My Xanax Taper

I was ordered 1mg X qhs. I only took about .75mg or .875mg most nights. Last week I had an episode of trigeminal neuralgia and was ordered carbamazepine (Tegretol). While I am a nurse, I was in too much pain to question the medication or to look up interactions. Bad move. I took 2 doses Wed. and one dose early Thurs. By mid-day Thurs. the s/s hit and I recognized the w/draw. Sure enough, when I looked up the interactions, carbamazepine competes w/ X for a metabolic enzyme and will seriously lower the absorption and action of X.  There is a warning not to prescribe them together. Neither the doctor nor the pharmacist caught that. It was even on the information sheet that came w/ the script. I will never take a medication again unless I look up interactions. I normally look things up if I don't know, but I was too miserable with nerve pain. This medical error could have been avoided.

 

Anyway, I stopped the carbamazepine and continued the X but at .875mg and slowly am coming around 6 days later. I had heavy withdrawal over the weekend. Now, they are tolerable: mild anxiety, tinnitus, early wakening, tension, mild restlessness.

 

Prior to this, I was taking the X at bedtime only, but for the taper I switched to TID. I am now taking .25gm at 4am, .25mg at 1pm and .25  and .125mg at bedtime. I just eliminated the .125mg dose, so I am at .25mg TID (.75mg).

 

My plan is to stay at this dose for 2 weeks to stabilize and then taper every 3 weeks (more or less depending on how well I feel). The next change would be to go down to .25mg am,.125mg  afternoon and .25mg qhs. Then, go down to .125mg am, .125 afternoon, .25mg qhs, etc, eliminating a half of a .25mg tablet every 3 weeks until I am at .125mg/day.

 

I am not used to taking X during the day and I feel so drugged :sick:I've only used it at bedtime, so I really want off of this poison now. I am not comfortable being drugged up during the day, but I don't want the s/s of acute withdrawal if I continue to take it only at bedtime.  If you read my signature, I have had this dance before and fared well in my last taper. I'm wondering if this plan is too aggressive or not aggressive enough. I WFH, so I can exercise while I work and go for walks to relieve a lot of s/s. I have books, podcasts, apps on Mindfulness and anxiety control. My appetite is good, my diet has always been healthy, I take a multivitamin, Vit D, Vit C, magnesium and flaxseed oil supplements. I am able to exercise and I'm now avoiding caffeine and alcohol.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thank you!

It looks like you’re managing your taper well, I’m sorry you had that drug interaction, its up to us to keep ourselves safe I guess. 

 

I wouldn’t speed your taper up especially since you’ve taken and discontinued benzo’s before.

On 5/29 I dropped to .75mg, divided doses at 3x/day, but it was too sedating, so I kept the dose at qhs only. No sx, still sleeping well, able to drink tea and carry on with daily activities and work. Yesterday, I dropped to .675mg at qhs (.50mg and a half of a .25mg tablet). I do not cut a tablet smaller than what it is scored to be cut because the distribution of the active ingredient is not homogenized at that point, and I don't want to risk getting part of pill that has an active ingredient one night and the next night have the other part with no active ingredient.  Been there before.  Will continue to monitor s/s, and cut to .50mg qhs in 1-2 weeks depending on s/s. I would like to be off soon, but I know a slower withdrawal is beneficial.