Looking for Buddies - LT High dose Xanax direct taper 1/2 way there!

In the meantime, can I send you another newbie?  We can work together on this by watching for newbies looking for Xanax taper help on the Taper Board and linking them to this support group.

 

I'm going to send Bproof over to this thread for support, okay?  Taper help is fairly brief, support is important and ongoing.

I think we need to change the name of the group. Something like "Xanax issues and support."

 

Let's try that, see how it goes. If we do move to support groups, we could pull it back if it starts to die out. It has been very difficult to get a xanax board going. I think there are 2 or 3 now, would be nice perhaps to have one group.

 

Thanks for helping make these board "fly," Challis.

 

 

In the meantime, can I send you another newbie?  We can work together on this by watching for newbies looking for Xanax taper help on the Taper Board and linking them to this support group.

 

I'm going to send Bproof over to this thread for support, okay?  Taper help is fairly brief, support is important and ongoing.

 

Sounds good to me! Thanks. challis! 

Well I did already move it earlier today, but I can always un-move it.

 

The Xanax thread I tapered on had many hundreds of pages before it died out. We all scouted the boards and pulled in new people, sometimes with a link in our signatures to make it easier to find.

 

Had someone not found me still in Introductions, I might be there to this day. 

Challis

 

 

As I said, the move is fine, will have to monitor if the thread stays active. Really would like to change the name to something more open and generic, as I suggested (Xanax issues and support.) The existing name is very specific, a general "This is a Xanax support group for all issues," would attract more people, (but not a name that long.)

To be honest, this took me a few minutes to find. 

 

Doesn't look like it's getting anymore traction over here. I do hope that Julia (off of here for a bit due to moving), Pearl and others are able to find it. Although the name is the same, it now shows that there are zero posts and that it's started by Challis which could be confusing for some who are accustomed to logging on and looking for this in its old place. Especially since there haven't been any posts for members to get notifications that would lead them right here.

 

Any chance we could move it back?

 

Lori

 

Challis, could you change the name to a generic one?

 

Thanks

This is for LadyLake, who PM'd me.

I direct people who might need my sort of support to my Blog. Eastcoast's Trip. Its under "Buddie Blogs."

Lady, I would like to help you. I have been through so darn much and managed to survive. Just as you WILL. My Blog is also my second Success Story. Long story on why that is so and it doesn't matter, anyway.

Yes. Fear was my absolute worst symptom. OMG, it was truly awful, total, complete, terror and irrational fear of EVERY SINGLE THING. My own hair scared me, my cats scared me, vegatables scared me. I remember standing in my kitchen, feeling absolutely LOATHE to pare a carrot! I laugh about this now but back then it was anything BUT funny. Normal sounds scared me, like the ticking of a wall clock. It sounded so loud and somehow ominous. I took the batteries out of all of them. When my AC kicked on, I felt utter terror at that normal noise. God almighty, what we people go through, all of it due to tiny pills we thought were so harmless.

 

Lady, visit me on my Blog. Anything you tell me stays with me only, but of course a Blog IS a public thing. I try to handle sensitive issues diplomatically. And kindly. I have never resorted to petty infighting stuff on the

forum.

east (Annie, who is one tough cookie no matter what happens to me here or anywhere! I firmly believe that the GOOD are rewarded in time and the BAD is not.)

I don’t mean to differ, but I’m just 34 days into a direct Xanax taper, and I find that so many threads are about other benzos which are longer half-life benzos.  My doc won’t switch me, so I’m really interested in reading about others experience with Xanax tapers specifically. 

Challis

 

 

As I said, the move is fine, will have to monitor if the thread stays active. Really would like to change the name to something more open and generic, as I suggested (Xanax issues and support.) The existing name is very specific, a general "This is a Xanax support group for all issues," would attract more people, (but not a name that long.)

 

Someone tried that (Xanax support group) a few weeks ago and it didn't attract anyone. I tried it awhile back as well. That's how we all ended up here which was working. Hence, my thought? This has been active for 6 months. Don't fix it if it isn't broken?

 

Fondly,

Lori

LadyLake I'm doing a xanax liquid microtaper. It's doable. I had a setback when I decided to rush because I thought I was close to the end and I wanted to be done before a trip to Paris that I planned. Oops. I ended up re-instating.

