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holding dose-how long I can hold on a dose


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Hello,

This is my first post here and I need your help.

I am tapering xanax for a year. I managed to taper from 2 mg to 0.6mg when I got COVID and I am started feeling unwell I can hardly manage my duties at work and at home as well.

I am holding at 0.6mg waiting to stabilize.

my question is: how long I can hold on a dose? I read somewhere that holding for more than 2-3 weeks can be dangerous bscause of the tolerance. I do not think I can continue my taper now as my world collapsed as I have very bad symptoms.

I need you kind advice and experience about holding.

thank you very much

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I've seen members hold for quite some time and it's worked for them, I'm not aware of a standard time frame where holding become ineffective.  I think you're wise to hold for as long as you need to, just keep paying attention to your symptoms and your level of functionality to help you know when it's time to reduce again.  This is your taper and we're all different so do what is right for you.
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Thank you very much Pamster. You helped me a lot with this answer. I was so convinced that I cannot hold for long (till I stabilize). I am having bad symptoms and I feel they will never go away. So from your experience (and from others) you say I may hold for month if it is need for me to stabilize? thank you again for your answer
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I've seen members hold for 6 months and longer so as long as you pay close attention to your symptoms you should know when its time to reduce again.  No two people are alike and neither are their tapers, we need to design our taper to meet our needs and you're doing that.  :thumbsup:
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Dear Pamster,

 

I am still holding but nothing changes I still feel miserable with many WD symptoms.

 

You said it is wise to hold on as long as it is needed, and for sure I take your advice. But I feel I am not able to go to work or be around people bacause of my high anxiety.

 

Is there a solution for that? I have already updosed a little bit 0,05mg, so I am stuck right now, at 0,6 mg xanax.

 

Your kind help is very much appreciated.

 

Sorry for my bad English.

 

Thank you in advance

 

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I want to explain what we mean by stable so we can fully assess your condition because we typically suggest cutting your dose again once you achieve this state so it helps if we're on the same page.  Stable around here means able to carry out your daily tasks, it doesn't mean feeling good.  We also say that if the symptoms from your last reductions have settled to the point of not drastically changing every day then this can be another sign of stability, it doesn't mean they're disappeared.

 

How would you rate your condition, do you meet the criteria for stability I've laid out?

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Thank you Pamster I got your point.

Yes I am not feeling good for a month and a half now (morning adrenaline rush, high anxiety, heavy breathing, painful stomach all day long and mainly after eating,brainfog, other gastro problems). I can sleep because of the Mirtazapine. The sleep is not restorative but it is 6-7 hours in avarage. I wake up like dead corp.

From your point of view I am stable meaning there is no improvement, and the is no worsening, I am having the same symptoms every day. Everyday is a Groundhog day

I thought stabilization means I will feel a bit better as it is more and more challenging to function in this state. I can still do it, but all my energy is used up on concentration at my workplace. As I am not able to hide anymore how I feel and my outlook also indicates to everyone that there is something wrong with me. (I lost 15 kg as I could not eat properly). I am in the middle of a divorce so they may think I have a mental issue because of that. (At least it is a good cover story for my benzo WD)

So if there is no improvement and there is no worsening of the symptoms that mean I am stable?

I am listening to your advice Pamster

 

 

 

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Thanks for explaining your situation more fully, you sound so miserable and I'm sorry to hear you're going through a divorce, one of the most stressful things we go through on top of the worst experience of our lives. 

 

I would consider you to be stable but your quality of life is practically non-existent so I'd like to get another member to weigh in on whether its a good idea to reduce again, I don't have taper experience so can't fully appreciate the process.

 

One thing I will point out is I've noticed other members in your situation actually improve when they reduce again.  I know it seems strange but they've reported symptoms lessening, kind of like breaking up a log jam. 

 

Let me ask someone to drop by so we can get another perspective. 

