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Starting my xanax taper


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I recently found this website, but had already started a slow taper a few months ago from a prescribed 6 mg per day because I felt I did not require that large of a dose anymore. I have stabilized myself on 1 mg x 4 a day (using 2 mg pills split in half) With my doctors approval and prescription of .5 mg pills I am going to attempt a slow taper plan.

 

I am diagnosed with panic disorder with agoraphobia.  I also take 100 mg of Zoloft a day. I don't know with my condition I will be able to completely remove xanax from my life, only time will tell. It is imperative that I continue to work full time at an at times stressful job.

 

First official cut since discovering this site is tomorrow:

9 am .75 mg

2 pm 1 mg

7 pm 1 mg

12 am 1 mg

 

9-6-17 3.75 mg xanax daily. 

 

Plan is to stay on this as long as I need, be it a week or a month. No hurry here.

 

Wishing all on this journey strength, courage and hope.

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I recently found this website, but had already started a slow taper a few months ago from a prescribed 6 mg per day because I felt I did not require that large of a dose anymore. I have stabilized myself on 1 mg x 4 a day (using 2 mg pills split in half) With my doctors approval and prescription of .5 mg pills I am going to attempt a slow taper plan.

 

I am diagnosed with panic disorder with agoraphobia.  I also take 100 mg of Zoloft a day. I don't know with my condition I will be able to completely remove xanax from my life, only time will tell. It is imperative that I continue to work full time at an at times stressful job.

 

First official cut since discovering this site is tomorrow:

9 am .75 mg

2 pm 1 mg

7 pm 1 mg

12 am 1 mg

 

9-6-17 3.75 mg xanax daily. 

 

Plan is to stay on this as long as I need, be it a week or a month. No hurry here.

 

Wishing all on this journey strength, courage and hope.

 

Don't be afraid to hold when things get tough. With enough time things always get better sooner or later.

 

I felt better dosing 4 or even 6 times a day during the rougher months.

 

Good luck :thumbsup:

 

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Thank you both for your responses. During my decrease from 6 mg to 4 mg I did dose 5 smaller doses on some days, and that did help. For me the effect of xanax is around 4 hours. In very stressful situations maybe even less.

 

I have been working with the large 2 mg pills, and they can be difficult to cut to smaller doses for me. My dr wrote me a script for .5 pills.  interestingly  my insurance refused to pay for that even with it written on the script for the purpose of a very slow taper.  so I paid out of pocket.

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Thank you both for your responses. During my decrease from 6 mg to 4 mg I did dose 5 smaller doses on some days, and that did help. For me the effect of xanax is around 4 hours. In very stressful situations maybe even less.

 

I have been working with the large 2 mg pills, and they can be difficult to cut to smaller doses for me. My dr wrote me a script for .5 pills.  interestingly  my insurance refused to pay for that even with it written on the script for the purpose of a very slow taper.  so I paid out of pocket.

 

I found using Gemini scale and putting my doses into water mixed with 20% heavy whipping cream worked nicely. 

 

Whipping cream dissolves 99% of all benzo's so it's one of the best tools for making water/benzo suspensions from.

 

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Thank you Birdman, I was unaware of that.  Will be very useful as the tapering doses get smaller. 

 

Day 2, no symptoms noticeable so far.  Probably hold at this dose a couple weeks.

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Thank you Birdman, I was unaware of that.  Will be very useful as the tapering doses get smaller. 

 

Day 2, no symptoms noticeable so far.  Probably hold at this dose a couple weeks.

 

You are welcome :).

If your not feeling just a tiny bit bad your probably not healing.  When we feel the withdrawal it's the first real sign that our brain chemistry is starting to struggle and change. It does not need to be horrible withdrawal we need to feel but a little discomfort means the brain is no longer working with outside chemicals and is changing back and healing.

Have no fear of cuts as you can always up-dose a bit and hold when needed to make corrections if you get any post-acute-withdrawal. 

Sometimes withdrawal can sneak up on you and you just have to make some adjustments.

 

Good luck  SP :smitten:

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  • 3 weeks later...

My slow taper continues, cut .25 today, 7 days after my last .25 cut. I am now taking 4 x d of the drs best magnesium and I do find it calming. I do notice the cuts, but the symptoms have not been bad so far. I have started practing a guided mindfulness app, and and med reminder app so my doses are taken exactly when and what I planned. I feel so far my taper is going well, but I am very aware that it may become more and more difficult as the doses get smaller.

 

Symptoms so far tightness in jaw, dealing with that through mindfulness thinking. Other thing is a fullness or stuffiness feeling in my ears. Probably realated to the tightness in the jaw.

 

I wish everyone successful healing, I wish I would have found this information in my 20's.  The contributions of many people's experiences is very helpful in dealing and learning how to manage my own issues. Hopefully one day med free.

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Cut another .25 today, 7 days after last cut. My symptoms only lasted a couple of days so I feel like I am ready for the next cut.  Still taking the magnesium, would like to be practicing more mindfulness and meditation but my mind wanders. I know it calms me I hope to be able to focus better this week.
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Good work.

 

  • Are you still taking 4 caps of magnesium a day?
  • If so, how many mgs are the mag. pills?
  • Do you take the magnesium at night?

Thanks very much...

