Looking for Xanax taper insight

So far my taper is this

Before BB from 12/3 started with .50 once a day then went down to .25. After all this stuff hit I was taking 1-1.5 mg day at really bad times. Regulated for the past 2-3 weeks on .5 mg twice daily.

4/14 CT  did not go for me. for 36 hrs I felt great then Bam! Blurred vision couldn't see to even work. Nausea..... most of you know the rest

Trying .25 mg day stretching the time out. So far The worst seems to be the 40 min up to hour and half after dose.

4/16 .25 twice a day 7:41 apart  Slept fine

4/17 .25 twice a day 7:27 apart Woke with anxiety and BAD indigestion. Only slept 5 hours.

4/18 .25 twice a day. 8:58 apart Late morning dose had total melt down Bad symptoms until 4 pm. Last dose 6:45 tonight

Not sure if this makes sense or if I can expect things to get worse.

LongForSun, hi and I understand where you are with the Xanax and after reading your post I felt you need to find a level of stability, I had this issue myself. It took me quite some time and bad days to find the right starting point.

You said in your post 'Regulated for the past 2-3 weeks on .5 mg twice daily.' I picked up on this and maybe this is a good place to start although I was not sure if the 0.5mg was a full daily dose or twice daily meant 1mg per day? Xanax has a short half life and I took four or five doses a day to keep the drug level as stable as I could in my system. I am using a vodka titration mix and this works for me.

Its a tough time these early days and I am sure that soon some more worldly wise Buddies will appear soon to guide you through this, they certainty did for me and I will always be grateful for their support. Bless you in your journey.

Northern Boy

I was at 5 mg twice a day for 2-3 weeks.  Then tried CT and failed. I was literally a ball of mush on the floor.

I am trying .25 mg 2 times a day.  Tonight is a rough one. hoping I do sleep.

I have to start someplace. I thought about the switch to V. I have an apt with my doc Tuesday. Hoping he is supportive of all this. I read your progress and like you as long as I am busy doing something it is all manageable. But if this is too extreme a jump then I can start maybe with the 3 doses of .25 and try again.  I was on X for a very short time 15 years ago. Only .25 maybe every day or so for maybe two weeks.  Stopping was not an issue.  This time though. UGH.  In the last few months I thought I surely had a heart issue and the indigestion is crazy. As of March 1 Quit Alcohol of any kind, no dairy sugar or wheat. Probiotics have helped. I no longer sleep sitting up.  I have an apt tomorrow with a cardio. More for piece of mind than anything.

It sounds like you've already learned one of our most valuable tools, distraction!  You'll need to keep employing this as you taper and after you're off of the drug until your brain heals from the damage done by this drug.

So glad you stopped the alcohol, it works on the same part of the brain as benzo's do so this is why they give benzo's to alcoholics in detox, it's best to stay away from it until long after you get off the drug.  I've seen too many suffer trying to return to it too early.

Do I need to time my doses?

  Like the same time everyday.  I am finding times that I feel bad like this morning and keep looking at the clock.

I didn't taper but from what I've read it's best to take your doses the same time each day, your brain needs consistency and while reducing the drug doesn't really give it this, we do our best to give it what it needs.

Mornings are bad for most everyone around here, some people will take the larger portion of their dose in the morning.  Xanax has such a short half life, most will dose it several times a day.

Morning,

As Pamster says and especially with short half life benzo's like Xanax a regular and often dose works for me. I started on five times a day, approximately every 4 hours with a break while asleep. As I write this its three times a day so approximately once every 8 hours.

I also agree and find distraction, distraction and a bit more distraction is very helpful. As is some form physical exercise such as for me, gardening, building and moving stuff around. Its about letting the brain and body heal without paying too much attention to what they are doing, Love yourself