Fear of the Fear Tapering Zanax against my Will

In the mid 80's I was having trouble sleeping.  After working full time at a county courthouse and being a new mom, I began to have trouble sleeping.  A MD prescribed me xanax.  I developed an illness that ended me in the hospital twice within 3 wks.  Originally diagnosed meningitis, then MS and lastly, encephalitis.  All the 5 drs that saw me, really would not say for sure

  After 3 decades, my MD said he was stopping writing prescriptions for all controlled substances.  He told me to see a phychiatrist, that it was more easy for them to write prescriptions for benzodiazepines.  I've been seeing the physchiatrist for over a year.  However, my last two apts I've seen a PA who says they required to stop prescribing controlled substances.  In 3 wks I go back knowing the PA is going to decrease my dosage in half for one month and will do the same the following month.  I'm in a state of fear before the fear.  The USA FDA must be telling the drs to stop the prescriptions.

 

Hello Helpless in Alabama, Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

I'm so sorry you're facing this, many are concerned this will happen to them too, so they've joined our forum in order to get ahead of what their Dr's decide.  Can you tell us a little bit more about your situation, what dose are you on and how often you take it?

 

We can help you taper from this drug, perhaps if you show your Dr a plan for your withdrawal from the drug, he'll work with a bit longer allowing you to complete a taper.  Have a look at the  Planning Your Withdrawal (Taper Plans) board, there you'll see the methods we support and when you're ready, you can start a thread asking our members for suggestions.

 

You might also want to take a look at  The Ashton Manual, it can help educate you and hopefully your Dr about what you could be facing if withdrawn too quickly.

 

Are you experiencing any inter-dose withdrawal or symptoms from being on the drug so long?

 

Please let us know how we can help you.

 

Pamster

While your situation is far from idea, I believe that there are strategies you can employ to reduce the 'hits' from the 50% reductions that your doctor is proposing.  For example, if you immediately begin a 2% per day reduction, the meds you will receive could cover you for at least through a somewhat accelerated (2% per day) taper. 

Thanks for the replies.  I was on xanax 1mg 4x a day until about 3yrs ago.  My md reduced to 1mg 3x a day and that's what I'm prescribed now.  I'm just not ready to deal with withdrawals at this time.  When I'm ready and not being forced to come off the benzo then it may be possible for me to do it.  I just know I can't come off the drug the way the pa's are doing.  One pa said she didn't want to lose her license so she has to do the taper as she was instructed.  I was doing ok for what is normal for me.  I'm having fear and anger just knowing what the pa is going to do in 3 wks.  I'm afraid what has happened in the past (trying to come off) will happen again.  I just don't know what will happen.

 

For the sake of our membership, all references to self-harm and/or harming others have been removed from your recent post.

Please click on this link if you are thinking about suicide, self-harm, or harming others: Self-Harm/Ideation (Revised)[/i]

 

Hi Helpless,

 

I can tell you're upset and now that I know you've tried to taper before, I can understand why you're so upset, you know how withdrawing from these drugs feels. 

 

How can we help you?

 

Pamster

Being forced into withdrawal is upsetting.  The prospect of this exact situation is what inspired me to take the leap of faith and get started.  My doctor said she wouldn’t increase my dose and indicated she might start lowering it in the (unspecified) future. I didn’t want that, I wanted to control it myself.  So I started tapering before I was forced to.

 

It sounds like you’re not going to have much choice in this.  I agree with Badsocref that I’d want to get a jump on it before being forced to cut by 50%.  Having control over it by cutting a little each day is going to be far easier than a 50% cut.

 

I’d urge you to click the link to the Ashton Manual that Pamster has provided and read through it.  We strongly recommend taking the taper schedule to your doctor in hopes this will show her the need to take this slowly.