Alprazolam 1mg Tapering

Hello everyone,

About five month ago I started taking Alprazolam because of lack of sleep when I was sick due to my tonsils. I was prescribed 1mg of Alprazolam before sleeping. I often find my self using it ever since but never have I've done it every day since first starting it. Though I have used it for multiple days and sometimes it's the whole 1mg or other times just half of it which I am guessing would be the equivalent of .5 mg. Recently, I've had horrible back pack and horrible nausea. I don't know if it's directly because of Alprazolam my suspicion is that it might be. I've recently gone to urgent care and ER because of the back pain and done blood test and urine test but everything has be fine on that end. I want to stop taking Alprazolam.

My question is, how do I go about this? I've been taking Alprazolam  for about 5 months no more than 1mg, sometimes half of it. Ever since starting, I've gone days without using it, but then a few weeks, about two, where I use it nightly. The only time I use it is when going to sleep. I would love some help. I feel extremely nauseous. What would be the ideal dosage and schedule of tapering considering the amount I take and at the time I take it at?

Also, I recently started taking Fluoxetine since a few years ago I was diagnosed with anxiety. I've been on it for 5 days but felt the nausea for almost a month. Will fluoxetine make things worst or help? If you have the time, I recently made an introduction explaining with further detail about what is going on with me but I am here only for tapering answers. Thank you so much for the help!

I believe the first thing you need to do is to get on a steady daily dose, whether its 1mg, .5 or perhaps .75, it's important to have a stable blood serum level. 

Most people who take Xanax dose more than once a day because the half life is so short, they begin to experience interdose withdrawal, have you noticed symptoms at certain times of the day?

As for the Fluoxetine, it may help you through this if you're prone to depression since this process causes it but it won't provide much relief from any other symptoms. 

It's important to understand that dependency can occur whether or not you take it every day.  5 months of intermittent and sometimes daily use is enough to become dependent.  Dependency can occur in as little as 2 weeks.  Your dose is .5 to 1 mg.  So you go up and down and on and off the benzo. 

Your symptoms can be interdose withdrawals.  This means you are dependent on the dose you now take and your body wants more in between.  Taking more will deepen the dependency.  Tapering off the benzo is your best solution.

As Pamster says, you need to stabilize on one daily dose amount.  Taking different doses on and off is very confusing to your system.  So, choose a dose, take it every day and stabilize as best you can on it.  After a time, perhaps a month?  then begin to taper off at 10% each 10 days to 2 weeks. 

Your symptoms may remain or may lessen as your system adapts. 

I believe the first thing you need to do is to get on a steady daily dose, whether its 1mg, .5 or perhaps .75, it's important to have a stable blood serum level. 

 

Most people who take Xanax dose more than once a day because the half life is so short, they begin to experience interdose withdrawal, have you noticed symptoms at certain times of the day?

 

As for the Fluoxetine, it may help you through this if you're prone to depression since this process causes it but it won't provide much relief from any other symptoms.

Thank you so much for the valuable information. It means a lot. I've only noticed symptoms recently, about 3 weeks ago. Before that, never. I believe that getting to a daily dose is the best option right now so I can start off from somewhere and then decrease. I only take Fluoxetine because of anxiety. About 8 years ago I would get panic attacks and that's when I started taking it but then felt good enough to stop it. It came back this year though not the panic attacks, just anxiety. Plus, I think xanax has made it worse. Again, thank you!. I found this website yesterday and have read plenty since then. You're always there answering questions and helping everyone out. I want to take a moment and appreciate what you do.

It's important to understand that dependency can occur whether or not you take it every day.  5 months of intermittent and sometimes daily use is enough to become dependent.  Dependency can occur in as little as 2 weeks.  Your dose is .5 to 1 mg.  So you go up and down and on and off the benzo. 

 

Your symptoms can be interdose withdrawals.  This means you are dependent on the dose you now take and your body wants more in between.  Taking more will deepen the dependency.  Tapering off the benzo is your best solution.

 

As Pamster says, you need to stabilize on one daily dose amount.  Taking different doses on and off is very confusing to your system.  So, choose a dose, take it every day and stabilize as best you can on it.  After a time, perhaps a month?  then begin to taper off at 10% each 10 days to 2 weeks. 

 

Your symptoms may remain or may lessen as your system adapts.  .

I will try this! I do believe that I need to stabilize on one daily dose amount and lower it from there. So if i understood correctly, take the .5 of Alprazolam nightly for a month, and decrease by 10 percent from 10 days to 2 weeks or as my body feels its right? Thank you for your time! 

I believe the first thing you need to do is to get on a steady daily dose, whether its 1mg, .5 or perhaps .75, it's important to have a stable blood serum level. 

 

Most people who take Xanax dose more than once a day because the half life is so short, they begin to experience interdose withdrawal, have you noticed symptoms at certain times of the day?

 

As for the Fluoxetine, it may help you through this if you're prone to depression since this process causes it but it won't provide much relief from any other symptoms.

 

Thank you so much for the valuable information. It means a lot. I've only noticed symptoms recently, about 3 weeks ago. Before that, never. I believe that getting to a daily dose is the best option right now so I can start off from somewhere and then decrease. I only take Fluoxetine because of anxiety. About 8 years ago I would get panic attacks and that's when I started taking it but then felt good enough to stop it. It came back this year though not the panic attacks, just anxiety. Plus, I think xanax has made it worse. Again, thank you!. I found this website yesterday and have read plenty since then. You're always there answering questions and helping everyone out. I want to take a moment and appreciate what you do.

Thank you for the acknowledgment.    I wanted to let you know that once our body becomes tolerant to the drug, it begins to cause the things we went on it to fix such as anxiety, insomnia and panic, only it's 10 times worse than normal.

I'm glad you're educating yourself, a full understanding of this process helps diminish the fear it engenders.

Yes.  Once you feel more stable and on one same daily dose, reduce by no more than 10% of that dose.  Hold that new dose for 10 days to 2 weeks.  Then reduce again from that dose 10%.  Reduce from each concurrent new dose by 10%, and not from the start dose.  Base your taper on symptoms, too.  If you do not feel ready to reduce, then hold another week, or reduce by less.  Expect symptoms. 

In order to reduce by 10% you will need to make a liquid version.  Perhaps your doctor will prescribe it in a liquid form for you. 

There are many people on these boards who know how to do this.  You can post a question as to how to do this, and you will get help.

Most doctors are not benzo wise.  They do not know how to taper people.