Alprazolam taper

[[Buddie]]

I'm a mass of confusion. After reading Ashton Manual AGAIN, I believe I may benefit best with the tapering technique substitution with valium. I am presently taking 1.75mg alprazolam after my .25 cut a week ago this past Tuesday. I calculated that I am on a dose equivalent to 35 mg valium.  That isn't so much but considering the MANY yrs I have been on xanax it may be the best method for me. The alprazolam wears off so very quickly. I go see my dr. in May and thought I'd take a copy of the manual along and present this to him. 

[[Buddie]]

I'm a mass of confusion. After reading Ashton Manual AGAIN, I believe I may benefit best with the tapering technique substitution with valium. I am presently taking 1.75mg alprazolam after my .25 cut a week ago this past Tuesday. I calculated that I am on a dose equivalent to 35 mg valium.  That isn't so much but considering the MANY yrs I have been on xanax it may be the best method for me. The alprazolam wears off so very quickly. I go see my dr. in May and thought I'd take a copy of the manual along and present this to him. 

Some do very well with a crossover to Valium. 

[[Buddie]]

Hi [...]
sounds like wr have gone thru similiar stuff\
i went off Xanex to fast wand did not know anything and for 2 months I was in w/d and 3 Dr's swore I was not with such a sml dose of Xanex .5 for 4-5 yrs for sleepiojg pill. Anyway ended up on 1 mgm of Ativan for the past month and not stabilzed at all breakthru pains every 4 hours so after reading all the recommendations here I went to my Dr. armed with info and she kind of balked at the fact that I brought in the info for her to read and she let me know she had extensive pharmacopsychiatric manuals up the cazoo but I stuck to my guns wanting Valium to taper off from and she actually wanted the best for me after listening even though she accused me of Obsessive Compulsive thoughts who wouldn't with all the sx's dailey for months and told me she would be on board for what ever I wanted.
So arm yourself to and don't let any dr. Bully you with what they want. You know your body best. I also refused to complicate my journey with more stuff like anticonvalucents and antidepressents after reading the Manual I told her they don't work for the most part.
So good luck with your journey to the Dr's.
I got all this empowerment from this site in just one week of support and reading.
Prayers to you
Sandy

[[Buddie]]

Hi Sandy, thank you for your response. Yea these drs. can get a complex for sure. My psyche dr. is actually very nice but he really pushes those antidepressants. He has even pushed some samples on me a couple times and when I got home guess where they went......TRASH!!  I'm curious though as to what he will say to me when I bring this up to him. 

[[Buddie]]

[...], question. Here is what I believe I need to do, give me your thoughts. Tuesday will be 2 weeks I cut back my alprazolam by .25. I was thinking next Tuesday cutting 1/4 so that I would be taking 3 and 1/4 daily. Then in 2 weeks cut the other 1/4 and then I would be on 3 daily, oh but now how to work out that 3 daily. It may be mental but I feel taking a half and in 3 hrs taking the other half works very well for me as I'm petrified to wait 8 hrs between the 3 b/c I am having such anxiety as it is. Would it be ok, once I taper to 3, if I continue similar schedule I'm on and that is a 0.5 in the morning, .25 at 11, .25 at 3 and then God help me with hanging on til 8 for the 0.5. THEN hold that taper til I see my P-dr. on April 22 so that I will be on an even dose to do the valium crossover. Three 0.5 alprazolam does equal 30 mg of valium, correct?  So then I will need a schedule for crossover. Theresa I'm truly frightened. Thank you in advance for all your support!!!

[[Buddie]]

[...], question. Here is what I believe I need to do, give me your thoughts. Tuesday will be 2 weeks I cut back my alprazolam by .25. I was thinking next Tuesday cutting 1/4 so that I would be taking 3 and 1/4 daily. Then in 2 weeks cut the other 1/4 and then I would be on 3 daily, oh but now how to work out that 3 daily. It may be mental but I feel taking a half and in 3 hrs taking the other half works very well for me as I'm petrified to wait 8 hrs between the 3 b/c I am having such anxiety as it is. Would it be ok, once I taper to 3, if I continue similar schedule I'm on and that is a 0.5 in the morning, .25 at 11, .25 at 3 and then God help me with hanging on til 8 for the 0.5. THEN hold that taper til I see my P-dr. on April 22 so that I will be on an even dose to do the valium crossover. Three 0.5 alprazolam does equal 30 mg of valium, correct?  So then I will need a schedule for crossover. Theresa I'm truly frightened. Thank you in advance for all your support!!!

Hi littlebit,

First, it would be so helpful for me and others if you could try and add a signature line so we can see at a glance where you are at on your benzo journey. Here's the link to that when you get time.... http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=9432.msg119713#msg119713

If the current schedule you are on is working for you, then you should probably stay with that. Are you cutting 1/4 of a .50mg tablet and reducing by that amount?

It is correct that 1mg of Xanax is equal to 20mg of Valium, so 1.50mg of Xanax is equal to 30mg of Valium. If you look at Schedule 7 in the Ashton Manual, you can get the idea how the crossover works....http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm.

One of our moderators, Cathy1211 did the crossover and says it was great and she's doing fine.

T2

[[Buddie]]

Hi LittleBit!

Good to see you're moving right along in your taper. I'm not going as fast as you are, I need to settle into a more comfortable zone before cuttting again. I'm also looking for a doc to help with a valium taper from the xanax, I will be praying that both of us find someone who agrees to help with the valium taper. Keeping you close in my thoughts and prayers.

[...]

[[Buddie]]

You know [...], my apologies if I keep doing everything wrong. Maybe I should not be here, so sorry. I can't seem to do anything right. This is not an easy site.

No need to apologize. I simply asked if you would add a signature line to make it easier for me to know where you are on your journey. It is hard to remember where everyone is on their journey. It is not a questions of right or wrong?? It was a simple request and I'm sorry you took offense to my request. I make this request quite often.

[[Buddie]]

Just by making the request that you have, we will wait 48 hours and simply delete your account if that is what you want.

Sorry you feel this way, I meant no offense.

[[Buddie]]

[...], I owe you an apology. I am sorry.