Weaning Off Of Xanax

About Weaning Off Of Xanax

About Weaning Off Of Xanax in Answers

weaning off xanax? How do you taper from 0.5mgs of xanax a day? Some say water titration and others have had success with scrapng the pill a little bit with sandpaper.Of course, I know I have to do either very slowly as I have heart palpitations and other symptoms when I do it too fast. I was on 0.5 3x a day until I slowly tapered myself. But this last pill is definitely the hardest. Any suggestions?

kythriller08 replied: "Get a pill splitter, you can pick one up at any pharmacy and it makes it easy to cut the pill in half, even in quarters, also there is a 0.25mg strength, you may be able to convince your doctor or pharmacist to give you those instead."

terwilligernancy replied: "crush pill with pill crusher. You can buy one at your local pharmacy"

Smokin' Joe replied: "Go to Detox man. They can wean you down from that dose in a very short time while monitoring your safety. You are being smarter than most though so far. Good job so far but if you need to, check out novus detox."

Weaning off .75mg xanax? I was wondering if anyone could help that is/was in a similar situation as I am. I am currently taking .75mg of xanax a day. I am presribed .5mg pills, and I take 3 halves a day. One when I wake up, one mid day, and one in the evening. I want to start weaning off them as I feel a lot better. I know I am on a low dose, but I am SOOOO scared. I can not see my doctor becuase I lost my insurance. I heard that if you cut down .25 mg a week or so, that you will be fine. I just read so much about people having seizures and possibly dying that I am scared to take less. I want to take more just to make sure I am okay! I was going to try to cut out .25 mg of my midday pill but I am just so scared.... can someone please help??

e-Tiggy replied: "Why exactly have you been prescribed Xanax for? Your doctor should adjust your dosage. Keep taking the amount what he/she told you to take as long as he/she said you to do so. Try to get back yourself into some king of health plan and see you doctor asap. Xanax is not Prozac, you can't take it for long periods."

NUNYA B replied: "Sweetie, you need to call your doctor or the nurse and tell them why you're stopping. And ask them how to properly come off of xanax. Not trying to scare you but from what I've heard that can be a tough with drawl. So plz just call your doctor or the nurse and ask. If it's because you lost your insurance she may have something similar on the walmart 4.00 rx program. Best of luck hun"

Mathieu replied: "One important factor is how long you have been taking the Xanax. 0.75 mg is a very small dose as you said. Seizure and other issues will not happen. It is unheard of. If you had taken it for 10 years then their might be a risk. But people who seize almost always took 4 mg or more daily for several months. I have actually read those studies. What you are reading is rare side effects and there are many scary stories you can find online but most people either stopped cold turkey, abused the drug, or took it for years, or took taken with another drug they abused. And it is still only a tiny number of people compared to the number who have taken Xanax without incidence, millions have taken it. It think cutting out the second pill (midday) is the best idea. If you do that you will know very quickly if you will have withdrawal and how badly. You can also call the prescribing doctor. He wrote the prescription and he does have responsibility. When doctors prescribe drugs and problems happen (especially with controlled drugs) the doctor can get into trouble. So you can call. If you stop the middle dose and have little or no problems then you can just stop all of it. Xanax is a drug where withdrawal happens very quickly. If you fell OK after stopping the second dose then you can always take the dose at night only. Then stop. What is important is to understand that your risks are very very very low. And you will not have the major problems. Should anything happen it will be that you will be more anxious for a bit (rebound anxiety). And if that happens just ride it out and it will be done after 2-4 days at worst. And even that is unlikely. But if you obsess after reducing the dose or not taking one dose you will cause your self to become very anxious and even self induce symptoms of withdrawal. So you are best to stop the mid day pill when your are busy. I know you are scared and I know it is scary. I have watched people detox (in hospital), I have watch people detox out of hospital. I have scene and studied it. Withdrawal is a problem with a large dose. And any single dose you have is extremely tiny. People who take ten 2 mg tablets a few times a day will have problems if they stop. And you will certainly not die. It won't happen. You will not seize unless you have uncontrolled epilepsy and have taken Xanax for decades, then you might have a seizure. It's OK to be afraid but taking Xanax simply to not withdraw is an initial sign of addiction. I am not saying you are an addict but that is a early sign of things to come. And if you keep holding off then problems can happen. If you skip that mid day pill and you have problems and you can't cope then call the doctor and worst case go to a hospital. But your dose is so small the drugs used for rapid detox would not be appropriate because your dose its too small. Just try it one time, skip 1 dose. I have studied benzodiazepines a lot. I personally take Xanax XR and occasionally regular Xanax if I have a panic attack. I have been prescribed huge doses (8-12 mg/day) for a month or so on a few occasions, and never had a single issue stopping. I have a very unique perspective of Xanax. All you have to do is skip a dose. Or cut the dose in half for every dose (which I do not recommend). If you have questions email me."

