[thebro]

I CURRENTLY TAKE 5 1mg XANAX A NIGHT TO SLEEP, UP FROM 1 0.5mg PRESCRIBED 6 YEARS AGO. I'VE BEEN AN INSOMNIAC ALL MY LIFE. 3 YEARS AGO I INJURED MY BACK. ONE HERNIATED DISC AND ONE RUPTUERED DISC. THE DOCTOR PRESCRIBED MS CONTIN 60mg EVERY 4-6 HOURS FOR PAIN PLUS SOMA EVERY 4 HOURS. THIS WAS TWO YEARS AGO. AFTER LOSING MY JOB MY INSURANCE RAN OUT, AND I WAS FORCED TO SEEK THESE AND OTHER PAIN MEDS OFF THE STREET, WHICH I HAVE BEEN DOING.OH, I NOW TAKE AN AVERAGE OF 20mgs OF HYDROCODONE/OXYCODONE EVERY 3-4 HOURS AND ANY OTHER PAIN MEDS METHADONE/MS CONTIN, AND ANY OTHER OPIATES I CAN GET MY HANDS ON... LIVING OFF OF SAVINGS AND CREDIT CARDS. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT. I CAN'T AFFORD MY ADDICTIONS ANYLONGER. I CAN'T AFFORD A DETOX CENTER EITHER. I AM A 51 YEAR OLD MAN. I NEED ANY AND ALL ADVISE ON HOW TO SELF DETOX,AS A DETOX CENTER IS FINANCIALLY OUT OF THE QUESTION. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A VERY HIGH TOLERANCE TO MEDS, WHICH MAKES MATTERS WORSE. BACK IN THE DAY, I DID ALL THE DRUGS WEED, LUDES, COCAINE, BLACK BEAUTIES, SECONAL, NEBUTAL ETC.RECREATIONALY. IN 1981 GOT MARRIED AND SAID GOODBYE TO ALL THE PARTYING. NOW I'VE TRIED COLD TURKEYING TWICE BEFORE (IT WAS HELL) BECAUSE I COULDN'T GET ANYTHING FROM MY SOURCES. I WANT OUT OF THIS BONDAGE. AFTER READING MANY ARTICLES ON THE BOARDS ABOUT ALL THE HEALTH RELATED ISSUES CAN I DO THIS AND SURVIVE. I'VE DONE IT BEFORE, BUT THAT WAS MANY YEARS AGO AND I WAS ALOT HEALTHIER AND YOUNGER THEN TOO! PLEASE TELL ME WHATADO??? I'M SERIOUS, (BUT NO DOCTORS)ALSO, I DON'T WANT TO BE PUT ON THE LIST OF DRUG SEEKERS THAT I HEAR THE MEDICAL COMMUNTY HAS ACCESS TO!!! I NEED ALL THE FACTS. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE, THEBRO

[Cats Meow]

I think what might work for you is to write down on paper exactly what you take every day, and come up with a taper down plan, try and reduce your intake of opiates by 5-10mg at least every two days, and the benzos by .5mg, write it all down like on a calendar and don't deviate from it. Expect some w/d the last couple days, but it shouldn't be bad, take some Imodium and drink gallons of water. Because of your history, a support group may help you, maybe look into NA, hang around here, let us know how you're doing, maybe post a daily journal so others can benefit from your experience. Quitting is the hardest thing in the world to do, ask anyone who's been there, you'll succeed if you make a honest try at it. Good luck!

^..^ ~~ ,
=´`= ___ )-~

[alyks]

Benzo withdrawal is hard. Docter can help you with that and opiate addiction.

Since you don't seem to have a problem finding illegal drugs, try to find something called ibogain. It's used for opiate withdrawal and one dosage will stop all addiction for months.

[abey042000]

Again, never heard of that........what is it?

[alyks]

Ibogaine* is considered an illegal drug itself, however they are experimenting with it to help opiate addiction.

http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v03n2/03205ibo.html
Theres a paper you can read about it.

