Newbie here with much appreciation for this forum

Hello all.  Been on benzos over 10 years now and I would really like to taper off.  Doing some research online and this looks like a great place for help.  Can't thank you enough for that.  I was on xanax for 7 years for anxiety and depression and all that usual stuff.  Had some full blown panic attacks back then.  Presently haven't had one in over a year.  One day years ago there was a blizzard and we lost power for 3 weeks.  I was out of meds and went completely nuts.  That was when I decided i no longer wanted to be reliant upon xanax.  I was taking 3mg a day tops.....but enough to get me hooked.  At first I stuck to a regular schedule per doc which then became an "as-needed" thing.  This started with zoloft but I wanted off of that med and that wasn't too hard.  As a  side note.....as much as I want off the benzos, I think they really help my daily life, keep anxiety at bay, etc.  But from my research, they are not supposed to be used long term.  I fear I may not have access again and never want to feel that withdrawal again.

Anyway, doc is helpful and understanding and he got me off the xanax.....by switching to klonopin.  Guess what, now I'm hooked on the klonnys.  I've been able to get my use down to zero or 2 mg per day.  It varies.  But I would really like to be off them completely.  I'm middle aged and notice some short term memory loss.  I guess I just want to be "normal" and not reliant on meds.  Current script is "1mg during the day and .5 at night as needed for sleep".  They do help me "turn off my brain" and get sleep.

I think I can do this.  I've seen taper schedules that include valium as a substitute  I'd prefer to NOT add another med to this mix.  But may have to.  Haven;t seen my doc yet btw.  I see him next month and will be discussing this with him. 

I guess my biggest question for now is this.....can I begin a taper schedule based on my current use, which is very sporadic (some days no pills, some days up to 2mg) OR should I start to implement a very regular schedule, maybe .5 in the morning, .5 at night, or I might need a mid day dose, and then after being on a regular schedule would it then be better to start the taper schedule?  Sometimes I'll go 2 days no meds cause everything is feeling ok and for some reason my body doesn't feel the withdrawal, but thats 2 days tops.

Thanks so much and again, very thankful for this support forum!  Hope this isn't too much info for the required introduction.

Hello Jorgan 55 Welcome to Benzobuddies!

We are glad you joined our community, you will get plenty of support here. I am so pleased you have decided to taper off these drugs. You are making a great decision!  I am sorry your struggling with anxiety, it’s a horrible symptom. We usually recommend to those that have been taking a rather erratic dose, to stabilise at a set daily dose with which they feel reasonably comfortable, before starting their taper 

We do have a dedicated board dealing with Anxiety issues, I'll give you a link to it so you can connect with others who can offer some ideas and help.

The rule of thumb is to reduce the daily dose by somewhere between 5% and 10% every 10 - 14 days.  Its okay to go slower than this, whatever feels comfortable, the aim is to try to keep symptoms manageable.

I would suggest that you familiarise yourself with the Ashton Manual, It is a great resource for understanding the effect benzo’s have on our body.  It provides Tapering and withdrawal information and includes a list of common symptoms 

You will find some very valuable support and information on the forum.  Our members are happy to share their personal experiences with you and support you.. Please feel free to browse the boards and post questions to any of the dedicated threads.

I'll leave you a few links:

The Ashton Manual. 

Withdrawal Support

General Taper Plans

Anxiety     

When you can, please add a signature (history of meds/doses etc) it will help members give you relevant advice.  ”Create a signature”

Welcome aboard

Magrita

Thank you so much!!  I have been reading a lot of material here on the forum and most of what you provided in the links. I am optimistic about things   And I'll check out the anxiety section, haven;t been there yet.  I've read enough here to know that I should not let this research consume me.  So I'll move along with my day.

I agree and figured that getting on a regular schedule makes sense before going on a "scheduled" taper.  Any advice on what schedule I might look towards before the taper?  And how long I should maintain that schedule before starting the slow taper?  I'll be asking my doctor but think I have enough self control to figure out and maintain a schedule and also, seems many here have much more practical experience than most docs.

Thanks again!!  Is this the proper place for this discussion, or is this intros only?

Hi Jorgan

I am glad you have gathered some info from the forum. You will see some taper schedules in the ashton manual, I provided a link in my welcome post.  You will find your own comfort level, when you start tapering, take it easy!

You can ask questions on the taper/withdrawal boards, you might get a quicker response, not many visit this board.

Good luck with the doctor, I am sure you are going to be okay...I know you can do this, with the support from our members!

Magrita

Hi Jorgan,

Just wanted to welcome you and everything you have said is right on track. Like you, I don't want to introduce another benzo either and very nervous to do so. I notice Dr Ashton says the longer acting benzos such as Valium will provide a smooth, slow fall in blood concentration, which to me sounds logical. Like you, I took (Xanax in my case) irregularly. Some days, over the course of a day I might take 1.5mg and on another day I might take 3mg! I had no idea just how sporadically I was taking it until I saw here on BB how important it is to stabilize the dose before tapering. I now use a reminder app on my phone to remind me when to take my dose, and I now have comfortably stabilized at 1.5mg (.5mg every 6 hours) daily doses.

