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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by onlymeisee on November 23, 2000, at 21:38:49
I have been on xanax for 2 years, the doctor has me on 10 mg which I realize is high but I do not take this much, I usually take 2 to 3 mg a day for severe panic attacks. I was hoping someone could tell me how to get off of these things and what are the side effects? I have heard the withdrawls are bad, can someone tell me exactly how bad please. I cannot go to a rehab due to reasons I will not get into but I cannot. I also fear if I do get off of the xanax I will not be able to control the panic. I hate a drug controlling my life like this does, I fear all the time of running out of them, I fear my doctor retiring and I know not alot of doctors around here will even give xanax, I live in a area where very few doctors like to medicate. Please someone that has went thru the withdrawls tell me what it was like and how long did it take to get off of the med. I can already tell little symptoms if I go without a dose for 12 hours or so, but only little ones like becomming real nervous and tighting of the chest. I do not want to be dependent for life and even if I could get off the xanax's but then only take one when I had a panic attack maybe that would be better, shoot I don't know, the only thing I do know is I hate the fact I even have panic attacks and I hate I have a physical and mental dependence on something and I would love to get off of it. Thank You.
Posted by stjames on November 23, 2000, at 23:44:54
In reply to xanax withdrawls, posted by onlymeisee on November 23, 2000, at 21:38:49
Sounds like some other med will be needed to control the panic
attacks. Have you tried AD's ? You need to taper WITH your doctors help,
this is not something you can do on your own. What don't you like
about Xanax, specifically, except for the addiction and feer of running out of pills?james
Posted by kazoo on November 24, 2000, at 1:01:09
In reply to xanax withdrawls, posted by onlymeisee on November 23, 2000, at 21:38:49
> I have been on xanax for 2 years, the doctor has me on 10 mg which I realize is high but I do not take this much, I usually take 2 to 3 mg a day
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ten mgs./day for two years? (Great Caesar's ghost, where's my smelling salts?)
The first thing I would do would be to retain a good lawyer and sue the piss out of that QUACK for habituating you, a prelude to the pain and suffering you *will* endure trying to unhook.
(You wouldn't happen to live in Connecticut, would you?)The key word in a posting by "stjames" is "taper" ... one must TAPER themselves off of benzos. There is no question about this. You may convulse otherwise. And, by all means, do this via a professional (not the QUACK you were seeing). The best thing would be to disappear for about a week to ten days at a retreat of some sort. May I recommend the Doral Spa in Miami?
You may want to look into one of the beta-blockers, such as Inderal, for your panic attacks.
I wish you the best of luck, my dear.
kazoo
Posted by Buffet on November 24, 2000, at 2:34:48
In reply to Re: xanax withdrawls, posted by kazoo on November 24, 2000, at 1:01:09
> > I have been on xanax for 2 years, the doctor has me on 10 mg which I realize is high but I do not take this much, I usually take 2 to 3 mg a day
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Ten mgs./day for two years? (Great Caesar's ghost, where's my smelling salts?)
I agree with you there! 10?! I've taken this amount once for the hell of it and I don't understand how anyone can even function at this level!
> The first thing I would do would be to retain a good lawyer and sue the piss out of that QUACK for habituating you, a prelude to the pain and suffering you *will* endure trying to unhook.
> (You wouldn't happen to live in Connecticut, would you?)
Now this is where you lost me Kazoo. The doc was irresponsible and naive to allow a prescription get to 10mg of xanax, but who's really at fault? If 'onlymeisee' is honest with him/her/its self, 'onlymeisee' probably asked for bigger doses or hinted that the xanax is starting to poop out. The idiot doc prescribed more, but the patient asked for it first. And, my healthcare would be a lot cheaper if it were not for people sueing docs for reasons such as this. If xanax grew on trees, who would you sue then? People need to take responsibility for their own stupidity. To get owns self to 10mg in two years is the fault of the user (or might I even say abuser), unless the doc was pushing the drug which I HIGHLY doubt. Rant is over... : ).
> The key word in a posting by "stjames" is "taper" ... one must TAPER themselves off of benzos. There is no question about this. You may convulse otherwise. And, by all means, do this via a professional (not the QUACK you were seeing). The best thing would be to disappear for about a week to ten days at a retreat of some sort. May I recommend the Doral Spa in Miami?
> You may want to look into one of the beta-blockers, such as Inderal, for your panic attacks.
