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Just started withdrawal


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I have been taking Xanax XR .5 for the last six months.  I realized that it was causing me problems and upon my doctor's advice tapered off by taking one half for a week.  I was feeling better.  Than 48 hours after I totally withdrew from the drug I am experiencing a difficult withdrawal.

 

 

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Hello Reallyhealing,

 

Welcome to Benzo Buddies!  Whoa, that was a fast taper, pretty much a cold turkey. I'm not surprised that you are feeling strong withdrawal symptoms now.  Did your doctor suggest this quick taper?  I also went cold turkey, for a medical test, so I know how brutal it can be.

 

Tapering benzos should actually be done slowly so that the central nervous system can adjust to the reduction of the medication. It is suggested to taper no more than 5-10% every 10-14 days.  You are off the benzos now and in the acute phase of withdrawal where the symptoms can be the strongest. With time, these effects will ease up. We have a dedicated board for those who have undergone cold turkey, detox or rapid withdrawal. I'll give you a link to that board where you can communicate to others in the same situation as yourself.

 

I'll also give you a link to the Ashton Manual. While it discusses tapering in detail, it also gives good information about the withdrawal process in general. The manual was written by Dr. Heather Ashton, an expert in the field.

 

Try to remember that what you are feeling is temporary.  Benzos make such significant changes to the central nervous system that it takes a while for the system to reset, to find balance once again. We'll be here to support you as you recover, we understand what you are going through. Please ask questions, we're here to help.

 

Cold Turkey, Detox & Rapid Withdrawal

 

The Ashton Manual

 

 

pianogirl  :)

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My doctor recommended it.

 

Now that I am off should i stay off or would taking a small dose like a quarter of a tablet make things better and then taper slower?

 

 

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My doctor recommended it.

 

Now that I am off should i stay off or would taking a small dose like a quarter of a tablet make things better and then taper slower?

 

That depends.  How long have you been off xanax?  There is a window for reinstatement, generally thought to be no more than 2-3 weeks.  There is no guarantee that reinstatement will work, sometimes it does, other times it does not. If you decide to reinstate and then taper slowly, it's best to reinstate to the lowest dose that alleviates some of the withdrawal symptoms. From that point it would be good to stabilize before beginning a slow and sensible taper.

 

pianogirl

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I have been off Xanax XR for three days. However, while I was on the drug, when the dose would wear off, I would show signs of tolerance/withdrawal, so I don't know if going back on would help so much. 

 

While I am sure it is different for every person, is there a  usual period of how long the acute phase lasts?

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I have been off Xanax XR for three days. However, while I was on the drug, when the dose would wear off, I would show signs of tolerance/withdrawal, so I don't know if going back on would help so much. 

 

While I am sure it is different for every person, is there a  usual period of how long the acute phase lasts?

 

3 days is still very early off. Just as length of recovery varies per person, so does the length of withdrawal. My worst symptoms lasted probably 2-3 weeks, but others lingered for a longer period.  Because we are all different genetically and how we process medications, you can not compare one withdrawal to another.

 

Xanax has a very short half life so feeling withdrawal between doses is very common.

 

It's early days for you, try to distract from the symptoms as much as possible. That was what I did to get through the rough spots.

 

pianogirl  :smitten:

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