Xanax Free!

Finished my taper on Sunday and am now over 72 hours since my last dose!!  :) Nothing new has cropped up, if anything the head pains have lessened. Still have some internal shakiness and other mild symptoms that are annoying when I feel them. Not sure what to expect from here, but really expected worse than this. Hesitant to get my hopes up, but remaining optimistic! If anything, I really hope people don't read some of the horror stories here and take them to heart...try not to be scared. I had worked myself up a little bit over the jump for nothing.

Congratulations and I pray it continues to get better for you.

Jem...... congratulations for being Xanax free. This is a big accomplishment for you. Hoping and praying for a speedy and smooth recovery!

 

Hugs and blessings to you my dear!

Pi

 

 

Congrats and glad to hear you're doing well!  I also noticed that my headache was gone immediately after my last dose of Xanax...it had been 24/7 for weeks and disappeared the first full day off.

 

Thanks everyone! Challis, I remembered you said something about them going away after you stopped taking them.

 

I guess now it's just a matter of waiting until the symptoms are gone...

:)omg I needed to read this today. Thank you for sharing!!!

Congrats. . .I read your timeline for quitting.  I am hopeful that your story will be my story too. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you coming on here with this great news. It really does make a difference with those us suffering with hope issues.

Today makes 8 days free. I have had one, what I would consider a rough day so far. Afternoon anxiety got me on day 4. I still have some head pain that seems to be lessening with each day, the internal shakiness that comes and goes, still shedding my hair, (really can't wait for that to stop). Still get a weird feeling in my face and mouth at times. So far sleeping okay (about 6 hours). My sleep drastically improved the lower my doses got too. I overall felt better the closer to 0 I got too. I'm really hoping that makes 100% healing come sooner rather than later. I'm glad my story is helping others. I don't come on here much because some of the threads can be too much. Have faith, trust your own strength and distraction is huge. I pulled off a big family cookout yesterday for my family and 2 months ago that would've never happened. Pray, trust in God and keep moving forward. The only way out of it, is through it. 

Sounds like you're doing great! Congrats to you!!

Today makes 8 days free. I have had one, what I would consider a rough day so far. Afternoon anxiety got me on day 4. I still have some head pain that seems to be lessening with each day, the internal shakiness that comes and goes, still shedding my hair, (really can't wait for that to stop). Still get a weird feeling in my face and mouth at times. So far sleeping okay (about 6 hours). My sleep drastically improved the lower my doses got too. I overall felt better the closer to 0 I got too. I'm really hoping that makes 100% healing come sooner rather than later. I'm glad my story is helping others. I don't come on here much because some of the threads can be too much. Have faith, trust your own strength and distraction is huge. I pulled off a big family cookout yesterday for my family and 2 months ago that would've never happened. Pray, trust in God and keep moving forward. The only way out of it, is through it. 

 

Hello and thank you for the smile today!!! Your post was so uplifting. When you got below .25 how did you measure your doses?

Today makes 8 days free. I have had one, what I would consider a rough day so far. Afternoon anxiety got me on day 4. I still have some head pain that seems to be lessening with each day, the internal shakiness that comes and goes, still shedding my hair, (really can't wait for that to stop). Still get a weird feeling in my face and mouth at times. So far sleeping okay (about 6 hours). My sleep drastically improved the lower my doses got too. I overall felt better the closer to 0 I got too. I'm really hoping that makes 100% healing come sooner rather than later. I'm glad my story is helping others. I don't come on here much because some of the threads can be too much. Have faith, trust your own strength and distraction is huge. I pulled off a big family cookout yesterday for my family and 2 months ago that would've never happened. Pray, trust in God and keep moving forward. The only way out of it, is through it. 

 

Hello and thank you for the smile today!!! Your post was so uplifting. When you got below .25 how did you measure your doses?

 

I used a pill cutter and cut the tablets into quarters. I had a super pharmacist at Rite Aid who called around to other pharmacies trying to find the round .25mg pills. The ovals were really hard to cut. I got scared about dropping by a whole quarter one week and cut my quarters in half. I cut every 10 days usually except for the very beginning, the middle when I had a horrific sinus infection and the end when I held the last dose for 12 days. I can say that I'm still glad I cut this way and didn't cross over or titrate. It wasn't easy, but I'm so glad to be off of them now!

 

So glad to be able to help you smile!

Thank you Jem!

Yesterday was 2 weeks and today is day 15 post-jump. I had a couple of emotional days on Friday and Saturday. Felt kind of irritable and ended up in arguments with my husband which prompted the crying. Aside from that, still feeling mostly the same...the internal shakiness doesn't seem as strong. I think I screwed up yesterday by eating a bean burrito from taco Bell. I had a really good day yesterday, but then hot super flushed in the face come about 6pm and my BP was up a little bit. I had BP issues early on in this process, but it got to running about 102/66 so the doctor took me off of the 5mg Amlodopine at the beginning of May. It's been running normal ever since. But then had that episode last night, (138/89). I'm not sure if that normal or what, but by later in the evening it was back down to 120/74. Still have the hair falling out issue, I've just accepted that at this point and making the best of it. I grocery shopped yesterday by myself...2 stores. Put groceries away, cleaned my house and did laundry. I've been continuing to live life as much as possible. I took 1 week off from work when I jumped just to be precautionary. It ended up not being eventful at all, but I still enjoyed having the week off! My job can be super stressful, so it was nice being home for a few days. I'll continue to keep y'all posted! Hoping for another good week! Thanks for all of the support and I hope to continue to help others.

