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Need to taper off xanax; help, please


[Cl...]

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Hello friends,

 

I'm seeing my primary care doc tomorrow to ask her to help me taper off Xanax. I have been taking it for about a year and a half. It was prescribed by my sleep doctor to help me with sleep problems related to restless leg syndrome. I started out taking half of a .25 mg pill at bedtime and now am up to taking a full .25 at bedtime and this past week started experiencing hellish tolerance withdrawal symptoms including fatigue, foggy brain, headache, poor balance, and panic attacks.

 

I went through a similar thing 15 years ago with Ativan (prescribed for sleep, again a small amount); I had a mystery fatigue illness for a year before figuring out I was in tolerance withdrawal. At that point I tapered off very quickly and suffered a lot. It took several years to feel normal again.

 

I honestly cannot believe I've gotten myself into this situation again. I was taking a two-day holiday every two weeks on the Xanax, per recommendations on an RLS board, but over Christmas I skipped taking the two days off because I really needed to sleep through those particular days. I guess I thought it would be OK. Restless leg syndrome will make you crazy enough to try anything for relief. My sleep doctor made me feel as if I didn't need to take those holidays at all really, so I guess I thought it would be OK.

 

I also wonder if anyone can give me opinions about switching to valium for the taper, per Dr. Ashton's manual.

 

I appreciate your listening. I just need to stay functional and hopefully not terribly ill through this withdrawal process. Maybe it doesn't have to be as bad as what I went through before; though I'm already feeling that awful.

 

Thank you for any advice you can give me.

 

Warm regards,

Clarity

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Hi Clarity,

 

The Valium equivalent (roughly) of .25mg of Xanax is 5mg.  Having never taken a long-acting benzodiazepine, I have no experience personally, but have read many posts from those crossing to Valium.  The process takes awhile, maybe a couple of weeks to a month.  Valium is also well known for its sedation and depressive nature, so that's something to think about too.

 

Generally my suggestion would be to cut straight from the Xanax, especially since .25mg is considered such a small amount.  But you have some circumstances that might make crossing to Valium a more tolerable way to taper.

 

It seems you're very sensitive to cuts, even at a low dose.  This may be because you've taken/tapered off a benzodiazepine before so your central nervous system is extra sensitive.  Taking a few days off between doses may have increased that sensitivity, who knows.  It is what it is and we go from here and try to make the best of it, right?

 

It occurred to me that switching to Valium may relieve some of the misery you're already in, which may ease your taper a bit.  Let's see what other members think.

 

Challis

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I tapered off 2mg Xanax several years ago, it was hellish. This time around I've done the switch from Xanax to Valium and personally find it much easier so far.
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love and strength, love yourself because god is part of you and you know it is the drug giving you this pain. Knowing helps us accept it better.
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Hello friends,

 

I'm seeing my primary care doc tomorrow to ask her to help me taper off Xanax. I have been taking it for about a year and a half. It was prescribed by my sleep doctor to help me with sleep problems related to restless leg syndrome. I started out taking half of a .25 mg pill at bedtime and now am up to taking a full .25 at bedtime and this past week started experiencing hellish tolerance withdrawal symptoms including fatigue, foggy brain, headache, poor balance, and panic attacks.

 

I went through a similar thing 15 years ago with Ativan (prescribed for sleep, again a small amount); I had a mystery fatigue illness for a year before figuring out I was in tolerance withdrawal. At that point I tapered off very quickly and suffered a lot. It took several years to feel normal again.

 

I honestly cannot believe I've gotten myself into this situation again. I was taking a two-day holiday every two weeks on the Xanax, per recommendations on an RLS board, but over Christmas I skipped taking the two days off because I really needed to sleep through those particular days. I guess I thought it would be OK. Restless leg syndrome will make you crazy enough to try anything for relief. My sleep doctor made me feel as if I didn't need to take those holidays at all really, so I guess I thought it would be OK.

 

I also wonder if anyone can give me opinions about switching to valium for the taper, per Dr. Ashton's manual.

 

I appreciate your listening. I just need to stay functional and hopefully not terribly ill through this withdrawal process. Maybe it doesn't have to be as bad as what I went through before; though I'm already feeling that awful.  Hitting tolerance sometimes makes it more difficult to stabilize between cuts. The recommended reduction rate is 5 to 10 percent every two weeks. Since Ativan has a very short half life symptoms come on quickly.

 

Thank you for any advice you can give me.

 

Warm regards,

Clarity

 

Second withdrawals, because of something called "kindling" are often harder than the previous withdrawal.

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So far the symptoms seem to be about equal to what I went through the first time. Fingers crossed they will not get any worse.

 

Thank you.

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