Planning on using ashton method and have quetions to taper Xanax

[[Buddie]]

Hi [...]

Could you please update your signature so we could better help you? Add your history/signature


What are currently taking? Only Valium? And what is the 'low dose' you're referring to? When did you start the crossover and how did you feel?

Once we have this info we can better assist and then I can answer the questions you've asked more accurately.

[[Buddie]]

Done thx !

[[Buddie]]

Thanks [...]

I'm still a bit confused about this and your signature:

I have been crossing over to Valium but still dealing with anxiety.

Are you currently on Xanax and Valium and what doses?

[[Buddie]]

Sorry I’m trying to articulate my best. My Dr prescribed me Valium on Friday , 3 days ago. Since then I have been experimenting with when too take what. He prescribed 10mg 4 times a day and essentially said figure it out. I have looked at the Ashton manual but it starts at 6mg and I’m not sure how to convert as my highest ever dose was 2mg strictly at night.

In December 2021 around the 15th i personally decided that I needed to cut back on my xanax as I thought 2mg at night was starting to get too high for my liking .I personally reduced my dose to 1.5mg not thinking much of it. Right at the same time some pretty heavy anxiety inducing things happened in my life and my anxiety got really bad. At that point I started to research benzo withdrawal. I am now convinced that i need to get off of this drug. I immediately went to my pcp and he was a total ____. I then went to a psychiatrist and he told me to take .5mg 3 times a day and added buspar. I have been taking 1.5mg xanax since mid December. Not sure he had a clue Finally found a Dr through benzo coalition who will support me using the Ashton method just not sure how to convert, fast slow, night , morning , then start to reduce.. I naturally have a ,million questions.

[[Buddie]]

I am also crossing over to Valium from Xanax, but Xanax XR. 

Is this correct that you have completely stopped Xanax and are just taking Valium now 10mg 4x daily?  If so, this is NOT good!  I did this a few years ago and failed miserably! 

Start with just switching the evening dose of Xanax to Valium and hold for 2 weeks.  So take .5mg Xanax in the morning, .5mg afternoon and 10mg Valium at night.  Then once you are stable on that, do the same for the afternoon dose for 2 weeks, then the morning dose.  You need to slowly cross over to Valium.  Then once you are stable on the Valium, taper 1mg every 2 weeks. 

That is  how I am doing it and how my Psychiatrist recommended it.  Of course, this is not the only way to do it....you have to do what works best for your body.  Read the Ashton Manuel again for crossing over from Xanax to Valium.  She doesn't recommended you just stop the Xanax, but gradually cross over.

I wish you all the Best in your taper!  I am right there with you!!

[[Buddie]]

I have been mixing the two experimentally .

[[Buddie]]

Thanks for clarifying and sorry for all the questions.

So you've been taking 1.5mg Xanax since December and the last 3 days you've experimented with crossing over to Valium (inconsistently) if I understand correctly?  Now to get back to your first post:

I have been crossing over to Valium but still dealing with anxiety.

This is normal. It takes quite a while for Valium to build up in your system. I doubt you'll feel a big improvement after 3 days.

How bad is it to updose during taper do I reverse all progress immediately?

I don't know if you're talking about updosing now or updosing in general, so I'll give you my perspective on updosing in general. I believe updosing has a place in tapering when your cuts have been too big and you are severely struggling to function. I don't believe you necessarily undo progress when you updose. I have updosed twice when I made a 75% and a 50% cut and I couldn't function. I am very happy about those decisions and haven't regretted it. I then hit a rough patch in my withdrawal about 7 months later but I was able to function despite the intense increase in symptoms so I decided to hold rather than updose. This I believe was the best decision in this instance as I was still able to function.

Will i feel debilitated for the entire duration of my taper. It almost seems more torturous to spend the next year tapering then to just jump and take it as my does is fairly low (i think) really want to do this the right way but also don’t want to put my kids, wife and all around me through misery as well. Any insight appreciated. Is ther any joy during taper ?

Thanks so much

You can be functional during your taper. I have mostly been functional even though it's been difficult. I can for sure say my taper has not been 'torture'. You are not on a low dose Xanax. 1.5mg is equivalent to 30mg Valium. Jumping from here would definitely not be recommended.

