Xanax Withdrawals.HELP PLEASE

[Pawndave]

My Doctoor has been trying various different medications on me for anxiety. My body is extremely sensitive to medications, therefore i experience just about every side effect that meds have to offer. Meanwhile i have been taking Alprazolam(Xanax).5mg as a sort of scoth tape fix. When i started to take them they made me feel sedated, so i have never taken them during the daytime. They help me sleep as i suffer from a sleep disorder so 1 1/2 pills a night before bed has kept my sleep disorder at bay. Recently i have noticed during the day that my body starts feeling really wierd around 8-9am.
Long story short, by body has become dependent on these pills, and now i find myself taking them during the day just to be able to function without shakes, uncontrolable sweating, dizzy, nausea and really bad headaches. After researching this drug i have come to a realization that i am going through Xanax withdrawals.

This is the most horrible feeling i have ever experienced, can anybody give me some advice or tips on how to get completely off this drug. Is there anything i can take to help with the withdrawals? Im not sure how this happened but i dont like feeling dependent on it and i just want feel normal again. How long will this feeling last?

[rock1101]

My Doctoor has been trying various different medications on me for anxiety. My body is extremely sensitive to medications, therefore i experience just about every side effect that meds have to offer. Meanwhile i have been taking Alprazolam(Xanax).5mg as a sort of scoth tape fix. When i started to take them they made me feel sedated, so i have never taken them during the daytime. They help me sleep as i suffer from a sleep disorder so 1 1/2 pills a night before bed has kept my sleep disorder at bay. Recently i have noticed during the day that my body starts feeling really wierd around 8-9am.
Long story short, by body has become dependent on these pills, and now i find myself taking them during the day just to be able to function without shakes, uncontrolable sweating, dizzy, nausea and really bad headaches. After researching this drug i have come to a realization that i am going through Xanax withdrawals.

This is the most horrible feeling i have ever experienced, can anybody give me some advice or tips on how to get completely off this drug. Is there anything i can take to help with the withdrawals? Im not sure how this happened but i dont like feeling dependent on it and i just want feel normal again. How long will this feeling last?

Oh lord I am really sorry to hear this. I know a person, sort of a friend of mine, who suffers Xanax addiction, and he goes through the same exact withdrawal symptoms you're going through now.

Now the thing is, I really don't know how to give advice on these types of withdrawals because I've never experienced Xanax withdrawals. I've only experienced opiate withdrawals.

But the best advice I can think of, that might help, is to take as much Ibuprofen as you can to help you with the severe headaches and maybe help the withdrawals. If you can get your hands on some promethazine or phenergan, to try and take those also to help you with the nausea and throwing up, and maybe even some strong anti-acids.

I really don't know what else to say beings I've never experienced this before, but I want you to know that I really do feel for you on this one and I'm sorry you are suffering. I do not know how long it takes to completely detox either, but I really hope it's not that long. I will pray for you and I hope the best.

Maybe someone here, like Robert or somebody else, can help give you better advice. Hoping you will get through this as fast and easy as possible, John.

[melinda7.5]

Oh lord I am really sorry to hear this. I know a person, sort of a friend of mine, who suffers Xanax addiction, and he goes through the same exact withdrawal symptoms you're going through now.

Now the thing is, I really don't know how to give advice on these types of withdrawals because I've never experienced Xanax withdrawals. I've only experienced opiate withdrawals.

But the best advice I can think of, that might help, is to take as much Ibuprofen as you can to help you with the severe headaches and maybe help the withdrawals. If you can get your hands on some promethazine or phenergan, to try and take those also to help you with the nausea and throwing up, and maybe even some strong anti-acids.

I really don't know what else to say beings I've never experienced this before, but I want you to know that I really do feel for you on this one and I'm sorry you are suffering. I do not know how long it takes to completely detox either, but I really hope it's not that long. I will pray for you and I hope the best.

Maybe someone here, like Robert or somebody else, can help give you better advice. Hoping you will get through this as fast and easy as possible, John.