> I wish you the best of luck, my dear.
Agreed. Taper off. If your not successful at getting off of xanax, at least get the dose way way down, say the 1-1.5mg range. Try an AD. Get a different doc or a p'doc. Also, try going to klonopin - 1 pill in the morning, long lasting, less abuse potential because it is not as quick as xanax. I guess you can compare it to alcohol, xanax being shots of tequila, and klonopin being the 3.2% beer. Maybe thats a crappy analogy, but you probably get the point. You don't get the initial 'high' or ahhhhhh feeling, but you do get the benzo help in longer duration.
Good luck,Buffet
Posted by JaneST on November 24, 2000, at 7:31:58
In reply to xanax withdrawls, posted by onlymeisee on November 23, 2000, at 21:38:49
> I have been on xanax for 2 years, the doctor has me on 10 mg which I realize is high but I do not take this much, I usually take 2 to 3 mg a day for severe panic attacks.
IMHO...2-3 Xanax will not be that hard to decrease...easy does it though is in order...a few years ago, I was actually taking much more that 10mg a day and successfully reduced that number to 1 mg per day. Granted you are not only physically addicted but mentally as well...in my opinion, mentally is harder than physical.
I started by reducing my daily intake by only 1/4mg and would stay at that for a few days...then another 1/4...some weeks I felt I could bite the bullet and decrease the daily dosage by 1/2 mg...just go slow and be easy on yourself.
Granted, none of this is going to be easy but you CAN do it. Biofeedback helped during this time as well.
Good Luck and let us know how it goes.
Peace,
Jane
Posted by kazoo on November 24, 2000, at 8:57:24
In reply to Re: xanax withdrawls, posted by Buffet on November 24, 2000, at 2:34:48
> > The first thing I would do would be to retain a good lawyer and sue the piss out of that QUACK for habituating you, a prelude to the pain and suffering you *will* endure trying to unhook.
> > (You wouldn't happen to live in Connecticut, would you?)
>
>
> Now this is where you lost me Kazoo. The doc was irresponsible and naive to allow a prescription get to 10mg of xanax, but who's really at fault? If 'onlymeisee' is honest with him/her/its self, 'onlymeisee' probably asked for bigger doses or hinted that the xanax is starting to poop out. The idiot doc prescribed more, but the patient asked for it first. And, my healthcare would be a lot cheaper if it were not for people sueing docs for reasons such as this. If xanax grew on trees, who would you sue then? People need to take responsibility for their own stupidity. To get owns self to 10mg in two years is the fault of the user (or might I even say abuser), unless the doc was pushing the drug which I HIGHLY doubt. Rant is over... : ).
>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^In the words of Quick-Draw MaGraw: "Hold on tharrrr..."
You seem to forget that it's the doctor with the medical degree and who, hopefully, adheres to some code of
professional conduct."...probably asked for bigger doses..." doesn't quite cut it, nor can be validated, and I get the sense that
this was not the case. If anything, they probably *asked* for less, but was given more. I always give the patient the benefit of the doubt in situations such as this one.You're right in what you say, but with habituation, the doctor is usually at fault.
Excuse me while I gleefully pluck the fruit off my Xanax tree, now holiday priced at WalMart :-)
kazoo
Posted by onlymeisee on November 24, 2000, at 10:27:38
In reply to Re: xanax withdrawls, posted by kazoo on November 24, 2000, at 8:57:24
> > > The first thing I would do would be to retain a good lawyer and sue the piss out of that QUACK for habituating you, a prelude to the pain and suffering you *will* endure trying to unhook.
> > > (You wouldn't happen to live in Connecticut, would you?)
> >
> >
> > Now this is where you lost me Kazoo. The doc was irresponsible and naive to allow a prescription get to 10mg of xanax, but who's really at fault? If 'onlymeisee' is honest with him/her/its self, 'onlymeisee' probably asked for bigger doses or hinted that the xanax is starting to poop out. The idiot doc prescribed more, but the patient asked for it first. And, my healthcare would be a lot cheaper if it were not for people sueing docs for reasons such as this. If xanax grew on trees, who would you sue then? People need to take responsibility for their own stupidity. To get owns self to 10mg in two years is the fault of the user (or might I even say abuser), unless the doc was pushing the drug which I HIGHLY doubt. Rant is over... : ).
