xanax tolerance

hi everyone- I have been on daily xanax for a few years, and twice daily for the last year and half and have recently developed a tolerance for it and am already having awful withdrawal symptoms. haven't even started tapering yet which I am meeting with my doc next week about.

I feel like I am in a nitemare and can't wait to be off this drug and know it is going to be a long process.

I'm frustrated and scared and angry that this is happening, I didn't even know this tolerance thing could happen so rapidly.

I never knew about it which is maddening to say the least.

anyways, hoping to find others here who may have experienced this even before the taper.

and looking for tips on what can help, which I will look through the forum for.

thankful for this place.

I hit that tollerance thing and started having withdrawl symptoms during the day within 2 months! It can start very fast. I have a feeling only reason you didnt feel it sooner is because you were dosing twice a day. I was just taking it once a night.  Many experience it, many dont. I switched over to Valium to put a stop to it.  Could be something you consider.  Within a few days all the anxiety went away...that was just me though but it works well for many switching over to V if Xanax is causing them to having withdrawls.

thank you for sharing this. this is what I am hoping my doc will have me do, switch to V but I am not confident he is going to because he has been known to not really listen to me in the past.

it is absolute hell having these symptoms already, even before tapering.

I don't even know how to manage functioning and going to work etc....

I was starting to have interdose withdrawal even months ago, I actually said something to him about it, how I wasn't feeling well between doses and all he said was to play around with when I take them.

never mentioned this tolerance thing.

had I known this could happen I would have been much more reluctant to be on it for this long.

it's helpful to hear others stories, thank you again!

 

I hope your doctor will be receptive, Xanax is a rough one to taper from, most of our members will take 4 doses a day to stave off interdose. 

thank you, I hope so too.

I am having such a hard time as it is trying to figure out what time of day to take my doses which don’t do much but get me at least to a bit of a baseline where I’m not having a panic attack or feeling completely out of body. and trying to function enough to go to work and do things.

I just completed the forms my doc sent to fill out before the appointment.

in the last few weeks have you felt…..

well the answer to each question is yes every damn day.

I hope he takes this seriously.

I am worried he might try to put me on something else like gabapentin or some other drug.

it sounds like a switch to diazepam might be my best bet. here’s hoping.

really appreciate any sharing, comments, venting…. it helps.

I feel absolutely nuts and so sick.

thank you all

Its rare to find a doctor who understands what we face.  They can recognize our suffering and want to help so they offer comfort medications but the trouble is, they don't work for all of us and come with a risk of another dependency but worse than that is the setback some experience because of the comfort medication. 

 

I hope you can be the one who can educate your doctor, I hope he's willing to listen, its so important how we approach our doctors, I wonder if this website might offer some pointers? https://benzoreform.org/speaking-with-your-medical-provider/

I found my Dr. resistant to switch me over to valium as well. She wrinkled up her nose when i mentioned it, and said "yuk why would you want to switch over to that? I thought you wanted to get off these things? " almost kind of a guilt reaction by her on me because she didnt understand it. Unfortunately Dr.s have big egos. They dont want to do what the patient asks because of it. In my case i was very lucky because she let me talk to her about my past, how i was 10 years ago in this same situation and had a Dr. that switched me over to valium because of the interdose withdrawls and how i was able to get off of these drugs and it helped me so much to switch over to V.  She shrugged her shoulders in the end and said, ok its up to you...then wrote me a script. She had no idea how to taper off so i gently explained to her how to do it (with the crossover and tapering part) she seemed defeated but said ok and just went with it. Well now that im down to 6MG V she seems to be happy that its working, her confidence level is up about it. So its all good. Hopefully you can find a benzo wise Dr., ive had luck with NDs.

thank you all for the replies! it helps!

I certainly hope he will listen. these last few days have been pure hell. I feel awful and it’s so hard to figure out when to take my 2 doses and factor in when they will wear off (and they mostly just get me to a sort of ok baseline, enough to go to work)- but I am beyond frustrated right now thinking about starting to taper.

I was thinking maybe if for now I cut my two .5 doses each in half and take 4 through the day maybe that would help with the severity of the interdose withdrawal? oh I don’t know.

I do know it’s so helpful to talk to others that get it.

I feel like I am going crazy!

Most Xanax users will dose 4 times a day but be aware, when you make the change your body will feel it as a reduction, hopefully you'll level out soon.  Try to keep on a schedule, you already know when your body expects the medication so try to establish a new routine.

you mean breaking up the two doses into 4 right?

I was thinking of trying that out today

thanks!

Yes, please let us know how it goes.

ok today i’m going to try to break up my 2 doses into 4

just took half a dose now and will again in about 5 hours or so

and see if this helps the awful interdose withdrawal

thanks all for the support!

Remember you may feel worse before you feel better.

Hi Through the forest ,

 

I hope that by dosing four times a day that that will help you with the  interdose withdrawal. I know exactly how you feel, it does make you feel like you're going crazy. Also, I hope your doctor understands and is willing to transition you over to diazepam.

Best wishes..

For me the thought of tapering for months on Xanax just wasnt doable...i wasnt functioning. I was having not only bad anxiety and every other symptom during the day but was becoming paranoid and had rage and crying fits and was really losing it. I was getting very close to having to check myself into a detox place even though i know thats the last place to go i needed to get off the xanax and fast and needed to be in someplace that wouldnt allow me to leave and get alcohol or hurt myself or others....all that from taking .5 a night for 4 months. Valium for me at least literally saved me from all that. No it wasnt easy crossing over but it can be done and once i just allowed it to do its thing i felt completely back to normal within a week. Xanax for some of us is literally poison if taken daily for a good amount of time.

I appreciate the replies! and so sorry you all have suffered from this too.

spitfire- I can relate to that, I was crying all weekend and felt incapacitated but also ready to go check myself in somewhere, it's been literal torture.

switching to 4 doses has been a little bit helpful, and exhausting.

wanted to update you all that I met with my psychiatrist this am and he suggested I switch to Klonopin which I will start on Thurs since I am off work Thurs and Friday (and the weekend, which I have fun plans for but may need to cancel depending how it goes, that is a bummer but at least I have that cushion of 4 days off)

I have no idea how this will go- he wants me to take 1mg K in am and 1mg K at night and then in between if I feel I need to, can take a xanax, guess depending if I feel major withdrawal from that one.

I hope to look into the whole cross over thing but if anyone has suggestions on this, I appreciate it.

I felt relieved his suggestion was a longer half life benzo to eventually taper off.

this xanax is no joke!

What is your current dose of Xanax?  Could you put your medication history into your signature so we can see at a glance what your situation is?  Add  your history/signature

I think it should now be in my signature. it's so hard for me to figure this forum out with how foggy I've been, sorry!

my current dose of xanax is .5mg twice a day (for a year and half) but since my interdose withdrawal I have sometimes taken 3 doses in a day and skipped one here and there to make up for it.

he prescribed me 1mg Klonopin twice a day, I am starting Thursday.

he said I can take half or whole xanax in between there is I have intense withdrawal from it.

but I think more so, to switch over to K and then taper from there once I adjust.

 

Thank you for filling out your signature but I have to tell you that Klonopin is the same strength as Xanax so he's doubled your dose and authorized you to take additional Xanax doses! https://clincalc.com/Benzodiazepine/

oh no! I guess I figured because it's a longer half life I would be able to adjust to K and then taper off that since I am having such intense interdose withdrawals (about every 5-6 hours)

I wonder if I should try .5mg K (just to get off the xanax, which I am going to try to just stop taking)

I'm hoping your cross to Klonopin will help you but you should expect to feel differently on it, at least that's what other members have said so don't worry if it takes a few days to adjust to it.  You'll not want to begin your taper until you've stabilized.

 

For the sake of a smoother transition, you might want to ease into it by taking your .5 dose of Xanax, then take .5 of Klonopin for your second dose for a few days.  Members will typically say when withdrawing from Klonopin, they'll begin to notice symptoms from a reduction about 2-5 days later and they typically stabilize around day 10 so there are differences between the two medications.