 

I'm also on 10 mg ambien. My doctor is still prescribing it, but I want to lower the dose. Especially because I'm losing weight (dieting) and it's starting to seem like too high a dose. I sleep for 10 hours and I'm all groggy in the morning now. I wasn't like that last year when I was 20 pounds heavier. So I'm holding my xanax taper at 0.4 mg per day (dosed 4 times per day), and yesterday I cut my ambien to 7.5 mg. We'll see how it goes. My goal is to get to 5 mg ambien a night. Not sure I want to get rid of the ambien totally, because I sleep horribly. The ambien is nice because I sleep the whole night through with few dreams.

 

And, like you, I'm on metoprolol, but 100 mg twice a day. My blood pressure was getting bad, but now it seems under control. In fact, I'm starting to think it's too low, sometimes lower than 90 over 60.

 

A xanax taper is doable. But I recommend the liquid micro taper.

I don't mean to differ, but I'm just 34 days into a direct Xanax taper, and I find that so many threads are about other benzos which are longer half-life benzos.  My doc won’t switch me, so I’m really interested in reading about others experience with Xanax tapers specifically.

 

 

My pdoc and I tried crossovers 3 times, each was abysmal. The Valium was the worst. You could have an entirely different outcome, but that is just my FYI.

 

If you do convince your provider to try a crossover, leave the door open to go back to xanax if it does not work.

Challis

 

 

As I said, the move is fine, will have to monitor if the thread stays active. Really would like to change the name to something more open and generic, as I suggested (Xanax issues and support.) The existing name is very specific, a general "This is a Xanax support group for all issues," would attract more people, (but not a name that long.)

 

Someone tried that (Xanax support group) a few weeks ago and it didn't attract anyone. I tried it awhile back as well. That's how we all ended up here which was working. Hence, my thought? This has been active for 6 months. Don't fix it if it isn't broken?

 

Fondly,

Lori

 

 

Appreciate your concern. We desperately need a xanax support group. I, too, tried making a new one. As this group had the most posts, it seemed logical to promote it.

 

I think the name is a big issue, and have made Challis aware of this. Let's try and get the name changed to a super generic title and see how it goes.

 

Challis very much wants this group to succeed, she really does care and is trying to make it attractive and viable. She does send people with xanax questions over here, something we can all do as we run across queries.

 

Let's see if we can get the name changed and give it a chance in this new forum.

 

And, your and everyone Else's input is always welcome and respected by the BB team.

 

 

Is this forum still active? I’m new and trying to figure this all out. On Xanax 2 mg daily (one dose) for 6 years. Doctor doesn’t know much but I have made my first cut to 1.75 mg and feel a little sick. I’m afraid to keep cutting by .25 mg because it is too fast but he said this is all it comes in. I’ve heard about liquids but he hasn’t and I don’t know how to do that (and am traveling in January out of the country so can’t take liquid stuff probably). How are people getting these smaller doses? I really don’t want to switch to a different benzo and want to try to hold at this dose for a while to see if I feel all the way better (mostly symptoms appear between doses and I feel okay at dose time) but I can’t cut so big again. The doctor is not helpful with smaller doses. How are people doing this with Xanax? Please help!

Is this forum still active? I’m new and trying to figure this all out. On Xanax 2 mg daily (one dose) for 6 years. Doctor doesn’t know much but I have made my first cut to 1.75 mg and feel a little sick. I’m afraid to keep cutting by .25 mg because it is too fast but he said this is all it comes in. I’ve heard about liquids but he hasn’t and I don’t know how to do that (and am traveling in January out of the country so can’t take liquid stuff probably). How are people getting these smaller doses? I really don’t want to switch to a different benzo and want to try to hold at this dose for a while to see if I feel all the way better (mostly symptoms appear between doses and I feel okay at dose time) but I can’t cut so big again. The doctor is not helpful with smaller doses. How are people doing this with Xanax? Please help!

 

Fortunately, this is an easy fix. To reduce other than .25, there are 2 methods, both are in this link:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=56.0

 

The methods are at the top as information sheets, the question sections beneath those.

 

You can use liquid titration, or cutting your pills and weighing them with a gram scale. Most cutting involves shaving off the desired percentage of a pill, and using the gram scale to get it right. Gram scales start at $30 on Amazon.

 

Personally, I cut the pills down using a gram scale, I actually have 2 scales, to double check my numbers as I cut. I tried liquid titration, it didn't work very well for me. Others prefer titration. You could try both. People using very small amounts tend to prefer liquid titration, but it's really up to you to discover what method works best.

 

This is why you see so many people making very small cuts as they taper, they use one of these methods.

 

 

 

Hi all! Sorry, have been busy with three cousins visiting from out of state. Haven’t checked in here as much the last few days.