> >
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> In the words of Quick-Draw MaGraw: "Hold on tharrrr..."
>
> You seem to forget that it's the doctor with the medical degree and who, hopefully, adheres to some code of
> professional conduct.
>
> "...probably asked for bigger doses..." doesn't quite cut it, nor can be validated, and I get the sense that
> this was not the case. If anything, they probably *asked* for less, but was given more. I always give the patient the benefit of the doubt in situations such as this one.
>
> You're right in what you say, but with habituation, the doctor is usually at fault.
>
> Excuse me while I gleefully pluck the fruit off my Xanax tree, now holiday priced at WalMart :-)
>
> kazooWhen I started taking xanax it was because I went to the doc and painc attacks had just started for some reason. I was also diagnosed with MVP in the same month but not sure if they are connected. I didn't ask to have the dosage increased, when I would go to the doctor I would be complaining of how my x was driving me nuts or just whatever and he would up the dosage, telling me to put one under my tongue when I started feeling bad about something (it goes straight to the brain this way instead of having to digest) I agree I did not have to take the extra I was giving but at the same time the doctor said it was ok and I was nieve and never thought a thing about addiction until suddently one day I left them at home and 2 hours after I usually took one I was not in good shape. Infact I made a fool out of myself. Has anyone ever needed something so badly and broke away from it?
Other than the fact of running out of the xanax I guess theres not alot I hate about
them. They don't make me feel bad, infact they have grown to be the most important
thing I count on, which is another problem I will have giving them up. I just hate
"having" to take something that I know no other doctor will perscribe to me, and this
doc I am seeing now has been in trouble a few times for over medicating ppl. and I
have heard he is in trouble again, and if he loses his lisense what would it be like to run
out of my meds when I need them so badly.I haven't tried any other meds for panic, I have asked for them but my doctor says not
to change what is working so I let it go. He did one time perscribe Zoloft but it made
my panic worse and I was afraid to take it, I told the doc, he said keep taking it, I
didn't, I coudn't, I was to scarred because of the side effects it gave me. I have asked
for Paxil because I have heard it is good for panic but he said no. He has given me
seriquil before because I get edgy when things get hectic, but I did not take it due to
the fact he told me nothing about the drug, other than it will help my mood, but I have
no idea what it does to ones brain chemistry. He put me on Wellbrutrin for a month, I
did try it, even though I did have some side effects I figured it wasn't to bad and it was
well heard of but the next month he took me off of it saying I don't need it stickk to the
xans. I have even heard one can die from xanex withdrawls..is this true?
Posted by stjames on November 24, 2000, at 14:13:31
In reply to Re: xanax withdrawls, posted by kazoo on November 24, 2000, at 1:01:09
> The first thing I would do would be to retain a good lawyer and sue the piss out of that QUACK for habituating you, a prelude to the pain and suffering you *will* endure trying to unhook.
> (You wouldn't happen to live in Connecticut, would you?)
>James here....
Highly questionable, Kazoo. None of us know how significant these panic attacks are. What if this person could never work or leave the house w/o meds ? Given that this person has no other effects
other than not liking being on meds. While ehatever dose seems excessive on paper there are lots of people who do need out of norm doses.james
Posted by kazoo on November 26, 2000, at 1:03:15
In reply to Re: xanax withdrawls, posted by stjames on November 24, 2000, at 14:13:31
> > The first thing I would do would be to retain a good lawyer and sue the piss out of that QUACK for habituating you, a prelude to the pain and suffering you *will* endure trying to unhook.
> > (You wouldn't happen to live in Connecticut, would you?)
> >
>
> James here....
>
> Highly questionable, Kazoo. None of us know how significant these panic attacks are. What if this person could never work or leave the house w/o meds ? Given that this person has no other effects
> other than not liking being on meds. While ehatever dose seems excessive on paper there are lots of people who do need out of norm doses.
>
> james^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Perhaps you're right.
I retract promoting litigation against INCOMPETENT doctors.
Reason: I loath lawyers ("money whores" ... you may quote me) more so than I do QUACKS.Did you know that in ancient Greece doctors were put to death if they refused treatment to those who couldn't pay?
