Can someone give advice for a .5 xanax taper? It's so low it can't be bad right?

Has anyone tapered off a .5 xanax, one time a night, off and on for years, but more lately in the past three-four weeks and almost daily?  It's not gong to be bad, right?  Should I really switch over to Valium for such a low amount? Sorry if I'm delusional, it's the only escape I have from severe trauma over this whole thing.

 

 

 

Xanax: .5 mg for several years inconsistently.  In the past few weeks it has been every day, with some days off and some days switching to Tempazemam 30 mg.

Psychotropic drug slammed into me in an ER for a headache which caused acute severe akethesia two weeks ago. Haven't been the same since.  I heard it may be my Xanax.

Anyone?  I just don't know how to do this because I didn't take it every night, more like 3-5 times a week!

Anyone?  I just don't know how to do this because I didn't take it every night, more like 3-5 times a week!

 

 

You never know what will happen. I had a friend who only took as needed until she wasn't taking any at all. she stepped off very easily.

Hi whyohwhy

 

I have read about cases where buddies tapered after 2, 3 weeks of benzo use. As the time they take benzo seems reasonably (?) short, they have decided to taper fast (Eg: 15%/week). Unfortunately symptoms have been destabilizing in many cases.

 

As you were on Xanax on and off for years before taking it almost daily during the last month combined with the use of a psychotropic drug as Tempazemam, I fear the combination could turn the taper more complex. I would suggest a regular, kind and slow taper with reduction between 5-10% every 10-14 days.

 

As for the Xanax (0.5 mg/day), it is known to have a rather short half-life elimination. Did you happen to feel inter-dose withdrawal between 2 doses? If yes, have you ever considered to split the dose to 2 instead of a cross-over to Valium? For you information, Xanax (Alprazolam) is 20 times more powerful than Valium (Diazepam) and 0.5 mg of Xanax is equivalent to 10 mg of Valium. It is NOT a small amount. Some people needed 8-9 months to taper off this quantity.

 

Hope I answered your question.

I would start tapering. see if you can tolerate larger cuts and get off fast . If you start to have symptoms you will have to do a slower taper

Why oh why

How did you do?  Any progress?  It’s very scary at first.

linnie I have seen at least one person talk about tapering off quickly without getting symptoms during their taper and then have some PAWS complications. This may be overly cautious, but....

Matt

 

Why did they get PAWS are you saying after they jumped. I’m having symptoms for sure but I recover. I realize I can have relapses in symptoms. But I’d rather do it without Xanax than with.

 

Thanks.

 

How’s your taper. Are you going to create your history below?

Hi Kristin Yes it is Lynn M who says she had a relatively symptom free rapid taper and then had symptoms afterwards. I have no idea wehat is up and down here, but just trying to relay some stories that are out there

 

I went gluten free and low carb. My appetite seems decent, but my weight loss the last week is like 10 lbs It does not seem possible I have had some diarrhea issues with a BP medicine. Worried that I am not absorbing calories or something Considering going back to higher carbs but really don't want to I have had an acid reflux problem and it feels like my throat is closing more than ever. Feeling like I can get through if things don't get a lot worse, but some of the waking up at night I feel strangely for a half hour or so before I can get relaxed again

 

Thanks for asking

Hi WhyOhWhy,

I was in a similar situation as you.  I Knew that Xanax has a 6-8 hour half-life, and wanting to stick with "the devil I knew" instead of switching to Valium, I spread out my dose to 3X/day and even up-dosed .25, just so I could start at a consistent .25mg/dose 3X/day for a total of .75  I had to resolve the fact that I was dependent, and my get my PVCs under control before starting.

 

The first half I tapered bigger and faster than the last half, as cut percentages became a bigger part of the remainder, so I've cut smaller.  I'm now in my 6th month of steady tapering.  The intra-dose sx I have are moderate and tolerable at my slow rate.  I could technically jump now, and probably suffer for a few months with windows and waves, but I have learned how to cope pretty well with my tapering process, so I will just continue until I'm at zero.  I expect I will still have small waves and windows for a few months after hitting zero, but maybe not?  I'm almost down to one-sixth of my starting dose in early March.

 

.5mg of xanax is not a small dose.  Fortunately, it's not huge either.  The most important thing for me is to keep feeling optimistic and trudge on.

Hi I am interested in how you did your Xanax taper. I want to go slow but do not want to add another benzo I’m ots place. Did you cut the dry pills or use a liquid taper? Did you issolve it in water or what liquid if so??

