8 weeks off xanax

I thought I'd check in.  I've been off now for 8 weeks.  I never did experience any sort of acute phase or any ramping of wd sxs.  What I've had is simply a continuation of some of the things I had been dealing with throughout my taper - tinnitus, foot/lower leg tingling and neck tension.  These are mild.  The other things that had come on with each new cut and then disappeared have not hung around.  These included stomach pain, head pressure, shortness of breath, dizziness, jaw pain, etc., etc.  Symptoms were far more numerous and far more intense earlier in my taper.  I slowed down in the last 12 months of my taper and even further for the last 6 months.  Things were very tolerable after that and symptoms mild.

I'm very relieved that I didn't get slammed and my walk-off was uneventful.  Had I continued at my earlier pace I think things would have been pretty bad.  I can't know for sure but I do believe that a mild taper gives the best chance for a mild finish. I wanted to give myself the best chance I could.  And this meant going slow enough to keep symptoms low.  And holding when things ramped.

The beginning of my taper was quite a nightmare.  I'm very lucky to have not experienced the mental symptoms that many report.  My decades long depression, anxiety and agoraphobia lifted with my first cut from 8mg xanax to 2mg and my c/t of prozac and zyprexa.  I have to believe (and do believe) that those drugs were causing my severe mental problems (and a host of physical ones).  I'm very thankful that I finally figured it out - while I still have some good/decent years left.  I lost 25 of them.  I was suddenly a very happy person and no amount of physical could or did dampen that.  I may have to live with some of the stuff that is still going on but as long as the depression doesn't return I am fine with it.

If you are having some serious problems with your taper you might want to re-examine your taper schedule.  Ashton is too fast for many.  I'm putting this out there because slowing way down not only made my taper much more tolerable but I believe it was instrumental in me simply walking off with no acute and only minimal healing ahead of me.  Nothing is 100% and we are all different but I don't see many here lamenting going too slow.  It was a pain in the neck to go so slow but I saw too much risk in going faster.

I wish you all the absolute best.

[glow=red,2,300]"Congrats"[/glow] Lynn 8 wks is great, you have been an inspiration and so happy that your walk off has been doable for you I am so happy that you found a way that pretty much ensured you would not have a rough time, and in your case it has worked well.

I do believe that when things are really bad one needs to look at their taper speed and and how much they are cutting. And I believe that everyone's pace is different and it can be tweaked.

I look for the day you write your Success Story and I know that whatever comes your way you will handle it like you can only do. Always the best to you My Friend.

Congrats Lynn

You are a wonderful example and I hope that many can learn from your success.....including me.

Just got back from my neurologist and he told me to hold my dose and try to get back to my life.  Not hold forever.....but for now....told me my brain would adapt. ❤️

HS

Congratulations Lynn!  Such a fine example of using common sense and somehow brushing aside those strong impatient impulses.

Thank you for your continuing voice of reason with the mantra of slow down, slow down and let the body heal.

And as someone in the comments said, just get on with your life and let your body heal.....

so many thanks for what you continue to offer this forum!!

:smitten:

SS

Cannot believe it is 8 weeks already. So very happy for you Lynn. I am fortunate and  thankful  that you took me under your wing so to speak early on in my taper when I was struggling. You pointed me in the right direction and gave me  encouragement when I needed it most. You may never know the full impact you have had on helping me with my taper, but I am very grateful.  Thank you.

I am doing well. Had a brief 2 weeks of torment after a massage for some reason, but am back on track.

Best Wishes on a life full of Adventures...........  Good Adventures.

Thank you Serenitee.  Your friendship means alot to me.

A few days away from 10wks off.

I've had a real test over the past couple of weeks.  I won't go into it but last week the Hurricane brought intense stress.  It's not over yet but greatly diminished.  I did have a ramping and also had a couple of things return briefly that I hadn't had in months.  I just wanted to say that stress bringing on wd is normal and to be expected as we get back to 100%.  If you are going through some elevated stress don't worry too much about ramped sxs.  They won't hang around.

I thought I'd check in.  I've been off now for 8 weeks.  I never did experience any sort of acute phase or any ramping of wd sxs.  What I've had is simply a continuation of some of the things I had been dealing with throughout my taper - tinnitus, foot/lower leg tingling and neck tension.  These are mild.  The other things that had come on with each new cut and then disappeared have not hung around.  These included stomach pain, head pressure, shortness of breath, dizziness, jaw pain, etc., etc.  Symptoms were far more numerous and far more intense earlier in my taper.  I slowed down in the last 12 months of my taper and even further for the last 6 months.  Things were very tolerable after that and symptoms mild.

 

I'm very relieved that I didn't get slammed and my walk-off was uneventful.  Had I continued at my earlier pace I think things would have been pretty bad.  I can't know for sure but I do believe that a mild taper gives the best chance for a mild finish. I wanted to give myself the best chance I could.  And this meant going slow enough to keep symptoms low.  And holding when things ramped.

 

The beginning of my taper was quite a nightmare.  I'm very lucky to have not experienced the mental symptoms that many report.  My decades long depression, anxiety and agoraphobia lifted with my first cut from 8mg xanax to 2mg and my c/t of prozac and zyprexa.  I have to believe (and do believe) that those drugs were causing my severe mental problems (and a host of physical ones).  I'm very thankful that I finally figured it out - while I still have some good/decent years left.  I lost 25 of them.  I was suddenly a very happy person and no amount of physical could or did dampen that.  I may have to live with some of the stuff that is still going on but as long as the depression doesn't return I am fine with it.

 

If you are having some serious problems with your taper you might want to re-examine your taper schedule.  Ashton is too fast for many.  I'm putting this out there because slowing way down not only made my taper much more tolerable but I believe it was instrumental in me simply walking off with no acute and only minimal healing ahead of me.  Nothing is 100% and we are all different but I don't see many here lamenting going too slow.  It was a pain in the neck to go so slow but I saw too much risk in going faster.

 

I wish you all the absolute best.

Excellent post, congratulations on your well-earned victory !!

Hey Photo!  Nice to see you.  How are you doing?

SIX MONTH UPDATE!

I am well and happy!  Life is good and I am living it!

I never did experience any sort of "acute".  I only had a continuation of the mild symptoms that I had been experiencing for the last 6 months of my taper.  What remains:  T, neck tension and foot tingling.  MILD MILD MILD

For the last half of my taper I went slowly and held when things ramped.  I had gone way too fast early on and suffered unnecessarily.   I am hoping/thinking that the last vestiges will be gone in another few months - but these are nothing that I can't live with if I have to.  I did have a "mini-wave" at 3.5 months when things ramped and some sxs that had been gone for a long time returned.  This only lasted a week or so - just the inexplicable coming and going that is benzo wd.

Hey Buddies, please listen to your body and go at a pace that your brain can handle/adjust to.

Wishing everyone the absolute best. :smitten: