Posted by hyperfocus on July 20, 2011, at 0:28:28
In reply to ammending severe xanax withdrawal, posted by floatingbridge on July 18, 2011, at 9:34:00
I'm pretty sure the stuttering is the Xanax withdrawal. Years ago when I ran out of Ativan for a few days, I developed this spasm on the right side of my mouth. My speech was uncontrollably slurred, all I could do was lay down, and I'll never forget my aunt looking at me like I was a crack addict.
The truth is no matter how you do it, withdrawing from benzos is hard-going. It's a full-time thing: you shouldn't be withdrawing from another drug at the same time. It took me several months to withdraw completely from an average dose of Klonopin I was on for a few years. Three weeks is way WAY too fast for 2mg of Xanax.
My strategy is stay on the same agent but just reduce by the absolutely smallest increment. Take a .25mg and cut it into halves. So you'd be decreasing in .125mg increments - starting from 2mg would be 1.875mg, 1.75mg, and so on. Then you have to figure out how much time your body needs to adjust to the lower dose. If after a week you're ok, go to to the next increment. At this rate it will take you a month to go from 2mg to 1.5mg. To me this is like the absolute fastest you can taper - your body will probably need more time. The slower you go the better your chances of minimizing rebound anxiety and having to restart the taper, which is what you have to do now.
I think it's a good idea to restart the EMSAM - I feel like if you responded to the EMSAM you should try to find an agent that combats the insomnia. But one thing at a time. Is there any particular reason you have to come off the Xanax now?
Hang in there fb, you're not alone in this. I and pretty much everybody here has walked the same path you're walking - and we survived. You will too. Never doubt human resiliency.
C-PTSD: social phobia, major depression, dissociation.
Currently: 300mg amitriptyline, 50 mg sulpiride; single dose at night.
Also: Allegra, Actos 30mg, 1000mg Vitamin C, multivitamin.
Improving.
poster:hyperfocus
thread:991316
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110714/msgs/991441.html