Greetz to stjames.
kazoo
Posted by rogdog on November 28, 2000, at 23:25:17
In reply to xanax withdrawls, posted by onlymeisee on November 23, 2000, at 21:38:49
Hi only.., I would definitely taper like a previous post suggested tell your doctor to help and then start slow. but obvious there is a problem to be addressed here, and that is your anxiety and panic attacks. some medication is great ! for anxiety , I take 3 mg. of xanax a day and I function so much better with it than with out it .so if it is helping you might want to stay on at least some of it.. if you have not tried a neuroleptic such as zyprexa, you might want to give it a shot . I am taking only 2.5 milligrams of zyprexa at night and I can feal the effects through out the next day, as far as alleiviating some of the anxiety and panic feelings. good luck to youand god bless!! rog..
Posted by onlymeisee on November 29, 2000, at 7:17:08
In reply to xanax withdrawls, posted by onlymeisee on November 23, 2000, at 21:38:49
> I have been on xanax for 2 years, the doctor has me on 10 mg which I realize is high but I do not take this much, I usually take 2 to 3 mg a day for severe panic attacks. I was hoping someone could tell me how to get off of these things and what are the side effects? I have heard the withdrawls are bad, can someone tell me exactly how bad please. I cannot go to a rehab due to reasons I will not get into but I cannot. I also fear if I do get off of the xanax I will not be able to control the panic. I hate a drug controlling my life like this does, I fear all the time of running out of them, I fear my doctor retiring and I know not alot of doctors around here will even give xanax, I live in a area where very few doctors like to medicate. Please someone that has went thru the withdrawls tell me what it was like and how long did it take to get off of the med. I can already tell little symptoms if I go without a dose for 12 hours or so, but only little ones like becomming real nervous and tighting of the chest. I do not want to be dependent for life and even if I could get off the xanax's but then only take one when I had a panic attack maybe that would be better, shoot I don't know, the only thing I do know is I hate the fact I even have panic attacks and I hate I have a physical and mental dependence on something and I would love to get off of it. Thank You.
Here is another reason I want off meds. I go to my doctor yesterday afternoon.He also has me on Zoloft and Seriquil which I do not take because it make my panic worse. The doctor does not know I do not take it, so as far as he knows my body is as addicted to them meds (over 2 years now) as to the xanax. Well he could not see me till late. Never pulled my chart. Then he said well I'll have the secretary call with the next appointment, everyone else had went home, this was 8 pm. I said ok, but I need my meds, which it is time, and if I had not stored some xanax back I would be out. He said well call tommorow and the secretary will call it in. Well I call and they are closed today! Now if I did not have any meds stored back I would be hurting, just like if I took the other meds, I would be in even worse shape! Xanax does help me alot, but I am so addicted to it and as you can see I never know when I won't be able to get more. There are only 2 other pdocs around here, and they dont like to medicate which would not help my withdrawls, I'd just be out of luck. I am starting to think though I will never be able t get off of them! By 2pm my heart is racing, that is if I can force myself to go to 2pm. That is the latest I can make it, I then don't need another one till around 6pm. That usually will get me by, but I don't sleep unless I take another. So I'm down to this level. Which equals 2mg.(some days It will be a little more) but I cannot get under the 2mg. If I do my heart feels like it will bust out. What can I do?
Posted by rogdog on November 29, 2000, at 22:02:49
In reply to Re: xanax withdrawls, posted by onlymeisee on November 29, 2000, at 7:17:08
Are you on 2 mg. right now? if so tell the doc you want to go back up to 10 mg, take 2mg and stash the rest, before you know it you will have enough xanax to supply yourself for a whil if anything were to happen. just a thought , rog
Posted by onlymeisee on November 30, 2000, at 8:08:47
In reply to Re: xanax withdrawls, posted by rogdog on November 28, 2000, at 23:25:17
> Hi only.., I would definitely taper like a previous post suggested tell your doctor to help and then start slow. but obvious there is a problem to be addressed here, and that is your anxiety and panic attacks. some medication is great ! for anxiety , I take 3 mg. of xanax a day and I function so much better with it than with out it .so if it is helping you might want to stay on at least some of it.. if you have not tried a neuroleptic such as zyprexa, you might want to give it a shot . I am taking only 2.5 milligrams of zyprexa at night and I can feal the effects through out the next day, as far as alleiviating some of the anxiety and panic feelings. good luck to youand god bless!! rog..