 

Let’s brainstorm a new name for the group that catches Xanax folks’ attention.

 

I’ll throw out a few:

 

Buddy Support for Xanax Taper and Recovery

 

Join Us Here for Xanax Support

 

Calling All Xanax Buddies for Support!

 

Bye-Bye to Xanax Support Group

 

Yoo hoo! Calling All Xanax Buddies!

 

 

I think "xanax" should be the first word.

 

My proposal: Xanax Taper Support

 

 

All things Xanax taper and recovery

 

 

(I think we need to include recovery in the title, not just tapering. Dealing with the withdraw will be most of the posts and queries, then crossovers and tapering questions. It's inclusive of all those issues. I like "All Things", again, it suggests a wide scope of issues.)

Sorry I've been MIA... its been a very rough 10 days!

 

My Dad had a stroke 10 days ago. It was devastating and obviously very unexpected as he's been in otherwise great health! My two sisters and I have been helping my mom, until last Tuesday my older sister broke her foot and then this past Friday, my younger sisters daughter was taken to the ER with a torn ACL.  This has been insanity!

 

My lovely colonoscopy and upper endoscopy had to be rescheduled and the only day available is the day before Thanksgiving which totally messes up my vacation time with my son. Ugh! When it rains it pours. As all can imagine, symptoms have ramped up! Staying at .5 was intolerable with the stress of the past 10 days. I updosed twice because I NEEDED sleep in order to keep doing the trip to the hospital. And I've been all over the place at .5675 and 2 days of .625. It's just so frustrating. I want to get back on track!

 

As far as the move to this thread?  I don't think it's working. Zero traction.  Can we move this back so that Kristin, Pearl, Julia, et. All can find it?  someone is welcome to try again to start a new thread with a better name. I'd just prefer to keep this going since it helped me a lot when I created it many months ago.

 

Hope all are doing well!

 

Lori

Lori!

Oh my goodness that does sound like insanity. I am so sorry you are going through all that. Hopefully everyone heals soon and life can get back to “normal”.  How is your dad doing now? 

 

With everything going on the updoses are totally understandable. From what I understand from reading these boards that as long as it’s a one time thing you can go right back to where you were. But I’m sure you know that. I know you’ve done this before 😊

 

I haven’t been on this thread for a while it’s been so inactive. Not sure why. Have you heard from Julia?

 

I’ve tapered down to .81mg. And Should be at .75 in a few days (doing liquid titration). I had a rough time for a bit but it seems to be a little better for now. I actually slept 8 hours last night. I can’t remember that last time that happened. When I woke up and looked at the clock I was shocked.

 

I’d love to hear updates from our other members. Please check in and let us k ow how you’re doing.

 

Hugs

Pearl

I just want to chime in.  I don’t really have an opinion about the name, other than it should have Xanax in there somewhere.  I have wanted to post some things I’ve been dealing with, in my taper, and I think these things are unique to Xanax tapering and recovery.  So...let me know what you all decide....so I can follow! 

Hey everyone!

 

I’m good with whatever you want to call the thread and wherever you want to file it. I just want more people to post.

 

I hope everyone is doing well!

 

Hugs

As you can see on my signature, I only just started my taper, but doc tapered me quickly to 50% of what my maintenance dose was.  I have been holding at 1.5 mg per day, (.5 mg every 6-7 hours), for about 10 days now.  I have felt some panic and anxiety try to creep in, and have talked myself out of them fairly easily.  Biggest complaint right now, is the belly issues.  Bloating, and uncomfortable rib cage.  My sleep is pretty much the same as when I was taking the “z” drug.  I am staying at this dose another week, then planning a .25 mg reduction around October 15.  So far, things haven’t been horrible....but very time consuming.  😊

Lady Lake,

 

I’m sure the belly issues and sore rib cage are not fun. But I’m glad it’s not horrible.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned how time consuming it is. I think that is the hardest thing to wrap my head around. I’ve been doing this for over a year now and I have so much time left. It’s like a roller coaster that never stops. Also I used to only dose once a day and back in April I made a cut that was too big and my body forced me to dose 4 times a day to keep the withdrawal away.

 

Are you dictating the .25mg cut or is your doctor. I only made one at the very beginning when I was up at 2mg. It was fine but I’d think it would be harder at a lower dose.

 

Keep us posted on your progress and how you’re feeling.

 

Take care!

Pearl

Hey peps. Lori, so sorry for all the stress in your life. Just popping in.