Xanax Withdrawal

[Cara422]

I am on my third day of going off Xanax. I normally take .5 twice daily and have been for 3 years. Three days ago, I started taking only .5 once daily and then from Feb 3-9, I will take .5 every second day and then off.

Im going through severe withdrawal, especially today. I am alone and need to hear some suggestions on any ways to help me get through this. This is the worst day of my life. How can a doctor perscribe a medicine for three years when it should only be taken for up to 3 months???  And I didnt know that. Everything possible is happening to me.

[SophieShine]

Nope I'm not sorry at all, I remember all too well everything you describe....and if I can help you in any way, that's a small victory to me...
Now, you'll have to get yourself some stuff here. Go to the health pages and read the amino acid protocol, tons of good info there.
For the "crazy" legs, get yourself an electrical blanket and use it as often as you can. Take lots of good showers too, use the pulse position and massage the legs, if you have a tub, even better.
The food stuff is a little hard, I used to make myself banana shakes, it's full of potassium. Quit the coffee and drink as much green tea as you can. Lots of fluid.
For the sleep, get yourself some melatonine, it's cheap and works pretty good. You take it and go to bed immediately.
If you can try to exercise, it was a life savior to me even if you think it is complete madness, a little walk helps already...
Music did great too to keep the mood positive, crank your fave music all the way up!!!
Advil for the headache, Imodium for the diarrhea and for the rest give it some time. Your brain needs to adjust.
Did you consider seeing an addiction specialist for your tapering plan? What you're doing is making you go thru hell and it's not necessary, WD's of benzos are hard enough!!! Switching you to a long acting benzo would be much easier...
Hang in there....
xoxoxo. sophie.

[Cara422]

Shaking, very tired, pains in heart and left arm, numbness in face, stiffness in neck and especially jaw and throat - I think is muscles contracting, electric shock sensation that makes my head and arms jump off bed, sweating, no appetite, rash under eyes and sensitive to light, diarrhea, pains in stomach, crying, spasms in my head and body, feeling like I'm going crazy, off balance - yesterday I was walking up my hallway and I would walk to the left bumping into wall. I did it again to see what would happen and same thing - I had no control; brain fog, dry mouth - so bad I can't swallow; headaches, disoriented, thoughts of dying. I sleep well because I take one pill before bed, but during the day I am going through withdrawals. The further along in the day, the worse I get.

Sophie, aren't you sorry you asked???

[SophieShine]

Sweetie, what is it that you feel? what kinda wd's do you have? Maybe I can help making them not as hard.......

[Cara422]

I am beginning anther day of withdrawal and I can already feel my body turning into this monster. My night dosage helps me get through the night but by this time in the morning, I'm into more withdrawal symptoms. I hope it is not as bad as yesterday. omg!!! I can't wait for tonight.

I just want to thank everyone for your comments. Just seeing your remarks helps me because I know that somewhere out there are people who care. No one seems to understand - not even doctors - this is the loneliest I have ever felt. I will follow what you have said because I know deep inside me, you are right. Thank you.

Cara422

[troubleinohio]

i agree with the other responses you've gotten...that is too fast a taper for how long you've been on it. Write your doctor a letter if he doesnt seem to understand the serious implications of benzo WD.  I actually did that with my doctor last year. He was going to cut me CT off xanax after having been on it.....for....oh my god...its probably around 20 years now Ive been on it!!! I wrote him an informative letter. Not threatening in any way, but at the same time let him know that it is dangerous to take a patient off this type of medication abruptly and that it must be done very slowly. After reading my letter, he wrote me a brand new RX for it and still has me on it, nearly a year later. Im still cutting down on my usage of it. I dont abuse it, never did. (My drug of choice was vicodin) but it doesnt matter if you abuse xanax or take it as instructed- you cant just hop off it like you can with some other drugs. Anyhow, i would either write a letter to your doctor or have a good sit down talk with him/her and see if he/she will employ a better tapering plan for you. Good luck and glad you found this site.

[SophieShine]

This is way too fast!!! And your dr didn't switch you on a long acting benzo like Valium???
I know that your dosage is pretty low but you take it for 3 years. Your body needs much more time to adapt to the new dosage!
Is there a way for you to see an addiction specialist that knows a little about benzos?
In the meantime, if you wanna educate yourself about Xanax here's a site which is seen by many as the reference : http://www.benzo.org.uk/
And here are some examples of tapering plans, you'll see that the dosage have nothing to do with yours, but it'll give you a good idea of what a real tapering plan looks like. What your dr is doing, IMO, is insane....
http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm#s7
I don't wanna sound harsh or anything but I'm finishing a long benzo tapering plan myself and it makes me really mad to see how some dr's are just plain ignorant!!! I'm so blessed to have a good one even if I gotta kick his butt once in a while!!! lol
Please take care keep posting...
sophie.

[avisg]

if you are feeling alot of wd i would slow it down either that or explain to your doctor that you are having alot of WD and ask him if it would be wise to cslow it down

[Cara422]

Thanks for your comment - I am going by my doctor's instructions and feel like this is too fast also. I don't know if I should continue doing this or drop. I'm confused.

[avisg]

Slow down you should be cutting down a quater  of your dose every two weeks its gives your body time adust between drops...