People are generally dry cutting if they are reducing their dose by .25 mg

Not a doctor but I may consider one every other day.  Then jump off. 

Hey everyone. Update here.  Soooooo......I was on some other boards who advised me that the occasional Temazepam (30mg) i had been taking might be causing withdrawal.  Even though I literally took it once a week, with some two times a week.  And the last week....ok, it was three.  And that was INSTEAD of the Xanax .5.  But because the Temazepam was at a higher equivalency, they thought maybe that was causing some of my odd symptoms such as high panic in the mornings, burning legs, jelly legs and inability to function and get out of bed before noon. 

I don't want to passover the fact that i was indeed also suffering from the psychotropic antipsychotic I got for a headache in the ER on June 27.  So below is what I have done.

I am much more functional....but......yes, in further over my head.  It's going to be a balancing act as to whether I get off and now and show some more of damage done by the antipsychotic injection AND give me benzo withdrawals from 3 months use of a benzo at this point. 

I won't show any of my despair here, but you know it.

 

.5 Xanax OR 30 mg Temazepam on occasion, for sleep only, for 4 years.  Same bottle of pills.  It was fine

.5 Xanax every night around middle of June OR a Temazepam 30 mg (Temazepam 1 or 2 times per week)

June 27 CNS damage from ER Satan's injection of Compazine

June 28- July 9 .5 Xanax every night OR Temazepam 30mg, prob used Temazepam instead 3 times the last week because I could not sleep after damage

July 9 Stopped

July 14 reinstated .25 Xanax not Temazepam, bec how do you reinstate a sometimes pill instead of another??

July 16 reinstated .5 xanax

Last week somewhere thereabout of July, updosed to .75 xanax trying to account somewhat for the 30 mg Temazepam that I possibly was feeling still

August 16 Divided up my doses into .5 at night so I can get at least 2-3 hours of sleep (haven't gotten much more than that since the injection).....and .125 at 9Am and .125 at 2AM to try and calm down the POSSIBLE interdose withdrawals i was getting.

Waiting to stabilize to possibly start my taper. 

 

 

 

July 16 reinstated .5 xanax

Last week somewhere thereabout of July, updosed to .75 xanax trying to account somewhat for the 30 mg Temazepam that I possibly was feeling still

August 16 Divided up my doses into .5 at night so I can get at least 2-3 hours of sleep (haven't gotten much more than that since the injection).....and .125 at 9Am and .125 at 2AM to try and calm down the POSSIBLE interdose withdrawals i was getting.

Waiting to stabilize to possibly start my taper.

 

Hi Why,

I think you are wise to stabilize before you start tapering.  I recommend that you try to use the same amount of Xanax for all 3 doses (.25), and space them exactly 8 hours apart.  That will give your brain a standard to get used to, then you can systematically drop each dose after the appropriate stabilization period.  That will cause a few days of challenge with sleep etc. but I think it will payoff.  If you choose this course, I would also recommend once you feel stable the first time, you maybe hold there for an extra while (1-3 weeks longer), just to be sure your brain has stabilized and recovered from the anti-psychotic.  Plus, just feeling fairly good for a few weeks helps when the cutting process creates some bad waves, because it reminds you that the pattern works:  Stabilize, cut, suffer, stabilize.  From there, it's just wash, rinse, repeat.  Be patient!

Thank you....I will try and dec my night time dose and even them out a bit more.  I want to start tapering, but need to figure out how.  It's all so confusing. 

I am in your exact situation. This is my day 4.  I have taken .5 Xanax to wind down and sleep, for so long!  I’m not sure how much to take. I’m mad at myself,scared,feel unglued,about to throw something. I broke 1 tablet into 4 pieces and today I am going to just take 3 spaced out. Diarrhea is awful. I hope someone sees this message and answers. I’m feeling so unhappy.

Yeah, i'm still so confused.  Have no idea how to start tapering, don't want to use alcohol for liquid taper, don't want to use propylene glycol either.  I want to dry cut but have no idea how. I need to hurry up. It's been three months!

Yeah, i'm still so confused.  Have no idea how to start tapering, don't want to use alcohol for liquid taper, don't want to use propylene glycol either.  I want to dry cut but have no idea how. I need to hurry up. It's been three months!

 

I'm using soy milk to do a liquid taper.  You have a lot of options actually for the liquid.  Some people use regular milk or almond milk.  You just need a liquid with some fat in it. 

There is a 25 dollar scale that makes dry cutting a lot easier

Thank you, kind people.  I actually was very smart my whole life, with papers to prove it....but am not currently.    It all looks so confusing.