I went to two Doctors and got two different answers. - I'm confused on what to-d

I've been taking 1-2mg of Xanax for the past 4-5 months for sleep, and i'm starting to notice unusual symptoms when i try to cut from the dosage. I get really itchy all over my body, and i have alot of anxiety. I went to get two different doctors opinions today...

 

I saw my psychiatrist this morning and he told me that 1-2mg is a very small dosage for 4-5 months and that i can just go cold turkey. He told me to take Remeron and Gabapentin for symptoms of WD and it should go away in a week. This kinda scared me because everybody talks about how going cold turkey can be bad for the health. I was hoping he would let me taper off the drug, but he said there is no reason to try to cure my problem with the same drug.

 

I went to a 2nd doctor today that works at an out-patient rehab center. It was very expensive to even talk to the doctor. ($350.00) He told me that because i might have an underlining medical condition that the withdrawal might be bad for my health, and he prescribed me klonopin 0.5mg and some Gabapentin and told me to come back in a week to see if i feel any better, and maybe i can taper from the klonopin. The next visit is going to cost me $150.00 by the way... 

 

I'm very confused, and i don't really know what todo... I was really hoping a doctor would just let me taper gradually from the  1 - 2mg.

 

What do you all think?

I'm sorry you got the run around at great expense. You are a brave and strong person to be trying to do the best thing for your health! I know it isnt easy.

 

I'm not a doctor, so I cant tell you what to do, I can only tell you what I learned from my experience. I was also prescribed klonopin initially for sleep and was eventually told I had a "worsening anxiety disorder". After being off the drugs I know that wasnt true. Benzos can cause lots of crazy symptoms, I remember a success story where itching and hives was a big problem for the person- so you arent imagining it.

 

In my opinion 2 mg of xanax is not a small dose. It is approximately equivalent to 40 mg of valium. A few months is plenty of time to develop a strong dependency. If your current prescriber is willing to continue prescribing the xanax, I wouldnt follow either of the doctors suggestions. You can taper directly from xanax without substituting. Many here have done it and can help you with a taper plan. I strongly suggest you dont add any new medications to the mix. I did it and ended up with more complicated withdrawal as a result.

 

Before you start the taper it is a good idea to stabilize on a daily (can be spread throughout the day if needed) dose. You might need to experiment to see where your stable dose is, closer to 1mg a day or 2. Once you arent fluctuating you will be in a better position to taper. Obviously it would be nice to have less to taper, but if your stable dose is more like 2 mg at this point, there is no need to shortchange yourself as it could make the taper more difficult.

 

It terms of what to do, I would direct taper the xanax, in terms of how to do that- others can advise better as that is the one benzo I never took. Take a look at how others have done it and post on the general taper board if you have questions.

 

Good luck! You can do this!

JKS

Thank you for the advice. The issue i'm running into is that I've seen three doctors so far and none of them will prescribe me xanax. I'm really lost on what to-do. I have methods of getting Xanax off the web, but i don't know what they put in it because all of them are pressed by some random stranger. Could i goto the ER to get more xanax? Or should i go doctor shopping? Most doctor i see are terrified to prescribe someone xanax.

Will the doc who originally prescribed it no longer prescribe the Xanax? I do not think online or the ER is a reasonable choice for supplying Xanax for your taper. You want to reduce stress as much as possible, and to do this properly may take several months.

 

I found general practitioners to be the most helpful during my taper. If there is someone you already have a relationship with, or someone in your family does- you could take them the relevant sections of the Ashton manual and talk about whether they would support you in tapering.

 

Good luck

JKS

Thank you for the advice. The issue i'm running into is that I've seen three doctors so far and none of them will prescribe me xanax. I'm really lost on what to-do. I have methods of getting Xanax off the web, but i don't know what they put in it because all of them are pressed by some random stranger. Could i goto the ER to get more xanax? Or should i go doctor shopping? Most doctor i see are terrified to prescribe someone xanax.

 

Hello dshojaei3311-

 

I am sorry you are having a difficult time finding a doctor to support your taper. I would strongly suggest you try again with your current prescribing Dr. or keep looking until you find one that will support your taper.

 

In case you are not aware of the Forum Rules we do not condone our members posting about illicit ways of obtaining Benzodiazapines. Please familiarize yourself with our rules & guidelines & refrain from making these types of posts in the future.

 

You must not knowingly post contributions that violate the laws of the United Kingdom, the United States of America, nor the laws of your own country.

 

Your cooperation is much appreciated!

 

Bella

I wouldn´t switch to clonazepam ...

 

If you do not have a history (I don´t see a signature), perhaps a quick direct taper is best. Maybe you can even get away with a CT. I would suggest not taking those extra drugs, certainly not to begin with. You´re in the UK and they want to push those drugs ?

 

I´ve read reports about fake Xanax being sold on ´the streets´ in the UK. No comment from me on the web.

It seems fair that a doc would support a brief (weeks, 1 or 2 months ?) direct taper. Have you tried a private doctor, outside the NHS ?

 

 

DO NOT C/T!!! I repeat DO NOT C/T. I took benzos for a mere 2 weeks and suffered horrifying acute symptoms, convulsions, anxiety, adrenaline surge just 2 days after C/T. You’ve been on them for months!

 

You need to find a doctor who will help you in your taper.

The dose you are on is NOT small, and if you are taking it daily, you should not cold turkey.  I would see another psych.  The other doc sounds like he just wants to keep the gravy train rolling...

Like the others said Do not CT.  I would stay away from clonesepin too.

I wanted to chime in. Dealing with more of, this forum vs. what professionals are saying. I'm at .25 mg twice a day and they are like .... you're practically off of xanax. The psychiatrists told me they wouldn't even help tapering, just upping my dose or maintaining the drug? My MD says to see how the .25 mg twice a day does for two weeks and maybe go to .25 for two weeks then stop. Also i'm a heavy drinker who has tapered immensely , both told me a lot of the WD's i'm experiencing are from that, not the xanax.

That's bullshit.  Dropping .5mg Xanax is like dropping 8mg Valium.  That's definitely something you want to slow taper off of, especially given the short half life of Xanax.