weaning off of xanax for panic disorder? I was told i had a panic disorder about 6 years ago after I had my second child, i was put on many different meds it finally went away, until my last son was born (he's 8 months old now) either way i am on celexa, ambien and xanax (sp) I have heard alot of bad things about xanax and even though i have discussed with my DR that either none of the meds are working because im still having some severe panic attacks and they only tend to come on when im out, like at the mall, grocery shopping ect, almost like a social thing. about a week ago i forced myself to just stay home and stopped the xanax and i shook, sweated, had a huge panic attack, it was awful!! im a huge sleep walker on trazadone, ambien, and a few others so i only take them when i really need them. i just dont want to turn into a junky and nobody seems to understand, i dont understand panic attacks or why i even get them. so any ideas how to wean off the xanax would be great....I am currently on 1mg tabs 3 times a day if anyone is also going through severe anxiety plz im me, im on its just that im hidden.

WhatdidIsay! replied: "I take 2mg of Xanax and when I miss a dose get exactly what you described above. Xanax is a very powerful, addicting medication for anxiety. You need to cut back on your Xanax if you want to stop taking them. You cannot stop cold turkey. I suggest breaking your tabs in half and taking them 3 x a day for awhile and then take a half tab in the morning and a half in the afternoon. Slowly wean yourself off and see how you do. Edit: I just reread your post again and your anxiety is pretty severe. I hate meciation but realize I need the Xanaz to function. If you do wean off it you will need to learn other coping skills to control your anxiety."

*** replied: "Listen to me panic attacks come when your out in public it just seems to happen my worry is you have children and you can't wean yourself off these drugs you need your doctors help. stopping your meds can cause serious side effects and can be very dangerous and you need to care for your children.You take control now call your doctor and tell him you want to gradually stop your meds he will help you . Take control and take care of those children PLEASE"

Tara J replied: "You will need to speak to your doctor to make a tapering schedule and to obtain a prescription for 0.25mg tablets. It's hard to taper gradually with any tablet larger than this. I was taking 0.5mg three times a day and my doctor had me reduce each single dose by 0.125mg every five days. So originally I was taking two 0.25mg tablets three times a day, then I took one and a half 0.25mg tablets three times a day for 5 days, then one 0.25mg tablet three times a day for 5 days, and finally half of a 0.25mg tablet three times a day for 5 days, and then off :) You are on a higher dosage, so like I said you should speak to your doctor. The longer you've been on the medication, most likely the more gradual your doctor will want you to taper. Best wishes <3 EDIT: I forgot to add that I take Effexor XR on a daily basis to control my anxiety and it works very well. My doctor still has prescribed Xanax as needed but I haven't had any panic attacks while on Effexor, so I haven't needed to take the Xanax. My experience has been that Xanax is best for panic attacks, but not really effective for anxiety maintenance."

