I was having trouble sleeping and was determined to NOT take a Xanax, I started googling Xanax withdrawals. OMG, I was experiencing Xanax withdrawals and didn't even realize it!!!!

After doing a lot of reading, I've decided to give up Xanax once and for all. I am so grateful to others who have posted about their experiences.

I'm going on a 3 week taper. This week I'm taking .25/night (just to stabilize myself). I'm then going to take .125/night for two weeks. Then I'm stopping for good.

I plan to make an appointment with my doctor just so they know that I'm doing this. Over the pass three years they have never even suggested that I should be thinking about getting off this stuff. One nurse even confessed that she likes to keep Xanax in her purse for emergencies!

Anyway, just wanted to make a public statement about my intent.

Would love to hear stories of others who found themselves addicted to a low dose and how their withdrawal were.

Looking forward to finding alternative ways to cope with life :-)

I'm really curious about how much of my anxiety was due to the Xanax and how much was me. Guess I'll find out in a couple of months.

Thanks for listening and for letting me share.

db

opmloser

Hi there- I can tell you from my chair that getting off of benzo's is difficult but xanax beats the band for w/d's.
I used it to get off of opiates but then I had to do a very very slow taper off the xanax (pretty much the dosages you laid out in your post).
I had used xanax several years ago in heavy doses and found myself addicted within the space of about 2 months, ended up in a rehab, and experienced seizures. I was given ativan, thorazine, name it. For the few 2-3 days, my head hit the floor more than my feet did.
I'm not trying to scare you, pls don't think that. It really is a dangerous drug to come off of by yourself; if you've got a doctor, then by all means, please let him/her know what's going on.

dbh

Thank you for the response.

After reading a little more about what others are going through, I feel foolish complaining about withdrawals from such a small amount of Xanax. I would have deleted my post if I could figure out how.

Guess I sort of knew what I was getting myself into. However, even though I knew that Xanax was highly addictive I thought I was "safe" because I never increased my amount and I was taking such a small amount. Not one doctor or nurse ever warned me to be careful or think about getting off this stuff, they simply kept renewing my prescription every 6 months.

One of the aspects that I liked about Xanax was the short half-life. I could take it at night to help me sleep and feel alert in the morning. Didn't think about how anxiety experienced in the afternoon could be related to Xanax withdrawal. Just never put two and two together.

At least now I feel more prepared to handle the withdrawal symptoms when they happen.

The only way out is through!

Thanks again.

db

FT

Hey-- Don't feel foolish about your post! You have no idea how much a post like yours helps other people who come on here to read and never post for the same reason you almost didn't, and then wanted to take it off!

It is truly amazing how somebody can get withdrawals from low doses of drugs, just like yours. It just goes to show you how addictive certain substances are, and Xanax is one of them. It is also true that your Xanax withdrawal should be supervised.

With opiates, even low dose users have similar withdrawals to high dose users. The same may not be true of Xanax, or not. I have never been a Xanax user, my DOC was opiates.

Let your post serve as a warning to people who think they can "manage" addictive drugs without getting addicted and without having trouble stopping. While that may be so for some, it is not true for many -- here we are posting, and we are only the ones who showed up for the party!

Keep going on your plan! You are doing the right thing!

FT

Dandy8

I too have taken low dose Xanax for 16 years for sleep. It started out as .25 mg for 10 years then during stressful time, I went up to .50mg. I asked my physician for Ambien to get off the Xanax and it just doesn't do the job for insomnia. I stopped cold turkey and basically did not "sleep" for 5 days so I started taking it again. My GYN doc refuses to prescribe Xanax and he is the only doc to tell me I should stop taking it because it is so addictive. However my primary care doc just refills. I cannot nap during the day or sleep at night without this drug. Help!

aug73

Do NOT feel silly for having such a hard time with a "low dose".
It is all relative... .5 mg of Xanax is equal to 10 mg of Valium! That is not a low dose.
There are conversion charts for benzos.

I had a terrible time coming off benzos. I am not trying to scare you but prepare you for that possibility. Many (including me) are more afraid of wth is wrong with them rather than knowing and accepting.