Posted by chemist on July 12, 2004, at 16:44:32
In reply to Discontinuing Xanax...for Chemist Others...., posted by Buckeye Fan on July 12, 2004, at 9:50:10
> IF....I want to discontinue a 5 year use of Xanax
> any suggestions on HOW to "ween Off" this powerful
> tranquilizer?
>
> Simple dose reduction over time? Is there anything else like it to switch to first...and then ween?
>
> Do our bodies have the ability to produce the same or similiar chemical crucial for relaxing , that Xanax "takes the place of"????
>
> Plenty of question, I know
> Appreciate any help in advance...
>
> Buckeye Fan
hello there, chemist here....i have been down this very road myself. first, my continuing mantra that xanax is NOT a true 1,4-benzodiazepine but rather a triazolo-containing 1,4-benzodiazepine must be repeated. this means that you cannot cross taper with a benzo such as valium, klonopin, or ativan with a seamless transition. a better transition, yes, but not seamless. okay, that's out of my system. about the taper: it took me 9 months to get of a 4 mg/day xanax regimen. the last month is when you should make every effort to find a microtome, because you'll want to do this very, very, very slowly. the easy part is getting from whatever dose you are on down to about 1 mg/day. then, it's showtime. i found that ambien helped, and i recall that i had gone down to 2 mg/day in the first 2 or 3 months, now that i think about it (that anterograde amnesia is something else, isn't it?), no problem. the next 1 mg was tough, but not too bad, as ambien was involved prn. that last 1 mg is the kicker. my advice is to take it fast at first and then slow. now, i addressed a little bit about the ``what can i take to ease the pain?'' question above, but will reiterate: if you go cold-turkey on a slow taper, it can be done without additional benzos/derivatives. if my doctor had been willing - and i not so stubborn - i would think a gentle dose of klonopin would ease the pain, perhaps 0.25 mg qd at start of taper to 0.5 mg tid near the end, with a bit of ambien if sleep is troubling. finally, our bodies are capable of producing all kinds of things *way* more potent than, for instance, the synthetic opiate sufentanil, which makes fentanyl look like aspirin. as for things which relieve anxiety, i have found that lowering stress through exercise (yes, you've heard this one before) is best, as those wonderful endorphins kick in and if you exercise hard and long enough, you wear yourself out. others more schooled than i in what exactly happens (SLS, King Vultan, Sad Panda, Larry Hoover, of course) might shed some light other than my ``ride your bike more'' answer. but if need counseling on your taper, i am your man, as i've been there.....and by the way, i'm right back after a brief vacation with valium, and have no intention of ever giving up my beloved xanax, just my final words, in that it has helped me so much. all the best, chemist
poster:chemist
thread:365278
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040712/msgs/365413.html