Is Valium a good drug to use to wean yourself off of xanax? or are there any other drugs that help to avoid wi Is Valium a good drug to use to wean yourself off of xanax? or are there any other drugs that help to avoid the withdrawal effects of getting off xanax or is inevitable that I'll face some withdrawal effects?

mel s replied: "Valium is a good one to switch to: But to very gradually reduce your dose with or without switching to valium here's a tip: you could try scraping your pill once across sandpaper before you take it, for a week, then the second week scrape it twice, and so on until it's half as big then just take a half for a week, then start scraping the half pill and so on until the pill is gone and you're weaned."

what's the best schedule to wean off xanax. I've been taking it for one month on .25 3x per day? a little nervous about withdrawals, and want to do it the best way with little suffering as possible.

Chicklet replied: "I would ask a doctor about this."

countrykarebare replied: "The best way is to take the .25 for one week,then .2o one week,then .15 for a week,then .10,for a week,then .05 fo a week and then you should be able to to cut a .05 in half for a week and by then you will be weaned off ."

Michelle V replied: "One month is really nothing. I had taken it for years for anxiety and panic attacks and recently switched insurance. The new doctor does NOT prescribe xanex. I have not missed it at all. I don't think you will suffer much. If you are worried about weaning off, then week 1 - twice a day, week 2 - once a day and week 3 NONE. Good luck! But I think you will be fine."

WILLOW-the-wisp-guy replied: "this should be medically supervised however this is a very low dose, so ... try two a day for a month then try one have of one and the other half of one a day--for a month--then just sort of drink relaxing herbal teas and be active in sports to work off the nerves: No chocolate coffee coke-a-cola or any other caffeine even in tea. Even in Green tea! NONE! chamomile peppermint and Valerian Root teas are very relaxing and you might get as good an effect with them anyway."

mbronerlpn replied: "Definitely see your doctor before weaning yourself off of Xanax. That's if you had it prescribed by a Dr. If you have anxiety issues, see your doctor as soon as you can. Klonopin might be a batter choice for you it's longer acting than Xanax. If you do want to wean yourself try 25mg in the am and 25 mg in the PM. Maybe 12.5mg in the afternoon if you need it. Just keep decreasing the dose slowly and you shouldn't suffer any withdrawal symptoms. I would still recommend seeing a physician,"

mainecathy replied: "0.25MG twice daily for 1 week then 0.25MG once daily for 1 week then discontinue use Only having taken it for one month shouldn't cause any withdrawal symptoms. Whenever you're changing the way you are taking your medications, you should talk with you doctor."

Xtruckerwannabe replied: "I would contact your doctor. If he/she put you on it, then it is best that your doctor tells you when to terminate it's use. Your doctor will know best. Xtruckerwannabe"

mark f replied: "If you have only taken it for a month you are probably not very dependent/addicted to the drug so withdrawal symptoms should not be too mild. You could join a support group for withdrawing from benzodiazepines. Xanax is a benzodiazepine. Here is the address to the support forum Try breaking the tablets in half for a week or 2 and then breaking them in quarter for a week or 2. If you get any unpleasant mental or physical withdrawal effects then you may have to slow the taper rate down. Good luck."

glorianna replied: "My daughter in law had a real bad time with the withdrawals, but she had been on it longer than you have. I hope you will get off of it though, because it is highly addictive. You did not mention why you wanted to quit taking xanx. Is it not helping, or you just don't to become addicted to it. Please don't delay, get off as quickly as possible. My daughter in law was almost like a zombie while she was on it I wish you could see the change in her today. She looks great , feels so much better and doesn't have to panic now that she does not have to worry about getting that prescription filled every month."

Do I need to wean off Xanax after 6 days of treatment (.25 mg/day)? I started taking Xanax (alprazolam) 6 days ago (Friday). I've taken 6 and 1/2 .25 mg pills total: Fri: 1 pill Sat: 2 pills Sun: 1 pill Mon: 1 pill Tues: 1 pill Yesterday: 1/2 pill I was given 15 pills at the ER last week but I think I'll be fine without them. Should I take 1/4 of a pill today or can I just stop it altogether? should I have withdrawal symptoms considering the shortness of the treatment? thanks!! FYI: the only ‘symptom’ that I’ve had since Tuesday (while I was still taking it) has been some weird vertigo. I went to see my acupuncturist yesterday and she got rid of most of that vertigo. I don’t know if that was related to the Xanax side effects or what…

Matthew replied: "I don't think so. Looks like you have been weaning off since Saturday where you peaked. I took the same dosage for almost a month once, and in my personal case, I didn't have any noticeable withdrawl."