And, as always, your friend http://www.google.com will always help.

[abey042000]

Thank you Alyks!

[wantoff]

I have been taking xanax for approximately 1 year 5mg (yellow pill) first 1x a day now 2x's perscribed. i am fine an dhave no side effects but am becoming woried about possible addiction and have decided I want to stop and after researching am concerned about the withdrawl sysmptoms (especially seizure) i have found on line. is it dangerous to do thi smyself, how should i start, and is there something safe and non presiption or supplements i should take?
thanks

[Robert_325]

Originally Posted by wantoff

I have been taking xanax for approximately 1 year 5mg (yellow pill) first 1x a day now 2x's perscribed. i am fine an dhave no side effects but am becoming woried about possible addiction and have decided I want to stop and after researching am concerned about the withdrawl sysmptoms (especially seizure) i have found on line. is it dangerous to do thi smyself, how should i start, and is there something safe and non presiption or supplements i should take?
thanks

Glad you are doing this now before your dose gets out of control. Actually you are taking .5mg or 1/2 of 1mg twice a day. That is the generic alprazolam for the name brand xanax. However you have been doing this for a year. That is not good.

Xanax is a benzo and they are only meant to be used for very short term use. It makes me mad that drs continue to keep people on xanax for a long time unless there are serious medical conditions that make it necessary. Do you have any conditions that you should mention at this time???

Xanax has a very short half life. That has to do with how long the drug lingers in your system to make it simple. Other benzos like valium and klonopin have a longer half life. It's actually easier to detox off xanax with valium if you have the choice. I can explain how this works but the first question I have is would your dr RX you valium/diazapam if you were doing it for the purpose of getting off the benzos entirely??? Answer that question and then I will make a suggestion.

[wantoff]

Thanks so much for replying...I started taking the generic of Xanax because i work the overnight shift for like 10-12 years now and suddenly began having trouble sleeping...also i have a high stress job (hospitality, which isn't very hospitable to employees). I am fairly sure my DR. would perscribe the valium for withdrawl purposes because he said I seemed high stress (which i am) an dfelt it would just take the edge off enough to let me go to sleep on my own sayinghe was worried about regular sleeping medications such as ambien etc.
to be honest I asked him because I had been a life long pot smoker (since the age of 12 and am now 49) and was smoking 6-8 times a day and believe it or not was having fairly major side effects when i went cold turkey...insominia, severe irratibility, some slight feelings of panic, etc. but I was already suffering the insomnia and quitting pot sent it through th eroof sometimes 5 days straight with little more than an hour or two a day. the xanax helped me perfectly with the pot and I haven't smoked in since. I have gone several days without the xanax with no side effects i noticed except for very vivid dreams (none that bothered me) and maybe a headache, but when i decided to go off for good and read what could happen i got scared. any suggestions? i am very serious and want to stop as soon as possible. if the insomnia comes back i'm going asian alternative.
Thanks so much for responding

[hkyjon33]

The vivid dreams r from the quiting of the pot. I to am a pot smoker and have been for about 8 yr (18-current 26) and everytime i have to quit for UA for ajob site, i stop and that is one of the side effects. No other WDs from pot other than loss of apitite for a while (most stoners wake and bake and that numbs the stomach ie.. munchies) Pot is actually one subject i am very well schooled on and Xanax (old GF was into em big time and that was eventually our relationship demize thank god) and she asked her dr for valium (bezo as well) and the DR was glad that she made the choice herself and he didnt have to cut her off (i made her go in cause she was STRUNG OUT!!! andthe DR saw as well) Xanax does have a short half life though like robert said, but that short time ure gonna need those valiums. i wish u the best and keep us posted

P.S. tappering is the best .... use the 1st replys tapper schedule and adapt it to your bod/addiction (everyones body is diff and take diff amounts of time to exscrite toxins.... I know this is offthe subject but do detox flushes (not UA passers and actual flush) help with opiate or any WDs for that matter? just a thought...