Can you tell us how you have been mixing Xanax and Valium the past three days then we can see how we can help you move forward?

[[Buddie]]

I forgot to mention, cooper 5 is right, you need to slowly and consistently cross over to Valium otherwise you'll likely find yourself in a world of pain.

Let us know how we can help you.

[[Buddie]]

I had my appointment with the neurologist today. It was amazing to have him tell me he didnt see a problem with a low dose "forever", but also said I was tapering too fast. I am shaving off a little off my dose every 5-7 days.

I have now dropped to .25 2x a day, 8 am; 8 pm. I do wake up early around 4;45 everyday. BUT i do sleep. I  dont dose at bedtime anymore. I am committed to training my body to fall asleep naturally as it once did. I have a very mild anxiety and a little bit of the jelly leg feeling - plus a weird feeling in my hips - but nothing like the cold turkey i tried in early January before I found this board and figured out what was wrong with me. I still cry every day - mornings. By evening, it's like there's nothing wrong at all.

I will be getting .25 pills a week from friday as my .50 are too big to cut down now without pulverizing them. I will not do any kind of liquid tritiation I will just cut those in half, then ultimately just put more hours, days between the doses. I did read a thing about allowing the brain to have some alprazolam at the end of taper when it "asks for it". we are talking a pediatric dose. I think I will jump off when I am at a quarter of .25 and stable. thats my target anyway.

I feel like this is going to end and am more hopeful. I don't feel the need to act on every anxiety or over react to weird body things. I have learned so much here - mostly to recognize what WD can be and not assign to the symptoms some new phantom disease. I think also learning a certain mindset on managing WD through this community has been invaluable - and not just for benzo issues but in managing just the weirdness of modern life.

[...], thank you. also Kate08, bob7 (?) and all the buddies in here. Im not through it - still in it. But just wanted to say I feel like this is going to end up okay. Not getting cocky. just feel hopeful.

Be well, all of you.

XO [...]

[[Buddie]]

I had my appointment with the neurologist today. It was amazing to have him tell me he didnt see a problem with a low dose "forever", but also said I was tapering too fast. I am shaving off a little off my dose every 5-7 days.

I have now dropped to .25 2x a day, 8 am; 8 pm. I do wake up early around 4;45 everyday. BUT i do sleep. I  dont dose at bedtime anymore. I am committed to training my body to fall asleep naturally as it once did. I have a very mild anxiety and a little bit of the jelly leg feeling - plus a weird feeling in my hips - but nothing like the cold turkey i tried in early January before I found this board and figured out what was wrong with me. I still cry every day - mornings. By evening, it's like there's nothing wrong at all.

I will be getting .25 pills a week from friday as my .50 are too big to cut down now without pulverizing them. I will not do any kind of liquid tritiation I will just cut those in half, then ultimately just put more hours, days between the doses. I did read a thing about allowing the brain to have some alprazolam at the end of taper when it "asks for it". we are talking a pediatric dose. I think I will jump off when I am at a quarter of .25 and stable. thats my target anyway.

I feel like this is going to end and am more hopeful. I don't feel the need to act on every anxiety or over react to weird body things. I have learned so much here - mostly to recognize what WD can be and not assign to the symptoms some new phantom disease. I think also learning a certain mindset on managing WD through this community has been invaluable - and not just for benzo issues but in managing just the weirdness of modern life.

[...], thank you. also Kate08, bob7 (?) and all the buddies in here. Im not through it - still in it. But just wanted to say I feel like this is going to end up okay. Not getting cocky. just feel hopeful.

Be well, all of you.

XO [...]

Your symptoms seem manageable [...] but your mindset is amazing, good for you for educating yourself about the perils of focusing too much on the fear and negativity this process produces. 

Your neurologist sounds like a good partner in your recovery, its good to hear he agrees with a slow taper, although yours is anything but, but if its working for you then that's all we care about.  I'd be interested in hearing about that pediatric dose sometime but don't want to hijack this thread, maybe a PM?