DrGaellon replied: "At such a low dosage for such a short time, no, you do not need to wean."

Mathieu replied: "It would be truly bizarre if you had any withdrawal symptoms. There have been a few reports of withdrawal after 3-5 days but this is rare and typically occurs in people with a substance abuse history who are taking does of 4 mg or more per day. In reality you have taken a very small dose over the 6 days. Many people taken more Xanax in a single day. I would just go ahead and stop taking the Xanax if you don't need it. Typically using it for two weeks or less will not require tapering. But if taking 1/4 of a pill will make you feel safer then go ahead and do that. And when you do stop, try not to think about it too much because people can make themselves sick waiting and worrying if withdrawal will come even though it will not."

How can I wean myself of off Xanax? I have been using Xanax daily for about 5 months. I don;t know how much I am even taking because I get them in the form of a bar which is divided by little lines which then has the number "9" on one section, then "4" on the next and then "2" on the next then the letters "GG" on the lst section. It is one whole bar though long as maybe a half inch and rectangular in shape. I used to be prescribed these very small football shaped ones and I don't remember the dose on those as it was years ago. I took them only for one month and then stopped and never felt they really had an affect on me. Then, this past year my social anxiety got really really bad all of the sudden as well as anxiety attacks that would happen all of the sudden in the middle of the night. They'd wake me up! Anyway, I no longer have insurance so I found someone to get them from "a friend" and he only has them in this bar form. The gist of it is, it is not only expensive but I know I am now very addicted and am worried about that although, my social anxiety is pretty bad and then the random anxiety attacks which seem to be triggered by nothing at all even when I am alone are upsetting too. I would like to be treated by a doctor for this but cannot at this time. Even if I had insurance what would I say at my first appt with my doc? "Hey I'm addicted to benzo's but I really do need them because I cannot be in a social situation without being all wierd and even a bit freaked about it so yeah, I wanna stop taking the Xanax because I am worried about the addiction but on the other hand, can you write me a prescription just so I can feel 'normal' "? What can I do to wean myself off since a doctor is not an option for me now and are there any natural substances that can help me work through the withdrawls AND help me feel normal in a social situation> PLease do not suggest alcohol. I am a lunatic (yet alot of fun ) when I am on that and I do NOT want to become an alcoholic. Let me lastly add that I DO have friends but as of the past year, have not wanted to go out with them at all. I actually dread it and flake all the time now because I know I'd have to be loopy to do it and that just sucks. Can someone please help and also tell me what I can expect with the withdrawl symptoms? I tried stopping tonight (I usually take half a bar a day just to feel normal) and so I skipped it and became agitated and antsy and just uncomfortable as hell. I can't describe it but it sucked. Any help anyone can offer would be MUCH appreciated. Thank you thank you thank you!

polyeaster replied: "You're going to probably go through withdrawl regardless, but you may want to talk to a pharmacist or dr at a clinic to figure out how much you've been taking, a safe way to wean off. Many areas have free clnics listed in gov't section of phonebook that have drs who could give you such advice. Or go to a pharmacy, show them a pill, and they can try and identify it, tell you more about safe reduction in dosage. It's great that you recognize this as a problem, and good luck as you seek to remedy the situation. Drs and pharmacists have heard it all...I wouldn't worry too much about what they'll think- they'll probably be happy for you that you want help. Also if you feel like you're having trouble stopping, you could go to Narcotics Anonymous meetings. There are many people there who have gone through similar issues and will be very supportive."