Hi pawndave
The biggest trick to getting off benzo's is doing a very slow taper.
I have gotten off of xanax before and i know its no fun...YIKES..
The slower the better...
Let us know how you are doing...Melinda

[Pawndave]

Thanks John, I apreciate your prayers. And i pray for your friend, i would never wish this feeling on anybody. This hit me like a ton of bricks out of nowhere. Maybe i should have researched this a little more before taking it. My Doctor has been giving me a script for 60 pills with pretty much endless refills. Knowing what i know now i think my DR should have known better, or at least went over the risks a little more with me. A good nights sleep is valuable but not this valuable.

Thanks Malinda, as you know, this is horrible. How long after you tapered off until you were able to quit it all together? I went from taking 1.25mg once a day(bedtime) to taking that, plus .25 in the morning and .25 in the afternoon to be able to function. the .25's just started last week and thats when i realized that i was hooked. The last 3 days i have cut out the night dose all together but i have still been taking the .25 in the morning and afternoon.

I refilled my script yesterday and the Pharmacist was nice enough to give me a smaller dose(.25) so i could break them in half, so today im prepared to start taking a .12mg dose. Am i tapering too fast? Lastnight was probably the worst night yet, my whole body hurt and i was twitching real bad.

Thanks again

[learning_to_be_free]

My Doctoor has been trying various different medications on me for anxiety. My body is extremely sensitive to medications, therefore i experience just about every side effect that meds have to offer. Meanwhile i have been taking Alprazolam(Xanax).5mg as a sort of scoth tape fix. When i started to take them they made me feel sedated, so i have never taken them during the daytime. They help me sleep as i suffer from a sleep disorder so 1 1/2 pills a night before bed has kept my sleep disorder at bay. Recently i have noticed during the day that my body starts feeling really wierd around 8-9am.
Long story short, by body has become dependent on these pills, and now i find myself taking them during the day just to be able to function without shakes, uncontrolable sweating, dizzy, nausea and really bad headaches. After researching this drug i have come to a realization that i am going through Xanax withdrawals.

This is the most horrible feeling i have ever experienced, can anybody give me some advice or tips on how to get completely off this drug. Is there anything i can take to help with the withdrawals? Im not sure how this happened but i dont like feeling dependent on it and i just want feel normal again. How long will this feeling last?

Melinda gave me this web site www.benzo.org.uk and it has EVERYTHING you would want to know about xanax and a very promising looking taper plan. I would check it out for sure. Im even going to either check out the book The Ashton Manual authored by Dr. Heather Ashton at the library if they dont have Im going to buy it. It its a wealth of info on the benzo subject. Good Luck and I hope you find the answers you are looking for. I know how hard it is to deal with benzo dependenc. I have been having problems lately because I had to drasticly cut my dose due to possible interactions with suboxone and I have been experienceing alot of w/d symptoms with it, a surge of anxiety and what feels like sudden electric shocks plus many others. It stinks

[learning_to_be_free]

Thanks John, I apreciate your prayers. And i pray for your friend, i would never wish this feeling on anybody. This hit me like a ton of bricks out of nowhere. Maybe i should have researched this a little more before taking it. My Doctor has been giving me a script for 60 pills with pretty much endless refills. Knowing what i know now i think my DR should have known better, or at least went over the risks a little more with me. A good nights sleep is valuable but not this valuable.

Thanks Malinda, as you know, this is horrible. How long after you tapered off until you were able to quit it all together? I went from taking 1.25mg once a day(bedtime) to taking that, plus .25 in the morning and .25 in the afternoon to be able to function. the .25's just started last week and thats when i realized that i was hooked. The last 3 days i have cut out the night dose all together but i have still been taking the .25 in the morning and afternoon.

I refilled my script yesterday and the Pharmacist was nice enough to give me a smaller dose(.25) so i could break them in half, so today im prepared to start taking a .12mg dose. Am i tapering too fast? Lastnight was probably the worst night yet, my whole body hurt and i was twitching real bad.

Thanks again

I do think you are tapering too fast but you know what you can handle better than anyone. again I would look at that website the taper plan on it sounds reasonable and safe I would print it and take it to your Dr. I dont know how long you have been on them but if you have only been on them a short time that website has a taper plan for that too

[Pawndave]

yeah i agree, i might be tapering too fast, i think in my head i am trying to beat it, i went a good majority of the day without taking it, but it's kicking my butt. i keep thinking that if i just dont take it then i will feel better.So far that hasnt been the case. Im going to check out that website and maybe get some insight in tapering. Thanks for the advice. And who is this Robert guy, he is popular around here. I sure could use his advice right about now.