Thank you for all the advice. My doctor is still giving me the 10 mg a day so I am putting what I dont take back so I have it for times I cannot get my meds...which is a good thing because my doctor was surposed to phone my meds in but he went out of town and it will be Monday before he can do it. So "hording" is a very good idea. I guess if worse comes to worse I can continue like I am, and if my doctor won't give me anymore one day (which could likley happen due to him being in some trouble) then I will deal with it then. I think this is to big for me to do right now, getting off of the xanax that is. I guess thats the whole problem, the fear of not being able to get them anymore, where I live you are considered a druggie for using such things,this is why he is the only doc that perscribes them like he does. The medical community here is very uncaring and that scares me.
Posted by KarenK on December 3, 2000, at 12:02:05
In reply to Re: xanax withdrawls, posted by onlymeisee on November 24, 2000, at 10:27:38
< I have even heard one can die from xanex withdrawls..is this true? >
I went through the same thing with valium this summer and that was the question that scared me most. As I understand it, if you're taking a lot for a long period of time and you stop taking it abruptly you can have a seizure. It's a worst case scenario.
I had the pdoc that gave me the script for 9 years work with me to detox me and I traded in my valiums for depakote and topamax.
It was hard and I have 7 valium left that I keep for really stressful times. I'm still working with my pdoc to tweak my new meds but these new meds are not controlled substances so I don't have to worry so much about running out.
Good luck to you.
Love,
Karen
Posted by Jorge Neves on August 18, 2002, at 17:40:32
In reply to Re: xanax withdrawls, posted by Buffet on November 24, 2000, at 2:34:48
Deare friends,
I have been on xanax for 6 months (started with SEROTONIN (Paxi, I think), then prozak, and so on. All this for panic attacs (sometimes I couldn't get out ou the metro without the help of paramedics.). The dose prescribed was 0.5 mg, but I´m taking 10 mg a day)and sometimes I feel like taking more).
I dont know where this is gona end, but paxil, prozac, serotonin and an so all have worst side efects. At least xanax as a liyle bit of drunkenness associated with it.
I whoukd like to stip panica attacs in other way, but...Good luck, (jorge.neves@netcabo.pt)
> > > I have been on xanax for 2 years, the doctor has me on 10 mg which I realize is high but I do not take this much, I usually take 2 to 3 mg a day
> > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > Ten mgs./day for two years? (Great Caesar's ghost, where's my smelling salts?)
>
>
> I agree with you there! 10?! I've taken this amount once for the hell of it and I don't understand how anyone can even function at this level!
>
>
> > The first thing I would do would be to retain a good lawyer and sue the piss out of that QUACK for habituating you, a prelude to the pain and suffering you *will* endure trying to unhook.
> > (You wouldn't happen to live in Connecticut, would you?)
>
>
> Now this is where you lost me Kazoo. The doc was irresponsible and naive to allow a prescription get to 10mg of xanax, but who's really at fault? If 'onlymeisee' is honest with him/her/its self, 'onlymeisee' probably asked for bigger doses or hinted that the xanax is starting to poop out. The idiot doc prescribed more, but the patient asked for it first. And, my healthcare would be a lot cheaper if it were not for people sueing docs for reasons such as this. If xanax grew on trees, who would you sue then? People need to take responsibility for their own stupidity. To get owns self to 10mg in two years is the fault of the user (or might I even say abuser), unless the doc was pushing the drug which I HIGHLY doubt. Rant is over... : ).
>
>
> > The key word in a posting by "stjames" is "taper" ... one must TAPER themselves off of benzos. There is no question about this. You may convulse otherwise. And, by all means, do this via a professional (not the QUACK you were seeing). The best thing would be to disappear for about a week to ten days at a retreat of some sort. May I recommend the Doral Spa in Miami?
> > You may want to look into one of the beta-blockers, such as Inderal, for your panic attacks.
> > I wish you the best of luck, my dear.
>
>
> Agreed. Taper off. If your not successful at getting off of xanax, at least get the dose way way down, say the 1-1.5mg range. Try an AD. Get a different doc or a p'doc. Also, try going to klonopin - 1 pill in the morning, long lasting, less abuse potential because it is not as quick as xanax. I guess you can compare it to alcohol, xanax being shots of tequila, and klonopin being the 3.2% beer. Maybe thats a crappy analogy, but you probably get the point. You don't get the initial 'high' or ahhhhhh feeling, but you do get the benzo help in longer duration.
>
>
> Good luck,
>
> Buffet
>
>
This is the end of the thread.
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