I need support. I’m afraid.

I am relatively new here, and so far have been dealing with tapering well.  Right now I have many stressors in my life....soon to welcome my only grandchild.  My doc is trying to taper me off Xanax very quickly, and I’m curious.  Do longer half- life benzos have less of a seizure risk?  Does anyone have anecdotal evidence that Xanax is particularly susceptible to seizure?  I have an opportunity to switch docs, at a considerable cost increase, but have been told that a longer half-life medicine could help me get away from benzos completely.  Am I listening to “Snake Oil Salesmen”?

Well, if the longer half-life medicine is Valium or Klonopin, those are both benzodiazepines. Any other class of medication will not take the place of a benzodiazepine.

 

So...can you taper all the way off of Xanax without crossing to Valium? Yes. I did it slowly, taking 9 months to taper 2mg. I was afraid to try a new medication.  Though I have never taken Valium, I’ve read here that it tends to be sedating and depressing, especially at first. It takes awhile to cross from a short-acting benzodiazepine to a long-acting benzodiazepine.

 

 

During my taper I had only anxiety and insomnia. When stress hit, I held my dose for awhile.  During the holidays I held from Thanksgiving until New Year’s. It didn’t hurt a bit, I easily picked up my taper after the new year.

 

If you’re doing okay so far, I’d keep going, only I’d make the cuts as small as I could IF your doc will cooperate. It may be worth a switch to a new doctor but I’d make certain the new doctor will prescribe before taking that step.  Doctors are under pressure to get their patients off benzodiazepines these days.

 

 

Challis99-

I’m not dealing with horrible sxs, but the time and energy involved in dosing is depressing.  I’m so disparaged that I can’t just stop taking this medicine.  I feel so alone, since there is not a big activity for peop”e dealing with Xanax withdrawal, as apposed to other benzos.  I feel so alone.  My primary doc is willing to give me Valium, but only for 7 days.  She thinks if I do a crossover, it will shorten my taper.  I’m so confused, and I am also impatient to get off these things.  Right now, I’m feeling like a game of Russian roulette.  My doc won’t equip me with lower dose Xanax, and he wants me to “jump”at .25 mg per day.  I’m just scared.  And I feel alone, since so many people have 5e opportunity to do crossovers, and I can’t trust my doc.  I’m sorry.  I am just at a loss to describe what I’m feeling.

There are actually quite a few tapering Xanax, I’ve been posting to many of them lately with the influx of the Lisa Ling CNN special.  Baddove and Lori are a few of the Xanax taperers who’ve been here awhile.

 

Are you still at .5mg 3 times a day? Last cut was September 27th, are you feeling up to a .125mg cut now? That would be 1/4th of one of your three doses.

Challis99-

Yesterday I took the plunge and cut .25 mg, so I’m taking .5 mg morning, .25 mg early afternoon, and .5 mg before bed.  I actually slept almost 5 hours last night, which is a HUGE deal for me!  I barely got that much sleep when taking Ambien.  I’m going to continue to plod on....I just feel so alone in this fight, and I’m not even having horrible sxs right now.  Just some shaky hands, and facial flushing from anxiety, but as I have said, I EXPECTED to have anxiety and other mild sxs, so I really can’t complain.  When I read about people tapering from longer half-life benzos, it sometimes seems like there are benzos....and then there are Xanax.  2 different beasts.  Please know.....I’m really trying to stay positive during this, but the investment of time, basically being forced to feel like crap, that is a difficult “pill to swallow”. (Sorry...but PUN INTENDED)!  ☺️

Good pun.

 

Your taper isn’t necessarily going to be as difficult as some you’re reading about.  You’re doing it properly and that’s the key. You’re also not alone, you have your pups and a grandbaby on the way. Lots to look forward to, and someday, when this is behind you, you may find the doctor did you a favor by doing this.  I know it doesn’t seem so right now, but benzodiazepines are powerful drugs that cause a lot of problems we sometimes aren’t even aware of until we look back later on.

 

Take care...you’re also not alone on this withdrawal journey. We’re here, this community is behind you all the way.

I would not worry much about seizures. They are fairly rare, and usually happen in people who also drank alcohol or used street drugs. Yes, they are possible, but not so much for you or me.

You are on your way now! That is a wonderful thing. I already sense a lightening in your mood, and your willingness to proceed. No matter how yucky you feel, you can and will get through this mess.

BIG HUG!!!!

east

I believe switching to a longer half-life medication is referenced in the Ashton Manual as an effective way to taper. If I were you though, I would stay the course as you said you are able to tolerate it currently. You can always keep that option your back pocket just in case  As for seizures, I also believe they are rare and if you made it past acute you should be okay. However, if you can minimize 'screen time' do that. I basically stopped watching TV entirely and rarely look at my phone. I substituted reading and playing guitar which is less strain on my eyes, an exercise in mindfulness and a tool to rebuild cognition.

 

na-