I am yet to start tapering, but I have switched over to liquid doses (in a suspension as water alone does not dissolve Xanax). I wanted to see how my body reacted and also to practically get use to the whole process, using oral syringes etc. and all went well.

Anyway wishing you all the very best with your journey  Harmonee

Welcome to the forum, Jorgan

I took alprazolam (generic Xanax) for about 3 years and did a direct taper from it, but Klonopin has a longer half life, which might make withdrawal easier for you, as the drug will stay in your system a little longer after cutting each dose, making symptoms come on gradually instead of suddenly.

Just wanted to say congrats on your decision to come off benzodiazepines. You'll find a lot of support here! Like magrita said, you can check out the <a href="http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=56.0">General Tapers Plan</a> board for questions about how to taper, and also check out the <a href="http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=145.0">Withdrawal Support</a> board for questions about symptoms you might be experiencing. Try not to let some of the scarier stories of withdrawal discourage you-- withdrawal is non-linear and is different for everyone.

Welcome to the forum, Jorgan

 

I took alprazolam (generic Xanax) for about 3 years and did a direct taper from it, but Klonopin has a longer half life, which might make withdrawal easier for you, as the drug will stay in your system a little longer after cutting each dose, making symptoms come on gradually instead of suddenly.

 

Just wanted to say congrats on your decision to come off benzodiazepines. You'll find a lot of support here! Like magrita said, you can check out the <a href="http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=56.0">General Tapers Plan</a> board for questions about how to taper, and also check out the <a href="http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=145.0">Withdrawal Support</a> board for questions about symptoms you might be experiencing. Try not to let some of the scarier stories of withdrawal discourage you-- withdrawal is non-linear and is different for everyone.

Hi shaneb, sorry to butt in, but I see you tapered directly from X. I noticed in your signature that you were on 1.5mg daily. Was that 1.5mg in total per day, or 3 doses of 1.5mg a day? I'm on 1.5mg a day (3 doses of .5mg) and I am yet to begin tapering. I am really divided by Dr Ashton's manual to switch to V or direct taper. Can I ask you how you managed your schedule? Did you micro-taper with liquid? Appreciate your feedback  Harmonee

Welcome to the forum, Jorgan

 

I took alprazolam (generic Xanax) for about 3 years and did a direct taper from it, but Klonopin has a longer half life, which might make withdrawal easier for you, as the drug will stay in your system a little longer after cutting each dose, making symptoms come on gradually instead of suddenly.

 

Just wanted to say congrats on your decision to come off benzodiazepines. You'll find a lot of support here! Like magrita said, you can check out the <a href="http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=56.0">General Tapers Plan</a> board for questions about how to taper, and also check out the <a href="http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=145.0">Withdrawal Support</a> board for questions about symptoms you might be experiencing. Try not to let some of the scarier stories of withdrawal discourage you-- withdrawal is non-linear and is different for everyone.

 

Hi shaneb, sorry to butt in, but I see you tapered directly from X. I noticed in your signature that you were on 1.5mg daily. Was that 1.5mg in total per day, or 3 doses of 1.5mg a day? I'm on 1.5mg a day (3 doses of .5mg) and I am yet to begin tapering. I am really divided by Dr Ashton's manual to switch to V or direct taper. Can I ask you how you managed your schedule? Did you micro-taper with liquid? Appreciate your feedback  Harmonee

Hi Haromnee I took .5mg 3x daily, so my total dosage for the day was 1.5mgs. I used a pill cutter to cut my .5mg pills into fours, making four .125mg "slices" and I tapered by .125mg every 2 weeks, sometimes holding longer. Once I got down to .125mg for my daily 3 doses, I started cutting by 0.0625mg (cutting the .125mg slices into two) because my symptoms became too intense to start jumping at .125mg. I didn't go the liquid taper route because I thought it would be too much work, and I felt crossing over to a longer acting benzo was a waist of time because in my mind I thought, I'm gonna go through withdrawal anyway, and I didn't know if a longer acting benzo would really make symptoms less intense, plus switching over would take time and I didn't want to be on the benzo any longer than I had to be, so I decided to taper from Xanax. However, I've read posts where liquid titration helps with symptoms, and switching over to a longer acting benzo might also help withdrawal symptoms to come on gradually rather than suddenly like with a shorter acting benzo. It will be up to you how to proceed.

Have you looked at the forums for both taper methods and read posts on how each method works for other buddies? I can't really give any advice because I stuck to the Withdrawal support board most of my taper. Whatever method you decide to choose, what counts is that you're deciding to taper.

(sorry to hack your thread, Jorgan!)