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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by BUCKEYE FANATIC on July 28, 2006, at 23:01:24
Hi All,
I havn't posted in a while.
I have dropped down from 6mg's per day of xanax, to 3.5 mg's per day..over about 2 months.
As I prepare for another "cut", I was wondering if anyone has successfully tapered off xanax.
I have received a wealth of help and info from the Ashton UK Benzo Forum...so I thought I would return here and ask for some other opinions, expereimces ( both good and bad) and even [b]unsucesful attempts) [/b] to help in my taper.
I am still on 100mgs's of Zoloft...and so far the tapering has gone well...
Any comments would be helpful....
BF
Posted by bassman on July 28, 2006, at 23:01:24
In reply to ANY SUCCESSFUL XANAX TAPER'S OUT THERE?, posted by BUCKEYE FANATIC on July 28, 2006, at 10:06:56
I tapered from 4 mg several years ago. I found that simply taking a disposable emery board (the 10 for 99 cents variety) and filling off a certain part and sticking with that for 3 day, then a bit more, etc. made the process O.K. My only side effect was some anxiety, but I found that after I had withdrawn to zero, that was still the case. I guess that's why I was taking the Xanax. :>} What a great panic disorder with depression med. Best of luck; sounds like you are doing well. I found I did very well on 1 mg per day and not well below that-not because of the withdrawal, but because of the PD. I wish I'd just stayed there instead of withdrawing to zero...would have saved myself a lot of discomfort.
Posted by blueberry on July 28, 2006, at 23:01:24
In reply to ANY SUCCESSFUL XANAX TAPER'S OUT THERE?, posted by BUCKEYE FANATIC on July 28, 2006, at 10:06:56
I've only tapered off 2mg a day after being on it for 6 weeks, so my taper really doesn't compare to yours. But I did it by cutting little chunks off the pills every 2 or 3 days or so. It was actually fairly easy until the last .25mg. The last little bit was the hardest.
I've read in places and heard from others here that a good way to help the taper is to start mixing the xanax with valium. That is, substitute part of your regular xanax dose with valium instead. With a little valium in the background, with a halflife of about 200 hours, it makes dropping the xanax dosage easier and faster. The eventual taper off the last bit of valium is easier than xanax.
Posted by bassman on July 28, 2006, at 23:01:24
In reply to ANY SUCCESSFUL XANAX TAPER'S OUT THERE?, posted by BUCKEYE FANATIC on July 28, 2006, at 10:06:56
The Valium addition is the Ashton method mentioned at the beginning of the post. In the US, people often use Klonopin-switch from Xanax to Klonopin and taper the Klonopin. It's nice if you know a benzo that you can withdraw from very, very easily-that's Klonopin and Ativan for me. I'm taking some Xanax now, but not concerned about if I have to taper off, since I feel confident I can use the other two benzos during the withdrawal. If you don't switch benzos to Valium, it is quicker and may not be any more uncomfortable-if you taper the Xanax slowly enough. It's easy to get competetive and try and see how fast you can get the withdrawal over. I've done that. Bad idea. :>}
Posted by Colleen D. on July 28, 2006, at 23:01:24
In reply to Re: ANY SUCCESSFUL XANAX TAPER'S OUT THERE?, posted by bassman on July 28, 2006, at 17:59:33
do any of you know about tapering off of Klonopin? I went down from 1.25mg to .5mg with no problem, then forgot ALL of my meds one day and felt like I was going to die. Could Xanax PRN take the place of my daily .5mg of Klonopin?
Colleen
Posted by bassman on July 29, 2006, at 8:52:21
In reply to I know your posting here about Xanax, but..., posted by Colleen D. on July 28, 2006, at 21:01:33
Colleen,
Of course you'd feel like you wanted to chase cars and nip at the tires if you go from 0.5 mg Klonopin to none in one step.:>} No, I'd urge you NOT to use Xanax instead, unless you are really changing from Klonopin to Xanax. If you are trying to withdraw, here's what I'd sugggest: [1] don't use the Ashton switch to Valium initially; you probably won't need it and it may cause you more, not fewer, problems; [2]take the 0.5 mg in two 0.25 amounts about 12 hours apart and leave it until your body is used to the lower serum max; [3] take pieces off each of the 0.25 mg over the period of a month or two. There's no hurry, and you don't get gold stars for torturing yourself by withdrawing too fast! :>} I've found I can go down 0.25 mg by this method in 6 days ( two-thirds of the 0.25 mg tablet for 3 days; then one-third for three days; then none)-but that might be too way fast for you. I strive for NO side effects. Try just cutting down a third of a pill and see how you react to it. Try to be really good to yourself during this time, and as I said, don't be a hero (I've tried that, so I empathize with the "let's get this over!" urge). Sounds like you're really doing well, you just had a scare with the abrupt withdrawal trauma (then maybe you thought, "Oh my God! I'm "addicted", etc. etc. " Nah. Everything will be fine. :>}
bassman
Posted by Holly VanBen on August 17, 2006, at 13:58:09
In reply to Re: I know your posting here about Xanax, but..., posted by bassman on July 29, 2006, at 8:52:21
I have just stopped taking Xanax cold along with several other opoids and such. 9 Days and the withdrawals are still very bad and sleep is an illusion, but I won't go back! Someone needs to make a commercial about withdrawals just to scare people off ever trying. Would have helped me.
Posted by KayLen on September 3, 2006, at 8:57:45
In reply to ANY SUCCESSFUL XANAX TAPER'S OUT THERE?, posted by BUCKEYE FANATIC on July 28, 2006, at 10:06:56
Hi,
I take xanax an average of 3-4 mg. a day and have for many years. keep us informed how your doing OK??Have you ever heard of a person addicted to xanax
who gets severe muscle loss , periodicaly?
Best wishes
Peace
Kaylen
This is the end of the thread.
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