[learning_to_be_free]

yeah i agree, i might be tapering too fast, i think in my head i am trying to beat it, i went a good majority of the day without taking it, but it's kicking my butt. i keep thinking that if i just dont take it then i will feel better.So far that hasnt been the case. Im going to check out that website and maybe get some insight in tapering. Thanks for the advice. And who is this Robert guy, he is popular around here. I sure could use his advice right about now.

He mostly helps with opiate detox a far as i've seen but I know he has detoxed off benzo's if you want his help he will either find you or you can start a thread called Robert Please Help he is used to it by now and has tons of good advice

[Robert_325]

yeah i agree, i might be tapering too fast, i think in my head i am trying to beat it, i went a good majority of the day without taking it, but it's kicking my butt. i keep thinking that if i just dont take it then i will feel better.So far that hasnt been the case. Im going to check out that website and maybe get some insight in tapering. Thanks for the advice. And who is this Robert guy, he is popular around here. I sure could use his advice right about now.

Hi Pawndave ..... be happy to give you some suggestions. I abused benzos for over 25 years. When I stopped was taking about 20mg of xanax and 6-8mg of klonopin per day. My horrid w/d symptoms lasted for probably three months including seizures, electric shock syndrome, all kinds of problems. I doubt you have 25 year addiction but even a shorter addiction to xanax can be prone to seizures. You should possibly be taking dilantin, depakote, or something similar your dr could recommend. These meds help prevent seizures from occuring during detox. Benzo detox is serious. Main thing is to keep adding more and more hours between doses. That is simple. And as mentioned about the Ashton Manual the Dr recommends tapering off fast acting xanax with a longer lasting valium. Makes the taper easier on you. Depends how much you've been doing. Keep posting and we will try to help. God bless.

[Pawndave]

Thanks Robert, yeah im trying to stretch as much time as possible in between doses. It's the siezures that i worry about the most. My Dr gave me ambien to get me to sleep so hopefully the night will be uneventfull. Your absolutely right, benzo WD are serious. I have 10 years sobriety from Crystal Meth and i never once felt like this coming off speed. But the speed is why i cant sleep these days, which is why i was taking the Xanax. What a viscous circle. So as i go longer between doses you say the WD's will be more far and few between as well? Man im excited about that. I cant even imagine what you went through taking 20mg per day. God bless you.

[learning_to_be_free]

Thanks Robert, yeah im trying to stretch as much time as possible in between doses. It's the siezures that i worry about the most. My Dr gave me ambien to get me to sleep so hopefully the night will be uneventfull. Your absolutely right, benzo WD are serious. I have 10 years sobriety from Crystal Meth and i never once felt like this coming off speed. But the speed is why i cant sleep these days, which is why i was taking the Xanax. What a viscous circle. So as i go longer between doses you say the WD's will be more far and few between as well? Man im excited about that. I cant even imagine what you went through taking 20mg per day. God bless you.

I think you should ask to switch to valium it lasts longer up to 12 hrs I hear so you wont feel so bad all day. Im going to ask to be switched. I worry about the interactions with my suboxone(Im addicted to opiates) so I hate to take them I have been perscribed them for 10years I dont consider myself addicted to xanax but definetly dependant on them. My dr says its impossible for me to just go cold turkey. I called her and told her I wanted to get off of them, she doesnt know about the sub, so I just said I was tired of taking them 3x a day she said to stick it out until our next appt and we would discuss a taper then. even the drs know its not safe to jump off or taper too quickly. I was really amazed at all the info on that site. I printed the taper plan to take to my appt The taper is 26 or 29 wks long(long time to taper) but after 10 years thats nothing to me. I so excited...everything seems to be falling into place even with the few major setbacks I've experienced lately. Good Luck its going to be rough I know that even when you taper you can experience w/d just by going under your tolerance dose I am having w/d from it everyday by cutting my dose so much but I will live. I want so badly to get to that day where I dont have to take any pills Im even making my boyfriend get snipped so I can stop taking birth control ha I feel bad for him but dang I dont want to take hormones everyday. I want to know what its like to take nothing. One day of being uncomfortable for him doesnt beat me having to take pills that have a ton of risks for the next 20 years so I win