Xanax Taper Anyone?

[dmajor7th]

Hi, I'm on 4mgs a day for a few years and still have bad anxiety. Anyway, I want to get off this stuff-it's just not working anymore. So, my doctor says .5 taper every week. Any suggestions ? I already got off methadone, so I'm not a rookie at withdrawl. But I know what xanax withdrawl feels like (shudder) What I really want to know is how long after you take the last half pill-do you feel like crap?
Thank you very much.

[liveweyerd]

I can't tell you how long. I have been put on them and stopped so many times I can't count. I am on 3 mgs/day now. I am glad to learn what your DR says is correct. I think probably (my best guess) that is you withdraw that slowly you may not have lingering side effects. I have often done it far more rapidly and with only bearable discomfort. Twice I went cold turkey and I wouldn't advice it for anyone. The first time I continued to have strange reactions for 3 months. Couldn't swallow food, my throat felt like it closed shut etc etc and of course, insomnia. Second time, I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, and my thinking became obsessive and irrational. I got a refill.
I am prescribed these but often have mixed feelings and thoughts about taking them.
And it is the nature of the drug to develop a tolerance, so that it always takes more and more to do what one once did.
I do, from time to time, taper myself back to fight this tolerance thing. Like take the full dose at morning and at night and skip the 3d one. Then start breaking the 1 mg tabs into half.
But I should shut up. Your DR knows best.
Just wanted you to know you are not the only one.
I have a friend on Effexor, don't even know what that is, but he says it has really helped with his anxiety and restlessness.
There must be info on the net about all of this, I just have never looked. But my friend who is a nurse says they have long lasting effects. (xanax)
??????

[angelgirl]

Hi d, I have been detoxed off xanax in the hospital, in detox, along with painkillers. But that is a totally different way, and I had no problems. Xanax or any benzo is
very dangerous to withdrawl from, unless you do it slowly. That much I know. So it is VERY important to follow exactly what your doctor tells you.
I am on about 2mgs. of ativan a day right now due to panic attacks and anxiety. I know they are not good, but my anxiety is a crushing me right now...
Good luck, and listen to your doctor, don;t try to do it any faster.
Love Becky

[shestruggles]

Hey there,

I'm currenlty doing the xanax taper, and it's a bitch! I have such bad anxiety and can't seem to find anything that really works, so like you,, I kept taking more xanax. Now I'm in a heck of a spot. I went on sub for opiate addiction, but my doc does not want me to take the sub with xanax, so he's forcing a 'too fast' taper schedule...

I know someone posted a great link for xanxax wd before, hopefully, they'll read this and post it again. (It was a uk benzo site)

The best advice I can give is slow slow slow. Find othr techniques for dealing with anxiety, such as breathing, etc. My doc also put me PAxil, which helps with anxirty as well.

Good Luck! SS

[dmajor7th]

Thanks for all your replies guys. I started yesterday and feel it a bit-didn't sleep as well. So I think I'll take the half as the second pill of the day, instead of the third for this week. At this rate, it'll take 2 months to get off totally. Yes, the not being able to breathe thing is really worrying me. If I manage to do the two months and then 10 days or whatever it takes to get out of your system, and I still can't breathe really bad. -Well to heck with it-I'll have to deal with it somehow. I have read and my doctor told me that Xanax can actually make a person anxious after a while, so maybe it'll subside a bit. Who knows? Just have to take it day by day. Thanks again everybody. And good luck on your taper Shestruggles as well.

[angelgirl]

Hey major, take it slow..... that is the most important thingyou can do for yourself. You should feel better too if you take it slow, and we all want to feel better, and you can keep saying to yourself, I am getting off this stuff, it may not be as fast as I'd like, but I am doing it, and I will feel much better for going slow... and keep telling yourself that. You know your goal is to get off it, and you WILL I have faith...
Isn't shestruggles great!!! She's a very wise and VERY, VERY good person too....

Love, Becky

[Evanna]

Originally Posted by angelgirl

Isn't shestruggles great!!! She's a very wise and VERY, VERY good person too....

Love, Becky

Amen to that Becky.

Sounds like you have a sensible doctor dmajor7th. Take it steady and you will be fine. Pulling for you here.

[shestruggles]

You guys make me blush...

[dmajor7th]

Hey somehow I missed that there were more posts. thanks everybody-you are all wonderful here. I'm on my 6th day and and have a bit of trouble with the breathing-but I had that before too, as I said before. But I'm soldiering on. So on Tues. I have to drop another half pill and have to decide whether to cut out the second pill of the day totally or half the third one of the day. Hope the breathing thing doesn't get any worse. I don't feel as depressed as I did-so that's something. And I'm forcing myself to walk to help the breathing. Whereas, for the past couple months I was in bed I was so depressed. I simply have GOT to stop the bloody coffee in the morning-I only have one of two cups-and that's it all day-but man I can feel it. But I'm doing pretty much ok-how are you doing Shestruggles? How fast are you tapering?
Thank you, Cate.