Xanax tapering - Addiction & Recovery Message Board

monkey3 · 01-12-2007, 08:19 AM

Hi - any thoughts on whether tapering works with Xanax, I am afraid I just dont have the self control that is required for this. The therapist wants me to do this and not introduce something like valium to help with the taper. I have 3 small children 8, 6 and 4yo autistic son, so dont need to be tormented by too many withdrawl symptoms as well as my children

. I have been taking about 4 1mg tablets for about 5 months now. Started at 1mg per day about a year ago and then increased as I felt they were not working (tolerance). Anyway - want to be rid forever of them, I even find I will take it when I dont neccessarily need to (bad sign

) My humble opinion would be to let me transfer to valium and then hopefully not be addicted to them and be able to taper them rather quickly without to much suffering. I would love to go to detox and get this done with quickly but unfortunately I have no one to look after my children and wonder how it would also affect them - especially my son who will just think I am gone, wont understand Mummy is sick. At least the girls would. Any thoughts, suggestions and feedback would really help. You all seem like such nice, supportive, human people

reachout · 01-12-2007, 09:06 AM

Hi

I am tapering down from oxycodone at the moment and when I finish, I will begin a taper from Xanax. A Xanax taper needs to go slowly because of the risk factors of seizures and heart attack. Not trying to scare you here! But Xanax is a benzo and benzos come with their own set of problems. The step down rate is supposed to be 5%-10% each time and then you stay there until you level off and then make another step down.

About ten years ago, I was in a deep, deep clinical depression. I was put on and off so many meds to try and lift the depression that I wasn't sure what the heck was going on. In hindsight, I realize that one of the meds I was put on and eventually taken off was Xanax. I had a wonderful psychiatrist at that time and she rreally helped me. It came to a point where I was breaking pills into tiny tiny pieces and she said, if they crumble, wet your finger, pick them up and take the crumbs. All of this has only come back to me in the last few months as I face coming off of them again. This time, they were prrescribed to me off label for nerve damage to my leg. Man, if I had clear recollections then of what I do now, I never would have used them again. Oh, well, that is a moot point. Have to deal with what is what now.

But, it can be done without changing meds. My psychiatrist wants me to change to a longer acting med than Xanax to come off of them. So far I have said, "No." Partly because I will cross that bridge when I get to it, and partly because I am terrified of another addiction to a new drug.

There is a lot of research that suggests valium as the way to go. I guess in the end we just each have to make our own choice. Whatever choice you make, I wish you well. Please post again and let us all know how you are doing.

Good wishes
reach

kj_johnson · 01-13-2007, 01:43 AM

Slowly...............by brother was on about 25mg a day of ativan and xanax. He quit it all at once, even he doesn't know why he even attempted that. There's some doctor I think she's in England that has alot of experience in Xanax w/d and she advocates a very,very slow withdrawal but she thinks it's better done at home. I've also heard the same thing, Valium is the way to go I guess because of the half life..I'll try to find the doc's name, or maybe someone else knows. Very interesting reading. I like the home detox but at an extremely low taper...take care..kj lol said that wrong I don't the home detox but prefer it to inpatient

coder · 01-13-2007, 05:10 AM

Years ago I was put on Xanax to cope with the disintigration of my marriage (that's ANOTHER long story!) After nearly a year on Xanax, the doctor decided to take me off, but would not do so at home ,because of the seizure risk. I was forced into the hospital for 2 weeks to taper under supervision. It went fine and did not experience any withdrawl symptoms...but, with the drug being prescribed for "psychological" reasons....guess where they put me? Yep, in the Psych ward which was the most humiliating experience I have ever endured. I definitely felt I did not belong there.
In any case, the point is, any taper MUST be closely monitored and preferably supervised by a physician. This is not a drug to toy around with

Lou

mollie68 · 01-13-2007, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkey3

Hi - any thoughts on whether tapering works with Xanax, I am afraid I just dont have the self control that is required for this. The therapist wants me to do this and not introduce something like valium to help with the taper. I have 3 small children 8, 6 and 4yo autistic son, so dont need to be tormented by too many withdrawl symptoms as well as my children

. I have been taking about 4 1mg tablets for about 5 months now. Started at 1mg per day about a year ago and then increased as I felt they were not working (tolerance). Anyway - want to be rid forever of them, I even find I will take it when I dont neccessarily need to (bad sign

) My humble opinion would be to let me transfer to valium and then hopefully not be addicted to them and be able to taper them rather quickly without to much suffering. I would love to go to detox and get this done with quickly but unfortunately I have no one to look after my children and wonder how it would also affect them - especially my son who will just think I am gone, wont understand Mummy is sick. At least the girls would. Any thoughts, suggestions and feedback would really help. You all seem like such nice, supportive, human people