SmartyPants replied: "Ok, let me start by saying that the dosage you are taking is 2 mg. To ween yourself off...take the whole thing everyday for one week. Then break it, and take 1/2 of a pill (1 mg) for one week. Then break that half (0.5 mg) for one week. After that, just stop taking it. Tapering is the best way to ween yourself off of Xanax."

child of god replied: "usually you get insomnia when you stop. you do need to have your blood tested to see if you have a chemical imbalance. see if there is another drug you can take that is less harmful. walking is the best thing for stress, so is swimming. what ever you are taking in a day, try leaving off one pill, then two pills the next day and so on, or try going longer inbetween pills, if every 2 hours, then go 3 hours and then four hours, find a hobby to keep you from dwelling on it just tell the doc that you think you are addicted and that your are running out of the pills."

Nemesis replied: "It's not easy but you are doing the right thing. I have been taking these types of medication for about 10 years in spite of trying to get off them. Do it slowly. Halve the dose,if you take 1 a day now, make it 1 every 2 days and continue this dosage for a month, then 1 every 3 days for a month etc. You may feel some irritablity while reducing the dose (a couple of times I have told bosses to shove their jobs up their backsides and threatened to punch them - needless to say, I no longer work for them) I don't feel any better for taking this stuff but it is addictive. For this medication to be effective in the long term, the doctors keep increasing the dose or the potency.The medication that I am taking now doesn't make me feel better but I feel terrible if I don't to the point that if I miss 2 days I am a gibbering wreck."

Is Buspirone a good supplement to wean off Lexapro & Xanax ? I started to have panic attacks more and more frequently. I was prescribed 10mg Buspirone by ER Doc' after an Attack. I took it for a month, and was feeling ok on it, until I had another attack. The Doctor changed the meds to Lexapro 10mg/day and 0.5mg xanax three/day as needed for anxiety. Unfortunately, I am always anxious at present, and took them as directed, i.e: 3 x day for a week! I see a different Doc when I tried to get a repeat prescription. Doc' was not too impressed that I was given Xanax and not told to of risks. Basically, I am taking the leaxapro and have gradually reduced the intake of Xanax to 0.25/0.5 per day from 1.5/2.0 per day over last two weeks. I feel exactly as I did before I was given this medication. In fact, my sleep is worse now, than when I was on Buspirone. I realise Xanax is really, really addictive. I would rather go back to having the odd panic attack and visit ER than be on this stuff. I feel like I'm being reprogrammed...any info anyone?

adamsjrcn replied: "Xanax's extended release version is an ok med, but the short-acting regular Xanax is prone to habituation and the withdrawal can be painful and difficult. Xanax and Buspirone don't cross-react, so one cannot use the other to wean. Ditto for Xanax and Lexapro. Each of these medications is in a different class. A slow taper off Xanax is the way to go. Good luck."

cold turkey off xanax? I ahve been off xanax for almost 4 days now, feel a little more awake and a lil of the pins and needles, but don't want to take it any longer. I would like to take it on an as need basis. I ahve been on xanax for almost 9 months sometimes up to 2 mg everyday. I don't want to talk to the dr. who precribed him cause he only saw me 1 time. I have tried to wean off but that seemed more difficult with more symptons. I woke up 1 morning and decided just to stop. I actually feel more like myself. Just wondering if anyone else has done this w/o weaning and was ok and how long before you felt 100% back to normal, just not so " awake ".

~jello~ replied: "I've never taken them, but I would think within a month or two you should be back to normal. Great job for doing what you did! You should be VERY proud of yourself! Congratulation's!!!!! I wish you the best of luck! ;)"

Doxycycline replied: "Glad to hear it worked out well for you. If, God forbid, you should find yourself in this situation in the future, however, please don't stop cold turkey. A person who's been on Xanax or a similar drug at regular high doses for a while runs the risk of seizure with stopping suddenly. Now that you're four days out, your seizure risk is gone so no need to lose sleep over this - just an FYI for the future!"