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Benzoharcos, Pamster asked me to stop by.  I'm glad to hear you are able to function at work but like Pamster said, divorce is so stressful and I can't imagine going through that while tapering.  When I was tapering, my world was pretty steady but I certainly hoped that nothing 'big' would happen until I finished my taper!  I think it would be difficult to sort out what is causing the symptoms you describe - benzo withdrawl or stress.  You said in your first post on this thread that you do not feel like you can continue tapering right now - if you are still feeling that way, perhaps you need to give yourself permission to hold a bit longer which seemed to be your initial thought and give yourself some grace.  You've made awesome progress with your taper so far but I would hate to see you push yourself to a place where even your work suffers.  What are you thoughts?
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Thank you Kate for your reply.

 

I do not know what to do. I am so confused. I feel as if I am stuck. No reduction, no improvement.

 

Yes the life is difficult and stressful around me. I wish I could hide from the world until I finish my taper. But noone can.

 

1. Should I push through and be brave?

2. Should I be more patient?

 

These are the big questions of my benzo withdraval...

 

 

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I am using 300ml water as a base. I disolve in it 1 mg xanax. 1 day 1ml out, 2nd day 2ml out and so on. I am at 120th day which is approx 0,6 mg xanax.

 

example:

 

day 120=120 ml=0,396 mg

day  121=121ml=0,3993 mg

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That is exactly the method I used to taper from my last 0.5mg of clonazepam!  I used 50ml of water so the last bit of my taper lasted 50 days.  What about trying a 119 day today and see how that goes and let us know tomorrow?  How would feel about that?  You have a supportive community now which should be make a difference.  You could start your own blog, too, and monitor your progress there.  Lots of members have found that to be helpful:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=88.0

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until day 109 everything went smoothly. Then I got COVID. the sxs started emerging. the first one was a stubbing stomach ache. I pushed through till day 138 and stopped as I lost a lot of weight and the sxs were so severe. Since then nothing changed even after updosing back to day 120 where I am at now.
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It can take a while for a hold or even an updose to feel better.  It looks like you updosed in August (not sure when - perhaps add the date to your signature) and it is only early Sept so it would make sense to hold another week or two to see if things even out for you.  If they don't, you can hold even longer.  I do understand that one's patience tends to run thin - mine did!  I tried forcing things to speed up my taper and it backfired on me so I know from experience that trying to expedite things can make things worse.
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Thank you Kate, I have mild gastritis but I refused to take antibiotics when it was discovered in July. Hope the gastritis is only related to my COVID infection or it is only a "normal" benzo WD sx. I do not want to take antibiotics mainly because of the benzo and it kills almost 70% of the gut and bowels good bacteria.

 

3 weeks ago I could hardly swallow anything but there is a small improvement in that. I changed my diet. Eating still hurts but I can eat mainly in the evenings. The hunger kicks in after 7p.m....

 

So we may consider it as a little improvement.

 

I will hold on my dose I need to gain some weight and I need to be a little bit of more functional.

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Hi Benzoharcos,

 

I agree with Kate

 

I understand your concern about tolerance, as I too had originally been told to hold NO longer than 4 weeks. However, I was also told by another person from the same benzodiazepine support service (Reconnexion) that I could hold for as long as I need to until I stabilise. It has now been 6 weeks since I last cut, and I’m so glad I did. Things didn’t really even begin to settle until about the end of week 5, and I still notice a slight, but definite improvement each day that I continue to hold. It really can take SOME time to see improvement.

 

I notice you started tapering at 2mg Ativan a year ago and have come down over that time at an equivalent of 14mg diazepam, leaving an equivalent of 6mg to taper. When you stabilise and resume your taper, you may want to keep an eye on any symptom uptick, and if so, hold again and slow down the taper, as you are now getting lower and possibly more sensitive to the taper rate. If things get very rough again, you could always make a dose reduction every 2 days, rather than reducing every day, or if you don’t want to double the taper time, you could always decrease your daily cuts by adding extra water and extend your taper out to a time frame that you’re comfortable with… 30 extra mls = 30 extra days…etc. whatever feels comfortable for you.

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Thank you very much Winter Sun for you support and thank you for sharing your experience with me.

 

I am desperatedly waiting for a little change, just a slightest one. just a tiny one....

 

I hold and I wait. If you do not mind I would share my experience later with you.

 

keep holding on we well heal once

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