I am officially 3 weeks away from my last dose and on day 22. I am having a lot more moments where I actually feel kind of like myself. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights I slept 6-7 hours straight through! Last night I had a hard time falling asleep, but finally nodded off at about 1:20 and slept until 6:30-7. I'll still take that. I refuse to take anymore sleeping aids. I haven't taken any melatonin since before I jumped. I was taking maybe 1mg once or twice a week prior to jumping as needed. I went to a festival and a couple other events on Saturday and really enjoyed my time there. I'm building up my walking and would ideally be up to a couple miles a day by next month. I am still drinking one cup of 1/2 caff coffee in the morning and have a cup of decaf in the evening. I have expanded my eating a little to include thing I haven't been eating for the past 4 months and so far the only thing I believe that caused a reaction was a burrito from Taco Bell last weekend. I won't be making a run for the border for at least another year! LOL

 

I am still experiencing hair loss, which is difficult to deal with some days. I just keep telling myself that there isn't anything I can do about it, and it is what it is. Everyone says it's not very noticeable, but I can definitely see it. I really wish I knew when that would stop!

 

I still have occasional head pains that are random with no real rhyme or reason. I had about a dozen what I would call "brain zaps" on Wednesday that really kind of freaked me out, but I just kept telling myself that my brain is rewiring. I haven't had anymore of those since. *knocking on wood*

 

I still get strange either lump or burning feeling in my throat from time to time, it's definitely less than it once was.

 

I get flushing in my face occasionally and I feel as though my body's thermostat is out of wack sometimes. I can either be freezing cold or burning up...no real reason behind it. All of this is less too though. It's not nearly as often as it was.

 

I get upper back/shoulder and neck tightness occasionally still, but also less frequently.

 

I haven't noticed the internal shakiness as much this week either.

 

I am cooking more and doing normal activities more too. I still work, which I guess ultimately I'm grateful for. There were days when I didn't want to, but it's good for passing time and distraction.

 

I take one multi-vitamin and 2000mg of Omega3 (Fish Oil) per day.

 

Overall I believe the more I don't pay attention to the symptoms, the less I notice them. I also believe they're lessening with each day and I'm grateful to feel healing taking place! This whole experience has strengthened my relationship with God and encouraged me to fill my soul with the Spirit. I pray all the time and I resumed going to church. I'm truly blessed and thank God all the time for being by my side through this.

 

I'm thankful to have found this site too! Some of the inspirational things I have read from others I have repeated to myself at times and it's really helped. 

 

 

Day 29/Week 4 - Post Jump Update:

 

Not much has changed since last week. There were a couple of nights where I had a hard time falling asleep, but once I did I was out for the night. I'm still losing my hair, which brought upon a breakdown last Wednesday evening. I just sat and bawled. It didn't help that brain zaps visited again earlier in the day. I've had 2 days of those since I jumped. The past two Wednesdays. I can't make sense of it? I've had an increased awareness of the back/neck tightness and kind of nerve burning sensations this week as well in my back and head. I keep trying to tell myself that it's all signs of healing. I'm still grateful that the Xanax is in the rearview mirror, and that with each day I'm getting further and further away from it.

 

I've always been kind of on the heavy side, but I treasured my hair because it was the one thing I really always felt good about. I think that's why the hair thing is so hard to face everyday. I try to tell myself that it's not permanent.  :'(

 

I'm still going to work and even had a job interview this past week. Where I work, I'm alone everyday and have been for the past 2.5 months. Some people would say I'm lucky, but I miss working around people. 9 hours a day/5 days a week alone with your thoughts can be tough. I have been fishing and to the grocery store and swimming at the pool. I'm still continuing with life even in the midst of this. I keep hoping that the next 4 weeks will bring even more healing. I really want to be as close as possible to 100% by my son's first football game this fall. This will be his senior year. He's my last 'baby' and I want to be 100% present for all of the things this year will bring for him.

 

Thanks again to everyone for the encouragement and advice. I'm glad to have found this site and will update my progress when I can.

 

Mandy 

how're things for you these days Mandy?

I just found your thread and was excited to read about how well your taper went. 

It's always encouraging to read about things going relatively well.

I know it has been easy, but it's beengood -- you're off!

Hope the hair loss had stopped and that all those blips of sxs are getting better.

SS

how're things for you these days Mandy?

I just found your thread and was excited to read about how well your taper went. 

It's always encouraging to read about things going relatively well.

I know it has been easy, but it's beengood -- you're off!

Hope the hair loss had stopped and that all those blips of sxs are getting better.

SS

 

Well next Monday will be the 3 month mark since my last dose. Overall, I'd say I'm still improving. Today isn't such a great one. The weird head pains/funny feeling and nerve burning in my spine are really putting up a fight today.

 

I'm kind of disappointed that I'm not further along in the healing process yet. I know that it's still early in the grand scheme of things, but I had really hoped to be mostly symptom free by now. I'm grateful and blessed for the progress that has taken place this far though.

 

Sadly, the hair loss is still present. Not sure if it's as bad though. Hoping that stops soon too.

 

Still living life and pushing forward...bad days are definitely difficult though. I'd like to just cry...it's so very frustrating. I know that everyone going through this experiences all of those emotions too.

 

Thanks for checking in. 

Yes I can imagine it's disappointing to not be further along in the healing -- but you are off! So if popular BB culture is accurate, because you did a sensible taper, you are now healing at a rate that is faster than it's been throughout the taper.

Your story even with its bumps right now sure hold hope for those of us still tapering -- or at least for me 

May this day go well and tomorrow better...

:smitten:

SS