 

(thumbs up)

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David B, yes 4 drs  best chelates magnesium glycinate, they are 100 mgs.  Start my next cut tonight, it will be the bedtime dose of Xanax from .75 to .66. I will add another mag pill for a total of 5 a day, two at night.

 

I do believe the mag has a calming effect on me. My sleep has been pretty good. My Symptoms have been minimal so far.  This week some minor ringing in the ears, head fullness. My cuts are going to be small this next month, I have 2 mg Xanax pills that are cut in 3 score instead of four like the pharmacy had been using in the past. My dr has been very helpful in giving a a script of .5 to use with my gradual reduction.

 

I am just using pill splitting thus far in my cuts. So far it’s been good.

 

Best wishes to all for success in your healing journey.

 

Today’s cut 10/08/17

9 am Xanax .75 mg

2 pm Xanax .75 mg

7 pm Xanax .75 mg

12 am xanax .66 mg (.09 cut)

 

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If it helps the many times over used benzos esp Xanax I would get panic attacks and argoraphobia but never realized they were causing it. So most definitely it will get better
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I am feeling better am more alive as I slowly reduce my dose.  I did not realize it but my agoraphobia was far worse at 6 mg. Today I am at 2.82 mg. And I went to the city by myself no panic!  Great window.
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Sunday, it’s my regular day to cut. This week was challlenging.  Just felt off. Uneasy feeling hard time relaxing. Debated on doing a cut today decided to go ahead a make a small cut.  Going from .75 to .66 on afternoon dose. I am also cutting the magnesium supplement from my noon dose.  Having lose stool issues this week and I know a possible cause could be the magnesium. This is not normally an issue for me.

 

Today’s cut 10/22

9 am .66 Xanax

2 pm .75 Xanax

7 pm .66 Xanax (cut here)

12 am .66 xanax

 

2.75 daily

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Made another small cut Sunday. Not many side effects this week. I am slowly feeling better and have more energy. Cut my afternoon .75 to .66. I might hold here a couple weeks.

 

Wishing everyone well in the journey  of healing.

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It’s been 7 days, cutting my afternoon dose to .5 today. This puts me at 2.48 Xanax daily. Side effects have not been too bad. Head stuffiness, fullness in the ears. Occasional ringing in ears. All manageable thus far. Working full time no problem.

 

Still taking the magnesium supplements, seems to have a calming effect. My anxiety is not as bad as it used to be.

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Another week gone by. Cut one of my .66 doses to .5.  Daily dose is now 2.32, split over four doses.  This week had some difficult days.  Felt very depressed, hopeless. Not much anxiety, more of an emptiness. Pushing through and continuing to lower my dose. I have some doubts this week as to why I am bothering cutting my doses. My dr is fine with me on this for life. I don’t know how to feel anymore. Guess have faith in the process of healing and maybe I will feel again when off this medication.
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Sunday is here already, time for the next small cut. Some days this week were pretty tough. Tempted to hold but going forth with the small cut. So I am at 2.12 mg over 4 doses. Feeling emotionally detached. Have had ringing in the ears. Some dizziness. I have been gaining weight. Turning to food for comfort.

 

Still working full time, have not missed any work during this slow taper. Some days have been pretty tough. But so far I have managed to push through it.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Didn’t log in last week but did do a small taper. 2 mg per day last week. Today I start 1.875. I am really tempted to hold. The cuts are getting harder as I go. Some anxiety. A lot of headaches. Major brain fog. A little embarrassing at work. Will see how this week goes. And I am continuing to gain weight. Food has been my friend.
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Sunday here again.  Today my cut is to the morning dose. I am at 1.75. This week went ok, I forgot my magnesium supplements one day at work. Had the Xanax. I felt more anxiety that day. I can’t say for sure if it was the actual lack of the magnesium supplements or my mind messing with me.

 

I am really struggling with weight gain. I am up about 30 pounds in the last six months. My emotions are numb, and I really don’t care. I had to buy all new clothing. I know I am stuffing my feelings.

 

I have little motivation to get anything done. I work and I stay home. That’s it.

 

I question myself why I am bothering cutting down on my Xanax. Does it really matter? 

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I question myself why I am bothering cutting down on my Xanax. Does it really matter?

 

It matters. There was a reason why you decided to taper off of Xanax, and that reason is probably just as valid today as it was then. In the depth of withdrawals it's easy to forget the reason you're on this road, that there is light and a better you at the end of it.

 

Taking benzos is like easily skipping down a large mountain that you'll eventually have to struggle to walk back up. From the looks of your signature, you've already made it half of the way back up. Hang in there.

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Thank you overwatch. It’s been a week. It was hard week, bad anxiety to the point of chest pain. I am holding for the first Sunday since I started my methodical cutting every Sunday. I don’t know how long I will hold. It’s true what I read the lower the dose the harder it is to cut.
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey, just checking back in to see how you're doing. Are you still holding? Certainly nobody could blame you needing to do that over the holidays.

 

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Hey, I wanted to follow up again and see how it is going. I know tomorrow (Jan 3) will be the one week mark for another reduction. I was looking at your signature and I am admittedly impressed with your progress. Those who haven't suffered the pain and symptoms of true Xanax withdrawals might not see amazing progress from 6mg down to your current dose. It's huge and very admirable. Hang in there. Hope all is well.
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